A tribute to Joe Strummer
20 years ago, my best mate played me The Clash. Up until that point, I had never felt so alive and in a matter of weeks had given up on what was previously turning me on and devoted my life to Rock N' Roll. I was lucky enough to be in London in 1989 and Joe Strummer was touring his first solo album "Earthquake Weather". I had virtually no money and the gig had sold out, but I thought I would chance my arm with the scalpers. I sold all of the records that I had collected in the months previous and still came up short, I handed over my watch, was in the door.

I didn't have enough money for beer and despite my best efforts failed to steal the pints off the cautious poms in the crowd. As the encore was approaching, I was checking the time to see if I could make it home on my train pass. It was a matter of catching the train and missing the encore or missing the train. Easy decision! - I later found myself in a cab bristling with adrenaline and carrying the broadest smile I had ever felt. The adrenaline was lucky as I had to jump the cab and a couple of neighbours fences before I made it home safely.

I am sure I would be among thousands that would rate THE CLASH as the greatest Rock N' Roll band of all time. They and later Joe and his mighty Mescaleros gave music that all too rare quality, HONESTY, and hey - how fucking cool was he!
Graham Ashton


When punk rock first broke, it heralded a badly needed change. A lot of popular music back then was big and dumb and no longer relevant to listeners' lives. Punk changed all that but as more of the new music got played it became dangerously close to 'meet the new boss same as the old boss'. Big and dumb was being replaced by small and dumb, that was until The Clash came along. The band's maelstrom of energy was there but so was their intelligence. The passion was focused on things that really mattered. It wasn't enough just to follow dogma any more. You had to figure out where you stood.

Their music started as protest and ended up providing freedom. When I heard Joe had passed away, I knew it didn't represent the end of an era because the changes he and his band mates had made in our lives were permanent. Because of artists like Joe Strummer, Jimi Hendrix and John Coltrane, music was no longer a hobby but an obsession and a way to transport one directly into the heart of creation.
Rob Hudson