A wolf moon tonight….very nice indeed it is too. If you read this tomorrow (Saturday) you’ll wish you had noticed the moon last night, a killing moon indeed. So what is on the agenda tonight then? The Clash Cup – you have been very patient with me on this and I’ve got a semblance of a schedule back so I’m committing to at least two ‘ties’ per week – round two will begin Sunday. If you’re a newer visitor to the blog we whiled away many hours on the blog last Autumn trying to the best Clash songs of all time. It’s all good fun so do come and participate – we need your votes. I thought Sunday would be a good day as dependent on how a certain football match goes earlier that day I’ll be either elated or morose, so be gentle if need be.

A Cuban in London is a great title for a blog and its also home to a post that I suggest you have a look at. The subject matter is The Clash and the theme of the posts are ‘killer opening songs’ (if he’s in London they should be ‘brilliant opening songs’ but I digress). I’m tempted to agree with his choice – does any album kick off with a better opening track than London Calling from the double album of the same name? I can’t think of any album that opens with a song that sets the stage quite as emphatically, it acts as a call to arms, a warning and a statement of intent – all at the same time. It has everything you want in a Clash song, Joe sounding as fixated as at any time, guitar that chops you in half and Paul with a bassline that should be forever taught in school. Weaving all that magic together was Topper on drums truly making the song a siren to the new decade that was about to begin. It’s a great question – is there a better opening track on any album – the only thing that I think sets up the album to follow with comparable lustre is Joyriders by Pulp which slowly teases you into the world of Jarvis Cocker and the detached brilliance of His ‘n’ Hers their 1994 masterpiece. I’d love to hear your suggestions…

When I think of early English punk  besides The Clash I always associate it with one band above all the other contenders. We all have our own choices and for many its The Sex Pistols, or The Damned (I’d guess they would make the big 3 list for most people) but for myself it would be Buzzcocks. I also think in addition to the Clash the band that most influenced what music I liked most from 1979 onwards would again be Manchester’s entry to the best of British punk. If you have any gaps in your record collection I recommend without reservation that you take advantage of what Mute Records are doing next month! Each of the first three Buzzcocks albums are being reissued as special two disc editions – the amount of extra tracks from John Peel Sessions / Demos / Singles & B-Sides plus live tracks is beyond fantastic. I can’t wait for these and will be replacing my well worn early CDs which in turn replaced my well knackered vinyl. If you don’t purchase any other reissues this year please give these a try. Also, the only live show I show for them in the States this year is next month in Orange County.

Well off track but worthy – a friend of mine runs a site where comic artists (comic book art) sell their private pieces and its more affordable than you’d imagine. If you have a friend, kid, or relative who would appreciate some exclusive art – they are currently holding a special auction of pieces where all proceeds benefit Haiti. Better still he has managed to get his company to match the bids…so have a look here for the details. Thanks. (The auction closes soon..but email me or him if interested).

Finally – sent in a link to a Rancid video (The cover of “Cheat”) via the comments section the other night – in case you missed it I’ve added it below. The first part of the video is what you want to wathc with Joe Strummer giving us all a message.

Cheers all

Good Evening all…its absolutely chucking it down with rain here tonight which isn’t really big news except when you live in the desert just hearing it bashing against the windows is rather novel in itself. As for the way people drive when it rains here, the only word to come to mind is pathetic.

I’ve a few quick things that you might enjoy tonight and its mostly point and click which will make life a lot easier for you (and is helpful to me as I’m a bit short on time tonight) but I will try and post something a little more meaty later tonight or tomorrow. I do want to always try and get a new posting of some length out daily as it creates some consistency for you very kind people who visit the site and I do appreciate your loyalty. I’m also sure the occasional break from my pontifications must be like the relief of rain in the desert for some of you…so lets jump right in.

Steve Jones

Former Sex Pistol and current Los Angeles resident and (now) online DJ Steve Jones appeared on Craig Ferguson late last night. To my pleasure I saw that his interview was already online and I’ve posted it beneath. Craig Ferguson??…yes that Craig Ferguson, if you are the UK you may well remember Ferguson for his (typically drunk) stand up comedy which was really good and quite popular back in the 80′s and early 90′s. Craig has appeared on sit-coms in the US (and a few films) but started hosting a late night chat show in 2007 which is slowly and surely gaining quite a small foothold and some loyal fans in its late night slot. Ferguson does a good job, far less scripted than some of his US counterparts he still lets things run very loose and his monologues tend to run all over the place. He’s also a good host never seeming to fawn over stars as much as try and get them to relax and have a good laugh. He loves music and often has some great guests on the show.

Anyway…Steve Jones. See the video below but the chat was short but enjoyable. If you’re in Los Angeles or know your way around the web you may well have happened upon ‘Jonesy’s Jukebox’ which is his radio show. He was on the show for the interview but also to play live with Hot Rats. Hot Rats are one half of Supergrass (best band ever from Oxford, bugger off Radiohead) and they’ve put out an album of Supergrass(ish) cover versions including the Sex Pistols EMI – which is the 2nd video beneath.

Interview with Steve Jones

Playing live with Hot Rats

A thought I’ve had but I’m not sure yet. Clash memorabilia seems to be a growing concern and of huge interest to many people. So I’m thinking of either doing a feature about rare stuff every week or two or perhaps (and maybe more enjoyable) creating a buyers/sellers board on the site. For

Not talking with the Taxman....

Clash fans and by Clash fans. Can this work….do you indeed care?

Finally and I do intend to write more about this – have you been following Billy Bragg and his argument over bonuses to Royal Bank of Scotland wankers executives? Bragg has been all over the press and radio explaining his position and being labeled an anarchist for his troubles. Good luck to you Billy, this hasn’t played out yet but I do want to revisit it later this week. You don’t see that from Wilco do you?

More soon everyone…(The Specials at Coachella?? I’m feeling 14 again…)

Chaos in Haiti

Hello World…..watching the news today with coverage of events in Haiti made 2010 lose a lot of it’s early sheen. When an impoverished island nation that wouldn’t even qualify for 3rd world status is devastated by a natural disaster of this magnitude you wonder how much the deck is stacked against this country. The tragic situation is magnified to the nth degree due to the fact the country has no reliable infrastructure. When the biggest city in Haiti is reduced to rubble in a few minutes the chaos is unimaginable. I’ve no answer to these huge obstacles but if you can spare the price of a pint of beer to help someone who is living on the streets tonight try visiting the Red Cross or Oxfam and making a small donation. Failing that just send some hope. Bottled water over the next few weeks will be like gold in Port-Au-Prince…so help buy some gold if you can spare some change.

The plight of Central America and the Caribbean are too often the forgotten children of the Western Hemisphere – If you visit the blog often enough you probably know where I stand….it’s time for some Washington Bullets but this time they will come in the form of aid.

So from Haiti to another small island, but this one is extremely different. Anglesey – that little nub on the Northwest coast of Wales, most famous for the overnight ferry from Holyhead to Dublin (oh I’ve made that voyage many many times) but nearby a town is hosting something quite different this week. At the bridge to Anglesey from the mainland of Wales sits the town of Bangor (yes…the one in Maine should be named

Jamie Reid artwork

New Bangor) and in Bangor resides the Gwynedd Museum & Art Gallery. The reason I’m writing about a small gallery in a small town in Wales is that a new exhibition at the gallery is a rare opportunity to see Gerrion Jones’ private collection of images by Jamie Reid and others that highlight how punk has evolved since 1976, to create Punk Forever. The exhibition runs from Jan 16- Feb 20 and the link provides lots of extra information. Just know that when the work of Jamie Reid (the creator of so much of the Sex Pistols memorable artwork), Billy Childish and James Cauty is featured its a rare and special collection indeed. If you hold an interest in underground and pop art plus the punk movement  overall then this will be something special. The exhibition is being staged by Gerrion Jones and I’ve sent an email seeing where else the exhibition is scheduled to appear this year as I realise few of you live near Bangor. Call (01248) 353368 for more information.

Better day tomorrow eh?