Hello all and I hope your weekend is going well…mine is but that’s due to the end of Arizona Summer (which I hate) and Cesc Fabregas creating 5 of Arsenal’s six goals today (which I love). I’ve got a few things to dig into so please stay a while.

I guess it was inevitable that a punk rock biopic would be under studio review. It’s been a remarkable 23 years (!!) since ‘Sid and Nancy’ and although I thought that was a good film I’ve waited ever since for another major film or two to be made hinging on the punk movement. I’ve a feeling The Clash story will one day be made (Scorcese?) but the current rumour is a Ramones bio!! I am sure there is a great film in the Ramones story -- if you’ve seen the documentary ‘End of the Century’ you’ll agree. As an aside based on the average (shaggy) hair length I’m seeing these days finding a cast who look the part won’t be a problem either. It’ll be interesting to see if this comes to fruition.

A while back I wrote part one (part two still pending…sorry) about the 10 year anniversary of ‘Rock Art and the X-Ray Style’. I’d purposely delayed part two as soon after that post Richard Norris who was working with Joe Strummer on many of those original tracks explaining he’d like to add more substance to the events as he felt I was dismissive (fair enough -- though I purely went with what’s been written in the past and combined with my memories). After communicating with Richard he put together a brief overview of his experience with Joe that I hope to share on the blog on Tuesday. Stay tuned -- and thanks for getting in touch Richard. This blog won’t censor anyone!

Speaking of Joe Strummer his now legendary ‘vanishing act’ gets another review in the Guardian. The event gets told once more on a list of the five best music ‘excuses’ -- this apparently to divert the press/fans/media from the fact that the band were by that time imploding. Not that it changed history but it certainly created some.

This was a nice find (and I’m sorry for the Billy Bragg overload -- but he is perhaps the second best PR voice the Clash have in 2009!!!) Billy happened to be in San Francisco for a gig at the same time as Friday’s nights Strummerville event. He showed up at the venue for the Joe tribute and had a bit of stage time to discuss Jail Guitar Doors, Mick, Topper, Joe and the Clash. Nice one Billy…

There’s also this one of Bragg playing Jail Guitar Doors (and talking a bit more).

Okay, theres much more to come and I vow to get another update later today…cheers til then.