JOE STRUMMER
WORDS
AND PHOTO
BY ANDY HARRIS
Yeah, so, anyhow, I found out about a month ago that Joe Strummer (of
the Clash, silly!) and his new band were going to be playing in Hollywood
soon. Instantly I was faced with that old rocker dilemma. You know, the
way it's always a bit questionable as to whether old punk or heavy metal
superstars will still be able to deliver the goods with their new bands.
Should I shell out the dough for this show and run the risk of being
bored to death by two hours of lame-o new songs with one
lousy Clash tune thrown in for sentimental value? Or should I
just stay home, get some beer, and listen to all my Clash records
really loud, dreaming of what it must have been like to be there
back in '77?
Well, had not been for a couple of free passes that
somehow weaseled their way into my life, I would have
missed out on a pretty damn good show. Tickets were 25
bucks, way too rich for my thin blood, but getting in free
changed the whole scenario. Now the show could suck and
it would be no real loss, and with two passes, I could take
somebody along. Splendid.
So I went to the show. And by the end of the night it became
very evident that Strummer knows what side his bread's but-
tered on. I say this because while he and his band, the Mescaleros
(and yes, all band members are at least 20 years his junior), have
a brand new disc out called Rock Art and the X-Ray Style, very lit-
tle of this material was performed that night. Instead, during most
of the nearly two-hour-long set, he and the band played, you
guessed it, Clash songs-lots and lots of 'em. And while Strummer
may have added more than a few pounds to his once lanky frame,
he most definitely hasn't lost his trademark voice. The band was
good too, bordering on incredible. Nevermind the fact that they all
looked like extras from the movie Trainspotting-if you closed
your eyes, it was not hard to fantasize that yes, the original Clash
members were up there on stage with Joe, kicking out tune after
rocking tune. "White Man in Hammersmith
Palais," "I Fought the Law," "London
Calling," "Pressure Drop," "Career
Opportunities" the list goes on and on.
Indeed, it seems that Strummer knew
the crowd was there to hear old Clash
songs, and accordingly he kept the
new shit to a minimum. It's a good
thing, too, because I heard that new
disc the other day, and while I'm not
one to discourage musicians from
maturing in their style as they get
older, I'd have to say that Strummer's
gotten a little too new-age for my taste. Too
many chimes and wacky percussion instru-
ments and not enough meat and potatoes,
you know what I mean? So, without further
ado, the final grades for Joe Strummer
wind up something like this:
Live Performance: A (as in ass-kicking)
Quality of New Disc: B (as in boring)
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