A Voice From The Wings: From Dingwalls To The Clash by Barry 'DJ Scratchy' Myers

Scratchy at Clerkenwell Festival August 2026 - Photo copyright Retro Man Blog

Back in September 2024 I interviewed DJ Scratchy (Barry Myers) for a special Retrosonic Podcast episode to coincide with the publication of his limited-edition photobook “Road-Eyes 20-20 Double Vision: Photo Tales with The Clash & The Mescaleros”. This was released mainly for his DJ tour of Japan and appearance at the Fuji Rock Festival and featured Japanese translations of the various comments and annotations accompanying the photos. During our chat, he mentioned he was working on his memoirs, and the good news is that finally the first volume has just been published by TangentBooks under the title “A Voice from the Wings: From Dingwalls to The Clash”. We saw Scratchy at the recent Clerkenwell Festival, where he gave an interesting talk and Q&A session about the book and it was good timing as I had just finished reading it the day before. What I must say from the start is this is not just another biography of The Clash, it’s very much Scratchy’s own unique story that takes us on a fascinating musical journey from his time in Ents and radio at Warwick University to his first professional work as a DJ at legendary London venues such as the Speakeasy, Lyceum and Dingwalls and his time on the road with The Clash.

Scratchy at The 100 Club, London - Photo copyright Retro Man Blog

His superb descriptions of the music scene at the time, the various promoters and of course, those legendary and sadly often long-since gone concert halls, are highly evocative, putting you right bang in the heart of the action. Scratchy was there at the centre of London’s Punk Rock explosion and he discusses the impact of first seeing the Ramones and his part in the band’s iconic 1977 New Years Eve show at the Rainbow in London, which resulted in the classic “It’s Alive” live album. When he DJ’d for The Clash at their 1978 Music Machine gigs, his selection caught the ear of Joe Strummer, and this resulted in the band inviting him along as their Tour DJ. Joe dubbed him ‘Scratchy’ and it’s a name that's stuck to this day. The Clash's Roadie, The Baker, called him a “sonic alchemist” which is apt, as to this day, Scratchy specialises in creating a vibe and building an atmosphere at a show rather than just playing a load of records to a room (or field) full of people or pressing the play button on a random playlist, there’s a big difference. 

Scratchy at Clerkenwell Festival - Photo copyright Retro Man Blog

I think Scratchy's selection of roots music such as Rockabilly, Reggae, Soul and raw R&B, along with the best Punk sounds of the times, surely must have had some sort of influence on the eclectic sound of The Clash’s “London Calling” album, it can’t have been a coincidence. It was this prime position as a trusted member of the Clash team that enabled him to capture so many superb candid photos, stories and memories that include his brief appearance in the Clash’s “Rude Boy” movie in the scenes filmed at the 1978 Rock Against Racism carnival in Victoria Park. Throughout the book, Scratchy keeps a discreet distance from the band, there’s no salacious gossip about the various members, and he doesn’t really go into depth about their personalities or his personal relationship with each of them. However, he doesn’t shy away from the on-the-road shenanigans, usually involving Topper, but generally speaking he is hanging out with the Baker and Clash Tour Manager, Johnny Green along with various roadies, van drivers and local promoters and often getting stuck in on the frontlines. It’s like a tour diary just from another perspective, as he discusses life on the road, the travelling, hotels and pranks that are played to alleviate the inevitable bouts of boredom. Scratchy captures this perfectly, as good as any band member or music biographer ever has. 

What also shines through is Scratchy’s enthusiasm and passion for music of all genres, he’s always seeking out what’s new and interesting in the cities he visits and he talks with glowing praise of some of the great support acts he saw along the way with The Clash, including those on his favourite bill, Bo Diddley and The Cramps. And there’s more, he touches on his own musical endeavours as bassist with The Snivelling Shits and the pages positively glow with energy and passion when he describes his travels around America and his love affair with New York. The book is dedicated to Johnny Green who of course wrote perhaps the definite Clash on the road book “A Riot of Our Own” and who inspired Scratchy to write his memoirs. He starts and closes the book with affectionate and touching eulogies to his great friend and mentor, who sadly passed away before the book was finished. I must also mention just how beautifully presented the book is and what a great job Tangent have done. There are full colour inner sleeves, a cord book-marker and it’s packed full of photos and various pages of Scratchy’s memorabilia including backstage passes, postcards, badges and reproductions of posters from various gigs that he has DJ’d at. In the back pages you can find various playlists and recommended songs to listen to while you enjoy the book. 

Scratchy at What's Cookin' London - Photo copyright Retro Man Blog

Scratchy will be releasing part two of his memoirs concentrating on his time with Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros and I’m sure the story will not end there. He is still very active with his Scratchy Sounds radio show on Totally Wired Radio and DJing for various Retro Man Blog favourites such as Oh! Gunquit, The Courettes and King Salami & The Cumberland 3. Not to mention his appearances at London’s premiere local community festivals in Somerstown and Clerkenwell every summer and regular tours of his beloved Japan. I’m sure it won’t be too long before we get news of a volume 3 of the Scratchy memoirs and I certainly look forward to that. You can order the book from all the usual retailers but can also contact Scratchy via his Scratchy Sounds website here for signed copies which come with a free postcard while stocks last.

Retrosonic Podcast · DJ Scratchy Sounds: Photo Tales with The Clash & Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros

Don’t forget to check out our thoroughly entertaining Retrosonic Podcast special episode where I chat to Scratchy about his fascinating life in music and photography – you can subscribe for free at Soundcloud, iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. All photos copyright Retroman Blog except CD cover.

Paul Gorman "London Calling: The Clash In The Capital" A New Map of the Band's London Landmarks

We went along to the Showroom Gallery to see author, music journalist and cultural commentator, Paul Gorman discussing his excellent new annotated map "London Calling: The Clash In The Capital" at a launch party hosted by the gallery owner Andrew Renton. Situated just off the Edgware Road in the heart of "Clash country", a stone's throw from the Westway, it's the perfect location for the pair to cover just a few of the 130 landmarks relating to The Clash that are featured in the map. Some of these included the nearby Joe Strummer Subway where one of Mick Jones' early Rock & Roll Public Library exhibitions was held and the DHSS office on Praed Street close to Paddington Station where Mick worked during the height of the IRA's mainland bombing campaign, a stint that inspired the line "I won't open a letter bomb for you" in the classic "Career Opportunities". Also on Praed Street was the basement where the pre-Punk London SS held auditions that saw various luminaries try their luck for a place in the line-up including Tony James, Mick, Rat Scabies, Terry Chimes and Brian James. The London SS never actually got to play a gig but the various budding musicians did go on to form bands such as The Damned, Chelsea, Generation X, The Boys and of course The Clash. There's the story of Joe Strummer in the queue to collect his dole money at the Lisson Grove Labour Exchange noticing two guys furtively looking at him. He thinks they are going to beat him up but it was just Paul Simonon and Mick Jones plucking up the courage to go and talk to Joe after seeing his band The 101'ers with the intention of inviting him to join their band. 

Paul and Andrew discussed the proliferation of abandoned and derelict buildings in the area at the time, many of which had still not been renovated after the war. This enabled students, artists and musicians to squat in these often large houses and this active scene spawned Joe's Pub Rock band The 101'ers, named after their squat at 101 Walterton Road. Joe also shared a squat with Sex Pistols roadie John Tiberi in nearby Daventry Street which now boasts an English Heritage Blue Plaque. The pair also talk about the gentrification of London, with areas such as Notting Hill which used to be run down, now only being affordable to millionaires. Some more locations included Mick's Gran's 18th floor flat in the high-rise Wilmcote House where Mick would look down from the balcony onto the lights and traffic of the Westway below. This would inspire the line "up and down the Westway, in and out the lights, what a great traffic system - it's so bright" in "London's Burning". Of course there are more iconic locations covered in the map such as the Hammersmith Palais where Joe and Don Letts attended a tension-filled Reggae all-nighter which was to lead to one of The Clash's best moments, "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais". There's the Camden Stables Market, home of the band's "rehearsal rehearsals" practice space and site of the infamous pigeon shooting escapade. Of course, there's also legendary venues such as the 100 Club on Oxford Circus and the Roxy Club on Covent Garden's Neal Street where the band made some of their earliest appearances. That's just a few of the locations covered in this superb, comprehensive round-up of London places that featured in The Clash's history. On our way back to Paddington station we made a quick stop at Paul Simonon's local, The Royal Exchange, which must boast one of the coolest pub signs around.

"London Calling: The Clash In The Capital" is designed by Scott Sugiuchi, who has also worked on album cover art for one of our favourite bands The Woggles, and comes with a postcard and London Calling stencil. It's published by Herb Lester Associates and is another addition to their fantastic collection of music-related maps that include London guides on David Bowie, Rolling Stones, Sex Pistols and Malcolm McLaren, all written by Paul Gorman. Then there are guides on The Velvet Underground and CBGB's era Punk in New York, Serge Gainsbourg in Paris and 1960's Los Angeles. You can order directly from Herb Lester here. Author Paul Gorman has written books on legendary Pop boutique Granny Takes A Trip, The Face magazine and biographies of Malcolm McLaren, Goldie, Barney Bubbles and Boy George and you can find out more information by visiting his Instagram site here.

Here's Paul Gorman discussing the map with David Hepworth and Mark Ellen for their excellent "A Word In Your Ear" Podcast.

Retrosonic Podcast with DJ Scratchy Sounds "Road-Eyes 20-20 Double Vision: Photo Tales with The Clash and Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros"

Photos: top left Bob Gruen, t/r Celeste Urreaga, bottom l/r Retro Man Blog

Retrosonic Podcast is back with very special guest Barry Myers otherwise known as DJ Scratchy Sounds discussing his excellent limited edition photobook "Road-Eyes 20-20 Double Vision: Photo Tales with The Clash and The Mescaleros". In this thoroughly entertaining episode, Scratchy discusses his early days as a tour DJ and his residency at Dingwalls Dancehall as Punk exploded in London. He explains how he got to tour with The Clash and some of the great support acts he saw along the way such as Bo Diddley and The Cramps. There's his part in some legendary gigs such as the 1978 Rock Against Racism Carnival in Victoria Park and the Ramones 1977 New Year's Eve show at the Rainbow which was to result in the blistering "It's Alive" live album. We discover his affinity with Japan and the fact that he has two volumes of his memoirs written and ready for a publisher to snap up. Then later on reconnecting again with Joe Strummer and his band The Mescaleros joining them at gigs including the Fireman's benefit show at Acton Town Hall during what would sadly turn out to be Joe's last tour.

The episode is soundtracked by songs from The Clash, Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, The Man, Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers, The Cramps, Dr. Feelgood and Ramones. You can see a video preview of the book and find out the details on how to order it at the Scratchy Sounds web-site here. You'll also find news on upcoming Scratchy Sounds live events and lots of excellent archived radio shows and podcasts. You can subscribe to Retrosonic Podcast for free at Spotify, iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, MixCloud or direct from our SoundCloud site below.

Retrosonic Podcast · DJ Scratchy Sounds: Photo Tales with The Clash & Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros

Retro Man Blog & Retrosonic Podcast's Compilations and Re-issues of 2021

Happy New Year everyone! Here's our favourite Compilations and Re-Issues of 2021.

1. Various Artists "Pop Psychédélique (The Best of French Psychedelic Pop 1964-2019)" LP featuring Fabienne Delsol, The Liminanas, L'Epee, Serge Gainsbourg, Stereolab, France Gall, Air etc.

2. The Delmonas "Hello We Love You! The Big Beat E.P.s" (Big Beat Records 10" Vinyl)

You can hear Saskia Holling talking about her excellent book "Girsville" The Story of The Delmonas & Thee Headcoatees" in our Retrosonic Podcast special episode here.

3. Joe Strummer "Assembly" LP

4. The Selecter "Too Much Pressure" (40th Anniversary Reissue LP)

5. The Courettes "Here We Are, The Courettes" (Damaged Goods Records LP)

6. Various Artists "Gary Crowley's Lost 80's Vol. 2" LP

You can hear Gary Crowley's talk and Q&A session from Sounds of The Suburbs Records about the Lost 80's compilation in our Retrosonic Podcast special episode here.

7. Various Artists "Strange Creatures - The Best of Rebels Vol. 2" (Raving Pop Blast Records LP) featuring The Fallen Leaves, The Galileo 7, The Jack Cades, Palooka 5, The Nettelles etc.

8. The Brian Jonestown Massacre & The Telescopes - "Before I Forget/Come Down My Love" (Split 10" Single on A Recordings)

9. BMX Bandits "The Janice Long Sessions E.P.s" (Precious Recordings 7" Singles)

10. Nancy Sinatra "Start Walkin' 1965-1976" LP

11. Buzzcocks "All Over You" (You Are The Cosmos Records Clear Vinyl 7" Single)

12. Various Artists "Box of Pin-Ups: The British Sounds of 1965" (Cherry Red Records CD Box Set)

13. The Stranglers "A Tribute To Dave Greenfield" (Live CD included with "Dark Matters" album)

14. Sonic Youth & The Pastels "Play The New York Dolls" (Purple Vinyl 7" Single)

15. The Charlatans "A Head Full of Ideas" LP

16. Aztec Camera "Backwards & Forwards 1984-1995" CD Box Set)

SuperSizeArt & Tunetables - SuperSize Soho Exhibition

Morgan Howell & Rob Chappelhow - Photo Retro Man Blog

It's hard to believe that it's ten years ago since I first encountered Morgan Howell's fantastic SuperSizeArt thanks to a feature in Mark Ellen and David Hepworth's much-missed Word Magazine. I did a small feature in Retro Man Blog here back in 2011 and then also reported on Morgan's exhibition at Snap Gallery Piccadilly in 2013 which you can also still check out in our archive here. Ever since then I've followed his career with interest and of course, his reputation has gone from strength-to-strength with famous musicians, radio stations and celebrities among Morgan's many happy customers. The extra special thing about Morgan's bespoke commissioned artwork is that they are not purely copies of the cover art of 45rpm singles but faithful reproductions of the actual record itself, creases, price labels, stains, rips and all. For example, if I had my very first single immortalised by Morgan it would be (rather embarrassingly) "Crazy Horses" by The Osmonds complete with my juvenile handwriting of the band's line-up scrawled in biro on the blue and gold MGM sleeve. It's these bespoke touches that make the artwork so evocative and personal. Of course there are various other options - I have a set of four small size versions of The Clash's "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" in different coloured sleeves and there have been postcards and prints available too. In the gallery I saw a guitar case which was adorned with a familiar signature so I asked Morgan about it and he explained that Johnny Marr swapped his guitar for one of his SuperSize singles. Morgan has also released a beautiful book "Morgan Howell at 45rpm" which features explanations and images of one hundred of his pieces and this is available for sale at the exhibition with Morgan more than happy to sign a copy for you. Of course, you can also order the book on-line at the SuperSizeArt web-site or all the usual on-line retailers and in all good bookshops too. I just wish I'd invested in a large SuperSizeArt 45 rpm ten years ago!

Morgan Howell of SuperSizeArt - Photo by Retro Man Blog

Rob Chappelhow of Tunetables - Photo by Retro Man Blog

Sharing the exhibition space was Rob Chappelhow from Tunetables, another great idea for music lovers who also appreciate great design. If like me, you once ditched your CD's following the resurgence of vinyl and were left with crates of the unloved discs in your loft - well you can now turn them into an artistic centrepiece which also serves equally as good as a practical storage solution. I spoke to designer Rob Chappelhow and told him that his work reminded me of the wonderful display of Joe Strummer's cassette tape collection at the "Joe Strummer 001" box-set exhibition back in 2018 - where Joe's lovingly hand-written and coloured covers were on show in a display case. They were visually stunning even before you took the time to see how Joe had individually tailor-made each cover to reflect on the content and genre of these unique compilation tapes. I was pleasantly surprised when Rob told me that was actually one of the inspirations behind the idea of Tunetables, and even more so when he took out his mobile phone to show me a folder of photos of the very same Joe Strummer cassette display. 

Joe Strummer's Tapes - Photo by Retro Man Blog

Rob Chappelhow of Tunetables - Photo by Retro Man Blog

Of course, like any like-minded music fan would do...I couldn't resist taking a good look at the CD's that were in the mightily impressive flight-case coffee table and Rob's collection was packed full of a great selection of Retro Man Blog favourites such as The Specials, The Beat, The Charlatans, The Jam, Pixies, The Smiths and - as the case holds 500 CD's - many, many more! Tunetables also have options for vinyl LP's and Cassettes and are available as classic flight-cases (designed to also satisfy your inner Roadie...) or in a wooden finish and can even be personalised with your initials and date of birth. The exhibition itself is located in a pop-up gallery at 45 Beak Street in Soho close by to Carnaby Street and the Third Man Records London store recently opened by Jack White himself, which is also well worth a visit. The exhibition runs until November 21st so there's still time to visit, enjoy the stunning artwork and design on display and of course, buy a stylish Xmas present or two.

Please click on the highlighted links below for further information.

SuperSizeArt - Official Web-site, Facebook, Instagram

Tunetables - Official Web-site, Facebook, Instagram

This Day In Music's Guide To The Clash by Malcolm Wyatt - One of the most essential and rewarding books published on The Clash so far

If I were going to be stranded on a desert island and had to take one book on The Clash with me then I would grab my copy of Malcolm Wyatt's superb new book This Day In Music’s Guide To The Clash. In fact, thinking about it, if I was going to be stranded on a desert island and had to choose between a box of matches, a machete, a how-to-build-a-raft manual, Bear Grylls or a copy of "This Day In Music" then I'd still reach for the latter any day. Don’t be put off by the slightly disappointing choice of cover photo or the title that hints at one of those lazy day-by-day chronologies of the band, as I feel they both do the content a disservice. Get past these admittedly minor gripes and you will discover one of the most essential and rewarding books published on The Clash so far. This is a masterclass in research from a fan who wanted to collate all the disparate, and often contradictory, stories about The Clash together in one place. Malcolm makes his intentions clear from the start and although there are no new interviews with surviving band members, you are constantly being surprised by some snippet of information or other. Did Robin Crocker really knock out the producer Sandy Pearlman when he tried to get backstage after a gig? Why did the band never record a John Peel session and was it true that Vince White was forced to change his name, as Paul couldn't face being in a band with someone called Greg!

Paul Simonon and my Retro Man Blog colleague, photographer Paul Slattery at the Black Market Clash opening night - Photo by Retro Man Blog

Malcolm’s writing comes into its own in the excellent retrospective reviews of each of the albums, where it is his own voice and opinions that are being heard. He writes with an infectious enthusiasm that will have you constantly putting the book down to reach for all those classic records. Personally, I can identify with Malcolm’s relationship with The Clash, as we are both just too young (how nice to be able to say that...) to have been there from the start. Our entry point was the band's second LP "Give 'em Enough Rope", which was one of the very first albums I bought with my own pocket money and, like Malcolm, I never understood the critical bashing it took. In fact when I bought the debut album shortly after being blown away by "Rope", I remember being disappointed as I thought it sounded pretty weak and tinny in comparison to the full-on power of Sandy Pearlman’s guitar heavy production. I was also especially pleased that Malcolm highlighted a small but crucial moment that left an indelible mark on me. That moment was seeing the band play “Complete Control” in the movie “Rude Boy”. The way the audience sings along almost as one with the band causes goose bumps even to this day and I must have watched it 100 times or more.

Clash memorabilia at the Joe Strummer 001 exhibition - Photo by Retro Man Blog

The book is split into different sections which cover all the bases from the pre-Clash days right up to last year’s stunning Joe Strummer 001 retrospective box set. It all kicks off with a thoroughly entertaining foreword by Damian O'Neill who gleefully recounts his experiences with The Undertones who were special guests on The Clash's Take The Fifth US tour. The book can be read cover to cover but is also a perfect reference book that you can dip into at any time. It is especially refreshing to see the healthy nod to the pre-Clash years too, in particular the importance and influence of The 101'ers. The second section “Classic Clash” takes us on the journey from the band’s formation to the bitter end and the book doesn’t ignore their often contradictory and confused politics. In hindsight, some of the self-mythologizing backfired, after all, stealing pillows from a Hotel, shooting pigeons with air rifles or trying (and failing) to set light to a car during the Notting Hill riots were not exactly going to cause the authorities any sleepless nights. Yes, Joe’s well-intentioned but naïve political statements could be contradictory but the band were inquisitive and most of all they cared so you can understand why they had such a huge impact on people’s lives.

Clash memorabilia at the Joe Strummer 001 exhibition - Photo by Retro Man Blog

The Clash’s open-minded attitude to multi-culturalism and willingness to embrace outside influences, in particular the importance of Reggae on their music is highlighted. This also leads on to an interesting feature about the legendary Rock Against Racism festival and the background to the organisation itself, inspired as it was by Eric Clapton’s mindless on-stage racist rant and the worrying rise of the National Front. The book does not shy away from the rather messy and dispiriting ending of The Clash and Malcolm isn’t afraid to tackle the much-maligned final Clash LP “Cut The Crap”, which is often airbrushed out of books and documentaries completely. The thought of Joe, the guy who wrote "Complete Control", ceding so much artistic control to Bernie Rhodes at this point in their career is baffling and somewhat depressing. With Mick sacked from the band prior to the album’s release, it seemed that Joe and Paul had just lost all enthusiasm for The Clash and I think the results were probably worthy of the airbrush treatment after all.

Joe's mix-tapes at the Joe Strummer 001 exhibition - Photo by Retro Man Blog

The later sections of the book boast an excellent in-depth look at all the post-Clash music too including Big Audio Dynamite and The Mescaleros. In the chapter “The Clash’s 50 finest” Malcolm eloquently argues the case for his 50 favourite Clash songs and I’m sure that this will cause some debate among fellow Clash fans. There is a comprehensive Discography and a Clash Timeline, which lists notable dates throughout the band’s career and beyond including birthdays, gigs, record releases and events right up to the release of last year’s “Joe Strummer 001” box set. Next up is a chapter that highlights the impressive legacy and the various bands and artists that have been influenced by The Clash over the years. Then there is a look at selected key London locations, which is handy if you want to set off on your own Clash related sightseeing tour. Through Malcolm's excellent writewyatt web site and his work for The Lancashire Post, he has interviewed many other musicians and The Clash often seem to pop up in conversation. This has enabled him to collate some fascinating first-hand tributes and stories about the band from artists such as Belinda Carlisle, Richard Jobson, Roland Gift and Peter Hook for the chapter “Still Talking about the Clash”.

Mick Jones at the Joe Strummer mural unveiling - Photo by Retro Man Blog

There’s also a selection of the best quotes from the mouths of the band themselves and from various high-profile fans. In one of the only completely new and unpublished sections of the book, Malcolm includes an original interview he conducted last year with Joe’s widow Lucinda and Clash archivist Robert Gordon McHarg. The chapter “They Also Served: Clash Conspirators” features potted biographies on all the additional musicians who played with The Clash over the years. From the more familiar early band members such as Terry Chimes and Keith Levene to the final “Cut The Crap” era line-up along with other contributors including Mikey Dread, Norman Watt-Roy, Ellen Foley and more. There’s also detailed information on the various movers and shakers behind the scenes such as the management, roadies, moviemakers and notable producers and engineers.

Clash memorabilia at The Black Market Clash exhibition - Photo by Retro Man Blog

I hope this feature gives you an idea of the depth of material crammed into This Day In Music’s Guide To The Clash, the book is bursting with as much energy and passion as The Clash themselves and I can’t say fairer than that. I am sincerely hoping that if he's not still too exhausted from all this research, Malcolm can turn his hand at a completely new subject in the near future; maybe he can tackle another of our shared passions, The Undertones for example!

Clash memorabilia at The Black Market Clash exhibition - Photo by Retro Man Blog

You can check out Malcolm's thoroughly recommended writewyatt web-site here. If you'd like a personalised, signed copy of the book at £12.00 plus £3 p&p (UK), you can send the author a private message via the WriteWyattUK page on Facebook, his writewyatt website or by email at thedayiwasthere@gmail.com. The book can also be ordered from Amazon here or from other bookstores with good taste. Damian O'Neill is still touring with The Undertones as well as playing guitar with his former That Petrol Emotion colleagues in the superb band The Everlasting Yeah and has recently released an excellent debut solo album "Refit Revise Reprise".

Joe Strummer 001 - Photos From the Recent Exhibition of Joe's Personal Archive at the Fred Perry Store Covent Garden

To celebrate the release of the stunning limited edition deluxe box set "Joe Strummer 001" the Fred Perry store in Covent Garden put on an excellent free exhibition of memorabilia which ended on October 14th. The majority of the exhibition came from Joe's own personal collection, he left an archive of over 20,000 items including lyrics, set lists and notebooks, artwork, photographs and audio recordings; as well as instruments, clothing and studio equipment and many of these have never been seen before. It was quite moving to see a couple of my Retro Man Blog colleague Paul Slattery's photos were there among the collection too. Here are a few photos from the exhibition, you can see more at the Retro Man Blog Facebook page here.

 

All photos copyright Retro Man Blog

The "Joe Strummer 001" anthology is a comprehensive pick of the best of Joe's non-Clash related material from the 101ers to The Latino Rockabilly War and The Mescaleros taking in solo various releases and collaborations with other artists such as Jimmy Cliff and Johnny Cash along the way. For more info on the various options please check out the Joe Strummer web-site here.

The Clash - Black Market Clash Pop-Up Store Opening Party

Mick Jones by Paul Slattery

Last Friday, we went along to the opening of the new Black Market Clash "Pop-Up" store on Berwick Street in Soho and were very impressed with the range of memorabilia on display. Set up with the intention to promote the brand new "Sound System" ghetto blaster box set, and yet another Greatest Hits compilation, the store avoids being a tacky record company marketing ploy by heavily involving the three surviving band members in all aspects of the design and content. So, fans are treated to a superb collection of memorabilia from the band's own personal archives, much of which has never been on display before, so it is well worth a visit for any fan of The Clash. There are a selection of photos, record sleeves and gig posters. My highlights were the famous paint splattered boiler suits, the "Combat Rock" military stage gear, Joe Strummer's typewriter and handwritten lyric sheets and set lists and his "Ignore Alien Orders" guitar. But the real jewel in the crown is Paul Simonon's smashed up bass, last seen taking a battering in Pennie Smith's iconic cover of "London Calling".

So, onto the opening night party and in attendance were Mick Jones, Paul Simonon and Topper Headon along with an impressive cast of Clash family members, friends and personalities including Johnny Green, their old road manager and author of "A Riot of Our Own", Ray Jordan, their trusty bodyguard, "Stay Free" inspiration Robin Banks, DJ Don Letts, "Rude Boy" star and DJ Ray Gange, "London Calling" cover and "The Clash: Before and After" photographer Pennie Smith, ex-Clash drummer Terry Chimes, the excellent author and music journalist Kris Needs, Gaz Mayall from Gaz's Rockin' Blues club and The Trojans, Carl Barat from The Libertines, ex-Sex Pistol Glen Matlock, Punk Poet John Cooper Clarke, "The Clash: Passion Is a Fashion" author Pat Gilbert and Joe Strummer's "Redemption Song" biographer Chris Salewicz amongst others. Then, there was  also a smattering of other celebrities such as comedian Harry Enfield, TV presenter Jonathan Ross, DJ Nick Grimshaw and actress Sadie Frost.

Paul Simonon and ex-Pistol Glen Matlock by Paul Slattery

My Retro Man Blog colleague, photographer Paul Slattery, who worked closely with The Clash, has one of his photos of the band in Paris on display and one on the cover of the reprint of the "Armagideon Times" magazine included in the "Sound System" box-set. He has also kindly contributed some of his photos of the opening night party along with some rare shots of the band in their prime. Paul Slattery explains: "Here's Paul Simonon and "Pressure" at the Orpheum Boston 19/09/79. Probably one of the last photos of it being played, as two days later it was smashed by Paul at The Palladium in New York, and the ensuing image taken by Pennie Smith was immortalised on the front cover of "London Calling"."

And here's the smashed up bass on display...

 

Here's Joe's "Ignore Alien Orders" 1966 Fender Telecaster guitar on display.



"Joe and "Ignore Alien Orders" at the Roxy Harlesden on 25/10/78. Joe's favourite guitar".

Here are some more of Paul Slattery's excellent photos from the opening night.

The Black Market Clash Store

Ray Jordan and Johnny Green

Memorabilia including a Paul Slattery photo from the Mogador Paris 25/09/81

Don Letts & John Cooper Clarke

Comedian Harry Enfield with Paul Simonon

Flight cases and speakers on display

Photographs above are strictly copyright Paul Slattery 2013 and cannot be reproduced or copied without prior consent. Paul Slattery has two photography books published by Omnibus Press entitled "Oasis: A Year On The Road" and "The Smiths: The Early Years". You can hear Paul talk about his early experiences as a music photographer in our Retrosonic Podcast specials, and we hope to be covering his time spent with The Clash in a future episode.

Paul Simonon with photographer Paul Slattery - Photo by Steve Worrall

The Black Market Clash Pop-Up Store can be found at 75 Berwick Street, Soho, London, it's opposite Sister Ray Records and is open Mon-Sat 12-8pm and Sundays 11am-5pm until September 22nd. It has been curated by Robert Gordon McHargh III from the Subway Gallery (Joe Strummer Underpass, Edgware Road), who previously hosted Mick Jones' superb "Rock 'n' Roll Public Library" collection, which you can read about on the Blog here.

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