Clem Burke: The Beat That Never Faded
Ah fuck — Clem Burke has died.
What a fucking incredible drummer. Yes, teenage me was always drooling over Debbie Harry (and who wasn't?), but Clem’s drumming was the thing that hit hardest. His technique had bite, swagger, timing — all the good stuff, and hit toms and cymbals were all horizontal
Blondie was that band for me. Listening to Union City Blues tonight, and there it is again — that ache. Not just grief — but loss. Loss of time, of youth, of the version of me that used to believe music could save everything. I'm still that version...
Takes me back to growing up in Denbigh — the not-so-innocent days. The ones I didn’t want to end. The safety of my mates, the schoolyard chaos, the escape through music.
“Dreaming is Free.” — Blondie
Check out Joe Belock's Three Chord Monte show on WFMU - he did a great tribute to Clem, including a 2003 session with one of Clem's other projects, The Romantics.
Listen here
Funeral Fatigue
Steve Pendle’s funeral is Monday. Guess he fast-tracked through the paperwork. I won’t be in the country for it unfortunately. I’ve done enough funerals to last a bloody lifetime [sic] — I'll miss another slow march with Chris Yates sobbing beside me as we laugh and cry. Steve's the gift that has gone. A guitar genius and definitely one of the goodest of the good guys.
🔥 Sweating, Broadcasting, and Jam Shed
Tonight’s radio show went out live as usual. Lit the fire, which worked a little too well — turned my living room. err... I mean studio into a sauna by 10:30 p.m.
Opened a bottle of Jam Shed just to see if I could emulate some ketamine-fuelled broadcasting genius. Spoiler alert: I just got a sweaty arse and mild regret.
The show itself went alright. Quiet on the Facebook feed, but I’m hoping more folks will tune in later on Mixcloud. Not sure how many regulars I’ve got these days — probably about 100 underground heads, maybe more.
🎧 Listen back here:
👉 Click to listen on Mixcloud
💤 Last Night’s Dream?
One for the weird files. I was climbing dusty, unused stairs at the Bengal Dynasty restaurant (???) trying to get to some plumbing conference. Ended up lying on a carpet in the middle of it like I belonged there.
Final Thought
The older I get, the more everything turns into a blend of nostalgia, music, flickering firelight and weird dreams (that are free).
And honestly? I’m alright with that.
📻 Stay tuned. Stay weird. Stay underground.
Follow the leek:
👉 link2wales
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