Welcome to Friday, especially good news after what was a short week for me but I still welcomed in the weekend with open arms. Hope all is well on your corner of the planet too. You might remember I was contemplating getting tickets to see The Psychedelic Furs and Tom Tom Club for old times sake next month. Today I found out the price of the tickets – a remarkable $57.50 per person. For $57.50 I’d want Richard Butler to buy me a few pints and let me jump on stage to sing Sister Europe. Still, I find myself in a tricky position as the Clash Bloggette really wants to go. Due to her age I get the feeling that the Furs might have been The Clash for her generation. A good band I’ll agree but a tough stretch to make that comparison.

Don Letts checking in (thanks Brenda!!)

So another day and another triumphant Big Audio Dynamite concert last night in Philadelphia by all accounts, in keeping with New York and Boston the previous two evenings. As it happens we also had a fair few Clash Blog regulars at the show in Philadelphia so I have a surplus of photographs and a video to share with you later. My favourite photo of all was courtesy of Brenda who was able to spend some time with Mick and Don last night and Don Letts was handed the piece of paper that you see to the left greeting Clash Blog readers. How bloody great is that? Thanks Brenda and thanks to Don for being game! I’m sure he was bemused but very nice of him all the same. Mick was given the same prop but managed to lose it – so that’s the task I set the rest of you – to hand Mick Jones a written message to the blog that he can hold up and get his picture snapped for blog readers. Over to you on that.

I love posts like this as the bulk of what needs to be said about last night is done via the photographs (courtesy of Jen and Brenda) and the same two aforementioned ladies who also put together a quick summary of the night’s events. Over to Brenda first – and thank you both for documenting what sounded like an exceptional evening and then spending the time to write the following:

(Brenda) – “Well that was an extremely great show. spectacular, tighter than ever, shimmering textures, gorgeous harmonies, tons of energy from Mick & Davo’s dancing & raging dual guitars, Don Letts has blossomed into a great presence, he’s all over the stage. the new songs were great , well received and the whole audience sang along on key for ‘Rush’ , the encore. I don’t know if it could have been better. As usual, no one is nicer to fans than Big Audio Dynamite.”

(Jen) – Last night I was lucky enough to see Big Audio Dynamite at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia. Aside from meeting a lot of awesome people, as well as the band, we were treated to an amazing show. The set list was great, and the band sounded so tight it was hard to believe they’ve only just started playing shows together again after such a long hiatus. Everyone on stage seemed excited to be performing again, with Mick joking and laughing with the crowd between songs. After the show the band came out and signed autographs for the crowd that had gathered by the bus. All in all it was a phenomenal show, and with the debut of a new song I can only hope that we’ll be hearing more from Big Audio Dynamite soon.

Setlist: Medicine Show, V. Thirteen ,A Party, BAD, Rob Peter Pay Paul, Just Play Music, Sightsee M.C., Everybody Needs A Holiday, C’mon Every Beatbox, The Battle Of All Saints Road, Rewind Encore: The Bottom Line, E=MC2 Encore 2: Rush

That plus all the photos should keep you busy, if I uploaded them correctly you should be able to click on one and get it enlarged the click through. I’ll be back with a video capture from last night from another Clash amigo. Thanks for dropping in. Oh, wait, before I forget to mention it (and if you live in the right part of the world) Stiff Little Fingers just announced a short tour of the East/Northeast part of the States: full details below and (s00n) via this link - please go and see them. They are playing in Maine! Nobody plays in Maine. Talk to you later, please share the blog via twitter, facebook, comments and all the usual stuff.

10-Sep SAT Bangor, ME Bangor Waterfront
11-Sep SUN Altamont, NY Altamont Fairgrounds
12-Sep MON Pittsburgh, PA Trib Total Media Amph.
13-Sep TUE Columbus, OH LC Pavilion
15-Sep THU Portsmouth, VA Ntelos Pavilion
17-Sep SAT Rochester, NY Armory
18-Sep SUN Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory Lot

First two in the section below are from Brenda (the tattooed lady is not Brenda) and the rest are from Jen. Please join me in thanking them both.

It’s me again it seems. Posting like a squirrel or something similar that does a lot of posting. A post office perhaps? Bollocks, whatever.

I hope that you managed to see the clip of E=MC2 from the Jimmy Fallon show last night, I’m still blown away but just how strong B.A.D. sounded. In keeping with that the various reports and accounts I’ve been reading from both the Boston and the Brooklyn gigs have been overwhelmingly positive. I can’t put my finger on it exactly but there certainly appears to be a greater swagger about the band now than earlier in the year, I suppose a twenty year hiatus will do that to you. From Mick’s added guitar support (which grants him more space to be Mick) from Davo to Don Letts continuing to carry on like someone in his 20′s (why not) the whole thing looks tight and sounds even better than that. You’ve probably already seen the other video from Fallon last night (the one that went out on the broadcast) of the  new song Rob Peter pay Paul but if not it’s below for your viewing and listening pleasure. It’s great to hear a cleaner version that we’ve seen from various phones and recording devices at concerts in recent weeks and you can really measure the strength of the song. By all definitions I think it is a traditional B.A.D. tune but with a very 21st century hook which borrow a little from some of Mick’s more recent work. I hear a bit of Caesars Palace in there but that could be my imagination.

I’ve got to get back to work but wanted to also point you in the direction of a recently completed reader’s poll from Rolling Stone magazine that asks who the greatest punk band ever were. Although we know the answer I wondered what the readers would do. You start the list at number ten and most of the choices seem pretty valid if a little US centric as you might expect which is fair enough. When I didn’t see The Clash before the final three I assumed top spot was secured. However they managed to choose Green Day!

While I could have stomached The Ramones or even The Sex Pistols (horses for courses) being above The Clash I can’t fathom Green Day being top of that list. If there were no Clash there’d be no Green Day. I think that’s a reasonable statement so how can the latter surpass the former? I know it just reflects the (youngish) readership of the magazine but I still can’t see how a second (third?) generation punk band could possibly top a list for any sussed out reader. I do think Green Day should be in top ten, if only for bringing something back to an audience who never saw earlier punk artists, to say nothing of their own work. Perhaps the part I’m falling down with is expecting too much. Either way you can see the full list and share your thoughts here or preferably just do so here on this site. Incidentally where are Buzzcocks on that list?

Hello again. If you (like me) have wondered how B.A.D. might sound in the flesh in 2011 with the benefit of a second guitar to compliment Mick the evidence at last was given on their appearance on the Jimmy Fallon show on NBC tonight. Fallon annoys me like a stone in your shoe but to his credit he not only booked the band but allowed them to play two songs and seemingly was thrilled to have them there. E=MC2 is below and hopefully Rob, Peter pay Paul will be uploaded by the time I wake up.

Good stuff…simply great and the last 30 seconds are rather a laugh. The sound is better (far better) than any of the times I saw the band in the 80′s. I realise that might sound like renewed vigour but take my word for it. Make your own mind up, this is a pretty special clip regardless. Tim