Original subtitles

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Vote for John Chase, your Socialist Unity candidate

in the Lambeth Central by-election this Thursday.

You people over there,

or should I call you people, "slash", scum.

You are nothing but the dirty lot of scum who are trying to force upon our children,

a multi-racial society.

Well, we don't want children

like Kent Gordon, who is an half-caste and a half Jew!

You're nothing but filth, scum, and you're not to be fit to be on this side.

We will. With you lot, we will keep the power.

You should go back with your so called, "black dramas."

'Cause we don't want you in our stalls,

we don't even want your workhorse feet.

You're not fit. You're rubbish.

You're scum. You're insulting.

On behalf of the YNS secretariat, to apologize to the local residents

for any inconvenience we've caused, to apologize to the police,

for bringing them out on a cold morning, and to thank the police very much for being here, as always.

I think we need three cheers for the people, actually.

Smash the National Front! The National Front is a Nazi front.

Smash the National Front! The National Front is a Nazi front.

Smash the National Front! The National Front is a Nazi front.

Smash the National Front! The National Front is a Nazi front.

Is there anything special that you're looking for at all, mate?

Yeah, can you tell me what's in that one?

It's just good leather domination, female dom.

- It's quite good. - Can I have a look at it?

I'm afraid we can't open them. We have to have them sealed up, for the police.

Otherwise, we'd get arrested, but it's very good leather domination, though.

Have you got anything stronger?

- Yeah, I've got some strong magazines. - Black? Black women.

Black. I think so. Hang on a second.

Yeah, this one.

See what you think of that.

- How much is that one? - They're five pounds each.

How much for the two, that one as well?

Uh, I'll do you two for seven pounds. Sure.

- Okay. - Yeah?

Do you want a bag to put them them or something?

No, it's all right. I'll put them in my case.

Here you go. Thanks very much.

73, Hereford Towers, Loughborogh Road, Brixton, SW9.

- Age? - Twenty.

- Date of Birth? - 17/5/58.

- Where have you been then? - I've just been out.

- Where's "out"? - Just to a club, you know?

- Queer's club? - Queer's club, no darling.

- Get lippy with me. - Get lippy with you?

Well, don't get lippy with me.

Fucking get lippy. You make me laugh, you guys.

I'll fucking knick you anytime I like, all right?

You'll fucking knick me? You get a badge, you assholes,

you think you're "Jack of the land."

Just fuckin' keep your voice down, all right?

Leave me alone. I'm trying to get home, you give me all this fucking hassle.

I can give you any fucking hassle I like, all right?

Don't make me laugh, you jumped up little fucking creeps.

You're drunk. Get in the fucking car.

I'm not fucking drunk!

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All right, mate? What did you get?

- Drunk and disorderly. A fiver. - Where you going?

Going down the pub, I think. Do you want to drink?

- Yeah, why not? - Get you one.

Might as well celebrate, innit? Freedom.

I haven't seen them since the last Clash gig, I think.

Fuckin' laugh though, weren't it?

Yeah, it was all right.

- Bit of an haircut you've had. - Yeah, don't worry about it.

- Skinheads now is it? - Yeah.

- Bet the hair get cold and all. - Don't be funny, you piss-taking cunt.

Is that your parting?

- What about it? - It's a bit funny...

Did you vote in the morning?

All national contenders move along the pavement, please.

Along the Pavement.

They're chucking bricks. Watch out.

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* Police and thieves in the streets, oh yeah *

* Scaring the nation with their guns and ammunition *

* Police and thieves in the street, oh yeah *

* Scaring the nation with their guns and ammunition *

* From genesis to revelation

* The next generation will be, hear me *

* From genesis to revelation

* The next generation will be, hear me *

* And all the crowd walk in in, day by day *

* No one stop it in anyway

* All the peacekeeper, turn war officer *

* Hear what I say

* Police, police, police and thieves, oh yeah *

* Police, police, police and thieves, oh yeah *

* From genesis to revelation

* I'm scaring, oh yeah

* Now, all the crowd walk in, day by day *

* You still trying to stop it in anyway *

* All the peacemaker, turn war officer *

* Hear what I say

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* Find your way now, take the pledge *

* You have come around, whatever you said *

* But did you try to argue the only way to be? *

* I am your commanding officer

* "It's you, Sir"

* Sniffin around

* Oh, yeah

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Here I go.

Here goes the love!

* Look out. Look out

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Can you pull the trigger like you can widen your fingers?

Say, a trigger, you know, any day.

* Cold, cold, steel

* Cold, cold, cold, steel

* It's a cold, cold, cold, cold, cold steel *

* Cold, cold steel

* Cold steel

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* Police and thieves in the streets *

* Oh yeah

* Fighting the nation with their guns and ammunition *

* Police and thieves in the streets *

* They offered me the office, offered me the shop *

* They said I'd better take anything they'd got *

* Do you wanna make tea at the BBC? *

* Do you wanna be, do you really wanna be a cop? *

* Career opportunities are the ones that never knock *

* Every job they offer you is to keep you out the dock *

* Career opportunities, the ones that never knock *

* I hate the army an' I hate the RAF *

* I don't wanna go fighting in the tropical heat *

I don't know. I don't think The Clash would be apolitical, you know?

Most left-wing poilitics, they're like real hypocrisy.

The Socialist Workers Party, they say that the left wing is the truth.

Follow the left wing politics.

Left wing is going to fuck everybody up.

Especially socialist words, like all Communist facts, like all the others are.

I know how you feel that, because in Russia, it was just a new...

It's exactly the same as it was before they had the revolution.

Just a new load of people driving around in their black cars,

and all the other people are walking, just the same as it was before.

I mean... I know what you mean, but...

That's what it is here, innit?

But why I think the left wing is better

than the right wing is at least it's... not just for the few.

The many, slaving for the few.

My idea is to make sure I become one of the few.

What's the point of being one of the few?

At the moment, there ain't, but what happens when we all become so-called equal?

And someone's got to control it.

Then the people that control it, as you said before, some people are going to be riding around in the black cars.

All I want to do is make sure that I'm riding round and not fucking walking.

Like, when I read about the Socialist Workers Party,

makes me more convinced I'm a capitalist.

Once I have a lot of money, and a Rolls Royce command,

and a country mansion, and a house in Beverly Hills,

and servants, running around doing what I want.

I've thought about it a lot, and there's nothing there.

You can get all the Rolls Royces, all that dough, all the country houses,

all the servants you want.

And to think there's nothing at the end of that road, no human life or nothing.

And that's why I don't want to go that way.

That's why I think that

it's all of us or none.

I don't see the point of getting all rich and locking yourself up in that country mansion

because sooner or later, some cunt's going to come around with his shotgun,

and blow your head off or whatever.

There's nothing there. I'm sure of it.

I don't know. I can't think what to do with myself, you know?

I'd like to get a job that I'm really interested in, that I can really work.

I wouldn't mind a job with you lot.

I'd like to get into electrics and things like that.

How about a job roadie-ing or something.

Well I don't know, Ray.

At the moment, how can I offer you a job?

Got to pay Johnny, got to pay Baker,

and that we ain't on the road at the moment, we just rehearsing.

How can I offer you a job?

What you going to do?

You see my point?

Yeah, right. That's the problem, innit?

They don't even get paid, as it happens.

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Hey mate, you're late. They're waiting in there for you.

- Alright? - You're nice and early.

Let's get going, then.

...and it just went kaput, can't use one of the guitar ones.

Ain't got any spares left, so, can I have an 8 by 10

Ampeg off you, on credit?

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* Back in the garage with my bullshit detector *

* Carbon Monoxide makin' sure it's effective *

* People ringin' up makin' offers for my life *

* But I just wanna stay in the garage all night *

* We're a garage band

* We come from garageland

* Meanwhile things are hottin' up in the West End alright *

* Contracts in the offices, groups in the night *

* My bummin' slummin' friends have all got new boots *

* Someone just asked me if the group would wear suits *

But can you bill us that?

We can let you have it after the gig, tomorrow, when we've got some dough.

Because we're all brassy.

I know but we've never really stitched you up in the past, have we?

Well, you know, a little.

* I don't wanna go to where, where the rich are going *

* I don't wanna know about what the rich are doing *

* They think they're so clever

* They think they're so right

* But the truth is only known

* By guttersnipes

Right if I catch that jerk that threw that bottle, his life wont be worth living.

The band will be on in about half an hour.

From 1969, this is the Soul Sisters with Wreck a Buddy.

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* I need a man to wreck 'im buddy *

S'cuse us.

- Have you got any money? - I haven't got anything.

Maybe I'll cash this then, I think.

- Can we go back to your place? - I suppose so, yeah.

- I'll go and cash it. - I'll wait for you here, love.

- Don't call me "love". - Why not?

Because I don't believe in it.

Ah, shit.

Fucking hell, can't lift these bricks all night.

Lot to see in there. Fucking baths, showers, medicals... Fucking works.

And then we got brown suits on the Beatles, all fivers.

And then Jonesy managed to come down, bailed us out.

Make yourself useful there and grab the bag.

Now the drag is, right, me and Paul have got to sign in on the nick everyday.

Ain't going to help the group at all is it?

What made the old boot come 'round anyway?

You know the roof, right?

We're standing there with our guns, blasted three pidgeons.

Three of them, dropping down with feathers everywhere and stuff.

Next thing that happened, there's this helicopter, Paul goes, "It's the law!"

I'm going, "leave it". No way right? And he's going, "Yeah it is", so we just, like...

The next thing you know, all these heads pop out, and they say, "Freeze",

so we try and leg it, and we run off into this dead end.

So they nicked us, right. They all come out and start taking us down the nick.

There was about three panda cars, a couple of swat cars

Black marar, everything. They'd come out in force.

The thing is they're trying to save a shot on the trains.

But anyway...

The door's closed, not locked.

C'mon, mate.

Dirty little smelly cunts keep wanting to fuck in there, busting his nose good and proper.

You seen these fuckin' anti-Nazi new persons, Tom?

Yeah they're fucking cunts ain't they? They don't say they're fuckin' Socialist, do they?

It's just fuckin' anti-Nazi and "F No!" Not what they're fucking trying to do, brainwash kids.

Yeah, why. They're cowards aren't they?

Makes me fucking sick, I could kill every fucking one of them.

- Bastards. - Alright, it's not that bad, is it?

'Course it's that bad. They're cunts!

Right, let's get on with the game.

Cheers.

Huh? Fuck it.

Cheers, mate.

Have you seen Clash lately?

Have you seen Joe? I've heard you're getting in with him,

hanging around, like, I've heard you want a fucking job with him.

Cheers, Tom. I don't know, I wouldn't mind a job with him you know?

I think next time I see Joe or one of the others I'll ask him for a job again.

If you're up for it, it could work for you.

You know Joe's my cousin, son't you?

- Is it? - Yeah.

Unless with Mick, he's just a dope freak.

No, it's all right. he's a nice geezer.

Look, if you want to put in a word for yourself too, do you want me to?

- If you can, yeah, why not? - But when you see him,

- where I could find him? - I don't know.

I haven't seen him in a long time.

What are you doing backstage? You got a pass?

- Have you got a pass? - Yeah, I got a pass.

Come on then.

Because everybody hates the fascists. That's why we're here.

Next on stage will be The Clash.

But now I stand there, I feel spare.

I feel like, "What am I supposed to do now?"

I feel like I should have something in my hand, to start a fight, and then a drink man.

I get all nervous, think you're looking at me, going "Oh, there goes that cunt, Strummer" you know?

"Why's he such a star, he ain't talkin' to us?"

But that's it, innit, you got to let it go when you want to watch a group.

And you have to watch them, because you can't get drunk.

- Yeah. - So you have to watch the group.

Well, fuck. I told you, you know what I mean?

This guy I know, he knows friends out there, so they put me up, so I fuckin' have some of that.

I just want about fuckin' three weeks to get away from this shit hole.

I'd like to have gone with you lot but it ain't on the cards, so...

You're going to enjoy this, really.

- Such a load of bollocks. - What?

Anti-national front communist shit, know what I mean.

It's all fuckin' bollocks innit?

Fuckin' hell, there's going to be like 50,000 people there.

It just seems like such fuckin' bollocks.

Oh, anti-Nazi, fuckin' shitting me.

Yeah, that's it.

Cunts, they never go out.

Then all of a sudden, "Oh anti- fascist, let's get in on this lads", then they all fuck off.

Mind that freedom is eternal vigilance!

London Burns!

* London's burning

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* All across the town, all across the night, everybody's drivin' with full headlight *

* Black or white you turn it on or face the new religion, everybody's sittin' 'round watchin' television *

* London's burnin' With boredom now *

* London's burnin' Dial nine nine nine *

* London's burnin' With boredom now *

* London's burnin' Dial nine nine nine *

* I'm up and down the West way, in an' out the light, what a great traffic system it's so bright *

* I can't think of a better way to spend the night than speedin' around in the yellow lights *

* London's burnin' With boredom now *

* London's burnin' Dial nine nine nine *

* London's burnin' With boredom now *

* Dial nine nine nine

Anti-Nazi League.

This is the official collection for the anti-Nazi league.

Can you give as much money as you possibly can, please?

We need some money from the 58,000 people that have come to this valley.

We need some of your money from you

to help pay for today's event.

Don't pull the fucking plug out, man.

Oi Joe, they pulled the fucking plug since we're running out.

Someone's pulled the plug out.

Plug it in, Joe.

It's alright. I wanna hear you sing it.

White Riot!

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* Riot, I wanna riot

* White riot, a riot of my own

* White riot, I wanna riot

* White riot, a riot of my own

* White riot, I wanna riot

* White riot, a riot of my own

* White riot, I wanna riot

* White riot, a riot of my own

* Black people gotta lot a problems *

* But they don't mind throwing a brick *

* White people go to school

* Where they teach you how to be thick *

* An' everybody's doing

* Just what they're told to

* An' nobody wants

* To go to jail!

* White riot, I wanna riot

* White riot, a riot of my own

* White riot, I wanna riot

* White riot, a riot of my own

* All the power's in the hands

* Of people rich enough to buy it *

* While we walk the street

* Too chicken to even try it

* Everybody's doing

* Just what they're told to

* Nobody wants to go to jail!

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* White riot, I wanna riot

* White riot, a riot of my own

* White riot, I wanna riot

* White riot, a riot of my own

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* White riot, I wanna riot

* White riot, a riot of my own

* White riot, I wanna riot

* White riot, a riot of my own

Fucking amazing.

Give them a clap now so they'll be able to hear you.

Can we hear it, please, for The Clash?

More!

More!

Do you want more of The Clash?

More! More!

Clash.

More!

More Clash!

More!

Fuckin' more!

We want more! We want more! We want more!

Get this idiot off the stage.

Watch it, Ray.

How are you, you big slob?

See my fucking eye and what those cunts at Victoria Park did

when they tried to throw us off the fucking stage?

Yeah, I can see it.

So, I was glad you were there, like helping with the plants, man.

Yeah, it's the fucking, all these "university" type of people, you know.

I think these cunts that go to university,

it like numbs their brains.

Yeah, well, those people are running when you're not asleep, aren't they?

Fucking left wing wankers.

Yeah, maybe.

Hey, listen.

Listen, what are you doing next week?

Not a lot. Why?

Well, we've got a couple of gigs, like, up north.

And that bloke's just, like, ditched out.

And we need someone to help me and Baker doing the roadie-ing.

Are you interested? Yeah.

Well, listen, there's first things you gotta learn

and you're gonna have to come up to the studio.

So, I have to show you some things before we go out on the road.

So, is that alright?

Yeah, it is. That sounds alright, John.

I'll give you a call.

Well, right, you got my number but are you free next week?

Yeah, you know what happens, like this time, it's nothing.

Yeah. I see.

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- There's no what? - There's no things.

Screws to tighten it down, you know.

That's why it's the tough one. Baker's got two with him.

'Cause Bobby plays it right there.

Topper plays it there.

He'd love to, isn't it, if he turns up and gets it like that.

I don't know if I got the right signal.

It's alright. No, you were there just now. You fucked up.

That's more like it. 'Cause I come down straight, side.

That's alright.

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* Midnight to six man

* For the first time from Jamaica *

* Dillinger and Leroy Smart

* Delroy Wilson, your cool operator *

* Ken Boothe for UK pop reggae

* With backing bands sound systems *

* And if they've got anything to say *

* There's many black ears here to listen *

* But it was Four Tops all night with encores from stage right *

* Charging from the bass knives to the treble *

* But onstage they ain't got no roots rock rebel *

* Onstage they ain't got no roots rock rebel *

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* 'Cos it won't get you anywhere *

* Fooling with your guns

* The British Army is waiting out there *

* An' it weighs fifteen hundred tons *

* White youth, black youth

* Better find another solution

* Why not phone up Robin Hood

* Let me say revolution

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* Punk rockers in the UK

* They won't notice anyway

* They're all too busy fighting *

* For a good place under the lighting *

* The new groups are not concerned *

* Not with what is to learn *

* Burton suits

* You think it's funny

* Turning rebellion into money

* All over people changing their votes *

* Along with their overcoats

* If Adolf Hitler flew in today *

* They'd send a limousine anyway *

Come here, you little one. Come on. That's it, now.

Out!

* Just lookin' for fun

* I'm looking for fun

* Baby, just give me some fun

* Hey man, put away your gun

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This song made possible by Freddie Laker.

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* Yankee

* Say it now

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* Yankee detective

Fuck off!

* I'm so bored with the U...S...A... *

* I'm so bored with the U...S...A... *

* But what can I do?

* Yankee, stars and stripes

* Let's make the Watergate Tapes *

* I'll salute the New Wave

* And I hope nobody escapes

* Yankee, stars and stripes

* I don't know

* All about the Blue Wave

* No, I say

* I'm so bored with the U...S...A... *

* I'm so bored with the U...S...A... *

* So what you got?

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* I'm so bored with the U...S...A... *

* I'm so bored with the U...S...A... *

* So what you gonna do?

* What you gonna do?

* Baby

Get off the fucking stage.

* I'm so bored with the U...S...A... *

* I'm so bored with the U...S...A... *

* But what can I do?

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Hey, you cunts, leave him alone for fuck's sake.

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* He's in love with rock'n'roll, whoa *

* He's in love with gettin' stoned, whoa *

* He's in love with Janie Jones, whoa *

* But he don't like his boring job, no *

* No

* No

* Let them go!

Let us go!

Go, go, go, go!

Let them go! They're fucking dancing!

They're dancing, not fighting.

Alright, you're done here!

Let them go. Leave them alone.

Come on. Knock it off.

We still got another song to go yet.

Alright? Cool it.

Simmer down. Control your temper.

We've still got another fucking song to do yet.

This is entitled, "I wanna riot, a riot of my own."

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Fucking bastard, let me go.

* White riot, I wanna riot

* White riot, a riot of my own

* Black people gotta lot a problems *

* But they don't mind throwing a brick *

* Everybody's doing

* What they're told to

* Nobody wants

* White riot, I wanna riot

* White riot, a riot of my own

* White riot, I wanna riot

* White riot, a riot of my own *

Ow!

* An' everybody's doing

* What they're told to

* Nobody wants to go to jail

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* White riot, a riot of my own

* White riot, I wanna riot

* White riot, a riot of my own

* White riot, I wanna riot

* White riot, a riot of my own

- You alright? - They've grabbed Joe, mate.

Yeah, grabbed him in the fucking wagon, mate.

They grabbed Paul and they fucking knocked him on the ground and punched him.

He's gone mad out there, man.

- Is he alright? - Don't know, mate.

They've grabbed him in their wagon.

Let's go and find out what station and get down there.

The bouncers should have been in that fucking court, not the fans.

The whole lot of them.

We at the time should have been not guilty of your charges.

They was lying out of their fucking teeth.

I was swearing at the police. I was swearing at that bird who was calling me a cunt.

Well, didn't you fucking tell him that?

We did well. We did well last night.

We don't need that shit.

We did really well.

I tell you, when we go to the police station, all the people from the concert are all lined up in a row.

Like this. Like they dragged us in, right?

And they all went, "Okay."

And we were like, "Shut up. Shut up".

And all these punk rock fans were there. I was great.

And there was this bloke singing, "I don't want to be the prisoner."

- And banging on the door. - Some bloke pulled its hinges off, didn't he?

Fucking great it was. It was great in the prison.

Let's get out of this fucking city.

* And I look to my left

* And I look to my right

* And I'm looking for a man

* I'm looking for a sign

* I don't wanna be the prisoner *

* I don't wanna be the prisoner *

* I don't wanna be the prisoner *

* I don't wanna be the prisoner *

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Stop playing. Stop it.

Okay, let's do some White Riot.

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Just seeing that, when you see your mates getting duffed upright,

you just want to jump tight.

So I just fucking threw myself on top of Joe.

and that fucking cunt broke me from behind.

Just dragged me into their own, doing their costume bit.

And in the car, a bloke goes to me,

"Look, where are you coming from?"

And I said, "To London".

And he goes, "Oh, this is Glasgow, mate."

So after that, they pulled me out of the car at the police station.

My fucking ankles, right? Pulled me straight over.

And I got taken to the doorway, and halfway through the doorway,

they knocked me on the ground.

I was lying on the ground on my ankles, trying to fucking get up.

Meanwhile there's two other blokes holding me leg down.

And there's another bloke kicking me up the side.

And I'm trying to get up and this other bloke is putting the weight on the fucking ankle.

Fucking crazy. I'll tell you, it's really funny.

Since we got in there, old Joe is standing in there.

I saw Joe, his eyes all red...

He was gone berserk, hasn't he?

We sort of went up to each other like...

Sort of like this and...

We were just sort of nudging each other and saying,

just the sort of noise that we were there, right?

"And he goes, Oh, the fucking quiz, right?"

We won't put them in the same room 'cause we was kids.

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* Walking down the road with your pistol in your waist *

* Johnny you're too bad

* Walking down the road with your ratchet in your waist *

* Johnny you're too bad

Hang on.

- Who's it? - It's Ray here.

I was just at the old building nosing around.

Oh, come in, quick.

Close the door behind you.

Are you alright?

I'm fucked.

How'd you mean?

I'm sick to death of this lot.

I can't decide whether to laugh or cry.

This tour's the limit.

Don't worry about it. It'll be over pretty soon.

And remember, all these punters are just stroppy wankers.

They're animals.

I was.

What does it say on that shirt?

Brigade Rosse.

Brigade what?

- Rosse. - What's that?

It's the name of a pizza restaurant.

I thought it was a Martini or Cinzano or something.

It's the terrorists.

The Red Brigades from Italy.

I've read something about them somewhere.

What about this thing in the middle of the shirt?

- RAF? - Yeah.

It's Read Army Fashion.

So, that's another Communist thing, yeah?

I don't know.

They can't be if they shoot Communists.

Seems strange then that they use red.

I suppose they're from the left.

To me that's all the same. The Left and Communism is no different.

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* Tommy gun

* You ain't happy less you got one *

* Tommy gun

* Waiting for the grave carrying one *

* Do you want to die for your money? *

* Maybe he wants to kill for his country *

* Whatever he wants, he's gonna get it! *

* Tommy gun

* You'll be dead when your war is won *

* Tommy gun

* Heading for the grave carrying one *

* An' we can watch you make it on the nine o'clock news *

* Standing there in Palestine lighting the fuse *

* Whatever you want, you're gonna get it *

*

*

*

*

* Tommy gun

* You'll be dead when your war is won *

* Tommy gun

* But did you have to gun down everyone? *

* I can see it's kill or be killed *

* A nation of destiny has got to be fulfilled *

* Whatever you want, you're gonna get it! *

* Tommy gun

* You can be a hero in an age of none *

* Tommy gun

* I'm cutting out your picture from page one *

* I'm gonna get a jacket just like yours *

* An' give my false support to your cause *

* Whatever you want, you're gonna get it! *

*

*

*

*

*

* Boats an' tanks and planes

* Your game

* Kings an' queens an' generals *

* Learn your name

* I see all the innocents

* They lie

* And if death comes so cheap

* Then the same goes for life!

* Wouldn't it be nice, wouldn't it be lovely? *

Leave it out, Bill.

Have you been drinking again, Baker?

Fuck, you know, what a cunt!

It's a burning up place anyway.

What, you didn't want a small bread-and-breakfast?

I hope we can get some museli.

Alright?

Oh, Johnny?

Johnny?

- Who is it? - It's Ray.

Oh, what you want?

I'm coming to bed, Johnny.

Alright. Yeah, okay.

Sit straight in his face.

Look at that fucking booze and two bottles of brandy.

Not surprising, is it?

Hang on a second.

Johnny, do us a favor?

Get on, go somewhere else.

Where?

Go for a walk or something.

I can't do nothing if there's someone else in the room.

Do me a favor, alright?

- Cheers. - What, now?

Yeah. And come back a bit later.

Okay, then.

Sod it.

Where's my fucking fins?

Alright?

Mm. Are you going back to London, tomorrow?

London, God. I really hate that place now.

Fed up with it.

I love it.

I don't believe in love anyway.

It's too much for me to face.

*

*

So how did you like roadie-ing by the way?

It's a pretty good laugh, you know. It's alright.

Takes a lot of getting used to it, but it's okay.

I like being away, you know.

When I'm away from London I enjoy myself a lot more.

I find working easier.

I would say even if it's a lot harder.

Yeah, well that's one thing, but when you've only got four or five hours' sleep a night...

It's alright. You get used to it, you know.

I'm doing that anyway, just sitting indoors, you know, go out every night.

Get a bit pissed and then go home and then get up in the morning anyway.

You don't even got time to get pissed, though, you know.

Save myself a lot of money, won't I?

*

*

*

*

Don't move. Stay on the back of the bus.

*

*

*

*

There's little point in creating prosperity

if having done it,

we fear we might be attacked in the streets,

or we or our property assaulted at home.

And I believe Madam Chairman that above all ills,

the people of this country wished to be protected against violence,

theft and intimidation.

Now, I think Madam Chairman, that the whole nation has been absolutely shocked

by reports of two horrifying attacks on elderly ladies.

One of whom dies, and the other was systematically humiliated and robbed.

But I think those two outrages do illustrate a much wider scandal

it is that all over the country,

particularly in our large, urban areas,

old people do go in fear and trembling as never before

during either the lifetime of their parents or grandparents.

They're entitled to ask what is happening to our country

where our old folk are no longer safe.

Of course the great deterrent to crime is the probability of getting caught.

But over the last four years, that probability has receded.

In London, only 21 out of every 100 offenders

are caught and convicted.

We don't give enough priority to getting the police force up to strength.

- What did you get? - Nothing.

Hasn't been done yet. We got to go again.

- What are they gonna do? - I don't know.

Let's hope the police are ready to go ahead with the case

next time instead of wasting time and mucking us around time after time.

The police haven't gotten here yet.

Nothing's come out, is it?

What, you going out, Paul?

Don't know. We could hang.

- Better luck, isn't it? - Better luck, yeah.

Okay. You going over to a pub?

Don't know.

Alright. I'll see you around.

*

*

*

*

Basically, the three of them, Paul, Peter and Topper

pleaded guilty to criminal damage.

Um, they got fined,

each one of them, 30 pounds each.

Yes.

Paul has to pay 20 pounds towards his legal aid.

And, um, Pete and Nicky

have to pay 10 pounds towards their legal aid.

And they have to compensate Mr George Walter Dole,

whose pigeons they are, were,

the sum of 700 pounds.

Which is quite good actually 'cause it got whittled down from 1,500 to 700 pounds

through the good offices of one David Miller, QC.

* No one pays to ride

* On the rock'n'rollercoaster

* And we went out and got our name *

* In small print on the poster *

* Of course we got a manager

* And though he ain't the mafia *

* A contract is a contract

* When they get 'em out of you *

Slice! Slice!

Yeah, Baker.

- Remember slob Ray? - Slob Ray!

How could I forget him?

Real slob, when he got pissed, he leaned all over you, nearly knocked you to the floor.

On the road, it's just homeless.

He'd just, like, hang around, get to the gig,

set the gear up, but all in the wrong place, and...

You'd get there and you'd have to undo everything that he'd done.

He'd be off in the bar, picking up birds.

Remember Dunstable, when you were putting all the gear away?

And I was getting the band ready to leave as I was driving.

And what was he doing? He was sitting there with that bird in his hand. Remember that? A little bird.

I remember that!

Couldn't cope with it on the road, though.

Broke up his private life too much.

- We left him stranded. - Told him to get a cab!

I don't think he could cope with the loss of private life.

But I was driving the bands and he'd get there

and his brief was to set all the gear up in the right positions.

And I come along and put it exactly right.

I'd get there and there'd be stuff all over the stage

and he'd be standing there...

He'd be standing there with a beer can in his hands

saying, "here, John, I'll drive."

It was just like a waste of time like he was a glorified humper.

I think he was just a conman.

- Bit of big'un old Ray, isn't he? - A real conman.

* All the young punks

* All the young punks

* All the young punks

* Face front you got the future *

* Shining like a piece of gold

* But I swear as we get closer

* I look more like a lump of coal *

* But it's better than some factory *

* Now that's no place to waste your youth *

* I worked there for a week once, I luckily got the boot *

* All the young punks

* Laugh your life 'cos there ain't much to cry for *

* All the young cunts

* Live it now 'cos there ain't much to die for *

- What you been doing lately? - Working the fucking bookshop.

- Bookshop? - Yeah, boring as old shit,

old fuckin' perverts coming in ,buying their bollocks.

What do you want to do then?

I want to get back on the road with someone.

Get into the States or something

Yeah, can be a laugh, but it's a lot of hard work sometimes.

I don't know, fuckin' hard work pays off don't it, and you get some enjoyment out of it.

Well it's better than working in a bookshop.

That's it, I want to go up the States man, but working at the time.

*

*

*

*

* Got me in bad fights

* Play me pool all night

* Smokin' menthol

* I practised daily in my room

* You were down the crown planning your next move *

* Go on a nicking spree

2* Hit the wrong guy

* Each of you get three years in Brixton *

* I did my very best to write

* How was butlins? Were the screws too tight? *

* When you lot get out we're gonna hit the town *

* We'll burn it fuckin' down... to a cinder *

* 'Cos years have passed and things have changed and I move anyway I wanna go *

* I'll never forget the feeling I got when I heard that you'd got home *

* An' I'll never forget the smile on my face 'cos I knew where you would be *

* An' if you're in the crown tonight, have a drink on me *

* But go easy...step light-ly

* Stay free

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Fuckin' heavy song man, you know that.

From south London, Brixton and all that.

Real choky, you know.

Brixton and Streatham, I was 12 to like 17.

That's your life put in one.

That's fuckin'... I've seen you do it man.

Spit heavy on the fuckin' guts, and heart and shit.

Take the drink, man.

You going to do that one all the time?

It don't feel if we're doing it live.

I know, it's fuckin'... It's really emotional, ain't it?

It's about the most emotional thing that you've ever done.

But, I've known like, you come from Brixton, I come from Brixton, so...

And that really gets with all these other guys,

like from Streatham and Brixton.

Reckon it'd mean nothing to them, but when you do it...

- Don't know, don't know. - You reckon they will?

I fuckin' hope so, but teenage life, it's like all summed up in one song.

What's all this teenage bit about then?

Buses to Streatham and everything.

I know nothing about the Locarno, whatever.

So, I know you.

I hope it goes fucking into 'em rather than over 'em.

You're next.

- What's going on? - Sit against the wall.

Those are nice clothes, love.

Where'd you get the money?

- Okay, okay, you. - No, I haven't got it.

Get on the wall. Shut up and drop your shorts.

There he is.

Go on, then.

Need anything down there, Joe?

No? Okay, great.

* I don't trust you, so why trust me? *

* All over the town, spread fast *

*They're dirty, they're filthy

* They ain't gonna last

* Teach us control

* C-o-n control

* Control

* C-o-n control

Well, alright!

*

*

*

*

*

* This is Joe Public speaking

* I'm controlled in the body Controlled in the mind *

* C-o-n control

What the hell is wrong with you?

You think you're so fuckin' cool.

What the hell is wrong with you? Think you're...

Fuck off!

Aberdeen, Manchester, Perthshire.

Newcastle. Sorry.

*

*

*

- * Well, I just got back an' I wish I never leave now * - * Where'd you go?

- * Went to a place that's black and stale now * - * Where'd you go?

- * How many local dollars for a local anaesthetic? * - * Where'd you go?

- * The Johnny on the corner wasn't very sympathetic * - * Where'd you go?

* I went to the place where every white face is an invitation to robbery *

- * Sitting here in my safe European home * - * Don't wanna go back there again *

- * Who dat martian arrival at the airport yeah? * - * Where'd you go?

- * What'd I say, wouldn't it be loverly? * - * Where'd you go?

- * How many local dollars for a local anaesthetic? * - * Where'd you go?

- * The Johnny on the corner wasn't very sympathetic * - * Where'd you go?

* I went to the place where every white face is an invitation to robbery *

- * Sitting here in my safe European home * - * Don't wanna go back there again *

*

*

*

*

- * Now they got the weed, an' they got the palm trees * - * Where'd you go?

- * They got the tree, an' they got the smoker * - * Where'd you go?

- * How many local dollars for a local anaesthetic? * - * Where'd you go?

- * Send us all cards, an' have a laying in on a Sunday * - * Where'd you go?

* I went to the place where every white face is an invitation to robbery *

- * Sitting here in my safe European home * - * Don't wanna go back there again *

* Again

* Rudy come from Jamaica, Rudy can't fail *

* Rudy come from Jamaica, big man can fail! *

* Rudy come, Rudy goes, noone knows, rudeboy know *

* Rudy come from Jamaica, big man can fail! *

* Rudy, Rudy, Rudy, Rudy, Roo *

* Rudeboy, Rudeboy

* Rudy, Rudy, Rudy, Rudy, Roo *

* Noone knows what Rudeboy knows *

* Rudy, Rudy, Rudy, Rudy, Roo *

* Noone knows what Rudeboy knows *

* Rudy, Rudy, Rudy, Rudy, Roo *

* Noone knows what Rudeboy knows *

* Rudy, Rudy, Rudy, Rudy, Roo *

Rudy!

Rudy! Yeah, fuck, fuck, fuck.

Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck.

*

Now give me your answer.

Give me your answer, truth.

* What the hell is wrong with you? *

* You're just doing what you're supposed to do *

* What's my name

* I tried to join a ping-pong club *

* Sign on the door said all full up! *

* What's my name

*

* Now I'm round the back of your house at night *

* Can I ask you a question, are you sleeping tight? *

* What's my name

*

*

*

*

*

Hello, John.

Fuckin' hell, Ray. What you doing here?

Come up for a leak. Nothing better to do.

What's all this then, box of records?

No, it's all I could find to chuck some clothes in.

Bit flashy isn't it?

It's alright. Does its purpose, don't it?

John, can I stay in your room tonight?

But I haven't got a spare bed for you, mate,

and, like, it's a bit tight.

No, I can't because on this tour, everything's gotten really tightened up.

Supposed to be really professional, not the old days.

Sounds a bit fucking stroppy.

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

- Can't go in with that bottle. - Oh.

You have to drink it before you come in.

- All right you take it in. - You can't.

I'll leave it here. I've got to go, I'm in a rush.

Oy, do you want a drink? All riight, great. Okay.

Who you with?

I've got a pass here, I'm with the group.

Okay, cheers. Good luck.

It'll be The Clash on stage tonight

Did you see that Black geezer singing White Riot?

I thought it was really funny.

Yeah, what's so funny about it? I've been watching you.

Yeah I've noticed that. Quite a lot.

I mean I wish that more black guys would come to our gigs.

Yeah but not to sell lemonade, singing White Riot, I mean...

That's not enough for me.

It's great to see black geezers coming, but

watching a black geezer sing White Riot is like watching a White man chanting rastafari and all these black things.

- Y'know what I think, don't you? - Yeah I suppose I do.

So that's it, really. I'm watchin' ya.

- I'll keep it in mind. - Do.

* I ain't got no reason to drag around *

* I'm the right kind of colour in the white part of town *

* But all the people down in Brixton town *

* Say "Hey white boy, won't you lend me a pound" *

* I ain't got no pound nor any dollar or a quid *

* I'd pick my own pocket, well if I did *

* I got the same chances that any black man do *

* Well they say "White boy, your new job is through" *

* well a black man got a rhythm an' a white man got the law *

* An' I know which one I'd be lookin' for *

* Don't care about the country, goin' to wreck and ruin *

* The whole world will follow an' they'll be singin' this tune *

*

*

*

No thanks. I gave it up. It's fucking me up.

What are you going to do with yourself anyway?

I dunno.

Shouldn't get too involved.

Maybe I should be black?

People would treat me like a nigga'.

Yeah, we need niggers. You should get paid.

I chose to go on the dole.

Why stop legging?

I like music.

You're doing really well. Great.

But, I don't think you should mix your music with politics anymore.

I know there's loads of ordinary groups around.

But you shouldn't be too political with your music.

I know life is, but, I don't like it. It annoys me

when music gets mixed up with it.

Do you remember Sam Philips?

Said if you find a white bloke, who sang like a negro, he'd be a millionaire.

And then he found Elvis.

And the silly cunt sold him for 35,000 dollars.

*

*

* Come on my baby, let the good time roll *

* Come on my baby, let me fill your soul *

* Come on my baby, let the good time roll *

* Roll all night long

* Come on my baby, let the good time roll *

* Come on my baby, let me fill your soul *

* Come on my baby, let the good time roll *

* Roll all night long

* Gonna feel so good

* And come on baby

* Brought me all I know

* Come on my baby, let the good time roll *

* Come on my baby, let me fill your soul *

* Come on my baby, let the good time roll *

* Roll all night long

*

- What you doing? - Putting the gear away.

- Do you do anything else? - Did spotlight the other night.

- I used to do a bit of all this. - Oh, really?

With The Clash, quite a time ago.

- Who else? Any other groups? - Not really.

- You're always drunk. - I'm always drunk.

Fuck you two. Fuck you!

You make me feel really old.

- You are. - Yeah, you look it.

Maybe I am getting old, I don't know.

You can't tell.

I don't got nowhere to fuckin' sleep, Johnny.

Give us your bed.

Give me yours, I don't want to sleep on the fuckin' floor again.

- I want a bed. - Ah, leave out, Ray!

Fuck off, John. I want to go to fuckin' sleep.

Listen, I want to go to bed.

Let's stick him in the bathroom.

You cunts!

You bastards!

You bastards!

You fuckin' cunts.

It's not even fuckin' funny, you bastards.

I've fuckin' had enough bollocks. I'm going home. Fuck you cunts.

Fuck off you bastards, don't fuckin' come after me.

Bollocks. Stop fucking coming after me.

Fuck off, will you?

Don't fuckin' touch me, you cunt, I'll fuckin' have you.

What's the problem, mate?

*

*

*

Do you think they treat me differently?

Well, I don't think they treat you differently, exactly,

just that, if anything is right, that you're younger, so...

In the sense that they're going to treat you differently, like consent-ments-wise, yeah.

Or where they're going to put you is going to be different from the others.

But either way, I might be going inside?

Yeah. Well you could do.

I can't say anything, like, definite.

It's a conspiracy case, so, for them to prove it's a conspiracy,

they have to have something against all of you.

They have to get you all, you all involved.

*

*

*

*

* Breakin' rocks in the hot sun *

* I fought the law and the law won *

* I fought the law and the law won *

* I needed money 'cause I had none *

* I fought the law and the law won *

* I fought the law and the law won *

* I killed my baby and it feels so bad *

* Guess my race is run

* She's the best woman that I ever had *

* I fought the law and the law won *

* I fought the law and the law won *

*

*

*

* Robbin' people with a six-gun *

* I fought the law and the law won *

* I fought the law and the law won *

* I left my girl and all her fun*

* I fought the law and the law won *

* I fought the law and the law won *

* I killed my baby and it feels so bad *

* Guss my race is run

* Sweetest little woman that I ever had *

* I fought the law and the law won *

* I fought the law and the law won *

*

*

*

* I fought the law and the law won *

* I fought the law and the law won *

* I fought the law but the law won *

* I fought the law and the law won *

* I fought the law and the law won *

* I fought the law and the law won *

* I fought the law and the law won *

* I fought the law but... *

When are you going to charge me?

Douglas: when you've answered some questions.

Where d'you live, Drum?

Drum: I live in a slum street. I collect 14.60 social security.

I tried for a job, and I couldn't get one.

I got letters in my house to prove it.

Douglas: do you know Byron Thwaites, Tony Peters, Colin Myers.

Drum: Yeah, I seen them down the club sometimes.

Douglas: Why d'you get little boys to do it for you?

Drum: What d'you mean?

Douglas: Did you do dips with them? Drum: No.

Then there's another statement that you made on the same day in the afternoon at 3 O'Clock.

To a detective Douglas again.

Drum: I want to make a statement.

Douglas: Right.

You know we've been watching you on the 5th, 7th, 11th, 12th, 17th and 22nd of April.

We saw you jostling in the bus queue outside the post office.

Drum: Yeah we went dipping by the post office.

Douglas: You were recorded at 2pm on 11th of April, a Thursday, with Miles, Twaites and Peters.

Jostling in the bus queue.

Drum: we never got a purse then. Douglas: what about red rover?

Drum: No, I don't make much money from Dibs.

Douglas: You're more than just suspected.

The money you get from social security scarcely lets you live a carefree life.

Drum: I've got friends . They help me out.

Big friends out West. People you can't touch.

Douglas: You were regulars at the bus stop.

You were seen on the 12th as well.

Drum: I don't remember.

You're trying to get me to rat, you bastards.

I never said all that.

It's says here at the end, "This statement is true, I've made it of my own accord."

Signed your name. If it's not true, why did you sign it?

If you gettin' beat and kicked about, wouldn't you sign it?

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

* Sing, Michael, sing-on the route of the 19 Bus *

* Hear them sayin'

* How you get a rude and a reckless? *

* Don't you be so crude and a feckless *

* You been drinking brew for breakfast *

* Rudie can't fail

* We reply I know that my life make you nervous *

* But I tell you that I can't live in service *

* Like the doctor who was born for a purpose *

* Rudie can't fail

* I went to the market to realize my soul *

* 'Cause what I want I just don't have *

* First they curse

* Then they press me till I hurt *

* Rudie can't fail

* First you must cure your temper

* Then you find a job in the paper *

* You need someone for a saviour *

* Rudie can't fail

* We reply, now we get a rude and a reckless *

* We been seen lookin' cool an' a speckless *

* We been drinking brew for breakfast *

* Rudie can't fail

* I went to the market to realize my soul *

* 'Cause what I need I just don't have *

* First they curse

* Then they press me till I hurt *

* Rudie can't fail

*

*

* When Johnny comes marching home again *

* He's coming by bus or underground *

* A woman's eye will shed a tear, to see his face so beaten in fear *

* And it was just around the corner in the English civil war *

* It was still at the stage of clubs and fists *

* When that well-known face got beaten to bits *

* Your face was blue in the light of the screen *

* As we watched the speech of an animal scream *

* The new party army was marching right over our heads *

* All right *

* Well, all right *

* All the girls go, oh

* There you are, ha ha, I told you so *

* Says everybody that we know

* Who hid a radio under the stairs *

* Who got caught out on their unawares? *

* When new party army came marching right over the stairs *

* When Johnny comes marching home again *

* Coming by bus or underground

* The sun is shining an' the kids are shouting loud *

* But you gotta know it's shining through a crack in the cloud *

* The shadows keep falling when Johnny comes marching home *

* All right

* Johnny

* Johnny

* Johnny comes home

* Getting caught by

* When Johnny coming home

Well, come up here.

Mind your hand on that PA, right?

If it falls over, it'll kill everybody.

Listen up, few people can come forward, all right?

This is about a child.

Well, my boy, you just moved a little bit.

We ain't going anywhere, alright?

Alright, alright.

White Riot.

Alright, let's talk about White Riot, then.

Oh.

Oh.

Oh.

Oh.

* White riot, I wanna riot

* White riot, a riot of my own

* White riot, I wanna riot

* White riot, a riot of my own

* Black people gotta lot a problems, but they don't mind throwing a brick *

* White people go to school where they teach you how to be thick *

* And everybody's doing just what they're told to *

* And nobody wants to go to jail *

* White riot, I wanna riot

* White riot, a riot of my own

* White riot, I wanna riot

* White riot, a riot of my own

* All the powers in the hands of people rich enough to buy it *

* While we walk the street too chicken to even try it *

* Everybody's doing just what they're told to *

* Nobody wants to go to jail

* White riot, I wanna riot, white riot, a riot of my own *

* White riot, I wanna riot, white riot, a riot of my own *

* White riot, I wanna riot, white riot, a riot of my own *

* White riot, I wanna riot, white riot, a riot of my own *

Oye, fuck off get off the stage.

Where's the badge? I don't like the badge.

Alright, stay.

He's fucking dying, let's get him out.

Oh, fuck.

Oh, shit.

Yeah, how I came to get the part in this film?

In my memory anyway, I think, David's memory be slightly different but,

I used to work in a record shop in Soho and David used to come in there and we used to chat.

And we'd talk about punk and stuff like that.

And then he mentioned that he was gonna be making a movie about The Clash.

And I told him I was a friend of Joe Strummer.

And then a week or so later he asked me if I wanted to be in the film.

And there was no way, I did wanna be in it so, and...

You know, he come in later on, I think I was the only person he'd met that knew Joe Strummer, or knew The Clash so,

he kept asking to be in it and I wasn't interested.

Mentioned it to Joe a couple of times, and Joe thought it would be a good idea,

and at that time, I had a lot of respect for Joe's opinions,

so well if he thinks it will be cool,

it probably will be. So I said, okay, I'll have a go.

My reluctance to get involved with the film was, you know, my own suspicion about these guys.

A, they were older than me and I didn't really have it with older people.

And the fact they were film-makers, I didn't understand that world.

The whole thing with the character being my own name, Ray Gange, was kind of,

was a bit strange really because I was asked to do things that the film crew wanted me to do,

that were very unreal situations but they weren't scripted either,

they were very, very rudamentary little ideas written down on paper.

They'd pick me up, we'd drive somewhere, they'd set up,

and then we'd be siting there and I'd just get handed a sheet of paper,

with about six lines of Biro scribbled on it,

and told, "Okay, work that into the scene."

And everytime I said, "Well, what for?" "Oh, don't worry, it will all make sense."

It was very, very chaotic, very disjointed.

When I watch it now, it's like watching me but watching me I don't know.

It's all very strange and I would kind of,

had I known that it would work out like that, I would've insisted on getting a different name.

But I didn't know about the tricks of film-making at that time.

I found doing stuff for camera really difficult.

At that time especially I was just into running around and having a good time.

So then suddenly, being asked to do things that were unnatural for me to be doing,

I found, you know, I found it weird.

But I wouldn't say I found it difficult, I just found it weird seeing, it was a very weird thing to do.

How much that character is like me?

I was into the Clash, so it was like me in that respect.

We both used to like a beer, I like the beer, the character liked the beer.

Beyond that, I probably would say not very much, really.

And other than those punk rock characteristics.

Tour in the UK was brilliant.

I had just gone on tour with Clash was great. They were my favourite band,

it meant I didn't actually have to go and do a job, I was getting paid.

So, that was fantastic, just going to towns that I was never ever go to,

you know, that aspect of it was great.

As for roadie-ing, roadie-ing would be the last job that I would ever want to do.

For start, it's a hard work for which I have never been a fan of,

and, um, you know, if you are watching your favourite band,

but you've got to be roadie-ing as well, you can't really pay attention to watching the band.

So, that's like another reason I wouldn't be in it at all.

No, I never did any roadie-ing for Clash, uh, as I say, I was too much into having a good time.

So, I would've thrown in, pretty much thrown spanner in works,

just for their operation, you know.

I did a little tour with the Subway Sect for Bernie.

Which was just an idea to, uh, give me an idea of what;s going on.

So, when it came to filming, maybe it will work.

Being in between, having the band on one side of me and the film crew on the other,

was kind of like a first but as there was growing a divide between the band and the film-makers,

then I kind of got caught up in the middle of it,

where the band would get suspicious of me because I was involved with the film-making,

and the film-makers I think found me difficult because I wanted to hang out with the band,

and have a good time with them.

So, it started off okay and then it just deteriorated into everybody being quite distant.

My own allegiance would always be towards the band

although I had to do certain amount of things that the film crew wanted, only because I was getting paid.

And you know, I quite like them, they were okay guys, as it went on, I started to be less suspicious of them,

The film makers' ideas didn't seem very clear to anybody else except themselves.

And I don't think the band really knew what the film makers were trying to get out,

and I certainly didn't.

My own view is that they were trying to make a punk rock version of A Hard Day's Night,

but without the comedy, you know, they were trying to be really worthy.

And then everybody else found it confusing. I think the people that watched it found it confusing because

it's all these real people's names,

but there's this weird vibe going on that doesn't really make any cinematic sense,

in terms of a normal kind of film. You know, like beginning, middle and end.

It's like where it is going.

There was lot of political problems going on between the Clash camp and the film-makers.

As you know, I think probably like the Clash management either wanted more money,

or I think they even wanted to go and do their own project.

So, everyone became very uncooperative.

I think in a way, in their defence, the film makers just found themselves like,

a lot of footage on their hands,

and then the people that were supposed to be taking part in that story refusing to do it.

So they had to try to grab something from somewhere else.

So, I think they're just like, "Okay, what's the serious issue? What's going around us? What makes sense to do?"

And they tried to like, follow their nose and get that down.

I think it got bit mish-mashed in the process so,

I think rather than a rockumentary, a fakumentary would've been much better.

Been a mate of Joe's before I met the rest of the Clash, I kind of,

I was hanging with him quite a bit, and then I'd go up to their rehearsal studios,

get to know them a little bit, because they didn't know me, they were like, "Who's this guy?"

But when they came to know, they realised I was into the band,

you know Joe liked me, then they started to come around, then I got on alright with all of them really.

Victoria Park and Rock Against Racism,

I don't really remember much of the actual carnival,

about the whole show, I realise I got there really early with David.

I wasn't even supposed to be doing anything, David rang me, asked me if I wanted to go along with him.

So, I went there, hanging out, it was really a hot day,

we were drinking all day along, popping in few pills,

and then, uh, just standing on the side of the stage, watching the band,

and then as the set was coming to an end, you know, there was this chaos going on,

the organisers were trying to get Clash off-stage,

and David was standing next to me watching Jack doing his filming,

and when all that stuff was going on as you see on the film,

David leaned over to me and said, "Ray, go and do something to spice things up a bit."

So, I just saw the microphone on the front of the stage

and grabbed it, trying to incite the crowd into doing something.

You know, I thought it would be fun and a bit of mischief to do that,

you know, I was just, I thought I'd create something.

And then suddenly, it all went a bit mad again.

Next thing I know I was being shoved down the stairs on the side of the stage.

The black eye in the film was due to the wonders of make-up and editing.

And it was something that Jack and David, David I think more than Jack,

thought would add a touch of spice or a bit of glamour or something,

if it looked like I got punched in the face for the troubles.

The Clash were fucking great band, you know, there's no two way around it.

So, I think anyone that was around that time and watched them,

knew the potential they had to become a mega,

but, you know, the only mega bands before that I know were,

Pink Floyd and all that kind of crap, you know what I mean.

So, I don't think it was in anybody's thinking, you know, the Sex Pistols has already imploded.

I don't think it was in anybody's thinking that any punk band was gonna get to mega star status.

Did it reflect life on road?

Yes and no, really. It shows you exactly what The Clash were like at life,

for sure, probably better than film has shown anybody.

But as for the rest of the stuff that was going on,

I think it reflected the film maker's idea of what was going on around them.

I think, uh, because the film makers weren't from that background,

I think they tried to create too many situations that weren't totally true.

They probably were a foot in the truth, you know what I mean.

And when David asked me to be in this film, "We're gonna make a film about the Clash, do you want to be in it?"

So, as far as I knew, I was just going to be some little peripheral character floating around The Clash.

And then suddenly all this other stuff started coming into it, you know, like,

black guys pick pocketing, you know, robbing the buses,

all this stuff, you know, and, being down in Brixton filming various things, and,

it didn't really make sense to me what was that all about.

Because the film was supposed to be about Clash.

You know, I wasn't given any awareness that it was going to be about anything else,

it was supposed to be an indictment of Britain, you know,

whatever it was like pre-Thatcter Britan, you know. So, I think, um,

I think it kind of reflects that there wasn't much going on apart from the punk at that time.

But in terms of any political tone to it, I think,

that the French liked it and the English didn't give it a toss.

It's kind of weird that the stuff I read, that the stuff I heard about,

was my political stance was supposed to be in that movie,

and the realities are, it's still true today, I don't really give a fuck about politics.

I don't trust any politician that there is.

England was a very grey place at that time, you know,

so I think it reflected that the punk rock was only the exciting thing going on.

You know, the conversations that takes place between me and Joe,

where Joe had this stuff that he was going to say,

and they wanted me to sit next to him and just like try and take up contrary position,

and that time, I was like, "Okay, it's a film, what the fuck, I'll do it."

You know, I was bit naive, the fact that the character had my own name,

that people are going to believe this is my own stuff, you know, and, uh,

and I think the film makers stitched me up as well because they gave me a writing credit.

And they gave me writing credit to make it seem like the political stuff is my views.

And also there was a lot of swearing in the film,

I think if they were pulled up on why were they making a film with so much swearing,

you know, to them, "He wrote all that stuff."

I didn't write shit in that film, but there you go.

What did I think of the film when I first saw it?

What the fuck is going on?

You know because I am watching myself up on the screen, I was never into being an actor, or any of the stuff,

so there I was up in the screen, and this thing, with all this mad stuff going around me?

I am watching The Clash and then I am watching guys on the bus,

uh, you know, I'm watching a dog, I've got a dog in the film, I don't know where the fuck the dog came from.

But, you know, it was good, it was a fun thing to do and it was a fun thing to watch,

but it wouldn't be in my top ten films.

You may not want to put it in.

Joe dying last year was quite really, you know, very sad event and,

quite shocking, you know, he's still a young guy.

And it made me reflect quite a bit really and my fondest memory of him,

is me and Joe going to a gig at the Imperial College to see Wayne County.

And queuing up at the bar, and we didn't have much cash,

there was a big queue waiting to get drinks,

and we look around and there was four pints of beer siting around on an empty table,

and we just clugged the beer.

So, we jumped on the table and knocked back these pints,

and these four rugby type guys came up and demanded to know what the fuck is going on.

And they made a grab for us and we just jumped over the seats and legged there,

and these guys chased through the building till we got away.

And we just kept running and running, and then we just collapsed in hysterics,

laughing probably for like 20 minutes or something.

You know that the kind of memory I live of him.

My favourite gig on those tours was probably,

before the first tour, really, I think it was the first time I went anywhere with the film makers,

And we went up to Berbanum, because Clash was doing a gig at this really small club called Barbalas,

which probably held 500 people or something like that.

It was a really small gig, unannounced, there was this really, really great energy, really small venue.

And it was like a landmark gig, really.

City of the Dead is my favourite Clash song.

The reason?

Um, the lyrics, the insensitivity on the tune and the lyrics.

And also the fact, it's like, when you listen to radio and they talk about great Clash songs,

White Man in Hammersmith Palais or fucking London calling,

or Should I Stay or Should I Go, whatever.

So, City of the Dead is kind of an obscure song although not that obscure.

But just the lyrics are great.

"Though we get beat up, we don't care, at least it livens up the air."

"What we wear is danger gear, it'll get you picked on anywhere."

Great lyrics. Great lyrics, great for the time especially.

Which happened to me few times, I got beat up for what I was wearing, so it's quite resonant.

Making that film changed my life, as much as it gave me money to get out of the country

which I don't know if I'd able to do it any other way.

It opened my eyes to lot of stuff, you know.

Opened my eyes to the perils of film-making.

I didn't have time to think about who's my favourite actor,

who shall I try and copy, to do the stuff they want me to try and do,

and I was like, I've never been in front of the camera before,

any kind of acting so it was like, "Okay, so what do you want me to say?

How do you want me to say it? What do you want me to do while I say it?"

And then just try to interpret that in the best way I could in that time and try and deliver that.

No, I couldn't tell you where anybody came from.

They found this little skinhead kid,

who kept maintaining that he was Joe Strummer's cousin,

so they believed him, they shoved him in it.

Then they found some girl who was willing to do a scene in the toilet on her knees, you know.

Um, I think they just grabbed people from here, there and everywhere.

I think the scene in the sex shop,

there's like some guy, some middle aged guy comes in and buys a magazine from me

and I think he was friend of David's.

They just said, put this mic on and go in the shop and buy something.

So, it was all very like, it was all very ad-hoc, you know,

you know, it was like guerrilla film making without intention.

I can't think that any other live footage of any band that I've seen,

even comes close to the live stuff of the Clash in that film.

Even other films of musicians

Don't Look Back, the one about Bob Dylan was a really great film,

but what's great about that is all the off-stage stuff.

What's really great about Rude Boy is that the live stuff is just fucking phenomenal.

And it really does pick out why at the time people who were in that scene,

your blood would just pump in your body when Clash would play.

Your hair on your fucking back would stand up and the whole thing.

So, for that, they were the best thing ever.

It was fucking magnificent to be Clash's road manager.

I stumbled in, it was a pure chance and enthusiasm,

I guess that's what got me the job,

it was obviously enthusiastic, anyone of you Euro, you are watching this,

I was as a fan.

Every night was a bonus night for me.

I loved watching them, I never looked at my watch.

It was a joy standing there at the side of the stage,

drinking about few drinks, having a fag and,

some hit and it never demolished for me, it didn't.

If there was a load of money floating around, I never fucking saw it.

And nor did I knock around with people, yet you thought I might've been in the position I was.

Road manager of a happening band.

You'd thought, limos, cocaine, and all that stuff,

must have missed me. Maybe I was looking in the wrong direction.

You know, you're listening in 1977 and Joe is singing,

"What we wear is a dangerous gear, it'll get you picked up anywhere"

Don't be silly, these are just clothes. It was true.

We used to get lot of flat wherever we went, we were seen as,

as, uh, forces of, uh, of evil really.

What is that contemporary word?

Something that's undermining the process of society.

Not just something you tapped your toe to and had a nice time.

So, there was a meaning to punk rock, it was feared.

And it might surprise me now to see the extent of it,

of people's affection for The Clash,

and saying one of the greatest bands of all time.

I fucking knew that the moment I set eyes on them.

As I suspect every spotty kid did in that moment as well.

But there was a serious point to it always.

Serious point which was trying to, uh, just cause trouble.

Rattle somebody's cage, really, in terms of motivating change for the better of people.

Rude Boy as a film is pretty spot on, because,

the moment that you got used to having a very small film crew, at first, it seems huge,

to have four-five people around you,

yanking around lights, better sounds, better camera,

it seemed like a huge intrusion because we were a small, tight knit outfit.

At that point, we didn't employ many people, it was me and the Baker,

and the four members of the band.

Suddenly, in your dressing room, to have four-five people come in

seemed like a massive intrusion,

and made us also very uncomfortable for about two-three days.

And after that, we just got used to them.

It was always so hectic, so badly planned,

so little money, so little luxury,

there was no preciousness, no space of time, in which to take notice,

except odd moments where perhaps Dave might ask us,

to repeat something they didn't spotted, and we'd stop and redo it.

I think that was quite odd because it was not that common.

Uh, life went on on the road. And it was relentless, it was full of action and full of incidents.

It's hard to remember those times sometimes.

I've just, I've walled them, violent,

trouble strewing all at once.

It wasn't smooth and nor did anybody tried making it smooth. In fact, we loved all that.

The Clash were all over the front pages of the NME, Melody Micro Sounds,

and people assumed, that you're doing well in all the areas.

In fact, what had happened was, we had splat up with Bernie Rose, the manager,

and all the money was frozen, we didn't have any money.

I mean, cash flow, serious cash flow problems.

And, Rude Boy, saved the day because they bunked us.

You know, you could tap 'em for a few quid.

What just sound stupid, get you down on the cafe,

get you few beers in a pub, few packets of cigarettes, it was that desperate at times.

Bernie said to me, "Work with them, work with them."

And I took that seriously because I thought,

"Ain't that nice, get me picture on the screen."

*

*

Actually what I thought was, this band's a fucking magnificent

and somebody should be recording it.

And I was glad somebody was doing it with proper equipment.

So I did always tell them what we were doing, where we would be at which time,

and Dave would asked me so preparation would be laid down for that.

There was no keeping us waiting and that's what makes the film vital,

we're not doing take after take after take, it's just we're living our life, and they're filming it.

Rude Boy is an accurate reflection of our life because it sums up rehearsal,

recording and giging.

And the thing about The Clash is, they almost never had a day off,

so what you see is what you get, really.

UK tours are best summed up in Rude Boy.

The first one in the summer of '78 was chaos indeed

and delightful and splendid chaos.

Let them go, they're fucking dancing.

They're dancing, not fighting. Let them go.

Leave them alone.

Come on, knock it off.

We still got another song to do, yeah.

It's a hard work to deal with, getting crowded by the coppers, getting busted,

kids smashing up the place, promoters getting upset,

cheap, crappy equipment breaking down, one, because it's cheap,

two, because they hammer it,

they give no quarter, you know, they're standing and playing,

all of these things are going wrong, We arriving at our hotels,

the guards take one look at us and he says, ''I don't want, fuck me, it's the Clash, we don't want them here.''

So, we are taking a booking in under things like The Tottenham Leather Workers' Association,

and we get, "Fuck me, it's the Clash, don't want us."

But we loved it, we loved it, nobody was after the quiet life there.

But it start to come in, so I think what you're seeing is

the contrast between these two tours is,

is one, everything is up in the air, yipee,

to the balls settling a bit but they're bouncing around.

Uh, but it's growing and it's getting bigger.

And you could see the venues, we're selling out day after day, and you see them,

and you see them holding a flag, sighing, "I fought the law",

and the crowd singing along with it.

It didn't happen so much in the earlier days. That's the growth thing.

If you are the agent of change,

or the messenger of change perhaps, it's a really nice feeling.

And we were watching it growing and swelling in exuberance.

Lovely thing, lovely thing.

We were used to doing with some pretty rough diamonds out in the provinces,

because they were the only people that would take punk rock at that point.

These weren't the accepted promoters and agents.

So, definite cowboys out there, and suddenly we got a nice, considerate, well spoken man,

organising something very well worthwhile,

that The Clash were deadly keen to do.

I don't think anyone really thought this one out

until the date till we arrive there,

"Fuck me, that's a lot of people."

This is very moving, I remember coming back down, and trying to relay that,

as the band were getting ready and getting changed to go on.

And I don't think I could, I don't think I did prepare them for the shock of seeing that.

Because they never played them, there weren't festivals on that size as we are used to today.

We are all siting backstage with other performers in the changing rooms,

they could lie down there,

swimming pools, dressing rooms,

and it was very Spartan, few beers,

Robinson's orange barley water,

no fancy canapes, you know, and spiral tap.

No one minded and it was very egalitarian.

And it was a very nice feeling of everyone doing this, something we believe in.

The place is filling up and we're just trying to sort out,

but you know, you always get into this,

no matter how egalitarian and how much largess or good will you've got,

you are always going to be actually fight for your fucking band.

And you're just going to be bit better than everybody else.

So, you're back in to that frame or maybe a little bit milder than an ordinary gig.

Here we are supporting Tom Robinson, well, no.

It ain't support 'cause we are all in this together.

But you know, road crews are sneaky people.

And we were up there, they got a Scottish guy,

and Kenny and he's, uh,

he's pulling strokes on me, I'm pulling strokes on him, and suddenly,

the Clash are up there running and there's old Jack and he's filming away,

and there's Mingay standing and suddenly there's Ray.

He had this immaculate, quiffed barnet.

And I'm thinking, "Who the fuck is this?"

Good hair though, good hair.

So, yeah, he could stay, so let him stay.

And Mingay's going, "He's all right, he's with me." And I'm thinking,

I got better things to think about, my band's up there and there's people going,

"Come on, Rony, come on now, come on. Oh, fuck off."

People are loving it, they're loving it.

and it's getting argy bargy and so, I think,

I know what you see there, it's the real thing,

Barry, fucking punter, hang on.

Oi, Joe, they're pulling the fucking plug since we're running out.

I dived down and go through the guy's legs,

and whack the mains' plug back in and back comes the back line and on they go.

There's lot of argy bargy and it nearly came to blows on it.

And then, dare we say, not I,

that somebody pushes Ray Gange out and says, "Whoa, you love the Clash."

Don't you think they all love The Clash, go and ask him.

And Ray, dear Ray, with his totemic kind of special burn in his hand,

out he goes to the mic.

Now, it takes a tough ball to say, to walk up to the mic facing that many people as far as you can see.

But Ray does it and I suppose if you look back,

Ray Gange, what does Ray Gange doing here?

The "Michael Aspel" question.

What I would say is that Ray proved his worth in that moment.

And I was like, it was lot of front, good for you, Ray.

And I think everybody liked him for doing that,

as for him getting the black eye...

Yeah, well.

I'm not a natural, I did find it difficult

to act to camera.

I'd say it was in favour of, Jack and Dave,

in making the film that I and others weren't asked to do it straight away,

and that they just filmed around us, getting on with those things that we had to go on with.

And it was only after quite a long time,

of familiarity and understanding,

that I would be asked to repeat something quiet possibly that they might have missed

that had just happened spontaneously and the cameras weren't there and they weren't rolling,

and yet they understood the significance of an event,

like getting beaten up at the site in Glasgow by the bouncers.

Joe getting arrested,

Paul jumping into his, uh, to his help.

We spirited Mick and Topper away from that scene.

It happened so fast and so violently.

Ah, that naturally no cameras were there, who could've seen that coming, nobody? We didn't.

We wouldn't have been there, I mean, yanking a stick around there to get beaten up by the fucking Glaswegian cops.

So that have to be recreated, no script.

So, always you're thrown back on yourself, which, uh, is always, uh,

is a bit daunting but actually is quite nice because you're talking how you'd normally talk,

nothing I said was scripted.

Well, there's two ways, uh, of answering whether,

Ray would have cut the mustard as a Clash roadie.

I think he had the attitude, you know, he is a punk rocker,

and he had the surliness and that snarl.

He was no one's puppy dog, he was certainly not the film crew's puppy dog,

even though they were naturally they were manipulating him to some degree.

He wouldn't just comply always, he'd had his say, and all credit to him for that, I think we liked him for that.

He's an enthusiastic man, with both of his legs pumping at the side of the stage.

But, me too, always,

focused on what were the needs of the band, and watching like a hawk,

all the way through, not just the performance,

getting them there, getting them back to the hotel, moving them on,

and I think I never really saw,

whether Ray could apply himself in that way.

But in terms of commitment, I tell you he'd be excellent.

Because he cared about that band, and you can ask no more than that.

It's not just, can they do that job? But can they do the job with style and attitude?

And on the style and attitude, sure, Ray's got it. Of course he's got it.

I've very many favourite moments of Joe.

He was a very tactile man.

You know, he touched people a lot.

And it's not always what you'd expect from a man and a man.

His means of communication would be to put his arm on my shoulder, lean in,

and whisper into my ear.

It's a fond memory of just that movement of closeness if you like.

I also kind of just like, a cameo, you'll see in the film,

of where he back off the mic for the instrumental bit, just plays rhythm guitar.

and his legs just bouncing, the electric leg as we called it,

and it's just a nice thing to see a man with his back

held straight, his head held high, half looking down at his hands on the fret,

and giving it 20 to the dozen.

It's a nice picture I kind of carry around in my mind.

Very nice.

My favourite Clash song changes day by day.

I am don't play them everyday, but I do now and again.

Other people play 'em, my son plays them and...

Oh, ho. You bastard.

It's got to be White Man in Hammersmith Palais.

*

Well done to Rude Boy.

Because it did cop it, it copped it bang on.

This film, Rude Boy, is an attempt

to go along the path we'd already started with the previous film, A Bigger Splash,

when we were filming with David Hockney and his friends.

And we'd always, we had a big pedigree in documentary film making,

but this was something else, we wanted to take a step further.

And fictionalise a story with real people and have them act out their lives.

David's, uh, assistant at that time,

was an avid music fan and David turned to him

because he thought it should be about music and probably about punk.

It was around 1977 and punk was in the air and it was quite an advanced force.

It was almost a political force. An alternative political force.

And, so, uh, Peter 'cause that was his name said,

you should make a film about The Clash, they're the foremost band.

And more serious than the Sex Pistols, so that's really how it started.

I had done quite a lot of rock concerts,

and I had done them with a Frenchman,

uh, who,

I didn't quite believe it when he said, "Look, I'm just going to get you to film,

and there's a particular way you should film."

This guy's name was Claude Von Tourrer and I became very friendly with him.

And it's the technique you use

by going on stage and getting intimate with the people.

They are not really aware with just one camera.

You just know it seems to work.

And Claude would tell me never film a guitar from the front,

don't ever film it from face on. Always along the neck,

or from the base to go towards the neck. Things like that.

And they worked. We were never sure what was going to happen,

it's almost like an existential film, never know if you're going to finish.

You never know where you're going.

You just know, you got an inertia,

and your emotion, but you're not quite sure what to capture.

You don't film very much footage, until you're sure,

that what you are going to film is going to be decent, useful.

The idea is to give the impression that everything is left to chance.

That this is a very dicey operation.

The Clash might get through their concert, they might not.

Fans might invade the stage, they might not.

You never know what's going to happen.

You are constantly, you never know where it' going to go.

Where's the film going to take you,

there may be moments of boredom almost.

And suddenly it picks up and goes into the direction we wouldn't be even dreamed it was going to go into.

But as they say, it, it's, uh,

it's ultimately very controlled.

But don't want to give the people, the audience,

the idea is controlled.

Oh, they say it's just a documentary but it ain't.

My point of entry to the band was playing the Bernie Rhodes,

and, uh, I think he heard of us and that helped.

And he knew we were utterly serious.

And he did commit to us somehow.

And he must have persuaded the band, so we didn't have any problems with them,

to begin with.

They behaved very badly during, over-dubbing.

Though they did the over-dubbing, don't forget, we got it.

And had they not participated in the over-dubbing, the film would have been a disaster.

Because the sound of the music is absolutely exceptional.

And I say as a person who is not committed to rock music at all.

So, they did participate, oh, it went on forever. The over-dubbing.

And as I say it cost a huge amount of money, double the cost of movie,

just being in the studios with the band.

They never behaved badly on tour.

Because they were, they had a commitment to their fans.

This is punk, it is for the fans and the dispossessed,

who were the fans,

and they were very charming and caring towards their fans.

And I suppose, uh, we benefited from there.

They were very nice to us.

It was, when they had nothing to do, I suppose, when they weren't performing, they were possibly a problem.

But when they were performing, they were good as gold.

Joe wouldn't say very much to us, he was, very much of an interior person.

Never really knew what he was thinking.

He knew he wanted to be a revolutionary, a political revolutionary.

The many slaving for the few.

He's always very sweet. We always thought that he liked us.

Whether he did or not, we never knew.

He never, we never really knew.

You'd never knew where you were with Joe.

The music was not my kind of music.

If it were, I'd never made the film.

Because I think if you make a film about something you really care about,

I think it's terribly difficult and becomes very sentimental.

And the film is sentimentalised.

Whereas here I could see objectively,

it was no doubt, it was hugely exciting,

to be with a live band on stage, inches away from them.

It was hugely exciting.

There was very often a threat in the air during the gigs, there's no doubt about it.

At the Glasgow Apollo, we were on stage most of the time during gigs,

there was just one camera on stage, that was me.

There was a threat at that time.

But because the bouncers were very heavy.

At one point, you could tell, the fans have it in mind to invade the stage,

and they're gonna, they're gonna smash everything inside.

So, it was a bit scary at that point and the performance

did nothing to mitigate the excitement of these fans.

I mean it would just jeep them up, I mean they were really,

hugely in a state of frenzy and excitement.

So, we were really quite scared.

I mean they had a quality, there's no doubt.

They were the best of their kind. You could see that.

You could see the passion with which they performed.

The cameraman has to be very cool in those situations,

when you're with real people, doesn't matter when you're doing a theatrical film

which is all rehearsed, there are lines and whatever.

Doesn't really matter.

But in this thing, you don't really want to affect them, well, not that much.

Yeah, you want the essence of them basically,

and you want their quirkiness and whatever to come out.

And I think the only time we really upset them,

was when we were at Glasgow Apollo,

I got possibly too close to Mick, although he wasn't aware of me until that time I don't think,

and he shouts into the camera and to me,

"Get off the fucking stage."

Get off the fucking stage!

And later on, we came along, we,

we put the response to that or the trigger to that.

We did a cut away shot of Ray, maybe a year later,

or year and half later.

Ray interfering. As though he's telling Ray to get off the stage, not me, the cameraman.

Yeah, it was very difficult at the end of it, the Rock Against Racism concert

because I didn't very well come to the front.

I mean, if I were in front of them, I'd be completely immobilized.

Definitely from say down, beneath them, off the stage

There's no more room on stage at the front.

So, you've got the choice of being on the sidelines.

On the, you know stage right, stage left.

Uh, at the front but there wasn't any room.

Or you could be at the back and take a kind of, um,

an objective look at them, which is basically what I did.

I think we did, I did swing left and right now and then, you know.

There was the opportunity to catch Ray as he kind of, lurched forward

towards the microphone. Nobody knew he was going to do that.

No one had an inkling he was going to do that.

Ray was picked out for the film by David Mingay.

Um... Ah,

because he had been going for some of these gigs and he had been watching the fans.

One of the foremost fans was Ray at the time.

Um, he had done some... He was told that he done a bit of roadie-ing

but not very successfully.

So really when I saw Ray, the first thing I thought was...

I said to David, "Oh God, he's too big."

And I thought, "Oh God, I'll be looking up at him all the time",

which I didn't really want to do because if you change the angle,

below or above the eye line of somebody, it suggests something dramatically.

The Audiences were a lot of them.

They were very cool on him.

They thought he was a big gosh.

They weren't sure about his opinions.

The couldn't accord with his opinions.

They thought as I say, they thought he was a fascist or stupid.

They just couldn't understand his point of view.

which is a very modern point of view if you think now.

People don't want-- The kids don't want to be political.

That's all he was saying. He was saying it doesn't do any good.

It was set up, I'm sorry to say.

But we never quite knew, um,

whether she gave him a blow job or not and he wouldn't say.

And I actually think he can't remember.

He can't remember.

He can't remember a lot of stuff, you know, he told me afterwards, you know.

He'd done so much this and that and he can't remember.

Only other actor is I had an actor friend called Tom Baker, not the English Tom Baker.

And he said, "Ray's performance was extraordinary."

He says, "It's really amazing."

But generally speaking, people were cool to his performance.

They just thought he was an oaf.

And that's not what he tried. I think he tried to behave a bit like...

He tried-- He took his lead from James Dean as I understand it.

I think Ray was not a good choice to be a roadie.

I think that's obvious.

But not for what's intimated in the film.

It wasn't because he was too cack-handed, although he was a bit.

He was not technical with the equipment.

That's absolutely true.

But he's a very, very bright boy. There's no doubt. He was a very bright boy.

Erm...

But he was too independent-minded.

He wasn't really crew-minded.

I think it does accurately reflect what took place.

I mean you see events that, um...

On the Scottish tour, where they got into trouble.

Joe got into trouble and ended up in jail.

Unfortunately extraordinary because he was trying to protect some of the fans.

Because police were arresting all the fans.

So there's an accurate reflection if you wish.

It captures the spirit of the time,

the political ethos and the social ethos at the time. There's absolutely no doubt.

It demonstrates how The Clash became more and more organized, how it almost...

Not the organization but the way they presented themselves

became... was no longer in their control.

It was very easy filming their live scene.

We had five film cameras, five different film cameras, I think.

The stuff that they wore was all coordinated, you know.

I told them you gotta wear black on stage now. Nothing else but black.

And they wore it like a uniform, like the Beatles.

They didn't wear uniforms before but now wanted to wear uniforms, you know.

You're really together now and organized.

You're a rock band and you wear a uniform. And that's what they did.

The band were not involved in any of the editorial

decisions or the way the film was put together.

We never asked them for advise for as to what you think the film should be.

It wasn't their film. It was our film.

There was a confusion as to what the film meant.

And to Mick, he thought that we showed all the black people as being thieves.

And that hurt his liberal sensibility.

There's nothing phony about it, it seems to me.

And it's not pretentious.

And it just generally tries to get the truth out of these people.

And out of the... Out of the events that were happening at the time.

Making a film about a group is extremely difficult because they have a career.

And they're on the up so...

They have a career to defend and they don't really want

necessarily to tell the whole truth about themselves.

It was through just going to gigs and looking at these different bands,

that I did meet Ray.

I asked him what band he thought was the best band.

And he said immediately, Joe Strummer and The Clash.

* And all your crowd walking in *

* Day by day

* You'll still try to stop it

* In any way

* Embassy people

* Turn war officer

* Hear what I say

At that time, The Clash didn't play very much.

So it was only possible to have heard some of their records but you never saw them play.

I think they played a bit on the Anarchy tour and then they kind of rested.

And they had the problem that they were replacing the drummer.

Um, Topper Headon wasn't at that point part of the band.

Mick Jones was a brilliant guitarist.

He could fill out the sound and he could organize the music in an amazing way.

Other people were just very one-dimensional compared to that even then.

Ray was, did work as a roadie.

And first I thought, maybe we would film a little sub plot,

whereby he worked his way up through the subway sect, and then he learnt roadie-ing.

And then he could offer himself to the band, which is roughly what happened actually.

And it was in that period that I was trying to persuade Ray.

Maybe he'll be interested in filming and he wasn't very keen at the time.

You can ask him yourself but uh,

he wasn't like that. I mean, nobody was.

It was just seen as a chore. It was seen as an activity, really.

"Oh God, yes! We have to do it now."

A friend of mine, John Pierce who's a tailor.

He's actually tailor to Mick Jagger and loads of other people,

And he'd been working in Mr. Freedom in the sixties on The King's Road.

Uh, he was a friend of Bernard Rhodes.

And he put me in touch with Bernard and I went to talk to him about

whether there could be some future in making a film about The Clash.

So I had to go around to see all of them. And I think I met Strummer.

Basically, he was very friendly when I went to his rehearsals in Camden Town.

Then I didn't get a chance.

And it wasn't the ideal thing to talk to all of them at once.

So I went around to see Mick Jones at his house

where he lived with Brian James of Generation X.

Um, which was another group I had seen at the Marquee and elsewhere in Soho.

And he shared a flat with him.

And I went there one evening and talked to him about it.

And he sort of was very dismissive. He said, "Ah, no! Oh!", you know.

And he was quite unpleasant and surly in talking to me.

And anyway, Brian James, when I went to the door to leave,

I said, "Oh, he doesn't seem very--"

He said, "Oh, he really likes you, you know."

So I took courage from this.

That they wouldn't always show that they liked you.

So they already had a lot of um, very...

A lot of attitude, massive attitude.

Paul Simonon, I met also.

I think mainly at, maybe with Johnny, Johnny Green, the roadie,

who was just starting work with them then.

I met him at Camden. And he was always very pleasant.

And I did then go around to see him in his place.

And talk to him a bit about making the film.

So in the end, uh, they all agreed, although it didn't sound like it.

And it seemed to be a viable project.

Ray at that time was hanging around The Clash.

'Cause he used to go every night to punk concerts of one kind or another.

And he used to hang around "about the scene", as it was then.

And one thing that he tried to do was to join the band.

To go on tour, to hitch a ride with the band.

He wanted to have a good time with the band. He wanted to follow them around.

And one idea was that he could become a roadie.

Unfortunately, Ray was not perhaps ideal as a roadie.

And another thing was, that he was

quite a heavy drinker of Special Brew beer.

So that it was a bit of... And Special Brew can make you a bit aggressive at times.

And also, you can fall asleep and generally be not particularly efficient.

Now the funny thing about bands is

that they may look as though they're taking drugs and lying around all the time.

And arriving late and doing this and that.

But they hate it in anybody else. They don't want to see that.

They're allowed to do that but nobody else is.

So in a way, the...

The story of the film looks into these kind of contradictions.

The basic idea behind the film in my mind was

to take this kind of filming, pesudo real filming, semi real or real filming,

and to put it into the most difficult circumstances, you could imagine.

So that was how it was.

Because spit was raining down on the cameraman.

There were all these kids, jumping up and down, pogoing.

* Oh yeah

That was the whole thing of punk,

was this real workout and very hot and sweaty.

So you had to be down there, in the front, in this crowd of people filming.

And that's the last thing, in a way that you want.

It's a bit like combat photography.

When we went to Rock Against Racism, The Clash were on the bill.

And I did say to Ray

because I was there, went there with Ray

and we were going to try and film the event.

And we had great difficulty as you can see

because the electricity failed.

I said to Ray, "Well I think you--"

Because it was very near the beginning of his filming.

I said, "Well, maybe you should do something extraordinary today for us."

And so you can see the rest...

What happened in the film.

I didn't tell him what to do.

He improvised it.

Like Marlon Brando.

The way in which Joe cooperated with us was quite interesting.

If it was a musical, then in musicals they often have a scene

where somebody sits down by a piano and sings a song.

A kind of sentimental moment of...

A sympathetic moment for the heroes.

And uh...This...

I said to Joe, "Well, maybe we would like to have a scene

"whereby he would play at the piano with Ray,

in which they would make some kind of interchange.

And in that scene... This is kind of a transitional scene,

whereby Joe kind of explains something to him, maybe in music.

An uh, I said, "Well, we're gonna film in a week's time.

"Joe, are you ready? Have you got something to do?" And he said, "No."

You know, this was kind of his joke, "No."

And he would not... I mean, we didn't have brain storming sessions.

It was the opposite. It was minimal.

And it was a joke as though we couldn't...

Uh, we wouldn't get anything or we would be lucky to get something.

That they wouldn't cooperate. That they wouldn't show up and that nothing would happen.

But I would say that this was a way in which,

um, everbody kept real.

So you got something that was real. They weren't telling you what they were gonna do.

They weren't talking about it too much. They did their thing, you did your thing.

You came together but you didn't discuss it. It happened.

So I was really surprised when we got...

We picked up Joe in the film van.

And took him down to the studio by the tower bridge,

which we'd hired for the occasion.

There was this honky tonk piano there

and I saw Joe took out of his top pocket, a little notebook.

And I thought, I said, "Oh!"

He said, "I'm just finishing it. Yes, it's all ready."

So there he was, very efficient.

He prepared himself and he had this song,

which he played at the piano, which we know, No Reason.

* I ain't got no reason

* To drag around

* I'm the right kind of color

* In the white part of town

The only problem I think, with a group is it's a four headed monster.

So you go... You're running around trying to give biscuits to each head.

And also, you're trying to give them equal time in the film which is kind of a group thing.

And that is a problem. We had to try to get what we wanted out of them.

And they were doing up to their neck, trying to do what they had to do.

They were trying to get through the concerts, get through the night and so on.

Maybe their private life was also exploding around them.

So there was an antagonism and...

Joe had a bit of a sense of humor which was a bit like Paul's.

And Mick was at times, very, very diva-ish, very impossible.

At other times, very nice.

Topper was usually obstreperous.

And pseudo, psuedo-aggressive.

Having a sub plot in a movie is always a very dangerous thing.

And it was necessary in this movie because of the subject of the songs.

And the songs talk endlessly about black issues, Rudie.

Rudie, Rudie, Rudie, Rudie.

No one knows what the Rude boy knows.

The Rude boy, all these guys would come from the country in Jamaica to town,

who are kinda pseudo bad men and they are supposed to be...

As in the heart, they come rooting and shooting and so on in theory.

Ray Gange is a pale reflection of such a character.

He's not a gangster. He's nothing.

Neither are any of these fans but they want to be bad.

They would like to be a bit bad.

The real meaning, actually of the sub plot in Rude Boy

is in my opinion, if you set out to be an anarchistic group,

who tried to overthrow the state,

who try to mislead the youth,

who support drug taking

and who create anarchy,

you make a million,

if you are, um, white.

If you are black you will be arrested for stealing a pound.

And you will be put in jail and kept there for many years.

So that is really what the message was intended to be.

And I think that it does work that way.

The film was very successful in France.

The one reason was because they had subtitles translating all Joe's lyrics.

And I think if you actually follow the lyrics, it makes a lot more sense.

My favorite Clash song

probably is White Man In Hammersmith Palais.

Like Nick Hornby and other people.

I think Nick Hornby includes it inis top ten tunes of all time.

Uh, I think that's a lovable song.

I love, erm, Safe European Home.

So I love the reggae influenced, the reggae version.

I mean like The Clash music which is very punk reggae.

Which was one of their great achievements.

And I must say, Police and Thieves was presented in that way.

There was... I just saw a magazine, a French magazine about The Clash.

After Joe's death and you know, it puts all this into a context, really.

But they said that this, this shot,

which was the first concert we shot actually for the film,

was recently from Birmingham.

Nightclub in Birmingham.

Quite a small venue.

But this shot with just one camera which Jack took,

filming from down here, erm...

Filming all in one shot, really.

That number was... They call it amazing.

They have all these names for it. They call it uh...

What they mean is, they call it something,

which means a single shot, a moving developing shot.

Developing shot, I think we call it in cinema.

One developing shot.

And then you see this, this... The punk tremor,

the delirium, the mania of punk,

which, that's what punk is about.

And that's what really, I think you know,

is the great attraction of punk now if you watch.

For rock stars, it's not like that.

- Good idea. - Is that too much?

- Don't get to say how I see it. - Yeah.

How's the album going then, Joe?

- All right? - Yeah.

What did you think of what the American geezers do instead of footie?

- I think alright. - They're still improving.

Yeah, well. Footie was last.

All right, so it was a little bit. It's like the basic thing of it, right?

- The right principal. - Yeah.

Well, I don't know. Maybe it's gonna become too smooth and whatever.

Yeah, well we have to do something. We can't go on being like that.

- Sorry about that. - Joe what?

I've seen this before, yeah.

Yeah? You reckon it's gonna be better than the last one.

- Yeah, it fails. - Gonna be more rootsy.

- Or less. - More punk rock.

- You're right. - Yeah.

It's gonna be more polished at the same time, don't you think that?

- American Production. - No polish.

- No? - More punk rock.

All right. That's about it.

Do you think this new album is gonna be any different to the first one, Joe?

- No, it's gonna be better. - It's gonna be better.

You don't think the Americanization of it is gonna fuck it up at all.

- No, they don't count. - No, anyway.

Their production might make any difference.

They're technicians.

Yeah, but they make it more pure, won't they,

than Micky's last one, don't you think?

You'll be able to get more punk rock in it.

- You think so? As against the roughness. - Yes, David.

No, man. I don't know. I don't fucking like the idea of doing it.

I think that they should fuck off and let somebody else do it.

Maybe you ain't tried dancing to it.

I don't dance to anything anyway, is it?

Don't you reckon they'll make it a better album

than Micky could or anyone, any English producer?

- Yeah. - Yeah.

Don't you think they're doing it for the American market?

I don't know any English producers mind but...

- It ain't hard to find him now, is it? - Where's Mickey Foote?

- Yeah. See even the last one didn't last very long. - Best of the New Wave.

So it's the fucking best album of the last year, ain't it?

Pity he goes around pushing people out of his car and killing them.

- So shut up. - I don't want to fucking use him again, man.

He's a shitbag, so whatever.

So let's say if they're technicians, they're too pure, innit?

Get somebody that brings out the bsic sound rather than purify it.

He goes to sleep too much if you wanna know the truth.

Too lazy.

So you don't think the Americans are gonna fuck it up?

And that's all.

I don't know. I think so.

I feel like I'll make a bollock out of it but I don't know.

Well, what I've heard anyway sounds alright.

I don't know if it's all right, eh?

Yeah.

I only got mine and Mick's guitar.

Yeah.

Could do it with a bit of vocal, all right?

It's really far away.

One, Two, One, Two. Got nothing at all.

Nothing at all. Nothing at all. Nothing at all.

When do I come in?

* I was hanging around that market street *

Yeah.

- Just had a blank. Okay. One more.

Okay, go.

* I was hanging around the market street *

* I had a lot of time in my hands *

* Till I saw some passing yabbos *

* And we did chance to speak

* I knew how to sing

* And they knew how to pose

* And one of them had a Les Paul *

* Heart attack machine

- Okay, man. One more. - Yeah.

- All right. From the top. - I'm just coming in too early.

- All right. - Yeah. It's not good.

Yeah, I just gotta leave it.

Give it. Give it to me again. I just gotta leave it twice.

All right. From the top.

* I was hanging around the market street *

* And I had a lot of time on my hands *

* I saw some passing yabbos

* We did chance to speak

* Well, I knew how to sing

* And they knew how to pose

* An' one of them had a Les Paul *

* Heart attack machine

Three, Four, One, two, two.

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

* An' I want to move the town to the Clash city rockers *

*You need a little jump of electrical shockers *

*You better leave town if you only want to knock us *

* Nothing stands the pressure of the Clash city rockers *

* You see the rate they come down the escalator *

* Now listen to the tube train accelerator *

* Then you realize that you got to have a purpose *

* Or this place is gonna knock you out sooner or later *

* So don't complain, oh

* About your useless employment, oh *

* Jack it in forever tonight

* Or shut your mouth, oh

* An' I want to liquefy everybody gone dry *

* Think of all the money you've got *

* An' I want to liquefy everybody gone dry *

* Or plug into the aerials that poke up in the sky *

* Or burn down the suburbs with the half-closed eyes *

* You won't succeed unless you try *

* So don't complain, oh

* About your useless employment, oh *

* Jack it in forever tonight

* Or shut your mouth, oh

* And pretend you enjoy it, oh *

* Think of all the money you've got *

* Yeah, yeah

*

*

*

* An' I want to move the town to the Clash city rockers *

* You need a little jump of electrical shockers *

* You better leave town if you only want to knock us *

* Nothing stands the pressure of the Clash city rockers *

* You owe me a move

* Say the bells of St. Groove

* When I am fitter say the bells of Gary Glitter *

* When I am fitter say the bells of Gary Glitter *

* No one but you and I

* Say the bells of Prince Far-I *

* No one but you and I

* Say the bells of Prince Far-I *

* An' I want to move the town to the Clash city rockers *

* You need a little jump of electrical shockers *

* You better leave town if you only want to knock us *

* Nothing stands the pressure of the Clash city rockers *

* Rock rock Clash city rockers *

* Rock rock Clash city rockers

* Rock rock Clash city rockers

* Rock rock Clash city rockers

* Tommy gun

* You ain't happy less he got one *

* Tommy gun

* Ain't gonna shoot you up just for fun *

* But do you want to die for the money? *

* And do you want to kill for his country? *

* Whatever he wants, he's gonna get it! *

* Tommy gun

* Waiting for the grave carrying one *

* Tommy gun

* You'll be dead when your war is won *

*

* Whatever you want, you're gonna get it *

*

*

*

*

*

*

*Tommy gun

* You have brush a trigger of the Thompson gun *

*Tommy gun

* But did you have to gun down everyone? *

* I can see it's kill or be killed *

* A nation of destiny has got to be fulfilled *

* Whatever you want, you're gonna get it *

*Tommy gun

*You can be a hero in an age of none *

*Tommy gun

* I'm cutting out your picture from page one *

* I'm gonna get a jacket just like yours *

* An' give my false support to your cause *

* Whatever you want, you're gonna get it *

*

*

*

* So *

*

* So

*

* Take your minds

* Is our Road

*

* Please don't judge somebody

* Don't sound so excited

- No way. - Hit it!

Rude Boy!

*

*

*

* Breakin' rocks in the hot sun *

* I fought the law and the law won *

* I fought the law and the law won *

* I needed money 'cause I have none *

* I fought the law and the law won *

* I fought the law and the law won *

* Killed my baby and it felt so bad *

* Guess my race is run

* Sweetest little woman that I've ever had *

* I fought the law and the law won *

* I fought the law but the law won *

-== [ www.MY-SUBS.org ] ==-