Wish I'd Seen 'Em #4 - Joe Strummer

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Wish I'd Seen 'Em. It's a musical series about musicians that I wish I'd seen in concert, because they are now deceased, and I sure ain't gonna see them now. We are at #4: Joe Strummer (1952-2002.) Joe Strummer was the lead vocalist/rythym guitarist/lyricist for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame punk band, The Clash. And while he did some good solo work for films such as Sid and Nancy, and fronted a fine post-Clash band, The Mescalaros, face it, Joe Strummer will always be linked first and foremost with the legendary punk band (Yesterday, I stated that you could make a very strong argument for the Ramones as the greatest punk band ever. You could also make a very convincing case for The Clash.) To say that I wish that I had seen The Clash is an understatement, and a big one at that. They weren't called "The Only Band that Matters" for nothing. They were a protest song factory, and I have a great love of protest songs. And to have seen them perform those songs would have been a dream come true. The band played Red Rocks here in Denver in support of their 1982 smash album, Combat Rock. This was long before the advent of the Internet, but that show sold out fast. I was unable to get tickets. My friend's fiance scored a couple, and apparently had a smashing time with her friend. As far as my friend and I were concerned, all we could do was sit there in their apartment, drink beer, and listen to Clash albums. Which obviously didn't have the same effect. At least someone I knew got to see them. Still wish it had been me. (Info verified by Wikipedia)