Substance at the Spice of Life

Led by singer/songwriter, Alan Clayton, The Dirty Strangers play rootsy rock’n’roll as invented by Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent and Chuck Berry but laced with a bit of Otis Redding soul and a side order of punk attitude.

Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood have appeared on 2 of their CDs, and Keith Richards guested with them at The Royal Albert Hall. 'We’re the same, you and me, except you didn’t get the breaks', Richards said to Clayton one night.

Over the years Clayton has found himself recording at Keith Richards’s Redlands home, travelling the world as part of the Stones’ inner circle, recording with legendary MC5 guru and beat poet John Sinclair, playing with late sax titan Bobby Keys at his last ever club show, and hosting the Dissenters’ Gallery series of events that saw former Clash members Mick Jones and Topper Headon reunited on stage for the first time in years.

Clayton has also sung with the Brian James Gang, the original Damned guitarist being an old friend. While the Keith Richards connection has been a major element in his life, Clayton’s own story has followed a fascinating trajectory, which always returns to the Dirty Strangers.