Calling all Londoners: Beginning November 15, you can see the fragments of Paul Simonon’s bass guitar he so iconically obliterated onstage at a 1979 Palladium show in New York City. The instrument meeting its imminent demise on the cover of The Clash’s classic 1979 record London Calling will be one of many items on display at the Museum of London through the spring of 2020.
Lyrics notebooks, stage clothes, drum sticks, and Joe Strummer’s typewriter are also among items at the free exhibit titled The Clash: London Calling. Honoring one of the most influential punk records ever made, the event will also coincide with the release of the London Calling Scrapbook, a 120-page hardcover companion book released via Sony Music that will make many of these behind-the-scenes items on display in London a bit more accessible to those of us across the pond.
“London Calling is The Clash’s defining album, a rallying call for Londoners and people around the world,” said MoL’s Beatrice Behlen, who curated the showcase alongside the band and Robert Gordon McHarg III. “The album’s lyrics reflected contemporary concerns, many of which are still relevant today, as it moved away from traditional punk by adopting and reworking much wider musical influences.”
For more info, check out the band’s official website.
