It’s fair to say Mick Jones is a little bit ambivalent about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s new Clash exhibit. “It’s a bit of a heavy one, actually,” Jones tells Billboard.com. “When you get to the museum level, you’re usually dead, aren’t you? It’s like a little bit of a crisis, isn’t it?”
Actually, Jones says he’s looking forward to checking out “Revolution Rock: The Story of the Clash,” which opens to the public Saturday (Oct. 21) at the Cleveland shrine and runs through April 15. The exhibit features memorabilia from band members and collectors, including clothing, guitars, handwritten lyrics and the splinters of the bass Paul Simonon is seen breaking on the cover of “London Calling.”
It’s purported to be the first major exhibition dedicated to the punk rock pioneers, who were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003, less than three months after Joe Strummer’s death. “I never set out for anything like this kind of thing — I’m sure none of us did,” Jones says of the collection. “We didn’t think about what we were doing all that much; we just sort of did it. Now everybody’s got much more benefit of hindsight on it.”
Jones, drummer Terry Chimes and Strummer’s widow Lucinda Mellor will be in Cleveland this weekend to take part in the opening; Jones will take part in a public discussion about the band’s history on Saturday.
Jones continues to make new music with Carbon Silicon, his band with old friend and former Generation X guitarist Tony James. Some songs are available at the band’s Web site, and Jones says the duo is “looking to put a proper record out” and maybe even tour the U.S. in the near future.
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