The Clash on the Clash: Interviews and Encounters

The Clash thought they could change the world. They never did, but they created some of the greatest rock music of all time in the attempt.

Clash interviews were mesmerizing. Infused with the messianic spirit of punk, the Clash engaged with the press like no rock group before or since, treating interviews almost as addresses to the nation. Their pronouncements were welcomed but were hardly uncritically reported. The Clash’s back pages are voluminous, crackle with controversy, and consti…