the clash "reforming"?

i have not written much lately as my head and body have both been occupied elsewhere but i'm going to try and write more regularly even if perhaps with less pictures..

rumours are floating- perhaps a hoax- that the clash will be reforming to tour north america and england... tim armstrong of rancid would join the band for the tour..

although i think the world of paul simonon and mick jones the clash reforming with joe strummer dead lies dangerously close to very poor taste (unclear whether topper would be drummer- he should be- or terry chimes or if they'd go for some hired hand)....

on the other hand the clash does not belong to joe strummer but to the world now..... people ascribe pecuniary interests to bands deciding to reform .. they stomp all over johnny rotten aka lydon for reforming the sex pistols.. as if it was all about money when it is about playing songs again and getting out there.. a bit of a college reunion..how much "filthy lucre" could the pistols have made this past tour for playing the 930 club in dc? a few grand each?? not much more...i don't think its about THAT...and if they want a few grand to send a kid to college whats wrong with that?... do they owe some allegiance to some ill defined principles of whats acceptable or "punk" or do their fans owe them some allegiance?

now joe has passed on but people still have college reunions after a mate dies.... and bands can tour after their lead singer dies too.... would it be fair for ME after all the wonderful times i've had listening to the clash (and the times i've marveled at paul simonon's singing or mick jones vocals which i sometimes prefer to joe) to come down on anyone for doing what they want with their person?...... would i reunite "the clash"? no.. if i was paul and mick i'd tour under some other moniker (how about "last gang in town"? or better yet "the cash"!) and all serious clash fans would still be there.... we all want to see them playing together anyhow.. and i don't think anyone would say anything about them playing a lot of clash songs... in fact we'd all be yelling for them to ONLY play clash songs (yes, we the same we probably going to be coming down on them for "reforming")

one thought that crosses my mind is what would joe strummer say....i can't imagine him getting too worked up about it....i picture him with a joint in one hand, curling a smile, and shrugging it off with a few disarming words in that wonderfully honest cockney accented voice of his..

but why now? why not tour when joe was around?.. answer: joe was having such a blast with his new band the mescaleros that the clash were in the rearview mirror.. i'm sorry i did not catch the mescaleros live but glad for the good times they inspired..i've talked to a few who were at their shows and its nice to know joe was continuing to spread the love..