Members of the Clash, the Foo Fighters and the MC5 have united
on stage to support a campaign to teach prisoners to play
guitar.
Mick Jones of the Clash, Chris Shiflett of the Foo Fighters and
Wayne Kramer of the MC5 joined Billy Bragg at the gig.
They played the Clash song Jail Guitar Doors, which is also the
name of Bragg's campaign to help rehabilitate prisoners through
learning instruments.
They performed after the premiere of a documentary about the
scheme in London.
Bragg launched the initiative in 2007 and has so far recruited a
string of musicians to take instruments into 25 prisons across the
UK.
Speaking before the premiere, he said the results had been "very
positive".
It's not a present for these guys - when I go into prisons, I make
it explicit to them that this is a challenge
Billy Bragg
"When they come out of prison, we hope that we're giving them a
way of processing the problems they face in a non-confrontational
way," he told BBC News.
Bragg and his fellow musicians leave donated instruments in
institutions for the prisoners, but denied it was a soft option and
said the guitars were not simply gifts.
"It's not a present for these guys. When I go into prisons, I
make it explicit to them that this is a challenge. People outside
have raised money for these guitars because they want you to come
back into society.
Former Libertines and Dirty Pretty Things singer Carl Barat is
among those who have visited inmates as part of the campaign.
"It was quite an eye opener. Pretty scary," he said. "But as
soon as you get over that you realise you can make a
difference.
"Music is a form of expression and a lot of people in
institutions like this have problems with expression, so done the
right way it can give people a voice."
I knew the song because The Clash were gracious to write the song
about my misadventures as a younger man
Wayne Kramer
MC5
The Clash wrote the song Jail Guitar Doors about Wayne Kramer,
the guitarist whose band MC5 were among the early punk rock
pioneers.
Kramer is now launching the scheme in the US after discussing it
with Bragg.
"I knew the song because The Clash were gracious to write the
song about my misadventures as a younger man," he said.
"The more we talked about it, I thought, this is something we
need to do in America. There's no downside to it."
Thursday's performance at Proud Galleries in Camden also
featured several former inmates who have benefitted from
tuition.
Jonny Neesom, 26, served five years of a seven-year sentence for
wounding with intent and is now attempting to forge a career as a
musician.
"I had a fight when I was younger and stabbed someone," he said.
"In the last year and a half, I started learning how to play the
guitar but never thought much would come from it - it was just
something to pass the time in prison.
"Then I got out and people seemed to like the music and it's
gone from strength to strength and I've got gigs all the time.
"It sounds cheesy, but it's kind of changed my life. Instead of
criminals, I mix with musicians."
By Ian Youngs
Music reporter, BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8286743.stm