Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 8480 Plough Quarterly • Winter 2017 “This is a public service announcement – with guitars!” Left knee energetically pumping, black Fender Telecaster in hand, Joe Strummer called audiences world- wide to attention. This was “Combat Rock.” This year marks four decades since the celebrated UK punk band The Clash formed in 1976. Despite the passage of time, their muti- nous snarls, rebellious spirit, and global vision still resonate today, acting as an atomic alarm clock alerting sleepers everywhere to wake up and get to work. Touted as “the only band that matters,” they sought to change the world through a musical insurrection. In some ways, they succeeded. For many, stumbling upon The Clash was transforma- tional. Their songs spoke bluntly against fascism, racism, and brutality; they critiqued capital- ist corruption. They left listeners feeling: no, we don’t have to submissively take this abuse, the future is still to be written, and we can somehow be part of it. Joe Strummer, The Clash’s front man, was born John Graham Mellor in 1952. He lived in various countries as a child, thanks to his father’s career as a British foreign service diplomat. As a young man, after art school, he worked as a janitor, gravedigger, ukulele-strumming busker in the London Underground, and a member of a rockabilly band, where his unique playing style earned him the name “Strummer.” The tumultuous social, political, and eco- nomic climate of 1970s England unbolted the door for a punk eruption. Punk made audible the inexpressible; with only a few chords and a lot of volume it transformed widespread dis- satisfaction into sound. Formed in the midst of this movement, The Clash recorded and toured almost unceasingly. Their albums London Calling and Combat Rock embody some of their best work. Though the band members eventually parted ways, in the years that followed Joe Strummer held fast to his ideals, no matter how out of step with the times they seemed. I’d like to say that people can change anything they want to; and that means everything in the world. Show me any country and there’ll be people in it. And it’s the people that make the country. People have got to stop pretending they’re not on the world. People are running about following their little tracks. I am one of them. But we’ve all gotta just stop following our own little mouse trail. People are out there doing bad things to each other. . . . Greed . . . it ain’t going anywhere! They should have that on a big billboard across Times Square. Think on that. Without people, you’re nothing. In a world where walls and differences are emphasized and even encouraged, his message of unification remains as relevant as ever. In his own words, “Punk ain’t the boots or the hair dye. It must be the attitude that you have, that [you] approach everything in life with that attitude. . . . In fact, punk rock means exemplary manners to your fellow human being.”  Jason Landsel is the artist for Plough’s “Forerunners” series, including the painting opposite. “Punk rock means exemplary manners to your fellow human being.” Joe Strummer For e ru n n e r s Joe Strummer J A S O N L A N D SE L