Good day to you and thanks for dropping in. I cycled again today and now need a nap, but I won’t as that might defeat the purpose of the exercise. Sleep burns calories too though I’m sure. On to loftier topics then….

I’ve been sitting on the fence when it comes to this rather large and extremely well marketed (and thus talked about) exhibition just kicking off at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art - ‘PUNK: Chaos to Couture’. It wasn’t until I completed far more reading that I realised how large an exhibition this is and while on the surface it all sounds vulgar there is surely going to be something for everyone, in theory anyway. The vulgar can be found in the quotes from the ‘celebrities’ who attended the opening party, each in turn reducing punk to some trivial branding or label that mixed fun and cool in some sort of fashion(able) blend.  Punk was never so vulgar as to sell safety pins adorned with pearls and t-shirts that cost the equivalent of a week’s groceries. I thought the scene which I was to arrive  late to due to my year of birth was about anything but a predetermined look or style and certainly not means tested, no rules was half of the attraction for me and others I knew so it is very strange to see it reimagined as something very different.

How do I caption this?

Anyway, from the other side of the country and with no intention of attending the exhibition which runs from now until August 14, I am best left waiting to hear what some of you much nearer to New York think of it should you happen to attend. I’m sure we’ll all benefit from a viewpoint that doesn’t sound like a press release. For now though I thought I’d focus on the facts and by all means have a look at Google News and just type in ‘New York Punk Exhibition’ as there are dozens of previews from all sources. Instead let’s go on to the facts.

The exhibit apparently looks to trace the path of punk from a local nucleus of rebellion and boredom by kids in New York and London to a global and very high line of alternative fashion thirty odd years later. More than 100 designs are featured going back to McLaren and Vivienne Westwood creations all the way to the present day.

Seven individual galleries cover the history of punk’s impact with two dedicated to the New York and London of the 70′s respectively with the emphasis on CBGB’s along with the Kings Road own Seditionaries, if only from a historic perspective I’d like to see those galleries. The remainder is where things get more broad as the interpretation of the early days of punk is shown with features on the 80′s, 90′s and up to now. I’ve no idea how much or little will appeal to a fan of The Clash but hopefully the aspect of the music is well interfaced with the fashion elements, I can only hope so.  Trying to be objective about the regurgitation/hijacking (?) of such ideas becomes increasingly difficult while at the same time I do believe the influence lingers on in many forms, most notably away from the arena of the music industry ironically. Is punk an inspiration in the modern world of fashion/style or a sign that new ideas are simply quite thin on the ground?

Some suggested reading below, but what I hope most is to hear from anyone who goes along to the exhibition itself.  Please convince me it’s not destined to be the most contrived punk-related exhibit ever, I mean Anne Hathaway and Beyonce at the opening gala, $100 ‘Climate Revolution’ t-shirts? Surely some mistake. Is this just a money spinner for the fashion industry or a genuine homage? Essentially I’m finding it all pretty repulsive and cash-laden but don’t want to ignore that it is taking place and will be notable for some good reasons too I hope. Read more below to get a proper flavour, but highly recommended is this piece in The Daily Beast.

New York Metropilation Music of Art 

Reviews and Previews:

Reuters | Pentagram.com | New York Times | BBC News (video) | Washington Post | The New Age 

Interviews:

Vivienne Westwood

This sums it all up, ‘So antiseptic that it doesn’t have anything to do with…the late 70′s’

The future is unwritten, so share it

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Monday again, there was nothing I could do to avoid it. I am sorry. I decided to start the week by jumping on the bike and cycling like a madman in the rain this morning and it did feel good however when I got back it was still Monday. Thankfully I’ve got more than gloomy tales about the dawn of a new work week thanks to esteemed video creator and he who seeks out Clash related freshness Gil W. You’ve hopefully already seen his YouTube page but if not I’d recommend you head over there today.

Gil uncovered another piece of footage I’d never seen before that was just uploaded and by my logic it ought to be new to you too. If you were a kid in the mid-late 70′s and your Dad (or Uncle) was as annoying as mine you probably were caught repeatedly on Ciné film/Super 8 home recordings dependent on what you called it at your house. While in those days the 8mm film for the home user didn’t capture sound it did record good quality footage of whatever your family was doing., anyway that’s enough rambling from me.

So below we have a 2.5 minute clip of The Clash performing live plus audience at the Ruisrock Festival in Turku, Finland on August 4th, 1979. As I mentioned no audio but they’ve added White Riot to the clip, I’d recommend watching it with no sound as it’s essentially a distraction. It’s amateur film but still good for it featuring lots of audience shots of flicked hair Scandinavians, both the curious and local punks it would seem. The weather looked delightful for Finland and The Clash are going at it with great gusto on stage. Some good closeups of Joe plus Mick and Paul throwing some great shapes on stage, for a festival there seems to be a lot of room down the front which might be due to the significant distance between  audience and stage. It also might be the earliest footage of The Clash playing outdoors in summer sunshine!

You’ll probably try and figure out which song(s) the band were playing but it might prove difficult as the film jumps back and forth to the audience so frequently. I also enjoyed the unhappy looking security men and policeman (perhaps) who have that expression of pure discomfort for the new wave of music being blasted out on stage. Thanks again to Gil and for more details on the gig there is no finer place than the Black Market Clash website. Thanks also to Timo Lähteenmäki for the upload.

From a historic perspective this was The Clash arguably at the very height of their ascent, the gig was a run for cash but this was the summer of 1979 the same summer that saw the creation of London Calling. Hope you enjoy and please share with abandon and if you want to fill my coffee/bandwidth (see right margin) that’d be very appreciated.

The Clash at Ruisrock Festival, Finland – 1979

The future is unwritten, so share it

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Hello and nice to welcome you back. Few things hold the same lustre decades after being 15 as they did back then, The Clash is one such word but I’d suggest ‘Friday’ holds equal sway. Even though weekends typically involve more work (the pleasure of being self-employed) and things that have to get done I still get the same buzz for the weekly arrival of a Friday as I did in my school days. Complete with The Clash scrawled across folders and books of course.

Today I wanted to share some very inspiring news from the halls (offices?) of our friends over at Strummerville. Oftentimes we’ll support a nonprofit (Strummerville being one of course) and wonder specifically what our contributions are aiding, this new venture by Strummerville is quite simply one of the most exciting yet.

They’ve formed a partnership with Tech Music School London (TMS) which sees TMS offer aspiring musicians the chance to pursue their musical ambitions as the college, part of the award winning BIMM Group, partnered with Strummerville to offer a fully funded place on its BA (Hons) Creative Musicianship course. Such scholarships don’t come cheap - each being worth £17,250, for the full three years of tuition fees. The great news is that one Strummerville Scholarship will be offered to one student, each academic year, for the next 6 years. A quick quote below and here’s a link to the full story over at Strummerville. In total TMS are offering £103,000 worth of education in partnership with Strummerville!

”We are delighted about our partnership with Tech Music School London and thank them for giving this wonderful opportunity. We can’t wait to see the first talented young person on The Strummerville Scholarship.”

Lucinda Garland Trustee of Strummerville

It’s a inspiring decision that will make a huge difference to those who receive the scholarships. TMS are just about to move into a new location too, one that will feature a Strummerville performance room. To learn more about Tech Music School London please visit their website.

You can help Strummerville by visiting their website, purchasing any of their merchandise, attending upcoming events or by making a donation at any time. Let’s help them make 2013 a brilliant year for others.

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The future is unwritten, so share it

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