Articles about music, racism and fascism. Reviews of great music.
The articles here express the personal opinions of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of LMHR as a campaign
A Tribute to Steven Wells, Music Journalist, punk poet and political activist. By Paul Sillett. Anyone who the great Chuck D liked has to be a good thing. So it was/is with Steven Wells, Swells to many....
Gareth from top indie-rockers Los Campesinos has written a very honest piece on the group's blog about how he felt after the Nazi BNP winkled their way into the European Parliament.
Article about Thursday's European Elections by Tim Woodall. Let it be known: the BNP have no answers, and supporting them on Thursday is the political equivalent of (please forgive the cliché) ‘cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face.’ They are contradictory and hypocritical because racism is contradictory and hypocritical. They have nothing to offer European or National politics and we must seek to stop them now. And the way to do it? Make your vote count on June 4th.
This week has seen the start of the keenly-contested "Road to Britannia" heats for acts from the region competing for a spot at the Britannia Stadium festival. Stoke music fan Andrew Martin sent us his report of last night's heat at the city's famous Sugarmill venue. http://www.stokesounds.blogspot.com/. Get the latest on the Festival at www.lmhrfestivals.com!
We thought LMHR suporters would be interested in this article on an anti-racist initiative in Stoke, scene of this year's LMHR Festival. http://tinyurl.com/dzfa8q. World darts champ Phil "The Power" Taylor says "We have all got to live together at the end of the day and it’s about time we got on with it. Great Britain could be really great if we did." He fears BNP policies have become popular in Stoke because it is run-down with few job opportunities. He adds: "People get angry because they think people from other countries are taking jobs. But these people have been born in Britain. They have every right to be here.”
On Sunday 8th March, the Fascist BNP were forced to cancel their 'Battle of Britain' champagne dinner in South Gloucester. Nick Griffin was due to speak at the event which was meant to fundraise for the Euro-elections. In less than 24 hours notice, 35 people turned out including local Labour MP David Drew, members of the Fire Brigades Union, UCU and NUT who brought banners.
By Rose Whittaker. What do a bisexual black man, a Jewish immigrant from Poland and two Russian Jews have in common? They all appear on the nazi BNP's Battle of Britain CD. Jewish immigants Irving Berlin, Bud Flanagan and Joe Loss and black artists The Four Vagabonds and Leslie "Hutch" Hutchinson have songs included on the compilation, which has been put out by the to raise money for the Nazi organisation's campaign to get elected to the European Parliament this June. [click title to read on]
By S, Stoke-on-Trent LMHR.... The BNP have been preparing for their forthcoming European Election campaign and as part of this they have once again taken advantage of British history for promotional purposes. This time they’re campaigning under the slogan “Battle for Britain” using Second World War RAF imagery. This has already seen the threat of legal action from Dame Vera Lynn, as the BNP are marketing an album of Second World War classic songs, including “White Cliffs of Dover”. Research has now revealed the album also includes contributions from black singer Leslie "Hutch" Hutchinson, as well as the composer Irving Berlin, bandleaders Bert Ambrose and Joe Loss and comedian Bud Flanagan, who were all Jewish. A more multicultural mix than the BNP may have realised. They are also using a photograph of a Second World War Spitfire as the main image for the campaign. If this wasn’t already overstepping the mark, hijacking such an iconic image for party political purposes, the Spitfire in the picture – “Romeo Foxtrot Delta” is identifiable from its “RF” marking as belonging to 303 Squadron. 303 was a Polish squadron. It appears that the BNP obviously do not know or care enough about the history of the Battle of Britain to get this detail right. It seems to be an odd choice for the party currently circulating local election materials damning the present Government for opening “the doors of Britain to the hudled masses of Eastern Europe”. [click the title of this item to read on!]
from youtube anti-fascist channel GHDF1 Robert Cottage stockpiled an arsenal of hand-guns, crossbows, petrol bombs, bomb-making recipes and chemicals and ball-bearings for making explosives and bomb shrapnel. Robert Cottage was described as "deeply religious", although he was evidently not a believer in the Commandment "Thou Shalt Not Kill", as this former BNP candidate boasted of wanting to murder Tony Blair and John Prescott. His wife described how his increasing involvement in BNP politics destroyed their once happy marriage. The police found a letter from the BNP chairman Nick Griffin to Robert Cottage in Cottage's house, so the police asked Nick Griffin to assist with their investigation. Despite pretending the BNP are "opposed" to terrorism, Nick Griffin refused to give the police any information...
This week marks the international remembrance of the horrific events and times which have become known as the Holocaust. Millions of Jews, Gypsies, Trade Unionists and homosexuals were murdered in concentration camps across Europe because of their race, beliefs and lifestyles. The Nazis used the poor economic times to grab a foothold into power during the 1920s and 30s. As we enter this recession fascist groups such as the BNP (who deny the Holocaust) will aim to gain strong links throughout Europe by way of scapegoat-ing minorities in a similar way to which the Nazis characterised.
London?ǨѢs live music scene is now under threat following the introduction of new police bureaucracy named ?Ǩ?Form 696?Ǩ the paperwork is for liscencees of venues in 21 London boroughs to fill out. Police are asking for information regarding the ethnicity of all performers and the ethnic backgrounds of the audience. These questions are designed to scare promoters from using Black and Asian performers. At the moment the paperwork is only being introduced in the capital but there are growing fears that the bureaucracy could be used in other major cities should it be deemed ?Ǩ?successful?Ǩ. Love Music Hate Racism is calling upon music fans of all genres to take a stand against ?Ǩ?Form 696?Ǩ and defend our rights to enjoy all aspects of our multicultural society in peace. We stand behind Feargal Sharkey and all others who challenge racism within the music industry.
Around 150 trade unionists, students, pensioners and anti racist campaigners from across Greater Manchester and the rest of the North West gathered at Manchester Town Hall this Thursday (20/11/08) to discuss the threat from the fascist BNP in the coming Euro elections. Former Lord Mayor of Manchester Councillor Afzal Khan spoke of the need to expose the BNP for what they really are- a racist, fascist party hiding behind their suits to gain respectability.
By Tim Woodall, Manchester LMHR. On Saturday 15th November, the BNP staged a conference at the New Kimberley Hotel in Blackpool. Their decision to congregate there was part of an ongoing campaign to target the North West in an attempt to gain support for Nick Griffin, who is likely to stand in the 2009 European Elections. This is a major threat to democracy. Consequently, Unite Against Fascism organised a demonstration that mobilised people against the BNP and sent a clear message to everyone inside the hotel: "Fascists are not welcome in the North West." More than 200 people marched through Blackpool at the weekend. We walked in unison from the Winter Gardens, past cars full of people along the promenade - many of whom beeped their horns, cheered and gave us the thumbs up - down to the grotty, run-down hotel itself. Outside, a number of key anti-fascist figures made speeches, followed by united chants that really summed up why we were standing out in the cold on a Saturday afternoon: The BNP is a Nazi party: Smash the BN
LMHR spoke out critically yesterday about a question asked by BBC Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman in an interview about Obama with Dizzee Rascal on Thursday's edition of 'Newsnight'. Read the report from Saturday's Guardian, watch the interview on youtube here (the BBC seem to have pulled it from their site!), and click the title or 'read more' for our full response.
It's been a week of symbolic victories as two more bastions of white exclusivity tumbled. Barack Obama's successful ascent to be the US's first black president is a victory above all for the millions of people who have struggled for black civil rights and the millions who have campaigned over the years for equality. Of course, in a country which has has more black men in prison than in higher education, and where a quarter of black Americans live below the poverty line, the test of Obama's real impact on racism lies ahead. The leader of Britain?ǨѢs Nazis, the BNP?ǨѢs Nick Griffin, reacted with predictable hostility and ire on the fascist organisation's website, accusing Obama of "anti-white racism", labelling him ?Ǩ?a true racist bigot?Ǩ, and predicting (or hoping) that the new US president will be assassinated by one of ?Ǩ?a string of white Supremacist nuts and disgruntled ex-jarheads?Ǩ.
Report from last week’s Unite Against Fascism/LMHR East Midlands conference/rally Around 120 people attended the hugely successful and lively ‘Stop the BNP’ rally on Saturday 1st November in the East Midlands. A huge range of subjects were touched on by the speakers Bob Laxton MP, Lee Baron CWU Regional Secretary, Weyman Bennett joint Secretary [...]
Around 100 people attended the Unity Rally held in Stoke on 6th Oct. The Rally was called jointly by NORSCARF, Love Music Hate racism and UAF and saw Mark Fisher MP join a vibrant line up of speakers to debate and discuss ways to oppose the BNP in Stoke. The rally followed the successful 500-strong mobilisation against a BNP demo in the city on September 20th.
Richard Barnbrook was one leading member of the BNP who did not join the Nazi rally in Stoke last month. Instead he joined fascists in Cologne, Germany, led by the Pro-K?ɬ?ln group, that had organised an ?Ǩ?Anti-Islam congress?Ǩ in the city. But a 50,000-strong protest sent the Nazis fleeing for safety. Click the title to read a report by German anti-fascist Berit Kuennecke.
Earlier this month Love Music Hate Racism travelled to Lithuania to attend the Mountain Rock music festival and conference. They addressed the delegation of music industry bosses and fans, giving an inspiring presentation leading to many in attendance to promise their assistance in curating LMHR events across Europe next year.
Sad tidings this week with the news that Dirty Pretty Things are splitting up. The band have played an important and admirably active role in the anti-racist and anti-fascist movement over the past three years. LMHR here pay tribute to their contribution.
by The Mirror's Jason Beattie, first published 3/9/08. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2008/09/03/bnp-running-gun-camps-for-kids-115875-20722309/ The British National Party is running Hitler Youth-style training camps to teach children how to use guns and knives. Boys and girls as young as 12 have been taught to shoot a rifle, given demonstrations of knife techniques and shown how to make a lethal wooden dart called a Dutch arrow. The youngsters are also brainwashed with lectures on the BNP's racist beliefs and given talks on how to deal with "Marxist" teachers.
The biggest-ever indoor LMHR event closes triumphantly as the stars, MPs and members of the public come together to undermine the fascist BNP. Ali Ryland recalls last Saturday's festivities when Yorkshire united against the Nazis.
Stoke LMHR activist Jon Honeysett attended last weekend's protest against the BNP's Red White & Blue "festival" in Derbyshire, along with other people from our Stoke group. Today's Guardian published an excellent and angry letter from Jon about the policing of the Codnor protest, click the title of this item to read it in full.
From nme.com: Lily Allen has posted by a clip of a new song about the British National Party on her MySpace page. The song, entitled 'Guess Who Batman?', is expected to feature on Allen's forthcoming second album, which she is completing in Los Angeles. Writing on the Lily Allen MySpace blog, the singer explained, "This song is not a direct attack at anyone, it was originally written about the BNP in the UK but then I felt this issue has become relevant pretty much everywhere." The song features the lyrics, "Look inside your tiny mind, then look a bit harder/'Cos we're so uninspired, so sick and tired of all the hatred you harbour/So you say it's not OK to be gay, well I think you're just evil/You're just some racist who can't tie my laces, your point of view is medieval/Fuck you, fuck you very much/'Cos we hate what you do and we hate your whole crew, so please don't stay in touch."
Following the distinctly iffy 'controversy' over Jay-Z headlining Glastonbury this year, comes the news that top rapper and LMHR supporter Lethal Bizzle got some nasty racist abuse at last weekend's "Download" Festival. An article in today's Independent looks at what happened, and tells Lethal's side of the story. Lethal has proposed curating a rock/hip-hop LMHR gig in response - in his manager's words to, "get a load of rock bands together to show their support for Bizzle and fans to show theirs too. This was just a minority involved in the racial abuse Bizzle was subjected to, but I think it?ǨѢs important we make it clear that many people think this it totally unacceptable and if we can organize something that will bring different groups together that would be good."
Love Music Hate Racism condemns the decision of new Tory London mayor Boris Johnson to drop the explicitly anti-racist element of the annual free ?ǨRise?ǨѢ music festival. Boris Johnson should reinstate the Rise Festival along its original lines. If Rise isn?ǨѢt reinstated in its previous form, LMHR would like to see another annual London anti-racist festival and would like to explore with other organisations how we can ensure this happens.
By Phil Turner, Rotherham Advertiser. A FLOOD of support has poured in for the 6th September Love Music Hate Racism carnival in response to the election of two BNP councillors in Rotherham. A host of local bands are queuing up to join huge names playing at the September festival.
Daniel Trilling's 'review' of the LMHR Carnival in the New Statesman was the loud sound of the point sailing way over the head of the reviewer. Leaders of some of the event's main trade union sponsors responded.
Excellent review of the Carnival in The Independent by Nick Hasted Monday, 28 April 2008 http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/love-music-hate-racism-carnival-victoria-park-london-816631.html "The fact that a bill in which skinny indie bands such as The Paddingtons, a heaving dance tent and the grime act Roll Deep's Wiley can co-exist in the East End heartland is perhaps anti-fascist statement enough. The utter impossibility of the BNP raising such a crowd in London is suddenly glaring. "
Tom Robinson is today best known as a popular presenter on the BBC's digital station 6 Music. But in 1978 Tom fronted the Tom Robinson Band, headlined the 30th April Victoria Park ANL/RAR Carnival, and was a driving force in Rock Against Racism. He talked to LMHR about the anniversary and need to keep fighting racism.
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