Right then here we are again. It’s that spell now between Christmas and the New Year where you get all wheels spinning and decide what might be different in the New Year. I’m genuinely excited about the arrival of 2010 as I’ve got a fundamental hope that I’m capable of learning new and better ways to do things.  I’ve also gone back to taking supplements and fish oil and reduced my caffeine intake by about 75% and tried to get on a better schedule. Anyway, whatever works for you…..do it!! After all of which I figured why wait for January 1st to do what I know needed to be done. I also know I need to communicate better so that’s a goal…for the blog…and overall.

So….bringing this back to The Clash Blog, I started this up just over six months ago with a rough idea of what I hoped the blog might become. Its taken me that long to realise that I can’t do everything as often as I’d like to so I’m going to spend some time between now and the New Year making some pencil plans for the blog so it can accomplish more and be a better resource for Clash fans and still give me a chance to chirp on about music, politics, culture, getting older and whatever comes into my noggin. Its been a great ride so far and the most inspiring part has been the willingness of others to share ideas, contribute and try and spread the word. The viral nature of the internet is something else to watch take place, that coupled with the fact that people from almost every country on the planet have visited the blog makes it all worthwhile. I had a feeling that The Clash community (is that trite?) would support something that was current, varied and interactive. Its the interactive piece I want to work on in 2010, so if you want to submit your own story, review, column or opinion piece so we can get more Clash news and ideas out there all the better. I want to add features to the blog that are good and eliminate what doesn’t work. I’ll use polls in January or February to try and establish that a bit further.

I also want to thank those who’ve offered so much support and time in spreading the word about the blog. Special thanks go out to Pete, Shannon, everyone at Strummerville, Angela, Strummernews, Catherine, Joannie, Alan Miles, Carbon Silicon, David, Jessica,Charlie, Mark, Gail (I’m sure I’ve missed a few) plus the numerous excellent music/culture blogs that are so free with positive encouragement and suggestions. Amazingly we’ll have had our 100,000th visit in the middle of January – which makes my head spin.

Right, thanks for reading this far!! I also wanted to make sure that everyone in or near Boston gets along to the Middle East in Cambridge, MA for a special Clash event. Boston band Destroy Babylon will be playing every track from London Calling to honour the 30th anniversary of the albums release. Details are here – but essentially 8pm Jan 1st, tickets $12 on the night or $10 in advance. Get along!!

I’m also keen to hear from anyone who attended any of the Joe Strummer events in Chicago, Glasgow, Bologna to name just a few. I’ve got to be better prepared next December!! I’ve got some photos from the Phoenix event to post very soon (thanks Brandon).

Tim

Boxing Day….how did this year wind down to it’s final embers so rapidly? 2009 has been a bit of a roller coaster, in the States some of the optimism that came with the election last November was rapidly replaced by the political truths that it’s a country very divided at present. In Britain it seems Gordon Brown is now the lamest of lame ducks (based on the media). Now that I don’t live in England any longer it’s hard for me to gauge – is the faith lost in the labour party as complete as it appears? Are the general public clamouring for a return to the Conservatives, or was it simply because Labour sold everyone out? Your input is encouraged!! Things don’t look a lot better in Europe either to be fair and I think the vast majority of people will welcome a new year and new decade perhaps more fervently than usual. My primary interest in school was economics and while understanding how markets work is somewhat handy – this decade has taught me that nothing will substitute for confidence. At present confidence is horribly lacking, but for the most part I mostly know only people in England, Ireland, North America and Australia. Is it the same everywhere? Things have been bad before of course, but a recovery usually involved returning to a process not unlike whatever brought us into the mire. This time it’s very different, a global market is not sentimental or forgiving and the West (in particular the US) hasn’t worked out how to grow an economy that is entrenched in the service sector, when currently nothing would help the economy more than having something (other than technology) that it could export, or reduce imports. Many of the contractions seen here in the last decade mirror what occurred in Britain and France in the 1980′s when manufacturing was all but eliminated and the regional impacts of the recession(s) were very pronounced.

I don’t proclaim to have any answers but I think a real sea change in thinking is needed so that education, infrastructure and local manufacturing are all given the adrenalin needed to make the next decade less reliant on borrowing and property investment being people’s main paths to stability. In true terms can the West reduce their addiction to consumerism while taking on board the higher taxation needed to create a more stable society? I fear the answer is no as long-term thinking and planning are seen as irrelevant by so many. If the boon of the 1990′s was properly invested however don’t you think that the last few years would been much less painful? Food for thought but hardly a happy message to start off 2010. I’m hopeful that education and investment in the green economy can provide legitimate dividends, if health care is taken away from a profit making (lawsuit buffered) enterprise and seen as a basic right that might help also. I was just reading some analysis for the next decade and it got me thinking….bloody thinking always does this eh? I’ve been reading a book this week that shared this horrible fact; per capita the US has 3 to 8 times more lawyers per person than much of Western Europe, when will people equate that to being an inflation causing fact that adds to the cost of all products by default. There’s a lot to fix but reducing litigation (especially in the medical field) would be a huge step forward. There’s more to 2009 than politics and the economy of course so I’ll try and review my favourite albums of the year in the days ahead too!

Alright, I’m sure you didn’t come here to read all that so back to The Clash. (I’m not trying to give the blog more politics….just allow me to to ramble from time to time).

This makes for better reading as the Scotsman reviews the Joe Strummer memorial concert at King Tut’s the other night. I never went to King Tut’s when in Glasgow but heard it’s a good venue. Anyway it sounds a splendid time was had by all as the assorted bands blistered their way through some Clash classics for the assembled diehards. They also label the audience as primarily over 40 males….don’t know what they mean!

Interesting interview with Ari Up of the perennially overlooked Slits appears on the Clashmusic site (no..it’s not what you might hope – clashmusic that is). The paths that crossed with The Clash are many and the sheer indulgence within other music forms is what keeps their music sounding fresh. 2009 has seen them back in the public eye once more so that’s got to be a good thing.

Carbon Silicon, image courtesy GLK photo

Finally Mick Jones and Tony James bring you a very enjoyable Christmas Video Diary from the Carbon Silicon site. Looks like the boys were having a great time along Oxford Street in the snow, popping into HMV, Selfridges and Starbucks (whoops) along the way. A few bevvies were consumed and a merry time was had. The video is below and the link to the story on their official site is here. I love that Tony James has a love of technology which suggests we might hear more frequently from the band in the New Year.

That’s all for now….oh…well done today Chelsea….!

Good Evening, just a quick post tonight. I hope you’ve had a chance to drop over and see what Carbon Silicon are up to lately? Check their official site for details as Tony James and Mick Jones have followed a very quiet first 10 months of the year with a buzz of activity. Spoiled as we were by the excellent Carbon Bubble album last month (download it for free) Tony has put together quite a few news updates about the direction of the band now and reaction to the album plus tour discussion. There’s a lot to digest there and I’ll be digging into it this weekend – though I’m keen to hear your interpretation also. It appears that something with record labels/management has triggered a brilliant back to basics approach and as TJ says he’s simply asks that you share the music. Email your friends, tweet about it, or add tracks to your favourites on Facebook. Considering the album has been released for free there’s no excuse for you not spending 10 minutes trying to help more people hear the music. More important than that it’s a great album.

Also with a lot to say about Punk Rock and the years since is former Sex Pistol Glen Matlock. Glen who performed this Summer with Mick Jones at the 100 Club is in the middle of playing some shows in snowy Canada at present. Matlock has given some really candid interviews about more recent events with the Chronicle Herald and also The Winnipeg Sun. Matlock is an interesting character who was key to the Sex Pistols (he was the chief songwriter) but left the band before events of the final 12 months and Sid Vicious stamped their place deeper in the memory of so many with a more pedestrian knowledge of the London scene. Downplaying the role of Matlock is failing to understand that it was really 1976 that created the scene and the development of the Pistols, especially in terms of the songs themselves. The doomed capacity of Sid was never really more than a tragically sad postscript which resulted in the self destruction of the band and ultimately the end of Vicious’ short life. It might look better on the T-Shirts but the Sex Pistols were far more tapered in the musical heritage of Matlock. Both interviews are worth your time and it’s interesting to learn of a Rich Kids reunion/fund raising show scheduled for London next month (apparently with Carbon Silicon) so more of that to come in the days ahead.

Clash Cup and Strummerville event previews coming up in the days ahead so I’ll talk with you soon.

Tim