Afternoon…sunny skies hide the fact that it was such a gloomy morning…..I’m counting on you to be having a better weekend than I thus far. Continuing my commitment to more frequent posts I’ve a very quick two topics for the price of one and both are definitely worth your time in the opinion of your Clashblogger. First of all the image that you see off to the left, usually I do a semi-regular feature for ‘Clash Shopping’ now retitled ‘Lost in the Supermarket’ and usually I batch things together but today’s piece of art is different enough and perhaps good enough (beauty is in the eye of the beholder) to stand up for it’s own post, or at least half of one. What can I tell you about it – not that I know much about art – is that it’s done with pastels and prints are available. The artist is named Josh and attends the Savannah (GA) College of Art. I’ve asked him for more info such as price for the prints so if you’re interested let me know.

On a non shopping matter – I hope you remember a while back the many posts we had about Alan Miles’ film ‘Breaking Rocks’ – the documentary that looked at the Jail Guitar Doors initiative in the UK. It was a busy year for JGD who also launched a US chapter in the Spring. The film follows Billy Bragg and some of the individuals helped by JGD as they learned guitar and a new skill. The film had a pretty cool premiere and then made it to DVD I believe, I assumed sitting in the States it was something I would never see until the other day. Just doing a general search I found that the entire film had been uploaded online to youtube! I didn’t want to promote a bootleg so I got in touch with Alan Miles to check if it was alright to promote via the blog and he did give it the thumbs up. So why waste time reading my blurb, you need to pull up a chair and watch this film. Watch it for the good of the project, watch it for Billy Bragg and Alan, watch it for the spirit of The Clash…just make sure you watch it! Then let me or Alan know your thoughts – I’m sure he’d love your feedback. You can contact him via Facebook. Also, here is the official link to Jail Guitar Doors.

Cheers for now – the film is below. Tim

Alan Miles’ film Breaking Rocks

Hello again you lot, I trust your Friday was well quick and passed into the rear view mirror quickly (or at least the working part of it). It’s quite lovely and English in Phoenix right not, cloudy for the most part daytime mid 70′s nights drop to 60, in fact like London in July with less rain.  I’m just sitting here listening to some old Lou Reed which makes me wish I could play guitar more crisply. Something about the production on ‘Vicious’ always make me think its 1974 forever in my speakers too, shame that Reed is almost universally regarded as such an ornery chap as he wrote such bloody good songs. Speaking of Lou Reed can anyone confirm if he is appearing with Gorillaz above and beyond the New York gig? i.e. was he there when you saw them elsewhere? I’m guessing no and/or he might pop up in Los Angeles I suppose. Will watch for that.

Two for one....Brian Eno and David Byrne (too much talent for one photo)

Lou Reed is on my growing list of artists I really must try and see live once  before its too late, not a list I paid much heed too until recently but I think its something I ought to do. Who else would be on that list….let me see…..one person who is now ‘bubbling under’ would be Bob Dylan, I’ve never been a huge fan but a growing number of people I like seem to be and I fear I’m missing something. Now for other artists I should have seen but never did — Julian Cope would be one but does he ever tour these days? Its a bit absurd that I never saw him with The Teardrop Explodes or even solo two plus decades ago so I wonder if missed my chance. This list doesn’t look like it will be that long come to think of it…I wish I saw Arthur Lee (Love) but he sadly passed away in 2006. Leaving the UK means I missed some great gigs of course, Lee for example toured the UK with Shack as his support band. Talk about the perfect event. Bah! I suppose I really should have seen The Who but failed on that one, again there’s still a chance for the Daltrey and Townshend version – so that’s a definite maybe. Ray Davies I stupidly failed to spend the money on earlier this year and now wish I hadn’t skipped it. That’s the 60′s rolled up I think. 1970′s – Roxy Music would be good, put that on the list. 1980′s was my inaugural decade for concert going and being in London I was fortunate enough to have seen the vast majority of what I would have wished to. Nobody comes to mind with the possible exception of Orange Juice or even good old Edwyn Collins as a solo artist. So we have another. Newer bands, I’d like to see (bah was just interrupted by the phone….John McCain, well a recording of his senile self canvassing for votes…..told the recording where to shove it….oh yes I did….the drawbacks of living in Arizona) would make a decent list itself which I’ll actually do some preparation for before I start writing. Right then – here’s my list for you of ten artists/bands I’ve seen that you should really see while you still can. (With the obvious exception of surviving Clash members)

Elvis Costello -Do I even need to explain why? I challenge anyone to match his catalog of exceptional songs, besides which he is entertaining, funny and truly a master vocalist and songwriter.

Buzzcocks – More than 25 years bridged the gap betwixt the first and second times I saw Buzzcocks live and I can’t find fault with the more senior version even if I try. Nobody does the

Jarvis Cocker

sound of 1977-1980 quite like them, simply special.

James -A personal favourite now for two thirds of my life. Perhaps the most unique live band I’ve ever seen and I’ve seen them countless times. Exceptional musicians to a man and they are back at it again after a seven year siesta.

The Wedding Present – Another band that split up for a while when David Gedge traded as Cinerama for an extended time, perhaps my favourite noise band ever and nobody sings bitter love songs quite like Gedge.

Jarvis Cocker -Pulp are long gone but that shouldn’t stop you from seeing Sheffield’s answer to sliced bread. Jarvis was born to be on stage which is more remarkable when you consider that Pulp couldn’t fill a pub for the first decade that they were playing live.

Billy Bragg - The closest thing to the missing link to The Clash that I can prescribe to you. When Bragg first arrived on the scene the press portrayed him as a ‘one-man Clash’ and while he offers plenty of folk and romance in his many years of music since I don’t think we’ve had a better protest singer since.

Terry Hall – Just because he is Terry Hall. Self-confessed Mr Misery actually has suffered greatly from depression but remains one of the best British voices and songwriters of the last 30 years. If only he was given the praise he deserves.

Morrissey - I know that The Smiths and The Clash make strange bedfellows, but I was 17 in 1984 and if you ever wanted to wallow there was no better band, nor subsequently no funnier songwriter. Seeing Morrissey live is a bit like church, if you don’t believe you’ll wonder what all the fuss is about.

David Bowie – No need to explain why.

David Byrne - See David Bowie. Byrne might be my favourite American musician of all-time.

Right, that’s mine…now how about yours? I had no idea I was going to write any of this when I started so this what happens! Yes…boys like lists, we can’t help it. Cheers – Tim

PS- Does anyone have a spare ticket for Gorillaz this weekend in Denver…I have a friend who needs one and its sold out !!

That will be Tuesday then and I trust yours was a decent one and as ordered. Not much news brewing out in the desert, in fact everything I want to write about this evening is happening off to the east. I had meant to mention the events this weekend in Leicester in England, whenever something particularly Orwellian takes place I’m always transported back to reading his books as a teenager while simultaneously thinking “things won’t really get like that will they?”…. but yes it seems they will.

The assembled constabularies of England got together to marshall protests this weekend when the English Defense League and Unite Against Fascism held simultaneous demonstrations in the East Midlands. Two things really sparked my interest however, one was that the paranoid/racist/pointless EDL had to bus in protesters from elsewhere so they could point out just how fundamentally bad the issues of immigration and Islamic fundamentalism are in Leicester. I guess they couldn’t find 400 like-minded people in the town so they went picking them up from elsewhere. The second thing was the two groups apparently had less than 1,750 protesters combined which required a police presence of 2,000 officers from around the UK. Madness on a grand scale, although I never had the opportunity to attend a protest where each protester had their own personal policeman to watch over them! If it didn’t really happen you might not believe me, some degree of normalcy was returned to the rather sleepy town the following day when community officials held rallies to prove that Leicester is not this hotbed of hatred and intolerance as presented. Billy Bragg in turn was there to sing some songs of unity and point out that the media combine with the police created most of the prior day’s problems. If you are not in the UK and don’t know about the EDL it’s worth pointing out that they have called for an alliance with the tea party in the USA. However this lot are a bit more menacing if equally beset with paranoia. The video below and this article in The Guardian provides some more background if you are interested.

Next thing you know some lunatic will bring back the 1970′s  ‘sus’ laws that caused untold tension and division between blacks and police in the UK. The difference this time might be that the laws unofficially only apply to Britains of an Asian appearance. A riot of our own would definitely be on the cards if winter wasn’t fast approaching and even then I wouldn’t bet against it. ‘What would Joe Strummer do’ seems as pertinent now as ever before.

On a lighter note I’ve been having trouble getting through all of the newspaper reports, blog postings, photographs and shaky videos Paul Simonon’s bum that have been going online by the hour since the Gorillaz tour started gathering steam. The media seem mostly positive about the concerts, not least of all the ambition of the gigs. As for fans of The Clash that have been in touch nobody has said that the shows were anything less than very good and in most cases approaching spectacular. I have also seen most of us sitting anxiously waiting for that moment when Damon leaves the front of the stage to be occupied by Mick and Paul, which tellingly for some of you is the first time you’ve ever seen this in person. Right then, let’s get through some of the updates with links attached for your dining pleasure. I’m also going to offer a monkey score based on the originality of the piece and referencing The Clash. Top score would be 4 monkeys!

From the Associated Press (blimey… big-time) comes news that Damon Albarn will not allow Glee to cover any Gorillaz songs. Not that he has even been asked mind you. Apparently this is a big story and I’m trying to not show my age by asking ‘what the fuck is Glee?’ 1.5 monkeys

From MTV (yes they sometimes write about music still, apparently) comes a review of the gig in Camden and there I was thinking this was a US tour. Nothing outstanding about the review but at least our boys get a mention. 2.0 monkeys

gettorock.com find a new angle when writing about the Madison Square Garden concert last week by providing some extra information about Little Dragon. (I swear I feel like I’m writing for children this evening). A decent article and worthy of 2.5 monkeys

Time Out New York wrote one of the longer pieces about the gig in said city and actually it sounds like they took some notes. As for Mick and Paul flanking whoever was singing they proclaimed this to be “a punk rockers wet dream”. I’m not sure I concur although it’s still quite tasty. The review even gives Simonon credit for stomping around like he was planning on murdering his bass guitar. Don’t like your wet dream much Time Out New York. However 3.5 monkeys for paying attention.

Lastly for tonight the New York Times put together a detailed piece is a bit heavy on clichés which does at least chronicle the event in detail. Like many other sources it states that Lou Reed was the low point of the concert. As much as I love The Velvet Underground and much of his solo work, Reed always comes across as a difficult and selfish sod at the best of times, as such I’m sure he didn’t review his lyrics until riding in a limo on his way to the garden. 3.0 monkeys for the review, half a monkey for Lou

Plenty more where these came from…for next time. Have a good night. Tim

I also encourage you to learn more about certain political matters in the UK if interested via the HopeNotHate website.