Good evening everyone and how is your week panning out? I do hope well….here we’re still besieged by stupidly warm weather and I’ve been buried in work so I feel like I’m in work/sleep mode, something I must try and remedy at the weekend. You’ve picked a great night to visit the blog as we are lucky enough to have a guest post tonight from someone who is not only very handy with a camera but is showing some added flair on the keyboard too. It is of course a new contribution from our friend Pete in London and I really appreciate him taking the time and giving my fingers a rest. He’ll be taking over this blog at this rate which might be very good news for all of you! This is a long post but very enjoyable so I’m going to split it up into two parts, I guarantee you’ll be back for the sequel. The topic – Big Audio Dynamite in Bournemouth at The Old Fire Station last week which served as their warm up gig for Glastonbury, from what I’ve seen and heard the warm up show was the one to be at. Over to Pete:

“Aren’t there a lot of similar looking roundabouts in Bournemouth ? This was my first problem arriving down in Dorset for the B.A.D. Glastonbury warm-up gig at The Old Fire Station – yes, it really is an old fire station. The confusing geography meant a short trip to nearby Poole, very picturesque even in the rain, especially some of the beautiful Art-Deco buildings, but was little help in securing a photo pass for the gig. I’d texted The Don (Letts) before leaving London and received a quick reply saying “Cool, no problem” in reply to my request for said pass.

When we eventually found the venue, after at least fifty more roundabouts, it was deserted, even after investigating the rear entrance. Checking into the hotel seemed like the best option, which is what we did…Cider and a gin and tonic or two.

Two hours later, preparation complete, partially inebriated and armed with the necessary kit – my photographic ‘suicide bomber’ outfit, harness replete with four large lens pouches, camera bodies and flash gun we returned to the venue where the front doors and widows were still bolted and curtained. Ever resourceful, I decided to walk round to the back of the building again, whereupon we found the ‘stage door’ open – a fire exit actually, but stage door sounds so much more exciting !

The brilliant Rotten Hill Gang were in the process of soundchecking and I was surprised to see Cole Salewicz filling in on guitar for Andre Shapps ,who has recently become a father. His father Chris Salewicz is a writer of great renown and was a close friend and confidente of The Clash. After a quick exploration of the building during the soundcheck, I ascertained that there were no members of  B.A.D present. It was suggested that we tried the tour bus……What, just climb aboard ?

Mick Jones in Bournemouth, image courtesy Peter Stevens Photography

With nothing to lose I knocked on the door of the large coach/tour bus parked out back to be greeted by a driver who took us to the ‘main entrance’ at the other side. Armed with only four CD-ROMS containing my photos from the B.A.D. performance at The Shepherds Bush Empire on 2^nd April 2011, I climbed the up steps into the semi-darkness to be greeted by a smiling Leo ‘EezyKill’ Williams, relaxed and seated at a small table. After exchanging greetings, handing over a CD-ROM I walked down the centre aisle, whereupon I heard Don’s voice from one of the lower bunks. A hand appeared, the curtain was partially pulled back and there was Don Letts lying, very relaxed on his bunk bed. I was extremely apologetic, but he seemed completely unfazed by my presence and reassured me that my name was on the guest list and photography was ‘cool’. I gave him the remainder of the CD-ROMs – for him, Mick and Greg. Whether they will ever look at them I don’t know, but they’ve got them anyway. I thanked him again and left him to enjoy a little essential pre-gig relaxation.

I’ll now fast forward to the gig itself. Entry was no problem of course and the venue is of a really good size, not too big, but large enough to hold perhaps four or five hundred. Imagine The Garage on Highbury Corner and it’s that type of venue. The Rotten Hill Gang were just coming on stage as we arrived and they launched energetically into their half hour set. I was extremely relieved to see their ‘new’ guitarist Cole Salewicz had survived his quick evening meal, which he’d just minutes earlier had been sharing with us – an incredibly spicy hot ‘Vesuvius’ pizza from an establishment just down the road…..Thankfully he wasn’t required to sing !

The Rotten Hill Gang finished their set with ‘Gotta Pick A Pocket Or Two’ and were gone. Next up were B.A.D. and whilst awaiting their imminent arrival I occupied my time by chatting to a few of the familiar faces pressed up against the barrier at the front, many of whom were B.A.D. veterans – hope I’m not being unfair, but mainly gentleman of a particular vintage – MINE actually ! What did reveal itself to me at least before the gig, was Dan Donovan’s replacement – non other than long term friend and tech ‘Davo’ who I’d first encountered at the Carbon/Silicon Carbon Casino events three years ago. He is the man who has rescued many of the old samples to enable the recent shows to go ahead according to my sources.

Back to me now….that’s a sensational story so far Pete, just brilliant and thank you for spending so much time composing it, you must have scribbled notes when you got back to your hotel seeing as I can’t even remember last night without being prompted. It’s truly the next best thing to being there. I think I speak for many of us scattered around the world who can’t attend these gigs that first-hand accounts like this are really meaningful to us. I love Bournemouth as it happens, wonder if they still talk about me there….

Part two will follow soon, please please join me in the comments in thanking Pete for his writing, photography and facing those roundabouts with such commendable spirit.

Don and Mick in full song, Bournemouth. Image courtesy Peter Stevens

Good morning, bit of a sluggish start to the day after an early start/late night combination yesterday. It’s annoying on those mornings where you’d really benefit form a few extra hours of kip when it doesn’t happen innit? Thoroughly enjoyed Interpol/School of Seven Bells concert last night, the venue was sold out which helped and the audience were very involved even with the support band. The latter band are going to go places I think with a sound that reminds me of Lush but all shiny and 2011. I always had a weakness for music that fell under the umbrella of shoegaze and while that term doesn’t apply to all of their songs, the ability of Benjamin Curtis (previously with the always bright Secret Machines) is rather special. I’ve followed Interpol since they began but this was my first time seeing them live and was well impressed. A rhythm section that gradually pummels you into submission and interchanging guitars that shimmer and then get lots of great angles. At times there is a very notable Gang of Four comparison to be made but that’s no bad thing in my eyes.

New location for the Rock and Roll Public Library (A)

Anyway, enough of that. Coffee is now waking me up a bit more. Apologies for the Mubarak resignation inclusion in yesterday’s post, that came across from my BBC newsfeed whilst I was writing so I assumed the BBC were on the money. Silly me.

I also mentioned that the Mick Jones Rock and Roll Public Library was warmly rumoured to be making a welcome return in the near future and that definitely seems to be the case. In keeping with last summer the library will be back on home soil very close to last year’s site at 275 Portobello Road, just a short walk from Ladbroke Grove tube and right within the roar of The Westway (see map on the left). No news on the actual dates yet but the best place to keep up to date is the official facebook page as linked here. Mick Jones along with Chris Salewicz was outside the forthcoming location yesterday as I mentioned and thanks to ‘Mr Elplanko’ we’ve got video evidence below for the support of the library and the news of the returning library.

Mick Jones outside the site for the Library’s return  Feb 5, 2011

I’ll definitely be back with more later as I’ve got to do some running around this morning. Be good…Tim

Good evening and welcome back to the Clash Blog. Tonight’s post has the potential to be either terribly good news or even disastrous depending on how well it’s administered but either way it’s probably as predictable a piece of news as any I’ve read recently (that would include the royal wedding).

I’m sure like many of you, I’ve spent a lot of time wondering when the next Clash or Joe Strummer film would be made. To date since Joe’s death we’ve had ‘The Future is Unwritten‘ and ‘Let’s Rock Again‘ which compiled actual footage and interviews both with Joe and those who knew him. The documentary style lends itself well to the story of the Clash and was probably most effective in Don Letts’ “Westway to the World” but I always expected that eventually a dramatised biopic would be in the works especially since that concept has become far more popular during the last decade. The most prominent examples in recent years may well be ‘Control’ about Ian Curtis and Joy Division. It now seems the wait is over as a full and frank biopic about the life of Joe Strummer is in the works. The producer was behind the recent Ian Dury film.

I’ll take the news as optimistically as possible, if it’s well written and balanced and casts the right balance in portraying the complexities of Joe’s character and achievements it could well be a fantastic film which emphasises the importance of The Clash and Joe beyond the music that was made. On the other hand if the screenplay leans towards the short sharp version and the depth of critical people in Joe’s life may become understated or unexplored a simplistic version of Strummer could appear on screen. I think it’s absolutely crucial that people who really knew Joe well such as other members of the band, Bernie Rhodes, Chris Salewicz, Tymon, Baker, Johnny Green, Lucinda and Gabby are each interviewed to lend more layers and depth to the person that Joe actually was. It’s also important (if possible to capture in a two-hour film) to explore the many and very different phases that Joe went through including some very difficult times. There’s already been so much written about his life and The Clash that a major risk for Paul Viragh as the screenwriter would be to simply lean on what already exists.

To some degree unless it’s completely perfect the film is sure to be found as having faults as many of us will know more about Joe than the film intends to reveal in the first place. Add to that the casting of the main characters and I’m sure we’ll all have a few moans and groans collectively. Before you even get beyond the members of The Clash who on earth could possibly play Joe Strummer? There is that chap from Glasvegas if he can just ditch his Glaswegian accent I suppose, but I think it will probably be better and far more likely that relative unknowns are cast to best play not just Joe but many of the other characters who are already larger than life due to the time they spent in The Clash.

As a project though I think it’s entirely overdue and I hope it can give measured and proper treatment to the subject at hand, let’s just say if 75% of you reading this end up very satisfied with the finished article then the film would have to be called a success. Speaking of what the film is going to be called the rumors are that the working title is “Joe Public” and while I understand the source I think it would be a crap choice. Just call the film ‘Strummer’ and be done with it – you know it makes sense.

There is no confirmed date for shooting or even casting at this time so the chances run that it could be quite a while before we see or learn more and also the inevitable chance that the project gets shelved. I’ll be sure to share more as and when I learn about it. I’d like to play a journalist in the film if possible, perhaps Nick Kent if I can grow my hair in time. Have a good one – Tim