Good afternoon, funny how a 3-1 away win makes the sun shine just a bit brighter. This won’t be a long post so thanks for zipping in to the blog for a quick half pint. I’ve got some overdue housecleaning and promotion to take care of for people who’ve helped make the blog what it is so let me get that done.

The Strummerville ‘Westway Round the UK tour’ kicks off in just over a weeks time so now is a good time to remind you of a chance to see 3 or 4 up and coming bands per night at a very reasonable price with proceeds helping Strummerville. Full information is over at the Strummerville site and they’ve even put together a promotional video (social media giants in the making!), you can now also purchase tickets for every gig at the site and hear sample tracks by the bands being showcased!

Strummerville UK tour video

We’ve been lucky enough to get the inside scoop from Buddy Ascott previously last Summer when he appeared on stage drumming with Mick Jones, Glen Matlock and Steve Diggle at the 100 Club. Talk about an amazing lineup, you can review his account right here on the blog. Buddy has also recently completed a time eclipsing reunion tour with The Chords and has been kind enough to write up his summary of the tour especially for the blog – so look for that in the days ahead.

Speaking of The 100 Club, moves to save it look to be more than a pipe dream a few days after the news broke about the likely demise of the famed club. A great place to keep abreast of the issue and try and help is the facebook campaign that is now more than 11,000 strong. On the same subject I regret that I must say goodbye to being a regular reader of a newspaper I once stood by through the thick and thin. I’ll still read it from time to time but on the back of showing intense dislike for Arsenal, officially endorsing the Lib Dems (perhaps crucially in that last winner free UK general election) they’ve now gone and turned on those who might like to see the 100 Club avoid closure. It pains me to say it but after reading this article,  fuck The Guardian and the fence sitting morality to which it plays off against itself and its readers.

Bootleggers listen up, I don’t usually make time to download and listen to bootlegs (I still seek an expert contributor for the blog on that front…hint hint) but I have to say give this one a go. 23 Tracks of rare edits, demos, outtakes and remixes all on one big download – and the links work! For all but the most hardcore of you there will surely be a few tracks that you’ve yet to hear – so pop on over to the Punk not Profit blog to start downloading.

Finally I confess I sometimes forget to transfer information from the ClashBlog facebook page over to the regular blog so you may already know this but wanted to make sure you all have a chance to take advantage of it. The Big Pink Clash book is currently still sitting in stock at a local bookshop for the ridiculously low price of $6.99 (US) – the original retail was about $45 and it makes for a very nice coffee table book for any Clash fan. As a Clash Blog exclusive I’m willing to purchase a copy, package and ship it you via USPS media mail if you are in the US. I’ll charge standard shipping rates and you’ll get the book within 10 days Here’s the official blurb on the book:

The unique story of the Clash, by the Clash. The Clash were a band like no other. Pioneers of British punk rock, their incendiary gigs, intelligent songwriting, definitive style and passionate idealism caught the spirit of the times and made them a worldwide phenomenon. Rolling Stone magazine declared London Calling one of the greatest albums of all time, their autobiographical documentary Westway to the World won a Grammy, and their music lives on, influencing emerging bands and exciting new audiences today.

This is the first official book to be created by the band. With unprecedented access to the Clash archive, this landmark publication brings together previously unseen material–including tour posters, artwork, and photos of the band at home, on stage, in the studio and on the road–with each member telling it like it was, in their own words.

Secure online payment available via the blog – for more information leave a comment or email me via the usual address Tim(at)theclashblog.com. The things I do for you lot! Next batch will be picked up on Friday so get in touch.

Cheers for now.

Good Evening everyone hope things are sitting pretty wherever you might be. I’ve only got a few minutes for a brief post this evening so pardon me for my curtailed update. Not much to report here personally although two quick Clash related items are worth you knowing about. Did I mention we beat Spurs 4-1 yesterday?

Today marks the last day of summer and in fact it may well be autumn whereever you are reading this, so it seems a good time with the assistance of Trish over at Strummerville to look back at her video which captures a good deal of the flavour of the Strummerville campfire at Glastonbury this past summer. The video beneath is self-explanatory and chronicles the atmosphere of the campfire and the nearby stage, I for one hope this continues for many many decades to come.

Trish from Strummerville captures the sun and fun from Glastonbury

Tymon Dogg

Speaking of Joe Strummer a key individual in his life is playing a small gig in London tomorrow night that you might not be aware of (Sep 23). I’ve been doing a lot of reading about punk and The Clash recently and for whatever reason the combination of coincidences and ‘what ifs’ keep running through my head. The moving pieces and individuals, circumstances and chance meetings that allowed Mick Jones to meet Bernie Rhodes, Joe Strummer to have played on a bill supported by the Sex Pistols and even the unlikely circumstances that led to Topper Headon becoming the drummer for the band at the second time of asking. It might be a bit redundant of me to state that things only had to be marginally different for The Clash to have never existed in the first place although I guess the same logic applies to many things in life. It’s hard to know if Joe Strummer would have had the confidence to develop as the guitarist that eventually could bluff his way through the most rudimentary chords with the 101′ers if he had not befriended Tymon Dogg in their shared flat in North London in 1971. Dogg by that time was already an accomplished musician and he used to bring Joe along with him on his busking sessions in the pedestrian tunnels that led to station platforms at various central London tube stations. Joe apparently was there ostensibly to collect coins but also was armed with a ukulele and learned enough basic chords from Tymon to eventually busk on his own. Although many years passed before Joe became the front man for the 101′ers and eventually The Clash it may well have been the friendship with Tymon Dogg that began the journey itself. As you’re aware the old friendship was maintained over the years with Tymon recording with The Clash on Lose This Skin from Sandinista! Many years later the journey seemed to come full circle when Dogg became a full-time member of The Mescaleros with his old friend towards the very end of Joe’s life.

Tymon remained actively involved in music and is playing tomorrow evening at the Slaughtered Lamb pub right in the City of London (EC1). He will be performing with Alex Walker and Alex Thomas what looks to be soundtrack material and there will also be a book and CD signing event in conjunction with the gig. Information is below: (and here’s a map)

34-35 Great Sutton Street
Clerkenwell, London EC1 london EC1V0DX
Read more: http://events.myspace.com/External/Twitter/Event/View/7564444#ixzz10JxxqWG8

A Wave of Dreams – performance by Tymon with Alex Walker and Alex Thomas of musical soundscapes created as a ‘soundtrack to the imaginary films Louis Aragon’s eponymous text evokes in your mind’ (TD). Book-CD for sale at the event and on Amazon or www.thinmanpress.com

You can find out more about Tymon’s most recent work via his myspace page. He has a brand new album out next week – official blurb below, please make sure you listed to the song “Appearances” on his myspace page to hear his distinctive voice.

‘The Irrepressibe Tymon Dogg’ is a retrospective featuring a wide range of tracks and demonstrating the development of this extraordinary singer-songwriter, from the psycho-pop tracks penned when he was 14 in the 60s to the deeply political anthems of more recent times. Three tracks from the album are now on the playlist.

The record is available from Cherry Red, Amazon and all good record stores from 27 September 2010.

Tymon is also featured on a new book-CD from Thin Man Press. He composed five of the eight tracks on the accompanying CD. Book-CD available from Amazon, book stores and www.thinmanpress.com.

Hello again welcome back to the blog, feeling a bit more ship-shape today although I still don’t have my voice back properly although no one’s complaining about that funnily enough. I should have another post this evening but I wanted to quickly share some exciting news from Strummerville. It always warms my heart when I see the continued activity from the foundation with Joe’s name on it, this year like last has seen continued strides to sponsor new bands and facilities while simultaneously spreading the word and the work of Joe in so many different places. It’s a pleasure to bring news about Strummerville to you and they also been ever so supportive of the blog itself which is nice.

Right on the back of Joe’s birthday celebrations that were held in support of Strummerville and the Carnival events this past weekend (news to follow I hope) Strummerville have announced a tour featuring three Strummerville bands around the UK for a crazy week in October. The tour is being dubbed “Strummerville Westway round the UK” and will feature Rum Shebeen, The Supernovas and Beans on Toast. Better still unlike so many concerts this won’t cost you too much either with tickets fixed at around five quid it will make for a night out that is affordable and right at the core of what Strummerville are doing. Full details via the Strummerville site in the weeks ahead I’m sure and also on the groovy artwork I’ve enclosed – so if you are in Sheffield, Bristol, Leeds, Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle and for those living the high life in London entry is free at The Flowerpot in Kentish Town for the final night. Three bands all touring together makes it sound a bit like one of the old Motown revues or perhaps something the Sex Pistols, Richard Hell and The Clash attempted many moons ago, hopefully not as many concerts will be canceled this time round!

I will be back a bit later with new words from Don Letts and some other stuff. Thanks for dropping in – Tim.

The Supernovas – City of Smoke