It’s Tuesday, or Chewsday as I’m told I tend to pronounce it to which I reply yes and the language we’re speaking is known as English. See how grumpy I am when my coffee intake is upside down as it has been this week? I should be right as rain by Thursday at this rate. Thanks for dropping in to the blog once more and I do have a bit of an open topic for this evening. This was spurred by two things; both that Jon Savage book that I’ve been reading the last couple of weeks (and it’s frankly quite brilliant) and also a review that I read today of a book called ‘A cultural dictionary of punk: 1974-1982′ by Nicholas Rombes that has just been released. (link to the review is here)

Like the Savage book the Rombes effort looks to clarify a number of questions that were posed by punk, whether that be in New York, London or anywhere it spread on the map which such rapidness in the mid-1970s. The beauty of the Jon Savage book is that extensive interviews were conducted with so many of the most important individuals involved in the scene, from the musicians to management, journalists and scenesters. I will write more about the book when I finish it but perhaps the most enjoyable aspect is that Savage is just there to ask questions, not to guide the interviewee in providing answers nor gauge the relevancy or accuracy of the memories. The book allows you to make up your own mind as to how London borrowed from New York, or did not do so, it provides you firsthand accounts from most notably The Sex Pistols but also The Clash and many others – some 50 plus interviews in all. The author doesn’t seek to interpret effect or impact, nor blame and transition. Most of all if you weren’t there (myself included as I was too young for it) it spells out just how rapid the ascent and subsequent implosion of the entire scene was. In just 18 months something new emerged, was discovered and followed and then caught the imagination of the national media for all the wrong reasons and none of the right ones. Concerts that were attended by 20 or 30 people in the summer of 76 were filling large halls and attracting an entirely different element just 12 months later.

The Nicholas Rombes book seems to set out its stall asking many of the same questions and the review of the book makes it sound like something definitely worth a look. The main difference being while the author still sources the information from exact quotes he then looks to interpret those to answer some of the bigger questions that the scene left behind. To paraphrase the review those key questions include just why did the whole punk scene imploded upon itself so very quickly? Where did these bands suddenly appear from and just as rapidly vanish? Why did punk fail to fully reinvent the grand notions from the previous hippie generation? (Their words not mine).

The Clash hectored with slogans, but “politics always suggests ‘right ideas,’ doesn’t it? And punk, at its dirty heart, was always about escaping the tyranny of authority, the tyranny of right ideas, the tyranny of those who would say, Here is how you are supposed to think.” Rombes on The Clash

I’ll look to get a copy of the book rather than just defer to the review which is indeed very well written and if the interpretation is correct some of these big questions may have been answered with dangerous oversimplifications of the events themselves. We can isolate so many individual incidents that occurred in 1976, each and every one could have drastically altered the landscape then and what was to follow in 1977. There are so many huge ‘what ifs’ to ponder that arriving at simplified solutions seems a very ambitious goal for a book of its type. For example the friendship turned rivalry between Bernie Rhodes and Malcolm McLaren, the nucleus of the scene was such a small community that band members landing slightly differently and being in a new band entirely was not only possible but was happening. You need look no further than to review the list of names who were involved with those bands that never really were such as London SS or the Flowers of Romance, or even who was in the audiences at those sparsely attended concerts. The role of initially the music press and then the national media and television suddenly forced punk onto a national stage far sooner than it was ready to be there. Crucially when awareness of punk (chiefly the Sex Pistols) did hit the national consciousness in the UK it was primarily in the negative capacity which amounted to little more than fear and hatred. A scene that was originally reported to be exciting and revolutionary was suddenly dangerous and disgusting, all bands were splattered with the same brush while simultaneously the record companies were falling over themselves to sign anybody with the right haircut and some shouted lyrics. Before it was too late.

As with many things hindsight allows you to come off looking as if you know exactly why something didn’t work and justify that the end result was just how it was meant to be. I think books that try to establish that are guilty of boiling things down to a simpler and more palatable solution whereas I think the actuality was far more complex. Punk in its 1976 1977 form (earliest recordings and concerts by The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Damned, Buzzcocks et al) never really had time to mature into something bigger or more cohesive, within a year any band that was new was given a punk label (such as The Police or The Jam) even though the roots and ideals had nothing in common. When The Pistols basically became public enemy number one in 1977 the scene or the movement really had nowhere to go except in a different direction. A scene that was very creative, artistic, collaborative, incestuous and fluid suddenly became extremely violent, lacking in humour and more negative. Punk as a scene grew up far too quickly and never had time to mature into something that would’ve been just as interesting and creative as the original months were. Many subsequent scenes elsewhere were labeled punk which I am more than comfortable with, even though the only common denominator was often that less professional and privileged musicians were getting on stage and into studios to play rock music in a harder, faster or rougher way. I think on a regional basis no local punk scene has lasted nor could last more than about 18 months by which time the original purveyors are already expected to be moving on to something different by definition. Originality is and was the premise of punk in my opinion and as such it can’t really be repeated.

Perhaps that’s why I think The Clash above all others still stand out from that era, the debut album could only have been recorded at the beginning of 1977 and whatever came next had to ask new questions of the band and of course the listeners than the first time round the houses. The Clash knew that and yet were branded as disloyal to punk by the time 1978 rolled around and the music changed along with the date on the calendar. Some authors who seek a definition seem to feel that punk failed, but for me it was always just a starting point not a conclusion. It influenced how you felt, what you thought and your sense of just what authority meant. So much associated with the general recounting of the era focuses upon anger and boredom, disillusionment and negativity but I think the best examples of the music combated that with inclusiveness and possibilities, artistic flair and fashion,  questions and observations and maybe most importantly a need – the burning need – to get off your arse and to get involved with something with anything but not let apathy win out.

No idea if I’m any nearer the answers than I was before or if you agree but it’s a topic that won’t go away. You can order the book ‘The Cultural Definition of Punk’ via this link, I’m going to so perhaps you might too.

Well hello again and thanks for your visit to the blog. Found myself listening to so much music from around 1979 1980 today, namely some XTC, Gang of Four and some Joy Division and it smacked me in the forehead (not for the first time) just how much is owed to that era of music by some of the upstarts from the last 10 years. I’m thinking Bloc Party, The Futureheads, The Cribs and Maximo Park off the top of my head. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with any of the more recent bands I’ve mentioned but talk about a foundation to draw from! On a recent post someone had written that they were surprised that I cited 1979 as the pinnacle for music in my humble opinion, I could see that being a five-part post as I state my position but what brilliant seeds were planted by punk a few years prior to what emerged in 1979. It was also the same year that began my subscription to Melody Maker and buying the NME whenever I could, oh how I wish I had kept every single issue from that year and the seven or eight year spell that followed.

I was doing some back-end maintenance on the blog at the weekend and noticed a couple of occasions where I had written a part one about something and never followed up with the requisite part two, after sitting alone embarrassed for a few moments I realised that perhaps no one even noticed. That said it’s not a mistake I’ll be repeating in the future, to that end I’d written a few days ago about the state of the NME here in 2010. So I thought I should really follow up on that piece. On a side note but very related I’d always been a consumer of the theory that the NME was the best of the three music papers (the three British weeklies) at championing the rise and rise of notably the Sex Pistols but also the entire London punk scene that was evolving in 1976. If I’m not mistaken that history has also been propagated by the NME itself during the intervening years? I’m currently two thirds of the way through that new Jon Savage book which apart from being brilliant is also really informative, the section I’m currently on reviews the viewpoint of the journalists who were an integral part of the scene in ’76 and ’77. Needless to say I was a bit shocked by the statements which were supported by facts that Sounds had been the earliest of the three to really give many column inches to the Sex Pistols and in fact trumping the NME by a good few months by taking a risk on a band that was attracting perhaps 30 to 50 people to some of their earliest gigs. Funny what you learn!

Anyway in part one I reminisced about growing up with the music papers and like many of you in that pre-Internet age how much we relied upon the music weeklies to shape and influence our record purchasing and perhaps our viewpoints. The English music press was never quite as serious as its US counterpart and the attention until the late 70s was firmly fixated on the music itself and didn’t really seek to jump on a bandwagon or proclaim the trend that was going to change England forever. There was also an inherent sense of humor and independence with the papers as I remember them although the shelf-life of that week’s fad seem to be getting shorter and shorter as the 80′s arrived and pop music became a bigger part of the equation once again. If you took an act like Frankie goes to Hollywood it seemed to be just months had passed between them being considered the future of English music to little more than an overblown sensation who could never match the expectations of the record buying public. However so many good memories are attached to those papers which I hope you can relate to. The excitement of seeing gig lists for the first time, hoping a band you liked would be playing a venue that was convenient. I keeping a black diary that was partially a calendar in my backpack and when the NME and Melody Maker came out I would turn to the gig guide and write in pencil the potential bands that I plan on seeing, only to convert that to black biro nearer to the dates when I knew if I had enough money and would be free of other obligations. It was also critical, very critical, to have a girlfriend whose idea of a good night out was to see a band at a Polytechnic or a smoky pub in preference to a film or a meal. I was quite lucky in that regard dating a girl who rarely put up a fuss about going to concerts and even when she did her sister (who actually had a better taste in music than her) was always keen to see the latest indie band with me. The older sister actually looked quite similar so I didn’t have to reinvent the wheel to explain who she was if I bumped into somebody that I knew.

My first flat was walking distance from ULU...a very conscious decision

I’ll skip forward a few years to about 1983, from that year until about 1990 I went to more concerts than I can even recall. Seeing a band wasn’t expensive in general and there were no shortage of concerts that I felt I had to see, if the support band had good press you arrive early if not you often would take up residency in a local pub a bit longer than usual. I think I knew every venue in the city from New Cross up to Kentish Town and from Hammersmith to Islington. I came to know which venues would allow encores beyond a certain time, of course you would match that up with knowing when the last tube train to get you home ran. More than once the dilemma of staying for one more song versus being forced to get the night bus home had to be faced. The very idea of jumping in a black cab could suddenly change the evening from being fairly affordable to a bit of a knees up which in turn could impact your chances of seeing another band two nights later. I cannot recall what year ordering tickets via the telephone started to catch on, initially it was only the bigger venues like Hammersmith Odeon or Wembley Arena where you had to go to such lengths unless of course it was something a bit special like the Bunnymen at the Royal Albert Hall. For most gigs I remember you could just turn up and hopefully your research meant you hadn’t left it too late. That said loads of venues allowed more people than the place could hold if ticket sales were brisk especially at colleges and pubs.

I just realised this is going to run to a part three or more as I haven’t even finished talking about the NME in its prime. More on that soon and of course more Clash stuff to follow. Tim

Hello everyone thanks for dropping in, I hope your day went well? After my post this morning I was grinning to myself this evening when I noticed far more shops and restaurants closed for Labour Day than usual, perhaps it was my imagination but I thought (or at least hoped) that was a sign that bosses were looking after workers on this workers day. I even made a mental note of who did the right thing and make sure I give them my patronage. What I really wanted tonight was a good bowl of pasta however and the place I had in mind was closed….curses! Solidarity has its limits, I was hungry and had to settle for a decent burrito instead but it didn’t hit the spot. See how spoiled we are?

Not much this evening but a few bands/musicians  that Joe Strummer was involved with both hit the headlines at the same time over the last few days, funny how those things work out. I think this will be the 3rd farewell tour (reminds me a bit of The S** P*****s) but The Pogues are hitting the circuit one last time to say goodbye to their fans again. The Pogues really were in a strong position and doing something that was unique to them for a good few years from around ’83 to ’88 or so. I first saw them supporting The Clash in ’84 I think and knew they were on Stiff Records and gigging constantly. It seemed they were playing 6,7,8 shows a year in London in 83-85 but that could be my memory playing tricks on me. People were seeing them live and saying the band captured the chaos of punk and married it to traditional Irish roots music, the energy of the live gigs was causing a stir and they definitely were great value live – if a bit of a mess! As for the music, it definitely took on more depth in a live setting for me as the musicianship and spontaneity of what basically is folk music shone through to greater effect than the recorded equivalent. I only saw them twice in total but I’ve seen fervent passion from their fans for many years since (although I think much of that is driven by the need for a big piss up and celebration of Irishness…..interesting for a band fronted by a Londoner). I never did see them when Joe Strummer stepped in during 1987 and again when he did their entire tour with them back in 1991. By that time the band were on the brink of implosion which happened soon after with MacGowan going on to form  Shane MacGowan and The Popes in ’92. I can’t proclaim to be a huge fan of the band, but this being The Clash Blog we should delve more deeply into Joe’s time playing with the band which he loved doing and apparently was something to behold on stage. If anyone reading is a Pogues historian and saw them play with Joe write in and perhaps we can get something better written than my memories of a completely toasted Shane just about getting through a gig.

Which brings me to the news and my point I guess, The Pogues reformed for a farewell tour in 2001 again in 2005 and once more just a few years ago. I spoke to a friend who saw them quite recently and he said it was a pretty sorrowful experience with the band basically guiding there front man through the gig and him being essentially a disaster on stage. It made me sad to hear it, at their best The Pogues had mayhem but also cohesion and a fire in their belly on stage. A fire that saw them entertain but also add some punk or rock sensibilities to music that you’d normally only hear played well in Kilburn or the pubs of Ireland itself. It sounded that the most recent tours were the (very) talented musicians of The Pogues trying to stop the self-destructive nature of the lead singer from bringing the gigs down to a level of shame. I don’t know if I’d find a way to enjoy that as a fan – doesn’t it just put it on the brink of being cheated? I might have the wrong end of the stick entirely, perhaps my friend caught them on a bad night, perhaps the live reviews all saw nights where Shane just couldn’t command a stage and again it was bad luck once more but I’m thinking there was no trend – and that the tours were a bit of a farce. Once more round the houses and we’ll take your money thank you very much. If I’m wrong write in and tell me so…but I fear I’m right and that the band were taking people for a ride.

So…they are doing it one last time it seems….or maybe this will be the farewell tour to redress the balance? That would be a good thing….the tour is set for larger venues in 6 UK cities in December, if ticket sales are brisk I can see more dates being added or maybe them adding some US shows, I guess we will wait and see. Nothing would make me happier than to read these were the best shows The Pogues played in years and they said goodbye with grace and spirit, if that happens I’ll be sure and report it accordingly. Events like this leave me with some bittersweet satisfaction that The Clash never reformed when the money was on the table and the opportunity presented itself. Wasn’t it Paul Simonon who said ‘we had our time, we did our thing and then we left’ or words to that effect? I don’t think The Clash would have let us down with a reformed tour in the 90′s but we don’t even really need to speculate. Let’s hope The Pogues go out with a bang and not a whimper. I’ve seen speculation that Shane MacGowan isn’t in the best of health and if that’s true then I should be clear that none of this is aimed at that fact – I wish him health and happiness.

I was going to write about ‘The Hours’ also this evening but I’ve overstayed my welcome already…more on that during the week. Have a good one then! More info on The Pogues and the Christmas tour is available here.

The Pogues playing at Self-Aid, Dublin May 1986