Good Friday morning to you and thanks for dropping in. I only have a few minutes so wanted to direct you to something rather enjoyable on Facebook and also share an amusing newspaper article from the same source. Facebook as you know is famous for having pages (groups) that will support or disown almost anything, for example even Rick Perry has 170,000 ‘fans’ which goes to show at least that number of people in the US think of the Bush years as the good old days. One of these weeks I’ll do a Clash fan’s guide to Clash pages on Facebook (there are now dozens which range from the rather good to the abysmal) although I noticed that the ‘official Clash’ page finally has someone from Sony music spending 15 minutes per week updating it with relevant stuff when it had been full of spam the last three years. Incidentally that page has over 2 million fans who I’m sure love the spam for girlfriends from the Ukraine  although I’d prefer if they just came here for their news (The Clash fans, not the Ukrainian brides). Anyway, as ever I’ve wandered off topic – I wanted to make sure that those of you who spend time on Facebook join the Big Audio Dynamite Appreciation Society.

The page is nearly 1,500 strong now and you’ll see a lot of very knowledgeable BADdies posting on a regular basis. If you’re looking to find the answer to B.A.D. questions or meet some like minded souls it’s a good place to start and it’s linked at the end of the first paragraph. At present it’s particularly a good time as there have been efforts to design a B.A.D. Appreciation Society (BADAS) shirt which is resulting in some good stuff it has to be said. Go and have a look and share your opinions I think the winning design might end up getting made and sold. Perhaps you’re connected in the print/clothing business and can help make it happen or want to submit a design of your own.

From that same page I wanted to thank John who apparently keeps his attic full of Clash related memorabilia and dug out the clipping below from his collection. The source was the Daily Mirror paper in the UK circa 1986, at that point in history Mick Jones wasn’t the smiling elder statesman of punk rock that we all know and love today but was at the cutting edge of baseball cap/white raincoat chic and a go to guy for clubbing news, views and all night parties. I confess I prefer his 2011 fashion sense which has seen him gradually morph into a reincarnation of a famed black and white film star (answers below please). Back in 1986 however he apparently (quite doubtful) wrote into an advice column in said newspaper looking for hangover cures whilst his band were on tour. This was due to him needing a ‘day to recover’ from the band’s festivities. I don’t know if the letter was real but regardless it’s funny to see what the Mirror would publish in their quest to appear hip. If you speak to Mick ask him, he’ll remember either way. As someone already quipped it sounds like something out of Viz.

Finally I have to do a little bit of shameless panhandling, to get the blog on a new (safer) hosting with better bandwidth I’m trying to raise some extra funds, so if you’ve enjoyed the blog and are in a position to spare a pound or a dollar I’ve added a graphic on the right where you can donate any amount you choose via paypal. I’m going to also set up a registration number so a percentage of funds can go to Stummerville should anyone actually oblige, however there is zero pressure or obligation. That’ll be me done for now, I have to get some work done and then head out to the airport to pick up the bloggette. In the meantime please feel free to keep current via Facebook, Twitter or get the RSS feed  thanks for reading and sharing the blog. Tim

Tuesday afternoon – welcome back. I need a break from looking at numbers so I thought instead I’d write some words and see what came out, ideally a good ratio of them will be related to The Clash so you’ll want to read the whole thing. Apart from the heat it is a beautiful day here and one that makes me wish I owned an old TR4 and take a spin on west London’s most exciting road. Now I hope that you’ll know what a TR4 is and failing that realise which road I’m referring too. It is such a sunny day that I think we should take a run with the traffic on the Westway – our quick stop review of assorted good, bad and oddities in the world of all things Clash. So if we’ve got enough cash for petrol we’ll ease on and see what lays ahead.

 Do you miss your Big Audio Dynamite vinyl? You can follow that link to get a full mp3 download of The Globe 12″ from almost 20 years ago. I wish that wasn’t true but it is (early 1992) saw the arrival of this often overlooked single plus more remixes (4) than you can shake a stick at. The new version of B.A.D. were very different from Mick’s first line up and this track remains one of the very best in my humble opinion. For added MP3 goodness there is also the 8 minute mix of Rush. Thanks to the site Fun With Vinyl – always a great site and something I’d love to do if I had some spare time.

Some Joe Strummer art. Yes it’s pictured to the left but please visit the website of Amy Hood instead for three reasons. 1/ It’s a bigger image and therefore better quality 2/ You can learn about Amy and see more of her work 3/ It’s Joe Strummer. You don’t need more reasons, she’s also looking for feedback on her work. I can’t create art so I bow to everyone who can, especially when they realise a Clash member makes a good subject. Yes, Joe does have a hawk perched on his shoulder and Amy explains why on the site.

Bob Gruen interview and exhibition: Regular readers will know that I’m a huge fan of great Clash photography and Bob Gruen sits right up there with Penny Smith when it comes to The Clash. They should do a speaking tour together, can you imagine both of them discussing so many of the greatest photos ever taken of a band? Gruen’s track record is long and remarkable and his work alongside his deep friendship with Joe Strummer and the rest of the band can’t be undersold. This interview with Gruen in The National Post is short and sweet but it’s in conjunction with his ongoing exhibition at the Liss Gallery in Toronto which runs until Nov 3. Hope some of you can get along to that!

Shepard Fairey and Joe Strummer: The Vinyl District is an exceptionally enjoyable site and they’ve come up with a great piece about Fairey and Strummer in relation to the recent mural that I covered last week recently completed in Asbury, New Jersey. Angie compiled this article and it’s well worth a read as it reviews Fairey’s work on the mural along with earlier work, his influences and her opinion of the significance of his art. I can’t help but feel he might be the ideal candidate to create something ‘official’ (not that I like that word too much) in London to recognise Strummer. Anyway, please read the piece and leave a comment if you can.

Frank Turner interview explains the Strummerville connection: Remarkably this came from our local listings/music rag Phoenix New Times. I highly recommend Frank Turner’s new disc by the way and read the link to find out about how he became involved with Strummerville. He’s a rare breed indeed, an English solo artist who is achieving a little bit of a following on this side of the pond with music that actually has something to say.

Just like that we’ve buzzed through five new pieces, I’ve got another large pile of tales and links waiting so I’ll be sure to bring you some more Westway traffic in the next few days. If you see, read or hear of something that you think might be of interest to the blog please get in touch. I’ve also revised the recommended signage to sit above the A40 (The Westway) as you head into London below, what do you think? I’m off then – but remember you can keep current via Facebook, Twitter get the RSS feed for the blog or email me and as ever thanks for sharing the blog wherever and whenever you see fit. Tim

Hello again and thanks for dropping back in at the Clash Blog. I hope your weekend went well and that Monday wasn’t a disaster either. I can’t complain about the weekend although I would have liked to have managed more sleep but the time difference between here and the UK meant that I had to get up at some ungodly hours of the day.

Last night I was in the mood for some Joe Strummer, more so than usual and was listening to Streetcore and then decided to see what videos, if any, had been uploaded recently. I came up with the three below that all came from the same source and thought that they were outstanding. I have little doubt some or maybe all of them have been seen previously by some of you but I’m certain that all of you haven’t seen all of them. On that basis plus the fact that these are really excellent examples of just how great Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros were live then I thought this deserved a chance for a few of the videos to be in one easy location and viewable by as many people as possible. That’s how Joe stays with us and I hope you enjoy the 8 or 9 minutes it takes to watch these as much as I did last night. I need to do a much better job of checking uploaded videos and building some sort of archive but time always seems to be against that happening. Volunteers? (the only pay is knowing you’re doing something good)

Speaking of Joe, I also wanted to point everyone in the direction of Strummerville who are having a very special 20% off sale for some specific merchandise at the moment. It’s a great time to make some significant savings, take care of early holiday shopping and also contribute some greatly appreciated funds to the foundation. Here’s a link to the Strummerville sale and please let me know what you decided to purchase (don’t buy me the pink number, really).

On to the videos then and two thumbs up to driftbolt for uploading them in the first place. I’d never seen them before so they made me happy, but apparently they appeared on the HBO series ‘Reverb’ which aired between ’97 and ’01 with the Joe/Meskys episode airing in 2000 I believe although it was recorded the year before. The concert recording took place on Nov 23, 1999 at the Roseland Ballroom which you’ll recall also hosted B.A.D. earlier this year. It was Joe’s 2nd set of dates around the US that year as the band working their collective arse off promoting ‘Rock Art’ and also working some Clash songs into the set. Enough from me – just press play below a few times and enjoy the rest.

Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros – London Calling – Nov 1999

Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros – Tommy Gun – Nov 1999

Joe Strummer interview outtake Nov 1999

I believe that essentially most of the show was broadcast on HBO (can someone tell me for sure?) and you’ll find other songs on the ‘driftbolt’ YouTube link as posted above. See you later – Tim