Bridgwater Somerset: The Clash’s Influence and Joe Strummer’s Enduring Legacy

Bridgwater has seven different twinnings. Six are with other towns, one is actually with an idea. Joe Strummer really liked Bridgwater; he was the Clash’s singer and even called it a “Clash Town.” He then decided to move there.

You might see the towns on a sign by the Blake statue. Did you see “Seattle” pointing west? It’s in the USA, making you wonder how that happened. I saw The Clash in Leeds back in the 70s. They changed my music a lot, and then I played punk music too.

Later, I was on stage with Strummer’s band, The Mescaleros. He signed my new album then. This gig helped a film center, the Engine Room, which still helps people make films now in town. He died only a month later, around Christmas 2002, when Jake Thackray also died. He was another big inspiration.

We did a gig to honor them both. Strummer’s wife came and thanked us for it. She asked who Thackray even was. Fifteen years passed, then the phone rang. KEXP Radio from Seattle called; they wanted a “Clash Day” every February, planning to play Clash music.

Strummer lived in Broomfield, on the Quantock Hills. The radio called the Parish Council, who said to call Bridgwater instead. So, they called us. We twinned with Seattle! It was a radio link from Engine Room, which you can find online today. We’d exchange Clash music, not people. It’s still going strong now.

This Saturday, the Clash Mob will perform to honor Strummer’s ideals. It’s organized by the SEED project, which helps people get involved and try new things. Art comes from inside you, empowering everyone. See them perform this time and understand why they exist here. Appreciate why Bridgwater is so special. Remember this: The future is unwritten.