Who is smashing a guitar on the cover of ‘London Calling’ by The Clash?
Characterised by loud, abrasive guitars and barely coherent politically charged lyricism, punk rock was a musical revolution, but its subversive power was not limited to what was coming out of the speakers. The spirit and attitude of punk permeated virtually all forms of artistic expression, from painting to stand-up comedy and everything in between. As a result, punk had one of the strongest graphic identities of any music scene that came before it. One band that certainly knew the power of this visual element to punk was The Clash.
Originally formed in 1976, at the peak of London’s punk movement, The Clash wasted no time in becoming one of the scene’s defining groups. Initially formed by guitarist Mick Jones, the band did not come together until the incredible frontman, songwriter, and activist Joe Strummer was poached from pub rockers The 101ers. Although their interests mainly lay in songwriting and performing to live audiences around the dingy pubs and clubs of the United Kingdom, The Clash always kept an eye on the visual aspect of their existence.
After all, Jones, Strummer, and bassist Paul Simonon had all attended art school and knew the importance and power of visual art. As such, the group established a strong visual image for themselves, which they largely stuck to throughout the band’s career. Their style was as eclectic and mismatched as the sound of The Clash, which blended disparate musical styles of punk, rockabilly, dub, ska, and even hip-hop.
Given their artistic backgrounds, it should come as no surprise that The Clash boasted some of the best cover artwork across the entirety of the punk scene. All of their singles, EPs and full-length albums were accompanied by incredible artwork, which perfectly complemented the music it encased. Single releases like ‘White Riot’, ‘(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais’, and the ‘Cost of Living’ EP featured iconic artwork and designs which were unparalleled by any other major label-signed band at the time.
The Clash’s magnum opus came with the release of London Calling in 1979, which signalled their move away from punk roots into a more varied, enduring, and profound sound. In addition to the groundbreaking music recorded for the record, however, London Calling became just as well-known for its legendary cover art. A pastiche of Elvis Presley’s self-titled album, the cover depicts a black-and-white photograph of a faceless figure destroying a guitar, overlaid with pink and green text.
That mysterious figure was, in fact, The Clash’s bassist Paul Simonon. During a 1979 performance at the Palladium in New York City, Simonon became frustrated with the fact that the bouncers at the show were stopping audience members from standing up. The Clash, who were used to playing raucous punk gigs around the United Kingdom, found this policy both odd and unfair, and so Simonon exercised his frustrations on his bass guitar.
The photo of Simonon was taken by photographer Pennie Smith, who was initially disappointed with the band’s decision to use the photo as an album cover, given the fact that it is out of focus. However, Ray Lowry, who did a lot of art and design for the band, saw its potential and set about creating the now-iconic cover of London Calling.
What model was Paul Simonon’s bass?
Simonon has utilised a number of different bass guitars over the years. In the music video for London Calling, for instance, he can be seen carting around an Epiphone Rivoli Bass. However, his usual choice was the Fender Precision Bass. “It had such a weight to it and such a fuller sound,” he once shared in an interview with Fender, explaining his adoration for the instrument.
Countless celebrated bassists have chosen Precisions as their preferred weapons, with everybody from John Cale to Carol Kaye playing them regularly. Simonon’s punk contemporary Sid Vicious also played a Precision during his time with the Sex Pistols. It is a white Fender Precision Bass that Simonon smashed on the stage in that iconic photo taken in New York.
In fact, that very same bass was previously on display at the London Museum before it closed its doors to its former home in 2022, but you may be able to catch a glimpse of the brutalised piece of pop culture history when they reopen the main site in Smithfield in 2026. Like the underground of London art itself, it might be bashed about, but it lives on—the bruises and cracks are part of its charm.
