The Mescaleros

The Mescaleros was the group formed by Joe Strummer and Antony Genn in 1999, which carried out 3 albums before the death of Strummer in 2002. The majority of the members of the group were gifted multi-instrumentalists.

The original group was composed of:

  • Joe Strummer with the Guitar and the song,
  • Antony Genn with the Guitar,
  • Scott Shields with the low ,
  • Martin Slattery with the keyboard and the Guitar (as well as with the Flute and the Saxophone on certain titles)
  • Pablo Cook on various instruments of percussion,
  • and Smiley (alias Steve Barnard) with the battery.
  • Richard Flack also appeared for various effects and instruments.

History

The group started with the co-operation of Joe Strummer with Pablo Cook and Richard Norris. These trois-là joined initially to write the original soundtrack of 2 short films, Tunnel off Coils and Question off Honor . The song Yalla Yalla was besides in the beginning written by this trio and arranged by Antony Genn. Once Genn integrated the team, a new song Techno D-Day was recorded, which pushed Joe Strummer, on the request for Genn, to put itself at the recording of a new disc.

The original beater, Ged Lynch, left the group before the end of the recording of their first album Rock Art and the X-Ray Style . It is Steve " Smiley" Barnard, old beater of Robbie Williams, which replaced it to finish work.

Scott Shields and Martin Slattery was engaged thanks to knowledge of the group. Slattery had already appeared on the album of Robbie Williams Life Thru has Lens , and Scott Shields was a friend of Slattery. Enough oddly, in the initial group, only Smiley played the instrument which he knew best. According to the rumor, Genn, although not a bad guitarist, did not have the sufficient capacity to be guitar lead, for this reason Slattery integrated the group. However, it had to pass to the wind instruments and the keyboard, but its natural facility with almost all the instruments allowed him. Strummer joked even once Slattery could play of the music with a hole in the windshield of the bus of their tounée. Shields had been beater before, but was enlisted to play of low and then of the guitar.

The first concert of Mescaleros took place with Sheffield, the birthplace of Antony Genn, in Leadmill the June 5th 1999. They turned the 6 months intensively which followed, that it is with the festival of Glastonbury, the United States or in Europe.

Tymon Dogg, an old friend of Joe Strummer, united the group in 2000 to play of the violin and the Spanish guitar. Among the honorary members of Mescaleros, one counts also John Blackburn and Jimmy Hogarth, who played both of low to replace Scott Shields for the round of 2000 in first part of The Who , which was also the first round of Tymon Dogg with the group.

Following the departure of Genn and Smiley, Scott Shields passed to the guitar, Simon Stafford integrated the formation to play of low, and Luke Bullen of the battery. Pablo Cook left in August 2001 to join Moby.

Following the left Global has Go-Go , Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros made a round of 21 dates in North America, Great Britain, and in Ireland. Once more, these concerts took again the repertory of the Clash ( London Calling , Rudie Can' T Fail ), as well as of the tubes reggae ( The Harder They Like , has Message To You, Rudie ) and regularly finished the show by a wink with late the Joey Ramone by playing Blitzkrieg Bop of the Ramones .

The group signed with the label Punk califorien Hellcat Records, and carried out three albums. After the exit of the first, Rock'n'roll Art and the X-Ray Style , they turned in England and North America, with sets taking again to the favorite tubes fans of the Clash.

Musicalement, Mescaleros continued the eclectic kind which made the success of Strummer during the time of the Clash. Sonorities Reggae, Jazz, Funk, Hip hop, Country and of course Punk rock'n'roll can be found in their 3 discs.

The group was also the subject of documentary of Dick Rude entitled Let' S Rock Again! which left in DVD the June 27th 2006.

The any last Concert of Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros was played Liverpool, the November 22nd 2002. This spectacle is often forgotten however with the detriment of that given the November 16th 2002 to Acton Town Hall, in the west of London. It is in this concert, with the profit of the firemen in strike, that Mick Jones found Joe Strummer on scene for the first time in nearly 20 years, for the legendary song of the Clash Bankrobber . They gave that on White Riot and London' S Burning . At the end of this round, the group turned over directly in studio. Unfortunately, Joe Strummer died of an heart attack the December 22nd 2002 while returning at his place after having walked its dogs.

The last album of the group, Streetcore , left in a posthumous way the October 20th 2003.

The group also made some notable appearances in The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O' Brien, as well as at the time of the " Hootenany Festival " at the summer 2001.

Members

  • Martin Slattery - guitar lead, keyboard, saxophone, flute
  • Scott Shields - guitar, low guitar
  • Antony Genn - guitar (1999-2000)
  • Simon Stafford - low guitar, trombone (2001-2002)
  • Tymon Dogg - violin, Spanish guitar, keyboard (2000-2002)
  • John Blackburn - low guitar (2000)
  • Jimmy Hogarth - low guitar (2000)
  • Pablo Cook - percussions (1999-2001)
  • Luke Bullen - battery (2001-2002)
  • Steve " Smiley" Barnard - battery (1999-2000)

Discography

DVDs on which Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros appear :

  • Viva Joe Strummer - Realized by M.Parkinson

  • Let' S Again Rock'n'roll! - Carried out by Hard Dick
  • Later with Jools Holland: Legends
  • Hootenanny DVD
  • Give 'EM The Boot
  • Glastonbury The Movie

The title Mondo Bongo by Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros belongs to B.o of Mr. & Mrs Smith (2005) with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

Bonds

Internal bonds

External bonds

  • Festival of music and film which celebrates the musical influence and work of Joe Strummer
  • the Foundation Joe Strummer Foundation for New Music
  • Joe Strummer
  • Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros

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