I have to confess a certain degree of reverence for U2. It might be their longevity, it might be their commitment to some causes for which I share some affinity, it might be the fact that they evolved so much to avoid being locked into formulaic records. Mostly I think it’s been their honesty to admit their inspiration for forming a band and taking a stance -- which inevitably has often included the words Clash or Punk Rock.

With that in mind it’s cool to see them include a little bit of Rock The Casbah  within the bridge of Sunday Bloody Sunday during their current tour. See live video below for a the song from Friday night in Dublin. It’s subtle but still a nice nod to the Clash. As for that multi-paneled video screen above the stage….bloody hell.

More significant than that is that Bono and The Edge have very much been ready to be stand up and be counted and confess the significance of seeing The Clash when they were just starting out. This wasn’t just after the loss of Joe Strummer but beforehand also. The introduction by  The  Edge at the Rock and Roll hall of fame induction was also something I found to be sincere. In other interviews it was clear no Clash equated to no U2….I think they meant that.

Also worth linking are these, an interview in ’95 when Bono talks a lot about Punk and The Clash. Plus this piece in The Independent where again The Clash are referenced as a starting point for being politically charged.

I guess I’ve always liked my bands to sing more than love songs, and if your politics piss some people off then so be it. At the same time you’re going to show naivety when you write about politics in your 20′s -- certainly The Clash were at times idealistic one moment and then dreadfully vague the next. Incorporating politics into your musical agenda is a risky proposition, but better to do it and be wrong once in a while than to sing about Love Cats and Girls just wanting to have fun. By the way, Echo and The Bunnymen were miles better at morphing into covering other songs in midstream.

The Clash was the greatest rock band. They wrote the rule book for U2.       — Bono

Anyway -- cheers to u2 for keeping The Clash alive in your words and actions.

Tim