The Clash story mapped by the places they lived, played, evolved … and shot pigeons

The Clash story mapped by the places they lived, played, evolved … and shot pigeons

Author: Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Alex Gold March 27, 2026 Duration: 38:58

Paul Gorman, author and curator, has put together fascinating maps of the London haunts of Bowie and the Stones and just published one about the Clash built around key locations in the network that formed them and helped them to flourish. It’s a beautiful thing: buy one and take the walking tour! He talks to us here about …

 

… how an Agit-Prop alternative West London emerged with links to Oz, IT and San Francisco counter-culture

 

… kindred spirits meeting in Rock On, Compendium Books and the dole office in Lisson Grove

 

… how their artwork and black and white photos linked them to the past

 

.. the days when corrugated iron and fly-posters were part of the London vernacular

 

… Guns On The Roof: how the band and press ramped up an element of danger

 

... the art school background that gave them control of their visuals

 

… “Big Audio Dynamite was the band the Clash could have been!”

 

… Nick Lowe’ theory that everyone is either funny or not funny: “The Clash? Not funny”

 

… Kosmo Vinyl’s attempt to get their triple album released for the price of a single

 

… their connections to the Slits, Bernie Rhodes, Patti Smith, Pennie Smith, Hawkwind and Heathcote Williams

 

…and the moving story of Joe and Mick’s last meeting.

 

Order the Clash map here: https://www.herblester.com/products/london-calling-the-clash-in-the-capital

 

Paul’s Slits walking tour here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/slits-are-girls-walking-tour-with-paul-gorman-tickets-1985048002010


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There’s a particular kind of conversation about music that happens between friends who’ve spent a lifetime immersed in it-not as distant critics, but as participants in the culture. That’s the atmosphere you’ll find in Word In Your Ear, a podcast from Mark Ellen, David Hepworth, and Alex Gold. With a collective eighty years of writing and broadcasting for titles like Smash Hits and Mojo, and shows from "The Old Grey Whistle Test" to VH-1, they don’t just recount history; they unpack the stories behind it with the ease of a shared laugh. This podcast grew naturally from their work on the late, great magazine The Word, where they began recording over thirteen years ago, building a dedicated following who found something genuinely special in the mix. Each episode weaves together music, commentary, history, and interviews, moving seamlessly from deep-dive analysis of a seminal album to a frank chat with a surprising guest, all delivered with the warmth and wit of a late-night chat. It feels less like a formal show and more like you’ve been invited to pull up a chair in a room where the anecdotes are plentiful and the expertise is worn lightly. The result is a consistently engaging listen that treats music not as a museum piece but as a living, breathing part of our lives.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Word In Your Ear
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