Hello hello and welcome back to The Clash Blog. Sorry for the interruption in services, I took a few days away from the dusty desert of Phoenix to celebrate my Birthday out of town and am just getting my feet back under the desk so I’ve no clue what I’ve missed. Beyond the fact that Obama has just become a careerist which is sickening to say the least. The lack of nerves in the halls of power to upset the richest 1% (not just in America mind you) is more than bewildering at this point, it’s a fucking outrage – and in the meantime those with the least are assured to stay exactly that way.

Do we need a new sort of punk rock? Yes….perhaps now more than ever or at the very least musicians who want to switch people on to the things around them. Make an audience ask questions and encourage involvement or participation. When the underdog makes it all the way to the White House and then realises that you have to sell out to survive it’s a bloody good indicator that the voices of the people aren’t being heard. This has such a feeling of 1980′s deja vu with Europe shaking in the wind, Cameron not knowing which way is up and a global recession (sans Asia) looking like a permanent state of affairs that something’s got to give soon. Or perhaps it won’t. Meanwhile your average 16 year old is going to mortgage their future for a degree they’ll probably not be able to use because they were too busy watching American Idol and drinking bad beer to realise the direction things were heading in. If I sound pissed off it’s because I am. I’m not working for the Clampdown. I know you may not come here for politics but I can’t ignore the events of the year to date when governments can only make decidedly shit decisions when looking down the barrel of a gun. In Europe it’s the same – the panic sets in when things are too far gone. I think nine-year-olds would find a better path than these old bastards in power.

image courtesy GMDOK on flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/64683846@N06/

So what’s been going on in the world of The Clash? I’ll try and find out first hand and relay it here. I saw Billy Bragg give an extended interview on Democracy Now during his recent stint in New York. It’s full of interesting stuff and a fair few songs while The Clash, Joe Strummer and Woody Guthrie each get more than a little mention including some live footage from 1978. I also found it worth hearing his point of view about the music industry as it currently stands in as much as touring/playing live is the only way forward for the vast majority of artists now. In essence a good thing but still a shame that nobody (in relative terms) purchases music anymore. Here’s a link to the whole interview with Bragg, Clash references occur near the middle.

I’ve been looking for clips of B.A.D. in Japan to no avail – if you’ve seen some let me know. In the meantime this is less than 2 hours old (well it was when I wrote some of this post last night) – the band playing Rush in Boston this evening. (Aug 2nd). Camera from side of stage (?) and audio is alright.

B.A.D. – ‘Rush’ House of Blues, Boston

Speaking of B.A.D. thanks to the chap who posted this link to a review of their concert in Manchester earlier in the year. Yes it’s a few months old but captures some of the concerns I think many shared when the reunion was announced – for the most part those fears have been unfounded as I’m finding it hard to recall anyone saying that they saw the gigs as a major let down and I’ve read a lot of reviews and comments. Some people were annoyed about ticket prices which I can understand, others that the news surrounding Dan Donovan was never really clarified but I’ve yet to see people write that the shows have failed to reach expectations. In fact quite the opposite as many are amazed that the sound is so good and the performances as tight as they’ve been with the added probable advantages offered by 2011 technology. Anyway there are still a good number of dates to see them this summer and I don’t know where my money would be on them playing beyond then. Will Mick Jones want to put the band into a studio and write new material, indeed has all the time together this year provided the impetus to write new songs beyond one or two. Does B.A.D. have a future after this summer ends or was the reunion something Mick felt he had to do. All this will probably be answered in the months ahead, I think it would be interesting to see what they would record in 2011 especially as in my opinion Mick’s songwriting with Carbon Silicon has remained really strong and socially aware. If you bump into Mick this week or next ask these questions! Incidentally check out that entire site it has a few things well worth a look.

Hope you have fun at the New York, Philadelphia and Chicago concerts in the days ahead. Please send in reviews if you have time. I’ll be back soon. Tim

Hello everyone and welcome to a weekend/murdoch free/no wiretapping edition of The Clash Blog. Not sure if readers outside the UK for the most part are following the immensity of what has been happening with the News of The World and their Murdoch empire’s assault on decency in the name of ‘freedom of the press’. Complete bollocks if you ask me, I wish Joe Strummer were here to sing about it. The best related elements I’ve seen thus far were Steve Coogan’s appearance on Newsnight and Billy Bragg’s new song about The Sun newspaper (which is likely to now include a Sunday format to pick up the former readers of the now defunct paper), additionally worth a watch as it features the Jail Guitar Doors acoustic. That sort of gutter journalism breeds nothing but hate and intolerance and the shit hitting the proverbial is long overdue. Anyway, enough of that, it’s sunny outside and there are better things to be doing.

As I mentioned previously there are going to be a fair number of events next month to celebrate what would have been Joe Strummer’s 59th birthday and I ask that anyone who knows of a local event to please contact me so I can share the details. By last count I’m aware of four different nights that have been planned but to this point only in the US and Australia so I’m hoping the UK and other countries have something in the works, by all means if you are in Rio, Mexico City or Moscow you can use this forum to try and get a few like minded Clash people together for a few pints in the name of Joe. I’ll post the updates as they come in and probably build out a temporary page on the blog so some of us can (hopefully) find an event nearby.

It’s funny how some companies will use the images of The Clash to raise their hip factor without acknowledging much awareness of the band or what they were about, on the one hand I think any opportunity to perhaps introduce new people who may have been too young to The Clash is a good thing, on the other hand perhaps do so and also provide a link to a place to purchase their music or send a few coins via the internet to Strummerville or something. Two kinds of companies do it, those with a genuine affection for the band and those who just think the numerous excellent photos that are available bring their own internal marketing to a new level of cool (which to an extent it does, but you should do so with some measure of creativity perhaps?). Two examples this week, one who is a genuine Clash fan and uses the company blog to say as much and why, the other just collected an assortment of photos of The Clash in leather jackets over the years, added some sarcastic comments and moved on, simply because they sell clothing. I’ll mention the first example…a Clash City Rocker and genuinely cool business Tellason.

Image courtesy Simon Goldey http://www.flickr.com/photos/billielolasorcha/

The other example doesn’t deserve so much as a little wrath. I’ve no bones at all with someone discovering The Clash last week, take your time with it, purchase the albums in order, read the lyrics and check out some old interviews. You don’t have to have seen the band in 1977 to be a fan, or even have been born then. Arriving a bit late isn’t a problem whatsoever and it keeps the deserved legacy of the band rolling right along as it should, christ knows we really need a band like The Clash today. I’m still looking for a contender, I’d welcome your suggestions. I just take issue with people who know one song, or post a photo of Joe on his knees and say ‘I’m a punk rocker’. It’s only natural that it happens but it doesn’t make it any less annoying. All these years later it’s remarkable how often you talk to someone and their knowledge of The Clash is limited to Rock The Casbah or feel it’s ‘AMAZING’ that Joe Strummer had that last name and turned out to be a guitarist. Then again the same thing was happening in 1983 so I’m not sure why I’m surprised, the point is when people do it that’s one thing but when a company does the same it’s really taking the piss.

I should wrap it up there, back with a far more positive approach later on! Cheers for dropping in, please tell me I’m not imagining this stuff? Tim

On a side note, has anyone seen/heard any Topper Headon news recently?

Good morning and welcome back to the blog. We had rain last night for about six whole minutes, which if you live in a desert is a big event in July. I’m still excited about it. Speaking of July today is of course July 4th, so well done America and all that but it’s also a special day for Clash fans who also like to recognise special anniversaries as today marks exactly 35 years since The Clash first played live. Just typing the phrase ’35 years’ seems almost absurd to me but it is a fact, on this day in 1976 the band made their first official live appearance in Sheffield with The Sex Pistols at the Black Swan. I previously wrote about this in depth on the blog so if you happened to miss it part 1 about that gig in Sheffield is here with the conclusion here.

I’ve just brewed some coffee and I’ve a small pile of random things to cover so if you have a few minutes please indulge me.

Firstly, if you go back to the last post and beyond we’ve added a lightbox feature to the blog so that you can see larger versions of the images used on the post (if applicable) and if there are multiple photos you can scroll through them. It will be especially nice when we get a series of photos from an event such as when Pete heads out in London and beyond. So check it out, I hope you’ll like it I’m trying it today on this post so fingers crossed.

Next a few things that you might not have seen if you don’t also follow the Facebook page and I realise not everyone does, those with a life for example! We had featured a video linked here of Billy Bragg performing ‘Rudie Can’t Fail’ at Glastonbury last weekend as it was nice to hear a Clash song played at the festival (were there any others?) and because it was Billy of course. Some chap comes on playing ‘old school authentic punk rocker’ (probably has the official badge) and spewing out about Billy Bragg being a sell out and such. Therefore it was nice that Billy Bragg dropped in to set the record straight about his politics, voting, The Clash and his own activism as a result of seeing the band. Some of the exchange is over on the left, I don’t mind if people disagree and debate here or on the facebook page. Nothing will be censored but it does help to get your facts right. I’ve said it before and it is because I believe it, Bragg does as much as anyone to keep the passion and the spirit of The Clash alive in 2011 and encourages his audiences to learn more about what is going on. Regardless of your politics he says get involved, don’t wait for someone else, which is in keeping with The Clash as far as I’m concerned.

Speaking of cover versions there was also the rather bizarre sight of ‘London Calling’ being performed at a punk festival in Estonia which has surfaced. Which isn’t that odd except for the fact that the song has a conductor, an orchestra and a ‘choir’ or at least a few hundred choreographed singers with lyric sheets interpreting the song. I’m not sure what to make of it, the intention of course is good. It is worth a viewing so I’ve included it beneath.

London Calling performed at Punk Laulupidu in Rakvere, Estonia last month

This is in danger of turning into one of the most random posts I’ve written in a while and I blame that on the coffee being a bit too strong this morning. I also wanted to include some really nice photos of Big Audio Dynamite from Glastonbury last weekend. So this is my first chance to try that new gallery feature, so click on one and use the arrows to look at the others. These were sent over by Vicky Baker, please take some time to check out her blog at goinglocaltravel.com, she is a travel writer for The Guardian and elsewhere who writes about some amazing places in addition to being a serious Clash aficionado.

Please click on image to open gallery (image courtesy Vicky Baker)

Not much else to add this morning, I’ll wish you a good holiday or a decent Monday dependent on your location. More tonight if I get time, until then I hope to see you in the comments or on Facebook and Twitter. You can also have a daily update sent direct to enjoy with your bowl of Alpen by subscribing to my RSS Feed here