Should Gorillaz play a Clash number for Strummer at Glastonbury?
Wednesday already…! The days all run together once it hits 100f here in the desert, the only way to tell if its the weekend is whether the Clash Blogette is home! Seriously though we need something to spice up the Summer…something that doesn’t happen often…something like the World Cup!
What would Strummer do?
OK then….back on task Tim…back to the Clash. I know we’ve had a little bit of discussion these last few days about 1/2 of The Clash performing live in Gorillaz. In the interest of me not repeating that phrase ad infinitum lets call it .5C/G – you can work out the formula. So while some see .5C/G as a embarrassment to the legacy of the band (that wouldn’t be me), others seem indifferent – let them do whatever they enjoy – while still others really like Damon’s work and Gorillaz so are enjoying the current situation (that would be me). Wherever you stand though the reality is that Mick and Paul will be taking centre stage in a headline slot with Gorillaz at the largest event on the concert calendar in the UK, and arguably the biggest in the world. I speak of course about the forthcoming slot at Glastonbury which adds an extra dimension to the significance of this.
A friendly chap on Facebook launched a page seeking support for Gorillaz to include a Clash song at Glastonbury. Not that the band will be swayed by a Facebook group but it does open up another interesting debate. Yes, this is becoming Clashdebateblog.com…unintentionally though. You can’t think of Glastonbury without thinking of Joe Strummer – no event lends itself more ably to celebrating the time he spent at the festival and the memory of unity and good spirits around the fabled campfire. Its no secret that Strummer would act like a child before Christmas as Glastonbury rolled around so much did he look forward to it. Also worth noting is Joe’s home and the location of his final hours were just a short drive away from the festival site. The Westway replaced by the West country but this was of his own making. The Clash of course never played Glastonbury.
Will they or won't they?
So we have a famous event with .5C/G lined up to appear on stage in the shadow of Strummer’s campfire, does that necessitate a tribute to Joe from the stage? Even the events that allowed this to happen seem a little coincidental; U2 were supposed to headline that evening but a back injury to Bono forced the withdrawal of the Irish band. Gorillaz stepped into the slot, a slot that will have 75% of the audience purchasing tickets with the expectation that U2 were to be on that stage. To their credit U2 have always been very in awe of The Clash, apparently inspired to chase their own dream after seeing the band and The Edge having said “If there was no Clash there would be no U2, simple as that”. Add to this the fact that Joe and the Mescaleros performed Clash songs, Carbon Silicon have gradually added a few Clash songs to their set – their isn’t some prescribed sanctity to playing a Clash number. Will it happen? I don’t know, I’ve seen no official word on that. We might see a Clash song with Mick taking vocals on a Mick number, or Mick seeing a Joe song. Or Damon taking Joe’s role on a song they shared (which would be interesting). We might see no such observance of The Clash back catalogue. How about Coma Girl !!!!
I just want to throw out the question as to whether they should, not whether they will, include a Clash song. Would the audience love it? Of course they would…but how about you? Answers on a postcard – or via the poll below. Poll will be open for a few weeks until just before the event – then we’ll email Damon and Mick!
With Mick and Paul in the band, should Gorillaz play a Clash song at Glastonbury?
- Yes, it would be the perfect tribute to Joe (62%, 42 Votes)
- Absolutely not (12%, 8 Votes)
- Depends on which song (18%, 12 Votes)
- They shouldn't even perform with Gorillaz (8%, 6 Votes)
Total Voters: 68
Loading ...I’d love your help to spread the word on this one…so please use those pretty colourful icons below (down there ) to share on Facebook, Twitter and the usual suspects. It really helps the blog – I thank you. If nothing polls 50% you get a conservative/lib-dem coalition.
Tim
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Hey! Let’s start another debate! Actually, I’m not fond of the poll choices and I’ll tell you why. First, why not do a Clash song? Unless Mick and Paul are absolutely taking a background/support role, people are either gonna know who they are or wonder who they are and doing a Clash song would clue them in. Might as well be a Mick vocals song. I mean, they’re not going out there pretending to be Clash III. So there’s my vote. Now, tribute to Joe? Really doesn’t have anything to do with him unless that’s their intention, to give Joe a nod. That’s why I didn’t just vote ‘yes’ outright. No big thing. So they do a Clash song? Cool! No blasphemy here…
I couldn’t decide on choices…perhaps a yes/no would have been best. I think it would be a ‘nod’ if they do it…it’s no secret how Damon feels about The Clash after all.
Thanks for the reply though!
I was walking close to Finsbury Park in North London last weekend where Rage Against The Machine were playing a free gig. For a couple of hours I’d heard various soundchecks whilst sitting in a friend’s back garden. We walked up towards the park and as we approached the unmistakable sound of ‘White Riot’ drifted over the railway lines.
As it turns out it was Rage Against The Machine rehearsing their encore for the following day. On later reflection I smiled and thought of The Clash’s infamous gig at The Rainbow Theatre some thirty-three years earlier on The White Riot Tour. The Rainbow, scene of many great concerts over the years, is probably only 300 yards away and that Clash gig probably marked the moment where ‘punk’ went mainstream.
It could certainly be argued that Rage Against The Machine have a huge amount in common with the politics and world view of Joe Strummer and he’d definitely be smiling as ‘White Riot’ once again boomed out over London N4 all these years later. Great songs are great songs after all, but greater still if there is a message. The lyrics of ‘White Riot’ are still relevant today !
Which brings me to Glastonbury. I’d be really in favour of Gorillaz covering at least one great Clash song, perhaps even using Mick and Damon’s undoubted musical skills to rearrange it musically to fit with the Gorillaz set…..after all Gorillaz is a musical departure from both Blur and The Clash. Given Joe’s undoubted love of the festival I’m convinced that done properly it would be an absolutely brilliant tribute.
Tim, let’s see some suggestions for songs to cover !
“They (The Clash) combined revolutionary sounds with revolutionary ideas. There music launched thousands of bands and moved millions of fans and I cannot imagine what my life would been like without them. During their heyday they were known as the only band that matters, and twenty five years later, that seems just about right to me” Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine
[...] see on the original story. I was happy to see that 63% of you felt it was the ideal tribute, and another 17% felt it depended [...]
I’m glad you had a “depends on which song” choice. Believe it or not, that really matters. So, my suggestion for a song that I think suits Gorillaz really well, and could be done as a duo with Damon and Bobby Womack (ala Joe and Mikey Dread), is Armagideon Time (I hope I spelled that correctly).
I was listening to that Clash version today from the From here to Eternity album, and the Gorillaz connection immediately popped into my head. I’d love to hear what other songs think would be appropriate for Gorillaz to play?
By the way, Strummerville’s Glastonbury campfire is supposed to have an appearance by (and I quote) “very special special guests” so perhaps that means there will be a more private Clash-related tribute to Joe ? (rather than Gorillaz on the big stage…who knows?)
It’s always interesting to see what happens at these festivals anyway; again wish i could be there but no such luck.
xxx