Now and Never Again They Hate Change Rar

Music festival and campaign

Rock Against Racism
Genre	Punk, reggae, etc.
Years active	1976–1982

Rock Against Racism (RAR) was a political and cultural movement which emerged in 1976 in reaction to a rise in racist attacks on the streets of the Uk and increasing support for the far-right National Front at the ballot box. Between 1976 and 1982 RAR activists organised national carnivals and tours, too every bit local gigs and clubs throughout the country. RAR brought together black and white fans in their mutual dear of music, in club to discourage immature people from embracing racism. The musicians came from all pop music genres, something reflected in one of RAR'southward slogans: "Reggae, soul, rock'n'roll, jazz, funk and punk". The motility was founded, in office, equally a response to racist statements past well-known rock musicians such equally Eric Clapton and David Bowie.^{[1] [two]}

History [edit]

Originally conceived as a ane-off concert with a message confronting racism, Rock Against Racism was founded in 1976 past Red Saunders, Roger Huddle, Jo Wreford, Pete Bruno and others. Co-ordinate to Huddle, "it remained but an thought until Baronial 1976", when Eric Clapton made a proclamation of back up for former Bourgeois minister Enoch Powell (known for his anti-immigration Rivers of Blood speech) at a concert in Birmingham. Clapton told the crowd that England had "get overcrowded" and that they should vote for Powell to stop U.k. from becoming "a black colony". He also told the audition that United kingdom should "become the foreigners out, go the wogs out, get the coons out", and then he repeatedly shouted the National Front end slogan "Keep Britain White".^{[4] [5]} Saunders, Wreford and Bruno, who were members of the agit-prop theatre grouping, Kartoon Klowns, together with Huddle, responded by writing a letter of the alphabet to NME expressing their opposition to Clapton's remarks. They claimed these were all the more than disgusting because he had a hit with a cover of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff":

When I read about Eric Clapton's Birmingham concert when he urged back up for Enoch Powell, I virtually puked. What'due south going on, Eric? Y'all've got a affect of brain damage. So you're going to correspond MP and you think we're being colonised by black people. Come on... you've been taking likewise much of that Daily Express stuff, you know you can't handle it. Own up. Half your music is black. You're rock music'due south biggest colonist. You're a good musician simply where would you lot be without the dejection and R&B? You've got to fight the racist poison, otherwise you degenerate into the sewer with the rats and all the money men who ripped off stone culture with their chequebooks and plastic crap. Stone was and nevertheless tin be a existent progressive culture, not a package mail-lodge stick-on nightmare of mediocre garbage. Keep the faith, blackness and white unite and fight. We want to organise a rank-and-file movement against the racist poison in stone music – we urge support – all those interested delight write to:

Rock Against RACISM,
Box M, 8 Cotton Gardens, London E2 8DN

P. South. "Who shot the Sheriff", Eric? Information technology certain as hell wasn't yous!

At the finish of the letter, they called for people to help class a move called Rock Against Racism, and they received hundreds of eager replies from fans who recognised the hypocrisy and wanted to proclaim the black roots of the music they loved.

At this time other well-known rock musicians also made inflammatory statements, including David Bowie, who expressed support for fascism and admiration for Adolf Hitler in interviews with Playboy, NME and a Swedish publication. Bowie was quoted as saying: "I think U.k. could benefit from a fascist leader. Later on all, fascism is really nationalism ... I believe very strongly in fascism, people have ever responded with greater efficiency under a regimental leadership." He was also quoted equally saying: "Adolf Hitler was one of the first stone stars" and "You've got to have an extreme correct front come up up and sweep everything off its feet and tidy everything up."^{[half dozen]} Bowie caused further controversy by allegedly making a Nazi salute while riding in a convertible, although he has ever strongly denied this, insisting that a lensman just defenseless him in the middle of waving.^{[ citation needed ]} He later expressed regret and shame for these statements, blaming them on a combination of an obsession with occultism and Friedrich Nietzsche, as well as his excessive drug utilise at the time. He said: "I accept made my two or three glib, theatrical observations on English gild and the merely thing I tin now counter with is to state that I am NOT a fascist."^[6] By the 1980s, Bowie's public statements and imagery in his art had shifted towards anti-racism and anti-fascism. In an interview with MTV ballast Mark Goodman in 1983, Bowie aggressively criticised the channel for not providing plenty coverage of Black musicians.^{[7] [8]} Bowie described his videos for "Red china Girl" and "Let's Trip the light fantastic toe" as "unproblematic" statements against racism,^[ix] and his anthology Tin Car as taking a more directly opinion against fascism and neo-Nazism.^[x]

Rock Against Racism march in Trafalgar Square, 1978

The first RAR gig took place at the Princess Alice pub in London'southward East End in November 1976; Carol Grimes and Matumbi were the main acts. At the end of the gig the bands took part in a jam, something which was to become a signature of RAR's gigs at a time when information technology was still rare for black and white musicians to perform together. In the aforementioned year RAR launched its revolutionary fanzine, Temporary Hoarding, going on to produce 15 issues over the next v years. By 1977 local RAR groups were springing upwardly all over the country, including in Leeds, Birmingham, Manchester, Hull, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast, Sheffield, Cardiff, Swansea, Bristol, and beyond London. Eventually there were more 200 throughout the UK. Across the globe, several RAR groups started in the United States, in New York, San Francisco and Chicago, and also in Republic of ireland, France, Belgium, Sweden, the netherlands, Germany, Norway, Denmark, South Africa and Australia.^{[ citation needed ]}

Musicians not only played for RAR, many took part in organising gigs and clubs. For instance, in Leeds, Gang of Four, The Mekons and Delta 5 were all actively involved in their local RAR grouping, equally were Au Pairs and The Beat in Birmingham, and Misty In Roots and The Ruts in Southall, London. Tom Robinson, who was an early supporter of the move, played several gigs with his band, TRB, and came occasionally to meetings of the RAR Central Commonage. The Collective – which included writers, graphic artists, photographers, musicians and fans – oversaw RAR'southward national events and comprised elected representatives: from Temporary Hoarding (Ruth Gregory, David Widgery and Syd Shelton); from RAR central office (Kate Webb, John Dennis and Wayne Minter), besides as Red Saunders and Clarence Baker from Misty in Roots. Other members who regularly participated in meetings included Lucy Whitman (who wrote for Temporary Hoarding every bit Lucy Toothpaste), Roger Huddle and Robert Galvin.^{[ citation needed ]}

Carnivals Against Racism [edit]

With support for the move growing, in 1978 RAR organised two national Carnivals in London in conjunction with the Anti-Nazi League (ANL) to counteract the rising number of racist attacks in the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland. These were held in poor but vibrant multi-racial areas. On 30 Apr 1978, 100,000 people marched six miles from Trafalgar Square to the E End of London (a National Front end hotspot) for an open-air concert at Victoria Park in Hackney.^{[11] [12] [13] [14]} The concert featured The Disharmonism,^{[thirteen] [xv] [16]} Steel Pulse, Tom Robinson Band, X-Ray Spex, Jimmy Pursey (from Sham 69), and Patrik Fitzgerald.^[17] The Southall-based reggae band Misty In Roots led the parade from the dorsum of a lorry. For the second Carnival, on 24 September, a similar number of people marched from Hyde Park, crossing the Thames until they arrived at Brockwell Park in Brixton for a concert featuring Aswad, Elvis Costello and Stiff Footling Fingers.^[1]

Further Carnivals were organised by local RAR and ANL groups, often with the assist of sympathetic councils and trade unions. The biggest of these, in August, attracted forty,000 to the Northern Carnival in Manchester. There, over a couple of days, Buzzcocks, Steel Pulse, The Autumn, Graham Parker and the Rumour, Exodus, and China Street all performed; a week later at the Securely Vale Festival, a Rock Against Racism day was held. At that place were also large Carnivals that yr in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Brent.^{[ citation needed ]}

In 1981, Leeds RAR organized the last RAR Carnival at Potternewton Park in Chapeltown. Bands who played included The Specials, Aswad, Au Pairs and Misty in Roots.^{[ commendation needed ]}

Militant Amusement [edit]

In the run-upward to the UK full general election of 1979, RAR organised the Militant Amusement Tour which traveled 2000 miles across the state visiting Cambridge, Leicester, Cromer, Coventry, Sheffield, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Lancaster, Edinburgh, Stirling, Aberdeen, Bradford, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham, Cardiff, Llanelli, Exeter, Plymouth, Newport, and Bristol. The bout's grand finale was at the Alexander Palace in Due north London. 40 bands played on the tour, including: Barry Forde Band, Leyton Buzzards, The Piranhas, Stiff Little Fingers, fifteen, 6, 17, The Mekons, Carol Grimes, The Band, Alex Harvey, Gang of Iv, Angelic Upstarts, Aswad, The Ruts, Crisis, Great britain Subs, Exodus and John Cooper Clarke.

In 1978 a sister organisation, Rock Confronting Sexism (RAS) was founded past a grouping of women concerned nigh sexism in the music communities. Lucy Toothpaste from RAR became a pb organiser, and the south e London RAR group became an RAS commonage. There was pregnant overlap between the 2 groups, with the larger, more established RAR sometimes providing security and other assist at RAS events.^[18]

Besides in Apr 1979, a demonstration organised by the Southall Youth Motility against the National Forepart, who were standing candidates in the upcoming general election, was attacked by the police. This resulted in the decease of schoolteacher Blair Peach, and dozens of injuries including the head wounds suffered past Clarence Bakery from Misty in Roots, which left him in a blackout for several months. RAR rapidly organised two do good concerts at The Rainbow Theatre in N London, called "Southall Kids Are Innocent". The Clash, Pete Townshend of The Who, The Enchanters, The Pop Group, Misty in Roots, Aswad, The Members and The Ruts all performed.

Legacy [edit]

Starting in 1979, German language anti-fascists used the banner Rock gegen Rechts as the motto of concerts and festivals held irregularly against far-right politics every bit a course of political demonstration in Germany and Austria.

In 1988, the militant anti-fascist organisation Anti-Fascist Action formed a musical arm, Cable Street Beat out (named subsequently the Battle of Cable Street, a 1936 confrontation between fascists and anti-fascists), on similar principles to Rock Against Racism.^[19] Cable Street Shell launched a magazine, Cable Street Shell Review, in early on 1989.^[20] Among the artists who performed for early Cable Street Beat events were Blaggers ITA, Angelic Upstarts, Attila the Stockbroker, The Men They Couldn't Hang, Forgotten Sons and Blyth Power.^[21]

In 2002, some music fans,^{[ vague ]} affiliated with Unite Against Fascism, concerned nigh a resurgence of nationalist and racist activity in the United kingdom, organised a new group nether the name of one of RAR's best-known slogans: "Love Music Detest Racism". They put on a concert at The Astoria in London featuring Mick Jones, Buzzcocks, and The Libertines.^[22]

In 2019, White Riot, a documentary nearly the nascency of Rock Against Racism featuring activists and performers from the time, premiered in competition at the BFI London Film Festival. Directed by Rubika Shah and co-written and produced past Ed Gibbs, it won the Best Documentary Prize (Grierson Accolade) at the festival's closing night awards. It went on to win additional prizes at the Berlin, Krakow and IndieLisboa international film festivals, prior to a general release.^[23]

Further reading [edit]

• Chirapsia Fourth dimension by David Widgery (1986)
• Rock Confronting Racism by Syd Shelton (2016)
• Walls Come Tumbling Down: The Music and Politics of Rock Against Racism, 2 Tone and Red Wedge by Daniel Rachel (2016)
• Reminiscences of RAR: Rocking Against Racism 1976-1979. Edited by Roger Huddle and Red Saunders (Redwords, 2016)

See likewise [edit]

• Arsch huh, Zäng ussenander
• Birlikte
• List of historic rock festivals
• Listing of punk rock festivals
• Love Music Hate Racism
• Rock Against Communism
• Rock Against Racism Northern Carnival
• Stone Confronting Sexism
• Rock gegen Rechts
• Finish Murder Music

References [edit]

1. ^ ^{a b} Manzoor, Sarfraz (20 April 2008). "The twelvemonth rock found the power to unite". The Observer. London.
2. ^ Vulliamy, Ed (4 March 2007). "Claret and celebrity". The Guardian . Retrieved 16 September 2018.
3. ^ "Clapton'due south shocking rant – When popstars talk politics – Pictures". Virgin Media. eighteen Feb 2009. Archived from the original on 18 February 2009. Retrieved xvi September 2018.
4. ^ Bainbridge, Luke (xiv October 2007). "The ten right-wing rockers". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
5. ^ ^{a b} "Standing by the Wall: The Quotable David Bowie". 28 June 2001. Archived from the original on 28 June 2001. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
6. ^ "David Bowie Criticizes MTV for Not Playing Videos by Black Artists". MTV News. 1983. Archived from the original on xiv Nov 2021. Retrieved 13 Jan 2016 – via YouTube.
7. ^ Christian, Margena A (9 October 2006). "Why It Took So Long For MTV To Play Black Videos". Jet. p. 17.
8. ^ Loder, Kurt (12 May 1983). "Straight Fourth dimension". Rolling Stone. No. 395. pp. 22–28, 81.
9. ^ Sandford, Christopher (1997) [first published 1996]. Bowie: Loving the Alien. London: Time Warner. p. 275. ISBN978-0-306-80854-8.
10. ^ "Love Music Hate Racism Carnival 2008". Archived from the original on 21 April 2010. Retrieved 21 Jan 2010.
11. ^ "Rock Confronting Racism". Tom Robinson Band. one April 2009. Archived from the original on 1 April 2009. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
12. ^ ^{a b} Hazan, Jack; David Mingay, Ray Gange, Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Nicky Headon, Buzzy Enterprises, Epic Music Video (2006). Rude Boy (documentary). New York: Epic Music Video. ISBN0-7389-0082-half-dozen. OCLC 70850190.
13. ^ "Rock Against Racism". Virtual Festivals. Archived from the original on five May 2004. Retrieved ix Feb 2020.
14. ^ Letts Don; Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Topper Headon, Terry Chimes, Rick Elgood, The Clash (2001). The Disharmonism, Westway to the Earth (documentary). New York: Sony Music Entertainment; Dorismo; Uptown Films. Event occurs at 47:42. ISBN0-7389-0082-6. OCLC 49798077.
15. ^ Green, Johnny; Garry Barker (2003) [1997]. A Anarchism of Our Ain: Night and Mean solar day with The Clash (tertiary ed.). London: Orion. pp. 63–68. ISBN0-7528-5843-2. OCLC 52990890.
16. ^ "The Anti Nazi League/Rock Confronting Racism Rallies". Great britain Stone Festivals . Retrieved 8 March 2016.
17. ^ Renton, David (2018). Never Once again – Rock Confronting Racism and the Anti-Nazi League 1976–1982. Taylor & Francis. ISBN9781351383905.
18. ^ "Anti-Fascist Annal".
19. ^ Cablevision Street Beat out Review no.one, 1989.
20. ^ Cable Street Crush Review no.5.
21. ^ "Stone AGAINST RACISM!". NME. viii March 2004. Retrieved 3 Jan 2019.
22. ^ Kenny, Glenn (15 October 2020). "'White Anarchism' Review: When Punk'south Stars Banded Confronting Racism". The New York Times . Retrieved 18 Dec 2021.

External links [edit]

• 40 years since the nativity of Rock Confronting Racism: insubordinate music that broke down fear, Unity, 17 (September/Oct 2016) - interview with Red Saunders
• Original RAR Crew 1976-1982
• Hull Stone Against Racism

barringtonsampe1980.blogspot.com

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Against_Racism

Share this post