by Kristin W.
International Clash Day is a holiday that we celebrate on FEBRUARY 7TH. It is our 5th Year! Along with many other radio stations and fans of The Clash around the world, we will play music by The Clash and Joe Strummer, music influenced by The Clash, music The Clash was influenced by, and socially conscious music of any genre. We take it very seriously at MPR. It is one of our favorite days of the year! It is important to us for many reasons, and maybe most important this year.
It was started 6 years ago by DJ John Stewart at KEXP in Seattle. One day he was playing a lot of The Clash on his show, and people started to write in that they loved it and to keep it going, and it became a thing! KEXP does many thematic days and events, another favorite is Music Matters which focuses on mental health. We are proudly standing with them and other stations keeping ICD going!
Starting at 9am and going until late, a bunch of DJs at MPR will all take an hour set. Everyone has a different vibe to their set. One can argue that all music is Socially Conscious. Creating art is a rebellion and expression that cannot be tamed. It unites us, and allows someone to feel what you feel, or understand how you feel through a universal language. Punk started in the late 70s as a response to anger and frustration that lower and working class kids were feeling at the time. The Clash related to the lyrics about social unrest being expressed in reggae. Punk and Hardcore are countercultures that have been fiercely anti-racist (with the exception of nazi-punks who can fuck off). It is poignant for today that we still speak out against racism and oppression as it still continues. Nationalism and violence against non-white individuals is increasing world-wide. So all the more reason to amplify the music and lyrics that speak against this or teach empathy for one’s experience with it. Now is the time to support arts and artists, and what better way to kick off that commitment is to celebrate International Clash Day!
Throughout the years we have met other stations and fans through celebrating ICD. Kristin, our Program Director, spends the day waving over social media to other fans and stations celebrating. We made a friend from Uruguay’s Mandinga Radio station and they came to do a set at the station this summer! It fills us with great joy to connect with others around the world who feel that the message of The Clash and Joe Strummer, to care for one another, is an important one. Even if you are not a fan of the band, you can still enjoy the sentiment.
The Clash is considered a seminal band in the late punk scene in England from 76 – 86, and were billed as “The Only Band that Matters”. They were fiercely anti-racist and used reggae and punk as their style along with hard hitting lyric influenced by their working-class England upbringing. Lots of great info on their history on their wiki page such as “At the band’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Clash was said to be “considered one of the most overtly political, explosive and exciting bands in rock and roll history”. They’re songs tackled social decay, unemployment, racism, police brutality, political and social repression, and militarism in detail. Strummer was involved with the Anti-Nazi League and Rock Against Racism campaigns. He later also gave his support to the Rock Against the Rich series of concerts organized by the anarchist organization Class War. The Clash’s London Calling album was voted best album of the 1980s by Rolling Stone magazine”
The band broke up due to increased drug use and disintegration of their ability to work together. Joe Strummer started his own career bringing in elements of music from his travels with Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros and had a radio show called “London Calling” on BBC World Service Radio through the 90s. Mick Jones formed Big Audio Dynamite which was influenced by his trip to New York City where he witnessed Hip Hop street culture. We are sure to have music from both of those bands playing throughout the day as well.
We hope you will join us ALL DAY at www.MakerParkRadio.nyc for International Clash Day! Here is our DJ Line-up!
9 – Jay Gray (from Scallywag Beats)
10 – Chris Ricker (from Punkrock & Pollywogs)
11 – Magie Serpica (from Make HER Space Radio)
12 – Tom F. (from Nowhere Fast)
1:30 – Kristin W. (from Contact)
3 – Terry S. (from Dirtbag Paradise)
4 – Milo (from Nonconformist Radio)
5 – Lorenzo Mamelli (from The Rocker)
6 – Terrence o’Brien (from A Show with Terrence)
7 – Stasia (from Homesick Radio)
8 -Nazz (from Channels & Winds)
9 – Kitty The Disc Jockey (from The She-Pop Show and Forbidden Island)
10pm – Open Decks! (come hang!)