Good morning and welcome back to the blog. For this morning’s post I encourage you to jump back a few days and read part one for it all to make sense. Guest writer Stuart Warwick was kind enough to share his experiences of the Breaking Rocks event on Oct 1st and explain his artwork. With that said I’ll hand you back to Stuart for part 2.

Entering the Stables Market on Chalk Farm Road, not far from the legendary Roundhouse and the first person I spot, lounging on a bench is………………….Pete Stevens, photographer extraordinaire and regular contributor to this site. He’s got more denim on him than the Status Quo tour bus. We say ‘Hi’ and he introduces us to his close friend and muse, Michelle, to whom he affectionately refers to as his ‘scruffy bird’. He then shows us his latest purchase – a white denim jacket. I’m not sure, but I think Michelle stifles a giggle. He tells us he’s just bought it for only twenty quid….“They saw you coming” think the three of us in unison.

Photographer Pete !!!

“That’s a bargain, I nearly bought one earlier” I lie. Over Pete’s shoulder I spot Johnny Green looking very dapper and strolling around his old stomping ground. He was probably looking for a new denim jacket. We talk for a bit and decide it’s time to wander up to the gallery, only then noticing the end of the queue is now suddenly ten feet away and about three people wide ! Here we go, this’ll be fun, I thought. Anyway – we join it and bid Pete, Michelle and the new denim jacket farewell as they walk up the queue to get in. Pete was there in a semi-official capacity and part of the crew list.

“I don’t expect we’ll see them again tonight” I remark “He’s going to be pretty busy”..  Two minutes later… Pete, Michelle and the jacket have jumped in the queue with us. They’re not letting any guest lists/crew in – they have to wait in line like the rest of us. We then see Johnny Green and his entourage, now including Clash associate Robin Banks, walk up the queue and like Pete get sent back down – they don’t look very happy about it and rightly so.

The line of people move really slowly towards the door and it becomes apparent the security to get in is well over the top. There’s someone to check your ticket, queue a bit more -  someone to rip it – queue a bit more – and finally someone to check it again and show you into the gallery. We finally get in, bid farewell again to the God of denim (he’s in next door with the famous people) and get seats and settle down for the film. It’s quite late starting as it takes ages to get everyone in and seated.

Billy Bragg and Stuart's art

Well the film’s great, very thought provoking, even funny in places and explains the whole Jail Guitar Doors project better than I can, so I won’t try. For me it was really beneficial to see the film. I’ve had quite a few friends who for one reason or another ended up in prison and to a man they’re not bad people. They’re just guys who made a wrong turn at that time in their lives or a stupid decision in a split second that cost them dear. I was kind of doing the paintings with them in mind. But when I’d explained why I was doing the paintings to other people the reaction was kind of raised eyebrows and an unenthusiastic “Hmmmm, Guitars for prisoners ehhh?” kind of thing. To be honest it was beginning to make me wonder. I mean, put like that, it’s not exactly BBC Children in Need or Live Aid is it ?

Alan Miles’ film cleared any doubts that I or anyone else in the hall may have had and finished to a standing ovation. This ovation wasn’t contrived, because Billy Bragg and co were somewhere in the building. It felt like a genuine expression of “well done” from everyone in the hall to all those involved in this excellent project. Alan’s dedication to producing this film was incredible. We could genuinely see the difference the project has  made to the lives of the prisoners.

Anyway – that’s the serious bit. In Part 3 I’ll be single-handedly tackling a reduction of the European gin lake, saying hello to Billy Bragg, trying to steal some of Johnny Green’s Ju Ju and you can find out how Esty adds another name to her ‘allowed’ list…..

Thanks once more Stuart…I’ll look forward to the 3rd piece. – Tim

Good Morning and welcome to the working week. I’ve got part two of Stuart’s account of the Breaking Rocks night to follow a little later and the welcome return of The Clash Cup. In the meantime Tom Cat from Winkball.com wrote in to let me know there have been a pile of updates on Winkball made to the Mick Jones Rock and Roll Library page. I wrote about winkball back on September 2 so if you are wondering what it’s all about have a look there. I like the concept of having a wall of videos about a single topic rather than having to mine youtube for hours on end. Added videos include many more inside looks at the library, interviews plus a performance from the Rotten Hill Gang. One last thing about winkball…it’s a West London (Clash Country) operation…..so check the site.

More as soon as I get some work done!

Good Evening, you’ll recall that a week ago Proud Galleries were able to host another rather unique night in London Music history. Writing about events back in London is partially easy (in as much as I know London like the back of my hand) but not being there can be a hindrance. So as you know (or can revisit the story here) Mick Jones, Billy Bragg, Wayne Kramer and a host of others played an exclusive gig in conjunction with the first screening of Alan Miles’ film “Breaking Rocks” which chronicles the Jail Guitar Doors program. The finest thing about doing The Clash Blog has been the brilliant support, contributions and ideas from fellow Clash fans around the world. You are all familiar with the excellent work of our photographer friend Pete Stevens, in turn Pete has hooked me up with Stuart Warwick who was at the event last Thursday.

Stuart is a 41 year old artist, fan and dedicated supporter of the Clash and all things punk (as we gracefully and collectively slide into our middle age). Stuart has an art background as always enjoyed animation/cartoons (you’ll see below and in part two). As a hobby he’s contributed works featuring Steve Jones, other Sex Pistols, Rat Scabies and of course Mick Jones  and Tony James. They’re all keeping me busy enough at the moment. He insists it’s got to be for fun otherwise he won’t touch it. He arranges to have the art given away at gigs and such. He doesn’t earn a penny for any of his work but has been very happy with trying to raise a few pounds for a couple of charitable causes this year. So I’ll hand the story of last Thursday over to Stuart….part one….

******

Esty (my wife) and I got down to Camden – me laden with pictures, frames and assorted rubbish for handing out. I’d had a message from Jail Guitar Doors to pop my stuff off sometime after 4pm at the Proud Gallery, Camden. To calm the old jitters we stopped off for a few beers en route after checking into our hotel and go for a wander round Camden Market with a view to sussing out the venue. We have a skulk around, check out Rehearsal Rehearsals and the immediate area, where I spot Pat Gilbert chatting to some blokes

Stuart's special piece for the night

Soon we’re at the back of the Proud and I notice a bar sign. We decide to go in and order a couple of beers and hope to work out how/who/where to drop my pictures off. It’s a smashing warm day, so it’s outside again with our drinks to relax for a bit. Minutes later I can hear music coming from somewhere – and as the gallery seems to be open, and people are wandering in and out, I decide to go and explore. It’s Billy Bragg doing his soundcheck. I quietly observe for a bit – he’s doing ‘The Drugs Don’t Work’ I think. I go to get my wife, who’s still nursing her beer outside, but she won’t come in. She’s a bit shy. Eventually I persuade her to come in, but Billy’s just about done his stuff so we only catch the final two notes !

There are people putting chairs out for the film and roadie types lugging gear around. I ask some bloke if he knows where my Jail Guitar Doors contact is and lo and behold it’s the guy standing directly behind me. I give him my pictures, then make to leave, when I hear ‘Jail Guitar Doors’ being played in the main hall. We pop through and it’s Pat Gilbert with Night of Treason, running through their soundcheck. We watch them and leave via the back

The audience at Proud ready for the film

exit. Esty sees Billy signing my painting – there are kind of stable areas off a corridor where the bands are based – and you can see over the chest height wall that separates them from the long corridor which runs down the centre of the building. Anyway – it’s a case of “Phew, job done” as far as I’m concerned, so off we go for, you’ll never guess, another beer or two….

….Gulp, glug, wash and scrub, we change clothes and exit the hotel at 6-ish to get to the Gallery for 6.30pm prompt, as the film is meant to start 7pm on the dot. Entering the Stables Market on Chalk Farm Road, not far from the legendary Roundhouse and the first person I spot, lounging on a bench is…..

*** Very nice Stuart...and thanks so much…part 2 will follow soon!Tim