So here we are then March 15th, which if all went well and flights were made the nearest incarnation that the SXSW music festival has ever had to the legacy of Joe Strummer should be upon us at about the same time as I write this. I’m of course referring to the first night of Strummerville events at the festival and hopefully in 24 hours the first tweets, video and articles will be online for us to review. Billy Bragg (who is treating Facebook as a friend…well done Billy) seems to be in the habit of updating events somewhat regularly – per his earlier update:

“If you’re down in Austin for SXSW, you will be able to see me perform tonight at Latitude 30, 512 San Jacinto St 8pm-2pm. Strummerville and Jail Guitar Doors are hosting an event at the British Music Embassy with Chris Shiflett, Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly and myself among others. Kicks off at 8pm, I’ll be on around midnight”         Billy Bragg

Bragg also adds that “As part of the Jail Guitar Doors USA launch this week, Wayne Kramer has organised a visit to the Travis County Jail just outside of Austin on Friday morning, to deliver some guitars to the inmates there”. Hopefully all these snippets of information will become something more lucid as the week unfolds and in the interim I beg your patience. The event marks the debut on US soil for Strummerville and also the first events connected to Jail Guitar Doors USA – so both sites will also be worth keeping an eye on I’d venture. Hopefully one of you might even have made their way to Austin this week, if so shoot me a message via the blog or Facebook and we’ll have a chat. Wrapping up Austin for the night, what Clash event (non-concert) took place just outside of the Texan city that cemented the band’s success in the States?

Sometimes the misinterpretation of songs/information published that become borderline gospel (allmusic.com ‘guide’ indeed) seems to be the source for this shoddy article. Within it a brief examination ‘I’m so bored with the USA’ and ‘Train in Vain’ and both write ups verge on the distasteful. Citing “I’m so bored…” as the blueprint for all Clash themes and the song that ‘they always opened US gigs with’. Neither statement is close to being accurate nor is the assertion that the song was meant as much more than a complaint about the infestation of American television shows on British TV and US culture in the UK in general during the mid/late 1970′s. How right were Strummer’s lyrics? I distinctly remember my house glued to Columbo, Starsky & Hutch, Police Woman and Kojak on seemingly every weeknight for a spell there. The song is about a bored Londoner’s view of American culture seeping into England from that specific period of time – not some giant thesis about the animal that is the United States. Perhaps something got lost in the translation, though I think any member of The Clash would be honest enough to say they weren’t in a position to really write about the States until a few years later in 1979. I won’t dig much deeper into the article, just not quite sure what the point was – oh and it links to a ‘Live Clash performance 1980′ when in fact the footage was taken from the final ever Clash gig (Strummer Jones) at the US Festival in 1983. Whatever happened to fact checking – perhaps it was better that there was no internet in 1976-1983 eh?

Newport, South Wales….not only a place that Joe Strummer spent a few years pre 101′ers when he was simply Woody Mellor but also a place I

TJs in Newport

don’t think I’ve ever had a better laugh. I used to go there for work twice a year and there were some great chaps always game for a pint and recollections of punk’s glory days. Funnily enough everyone in Newport seemed to have a Joe Strummer story though I’m sure most were embellished or borrowed from someone else. Seeing as Strummer had little or any money when he lived there I doubt he was a regular in the pubs of the town which contradicts the folklore. I’m sure however that like everyone who grew up in Newport he spent a night or two at the city’s best music venue TJ’s, over the 35+ years of its existence every band you can image played the famed venue, and it was also apparently the location of Kurt Cobain’s proposal to Courtney Love. It was one of those places that the venue even made up for an average act, I know Joe Strummer eventually played there so I’m guessing it was because he visited it back in the early 1970′s. I’m writing about Newport tonight as I was sad to read via the NME that the owner of the club John Sicola passed away today at the age of 66. TJs was/is Newport when it comes to music, RIP and thanks for keeping music alive in South Wales.

More soon – thanks for dropping in.

Good morning….creak (that was my neck)….just thought I’d mix it up with an early post for once. Just some quickies for you and then I’ll be getting on with the day ahead.

Michael Foot in 1958

News from England – a huge political figure from my youth has passed away at the age of 96. I could scarcely believe Michael Foot had reached that age until I read his obituary this morning. Foot led the labour party during the early years of the Thatcher regime in Britain and lost the party leadership and failing to win the election of 1983 versus a Falklands inspired Thatcher (and so continued the longest decade). Foot was a rebel with a commitment to the working man and although he upset a lot of people he can’t be accused of hiding from an issue or selling out on his values. He led labour during some of their most difficult years as a nation enamoured with Thatcher rejected labour at the polls and thus changed the direction of Britain forever. I hope his beloved Plymouth win this weekend for him.

Also, a few Jail Guitars Doors updates worth a mention. Wales online have an interview with Billy Bragg about the project and the USA Jail Guitar Doors initiative has added a Facebook page to help you keep current.

This is great – the audio from the BBC Six Music interview with the creators of ‘Meeting Joe Strummer’.

More soon ~ Tim

Saturday night and I should be out seeing the sites but domesticity and a stomach flu keep me on a very short rope. I was explaining the kid’s rhyme ‘Oranges and Lemons’ today (to a child) and found myself getting the words mixed up – all due to Clash City Rockers I expect. I’ve a few things to be getting through tonight so let me cover the off topic matters first. Everton Football Club I must thank for keeping my hopes alive in consecutive weeks and cheers to Amy Williams who won Britain’s first Olympic individual gold medal since 1980! Is it true that Robin Cousins used to listen to Rudie Can’t Fail over and over again on his brand new Sony Walkman back in 1980? Seems such a long time ago…..my excuse is that the UK is severely lacking in mountains and snow (well at least up until the last two winters). On to Clash related matters some time soon…I hear you mumble.

I need a secretary to get through all of these bits and pieces as I just reviewed my list of pending stories. I plan to update the stats on the Global A Go Go page soon also as the US traffic to the blog is now leading the UK by a sizable amount – so I’m going to lay down a challenge to my homeland to catch up! I realise the US has 5 times as many people but The Clash are ours and the blog traffic should reflect this. (this is all a bit tongue in cheek of course).

I feel a bit remiss in failing to spread the word that the Jail Guitar Doors ‘roadshow’ is doing some dates this week and next. All the details are here and there is still time to make it along to Nottingham, Bristol, Southampton, Cardiff and London. Billy Bragg is on the bill and of course a chance to see the film so please show support if the schedule fits. Speaking on Billy Bragg (so long as he keeps talking about The Clash I’ll reciprocate) there was a good article profiling his career and recent activities in The Times.

The Sidebar in Baltimore (downstairs I'm guessing)

Clash fans near Baltimore/Washington (maybe Philadelphia?) need to consider dropping $5 next Saturday night to attend the 3rd annual ‘Night of The Clash’. Seven (!!) bands will be performing Clash cover versions – so there should be something to your taste on the menu. Event takes place at The Sidebar Tavern in Baltimore starting at 5pm (seven bands after all) next Saturday.

Weren’t we just talking about Manic Street Preachers? I thought so…was glad to read about a bit of a battle of principals in Glasgow this week. Seems that Manic Street Preachers Nicky Wire had a good old go at the bloated carcass that is Radiohead. Bad words were exchanged and the whole nasty event has reached the music press. At the heart of the issue is downloading killing music (you know where I stand) and Wire accused Radiohead of only being bold enough to offer free or near free downloads after they became multi-millionaires. I must say he has a point when you think about it. Things simmered until MSP performed during which Nicky Wire said this of Ed from Radiohead (I’ll have to censor the ‘c’ word…probably the only word I won’t put on the blog….and I don’t mean country music although the first syllable is the same)

“Apparently Ed O’Brien called me a wanker, I’m really fucking scared, go back to your boarding school you ****!”

Full details are on the NME. Worth noting this a festival of bands that had previously played there marked the 20th anniversary of the famed King Tut’s in Glasgow. This made my radar because the owner was interviewed by the BBC and he was asked what was the best over gig at the venue, naturally he had the sense to say Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros in 1999. Link to that story right here. I need a rumour confirmed or denied and I know someone will know the answer (ideally someone reading this). Did Mick Jones really appear on The Damned’s Machine Gun Etiquette as an uncredited vocalist? If so what track? I thank you. Finally for now please read this article from the wonderful Quietus about some quotes attributed to John Lydon. I’m not someone to downplay the importance of the Sex Pistols and PIL but the jury is out on where Lydon resides today (and I don’t mean Los Angeles). He just seems to have morphed into something that is 50% parody and 50% confused, it would be nice to see some of the earlier (music based) output from Lydon – failing that get an agent who ensures you get better press.

Right…that’s me out for now, more tomorrow and thanks for visiting.