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.
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