JON SAVAGE

THE CLASH

The Clash live at the Royal College of Art on 5 November 1976 (© John Ingham). The show ended when Joe Strummer dropped his guitar, leapt off the stage and attacked the long-haired students who had been pelting them with beer mugs. They were rolling around in front of me while the Stooges’ I Wanna Be Your Dog sucked in all the air –- a synaesthesia of violent confrontation.



THE SEX PISTOLS

The Sex Pistols live at the Notre Dame Hall, Leicester Square, 15 November 1976 (© John Ingham). I’m at the very back left. It’s the first time I’ve seen the Sex Pistols, and I’m fascinated: within two songs I’m up at the front, watching the crowd spitting on the TV crew who are filming the event. (To see the clip, go to www.youtube.com)



THE CLASH GRAFFITI

Frame 34, Uninhabited London Series, January 1977 (© Jon Savage). The city seemed poised between Victoria dereliction and Bal-lardian hyper-speed. The only signs of life came from the Punk Rock groups, which is why the sequence ended with this photo taken underneath the Westway. Everything to one point. Black and white, as stark as the choices made.
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Jon Savage was born in 1953 and was raised in West London. His books include ENGLAND’S DREAMING: SEX PISTOLS AND PUNK ROCK (1991), TIME TRAVEL (1997) and TEENAGE: THE CREATION OF YOUTH 1875-1945 (2007). He was the writer on the award winning documentary JOY DIVISION (2008). Jon Savage lives in North Wales.

www.jonsavage.com