Westway to the world. "London Calling"
London, Victoria Park, April 30th 1978, Rock Against Racism, surely a milestone in many ways, though not an easy one to make. The first RAR was, actually, very different.
It was November ’76 and happened entirely inside a pub in west London, the Princess Alice. No doubt an important event but a small one, too. A fanzine was created to mark the occasion: “Temporary Hoarding”. Beside talking about music, it took open side in favour of racial integration, encouraged initiatives and tried to bring awareness. It would soon be successful: 1977 was the year of the unstoppable rise of punk rock all over the UK with new bands coming up every day. RAR took an entirely new dimension: similar events were happening everywhere in the UK and oversees.
It was in 1978 that the punk movement started feeling a need to take things a step forward (oh, that innocent punk rock movement!) and create something which would really leave a mark y bringing down all segregation barriers; some kind of “Punk Woodstock”. The ANL (Anti Nazi League) also got involved and provided some funds. The idea was to organise a huge event in run down but culture-rich areas of London.It was a brilliant intuition: on April 3rd 1978, 100,000 people marched from Trafalgar Square through East London’s National Front ridden hotspots as far as Victoria Park to give life to the most memorable Rock Against Racism ever organised. The Clash were the lead band and the 20 minutes of “London Burning” were literally on fire.
That was the turning point. The flaming tail of the Clash comet started shining its brightest light across the Punk Rock firmament and would do so for the next 5 years. Little after one year “London Calling” cane out and nothing would ever be the same.
Saturday, December 14th, I was in London to attend the celebrations of 40th anniversary of Punk Rock’s most iconic record.
A typical metropolitan brit atmosphere welcomed me outside the museum, reminiscent of the days of Punk Rock with dark bricks and smoke grey walls oddly matching the green and pink theme of the LP’s cover. Enough to evoke the notes of “Wrong ’em boyo”, “Jimmy Jazz”, “Death or Glory”….”London Calling”.
A semi-circular mural painting full of photos, images, fragments of lyrics takes me into the museum in the wing dedicated to them, “the nel band that matters”. The atmosphere is rather different here: it seems to be inside a recording booth. It is a round area with a white circle in the centre bearing the songs of the side A in black and white.In the background a Joe Strummer in great shape announces that the “Train in Vain” is about to leave from platform 1 and “if you don’t want to come, there’s always the toilet!” (imagine someone saying the same thing at a concert nowadays). You are on a rotating LP fully immersed in the Clash universe and -while you enjoy every ticket on display, every copy book, photo, t-shirt and leather jacket, he makes his appearance himself. I remember the first time I saw the cover London Caling; I wondered who was that thug smashing his base so vigorously. and where he was. What concert. What band. Certainly an extraordinary charismatic band. An image which would prove impossible to forget. Then, I started listening to it and I never stopped. That very bass guitar is there now, resting on a velvet cushion like a relic and protected by a crystal shrine like the Sacred Shroud.
The exhibition is not just the celebration of a myth; it is also a way to bring a fundamental chapter of music history alive to experts like me and newcomers; get all Clash City Rockers aboard that vinyl for the magnificent 33 spins with Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon and Topper Headon. All of it, perfectly successful!
Londra // fino al 19 aprile 2020
The Clash: London Calling
The Museum of London
