We continued to rehearse in the spare bedroom. You could only just get the band in as well as the equipment, and various people were still sleeping in the high bunk bed above the guitar amps. There was no window in the room, and it would get so hot that we would rehearse for a couple of songs then have to go and sit outside in the mews on the cobblestones just to get some air ...not that there was much air because a busy messenger service had their offices opposite. There was a non stop roar of motorcycles in the background while we played.
They thought we were mad. We probably were. Sitting outside the mews house in the sun one day on one of those gasping for air breaks, a really cute boy walked past. It was Chris Kavanagh. He gets the talk and before you know it he's in and another drum kit is acquired, this time from Terry Chimes. Mick, Joe and everyone in the Clash was so very supportive of the band and we were all hanging out together. Me, Neal, Degville and Magenta all played parts in Strummer’s black and white London gangster film he was making called Hell W10. So Chris was now the next to learn to play while we continued rehearsing. But it was all part of the magic, sweating away in the 3m square room at Magenta’s (now with two drum kits rammed inside) with the ghost of Sid Vicious watching over us. Of course I can already play bass, but there is definitely a fresh invigorating energy playing with people learning for the first time.
And we worked really hard.
Mick Jones lent X a real guitar - a 50’s white Gibson, the one Mick played in the London Calling video, and it really looked the part. Gradually a set is rehearsed of our rock n roll in dub. Versions of Jailhouse Rock with new lyrics renamed Moscow Rocks. "Everybody in the eastern block was dancin’ to the Moscow Rock...." Well it was a start. And we played an early version of Rockit Miss USA Eddie Cochran style, a steal of the Suicide track but with new lyrics which we later added a chorus to. It was coming together and by then I couldn’t wait to get out and play for real.