Just a quick follow up from yesterday as a few people had emailed me to ask more about the Damien Hirst / Joe Strummer history,connection and

Damien Hirst (and a cow)

relationship. I thought I’d so some additional scouring to see what promotional activity went hand in hand with the current auction that I covered yesterday and it seems Damien has been doing the rounds with the UK press  and giving some really informative interviews about his art, the charity and his relationship with Joe(not the tabloids) so rather than reinvent the wheel and explain more about their past and Hirst’ current place in the Art world – it’s better for me to link out to these interviews. Incidentally, I’m waiting to learn what the Strummer piece covered yesterday raised at the auction. Lots of good information and some Strummer tidbits are included therein so have a quick look at the links below.

Interview with the Guardian – Nov 14

A great interview in The Times – Nov 13 (much Joe commentary including this beneath)

“I think Joe taught me the most fundamental things, such as that who you are and what you represent are equally important”

Interview with the Independent Nov 13

Also tonight – more Jail Guitar Doors news from Billy Bragg as the Bard of Barking interviews with metronews.ca and explains that the US chapter may also be getting some competition from Canada. Good old Billy can always be counted on to further a cause and take it global. I’ve actually got some unconfirmed rumours that you can expect to see Mick Jones and Billy Bragg together stateside in the Spring, more on that as I get confirmation.

Finally – use your social media skills and help promote the fact that Carbon Silicon are giving away their new album via their official site. If you twitter – send a tweet, if you use facebook – make an update with the link. It’s a great way to share their music with your existing connections and it takes a few seconds. I’ll be back with part 2 of the track-by-track review of the album tomorrow.

Tim

Hello all – sorry once for the delay in posts, I was innocently watching a free live stream via Justin TV of Liverpool/Man Utd on Sunday morning (my time) when my computer got infected with swine flu or similar (same thing that hit Man Utd I’m pleased to add). Needless to say, the old PC was never to recover which led to me being without access for a few days and hence the lack of posts in the intervening time. Blah blah blah I hear you say…but that’s what the issue has been. In the meantime Clash news keeps coming in so please allow me to play catch up for the next few days. There is one vital matter for today!!!

Today (Wednesday) London – I recommend in stronger terms that I can write that you make your way down to see the cinema premier of the Alan Miles documentary Breaking Rocks . As you know it received wonderful reviews and acclaim during the Raindance film festival appearance in Camden Town a few weeks ago and tonight’s events look to be equally memorable. Here is what I can confirm: The Full West End Premiere of the Film / Q&A Session with Billy Bragg and Alan Miles / Acoustic Set in the Foyer with Billy Bragg.

Here’s the rumoured part (but a hunch you should go with if you read this in London). The acoustic set may well include Mick Jones and Topper Headon with the Billy Bragg ensemble, even if my sources are incorrect it will be a brilliant evening and if it’s correct it will be an historic one also. Topper had played with Mick and Billy back in September you may recall as Jail Guitar Doors was re-recorded for the film.

For regular visitors to the site you are well versed on the Jail Guitar Doors project if this is your first visit here is all the information you need! Lot’s of news about an American ‘branch’ of the project will follow soon also.

Jail Guitar Doors official site

Proceeds will benefit Strummerville

Breaking Rocks Raindance Film Festival information

Billy Bragg official site

Hoping some of you can make it along this evening to the Prince Charles cinema – doors open at 830pm, tickets via the link!

Cheers

Tim

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