ATTACK OF THE CLONES

...Any relevant events can raise the profile of a tribute hand. Anything that reminds the public about the originals - a reformation, a re-release. A death. Joe Strummer, chief agitator of 'The Clash. died before his time last December. As shocked and sad as they were to lose a hero, Glasgow's Counterfeit Clash know it's not a coincidence that their shows have never been so busy. " The funny thing is" says Robert McCahill, the music technology lecturer who pulls Mick Jones duties on guitar and hacking vocals, "we got quite a few messages of sympathy from people. Which was bizarre. They wanted to tell us how upset they were. It's been quite touching recently, the whole place raising their glasses to Joe." And sure enough, when I go and see them play at Glasgow rock pub Firewater, the guy next to me at the urinal is nodding his head to their bang on cover of London Calling. He stares at me disconcertingly, looking for acknowledgement. "Joe Strummer. man," he says, tritely hut sincerely.

 Actually. The Counterfeit Clash are brilliant. McCahill says they play to "ex-punks who are now professionals, and come along in their suits. And the ones who never grew out it. Then there's the younger folk discovering The Clash for the first time." "The night isn't ideal - a Wednesday night, a bar full of students - but by the time they play White Riot there are kids bouncing at the front and standing on tables. McCahill and the band take it just seriously enough to get the sound right. Otherwise they do it because it's fun. Maybe there's something essential in the music that makes it work even with someone else playing it.......

(extract from "Attack of the Clones" by Stephan Phelan. Sunday Herald Magazine 16/2/3)