Simonon talks art exhibit, lack of Clash reunion

A new interview with artist and The Good, The Bad and The Queen–contributor Paul Simonon discusses that late Clash frontman Joe Strummer had been considering a Clash reunion for their induction into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame.

According to the story:

The day before Strummer died, he sent Paul Simonon a text message. It said, 'Come on, Paul. Give it a try. You might even like it.' Strummer was referring to a possible reunion of the Clash for a one–off gig to celebrate their imminent induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Simonon, though, was having none of it. 'Joe was up for it, and so was Mick and Topper [Headon, the Clash's drummer], but I wasn't,' he says, without a trace of regret. 'I was the one who always said no. In this instance, I really didn't believe it was the right moment. A big corporate event like that, two grand a seat. Nah, that wasn't in the spirit of the Clash, was it?'

In the end, he went to the Hall of Fame ceremony to celebrate Joe Strummer's legacy and to support his widow, Lucinda. 'I wasn't comfortable, though,' he adds. 'I just hate all those bloody awards ceremonies. There's too many of them and they really don't mean a lot to me. It's that looking back thing again. It's not what the Clash were ever about, and it's not what I'm about.'

The interview also discusses Paul's imminent art show, where his work is expected to fetch in excess of £30,000 (59,443.23 US) each. You can check it out here.