Good evening to you, I want to register a complaint about the return of 100f heat to this dusty city. Someone needs to remind whoever is in charge that it is the middle of October and this just isn’t acceptable. I just looked at my feed and there are a host of new articles concerning the .5C/G tour that I’ll need to do a monkey review rating for tonight but before we get to that a couple of other things. First of all don’t forget the Strummerville showcase tour is zipping its way around the UK at present tonight is Manchester (well its taking place as I write this) and there is still Newcastle and London to follow. Its a great chance to see some really good bands for less than the cost of a round of beers and proceeds of course help Strummerville out. To find out more please make sure you visit the link right here and if you managed to get to any of the gigs thus far please write in and share your thoughts. I’d like that!

Speaking of Strummerville I trust many of you found out about the Prince Blanco project last year that was produced for the cause…its an excellent CD (Shatter The Hotel – A Dub Inspired Tribute to Joe Strummer) which you can find out more about here and also download. Prince Blanco doesn’t rest on his laurels though and also plays with Rockers Galore, there’s a nice Clash element running through that as well, have a look at the video below:

Right then, as you’d expect the list of features about Mick and Paul playing in North America continues to grow so I thought I’d get some of those posted for your chance to review with our previously chosen monkey scoring method. As ever I’m more than happy to hear about your experience in seeing Gorillaz, how it felt to see the boys after so long and if you have any special stories that might be enjoyable. Any contributions are welcome 200-1,000 words as you see fit. Email, tweet me or use facebook to get in touch and I’ll get it added to the blog. So here’s what I’ve found…

Simonon in full Clash pose

WeLoveDC.com wrote an excellent summary of two shows (namely those in New Jersey and Virginia) and also included some rather tasty photographs to boot. Full credit to the author Michael Darpino for being a serious Clash fan, but more than that putting together a review that is an entertaining read and captures a good flavour of what sounded to be two more excellent concerts. Two extra interesting points, Michael was also able to see them at the Coachella Festival in the Spring so was in a position to compare how the live experience has evolved since then. He also noted as have many others that a 3rd guitarist is on stage for at least some songs and its worth noting as its none other than Simon Tong, your man from The Verve, very late period Blur and of course The Good, The Bad and The Queen. Perhaps we are more likely to hear ’80′s Life’ than some 80′s Clash before the tour is out? Don’t want to tempt fate but Tong tends to join bands when they are just about to end…..     great review though 4.0 Monkeys

Express Night Out wrote a nice review of the Patriot Centre concert. Not sure what city that is, Patriot, Liberty, Freedom Fighter arena they all run together to a certain extent for me. As for the review that recurring theme of how bloody happy everyone looks on stage keeps popping up….I never saw Paul as much of a smiler (onstage anyway) with The Clash so seeing him grinning a lot is a new concept. Hopefully its a reflection of the sheer joy of playing and what I’m sure makes for an interesting entourage on tour. I wonder if Paul finds the string section cute like I do? Clash bloke fans need something to look at too you know. 3.0 Monkeys

The Philadephia Inquirer pumps out a reasonable if slightly little pedestrian review in that ‘big paper’ way that I find so dull. A few facts, uncomplicated opinions and a little dig (at Blur’s US lack of success and Mark E Smith) but nothing that you probably don’t already know and a bloody stupid simian reference to Albarn. 2.0 Monkeys

The Oakland Press (suburban Detroit) actually does a preview and comes up with some proper writing. Two reasons that make this article worth a read, surely a writer like that deserves a happier fate that living within sniper rifle distance of Detroit? The preview is a curious piece looking at bands who along with Gorillaz blur the line (bollocks, my turn for a puerile pun) between being real bands and created consortia. Think The Monkees et al and you’ll see where the writer is going. It applies of course but its worth remembering that Damon refused a proper tour until they had enough material to support and a fleshed out live band to propel it. The escape from cartoons was right on cue, as recently as 2008 Albarn was evasive as to whether Gorillaz would proceed to a 3rd album and much of this touring lineup were very much a part of the recording process. Yes it’s dance rock but the new album has more songs than the first two that can be stripped down to bass guitar and drums which equates to a rehearsing band. Anyway…go and read that one. 3.5 Monkeys

That should keep you going. Thanks for dropping in tonight and to my dear friend who just moved flats…welcome home and best of luck!

Good evening, how is everyone doing tonight? Some October touch ups on the blog…added about 8 new rotating headers (at the top of each blog page) which change each time you refresh a page or visit the site, so go ahead and click your refresh button a few times.

A good time to be a Clash fan with Paul and Mick sharing a stage night after night for the first time since most of us were younger – but I had a feeling that when this Gorillaz tour gathered momentum we’d forget about what we paid for tickets and get to the business of seeing something we never really expected to see again. The lads being back in New York City this week for the big concert at Madison Square Garden and the previous evenings inspired performance on the David Letterman show can’t help but send a shiver up your spine. I also think Damon Albarn, being the same age as myself, has complete understanding of what he has in his arsenal with 2/3 of the surviving members of The Clash flanking him each evening – how could he not realise it eh? I digress…I wanted to thank a special fan of The Clash and of the blog for allowing me to reproduce her summary of events last night at the Garden: Thank you Gail for taking the time to write, over to you:

Wow–is about the only word for it.  What a concert!  And I’ve been to a lot of big concerts before, dating all the way back to The Concert for Bangladesh when I was thirteen.  Damon and Co. were clearly excited by being at Madison Square Garden, and the band is at its peak.  It is one well-oiled machine at this point, coordinating perfectly with the videos (which must be a feat in itself) and playing as if they were all loving every minute of it.  High points were “Glitter Freeze” with Mick and Paul dominating the stage and playing side by side together–quite a sight for us Clash fans.  When Damon introduced Mick and Paul, they each got a huge roar from the audience, which must have been quite a trip for them both.  Then they launched into the song “Plastic Beach” which I’ve never seen any videos of them doing before.  Really great.  The only low point was Lou Reed, who seemed like he could have used a rehearsal or two to remember how to sing “Some Kind of Nature.”  All in all, a fabulous night.  I had $80 tickets, which put me up in the rafters, but during the second song, I managed to weasel my way down to the front–to within about 100 feet of the stage–without getting caught.  Guess the security guards don’t bother with middle-aged ladies who blast past them with fire in their eyes!

Thanks again Gail, sounds just brilliant – and the snap you provided (below) is evidence of your daring do! (they came up quite sharp with a quick bit of photoshop work, Gail). I’ll be back later with the (rather less inspiring) writing of the official media about the tour so far but loved to get Gail’s quick ‘review’. Please feel free to share some others – especially a certain someone I know who jumped on stage at the Ed Sullivan Theatre to bounce up and down with Damon on Thursday night…you know who you are! Cheers – Tim

The view from someone else's seat at Madison Square Garden !! Click for high-res version

Friday night then and a late late post which is in keeping with a week that always felt like it was wagging me rather than the reverse which I simply would always prefer. I’m so glad and fortunate to be (self) employed though and appreciate it always. I know a huge number of people remain without work so the idea of taking any time off seems an almost guilty pleasure, I think its tragic when people who want to work and are able to work can’t find employment. Its something I feel quite strongly about, that work brings a sense of pride and value to the individual. Having seen what mass unemployment has done to communities both in the UK and here in the States its a stark reminder of how fragile our society can be and remains.  The mid 80′s and the early 90′s in the UK were both very divisive times to observe and somehow the last few years seem even deeper, darker, more difficult perhaps. I’m not sure why but I think it might be because many struggle to see how ‘the good times’ can return without a lot more hardship and changes yet. I also hope I’m completely wrong….that’s not a political statement – but an economic one – the current model is unquestionably broken.

the making of the Joe Strummer mural in Lima

Anyway I’ve rambled away from the cause of the blog so lets review a few things I saw over the last day or two – as ever there’s loads of different things spinning around the internet. One piece I read with interest was an article about ‘when bands should split up’ on Suite 101.com – its a very broad topic with no easy answers but in the piece the example of The Clash comes up. The author suggests that The Clash should have ended as soon as Mick Jones was kicked out of the band. Its a safe and obvious statement to make though I think its written purely with the power of hindsight. I can (and have managed to) debate myself as to how I feel about that. On paper at least Strummer and Simonon plus the new recruits laboured on a lot longer than I would ever have expected. The Clash MKII were officially an act all the way up until 1986, releasing one album, one single and touring more often than I recollected during that time. I remember being annoyed as can be when Mick was kicked out of the band and was rather cynical about ‘The Clash’ continuing with the same name then the press release from Strummer/Simonon in September ’83 that claimed that the band would be ‘continuing the work that The Clash had set out to do’. I was always a huge Mick Jones fan and was probably more likely to give up on a new Clash than the average fan at that time, but still I bought ‘This is England’ and then ‘Cut The Crap’ and saw the new lineup perform live twice – I gave it a try and I’m glad I did. I subscribe to a belief that its better to know why you don’t really like something than why you do, the final incarnation of The Clash wasn’t the same thing nor anywhere near as good. It also should be said that any strength in the songs records post-Mick was washed away by the mid 80′s production on that final album. Hindsight says they should have ended yes, but the list of bands that have lost a major part of the engine and then continued to make great music so it is possible. There are also those (Echo and The Bunnymen first time round come to mind) who made one final album without a key member and it damaged the legacy. I think Paul and Joe felt they had to continue to see if it could still work, the band were coming off the back of their most commercially successful album and the right chemistry could have seen that continue. However the final album was too long in coming and 1985 was a very different playing field to the one last visited three years earlier, none of that aided by what was a really poor record. I do think that a name change might have been a better idea based on the music that was released.

Finally I’d like to offer a huge thank you to those of you who have written in about seeing Gorillaz on the early legs of the North American dates. Thanks for the photos and the news I’ll work in as much as I can. What is most exciting to me is the comments about the gigs themselves have been consistently excellent and affirm that my idle speculation this week has been correct – that the band are much improved and more cohesive live playing as a tight unit (albeit an 18 piece one). Paul and Mick are also receiving wonderful receptions when introduced…Damon knew this would happen!! Glitter Freeze is going to be our highlight as I mentioned yesterday, with no vocalist to take centre stage it will be 4 minutes where you can squint and see a direct piece of Clash history, I simply can’t wait to see them. I’ll leave you with a clip from the Letterman broadcast the other night to get you in the mood. Will be back later in the day, I started writing this last and ran out of steam.

Gorillaz – Rhinestone Eyes on the David Letterman Show