Maruja on their “life-affirming” year and punk’s anniversary: “Do what you think is right and share that with the world”

Maruja saxophonist and vocalist Joe Carroll has spoken to NME about playing the 50th anniversary of The 100 Club’s Punk Special, and the whirlwind year since the release of their debut album. READ MORE: Maruja’s sprawling jazz-punk offers solidarity in the face of disorder Taking place tonight (September 21), this is the second of two gigs commemorating 50 years of the iconic venue’s now-legendary two day festival, which has hosted the likes of Sex Pistols, The Clash, Siouxsie And The Banshees, The Damned, Buzzcocks and plenty more. Following on from last night’s headliners Sprints, Maruja will headline the event tonight London post-punk sextet Opus Kink,with ticket prices also going back to 1976 and just £1.50 each. Carroll told NME that the Punk Special anniversary has “definitely come at a very fitting time”. “Ed Sheeran and Macklemore are definitely at the forefront of our conversations at the moment,” he reasoned, after the Seattle rapper was removed from Sheeran’s tour due to his “Free Palestine” speech at the Gillette Stadium. The venue’s owner, billionaire Robert Kraft, threatened to ban future Sheeran shows at venues across the US if Macklemore stayed on the tour. Maruja, ...