Review: RednBlack Collective's Anti Fascist Social

Friday April 13th@The Gregson

Coming in the middle of the city council election campaign trail, this gig gave local anti fascist activists a chance to take a break from the leafleting and to get together to have some fun! The political message however was not lost in the partying as Antifa, UAF, anarchist, and Palestine Solidarity information stalls were set up in the main hall, and the walls were decorated with “Don’t Vote BNP” posters and the familiar RBC red and black banner providing a backdrop to the bands and DJ. A projection of life under illegal occupation in the West Bank also ran on a continuous loop. Disturbing pictures of IDF army brutality were mixed with images of community resistance against the occupation and apartheid wall. Some of the media was kindly donated by a local activist who has just returned from Palestine working with the International Women’s Peace Organisation and Zaytoun.

The evening’s entertainment began with Chris Butler. He is no stranger to the North West, having previously supported Chumbawamba at The Platform and played the Blackpool Punk Festival. He describes his music as “protest folk” and delivered an accomplished traditional folk set, fused with DIY punk energy, and heartfelt lyrics. His set for this anti-fascist event wouldn’t have been complete without a rousing version of “Don’t Vote BNP” and Chris didn’t let us down. Singing this anti-fascist anthem with genuine conviction;

“If equality on you is lost,
If you deny the holocaust,
Civil rights you don't give a toss?
The BNP's for you.”

Taking songs from his recently released “Protest Folk Singer” CD, Chris also introduced several new numbers including, “Crash”, “Tony Says Good Luck” and “Welcome To Hell” “Tony Says Good Luck” was about Tony Blair's morale boosting visit to the troops in Basra just before Xmas last year. He signed a Challenger Tank with the message “Good Luck, Tony Blair.” It's about the stupidity of autographing a tank, explained Chris, and the fact there can't be much luck in store for the children of Basra with tanks in the area! “Welcome To Hell” combined a description a street celebrations after the death of Pinochet, and compared it to the imagined hell the souls of dictators like Saddam, and Pinochet deserve. Hopefully it won’t be too long before Margaret Thatcher will also be joining her friend in hell, and we can have our own celebration in Trafalgar Square!

Eastfield were the next act. Lead singer Jessi took to the stage predicting a disaster as it was Friday the 13th! He was expecting electrical fire, and the backdrops to burn down! Not daunted though Eastfield launched themselves into their first song “Mick Murphy”. As they blasted out their lyrics and three chord punk tunes it wasn’t long before people took to the dance floor. There was none of the predicted doom, but the on stage dancing by Jessi, Bambi, and Trina caused the stage to visibly move up and down. Not really surprising as it was held together with gaffer tape! Eastfield’s set combined their trade mark “urban rail punk” sound with catchy choruses, tuneful riffs, politics, tales of trainspotting, and a large slice of good humour. The set included the new songs “Train To The Top Of The World” and “Rugeley Crimestoppers” with the chorus that includes a vocal rendition of the national crimestoppers telephone number! ,

“Watch out there’s a grass about
Watch out there’s a snitch about….
What’s my number?
0 8 0 0 Treble 5 Treble 1”

In between these new numbers were some of their well known older songs including “Faredodging”, “Drive On Henry”, “Sharks Against Surfers” and “The Black Hole”. Sharks Against Surfers, Jessi explained, is Eastfield’s answer to Surfers Against Sewage, a campaign for clean, safe recreational water, free from effluents, toxic chemicals, and nuclear waste. A very worthy cause I'm sure you'd agree? But where do those surfers pee when they're out on the sea all day!!

“Beach life isn't cheap, it'll cost you an arm and a leg
in trendy clothes shops and in the open water
Tear down the blue flag and hoist up the black flag
To lead the surfers out to the slaughter”

Eastfield ended their set with “Another Boring Eastfield Song”. Jessi explained that “three chords are good, four chords bad” and that “all our songs sound the same!” In reality there’s absolutely nothing boring about Eastfield though! It’s a guaranteed fun night of DIY punk rock chaos!

Next on stage was agit-prop folk singer Tracey Curtis with a much awaited debut visit to Lancaster. She apologised to the dancers at the front that she wouldn’t be continuing in the same style as Eastfield, but invited them to sit close to the stage on the dance floor. In fitting with the theme of the evening Tracey opened with the excellent song “I Won’t Wear the Union Jack”

“I'd like to say I'm proud to be British but I'm not,
I love our rivers, love our coastline, what's left of our green,
but I won't wear the Union Jack or sing God Save The Queen.”

Tracey, who had previously played in pop-punk band Shelley’s Children began a solo career after her daughters had encouraged her to write “Nowhere Left To Play” in protest at a planned by-pass road that threatened to ruin their local riverside dens and rope swings. Within a couple of months of the resulting “By Pass Demo” CD, Tracey had recorded the acclaimed “If The Moon Could Talk” album. Following the recording Tracey has played loads of gigs at festivals, veggie cafes, folk clubs, pubs, and even a prison performance. She has also toured with Chumbawamba, Danbert Nobacon, and Atilla The Stockbroker. Last year she released “Picture Postcards”, another album that combines her fine vocals with a contemporary heartfelt message. The set at The Gregson covered a whole spectrum of political commentary on issues from desertion in the First World War to the death penalty, from George Bush and his wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to a song about a postcard from John Peel. Everyone present can’t help but to have been moved by “Where Are They Now?” a beautiful, moving song that paints the true reality of life for asylum seekers rather than the lies and scaremongering of New Labour, or the out right hatred of the BNP fascists.

“I remember feeling scared some days
when people told us we should go away.
At night I’d listen to my father cry
I’d wish for morning and I’d close my eyes.”

“If The Death Penalty Were An Olympic Sport,” Tracey explained, presents the sixty countries that recently have either imposed or carried out the death penalty as competitors in an Olympic event. Of course on the podium are those disgraceful abusers of human rights the USA (bronze), Iran (silver), and China taking the gold medal with well over a thousand executions last year. Thanks to Jessi who acted as a music stand holding up a list of all the other competitors! Tracey promised the songs would become happier, and the set included “The Vegan Police” a song for vegans everywhere except those “who raid their friend’s kitchen cupboards in the hope of exposing hidden foods containing animal products!” Throughout the gig the songs retained their messages about the strength of the human spirit, about fighting back, about friendships, about mutual aid and human cooperation. Tracey performed a song dedicated to one her daughters, “Rosa’s Happy Song”, full of happy endings, like George Bush sending himself into space! She was cheered to an encore. Ending with “I Used To Want To Be The Cat” a song about a childhood dread of the authoritarianism imposed at school, and a desire for freedom.

Bringing the night to a foot stomping conclusion was well known DJ Gez from the Acme Bass Company. A veteran of the bygone days of The Park Hotel, The Warehouse, Lancaster’s pirate radio station Phantom FM, and more recently Korners, and many outdoor free parties. Gez played out with a hard hitting drum and bass set which had the dance floor jumping, until the power was cut, and the lights came on at the end of the night!!

Local BNP city council candidate, Chris Hill, had threatened to attend this gig. I’m sure he wouldn’t have been impressed with his welcome, or the anti-fascist posters around the hall! The BNP are a whites only party based on hatred, racial segregation, and violence. Party leader Griffin describes how “when the crunch comes, power is the product of force and will, not of rational debate.” Adding that BNP racism (“rights for whites”) should be “defended with well directed boots and fists”. These divisive hate filled policies offer nothing for local people, and Chris Hill might have learnt a lesson that there is a growing opposition to his hate filled campaign. The human spirit; mutual aid; solidarity; black and white working together; these are the ideas and actions that makes us strong. This is the message that people took away from the night at The Gregson. We must now take this message not just back to the streets of Skerton West, but also to all our communities and workplaces. The BNP try to fill a void encouraged by the bankruptcy of New Labour. We don’t need to wait for elections to build an alternative to their wars, their hate, and their lies. We don’t need to wait for politicians of any variety, we can create something better ourselves today in the here and now.

Special thanks from RBC to: All the staff at The Gregson, and Jessi, Bambi, Trina, Oddo, Tracey Curtis, Chris Butler, Gez, Blanche, Alys, Ed, Gaz, Neil (Sounds Up), Antifa, Lancaster UAF, Anarchist Federation, Preston Solfed, Palestine Solidarity Movement, Lancaster Music Co-op, Virtual Lancaster website, Larry’s Records, Single Step, The Basement, Lune Valley G8 Inform, Libcom.org.

Review by RBC