The Mescaleros

Infobox musical artist
Name = The Mescaleros


Img_capt = Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros
Img_size =
Landscape =
Background = group_or_band
Origin =
Genre = Rock, Rock and roll, Punk, Reggae
Years_active = 1999–2002
Label = HellCat
Associated_acts = The Clash, Joe Strummer
URL = [http://www.myspace.com/themescaleros www.myspace.com/themescaleros]
Current_members =
Past_members = Joe Strummer
Martin Slattery
Scott Shields
Antony Genn
Simon Stafford
Tymon Dogg
John Blackburn
Jimmy Hogarth
Pablo Cook
Luke Bullen
Steve "Smiley" Barnard

The Mescaleros were the backing band for Joe Strummer, formed in 1999, which went on to make three albums prior to Strummer's death in 2002. Many of the band members were gifted multi-instrumentalists. The original line up consisted of Strummer on vocals and guitar, Antony Genn on guitar, Scott Shields on bass, Martin Slattery on keyboards and guitar (as well as flute and saxophone on select songs), Pablo Cook on various percussion instruments, and Smiley (aka Steve Barnard) on drums. Richard Flack also appeared on various effects and instruments.

History

The band rose out of Strummer's work with Pablo Cook and Richard Norris. The three of them originally came together to write the soundtracks for two short films, "Tunnel of Love," and "Question of Honour." The song "Yalla Yalla" was originally written by this trio, and mixed by Antony Genn. Once Genn was brought on board, a new song "Techno D-Day" was recorded, at which point Strummer, at the behest of Genn, began recording a new record. The original drummer, Ged Lynch, left the band before recording on "Rock Art & The X-Ray Style" was complete and Smiley (Robbie Williams' former drummer) was brought in to finish recording. Shields and Slattery were recruited through a number of contacts with the band. Slattery had also appeared on Robbie Williams' "Life Thru a Lens" album, and Scott Shields was a friend of Slattery's. Oddly enough, in the initial lineup, only Smiley was playing the instrument which he knew best. Genn, although not a bad guitar player, reportedly did not have the ability to play sufficient lead guitar, hence Slattery was brought in. He, however, was trained in horns and keyboards, but had a natural ability with nearly all instruments. Strummer once joked that Slattery could play a hole in the windshield of the tour bus. Shields had previously been a drummer, but was recruited to play bass, and later guitar.

The Mescaleros first gig was in Antony Genn's hometown of Sheffield at The Leadmill on 5th June 1999. They toured extensively for the next six months, including playing the Glastonbury Festival, the U.S., and Europe.2000 saw the band play Big Day Out in Australia & New Zealand, plus tour Japan.

The band signed with the Californian punk label Hellcat Records, and issued three albums. Following the release of the first, "Rock Art and the X-Ray Style", they toured England and North America; sets included several Clash-fan favourites.

Singer-songwriter Tymon Dogg, a longtime friend of Joe Strummer, joined the band in 2000 playing violin and Spanish guitar. He contributed some of the tunes on "Global A-Go-Go" including "Mondo Bongo".

Honorary Mescaleros include John Blackburn and Jimmy Hogarth, both of whom played bass in place of Scott Shields on the 2000 tour supporting The Who, which was also Tymon Dogg's first tour with the band.cite web |url=http://trakmarx.com/2003_01/09.htm |title=Joe Strummer - 1952-2002 |accessdate=2007-11-17 |last=Encoule |first=Jean |year=2003 |month=1 |publisher=trakMARX.com |quote=The Mescaleros duly delivered “Rock Art & The X-Ray Style” (1999) & “Global A Go-Go” (2001). The Mescaleros may have changed from tour to tour, but the songs remained the same (Joe even found work for his old busking pal & fiddler, Tymon Dogg, for the first time since “Sandinista”). The music was a glorious amalgamation of every aspect of Joe’s character: as wide as his vision & as big as his heart. I caught shows on each tour, to see Joe again after so long was just as exhilarating as it had been the first time round. The last time I saw him I’d decided that he was gonna live forever & turn into a gnarled punk/blues/world amalgamation of Bo Diddly, Woody Guthrie & Muddy Waters – a man for all seasons & all generations. A foot soldier of the old guard destined to continue teaching lesser minds the beauty & power of legitimate protest through an art-form: “Let fury have the hour, anger can be power, you know that we can use it”. ]

Following the departure of Genn and Smiley, Scott Shields moved to guitar, Simon Stafford was brought on board to play bass, and Luke Bullen was brought on board to play drums. Pablo Cook left in Aug 2001 to join Moby. Following the release of "Global A Go-Go", Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros mounted a 21-date tour of North America, Britain, and Ireland. Once again, these concerts featured Clash material ("London Calling", "Rudie Can't Fail"), as well as classic covers of reggae hits ("The Harder They Come", "A Message To You, Rudie") and regularly closed the show with a nod to Joey Ramone by playing The Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop".

Musically, the Mescaleros continued the genre mixing that Strummer was known for during his time with The Clash. Elements of reggae, jazz, funk, hip hop, country, and of course punk rock can be found in the three Mescaleros releases.

The band is also the subject of a documentary by Dick Rude titled "Let's Rock Again!" which was released on June 27th, 2006. The band also appear on many DVDs (see full list below) and have had several of their songs appear in major films such as Black Hawk Down and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. One song, "Johnny Appleseed," was used as the theme song to the HBO series "John From Cincinnati".

Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros' last ever concert was on November 22, 2002, in Liverpool. This show is often overlooked however, in favor of citing the November 15 show at Acton Town Hall. It was this show, which was a benefit for striking fire fighters, that Mick Jones joined Strummer on stage for the first time in nearly twenty years, during the classic Clash song "Bankrobber." An encore followed with both "White Riot" and "London's Burning". "The Last Night London Burned", a 64 page book written by George Binette, [cite book |last=Binette |first=George Robert |editor= |title=The Last Night London Burned |url= |format= |accessdate=2007-12-04 |year=2003 |location=London |isbn=0954462009 |oclc= |quote= ] showing never before published pictures of Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, and a 26 minutes film by Gregg McDonald and Alan Miles, were released as a unique visual record of that last ever London concert by Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros. [cite web |url=http://www.theclash.org.uk/last_night_london_burned.htm |title=The Last Night London Burned |accessdate=2007-12-04 |last=McDonald |first=Gregg |coauthors=Alan Miles |year=2003 |publisher=theclash.org.uk |quote=A Film by Gregg McDonald and Alan Miles. - An account of Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros (featuring Mick Jones) FBU benefit concert at Acton Town Hall ] Following the conclusion of this tour, the band headed straight for the studio, but Strummer died of a congenital heart defect on 22 December 2002 [cite web |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/Music/12/23/britain.strummer/ |title=Clash star Joe Strummer dies |accessdate=2007-11-23 |date=2002-12-23 |work=ENTERTAINMENT |publisher=CNN.com |quote=Strummer, who was the band's guitarist, vocalist and songwriter alongside Mick Jones, died on Sunday at his farmhouse in Somerset, southwestern England. ] after returning home from walking his dogs.

The band's final album, "Streetcore", was released posthumously on October 20, 2003.

The band also made appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, as well as touring on the Hootenany Festival in the summer of 2001.

Various Mescaleros have performed at numerous tribute concerts in both UK & Europe.

Coda

Antony Genn currently fronts The Hours, a band that he and fellow Mescalero Martin Slattery formed in 2004.

Members

* Joe Strummer – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
* Martin Slattery - lead guitar, keyboards, saxophone, flute
* Scott Shields - guitar, bass guitar
* Antony Genn - guitar (1999-2000)
* Simon Stafford - bass guitar, trombone (2001-2002)
* Tymon Dogg - violin, Spanish guitar, keyboards (2000-2002)
* John Blackburn - bass guitar (2000)
* Jimmy Hogarth - bass guitar (2000)
* Pablo Cook - percussion (1999-2001)
* Luke Bullen - drums (2001-2002)
* Steve "Smiley" Barnard - drums (1999-2000)

Discography

*"Rock Art and the X-Ray Style" (1999)
*"Global A Go-Go" (2001)
*"Streetcore" (2003)

DVDs on which Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros appear:
*"The Future is Unwritten" Directed by Julien Temple (out on DVD: Sept 2007)
*"Viva Joe Strummer" Directed by M.Parkinson
*"Let's Rock Again!" Directed by Dick Rude
*"Later with Jools Holland: Legends"
*"Hootenanny DVD"
*"Give 'Em The Boot"
*"Glastonbury The Movie"

Music sample

Notes

References

*cite book |last=Davie |first=Anthony |title=Vision of a Homeland: The History of Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros |year=2004 |publisher=Effective |location=Northampton |isbn=0954856805 |oclc=123775358

Further reading

*cite book |last=D'Ambrosio |first=Antonino |title=Let Fury Have the Hour: The Punk Rock Politics of Joe Strummer |date=2004-10-13 |publisher=Nation Books |location=New York |isbn=1560256257 |oclc=56988650 |quote=Edited with an Introduction by Antonino D'Ambrosio.

*cite book |last=Davie |first=Anthony |title=Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros: New and Previously Unpublished Photographs |year=2004 |publisher=Effective |location=Northampton |isbn=0954856813 |oclc=64898380

*cite journal |last=DeCurtis |first=Anthony |authorlink=Anthony DeCurtis |year=2003 |title=1952-2002 Joe Strummer - A tribute to the late Clash singer and songwriter, plus his final remarks on the rise and fall of the legendary punk band |journal=Rolling Stone |volume=914 |issue=27 |publisher=Straight Arrow |location=San Francisco, CA |issn=0035-791X |oclc=96002520 |accessdate=2007-11-20

*cite journal |last=Matula |first=Theodore |year=2003 |month=12 |title=Joe Strummer, 1952-2002 |accessdate=2008-04-27 |journal=Popular Music and Society |volume=26 |issue=4 |pages=pp. 523–525 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |location=Bowling Green, Ohio |issn=0300-7766 |oclc=89586252 |doi=10.1080/0300776032000144968

*cite book |last=Salewicz |first=Chris |title=Redemption Song: The Ballad of Joe Strummer |edition=1st American ed |date=2007-05-15 |publisher=Faber and Faber |location=New York |isbn=057121178X |oclc=76794852

External links

* [http://www.myspace.com/themescaleros New home of The Mescaleros]
* [http://www.strummercamp.co.uk/ Festival of music and film to celebrate the work of Joe Strummer]
* [http://www.strummerville.com/ The Joe Strummer Foundation for New Music]