Good morning happy Sunday and all that – thanks for popping back to the blog. Either later today or more likely early next week I’ll do my best to share some images and hopefully video too from some of the Strummer birthday events that took place yesterday so please stay tuned.

Strangely enough Joe’s birthday and the day after both seemed to hold some extra gravitas and I’m sure just by coincidence. Bear in mind I live somewhere where it might rain 20 or 25 times in the entire year, needless to say last night just an hour before I watched the clock flip over to Sunday and was reflecting on Strummer while watching ‘The Future is Unwritten’ the sky opened and we got a lovely hard rain coupled with loads of lightning which continued until the wee hours. Then when I awoke to watch a bit of football from West London, the cameras and audio feed returned to the ground (Craven Cottage – not far from Clash territory and right alongside the Thames) before the players were out for the second half. Playing quite loudly and drowning out the crowd chatter over the p.a. was ‘London Calling’ so even unintentionally the first song I heard today was of course The Clash.

Its been a busy and emotive couple of days on the blog so I thought I’d try something much lighter today, continuing the Joe Strummer theme but nothing to make you tear up or at least I hope not. I don’t have any tattoos but I think one of the only things I even half considered would have been something with a Clash logo – or perhaps Arsenal. Joe Strummer tattoos come in all shapes and sizes so I’ve selected six of the best for your perusal and for you to pick a favourite. Check out the ink below (click on each photo for a larger image):

	1- The Full Monty – cover your entire back in Joe
	2 – The classic Joe on Diving Board – Strummerville logo
	3- Jacket on, collar up – back of the leg
	4- Great likeness but perhaps shave your arm?
	5- I’m getting a Clint Eastwood feel here…do you feel lucky Punk (rocker)?
	6 – Great detail…but where on the body?

So those would be my top six, there were quite a few more but they range from average to pretty bloody horrible so now we need a favourite? Take part in the least pressure packed poll in Clash Blog history – which Joe tattoo do you like the most? You have time to think about this – results will be posted on Thursday Aug 26. I’ll then try and contact the owner of said branding and see if we can get a personal story about the body art. Also, accept my apologies for the poor aesthetic qualities of the tattoo alignment above…it drove me a bit html loopy if you catch my meaning.

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Hello everyone and welcome back to the blog, hoping your weekend allowed you to recharge for the week ahead. Not much to report from here, in truth a bit of a rut often snares my attitude in the late summer here (might be the closed windows and daily temperatures over 100f) but I recognise it and will be just fine I’m sure. That rather impressively thick Jon Savage book arrived in the post today so I think that will occupy quite a few hours of my time in the weeks ahead, I usually can’t delve into books over 700 pages unless they are historical but I think this qualifies. I also need to go and see some live music, I keep waiting for acts I really like to stop in Phoenix but it might be a fruitless wait on my part. Here’s a list of what is coming over the next few weeks to this dusty desert oasis – have a look and make a recommendation for me! Calexico are rather wonderful live so that looks good for the end of the month (and it’s free!) and also amazed to see The Legendary Pink Dots are coming here – it must be 25 years since I saw them last at I think Dingwalls in Camden. Good old Dingwalls!

The Highbury Garage, before it was so Relentless

I wish we had a local Joe Strummer event of some sort to head out to this Saturday (Aug 21) to celebrate his birthday, but wisely due to the heat our annual Joe Strummer tribute night in association with Strummerville takes place in December. I’d have to fly to San Francisco or drive to Austin Texas to be witness to a tribute but neither time nor currency will make that practical for this weekend coming. I’ll do a final reminder of all the events later this week but wanted to bring something to your attention in London – not an official Strummer night per se but a good place to be this Saturday if you are a Clash fan and want to be with like minded people.

Buddy Ascott of The Chords (played at 100 Club last year in July with Mick, Glen & Steve Diggle) emailed our key man Pete in London – and as part of a reunion tour they will be playing The Garage at Highbury Corner – now renamed the ‘Relentless Garage’ – on 21st August this month. Buddy inferred (don’t hold me to this) that the band will include a Clash song in their set. Above all else they are big fans of the band and definitely influenced by The Clash and this is as fitting a location as any that night. I’ve had many a good night at The Garage back in the 90’s and would very much like to be part of this so hopefully some of you reading will be able to make it along. Much more info about The Chords is available via their myspace page – Pete also suggested the track below as a reminder – I confess I’d forgotten how good this sounds! Yes it might remind you of The Jam but that’s no bad thing in my book – besides which the mod revival label doesn’t capture the whole range of the band. Incidentally last year’s album by Pope ‘Tall Tales and Cheap Thrills’ is definitely worth getting hold of.  More details about The Garage via this link – I don’t think I can add ‘relentless’ to the name. Why does a venue need to be ‘relentless’ or even ’sporadic’ for that matter? Come to think of it Arsenal are at home earlier that afternoon so you could spend your entire Saturday in one very special corner of London!

The Chords ‘Maybe Tomorrow’ (1980)

Would chat more but something I ate earlier is not falling for my brain’s idea that extra spicy Thai food sits well with this Anglo/Celtic man’s stomach. Bah!

I’ll only do this once a year I promise, allow me to indulge myself and those of you who like football. I know perhaps 50-70% of you reading this have no interest in football (soccer) but I can’t pretend that applies to me or all of us. Are there Clash connections to football? Why of course – from Mick’s love of QPR and Joe’s like of Chelsea to the environs that helped shape The Clash like Guy Stevens stopping at Highbury (the home of Arsenal) to pay respects on his way to the studio during the recording of London Calling. I don’t think The Clash are a football fan’s band so much as football is a good match for The Clash. Intense rivalry and loyalty, ups and downs and ultimately a globally popular phenomenon that brings people together more than it tears them apart. If you’re new to the blog my other love apart from music is Arsenal but you don’t need to follow Arsenal to know my passion if you follow a team of your own.

The new season starts this weekend and I’ll wake up tomorrow full of optimism although I think we’re at least two players short of having a decent chance of winning the league. We’re currently a bit like Give Em Enough Rope – really good but not quite at our best.We’ve two weeks to sign a goalkeeper and a central defender and I’m basing my predictions on us doing both (hopelessly optimistic). Here’s my forecast for the season ahead – and feel free to share yours:

1- Chelsea: Too much depth and now playing attacking football – add a manager who has shown he can do it

2- Arsenal: We can’t concede as many goals and suffer as many injuries as last year. Close but not top

3- Manchester United: Aging defenders and an over reliance on one Wayne Rooney sees them slip to 3rd

4- Manchester City: If he can’t get this collection of players to the top 4 something is really wrong

5- Aston Villa: Losing the manager who was to be their saviour might just change everything

6- Liverpool: Woy can’t work miwacles as this team isn’t good enough to win consistently

7- Spurs: Harry likes an open cheque book and new faces, he has neither at the moment and can’t motivate old heads

8- Everton: Good on their day but too often small squad hampers their progress

9- Blackburn: Quietly becoming very hard to beat and not outrageous with their spending

10- Sunderland: The definition of average should see mid table finish

11- Wolves: If they can defend as well as I think they can they’ll improve a bit more

12- Birmingham: Won’t concede many but can’t score either

13- Bolton: Bolton to become more likable under Coyle? It might happen

14- Stoke: Love to see them go down, perhaps next year

15- Fulham: Hodgson was the spirit of this team, expect Hughes to break that in a few months

16- Blackpool: The type of manager who might pull enough out of this tiny club to stay up

17- West Ham: New boss but same very ordinary team. Will struggle to survive

18- Newcastle: Will start ok and fade…and fade and fade away

19- WBA: They need their own league between the premier and the championship

20- Wigan: All over after an unlikely spell in the top flight

Normal service resumed for the next post. Pick your winner below, poll will be open for a week. I didn’t include every club, email me to explain why you want to add Stoke (for example) and I will.

Tim

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