Joe Walks Into the Light

Just a quick follow up.

Remember on this post wherein I said I’d recently spotted yet another notable photo snapped within the long-defunct tunnel of light at 127 John Street, but couldn’t put my hand to it? Well, I found it.

This is, of course, the late, great Joe Strummer. Someone posted this back in December, upon the fifteenth anniversary of the man’s passing, and I set it to one side, so to speak. Regrettably, I have no idea who took this photo, nor do I have a date. That said, being that he’s sporting red hair and wearing the same t-shirt he’s seen in on the back cover of the roundly maligned Cut the Crap, I’m going to assume this photo was taken at some point in or around 1985.

The footage below is not from the Cut the Crap days. I’m not positive that the Crap-era line-up (sorry) ever made it to New York City. The footage below comes from a more definitive iteration of the band (fleshed out with Mick Jones and drummer Topper Headon) during their fabled residency at Bond’s Casino circa 1981.

Trivial side note: During the Clash's legendary run at Bond's, one of their opening bands was local proto-hardcore ensemble and Flaming Pablum favorites, KRAUT. I believe it may have actually been one of their very first gigs. As it happens, KRAUT also had their pic taken in the tunnel of light at 127 John Street. They liked it so much, they slapped it on the cover of their "complete studio recordings" compilation (although, if I'm being pedantic, that collection is not at all "complete," in that it fails to include their bluntly prurient b-side, "Matinee.") So yeah, go know.

ADDENDUM: Our friend Chung Wong cleared up one mystery. The photo in question of Joe was snapped by none other than the great Bob Gruen. Find it here. And, I was right -- it was in 1985. Gold star for me. 

Comments

[Chung Wong]

The Joe Strummer photo at 127 John is by Bob Gruen from 1985 http://www.bobgruen.com/joe-strummer/

[David George]

Thanks for posting this.

The photo is at the start of what I consider Joe's "wilderness years" (post-The Clash, pre-Mescaleros). {Sorry, that CTC iteration must not be confused with the real lineup. It's sort of like calling the Blackie Lawless version of The New York Dolls "The New York Dolls."}

I saw 10 of the Bonds shows, which felt like a full-time job (which I did not have at the time). I convinced 5 people who didn't know or care about The Clash to wait on line with me for tickets on May 1, 1981 (which was my birthday).

It's likely I saw Kraut; for my money the most memorable opener at those shows was the Bush Tetras. The Bonds stint was the most memorable month of my life.