Meeting Joe Strummer SKINNY FEST 2

has there ever been a music star to have such a profound effect on so many people as the deceased punk legend?

Article by Paul Mitchell | 14 Aug 2006
Two mismatched characters - anguished public-schoolboy Nick (Miles, Emmerdale's Jimmy King) and working-class wastrel Steve (North) - become close through a mutual obsession with Joe Strummer. Through flashbacks, the pair recount the effect Strummer's philosophies had on their lives, ultimately bringing them together when their personal differences have driven them apart again. Writer Paul Hodson sombrely asks if there has ever been a music star to have such a profound effect on so many people as the deceased punk legend?

This deification of the man is initially frustrating – the characters seem happy to accept the notion that their existences can be eked out and justified by the ideologies of one cultural icon. Subtly, the characters mature, and learn from their turbulent experiences so that their introspection becomes more self-effacing and grounded in reality. Both actors do a fine job of portraying this passage of time, and the script is sprinkled with welcome touches of comic relief. A moment of genuine poignancy, upon hearing of their idol's death, marks the moment where any differences they may have had are rendered inconsequential.
Gilded Balloon Teviot, until Aug 27, not 14, 21. 13:15, prices vary