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London is a great city to mythologise and punk rock loved to do it. The Clash were almost as good as the Kinks in talking up the Smoke , as much through the pages of the NME as through their actual songs. London Calling is more sophisticated than its older and shoutier brother London's Burning, but I remember the impact of someone singing about concrete flyovers when most songs that we heard on the radio were about dancing and keepin' on truckin'. Of course, when I eventually saw for myself The Westway in London, that overpass of Portobello that Joe Strummer had been on about, it reminded me of the flyover on Lecky Road in Derry, and made me wonder why our band didn't write about that. Possibly because nothing much ever happened there, apart from the odd burned out car. Also tonight, a reminder of Johnny Thunders' passing, 21 years ago this week. News also coming in of Levon Helm tonight. I'll stop before it gets too sad.

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The Jam - The Place I Love

The Clash - London's Burning

Action Pact! - Stanwell

Sator - Pigvalley Beach

Boyz- Charlotte

Boys - Teachers Pet

REM - Pretty Persuasion
Gol Gappas - Albert Parker

Fruit Eating Bears - Chevy Heavy

New York Dolls - Private World
Adam & The Ants - Zerox

Go Gos - Our Lips Are Sealed
Dexys Midnight Runners - Thankfully Not Living In Yorkshire....

Johnny Thunders - You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory