The only pre-Coachella show that matters: Big Audio Dynamite books Roxy gig
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Mick Jones’ post-Clash act Big Audio Dynamite has booked a Coachella eve gig at the Sunset Strip club the Roxy, with tickets on sale now and going for $43 once all the additional fees have been tacked on. With a capacity of less than 500, tickets for the April 14 gig shouldn’t be expected to last long, although they were stil available at the time of this post.
The original Big Audio Dynamite lineup has reunited after a 20-year absence, and the band will play the sold-out Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival on April 16. Though Big Audio Dynamite never reached the success or acclaim of the Clash, which was often billed as ‘the only band that matters,’ the reunion has led to long overdue critical re-evaluation of the group, which melded Jones’ frayed guitar riffs with an assortment of electronics and dance-floor beats.
If John Lydon’s post-Sex Pistols’ band Public Image Ltd used technology for experimentation, Jones wielded it to create rock ‘n’ roll for the clubs. U.K. publication the Guardian recently argued that Big Audio Dynamite was ‘more forward thinking’ than the Clash, and while many (this writer included) would consider such a statement just a wee bit of an exaggeration, Big Audio Dynamite has no doubt been overlooked.
With the emphasis always on the groove, Big Audio Dynamite’s dance-infused songs were loaded with samples (the reliance on recycled movie quotes in songs could be a distraction), but foreshadowed pop music’s impending cut-and-past approach. Recently, a Big Audio Dynamite influence could be heard in groups such as LCD Soundsystem and Gorillaz, acts that went beyond the use of synths to full-on embrace DJ-culture.
Embedded above is Big Audio Dynamite’s 1986 song ‘V. Thirteen,’ one of the few tracks Jones wrote with his former Clash mate Joe Strummer.
Related:
Driving Mr. Rotten: John Lydon cruises L.A., slams Green Day, takes credit for Lady Gaga
Coachella 2011: Safe and sound
-- Todd Martens
