What’s going on then? If you’re a regular reader of the blog you’ll already know that I’m as keen on Arsenal FC as I am The Clash, if you’ve worked that much out you’ll also know I’m not terribly happy today. Since August we’ve played 33 matches and until today had at least an outside chance of winning the league. That all ended earlier today and of course I’m thoroughly hacked off. I even went back to the preseason post I did back in August where I predicted us to finish second anyway so I don’t quite know why I’m so despondent. Though I no longer have a season ticket nor can just jump on the tube for every home game I still am able to see every match and through some of the wonderful blogs over on the right margin can follow the club as if I was still walking down from Finsbury Park station every Saturday afternoon with a cheeseburger in my hand and hope in my heart. If you’re a Man Utd or Chelsea fan (as I know many of you are) I’ll congratulate you in due course, if you support the scum on the other hand our 3rd place is more than you’ve managed in how long? Ah well….on to other things.

Yesterday was St. Georges Day in England so I should have mentioned our Lebanese dragon battling friend on that date, but the NME did a short blog on the best songs ever about England ever written. I’d have a few others to suggest (Babyshambles – Albion) but they did at least put The Clash on that list with you probably guessed ‘This is England’. Seen by many as the only truly great song written by The Clash after Mick’s removal (if you can get past the drumming / production) it does contain some of Joe’s finest and/or darkest lyrics in my opinion. The NME does ask what other songs you’d suggest which made me think which Clash songs are the best ones written about England? I considered Safe European Home in a round about way but wondered what you might suggest instead? Answers below if you will….and here’s a link to the NME piece which is worth a read.

Finally to wrap up a short post a video that I think is really quite special….somewhat exclusive and definitely for those of you who like something a little different. Our good friend Gil managed to either cleverly disguise himself as a bottle of Stella Artois or was cordially invited in for the B.A.D. soundcheck in Los Angeles about ten days ago. Either way it’s a fantastic thing to watch and gives you that (what became of the ) flies on the wall perspective. Thanks to Gil for letting me share this.

Video courtesy of Gil Warguez, B.A.D. soundcheck at the Roxy, Los Angeles 14/4/2011

More tomorrow I’m sure sorry for the brevity today but I’m entitled to a bit of a wallow now and then and I think the video makes up for that…..thanks for reading. Tim

One up…go on West Ham….two nil ahead…come on you irons….half an hour later and its a 2-4 defeat. Such is the glory of my Saturday morning. Friday night was much better though as I took some time to look and listen to some of the uploads from the Big Audio Dynamite concerts that have taken place so far. Being as objective as I can be…I’m bloody impressed. I hope you’ve had a trawl around YouTube yourself already but if not this should be a post you’ll enjoy. Looks like Glasgow had the most tech-heads who were out recording on the night so our focus will be there.

image credit Fishbones Photography on Flickr

I listen to far too much music, I don’t watch television and I work from home so I spend too much time on the desktop or laptop and invariably have some music playing. I still purchase a lot of new bands CDs so I’m often on youtube hearing songs before making my mind up on an album but also looking for live clips. Of course there are lots of bands who just can’t capture it live and/or people who can’t capture very good audio or video due perhaps to the equipment they are using or their distance from the PA. So I went looking for B.A.D. clips expecting to find the usual ropey content that wouldn’t convince me one way or the other about the strength of this reunion tour. I needn’t have worried. Bear in mind this is a band that has been in rehearsals for just three weeks and not worked together since Thatcher was at number ten (not at 23 B). Bloody hell…the sound (due to the equipment/technology) is fuller than it was at any time I saw B.A.D. back in the 80′s – of course Mick isn’t in his late twenties early thirties any longer but no bother, the vocals sound good and Don Letts looks like he has waited twenty years for the chance to be back in front of a live audience. It’s good…it’s danceable, it’s fun and it’s still a mesh of different sounds that sounds of today even though it was written and recorded yesterday. Below are some videos and also some links to the audio clips that are best. My personal favourites are Sightsee MC when Don takes over and in the audio section Rewind is simply brilliant plus the always fantastic Beyond The Pale (that’s what we are…says Mick at the end). Have a look and listen and tell me what you think. Full credits to hkscot in Glasgow for getting these online.

The Battle of All Saints Road, B.A.D. Glasgow

C’mon Every Beatbox, B.A.D. Glasgow

Sightsee MC, B.A.D. Glasgow

As for the audio there’s quite a selection on offer so I’ll just link them all out from Glasgow where the sound quality is best. Please make sure you listen to Beyond The Pale, for my money with Joe’s participation it is the last great Clash song. The audio files were all from Clawhammer82 so thank you Claw..or Hammer if you prefer. It might be easier for you to visit his page? If so try that…

Rush

E=MC2

The Bottom Line

Rewind

Just Play Music

BAD

V Thirteen

Beyond The Pale

Medicine Show

I know that doesn’t make for my most thought provoking post but have fun with it. In a few hours I expect the Shepherd’s Bush concert to be a noisy old riot – if you’re going make some extra noise for those of us that are still sitting in bed, drinking coffee and watching Arsenal….

Good morning once again and welcome to your tear-stained (Arsenal supporter you see) Saturday morning edition of The Clash Blog. Hoping that your weekend is off and running in good fashion, I’m left with trying to be hopeful about a team that can’t defend…I’m convinced we won’t concede goals quite as stupid again as today but I said that a few weeks ago.

Of all the moments of Clash history that I think I’ve enjoyed reading about most it might be the anecdotes about the regular sessions the band and supporting cast had playing football during the recording of London Calling that make me grin. Much has been written about that in terms of it building camaraderie and loosening any tension within the band and was apparently a near daily occurrence at the adjacent school playground in Highbury when the band were working on the album in the summer of 1979. It was a time when the band felt there backs were against the wall in terms of money, direction, management and the music press which was previously adoring had turned sour. From that came arguably the greatest record of that (or any generation). I remember getting the record as a 12 year old kid and even before listening to it in depth being thrilled at the cover photograph, the fact it was a double album the first I owned as a kid, the lyrics included (the first time for The Clash) and all the inner sleeve photographs. Something special was in my hands and I still remember telling anyone who would listen at that time in school that this was the album you had to have. Anyway, I just was thinking about that this morning and wishing I had photographs of The Clash and crew enjoying a game of 5-a-side football that summer. I don’t think any photographs exist – but if you know differently prove me wrong.

Also I noticed after the event that yesterday was the 34th anniversary of the first ever record released by The Clash as CBS 5058 was released on a pretty unconvinced British public. White Riot came out on March 18th, 1977 and began the  recorded history of the band by just breaking into the UK top 40 peaking at number 38 which of itself wasn’t a poor showing. When you look back at the sleeve of that 7″ single (pictured left) how could you possibly have walked into a record shop in Dundee or Derby and not at least have been curious enough to purchase it. Hopefully some of you reading this actually did so in those first weeks of release, I acquired my vinyl copy some years later. If you’re of similar vintage to me and want to put perspective on how long ago this was now, it was the same month when the worst airline disaster in history occurred when two 747′s collided on a runway in a fog bound airport in Tenerife. Yes, it was a long time ago. I’ve got vague memories of that (I was 9) as I remember being worried about my parents who were at the time on holiday in the Ivory Coast and I naturally thought flying was the most dangerous thing in the world. Turns out I was wrong.

As far as timeless lyrics did Joe ever capture the mood of England at the time with White Riot? He writes of not wanting to go to jail, but not wanting to take orders. Of rich and poor and the haves and have-nots. Here we are over three decades later and we are seeing riots and protests being a focal point of current unrest (and the outrageously immoral reactions) in many Arab states. A riot of our own? Let’s be having it.

all the power’s in the hands
of the people rich enough to buy it
while we walk the streets
too chicken to even try it