LONDON 1976 PROJECT: KEITH LEVENE
There were two occasions in recent history when British artists, musicians, and designers ruled the world.
The first British invasion occurred in the 1960s when the Beatles, the Mods, Mary Quant, Carnaby Street, Peter Blake and swinging London dominated the international arts, music and cultural scene.
I was intimately involved in the second British invasion, which emerged almost 40 years ago from the streets of West London and then exploded globally. They called it the first wave of British punk rock. I call it “London 1976!”
The revolution that began in London that year broke down all kinds of doors. Punk eventually evolved into post-punk, new wave, synth pop, the New Romantics, alternative music, and so forth. Punk started it all and was in my opinion directly responsible for the immense international success enjoyed by so many British musicians, bands, artists and designers in the late 1970s to the mid 1980s and beyond.
For me it all started in late 1975 or thereabouts. I was a teenaged skateboarding guitarist from North London who ventured onto an amazing new scene in West London that encompassed music, art, clothing, and style.
In those days, there was definitely a strong creative vibe in the air. You could feel it. You could almost touch it. It was a spirit. It was an attitude. It was all around us.
You saw all these great shops on the King’s Road, which were run by people like Vivienne Westwood, Malcolm McLaren and Bernard Rhodes showcasing fantastic original clothing and accessories.
I met Bernard through my friend the guitarist Mick Jones. We formed the Clash. The Clash was an alternative to the most important band on the scene back then: the Sex Pistols.
After that, I recruited Joe Strummer to be our front man, played several live gigs with the band, contributed to the writing process, dropped in suggestions regarding the presentation of the band, and remained with The Clash through September 1976.
My last gig with the Clash was at the Roundhouse in London. We opened for the Patti Smith band. About 18 months after that I co-founded Public Image, Ltd. (“PiL”), which is considered by many to be the first post-punk band. PiL was also regarded as avant-garde or artistic and involved not only music but art, fashion, early video and so on. When that second British invasion hit in London 1976 the “do-it-yourself” ethos was immense.
There were no limits on what you could or might accomplish and that scene welcomed everyone who had something original to say or an original idea to express. Music meant something to us. It wasn’t pre-packaged or predictable. It wasn’t planned. It didn’t follow a formula. The music expressed what we were feeling. It truly came from our hearts.
It was original. It was vibrant. It was exciting. It was thought-provoking when done right. The entire scene in West London in 1976 was as far from “corporate” as anything could ever be.
Then as now I expressed myself in my music, clothing designs, and original artwork. Throughout my career I have created customized 3D handmade album and then CD custom covers to accompany my music.
My process involves incorporating objects that I have used in my life – such as skateboarding grip tape and business correspondence. I typically write, create and record my music as I make the covers that will enclose my music.
I attach bits and pieces of these and other items to my covers and also use various paints and chalks and charcoals to “slab them up.” There is a reason why I use that term.
“The Slab” is a tune that I composed on a synthesizer and acoustic guitar. It appeared on my “Commercial Zone” 1983-1984 release. I was inspired to compose “The Slab” after observing these amazing graffiti artists who were about in New York City where PiL was residing in the early 1980s
A few months back a fan emailed photos of a custom cover to my “Commercial Zone” 1983-1984 vinyl album, which he purchased back in the day. “The Slab” and the rest of the music to “Commercial Zone” 1983-1984 was a work-in-progress. I was the principal musical composer on the “Commercial Zone” project and it was supposed to have been PiL’s fourth studio album following “First Issue,” “Metal Box” and “Flowers of Romance.”
Unfortunately creative differences over that release led me to decline continuing with PiL before the album was completed. I always wanted to finish “Commercial Zone.” The timing, however, wasn’t right for me until 2014 when I traveled to Faust Studios in Prague, CZ and composed and recorded “Keith Levene’s Commercial Zone.” Of course I created handmade limited edition custom covers to accompany my music.
During this time, I also wrote my book “I Was a Teenage Guitarist for the Clash!” which recalled those exciting days in West London back in the mid-1970s. The “Teen Clash” book included hand designed custom covers and some of the people who have ordered them have framed them.
Next on the agenda for me is “The London 1976 Project.”
This project involves an art installation and music presentation to celebrate next year’s 40th anniversary of that first wave of British punk. The art installation will showcase my original Commercial Zone 1983-1984 vinyl albums/custom covers and my recent completed Commercial Zone 2014-2015 CDs/custom covers. This art installation will be a part of a live appearance in November in Manchester and will mark the first time I’ve performed my music live since my 2012 Metal Box in Dub show in Mount Fuji.
The London 1976 project will also include an educational piece for new artists and musicians who subscribe to the ethos and spirit of 1976.
I’ve been an independent and DIY artist/composer/musician for a long time. Both of the Commercial Zone projects (amongst my other releases) were done independently and DIY by me from start to finish. I feel if I can pull that off the students involved in “The London 1976 Project” can too.
I want to share my experiences in everything from project development, production, distribution, finance, sales, marketing, legal issues and beyond in an effort to provide today’s artists and musicians with the tools so that they may hopefully carry on where we left off when that first wave of British punk hit.
As I reflect back on my four decade long career and plan “The London 1976 Project” I cannot help but think that the world is way overdue for the third British invasion.
I ask you: Where are the budding British artists and musicians who will lead the way for the next wave of global domination?
Keith Levene
