Everyone worth knowing knows exactly where they were when they heard Joe Strummer was dead. I know exactly where I was. I was sitting in a private room in a private hospital, trying to wank into a cup.
This probably needs some explaining.
Not everyone knows who Joe Strummer is. Or was. Joe was rock'n'roll.
He was The Clash.
For my generation, he was the man.
He sang 'White Riot' and 'Garageland' and 'London Calling' and 'Know Your Rights'. He ran the tightest, wildest, most exciting beat combo in history.
He made music important. He changed lives in a way that Spandau Ballet or The Hollies never could.
He was my Elvis, my Beatles, and he never got fat, or bland, or shot.
The world is indeed cruel. I know that more than most people. And I take refuge from that cruelty in the music of my youth.
