The Mick Jones Rock n Roll Public Library is getting a lot of press – and that’s a great thing. It’s also getting a lot of online searches (I check such things) and I sincerely hope it gets the sort of foot traffic it merits.

I wanted to let you know we’ll be getting some exclusive photos of the current (2nd) run of the exhibition under the Westway and if you’re in London or going to be I also welcome your photos. What’s most interesting to me is that Mick in effect is letting the public into something that most people would consider pretty private. Based on the size of the collection (10,000+ items) and the broad range of memorabilia my best guess is that this is something that Mick has considered doing for a good few years. Maybe for many years, you don’t own a collection as diverse as this from ‘just’ being in a band.

This is obviously something that Jones is passionate about and he has made a determined effort to amass a horde of pop culture, but why? Unlike so many people who collect art, vehicles, antiques, postcards or even records – it seems that Jones wanted this to be something that the public, his public, could see, touch, read and even scan and take home on a memory stick. I’m convinced it can be traced back to his early days when the glamour of being in a band was something he (admittedly) sought,  having achieved that it’s almost as if he’s saying ‘here it is, have a bit, it’s really our culture and a common treasury’. Better than me continue speculation here’s some comments Mick has made about the library and or press releases relating to it:

“initially I thought, well, yes, you can just have a private collection, but then I came around to thinking that the point is to share the stuff, so that other people can enjoy it. It’s still by no means properly sorted, but this is a start.”

Is it art? I look at it as one artwork, the whole collection – one piece of art, which I’m continually working on and updating.

“Ultimately, I’d like to have a permanent place to exhibit the whole collection, like a museum, like a library”

There’s obviously huge appeal to Clash, Big Audio Dynamite and CSi fans, as clothing, records and tour memorabilia are on display. The baseball cap he wore from the video for V13 – it’s there.  Gold discs, present and accounted for. Posters, guitars, song lyrics and his own cassette collection – all to be perused. Kate Moss’ Wellington boots – honestly. I think I understand as I sift the details even from afar, Mick Jones is a music fan and he’s a fan of what’s going on. He just wants to share it to the people of London, and West London is where it should be. I hope people who just enjoy art collections and pop culture make up a lot of the audience too, regardless of an an affiliation with The Clash.

It’s perhaps an oddity to a non Clash fan. If Roland from Tears for Fears was doing the same thing would I be interested? I think the point is, Roland would never bother (nothing personal) but it tells us something about Mick – and I think it’s both enjoyable for him but altruistic also.

Right then, rambling over – I want to know what you think, especially if you attend. In the meantime here are some recent links about the new exhibit:

GQ Magazine UK

The Look (blog)

Cheers – Tim