International Clash Day: Musicians Reflect on The Legacy of The Clash and London Calling

Brian J Bowe, Author of The Clash: Punk Rock Band

I think The Clash should matter to the kids of today for a couple of main reasons. The first is that they give a really good example of taking lots of elements of different kinds of music – so, classic punk, rockabilly, reggae, rhythm and blues, funk, hip hop, elements of jazz – and not just copying it, but taking these pieces and creating something new that was really very much their own. I think that kind of creative process is really beneficial for young people to be exposed to. It's a bit of a musical education. So there's that musical side that I think is really important.