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The Brand

A HISTORY OF REBELLIOUS SELF EXPRESSION: JOE STRUMMER

As we celebrate Dr. Martens birthday, we’re taking a look at some of the iconic people featured within our book ‘A History of Rebellious Self Expression’. For many, the greatest Punk band of all-time is The Clash – more intriguing, more thoughtful and more complex than much of Punk’s head-down thrash. They were fronted by the enigmatic and inspiring Joe Strummer, the son of a British ambassador to Turkey. He was recruited into The Clash by Mick Jones and Paul Simon after they saw a gig by his Pub Rock band the 101’ers. The Clash’s eponymously titled debut album was recorded in just three weekends. Rolling Stone went on to call it ‘the definitive Punk album’. As the band evolved and Punk’s sharp edge faded, The Clash began to filter Reggae into their sound and an anti-racist rhetoric into their political stance. 
 

Joe Strummer wearing the Black 1460 boots.
Joe Strummer wearing the Black 1460 boots.
 
 
Their brilliant London Calling album broke through in the States where they played to massive arenas nationwide – they later went on to support The Who around the US. After their split in the mid-80s, Strummer went on to work in films, including the soundtrack for Sid And Nancy, starring Gary Oldman. Famous for their black ten-hole DM’s, The Clash’s style was as varied as their music. Their famous spray-painted boiler suits and shirts were mixed with jackets and ties, T-shirts, black leather jackets, black shirts (often sleeveless) and even dog tags. 
 
After Strummer’s tragically early death in 2002, his wife Lucinda set up the Joe Strummer Foundation. ‘I first came across DM’s looking at the skinheads down on the King’s Road in the late ’70s. Dr. Martens go hand-in-hand with youth subcultures, maybe because of the working-class background of the brand, and this fits in with the punk ethic – different tribes wanted to show their individuality. They are a sign of freedom, power and rebellion.’ Dr. Martens has been working with the Strummer foundation since the ‘Strummer of Love’ Festival back in 2012 to mark the ten-year anniversary of Joe’s untimely demise. The brand wanted to work with the foundation due to the two organisations’ shared ethos of nurturing and championing the next generation of musicians. 
 
Read more in our book ‘Dr. Martens: A History of Rebellious Self Expression’, available in-store now.