Good afternoon and welcome back to your sunny and warm Clash blog. Normal weather service has resumed which is encouraging as need to get out of the house this weekend and cause some trouble (which can be accomplished here just by having the wrong accent). As I wrote earlier one of my 2011 commitments was to see more live music which will finally get started on Saturday night at the Joe Strummer tribute show in town and then in February Interpol are coming which I was pleased about and then I found out the support act is pretty good too (School of Seven Bells). Despite the name being a bit naff on the surface, the origin is rather brilliant so go and Wikipedia that if you don’t know about it.

Earlier today I had a moment of great exhilaration followed by a big letdown just a few moments later but I should be used to this scenario. I was really chuffed to see that Wire (not a television show) were doing a North American tour and then deflated a few clicks later when I saw that they were not coming to Phoenix nor anywhere even vaguely close. I’ll make it over to Los Angeles or San Diego for some concerts but not Seattle. What was the furthest you traveled to see a concert? I remember in London you’d bump into people who’d traveled from all over the country to see a band, I should have appreciated it more at the time…. I’m really tempted to save my pennies and get along to SXSW in Austin this March if I can justify it – though I need to see if Billy Bragg is going to be there or something equally fun.

Two quick bits of news today then and the first from Strummerville and yet another Joe Strummer tribute night in association with the foundation. This time its over to Dusseldorf, Germany for a special night a week from Saturday – Jan 22nd. The lineup features a stack of six acts plus DJ celebrating the life and music of Joe so I hope if you are in that corner of Germany you might be able to make it along. Its not even a long journey from the eastern border of Belgium of the Netherlands if a train journey sounds appealing. Anyway here’s a link to the event on the Dusseldorf tourism site (pretty cool of them) and its organised again by actor Mario Irrek. Tickets are available from Hitsville Records, Wallstraße 21, phone 02 11 32 88 44.

Speaking of concerts once more, after a few months have passed I’d have to rank seeing Gorillaz as one of the more unique/special/inventive/impressive concerts I’ve ever been to. There have been many gigs that meant more to me (if that makes sense) but the very notion of Mick and Paul being on stage was good enough to get me to go along and then the presentation of the gig itself with Damon Albarn as the ringleader (coupled with the fact that I do like the music) made it a really memorable concert. If you talked yourself out of seeing them last year due to it ‘not being The Clash’ (what could be??) or the cost which was admittedly steep, I’d say you missed out on something really special. I still need to tie up loose ends from reports on the last shows of the tour in Australia and New Zealand but the spectacle of Gorillaz already shows up in a number of ‘concerts of the year’ lists such as this one from The Chicago Tribune.

I did have something else tonight but it escapes me now, I had it in my head and then suddenly its been replaced by thoughts of getting some sleep. I’ll be back tomorrow with more and another installment of The Clash Cup is in the making – got to complete round two soon! Cheers for dropping in and sharing the blog, saying hello and such. Spare a thought for Brazil tonight, its been a grim week….

Hello again on this most Mondayish of Mondays. So we are back into a new year and all that it entails….the biggest thing I notice with the change in the calendar is having to do quick maths in your head for example when thinking ‘I can’t believe Sandinista! came out thirty thirty-one years ago and they’ve yet to reissue it’ or ‘how funny that Spurs haven’t won the league for forty-nine fifty years’ otherwise its a year nearer something or other, though I’m excited nonetheless. It doesn’t seem so long ago we were all being told to panic about Y2K so it being ’11 now seems a bit odd to me at least.

I’d intended a long detailed post tonight taking on a piece of Clash history or a deeper look at a song but I’ll confess to being bloody tired and having lacked the time to put together the requisite research. That said I wanted to check in with an update,  a reference to a great interview today and a brief brief obituary. I’m still waiting for your nominations from yesterday as to which two bands I should see – I’m looking most likely toward it being Interpol and Little Dragon but change my mind for me! Apparently Social Distortion swear too much (or specifically Loch Ness if that is indeed his real name) – to which I feel that if it (swearing) makes up more than 10% of your stage chatter you really should just fuck off. Right then other brief matters and I’ll get a standard post together tomorrow I hope.

I mentioned the newly downloadable Gorillaz album and queried whether it features Mick or Paul in an obvious capacity as I’d (still) not had time to listen to the entire album and my thanks to the well informed and current Melissa who explains:

Answering your doubt yes, Mick & Paul were involved in some songs of The Fall (new Gorillaz release). The former played guitar on Hillbilly Man and some of his speaking… voice is heard on California & the Slipping of the Sun, while the latter played bass on Aspen Forest.

Thanks Mel and I’ll take time out for those as soon as I can. If you know more or indeed any differently please let me know. Bad form isn’t it, me having you the reader do  the research let’s say that I’m pushing the community Clash feel for the new year – more from you makes for a better blog. I also wanted to point you in the direction of an excellent, long and informative interview with Billy Bragg in today’s Guardian. Bragg talks about music, politics, protest and influences most notably of course The Clash. Billy as you know had a very busy 2010 including working with Strummerville acts and Jail Guitar Doors. He also feels (as do I) that we might be on the cusp of some serious and important changes in 2011 – you’ll need to read the interview in full but it draws some interesting lines between today and the early 80′s when Billy first gained attention.

Finally tonight sad news that the brilliantly talented actor Pete Postlethwaite has lost his recurring battle with cancer at the age of 64. I rarely get excited about actors regardless of what film they are in but I’d endorse you to see his work in any film he was involved in. Just a remarkable actor and a sad sad loss at a young age. I’ve not got any obvious connection between he and The Clash except for the fact that if you want an actor as versatile and talented as The Clash were throughout his career you don’t need look much further that Postelthwaite….a really dire beginning to the year. I’m not one to write obituaries but this in the Guardian is worthy – as is devoting some time to watching any of his numerous films.

I’ll be back tomorrow – take care. Tim

RIP Pete Postlethwaite

Hello again, it’s already Christmas Day in most of the world as I write this which leaves me with time to really just send a quick message out about the season. I remember music and Christmas going hand in hand as a kid/teen and young adult. November and December always seemed to be the very best months for tours as bands tended to get a last tour in to fill their coffers/promote their albums but that’s a hindsight view. I just recall there always being a good full schedule of gig going once the autumn came to an end. New Years eve too has some great memories – Madness, Billy Bragg, Big Audio Dynamite, Ride being amongst the bands who I saw on New Years Eve in London over the years.

Christmas 1979 sticks in the memory as I was thrilled that my brother guided the gift giving that year and I was the happy recipient of the recently released London Calling, The Specials first album and I do believe a calculator watch. I know that sentence tails off as it ends but I was just twelve years old. What I remember then from that point onward getting some new albums or blank tapes was the highlight of Christmas — creative gift giving may have climaxed with a band shirt or tickets for a gig as I got a bit older. I still have much of the earliest vinyl I was ever given which takes me back to long ago.  My brother (in those days a bigger music collector than myself…he worked..that helped) was the master of the mix tape in the 80′s and would spend a lot of time making a personal 90 minute tape for friends, girlfriend and I knew I’d arrived when I started getting one made for me too. I wish I still had those. But yeah weird memories, television specials, advent calendars, those Cadbury stockings with different chocolate bars, top of the pops specials, John Peel’s festive 50, waiting to see what would be Christmas number one, special editions of the NME and MM and later on family drama, escaping down the pub and counting the hours until boxing day football matches.

I see that a lot about ‘these days’ that is easier, more convenient, more options…but if you’re anywhere near my age I think you’ll agree that Christmas was much better in the 70′s and 80′s. As for The Clash…they never made a Christmas single, and I don’t even think the word even pops up as a lyric does it? Their most famous yuletide event being the warm up gig for the Concert for the People of Kampuchea that they did on Christmas Day 1979 for 50p – which we talked about last year on the blog. ***correction – Christmastime in Ho Chi Minh City – Straight To Hell ***

I’ve no great knowledge about the holidays or 2011…I do know it’s been a difficult year for many I know and I really hope something will give next year. However I do think we’ve (as a society) maybe lost the plot in the last decade plus — or maybe that’s bitterness when you hit my age? I’m not sure? I do think that we need to make some big changes though and I can’t pinpoint what that means for any of you of course. I just think its time for me to rattle a few more cages in 2011 and get out to see more bands, read more and make sure I don’t avoid difficult decisions. I know those are the ones that matter. Wherever you are have a peaceful and happy holiday – enjoy your friends and family – think of those who are alone or without – and toast those you’ve lost or are far away from. Sadly my family are all over the planet and not near me but that’s alright I’m a big boy now. Cheers though to my Mum who never stopped believing in me and has tolerated me landing so far from home and to my brother for filling my head with brilliant music in the first place. Thank you all for following the blog all year (or longer) and for the friendships we’ve formed – you make the whole process worthwhile.

Cheers -Tim

If you watch this below you’ll probably understand why The Clash never did ToTP – although it negatively impacted their chart success in the UK. The weekly BBC program was designed to (and did) help singles move up the charts for over 40 years – I think that The Clash were fairly unique in their refusal to appear on the show – particularly amongst ‘major’ acts. Trivia experts let me know!

The Beat – appearing on Top of The Pops, Christmas 1981