Tag Archives: Dublin

Episode 17: The Ireland Episode

I’m back after a few weeks off, a good part of which I spent in Ireland, traveling from Dublin to Sligo, my mother’s ancestral home, and back to Dublin to see Bruce Springsteen in concert. Needless to say, it was quite a trip.

On this week’s episode, I talk about Joe’s and the Clash’s connections to Ireland (that is, in addition to Joe’s filling in for Shane MacGowan from time to time, which I’ve talked about before), from the band’s support for the Irish republican cause (including the H Block protests in 1976) to Joe writing the song “46664 (Long Walk to Freedom)” with Bono and Dave Stewart to honor Nelson Mandela. 

Having spent some time at the James Joyce Centre in Dublin and having watched the documentary Bono and the Edge: A Sort of Homecoming with David Letterman, I also share my thoughts on the respective roles of Joyce and U2 in Irish cultural history, and how the latter, somewhat maligned these days, played a role in moving the country in the direction of a modern, progressive democracy. (By the way, the drag queen Dave interviews is Panti Bliss — how could I have forgotten her name?!)

Dublin City Center, May 2023

From there, I talk about Springsteen’s phenomenal show in Dublin — and, yes, there’s a Clash connection here too! As I’ve mentioned before, it turns out that Joe was quite a fan, as this letter demonstrates. All in all, it was a great trip and it gave me a lot to think about!

Anyway, please give this week’s show a listen and share your thoughts in the comments below. And remember, as Joe always said, “Without people, you’re nothing.”

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Episode 11: Belated St. Patrick’s Day Shenanigans

I’m back after a week off and I’m ready to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Better late than never, right? And, no, the gravelly voice you hear is not a byproduct of Jameson; it’s the byproduct of 6:30 on a Friday morning and not enough coffee.

Anyway, on this week’s show I spend some time talking about two of my favorite Irish groups, Thin Lizzy and, of course, the Pogues, giving a nod to the statue of the late great Phil Lynott in Grafton Street, Dublin, and waxing philosophical about the Pogues’ fantastic album, If I Should Fall From Grace With God, which was released in 1988 (35 years ago!). I’m especially fond of the song “Thousands Are Sailing,” which, aside from being personally meaningful to me as an Irish American, might just be the most perfect song ever written.

From there, I turn to International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which occurred on March 21, 2023 (thanks to Punk Rock History on Twitter for mentioning it!). From the Dead Kennedys’ “Nazi Punks F— Off” to the Clash’s anti-fascist, anti-violence, anti-racist credo, the true punk spirit will always stand for eliminating racial discrimination everywhere. 

But, on a serious note, I can’t help but wonder about the road we’re traveling and how eerily similar it is to William Sheridan Allen’s description of small town Germany in his book, The Nazi Seizure of Power: The Experience of a Single German Town, 1922-1945. I read that book decades ago in college, yet what he describes seems a little … too familiar today. 

Finally, to lighten things up a bit, I talk about a truly enjoyable Twitter exchange I had the other day with longtime guitarist Mike Branch of the Hellcats and Night Rose. Mike is a great guy, so please follow him on Twitter and Instagram and check out his music. You won’t be disappointed!

So please give this week’s show a listen and share your thoughts in the comments below. And as Joe always said, “Without people, you’re nothing.”

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Episode 5: Tom Verlaine, Television, CBGB, Joe Strummer and the Pogues, and Jimmy Cliff

On this week’s rambling podcast, I start, somewhat unintentionally, with where I left off last week, talking about yet another artist we lost too soon: Tom Verlaine of Television, who died on January 28, 2023. Though I was aware of Television back in the day, I first gave them a serious listen after seeing the 2013 film CBGB, about the legendary music venue in the Bowery that launched the careers of the Ramones, Blondie, and Talking Heads, among others. (Here is the NPR review of CBGB I mention on the show.) 

Verlaine was the pivotal figure in one of the most influential, if lesser known, punk bands to come out of New York in the 1970s. He was an excellent guitar player in a band that was quintessentially punk, but not in an overtly self-conscious way. If you’re not familiar with Television or Verlaine’s artistry, the 1977 LP Marquee Moon is an excellent place to start, and check out Patti Smith’s beautifully written obituary/memorial called “He Was Tom Verlaine” in The New Yorker. 

From there, I pause for a moment to recognize James Joyce’s 141st birthday and segue into a discussion of Joe Strummer’s days with the Pogues, including the iconic 1991 Pogues/Strummer show in London when Joe was filling in for Shane MacGowan (note: I mistakenly said the show took place in 1988). Rhino Records released a recording of that show, aptly named The Pogues with Joe Strummer — Live in London, in 2014. And speaking of MacGowan, his Wikipedia page has one of the greatest ear-related punk rock stories of all time.

Finally, in this week’s Great Artists, Good People segment, I talk about the legendary Jimmy Cliff, a guy who introduced a generation of suburban Chicago kids to reggae with the soundtrack to his 1972 film, The Harder They Come. It’s not just that Jimmy is a great artist, but he also has a strong connection to the Clash and Joe Strummer. So much so that the Clash mention both The Harder They Come and Jimmy Cliff’s character, Ivan, in “The Guns of Brixton” from London Calling:

You see, he feels like Ivan

Born under the Brixton sun

His game is called survivin’

At the end of The Harder They Come

To bring it full circle, it turns out that Jimmy recorded his own version of “The Guns of Brixton” with Tim Armstrong of Rancid, which is totally excellent. And here’s Jimmy’s song “Over the Border,” featuring Joe Strummer. The Clash connections are everywhere!

So please give this week’s show a listen and share your thoughts in the comments. And as Joe always said, “Without people, you’re nothing.” 

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