Wow … It’s rare to run into people who went to those shows. I will most certainly stop by … seeing I’m living in Asbury again at 6th & Main.

Being self employed … I have plenty of time. See you soon.

Joe Strummer is my biggest idol. Hell, I even refer to him as my God at times! He has taught me many, many valuable life lessons. He’s taught me to not give up- that if I want something, or if I want to be someone, I’m going to have to work damn well hard for it. Many times he’s shaken me up, told me ‘stop complaining, snap out of it, it’s not as bad as you think’ or ‘stop being pathetic and DO something about it’. Not only do I have the biggest respect for him as a person, I respect him as a Musician. I love the fact that Joe, Mick, Paul and Topper didn’t get too power hungry, they remembered what it was like to be at the very bottom of the foodchain, and they respected their fans, they honoured them. I always think of The Clash as one of the most genuine punk bands ever to be formed. They were so beautifully pure, beautiful in a dirty, rough and honest way. Yes, they were one of the most well known bands from the Punk generation and each time they went up on that stage, they had the guts to say ‘hey, here’s the problem, I don’t like it, so fuck you!’. Songs such as Career Opportunities and This Is England and White Riot are just a few perfect examples of what I just stated above.

All in all, The Clash are definatly my favourite band. I have never had the pleasure of meeting any of the band members unfortunatly, but I still have high hopes of seeing Mick and Paul next time Gorillaz come to Perth. Joe has definatly had the biggest impact on me, he is the most inspirantional role model I have had and will ever have, and I hope to have his brilliant words tattooed on me someday; ‘The Future Is Unwritten’ and ‘Go easy, Step lightly, Stay Free’.
Thank you Joe, for saving my life and teaching me how to live it the right way.

Yours sincerely, Sophia Golovanevskaya.

s_phere@hotmail.com

Last year I was fortunate enough to see Paul perform on stage twice, and I’ll admit I was a bit watery-eyed the first time. His stage presence is phenomenal, still as lively and as passionate as it was during The Clash years. I also got the chance to briefly meet Mick this December outside the Scala, just before his London gig of the Justice Tonight tour. Despite horrible weather conditions, and him being in a rush to head into the venue, he took the time to meet me; he was lovely. Since then I can’t help creeping a smile onto my face every time I hear his voice on a Clash tune, it always takes me back to that December night.

People often ask me what my favourite Clas song is. To be honest, I find trouble in choosing a favourite album, let alone a favourite track. When push comes to shove, I’d say one song in particular that really gets me going is (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais. I love that it’s got a bit of a reggae undertone to it, and the version on From Here to Eternity is impeccable. In terms of lyrics, however, I’d say this verse from Death or Glory is pretty hard to beat: “‘N’ every gimmick hungry yob diggin’ for some rock’n'roll grabs the mic to tell us he’ll die before he’s sold, but I believe in this and it’s tested by research: he who fucks nuns will later join the church.” In terms of a favourite member, it’s been Joe from the start. I love the fact that he was a son of a British diplomat but chose to squat in flats than live off his parents. I love that he never asked for a hand out after his brother committed suicide in his early twenties. And I love how he made his own rules; he and Mick chose to write lyrics that were meaningful, despite social acceptance (or lack there of), and regardless of being label as a “punk” band, they never restricted themselves to a certain kind of sound – The Clash are a prime example of how punk, at its core, is an attitude. They signed a contract when they started that limited their takings, despite how much money they made on paper, and they stuck with that until the end. They weren’t hypocrites, they had something to say that they legitimately believed in, and it’s that rare honesty that has contributed to them being so popular decades after they broke up.

Hope this isn’t too much, when I get started on The Clash it’s hard to limit what I have to say. Good luck with this, it’s a brilliant idea,
Shayda.

Thanks for posting. I’d love to read your story! eMail me at ejo at go2jo.com.

I hope others will start posting and sharing their stories too.

Thanks again … Joe

Shah