Clash's Jones Screams in London

Posted on Mar 1st 2007 5:48PM by Jack Iles

Tonight, Spinner bore witness to a strange moment in rock history: Arguably the Clash's finest song, 'White Man in Hammersmith Palais,' was performed by the Clash's Mick Jones in, well, Hammersmith Palais.

Hammersmith is a peculiar nebulous place in West London beneath the Westway, the much vaunted road mythologized by those same punk gods. At the climax of the Shockwaves NME Awards, Jones joined Primal Scream for a one-off rendition.

It was stunning, even more so because Hammersmith Palais is due to be pulled down and turned into luxury flats. Primal Scream had just received the NME Godlike Genius Award (previous recipients U2, the Clash, Ian Brown), and Mick Jones, after dancing to their 'Swaztika Eyes,' ambled onto the stage for this breathtaking moment.

And if that wasn't enough of a handing on of the rock torch, the Killers performed Joy Division's 'Shadowplay' with Peter Hook of New Order who, of course, played on the original looking on.

For a full details of the awards, backstage views, webcams and winners, go here.