Joe Strummer

Ever since The Clash broke up, Joe Strummer has seemed a little unsure quite what to do with himself; apart from a short stint as lead singer with The Pogues, the old punk hasn't really made much of a solo mark on the world. When he emerged blinking onto the Olympia stage on Tuesday night, new band - the Mescaleros - in tow, Strummer looked a little bemused, like someone who had accidentally got on the wrong train; the opening song, For- bidden City, creaked along like a rusty old caboose, stopping and starting with many a jerk and judder. Luckily for Strummer, he was able to fire up the proceedings with some old Clash tunes; Rock The Casbah got things wobbling back on track, while Straight To Hell and London Calling went hell-for-leather into a nostalgic nosedive. As the pace picked up a bit, Strummer seemed to lose the punch-drunk look and start hitting back. White Man at Hammersmith Palais whipped up a white reggae storm, while I Fought The Law got the crowd doing the jailhouse rock.

When Strummer left the stage following an encore of Bankrobber, the crowd refused to budge, and cheered loudly for 15 minutes until Strummer was forced to raise the curtain and return to the stage. You can bet they weren't cheering for his new material.