Seattle Honors the Clash By Declaring ‘International Clash Day’
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray has honored rock legends the Clash by declaring Sunday, February 7th “International Clash Day” in the city, joining King County, Washington and Bridgewater, UK in that recognition.
“Legendary UK band the Clash formed in 1976, establishing their unique sound combining punk with reggae, dub, funk and ska, behind socially conscious lyrics,” Murray wrote in his official proclamation. “The band played the Kingdome in 1982, outshining headliners the Who and inspiring a young audience member, Jeff Ament, to grow up and become the bassist for Pearl Jam.”
“One February mooring in 2013, KEXP DJ John Richards arbitrarily declared it ‘International Clash Day’ for no other reason than the fact that he could,” the statement continues. The traditional has continued every year since, featuring rare and live tracks, cover versions, B sides and more.
Radio station KEXP is celebrating on Friday, February 5th, with 12 hours of Clash music (including side projects and rare tracks) and interviews, broadcasting from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST on Seattle’s 90.3 and around the world on KEXP.org. The event will include an exclusive interview with Julien Temple, director of award-winning 2007 documentary Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten. A stream is available below.
KEXP is known for its themed music events. Last year, the station honored the anniversary of Beastie Boys’ iconic Paul’s Boutique with a full day of programming featuring the full track list and over 115 songs sampled across the LP.