Ooh Ooh Ooh, Complete CLASH POLL (that's a laugh) - ILX Artist Poll #41 (?) - Voting Ends July 9th at Midnight (EST)

Found this piece on Topper from a few years ago:
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/i-forgive-you-the-clashs-drummer-topper-headon-makes-peace-with-the-man-who-sacked-him-1717627.html

Months after being in one of the world's biggest rock'n'roll bands, Headon was living in a freezing, windowless squat in Fulham, while The Clash were performing stadium shows in the US in support of the single "Rock the Casbah", a song largely written by Headon and on which he played drums, bass and piano. He made various attempts to continue his musical career. His friendship with Pete Townshend nearly landed him the job of drumming for The Who. At the time, The Clash were supporting the British supergroup at Shea Stadium and Headon admits he would have relished playing for the headlining band, lording it over The Clash.

I love 'Clash City Rockers', best bit is the sarcastic "YEAH YEAH" before the guitar solo.

The Topper story is pretty brutal, but I love him sitting up all night with Bo Diddley, doing coke and watching porn.

I was pretty surprised to read that he didn't kick his addiction until the early 00s; I thought he'd kicked it by '99 at the very latest (as he seems to allude to in WttW).

The Who thing, though, I dunno. On the '82 tour they didn't bring their regular (heavy-drinking) keyboardist because Townshend was drying out. I can't imagine Pete, who had also just kicked heroin, would willingly/knowingly bring a heroin addict/cokehead on tour.

Jeez, that Topper piece. So many black laughs though:

By 1989, when the mini-cabbing work became too much for him, he had taken to the London Underground, busking with a set of bongos. "Every hundred people who passed, there'd be one who'd stop and ask, 'Are you Topper Headon from The Clash?'" He shrugs, "I'd have to say, 'Yeah, this is what I do now.' It was so humiliating."

:/

It was so weird to learn about his addiction/firing (which I didn't know anything about until I saw WttW), because I'd assumed that he was some kind of health/fitness nut (pretty much just based on his workout scene in Rude Boy).

I love 'Clash City Rockers', best bit is the sarcastic "YEAH YEAH" before the guitar solo.

― Gavin, Leeds, Wednesday, July 10, 2013 10:10 AM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Such a Mott The Hoople* moment...

*Who also certainly taught Strummer & co. a thing or two about self-mythologizing.

Jones was big on Mott if i recall correctly

hell, everyone should be big on Mott

otm

GODDAMMIT I FORGOT TO VOTE FOR LISTEN. Entire poll is therefore invalid.

re: mott/clash connection

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Stevens

Guy Stevens produced Brain Capers which is essential listening for ny Mott fan.

love the clash but let's not pretend they weren't deeply corny or awash in bullshit mythology

Well, what are we talking about here? The politics? Because if the politics fail, that's one thing, but I don't blame the mythology.

Ok everyone. Because of some extra work stuff + impromptu family/friends visiting over the next few days, I don't think I can roll out the results in a way that would be Britisher-time-friendly, so I propose I wait until Monday. I've got the results, and I'm pretty sure that anyone who wanted to vote in this has already voted (42 ballots!), but I'm fine with leaving it open for stragglers until Friday night, unless anyone has objections and would feel aggrieved that they rushed their ballot because of the Tuesday night deadline.

If any of that seriously fucks anyone off, then I can try to alter it and maybe roll it out quickly this week.

I'm fine with waiting, I had a six-hour Clash frenzy last night so a few days away is maybe a decent idea

Cool with me, too

Monday's cool.

NO RIGHT NOW!

Bummed, but will watch recent videos of Topper playing well and looking healthy to cheer myself up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEG_B4iBmvI

WHEN THEY HOLD UP YOUR CLASH POLL, HOW YOU GONNA COME?

You grow up and you calm down, and you start putting off Clash polls til next week.

tbqh i had no idea there was any notion rollout would start before monday but any excuse for a riot imo

it's proven by research, that he that delays rollouts will later .. Um, oh bol

bobby said he'd roll out no wait that's the springsteen poll

I'm so bored with the poll delay
I'm so bored with the poll delay
But what can I do?

they just systematically ruined everything in ways I didn't even think were possible.

(who even plays on CTC? I think Vince White, Paul Simonon and Pete Howard are all AWOL).

as I said upthread, it was made by Bernie from Joe demos after Joe walked. Norman Watt-Roy was brought in to do basslines.

Well I've been waiting for your Clash Poll/The one that never came/like a man about to burst/I was dying of thirst

I was pretty surprised to read that he didn't kick his addiction until the early 00s; I thought he'd kicked it by '99 at the very latest (as he seems to allude to in WttW).

Mick and Joe paid for him to rehab at least twice in the 90s, and I'm sure there were times when he was clean to his mind at that moment

Topper talks about this fairly touchingly in the Viva Joe Strummer doc -- the last time he saw Joe he was off heroin but still drinking, and Joe asked what was in his cup and it was beer "and my one regret today is that I couldn't honestly say Coke or water or something."

Voting has now officially ended. Countdown begins Monday. Top 60.

WOOOOOO

(Hands up for Hollywood)

HOORAY!

yay

can't wait for this

weeeeeeeeeee

This is a CLASH POLL service announcement...WITH RESULTS!!!!!! ILX Artist Poll #41