The Clash is an apt name for a band full of clashes and contradictions. Terry Chimes  (Tory Crimes) was their first drummer who left after disagreements with the politics of The Clash hence their name checking him as Tory Crimes on the back of their first album. This was forgotten though later on  because when Topper Headon left Terry came back as drummer to a nice little earner.

"Punk died the day The Clash signed to CBS" shouted Mark Perry. Originally to sign to Polydor, the Clash signed for a hefty sum and rush released their first album.  Sell out ?? Well what were they supposed to do? They wanted to sell records and they wouldn't have sold many on Albatross records. Rumour has it that gradually becoming disenchanted with CBS the Clash planned a double and triple to get them out of their contract only to find that triples and doubles count as one !

So Bored With The USA ... Didn't turn out like that. Success over there meant they virtually moved over there taking in the local musicians and scene and re-interpreting it and using it to sell records here.

"The Clash are into specifics...If we are going to use emblems they should be nearer the mark...we don't think the swastika means anything relevant to us." Bernie Rhodes on banning Siouxsie from using their equipment at the 100 Club because she was wearing a swastika 1976. Above - Paul Simenon poses for Sounds 1978 in Nazi uniform.

Che Guevaras? Guns Of Brixtons? Nah shooting pigeons, stealing pillowcases and fighting the law!

Police brutality? street cred ?? Its noticeable that members of The Clash were arrested twice. Once for stealing pillowcases and once for shooting at pigeons with an air rifle immortalised in the song Guns On The Roof. Hardly militant rebellion.

Was the political stance of our heroes bona fide? Their words in their film Rude Boy makes them come across as slightly less thick than a brick and some of the comments they made were so crass its unbelievable. Posing by the barricades in Northern Ireland. What was all that about for our urban heroes?

Posing in Northern Ireland Oct '77

I've taken the piss a bit out of The Clash if only to prove they were human, fallible, gullible and just another rock'n'roll band. 'We're Crass not clash' sang Crass but they were all just rock'n'roll. The Clash rose above it all and became part of the very myth of rock'n'roll.

The Clash were fucking fantastic. Period!