Rock The Castle House

Clash classic ‘Rock The Casbah’ was performed by an en masse karaoke ensemble on Saturday (July 17) to raise money for the charity set up by late frontman Joe Strummer, Strummerville.

The event took place as part of a series of events in Castle House in Bridgewater, Somerset. Strummer spent the last few months of his life in Bridgewater where the charity is based before he died in 2002.

Other events taking place on Saturday included controversial artist Damien Hirst wrapping Castle House in paper.

The charity was set up to support young musicians, but the profits from the weekend’s festivities will go towards the upkeep of Castle House, one of Strummer’s favourite buildings, which is currently in need of restoration.

"Joe loved it because it was the first concrete building in the world," said Damien Hirst, a trustee of Strummerville, to the BBC.

The building, built in 1851 was the first concrete building in the world. It provides studio time and rehearsal space for young people who cannot afford the facilities on their own.

The building is currently entered in the second series of the BBC’s Restoration programme alongside 20 other endangered buildings. 

Other celebrities taking part included Badly Drawn Boy, Bez from the Happy Mondays, Keith Allen and Mick Jones.