Otis,this is just getting weird now,was watching your vid to ‘Darker side of me’ and there’s an image of a star wars stormtrooper on one closed shop shutter,and some butterflies on the one next door.The Butterflies refer to the shop behind a famous hang out for waifs and strays in Manchester’s Northern Quarter,a second hand record shop,and band rehearsal room,that my band had a room in for over a decade…what ARE the chances?! Most of my record collection came from there whilst browsing in down time during ‘musical interludes’…the pub across the road ,The Castle,was our ‘local’ and also a venue…with NO rules…and I mean NONE ! Cheers,see you next month (no I’m not a stalker !)

Great story.....but then..... they're always great Otis. ✌️ 🎃

His photographs are amazing and I was happy to see a Gillian Welch her and Dave Rawlings are fantastic.

I think his Mescaleros stuff is better than the Clash

I had a black Dodge Charger that I love. It was dying so I had to trade it in. I left my Streetcore CD in the player as an offering to the Gods

Streetcore was probably my favorite record he was ever part of.

There’s another lyric: “Because all proper tea is theft”. I might could utilize that, writing credit included : ). Great background about your experience with Joe. Dig the Mescaleros. Cheers with proper tequila from Austin Texas. C

@@Claytone-Records also hung with and ‘shot’ Joe Ely/Dave Gruesome back in the day,a small Uni gig at Manchester,a phenomenal gig,so good that we drove the two hours to Birmingham(not Alabama) the night after,to watch em again ! Yes,I’m a musician too,but that didn’t work out,so I took the second choice,but they ALL beat working ! Ha,ha…don’t mess with Texas ! Cheers from Blighty.

@@joelfildes5544 Joe Ely is a rock n rolling icon and with Dave on the geetar well… them boy’s is the shit. Spent many a night in 6th street jukes drinking Shiner, doing shots and digging the band. I used to make field recordings of local bands 20+ years ago. Have put some on youtube and should put up more. I tried being a musician for awhile too, it usually ends bad or worse and I didn’t stay with it. Only playing with myself anymore : ).

@@Claytone-Records great stuff,I only dreamt of Texas from the pissing rain here,weirdly I just watched Otis’s vid of ‘the darker side of me’ and had a Twilight Zone moment.At the 45sec he shows two closed shop shutters,the one on the right is my bands old rehearsal room (Butterfly Music in Manchester)…! See above,I mentioned this to Otis,above…and sent the vid to the guy who ran it(proper hippy second hand record store)…wtf !?! I love my little ‘Vonnegution’ moments…yup,playin on my own again too,apart from playing bass in my dads country band…he’s 82,the band have been going over 60 years in one form or another,currently called …you guessed it…The Texans !…I shit you not.

@@joelfildes5544 That’s some Vonnegut moments all around, Kurt just keeps on giving. Otis gets around and will continue to do so I’m sure. But that surely is something about the connection to Butterfly Music, what are the odds? That’s is so cool that you play in your dad’s shit kicking band, The Texans from Birmingham upon Blighty. Something to be said for family tradition.

Thanks, Robert!

Yes I did. The first show, that I ever went to, in 1983, or 84, in the Astrodome, during the American leg, of the Combat Rock Tour. My cousin Tim, took me, unbeknownst to my Ma. I was a real young kid. I got in big trouble, and he got in worse. Favorite song, is tough, but "White Riot", is one

Only saw the Clash once, opening for the Who in 1982 at the cavernous Kingdome in Seattle. Somehow, the Clash made the giant venue seem like a club and may have upstaged the headliners. It's impossible to pick a favorite Strummer song, but I'll go with "London Calling." Wonderful stories and photographs.

I saw them in 1980 at the Santa Monica Civic, and again in I think 1984 at the Long Beach Arena. Both great shows, of course. Gotta say that Joe's version of Redemption Song brings the tears every time. I know it 's not strictly a "Joe Strummer song", but there are too many of "his" songs to pick one favorite. Peace.

1) Drug Stabbing Time 1a) Hateful

Back in the day they played in Vancouver B.C. I was front stage below paul Simonon, it was was the last song of the night "white riot" Paul reached from the stage and grabbed my brothers arm to pull him up on stage, I went up next and took Pauls mic and started singing the song along with Joe to my right. I remember seeing the lights reflecting off all the heads bopping up and down in the theater and hearing my voice through the PA syetem with the band, I looked over at Joe and thought Is this really happening? To top it off, the photographer for a local entertainment paper "The Georgia straight" happened to get a photo of it. The following edition of the paper I was on the front page singing with the band! Wish I had the sense back then to keep a copy.. :( An Epic memory of what was my absolute favorite band! Joe is a true mentor!

That's tremendous, Michael! : )