Manchester University Press
6 The boy looked at Clarkey
Abstract
It remains a conviction, that when Allan Clarke, infatuated by all things David Bowie, looks in the mirror, he sees Ziggy Stardust looking back. Over many years, as Bowie's look changed, so did Clarkey's alter-ego. The Cross the Line documentary made by BBC Northern Ireland in 1980 offers an insight into his thinking around. Clarkey's unshakeable belief that he is somehow hardwired into the Bowie psyche. In addition, his photogenic persona and strong stage presence, coupled with his highoctane performance came to be synonymous with the visceral musical signature of the band. So if manic, force-of-nature unpredictability with a fluid take on reality were prerequisites for a frontman, he had them in spades.
Abstract
It remains a conviction, that when Allan Clarke, infatuated by all things David Bowie, looks in the mirror, he sees Ziggy Stardust looking back. Over many years, as Bowie's look changed, so did Clarkey's alter-ego. The Cross the Line documentary made by BBC Northern Ireland in 1980 offers an insight into his thinking around. Clarkey's unshakeable belief that he is somehow hardwired into the Bowie psyche. In addition, his photogenic persona and strong stage presence, coupled with his highoctane performance came to be synonymous with the visceral musical signature of the band. So if manic, force-of-nature unpredictability with a fluid take on reality were prerequisites for a frontman, he had them in spades.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Epigraph vii
- Dedication viii
- Contents ix
- Preface xi
- Sleeve notes xvi
- Side 1 – Origins 1
- 1 TC 3
- 2 ‘Pastures not greener but meaner’ 12
- 3 Anderson, Kelly and Greene 24
- 4 The Pride of Ardoyne 33
- 5 Bad vibrations 42
- 6 The boy looked at Clarkey 52
- 7 Lousy body 58
- 8 If you go down to the Harp today … 61
- 9 GOT-8 66
- 10 Cross the Line 72
- 11 ‘Wasted Life’ 79
- 12 The fly and the dandelion 85
- 13 The indignity of labour 92
- 14 A sense of Ireland 98
- 15 The Black Catholics 103
- 16 Of giants and sandcastles 111
- Side 2 – Second coming 121
- 17 ‘The Wild Colonial Boy’ 123
- 18 ‘Change of Attention’ 130
- 19 Our Tune 138
- 20 Home thoughts from abroad 148
- 21 Hot to trot 152
- 22 If it ain’t stiff, it ain’t worth a fuck 161
- 23 The fourth estate 168
- 24 It’s too late to stop now 180
- 25 Sarm East is east, Sarm West is west 191
- 26 Brixton nights 198
- 27 On The Tube with Sonnie Rae 205
- 28 Shane MacGowan’s smile 211
- 29 Jumping the shark 217
- 30 Green and pleasant land 231
- 31 The return of the native 239
- Coda 248
- Appendix 1 254
- Appendix 2 271
- List of illustrations 275
- Dedications, acknowledgements and thanks 276
- Index 277
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Epigraph vii
- Dedication viii
- Contents ix
- Preface xi
- Sleeve notes xvi
- Side 1 – Origins 1
- 1 TC 3
- 2 ‘Pastures not greener but meaner’ 12
- 3 Anderson, Kelly and Greene 24
- 4 The Pride of Ardoyne 33
- 5 Bad vibrations 42
- 6 The boy looked at Clarkey 52
- 7 Lousy body 58
- 8 If you go down to the Harp today … 61
- 9 GOT-8 66
- 10 Cross the Line 72
- 11 ‘Wasted Life’ 79
- 12 The fly and the dandelion 85
- 13 The indignity of labour 92
- 14 A sense of Ireland 98
- 15 The Black Catholics 103
- 16 Of giants and sandcastles 111
- Side 2 – Second coming 121
- 17 ‘The Wild Colonial Boy’ 123
- 18 ‘Change of Attention’ 130
- 19 Our Tune 138
- 20 Home thoughts from abroad 148
- 21 Hot to trot 152
- 22 If it ain’t stiff, it ain’t worth a fuck 161
- 23 The fourth estate 168
- 24 It’s too late to stop now 180
- 25 Sarm East is east, Sarm West is west 191
- 26 Brixton nights 198
- 27 On The Tube with Sonnie Rae 205
- 28 Shane MacGowan’s smile 211
- 29 Jumping the shark 217
- 30 Green and pleasant land 231
- 31 The return of the native 239
- Coda 248
- Appendix 1 254
- Appendix 2 271
- List of illustrations 275
- Dedications, acknowledgements and thanks 276
- Index 277
