Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
@ Akasaka Blitz(18th Jan'00)
Captive in the casbah...
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Joe was late and so was I. Just when I had siddled my way through the almost capacity crowd at the Akasaka Blitz and jostled for a spot near the middle, Joe walked on stage and the crowd roared. He looked happy. They looked expectant.
"Sorry we're late. We're gonna warm up with The Road To Rock And Roll," Joe confided, and whop! - the room was woofing with some heavy dub 'n' bass. Nice, I thought, as the band eased their way into the set. They hadn't played like this at Fuji. A couple of foreigners to my left were also enjoying the vibe, but we were almost alone. The rest of the crowd didn't seem to get it.
It must be hard being Joe Strummer, being known for fronting and writing most of the songs for legendary band, The Clash. And here he is 20 years down the road and after a decade out of sight, and he's knocking out some cool simmering dub between punk standards. He would much prefer that fans went crazy for his new tunes. The Mescaleros don't seem to mind. They move quietly about the stage, playing tag teams on keyboards, drums and guitar for some songs - impressive versatility and demeanor, as the fans lie in wait.
On my other side, a typical Harajuku rockabilly dude, with glitter cowboy boots and a coif with more curves and flips than Elvis Presley's, slouched akimbo next to his mate. They stood stock still, staring dead ahead. The crowd was swaying in rhythmic obesience to the raggae. A mohekan, belonging to a lone punk near the front, gently undulated in the draft from the stage's air-conditioning unit. It was way down and mellow.
Rock The Casbah and Brand New Cadillac barely upped the mood. The only heads bobbing still belonged to foreigners. Joe introed Tony Adams with a bit of footy chat with his sound man. I laughed but the crowd didn't. The rockabilly dude slouched off to buy beer. The rest of them listened patiently and respectfully and waited...
Everyone knew it was only a matter of time till the band launched into a familiar blood-pumping Clash anthem. After a teasingly long delay, finally they did. The unmistakable twangy guitar strains of London's Calling wailed through the room. Instantly, the congealed mass of people at the front of the stage were up and moshing. The rockabilly dude was doing the twist and slopping his beer. Demure looking salaried workers were now pogoing and pumping their fists in the air. The place was rocking.
After that, it didn't matter too much what the band played. Joe had them. They were his. They even made their way through a cover of Toot's & The Maytals's "Pressure Drop" without visibly downing the vibe (though the moshing did stop). And when it came to an encore, Joe didn't put up too much of a fight. The fans won as he rocked back at them with White Riot. They were howling. And all smiles as they drifted out of the auditorium. They'd got what they came for: a riot of their own.
The set list....
Road To Rock and Roll
Rock the Casbah
X Ray Style
Brand New Cadillac
Nothing
Tony Adams
Nitcomb
White Man
London Calling
Yalla Yalla
Rudie Can't Fail
Safe Euro
Pressure Drop
I Fought the Law
Tommy Gun
----encore----
Techno D Day
Bankrobber
Police
White Riot
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report by sisterchill and photos by hanasan
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