Passion is a Fashion: The Real Story of the Clash, is the definitive band biography, now fully revised and expanded for the band’s 50th anniversary, half a century since the band detonated onto the London scene in 1976. Drawing on Pat Gilbert’s unrivalled access as a former MOJO editor, this book reveals the untold story of a group whose ferocity and creative ambition shaped modern music, including the following.

  • Exclusive interviews with The Clash—Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, and Topper Headon—plus managers, road crew, producers, and other insiders.
  • A vivid, behind the scenes chronicle of the band’s meteoric rise.
  • The cultural and political forces that shaped The Clash and defined their uncompromising vision.
  • Fresh insights and newly added material from surviving members of the band and other major figures close to them, appearing for the first time in this new edition.

Packed with the energy of punk’s golden age, Passion Is a Fashion takes you inside the real story of The Clash, capturing not only their brilliance but also the chaos and heartbreak that forged their enduring legend. This is the indispensable Clash book, now more essential than ever.

Available from Aurum/Quatro Publishing

Pat Gilbert is a former editor of MOJO, the best-selling and internationally acclaimed music magazine. He has also contributed to Q magazine, the Guardian, The Times, and the Sunday Times, and produced radio programs for the BBC. He has written two books for Aurum: the definitive biography of the Clash, Passion is a Fashion—hailed by Uncut magazine as “a great book”—and Shut It! The Inside Story of The Sweeney.

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist based in Toronto with a focus on tourism, lifestyle, entertainment and community issues. He has written several travel articles and has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He’s willing to take on any assignments of interest, attend parties with free booze, listen to rants, and travel the world in search of the great unknown. He’s eager to discover the new, remember the past, and look into the future.