http://www.nme.com/news/103809.htm I'm incredibly saddened by this news. Strummer was a very important part of my growing up. The Clash's music was like school to me, and Strummer was the professor. He taught me politics, geography, sociology, history, and of course, many styles of music. Most importantly, he taught me two major life lessons...to have an informed opinion on the things that mean something, and the act of "doing for others" is more important than "doing for self". NYC was kind of their second home, and when they played here, it was always a major event for me. The Bottom Line, one of the famed Bond Casino-Times Square shows, on Pier 84, at Convention Hall in Asbury Park...even the "Cut The Crap"-era Clash without Mick Jones rocked fiercely in an overcrowded Rutgers University gym. I don't think there was a second of a Clash show that I did not enjoy hugely. Earlier this year I got to meet Strummer for the first time. I've been fortunate enough to have been able to meet most all of the artists that have ever meant anything to me, and usually I come away from the meeting disappointed, as they usually are not as interesting as I had hoped. Strummer was quite the opposite. He was articulate, charming, funny, and he did the one thing I've never really seen a personality of his stature do...he seemed like he was really interested in what I was saying to him. He was obviously the kind of guy who really took in every bit of information that was offered to him, in hopes of learning more about everything. Against my better judgement, the fanboy in me made me ask him to sign my copy of London Calling, an album that means the world to me. Expecting him to grunt and scratch out a couple initials, he seemed thrilled that I bothered to have brought the disc with me. I guess after today's news I'll treasure that disc even more. R.I.P.
I haven't even begun to take in the enormity of this yet. What a f***** miserable way to start christmas ! I haven't been able to find out what exactly what happened other than it was a heart attack of some kind and that he died in his sleep. I'm stunned and very very sad. I can't write much more at this point.
I liked everything you said, but this is worth repeating. The closest I've ever come to meeting Joe Strummer was that great Lester Bang's article, but my sister-in-law met him once. Against her will, her brother, a concert promoter, asked her to find an all-night diner so Strummer and a couple of other guys from the Pogues and their wives-girlfriends could get a bite to eat after a show. She was expecting the worst sort of rock-star behavior (sort of what she was used too, given her brother's line of work). But she sat by Strummer the whole night, and was blown away by his intelligence and his decency... treating the waitstaff, the counter help, everyone, like human beings. It was too short, but he had a good life judging by his effect on his fans.
I remember the first time I heard the clash. I was probably around 13 or 14 (I think "London Calling" had just come out). I immidiately ran out and spray painted "The Clash" on anything that wasn't moving. I was so profoundly affected I couldn't even think of anything more sensible to do. Death or Glory Every cheap hood strikes a bargain with the world And ends up making payments on a sofa or a girl Love 'n' hate tattooed across the knuckles of his hands The hands that slap his kids around 'cause they don't understand How death or glory becomes just another story How death or glory becomes just another story 'N' every gimmick hungry yob digging gold from rock 'n' roll Grabs the mike to tell us he'll die before he's sold But i believe in this-and it's been tested by research That he who ************s nun will later join the church From every dingy basement on every dingy street I hear every dragging handclap over every dragging beat That's just the beat of time-the beat that must go on If you been trying for years-then we already heard your song Joe Strummer R.I.P.
Sad Day indeed....The Clash were one of my favorite bands of all time...I was looking forward to hearing them play again at the upcoming Rock N Roll Hall of Fame inductions....
The Clash were my favorite band, I remember I just had to see them, (I had missed the Sex Pistols and I wasn't going to let that happen again) the first chance I got I had just started college in upstate NY and I had to take an 8hr bus ride to NYC to see them at the Palladium and then back to school the next day, this was in 1979 and don't think any of my new friends at school had even heard of them, they thought I was nuts. I saw them a few times after that but my best memory is seeing them at Bonds, it was my first time in a Manhattan night club like that, what an amazing night.
Geez, this destroys me....No question the Clash were my all-time favorite band, no one else even close. All those crappy album rock 70s & early 80's bands I wasted time on in high school...after hearing "Safe European Home" & "Police & Thieves" for the 1st time, I was hooked, never could stomach another AOR band again. The Clash remains the best live show I have ever seen. This really sucks. I actually was going to pay attention to the R&R Hall of Fame induction for the 1st time, just to see the lads toghether again.
I'm shredded. I never got to see them live. But their music was the soundtrack of my youth and young adulthood. Ditto. SOME IS RICH, AND SOME IS POOR THAT'S THE WAY THE WORLD IS BUT I DON'T BELIEVE IN LYING BACK SAYlN' HOW BAD YOUR LUCK IS Godspeed Joe. And wherever you are don't take any s**t.
Sit ye down, Joe. Rest ye... Today I've lost a dear friend that I never had the chance to meet. "An' if you're in the Crown tonight Have a drink on me But go easy... step lightly... stay free..."
Me too at the Riv' in Chicago, '92-3-ish. The closest I ever came to seeing the Clash. They did White Riot and London Calling for the encores.
I've never had news regarding a musician's death affect me the way the tragic news this morning has, but then again, I was only 2 years old when John Lennon was shot. Suddenly the entire world seems a less inspiring and vital place. I feel so unfortunate to have never seen Joe play live, yet so fortunate that his life's work has affected me and so many others in such a positive way. It was just too soon for him to go, only 50 years old. "Cause years have passed and times have changed and I move any way I wanna go I'll never forget the feeling I got when I heard that you'd got home And I'll never forget the smile on my face cause I knew where you would be and if you're in the Crown tonight, have a drink on me But go easy... step lightly... stay free."
This really does suck. I can't claim to know as much about them as some of you, but they really were a great band. "Punks" who had some tunes. -Adam
I couldn't agree more with Footix' post. In 1980 I was a sophmore in high school trying to figure what the hell was going on in the world as one of favorite bands was releasing double and triple albums (which in and of itself was a rather punk rock act at the time -- who releases triple albums these days?). Spanish bombs, Washington Bullets, Rebel Waltz . . . great songs like that made me want to know more so I wasn't just parroting things I had no idea about. "Andulicia? Federico Lorca? Montgomery Clift?" So the next time I would see or hear a word like "sandinista," I paid attention. I saw them a few times and they blew me away. RIP.
I'm in junior high at my first real party, and all the guys are across the room, sharing the 3 beers they found in the fridge. Jacob something-or-other puts London Calling in the tape deck, and it's like nothing I'd ever heard before. I walked across the room to find out what it was, and broke junior high law. Spent the rest of the night listening to all his Clash tapes and talking about the band he wanted to start. Went out the next day, bought my own Clash tapes and started my own band. R.I.P.
This is just devastating. People in my office (it's a music website, mind you) are literally in tears. I can't believe it. I put on Sandinista and had to turn it off almost immediately. Joe Strummer was one of the biggest true blues of all time. One of my office mates put it best into an email to me... "The day after the needle dropped on "Clash City Rockers," I was in NYC selling all my Aerosmith and Kiss records for 50 cents apiece to buy Clash bootlegs. It wasn't a "these records aren't cool anymore" thing, it was an "it's-now-impossible-to-listen-to-these-records-and-hear-anything-but-nonsense" thing."