Sep 11, 2013 Jail Guitar Doors at Amoeba Hollywood
I attend in-stores at Amoeba Hollywood fairly often but Thursday was the first time I’ve seen a Los Angeles City Council member present declarations in honor of the performers. Mitch O’Farrell (center), who represents the city’s 13th district, introduced The MC5’s Wayne Kramer (left) and Cockney folk singer Billy Bragg (right) not only as influential musicians and noted left-wing activists but advocates for human rights. Hence, Jail Guitar Doors Day! Bragg formed Jail Guitar Doors in England to honor his late friend Joe Strummer, of The Clash. The initiative provides musical instruments to inmates serving time in Her Majesty’s Prisons.
Before the noontime set, Kramer shared how he was recruited by Bragg to head up the U.S. arm of Jail Guitar Doors. When the latter invited the former, he explained that the group was named after the song by The Clash. Kramer’s response was that that “Jail Guitar Doors” was about his own experiences after he was busted for selling dope! As a veteran of the American prison system and advocate for prisoners, Brother Wayne immediately agreed to help out. At Amoeba, he played a Merle Haggard song followed by the group’s namesake song itself. The story goes that when Bragg passed along news of Kramer’s enlistment to Mick Jones, who sang “Jail Guitar Doors” for The Clash, he had totally forgotten that his song was about The MC5 guitarist!
Bragg explained that when he plays a typical concert, the audience comes to see him. But when he visits prisons, he’s there to see them. So he’ll play covers they want to hear, such as “Redemption Song.” Bragg played the Bob Marley anthem and then his own “I Keep The Faith.” He noted that by providing a musical outlet to prisoners, Jail Guitar Doors isn’t trying to give them skills for employment or jobs in entertainment. Instead, he stessed the transcendent power of music and its ability to carry people away from their daily troubles and physical surroundings.
The duo never dug into California’s legal system, prison conditions, or class warfare, but the guitarist on “Kick Out The Jams” did say that working with prisoners is his life’s proudest achievement. You can find out more about JGD and how you can support it at jailguitardoors.org. And for Southern Californians, there’s a fund-raising comedy show at Meltdown Comics on Saturday, September 21. I’m usually happy just to share rad music with my five-year-old daughter but this time it was cool to introduce her to some new ideas–not to mention my longtime acquaintance/muckraking comedian Margaret Cho.
LINKS:
Jail Guitar Doors
Billy Bragg
Wayne Kramer’s Industrial Amusement
The Nerdist at Meltdown