Clash Tribute

featuring 6X, the Rent Boys, and the X-Impossibles

Echo Lounge, Atlanta, GA • February 3, 2000

Frank Mullen

The Damned paved the way, with the first major punk rock vinyl release; the Sex Pistols made the biggest splash, with Sid and Johnny outraging the world with a few ripped clothes and well-placed curse words; but of the late ’70s UK punk scene, only the Clash cracked the US charts and made a real impression with the mainstream music fan. A little more serious, a little less snotty, and a bit more accessible musically to the soon-to-be-alternative college crowd, their music seems a little less dated today than some of their compadres.

They made their mark, and recently came out with a great, backward-looking anthology record; to help promote it, the Echo Lounge delivered an evening of Atlanta bands playing their fave Clash tunes and giving away a ton of movies, CDs, posters, and other goodies.

First up was 6X; though it seemed like they might have listened to the Buzzcocks and the Go-Go’s more than the Clash, that didn’t stop them from kicking out a mean version of “Jail Guitar Doors.” Guitarist Lara Kiang and bassist Kevin Rej flew high in the air as they ended their set.

The Rent Boys are gathering more attention these days, and not just for the amount of alcohol they consume onstage. Perhaps the most Clash-like of the three bands, they’ve tightened up a lot in the past year, but haven’t lost their gravelly edge. “Police & Thieves” was one of the highlights, along with a stagediver crashing directly to the floor, uncaught by the crowd.

“rent_boys”

Finally, the X-Impossibles blew it out. It seemed as if half the audience joined them onstage for a handful of their own songs (including the awesome “Murder Mystery”), plus Clash faves like “Complete Control,” “I’m So Bored with the USA,” “What’s My Name,” and the grand finale, “Clash City Rockers.”

A good time was had by all, except maybe the guy who woke up the next morning wondering where he got that giant bump on his head. ◼