THE CLASH – “London Calling”: For the Mojo crowd this is the last chest-beating hurrah of a mythic London, the storied city of Oz and Westbourne Grove and the Kings’ Road, the last time the Last Gang had a Town to call their own. If you don’t remember that or don’t buy into it “London Calling”s apocalypse can sound empty, The Day After Tomorrow with riffs and better trousers. A few great lines though – “London calling at the top of the dial”, and Springsteen would have loved “you know what they said – well some of it was true”. I quite like it, I think.
ACCEPT – “London Leatherboys”: “Boys in leather and girls in lace”, these boys are wild-hearted metal fans, and rockin’ Germans Accept are the men to hymn their crazy life, seemingly completely unaware that “London leatherboys” might have any other implications. At the end one of the leatherboys dies in the arms of his friend after easy ridin’ too fast (not totally sure of the details here mind). Minimal insight into city life here but plenty of cheap entertainment.
THIRD EYE BLIND – “London”: 3EB guy is moving to London to be with his girl but when he gets there he sees her with someone else – fights, grief, move cancelled. “I don’t want to go to London” he pouts, rockishly. This is also today’s “rain” song. Not very good.