Philip J. Prick
Philip Prick is a busy man. Not only has he just published his fourth novel 'Blood Bath at St. Cadoc's' but his last book 'Joe Strummer's Ghost' is being turned into a film which has already prompted critics to speculate that it will be the best sci-fi-rock movie of the last ten years.
Set in Newport, South Wales, the film centres around the figure of Joe Strummer, singer and guitarist with The Clash, and one time resident of the city, who returns in ghost form to help revive the fortunes of Newport's ailing music scene.
We meet Philip in hipster's pub The Murenger to ask him about the new film and why he bases so many of his books in and around Newport.
Hello Philip, what is it about this film, do you think, that has attracted so much attention already?
I think it is Joe Strummer, he was a very cool character, the fact that he lived in Newport for a short period is important for the city. I've tried to portray this elusive character in the book and in the film, which is why I have made him a ghost.
In researching this, particularly for the film, did you learn a lot about Joe Strummer the man?
Well, yes and no. I was amazed how many people who knew him are still there and still willing to talk about their experiences with him! It sometimes felt like he must have lived there for 10 years rather than just over a year. I've spoken to 30 year olds who shared a flat with Joe in the mid seventies, played in his groups and introduced him to Bob Marley. I suppose it adds to the ghost- like character of the man.
I think Photoshop has enabled people to embellish their stories. I was shown hundreds of pictures of people with Joe except that Joe always looks exactly the same, same facial expression, same hair, it's sad really. I mean The Clash were an abysmal band and Joe Strummer was the worst one of the lot, so why lie?
You mean you don't like The Clash? Why not?
They were terrible, it's just the image, bit of Rockabilly here, bit of Reggae there, leather jackets, quiffs, 'little bitta politics', it was so fake. I knew some of their fans once down in London, completely up their arses they were, hats on the back of their heads, smoking rollies, pretending to 'get' Lee Perry, stole my girlfriend one of them did. Oh yeah, she fell for it, hook, line and sinker, promised her she could meet Mick Jones, he did. Did she heck! Ended up with a £100 a-day crack habit, bastard!
So why Joe Strummer's ghost? Especially if you didn't like them?
Money. Pure and simple. Take an impoverished town, add a semi-mythical figure from a legendary punk band, take the death of that figure at 50, throw in people's need to boast about having a connection to that figure and you've got a recipe for ...money!
I don't mean making money from the film, I mean money as central to the plot. Without giving too much away, one of the characters does guided Joe Strummer tours around Newport, of course he makes most of it up, there isn't a lot to see. The highlight of his tour is a house on Stow Hill, which he claims Joe shared with Bono and The Edge from U2 for a period in the late 70s. By adding U2 to the equation, this guy is raking it in, all those gullible post-punk wankers couldn't get enough!
Post-Punk?
Oh, you know, the ones who didn't like punk at the time and wanted something a bit like Genesis but cooler. Voila! U2.
So this guy is making money from his tours?
Yeah, raking it in! Anyway he makes the mistake of having a joint before one of his tours! So he is a bit bollocksed! He tells these people that he himself lived there at the same time as the U2 c**ts along with..., well I can't tell you that because it would spoil the film! Anyway he gets rumbled by some muso and gets blackmailed! The plot thickens from there.
No comments:
Post a Comment