By Nigel Powlson

AS guitarist and lyricist with the revered punk band The Clash, Joe Strummer's music legacy has always been assured.

But Strummer spent nearly as much time with The Mescaleros, a band formed in the 1990s and which continued until his death in 2002.

"This is my Indian summer... I learnt that fame is an illusion and everything about it is just a joke. I'm far more dangerous now, because I don't care at all," he said in 2000.

A founder member of The Mescaleros was songwriter and percussionist Pablo Cook, who is now keeping the music alive with his band Los Mondo Bongo, who can be seen in Derby later this month.

Pablo says: "It started with Smiley (drummer Steve Barnard) and me going to places around the world helping tribute nights out. One night in Italy we put a band together from our social circle to play a few tunes. The word got out and has built from there. The name's from a song I co-wrote with Joe.

"The band works well because everyone is a good player and, although we are middle-aged men, we don't mind sweating it out a bit."

The five-piece features bassist Derek Forbes (Simple Minds), guitarist Steve Harris (Gary Numan) and vocalist Mike Peters (The Alarm).

Pablo came across Joe Strummer 15 years ago.

"He had a house in San Jose and I was in a band called The Grid and we were doing a video there and he came over and had a cameo part. He asked if I wanted to join him for a drink and we ended up talking the whole evening about welding.

"I knew The Clash, but I was more on the Sex Pistols side, the rough stuff. I thought The Clash were too intelligent, too squeaky. Joe used to say to me 'you never even saw The Clash'. But I did try to see them twice but once nearly overdosed in the toilet and the other time I was with a girl in the car park and missed them."

Eventually the foundations for The Mescaleros were laid. "Originally we were going to put a band together called the Hand of God – Bez from the Happy Mondays, Joe and myself. But it only really happened in the pub, it was all talk. We did a few recordings but were pretty drunk and disorganised.

"We did these campfire type evenings where we would celebrate all kinds of music and got asked to do gigs in Japan. So to give ourselves a name we came up with The Mescaleros, but it wasn't really a band, just a collective of drunk Manchester guys hanging about in fields playing music."

Eventually it all gelled into tours, albums and festivals.

"I haven't done the maths on it but I think we were together as long as The Clash," says Pablo, "and put out nearly as many tunes. They were good times."

He is helping recreate some of that with Los Mondo Bongo. "People put us in the category of a tribute band but it's not at all," he says.

"As a writer, it seems a bit odd, saying I'm paying tribute to my own songs. I'm just playing my tunes to people who appreciate Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros. We do a few Clash songs as part of the evening – to celebrate Joe. And to keep the flame alive is great for me."

LOS MONDO BONGO

WHERE: The Flowerpot, King Street, Derby.

WHEN: Thursday, March 11.

TICKETS: £10.

INFORMATION: www.rawpromo.co.uk or call 01332 834438.