A February night at the Carbon Casino

Mick Jones must be the happiest man in the world. He smiles so much. No matter who he gets up to play with, he loves it.

Friday night was the sixth Carbon Casino and the second one I’d been to. Last time I got John Cooper Clarke and Tymon Dogg and that produced a pretty good; ‘Junco Partner’ with Tymon on fiddle, but last night we hit paydirt.

I was stood outside waiting for the queue to abate, reading the Independent arts bit, and texting girls in New York. Then my pal Tracy jumped out the door and started looking down the line. She runs up to me and says “I have to take this man inside to help me talk to Pete Wylie”. And I’m bundled up the stairs and “What can I ask Pete?”

Well that’s pretty easy 'cos questions to Wylie write themselves, but me and him go back to 4AD days and the prospect of seeing him again was great. So I tell her and then pick up a wristband and a glass of red wine.

Inside we grab a perch up the front stage left. There’s a whole bunch of bands tonight, not quite the projected 10 but close. Mainly young like the Sandinistas with their cracking guitarist named Francis. Then Adam Masterson gets up and sings his take on ‘Gates Of The East’ and, joined by Jon Byrne, ‘Waterloo Sunset’. Everyone gets quite emotional.

Then it’s Carbon Silicon time. Another fine set from them. I never get over hearing Tony James doing ‘Reason To Believe’, and what would Timmy think? Pete Wylie sings ‘Come Back’ and stays up with band for ‘Stay Free’; always one of my fave Clash songs, and it turns out Robin Banks is backstage too.