BRAVO. "The Clash, the four nobody wants." BRAVO (German), no. 41, 29 Sept. 1977, pp. 54-55.
The Clash, the four nobody wants
— A feature on The Clash detailing their chaotic lifestyle, rehearsing in a condemned building on Camden High Street and punk violence.
— New drummer Nicky Headon replacing Tory Crimes, and recounts incidents of on-stage violence, including a festival in Belgium where they were pelted with stones and cans, costly hotel carpet incident in Birmingham that inspired the song The Prisoner, and internal band friction, notably with guitarist Mick Jones
— Their appearance on the German TV show "Musikladen" is also referenced as an example of the rejection they frequently faced.
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BRAVO magazine | #41 29.Sept.1977 | Cover & Index
BRAVO magazine
No. 41, 29 September 1977
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BRAVO magazine
Contents
Music
The Clash, the four nobody wants .... page 54-55
BRAVO magazine | #41 29 September 1977 | Page 54 & Page 55
The Clash
Joe Strummer sings, plays guitar and violin, and writes songs. Born 25 December 1956 in Istanbul.
Paul Simonon is the craziest in The Clash. The bassist was born 15 December 1956 in Brixton.
Nicky Headon only joined as drummer three months ago. He was born 30 May 1957 in Bromley.
Mick Jones is the guitarist and singer. He was born 26 June 1955 in the London district of Clapham.
On the wall of the house, a sign: “Caution! Danger — loose roof tiles!” On the front door, in red paint, the warning: “Enter at your own risk!” In the basement, a door hangs askew on its hinges, secured by a large padlock. Inside, two bare lightbulbs burn. This is what the rehearsal room of one of the best-known London punk bands looks like — a group that has now also become a name in Germany. The Clash rehearse in a dilapidated house on Camden High Street that is soon to be demolished.
“We really shouldn’t be living here. But we don’t have to pay any rent, because we can’t afford it at the moment,” says bassist Paul Simonon. But to visitors’ surprise, the wreck is carpeted in red. Why?
“That thing cost us almost 4,000 marks and three nights in jail — four months ago in Birmingham,” groans Simonon. “The carpet used to be in the Royal Angus Hotel. Allegedly we stubbed out cigarette butts on it and ruined it. When we were about to leave, the hotel manager presented us with the bill. Of course, we couldn’t pay. The police were called. Only when our record company posted bail were we allowed to go. Now we have it here as a trophy. If you want, you can buy some of it from us. There’s still a whole roll in the corner,” laughs Paul.
The trip to Birmingham cost The Clash not only the carpet but also a man: Tory Crimes left the band after returning. “The constant chaos around us was too much for him,” says guitarist Joe Strummer. Tory’s successor was Nicky Headon. He’s been drumming with The Clash for three months now, but he has already had his first painful experiences.
“It was in Belgium at an open-air festival. We played our hearts out, but the audience sat there like a waxworks. Joe jumped off the stage with his guitar, ran into the crowd, tried to stir them up. But they suddenly started aiming cola cans at him. Others picked up stones. I was hit in the neck by one. Guitarist Mick Jones was injured in the leg. But we kept going. If you want to chase us off stage, you’ll have to roll out heavier artillery.”
However, The Clash are not always entirely innocent in the trouble. “It’s true: we enjoy it when other people get worked up about us. We didn’t call ourselves The Clash (collision) for nothing. Even within the band, there are occasional clashes. Especially with Mick Jones. His first answer to everything is always no — and then he does it anyway,” says Joe Strummer.
“But that doesn’t bother us anymore,” says Nicky. “Sometimes he trips himself up that way. Last week we had to go to Brighton. Everyone was on time except Mick. So we left, and he had to hitchhike.”
“That was my luck. You lot had to get your hands dirty repairing the band bus on the way, while I arrived in Brighton comfortably and an hour before you,” replies Mick. But for The Clash, all these experiences come in handy. “We just turn them into songs. The Prisoner tells of our adventures in Birmingham. Plus, we never get bored. It’s worth going through all that just for the stories.”
Everywhere they perform, they meet rejection. It was the same in TV’s “Musikladen”.
“Noise” (din) is written on Joe Strummer’s guitar
Joe Strummer collects guitars
BRAVO magazine | #41 29.Sept.1977
ALTERNATE:
The Clash, Bravo, 29 September 1977
The four that nobody wants
CLASH
Wherever they appear, they meet rejection. That was the case on TV, in music shops, and in clubs.
In the houses and schools, posters were torn down. On doors hung warning signs: “Danger! Locker opened!” At the entrances: “Warning! Entering at your own risk!” In cellars and halls, curtains were torn down, windows smashed, and naked light bulbs hung from the ceiling. That is how their rehearsal rooms looked.
In the beginning they were often thrown out. In Germany, a “music shop” in Bremen refused to let them play because they would not perform using playback. But they kept going.
Joe Strummer had already caused trouble before. As a street musician and singer he had played everywhere. Nicky Headon spent months sleeping rough. Paul Simonon lived from odd jobs. Mick Jones came from London, grew up there, and knew the streets.
They played an open-air festival and poured their anger into the crowd. Bottles flew, chairs broke, and guitars smashed. Someone was hit in the throat. Clash were declared enemies.
But they were not simply destructive. Their anger had a reason. They sang about unemployment, violence, boredom, and fear. They shouted what many felt but did not dare to say.
Night after night they stood on stage and pushed everything to the limit. Their songs were short, loud, and aggressive. Their look was deliberate: torn clothes, safety pins, boots.
They did not want to be stars. They wanted to be heard.
JOE STRUMMER
sings, plays guitar, and writes the songs.
Born 21 August 1952 in Ankara.
PAUL SIMONON
is the most reserved of the band.
The bass player was born 15 December 1955 in London.
NICKY HEADON
plays the drums.
Born 30 May 1957 in Bromley.
MICK JONES
is the guitarist and songwriter.
Born 26 June 1955 in London, grew up in Clapham.
BRAVO
Cick to expand, just about readable.
