Building up to something big

But then it's not hard to see why when you discover the driving force behind the group is none other than punk pioneer Mick Jones and old friend and equally-talented musician Tony James.

The duo have an impressive list of former bands behind them - from Jones' time with The Clash - whose hits included the fantastic Rock the Casbah and London Calling - and Big Audio Dynamite; and James' time with Generation X alongside Billy Idol, and as bassist with Sigue Sigue Sputnik.

Their sound has been described by music supremo and former boss of Creation Records, Alan McGee, as "The Rolling Stones jamming with a laptop".

And it will be a case of "Worcester Calling" this month as they crash into the city for what promises to be an explosive gig at Drummonds, on New Street on Thursday, October 14.

The event is one of a string of warm-up gigs for the band, in preparation for the Rock Against Racism event at London Astoria on Saturday, October 16 - which Jones has a history of playing with The Clash.

The Worcester gig came about after Drummonds' manager and long-standing Clash fan Tony Gibbon saw the band a couple of weeks ago in Stourbridge.

"They're truly superb - as exciting as seeing The Clash for the first time," he said.

"I'm so excited about having them play my venue I really cannot wait."

However, Mick Jones - who continues to occupy the album charts with the newly-released CD/DVD celebrating the 25th anniversary of the classic Clash album London Calling - said fans should not expect old numbers.

"Anybody who likes a bit of good music and the stuff we've done before will love it," he said.

"People who have come so far have been very receptive to what we're doing but anyone expecting old Clash songs will be disappointed - besides we haven't had enough time to work up a medley!"

Jones and James originally jammed together in the 70s in the punk group London SS before going their separate ways - Jones to The Clash and James to Generation X.

The new project came about as they got together to write a song - MP Free - about their optimism about music being made freely on the internet.

The name for the band came from a book by Suzanne Grinfield and is meant to reflect the fact that the band jam with a laptop.

And despite having enjoyed considerable success through their respective musical careers, it becomes apparent after speaking to the duo that they are keen to tread a different path.

They have been playing low-key gigs live as Carbon/Silicon - together with bassist William Blake and drummer "Danny the Red" - since March - including an evening in memory of late Clash frontman Joe Strummer at Glastonbury festival -- and encourage fans to record their shows to release on their websites.

And the band have yet to release their material on CD - instead opting to put it out on the internet.

"It's a new band and we're not playing any old material and the only way to do things is to play small clubs and build up a following rather than cashing in on our old careers," said Tony.

"It's odd when Mick, for instance, was playing stadiums with the Clash but it's a real pleasure because it's the way you form a new group - to play the small clubs."

Jones - who scooped an award for best producer at the Q Music Awards at the weekend for his work with the Libertines - said he was pleased with how things were progressing.

"It's going really well - we're still keeping it pretty low-key and are just building it up," he said.

"We're not trying to be like 20-year-olds or anything - the material befits our age."

Doors open for the Worcester gig at 8pm, with city band the B-Movie Heroes on support.

Tickets are £10 and are available by calling 01905 350547.

Be sure to Focus on these Dutch rockers

DUTCH masters of progressive rock Focus are set to make a welcome return to Worcester, following a stunning performance in May last year.

The band (right) will be playing Huntingdon Hall on Monday, October 11, and, since Thijs van Leer formed the group in 1969, he has been joined by a number of musicians.

However, one thing has always remained the same - the quality - with the group notching up hits in this country during the 1970s with singles such as Hocus Pocus, Harem Scarem, House of the King and Sylvia.

The band has also built its reputation on solid albums such as Moving Waves - which sold more than six million copies.

Following various changes in the line-up and an absence from the music scene, the group re-emerged during the 1990s with its classic line-up formation of Bert Ruiter, Pierre van der Linden, Jan Akkerman and Thijs Van Leer.

And subsequent live performances in the USA, Canada, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Belgium and Holland have attracted sell-out audiences.

Tickets for Monday's concert - which starts at 8pm - are £15 and available by calling the box office on 01905 611427.

REVIEWS

with Joby Mullens

FATBOY SLIM - PALOOKAVILLE

(out now)

AT LAST, Fatboy Slim, aka Norman Cook, aka Mr Zoe Ball, returns with his latest album, four-and-a-half years on from the two-million selling Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars and a world away from his time with pop group The Housemartins.

Cook this time teams up with the boys - well, Damon Albarn of Blur fame, Bootsy Collins, Justin Robertson and Brighton band Johnny Quality - for a more mainstream, guitar-based sound than his previous efforts.

Ignoring the annoyingly-repetitive Slash Dot Dash - the first single to be taken from the album - and the cringingly-awful and completely unnecessary cover of the Steve Miller Band's The Joker, there's some great moments here.

These include the Praise You-esque opener Don't Let The Man Get You Down - featuring a sample of Signs by Five Man Electric Band - to the buzz guitar on Push & Shove - his collaboration with Justin Robertson.

One to slip on when you want to get transported back to the huge beach parties he held in Brighton.

VARIOUS - MR & MRS SMITH: SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND

(out October 18)

THE team who brought you the hugely-popular travel guide Mr & Mrs Smith venture into the music business with this smooth collection of tunes, billed as the soundtrack to the weekend.

Soul, jazz-funk, balearic house and classic Britpop are all here and bound to get you into party mood.

Highs include kitsch nineties indie band St Etienne's 1991 classic Nothing Can Stop Us, the original version of the anthemic Come Together by trojan rockers Primal Scream and the chilled beats and gospel vocals on Lambchop's Up With People.

MINNIE DRIVER - EVERYTHING I'VE GOT

IN MY POCKET

(out now)

YOU'VE probably seen the talented actress on the silver screen, now you can hear she's not just a pretty face with this, her debut single from her debut album of the same name.

Her Neneh Cherry-like vocals fuse perfectly with a dreamy piano melody to produce a tune that's easy on the ears.

The single also features her version of the Bruce Springsteen classic Hungry Heart.

BIRD-THE INSIDES LP

(out now)

MUCH-touted singer/songwriter Bird - a.k.a. Jamie Price - follows up a series of independent EPs with this, her first LP.

The concise 40-minute collection of largely self-penned tracks are a far cry from her early days as a drummer in a punk band.

The album was written mainly in Iceland and is a heart-warming musical gift from the half English-half Irish musician.

TRAVIS -WALKING

IN THE SUN

(out October 18)

THE Scottish indie band practically crowned kings of the Britpop movement in the late nineties have never really cut the mustard with me of recent years - particularly not since their exceptional and highly-underrated first album Good Feeling.

Imagine my surprise then, to hear this, their latest track from their soon-to-be-released album, an upbeat sing-a-long ditty bound to put a spring in your step and worthy of addition in any such compilation.

If only they could now tell me where they've been walking in the sun so I can go there too..

GREEN DAY -

AMERICAN IDIOT

(out now)

IT'S amazing what a bit of anger can do...

The beloved punk-rockers are back with their first album in four years and this time they've got their sights set on George "dub-ya" with the theme being disillusionment of American citizens under the Bush administration's post-9/11 'war on terror'.

Opening with the single of the same name, American Idiot is classic Green Day with intense guitar hooks set on a collision course with some solid drumming and passionate vocals.

The monstrous nine-minute rock opus of Jesus of Suburbia follows and progresses the album in a similar vein.

Among the other stand-out tracks are the manic adrenalin-filled St Jimmy and the epic stadium rock feel of Boulevard of Broken Dreams.

All in all, it's bound to lead to some severe head-rocking and air-guitar going on.

Not one for the faint-hearted.