Strummer calling
Martin Siberok
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Los Mondo Bongo: For the love of Joe
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The all-star cast of Los Mondo Bongo pays tribute to legendary Clash frontman
It's hard to believe that Joe Strummer is no longer around. His unexpected death six years ago, on Dec. 22, 2002, shocked all punk rockers around the world. However, the Clash and Mescaleros mastermind is still very much alive thanks to his words and music.Now several of his friends have put a musical tribute together and are touring under the banner of Los Mondo Bongo (taken from a Mescaleros song). The five-piece includes Mescaleros percussionist Pablo Cook and drummer Steve "Smiley" Barnard, as well as bassist Derek Forbes (Simple Minds), guitarist Steve Harris (Gary Numan) and vocalist Mike Peters (The Alarm).
Tracked down in London where he's finishing off a spoken-word project with Keith Allen (Lily's father), Cook happily spoke about the tour and how it came to fruition. "Smiley and I occasionally do these tributes to Joe, like Strummercamp. 'Internet' Anthony [Davie], a good friend of Joe and the Mescaleros, who runs the MySpace page, was approached by a few people with the idea of doing a one-off gig. We did one in Italy and it came off really well, so we decided to do more."
Looking back on the Mescaleros, Cook says there was no master plan in forming the band. "Like anything to do with Joe, it started in the pub. Originally, it was going to be Joe, Bez from Happy Mondays and myself, but we were always too drunk and going to too many festivals to get it together," confesses Cook.
"Later when Joe and I started writing material in my little studio in London, [guitarist] Antony Genn
dropped by and offered some advice on a song we were working on - and that's when it gelled."Cook remembers Joe with great fondness and love. "What always struck me was his politeness - his care and sharing. Joe always made sure people around him felt comfortable and had a drink. He's my son's godfather and it's rubbed off on my 16-year-old. I see him doing the same when people come into our house."
Los Mondo Bongo's setlist will be a mix of Mescaleros material (Yalla Yalla, Tony Adams), Clash songs (London Calling, Rudie Can't Fail) and covers (The Harder They Come).
Los Mondo Bongo
w/ Malcolm Bauld
At Les Saints (30 Ste-Catherine W.), March 12
