The Story of The Clash

Our guest, Chris Salewicz, was there at the dawn of punk in 1976 England, witnessing firsthand the birth of The Clash and Sex Pistols. Chris attended the first ever performances of both bands and will share insider stories of their rise and lasting influence over the last 50 years.In this episode, you’ll discover: The fascinating childhood that shaped Strummer’s persona and The Clash approachWhy Clash frontman Joe Strummer changed his nameHow guitarist Mick Jones' encyclopedic knowledge of music evolved the band's soundInside stories behind The Clash vs. Sex Pistols rivalry and how Chris compares each band  The reason Paul Simonon, a non-musician, joined The ClashHow The Clash brought reggae to the massesThe economic realities of the UK that fueled punk’s explosionLearn how The Clash became the first punk band to experience mass commercial success.  Widely loved by a legion of famous fans including Pete Townshend, U2, Green Day and Nirvana, The Clash combined social conscious lyrics, music genre-bending influences and a fiery on-stage presence to captivate a generation of music fans. The influence of punk on all forms of art has continued to this day.    Follow Garage to Stadiums (GTS) on social channels  Subscribe to our bonus Garage to Stadium content across our social + web channels Guest Bio - Chris SalewiczChris wrote Redemption Song: The Ballad of Joe Strummer and knew each of the member of The Clash personally. He is the author of several iconic musicians' bios including Bob Marley, Mick Jagger & Keith Richard, Jimmy Page and more. He also was involved in the launch of MTV Europe.