Clash Trainer

the company i work for, recently were asked to curate a fanzine for UK Punk high flyers The Clash. I was asked to write a passage and send it over to the board at converse, i sent my initial draft to my boss and he without checking it over sent it straight on to them. I went on tour and have arrived at work today, and realised we have been sacked from the project, here was my input into the fanzine.



"My argument on the clash is, that the clash is relevant to our generation in the way that we were brought up listening to this by our parents and often enough our balding secondary school teachers who were there and witnessed first hand the effect they had and can tell you in great great detail what a profound influence they had on them and how ‘music would be nothing without them’. But with that strong well supported preached opinion, comes the burden of something being over played, over appreciated and for me in particular over looked. Like the Beatles and the stones I was told I had to like them, I’ve seen the aftermath of stupid old bastards singing the same shit over and over being honored left right and centre, a snorted dad and a baker street shop, that I got into the pretty things and the Fall and went in search for something I hadn’t heard before. In a time when we are exposed to catalogues of music on the click of a button, we’re always trying to discover more, so when something is shoved down your throat you immediately feel repulsed by the subject and you go looking for what is not directly in front of your eyes and the clash were one of those things unfortunately. In my opinion you have to develop a unique connection with a band of undoubted influence and prestige so that appreciation of a band goes past who their fans are and goes past the 50,000 x 50,000 mile queue that follows close behind and really listen to the music in a way it was intended to be heard. Like Elvis and The Fall both said 50,000 Elvis/Fall fans can’t be wrong. So what’s the point of arguing with that? You either like it or you’ve just been preached to and not lovingly introduced to for so long you forgot they existed. Preached to about a god you may have liked given half the chance. I like the clash but big fucking deal. Love the unloved and find the unfound, the fact there is a trainer being made about them and not fucking Miles Davis or the fall says it all. The clash do not epitomize for me and a lot of my generation the feeling of youth and rebellion, they epitomize our mums and dads youth and a rebellion against an England which works and exists in a very different way now. Punk rock no longer is the sound of rebellion but an amazing look back into what music and England has gone through in the past 40 years. This is our white riot only more like a generational version, we want a riot of our own, but how can we do that when we’re wearing shoes plastered with the idea and a concept of a band we don’t understand. Put these trainers on your mantle piece or buy them for your kids, buy into something that has no fucking relevance to the band you love."

This is good though...