London (CNN) - former Clash guitarist Mick Jones, no doubt, has rediscovered his mojo: after years of relative inactivity, it has now become one of the 50-busiest in rock.
Fresh from playing on the tour world of Gorillaz and after releasing two albums with Carbon/Silicon, Jones has now met the original members of Big Audio Dynamite, the band formed in 1984 after his expulsion from The Clash the previous year. And performance tests on Sunday in London Shepherds Bush Empire, seems to be savoring every minute in the spotlight.
Back in his home turf in West London after playing a series of dates in England before heading to the United States, Jones is greeted like a conquering hero as bad take to the stage with "medicine show", their first album. Perhaps recognizing that once innovative spaghetti western samples now seem to dates, the band works more stripped of their old songs, such "V. Thirteen" and "c" Mon each Beatbox. "
Jones is, as always, in the form of sparky, chatting easily to the crowds at the front and interact with the sit high this old Victorian theatre. It pays respects to television personalities such as Terry Wogan that used to appear in this place and later a sincere tribute to the film composer beloved John Barry, who died last month.
After 34 years as a performer, Jones said now is superior to his early days in The Clash and bad his guitar, and this shows the band playing an exceptionally narrow set, at breakneck speed. Drummer Greg Roberts is excellent, as bassist Leo "E-Zee kill" Williams, while Don Letts limits of film around the stage director strongly, occasionally rapping along to Jones.
Some music critics have claimed that they were wrong pioneers more musicians than The Clash. No doubt his fusion of punk and hip hop was ahead of its time, and your use of multimedia had opened the way for bands such as Gorillaz's Damon Albarn.
But, as this London concert showed, ill never had the melodies that match that Jones composed with late, lamented to Joe Strummer in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In addition to the successes mentioned above and a wonderful end of "E = mc2," the songs to be a little monotonous. No matter, the band make a great noise, and it is quite fair to Mick back. As implores the crowd half derisively: "We really want to be loved". You don't need to worry about.