Another great cover from The Sunday Times, from 17th July 1977. To set the scene it was Queen Elizabeth's silver jubilee year, an easy target for all things fuddy duddy by the punk elite.
In 1976 the year before this publication The Clash stomping ground of Notting Hill broke out into a summer of rioting, which two members of the band took part in. Fuelled by the event The Clash first single release was White Riot. The title of the song shocked a few even down to NME journalists, but rest assured listening to the lyrics its a unifying song, check it out.
The White Riot Clash tour was a big deal in terms of punk history, the scene already a year old was waining the kids were getting involved, The Clash were considered sell outs as they'd signed to CBS. The tour that had started in May 1977 saw support groups from new bands: The Jam, The Buzzcocks, Subway Sect and The Slits, getting real exposure for the first time across the U.K. The Jam were kicked off or left of their own accord depending on which band web-site you read. Paul Weller & Joe Strummer fell out over something daft on tour but became good mates years later.
The headliners The Clash were paid £25 per week in 1977, The Jam and the other support acts even less, with hotel telephones disconnected so they couldn’t make calls and rack up a bill. To give some idea scale on fee's The Jam signed a record contract with Polydor Records for £6K earlier in the year.
The Clash and many bands at this time customised their own clothing which is on our radar, we've recently released more one-off Anglozine styles. One thing that jumps out from this article and every article written about The Clash, Joe Strummer it seems was an absolute saint.
To be clear here, when reporter Gordon Burn writes 'modish enough' he means au courant or trendy- because it certainly isn't Mod, Mod. I'm pretty sure the kid with the denim dungarees has got electrical gaffer tape around his ankles....
