Text by: Maíra Watanabe
The exhibition "The Clash: London Calling" at the Museum of London, England, celebrates the 40th anniversary of the release of the band's double album, which took place in the European winter of 1979. The exhibition features a collection of over 150 items from the personal archives of the band members and many curiosities about this classic album that has become one of the best rock albums in the world.
London Calling became an instant classic, a masterpiece that defined an era through its lyrics that expressed the band's passion for action as well as their anger at the politics of that time.
Each item on display tells the fascinating story of the creation of this album that changed the history of music worldwide and made the British band the most popular of the 20th century.
There you can see many photos, instruments, tickets, handwritten song lyrics, and documentaries detailing the band's relationship with its fans, especially those young people who couldn't get into the show because of the ticket price.
In one of his testimonies, he stated that when Johnny Green joined the band in 1977, he was instructed to keep the back of the venue free. He recounts: “If I saw any kids who couldn’t afford to get in, I’d let them in, and that’s what I did, every night of the shows. That space was for them.”
Some of the most impressive items on display include the Fender bass guitar smashed by Paulo Simono on stage at The Palladium in New York on September 20, 1979; a draft written by Mick Jones with the track listing for the album; one of Joe Strummer Topper Headon 's drumsticks ; and the 1950s Fender Esquire guitar used by Joe Strummer during the recording of the song.
The exhibition is quite intimate, with visitors of different ages passing through. One of them, Alex Wylie, 21, invited his father, who was a fan of the band, to visit. Although he didn't live through that era, he came into contact with the album through his father, but says that many people his age don't know it.
"Nowadays, there's a lot of bad music being produced, The Clash is the opposite, their lyrics are deep and relevant. Now I understand their concept better. We can even compare the moment we're living through here in the UK today with that period; if we look at the current system, we see that the lyrics are still very relevant. It's very interesting. They didn't follow the rules of the system, they did what they wanted, and that's what made them a huge success."
His father, John Wylie, 58, was lucky enough to go to several shows, one after the other, in the same city. “The Clash was the best band of the time; they were alternative, against conformity, and expressed themselves the way they really thought. This made them very popular. Besides, the shows were incredible; they never played the same setlist twice. I admired them a lot, mainly because they were against the government of the time—we had Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister—and since I was also against her, I followed that ideal,” he concludes.
The exhibition is free at the Museum of London and runs until April 19, 2020 for anyone who can visit.
