EP Review: Nosebleed / The Zipheads – Joe Strummer Foundation Split

While the Sex Pistols were arguably the catalyst of British punk, their brand of nihilistic and unchanneled rage only offered a temporary release from the ennui that spawned them. It was The Clash, with their carefully considered stance and dedication to the ethos of punk that came to stand as the model for much that followed. Joe Strummer, particularly, mined the issues of the day, and of the human condition, in a way that connected profoundly with the band’s audience. His sudden and untimely death in 2002 robbed British subculture of an articulate and revered figurehead. Refusing to be pigeonholed, The Clash embraced a unique fusion of different musical styles, coupled with a social awareness that made them – and particularly Joe – relatable to the disaffected.

The Joe Strummer Foundation was established to provide ’empowerment through music’ and to perpetuate Joe‘s legacy. Their work embraces poverty relief, arts and cultural education, and the advancement of the arts, including music. To raise funds for its global work, stalwarts of the UK DIY punk scene Nosebleeds and The Zipheads have teamed up to release a split single of Clash songs to benefit the Foundation.

In a pleasing nod to The Clash‘s eclecticism, The Zipheads have chosen the hit Bankrobber and turned the bass-heavy reggae vibe of the original into a toe-tapping slice of jaunty country punk-a-billy. And boy, does it work. You can’t keep a good song down and this is a rattling good time barn dance of a song whose universal subject matter about one man’s response to poverty seems to fit seamlessly with the full-on hoe-down treatment. Yee ha!

Yorkshire garage punks Nosebleed contribute Train In Vain, the very nearly hidden closing track of The Clash‘s Meisterwerk double album London Calling. Nosebleed‘s take is faithful to the original, to the point of being an even more energetic and fiery performance than any version of the original that I have heard. It, perhaps, is the version that The Clash should have made. The vocal, particularly is uncannily like Mick Jones himself.

These two tracks prove that The Clash‘s legacy is in excellent hands. Fans of the band are going to appreciate the love and affection put into these recordings – which are excellent in their own right, by the way – and the funds raised by the sale of the single will support the work done all around the world by the Joe Strummer Foundation. Buy a copy.

The Zipheads/Nosebleed‘s split single Bankrobber/Train In Vain is available now through Bomber Music.