Rock Against Racism 2024 Edition

[ska invita]

Rock Against Racism is reborn as gigs planned in riot towns across Britain

Just as RAR helped turn the tide on the National Front in 1970s, activists today are planning concerts in this summer’s trouble spots

www.theguardian.com

I'm sceptical.....

First question: are these gigs going to be free entry?

 

[danny la rouge]

Second question: does it have to be the fucking SWP?

 

[ska invita]

Watch racists hearts melt with love due to a Paloma Faith concert in London

 

[Voley]

I went to an ANL benefit in New Cross that had the rather eclectic bill of the Ragga Twins supported by Extreme Noise Terror.

This sounds rather different.

Probably a good thing overall though. I dunno what Paloma Faith's audience are like but if it gets them active against fascism, all good afaic.

 

[danny la rouge]

the Ragga Twins supported by Extreme Noise Terror.

Ooh, I’d have liked that!

 

[ska invita]

Second question: does it have to be the fucking SWP?

I've been thinking about the SWP recently....not come to any conclusion really.... kind of connected to my What Org Would You Give Money To thread....

I had a conversation with someone a few weeks back about mass entryism into the green party, and they said What about mass entryism into the SWP. The Greens are more democratic, but it did make me think about the SWP. They clearly have resources and connections. Seems like they're mates with Paloma Faith. What would it look like if they didn't exist at all? All the other Marx-ian sects could disappear tomorrow and no one would notice but SWP do still make some kind of impact. Thats about as far as I got.

 

[danny la rouge]

They clearly have resources and connections

In the state.

 

[hitmouse]

In the state.

Other way around, surely?

But yeah, perhaps they don't have the weight in the unions that they once had (much like the unions themselves no longer have the same weight, I suppose), but they still have enough sway to ensure that, for instance, most unions will be affiliated to SUTR for anti-racism purposes, much like a lot of them are still affiliated to StWC for their anti-war activities. Although I suppose the latter is property of Counterfire nowadays. What to do about that, if it's worth trying to do anything about it, is a tricky question though.

 

[Petcha]

Rock Against Racism is reborn as gigs planned in riot towns across Britain

Just as RAR helped turn the tide on the National Front in 1970s, activists today are planning concerts in this summer’s trouble spots

www.theguardian.com

I'm sceptical.....

First question: are these gigs going to be free entry?

You would hope so but for overcrowding issues you'd think not.

I broadly think its a great idea though.

 

[hitmouse]

Tbf, I can see a good case for charging entry into gigs and then putting the funds towards something useful. But in this case if they do raise owt they'll just be going to a SWP front, so might as well make them free. Not that the organisers are likely to be asking for my input on that point, I suppose.

 

[tony.c]

First question: are these gigs going to be free entry?

The RAR local gigs in the 70s weren't free entry. The bands usually donated their services for nothing, but money had to be raised for publicity and venue hire.
The big outdoor 'carnivals' were free, but there were usually collections for costs of putting them on.

 

[ska invita]

The RAR local gigs in the 70s weren't free entry. The bands usually donated their services for nothing, but money had to be raised for publicity and venue hire.
The big outdoor 'carnivals' were free, but there were usually collections for costs of putting them on.

Which is fair but there needs to be stuff thats big and free to be anything other than just another gig for fans of band X

 

[danny la rouge]

Other way around, surely?

From the state. Yeah, that’s what I meant. (In as in “you’ve got a friend in me”).

 

[Voley]

Brockwell Park with Manics, Credit to the Nation, Urban Species etc was free iirc.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Lots of boomers on twitter with fond memories of the 70s gigs. Nostalgia isn’t really that useful with the task at hand.

Starting in London sounds like a terrible idea?

 

[tony.c]

Which is fair but there needs to be stuff thats big and free to be anything other than just another gig for fans of band X

There would usually be one (sometimes more) 'big' names like the Clash, with other less well known bands supporting.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Also the ANL/RAR gigs always featured a reggae group or similar. Dunno how that translates to opposition to Islamophobia. But Paloma Faith is not it.

 

[tony.c]

The bands usually donated their services for nothing, but money had to be raised for publicity and venue hire.
The big outdoor 'carnivals' were free, but there were usually collections for costs of putting them on.

Local gigs were often put on by local bands who supported RAR, or local young people. Some would be fundraisers for people arrested on antifascist actities.

 

[danny la rouge]

Also the ANL/RAR gigs always featured a reggae group or similar. Dunno how that translates to opposition to Islamophobia. But Paloma Faith is not it.

Cat Stevens? Lady Parts?

 

[tony.c]

Also the ANL/RAR gigs always featured a reggae group or similar. Dunno how that translates to opposition to Islamophobia. But Paloma Faith is not it.

Yeah, they usually had one punk and one reggae band, which were the two anti-establishment youth music genres then.
Being old now I don't know if there are any rebellious youth music genres now.
I don't know who Paloma Faith is.

 

[belboid]

Also the ANL/RAR gigs always featured a reggae group or similar. Dunno how that translates to opposition to Islamophobia. But Paloma Faith is not it.

They were always the headliners. Steel Pulse headlined over the Clash, iirr.

LMHR did lots of northern day festivals in the …. ‘00’s? Maybe early ‘10’s. Nothing like as big as the 70s/90s ones.

 

[Petcha]

Was Live Aid free?

 

[Petcha]

I can't see you could manage it if was free. Half of London would rock up. So to speak.

 

[Voley]

IDLES, Fontaines DC, Nadine Shah also signed up to it. Sounds like a good starting point to me.

 

[tony.c]

AFA also did some.

 

[tony.c]

I can't see you could manage it if was free. Half of London would rock up. So to speak.

The big ones would be outdoors.

 

[danny la rouge]

I don't know who Paloma Faith is.

I mean she’s probably a lovely person, but rebellious music genre she is not.

 

[Voley]

Yeah plenty of free things with big bands pass off fine. I'm remembering GLC things with De La Soul, Run DMC etc

 

[Dystopiary]

It's going to be all posh people isn't it?

 

[Voley]

I mean she’s probably a lovely person, but rebellious music genre she is not.

IDLES however ..