The Earliest Clash

The earliest footage of The Clash was rather incredibly captured by Julien Temple, who did or didn't know what he was filming as it happened. The result, finally seen now after 40 years, is bizarre and astounding...and beyond belief that it was filmed in the first place.

He's also one of the prime innovators in music videos, working with artists as diverse as The Rolling Stones, Duran Duran, Eric B & Rakim, Janet Jackson and David Bowie.

But in 1977, his student film about a promising new Punk band remained unfinished.
Now he's taken material shot with The Clash just before they became famous to create a documentary recalling the times which formed them. 

I was at the National Film School and I was already filming with the Sex Pistols. The Clash weren't known at all outside a very small circle, but I thought they were an incredible band in the making. 

So Joe Strummer, Mick Jones and Paul Simonon agreed to talk to me and let me film rehearsals in Chalk Farm in London, where it was freezing. Eventually, I filmed a gig at the Roxy club in Covent Garden, which disappeared long ago. The gig was on New Year's Day 1977. 

The documentary is interspersed with BBC footage of Brits damning the upcoming year, 1977, as what was sure to be the worst year ever. Enjoy for yourself!