The previous post about Insurgence Records mentioned their free downloadable sampler…here’s some info, courtesy of Insurgence, about the sampler as well as links to it. Great bands and a good cause.
“Here’s your chance to sample some of the bands on Insurgence Records for free. Click on the link below to get to the download. Bands on the sampler include The Class Assassins, The Oppressed, Fighting Chance, The Prowlers, Stage Bottles, Final Four and Fate 2 Hate.
What follows is a bit of history behind the sampler and a link to the download. Enjoy! Check out the original mission statement and some of the feedback too, you’ll find it all on the download page.
“In the fall of 2004, Insurgence issued a free label music sampler available via electronic download directly from our website. Why the hell would we do that? Panzerfaust Records, a fascist skinhead label based in the United States, claimed to be producing 100,000 CD samplers of ‘white power music’ for free distribution throughout disaffected white communities across America. We initiated a campaign designed to fight their fire in kind.
However, several months into the campaign things came to a humorous end for the opposition. It came to light that one of the label owners – cocaine and Thai prostitute vices notwithstanding – was of Mexican decent. (We’re not making this up, honest!) Despite this, the sampler put out by these boneheads, ‘Project Schoolyard’ is still in circulation. So our answer to it, PROJECT BONEYARD will remain available for anyone who wants to obtain some REAL street music. Feel free to burn additional copies and pass ‘em along to others!
Everything you’ll need to create your own sampler is available for download HERE , together with easy assembly instructions. If it all proves to be too much of a hassle for you, we can send you one premade for five bucks (continental North America), by mailorder only.”
INSURGENCE RECORDS: WORKING CLASS CULTURE
By Stephen V.
As the class struggle begins to sharpen internationally under the pressure of imperialist war and globalization, so too must the culture struggle, one of its key component parts. In the culture struggle we find many forms of expression, ranging from poetry and literature to film to music, including folk, hip hop and, of course, punk.
And, despite the potential groans of a few of our beloved elder comrades, punk continues to be one of the primary artistic outlets for revolutionary youth. Yes, punk rock, a genre that continues to grow and diversify in form, also has within it a strong progressive and revolutionary trend growing and diversifying in its own right. This trend is struggling for its part in the contradictions within the punk scene, between its ideological camps and the class interests they objectively serve.
There’s an old saying that class consciousness is knowing what side of the fence you’re on while class analysis is knowing who is there with you. That’s why while other people are no doubt reading in the bourgeois press today about Britney Spears and other “artists” with empty brains and empty underpants drawers, you are reading in People’s Voice about Insurgence Records.
Insurgence Records is a punk rock record label based out of Toronto, with numerous bands from around North America and Europe, including Canadian bands Union Made, Fate 2 Hate, The Fallout, Final Four and The Prowlers.
The interesting thing about Insurgence Records, however, is that they are a specifically anti-racist, anti-fascist and class conscious label composed of groups that Randy Smith of their promotions department describes as “politically and socially conscious bands …good music and good lyrics that follow in the tradition of protest music going all the way back to Woody Guthrie and The Almanac Singers, etc.”
It doesn’t take long to figure this out after one look at their website. Insurgence’s logo is taken from a Spanish Civil War poster which shows a Republican soldier smashing a fascist. The explanation of their logo includes a link the website of the Abraham-Lincoln Brigades. Some of the bands are connected to R.A.S.H. (Red and Anarchist Skin Heads).
Insurgence has also released a series of albums titled “Class Pride Worldwide” which feature anti-racist, anti-fascist groups from around the world. The third instalment of this series was recently released under the slogan “15 Countries. 22 Bands. 1 Voice”. It includes tracks from Montreal’s Union Made as well as two other Canadian bands, Esclaves Salaries and Borderguards.
Insurgence is strongly recommended for anyone interested in left-wing political rock, punk, hardcore or Skinhead music. Check it out even if you don’t think this is you, you might be surprised. To get a sampling of what Insurgence Records is all about, download their label sampler “Project Boneyard”, released in 2004 in response to “Project Schoolyard,” a sampler released by fascist scum Panzerfaust Records, which sought to target youth as recruits for the white-power movement. “Project Boneyard” is available in full for free download at http://www.insurgence.net.
Coming soon: interviews with Blackjacket, Subsistance, The Suicide Pilots and Propaghandi…till then, sing along with The Fallout…
IN THE GUTTER
In the gutter too many tortured faces
desperate lives that leave no traces
In the gutter hope fades away
In the gutter and other good places
Woke this morning didn’t die last night
keeping busy trying to survive
hop in the dumpster scavenging today
through the broken glass and tin cans thrown away
In the gutter too many tortured faces
desperate lives that leave no traces
In the gutter hope fades away
In the gutter and other good places
World passes you by where you used to belong
musical economy plays a sad sad song
day turns to night, drowning in your drink
if your family could see you now, what would they think?
In the gutter too many tortured faces
desperate lives that leave no traces
In the gutter hope fades away
In the gutter and other good places
What progress is made
in this prosperity
the least among us
aren’t welcome in this city
In the gutter too many tortured faces
desperate lives that leave no traces
In the gutter hope fades away
In the gutter and other good places
Los Fastidios, out of Italy, are one of my favourite bands. Catchy, sing-a-long political punk. One of the things I appreciate about this band is that they always have their lyrics translated into 2 or 3 different languages. They’ve been together in one form or another since about 1991 and have a lot of material available.
As per their bio: “…The Los Fastidios sound is a powerful melodic street punk which mixes classical 80’s British Punk-Oi! sounds with skanking rythms, everything sung in Italian. The lyrics come from the most cheerful street situations to more serious and involved matters which deal with social problems, such as battles against any form of discrimination, for the animal rights, for freedom and against the capitalistic system.”
Maximum RocknRoll had this to say about their 2005 release “Siempre Contre”:
“Now here’s a band that we can all get behind. An Italian Oi! band – explicitely anti-fascist, pro-animal rights, queer-friendly militant activists! Multi-lingual to boot (pun intended) they sing in their native language, with all the lyrics translated into English and French. And they’re good. Conjure up, if you will, the lyrical stance of Propagandi, with the tunes of The Business crossed with some rough-edged Ruts. Certainly raising the standards for street-punk across the globe. Who would’ve thunk it..Ten out of ten” (RK)
If that’s not enough to sway you, here’s what Razorcake zine had to say about “Guardo Avanti,” released in 2001 :
“Well, hell’s bells, my ears have done melted and slid right down the sides of my face! Los Fastidios frenetically crank out a skull-hammering wallop of anti-fascist skinhead street punk that’s all-at-once confrontational, politically charged, and energetically raging. The vocals are gruffly spit forth in a slurred and emotional barrage of European dialect (Italian, I think… or maybe French. Damn, I dunno, I only speak Texan!). The brutal in-your-face instrumentation is roaring and wrathful, yet catchy and upbeat as all get-up. The lyrics (printed in three different languages) are a fervent, open call-to-arms for punk unity, spirited beer-fuelled good times with friends (hey, I can certainly relate to that!), animal liberation, and aggressively rousing revolt in the streets. There’s also a couple of robustly outspoken rants against half-wit racist knuckleheads, the US government’s greed-fed capitalistic policy, and the authoritarian abuse of power by corrupt cops everywhere. All in all, this is one heck of an oi-inspired punk rock release, and it should definitely be loudly blasted throughout the vast, cluttered expanses of America’s sprawling suburban wasteland. Fuck authority, hell yeah! “
They’ve recently released both a new CD, “Rebels N Revels” and the “On The Road – Siempre Tour DVD” that has a few live shows, tour diary and videos. Both are well recommended.
Here’s their video from “Rabbia Dentro Il Cuore” (Anger In The Heart). It’s a tribute to Carlo Giuliani, who was shot and killed by riot police during the demonstrations against the Group of Eight Summit that was held in Genoa in 2001…
Rabbia Dentro Il Cuore/Anger In The Heart
How many times will I see the scenes of those days again?/How many times will I hear sirens around me?/Barricades in the streets, anger in the heart/How may times will I see blood on the asphalt?/How may times will I hear their war danceS?/Blue uniforms that go ahead: anger in the heart./A THOUSAND FISTS PUT UP IN THE SKY… FOR YOU!
In North America you can get Los Fastidios stuff from Insurgence Records.
Union Made are a fantastic hardcore band out of Quebec with some of the best lyrics I’ve read in a while. Here’s an interview from Winnipeg’s Nerve Magazine, but first, here’s a review of the band’s debut CD “Hard Grace” from Hard Times Zine…
And, for your listening pleasure…”Long Road Ahead”…
Union Made’s debut album, Hard Grace, is a much-needed breath of fresh air.
Simply put, this album rules. Chock full of thirteen tracks of Quebecois hardcore goodness, this Montreal four-piece combines old school Oi-inspired tough hardcore with angry, lyrical righteousness with a left wing, pro-working class tilt. Definitely for fans of Sick Of It All and Ramallah.
Union Made is made up of members of previous members of Montreal veteran acts, Street Troopers and Fate 2 Hate, who are in turn veterans of the street-level anti-Nazi political scenes: in other words, true, 100 percent real hardcore, dudes who mean what they say and can back it up.
Do yourself a favor; get your hands on Hard Grace, see these guys when they come to your shit town, or better yet, book a Union Made show in said shit town.”
Here’s a recent interview with the band, from Winnipeg’s Nerve Magazine:
Ever walked out of a hardcore show feeling more than a little cynical? Sometimes it’s the clued-out homeboy who mistakenly thinks he’s part of DMS, while other times it might be the closet fascist who spouts off about commies, immigrants, and gays, but “hates Nazis”. Once in a while, thankfully, a band comes around to re-affirm your faith in the genre. Hard Grace, the debut full-length from Montreal’s Union Made, combines thunderous hardcore with hard-hitting, intelligent, class-conscious lyrics that amazingly match the band’s sonic fury. Formed out of the ashes of Fate 2 Hate, Union Made’s brand of “revolutionary hardcore” was born when Nic (ex-Street Troopers) brought his politics and voice to the table. Here’s an abbreviated version of an interview I did with him. Nerve: Aside from your involvement, how is Union Made different from Fate 2 Hate?
Nic: Musically, an original guitarist (Rich) came back and the two previous ones that were truly into metal left. ‘80s NY hardcore is now our main influence. Our band is finally stable around the four of us. The vocals and melodies are much closer to early Cro-Mags. Lyric wise, it is more political and I am more at ease writing in English.
Nerve: It seems you really embrace politics, or at least aren’t afraid to confront them. Is the band united in what you try to convey?
Nic: We agree on the grand scale of things. We are not all politically active, but… The band is strongly anti-capitalist and promotes collectivist values in every aspect of society. We promote a working class consciousness.
Nerve: On “Left Standing There” you talk about the difficulty in persevering within the skinhead and hardcore way of life. Have there ever been times you’ve felt disillusioned?
Nic: Of course, it is bound to happen to anyone that has been in the scene for a while. That song was written a while back when Montreal SHARP (Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice) faded out. Either adapt, or stay bitter and get off the train. The recipe to hanging in there is to expect the worse from everyone but hope for the best. It might seem cynical, but it works. Hell, it’s allowed us to start a new hardcore band, and we’ve now got the most solid crew (RASH – Red and Anarchist Skinheads) Montreal has ever known.
Nerve: On “Back It Up” you talk about hardcore bands that claim to be apolitical, to get away with saying things without being held accountable. Do you think this attitude has always existed in the scene? Do you think it’s getting worse?
Nic: Wow, I wish I could have stated that so clearly. It probably always existed, especially south of the border, but at different levels. I think it will get better. For a while, Earth Crisis was the most popular political band in hardcore. Then apolitical flag-waving bands with borderline racist lyrics became tolerable. The latest stuff is about tough guy attitudes – Throwdown for example. People are bound to get bored with it and look for bands talking about broader issues that affect their lives as working class people.
Nerve: What’s the Montreal scene like? My impression is always that it’s somewhat divided on a number of fronts. How have things changed since your Street Troopers days?
Nic: Actually, it is pretty united right now in the skinhead scene. Redskins are the majority, and the rest are deeply anti-fascists and everyone hangs out together. The hardcore scene has all these different crowds for different bands, but that is not necessarily a problem to me.
Nerve: Do you think music can be used as vehicle for socio-political change? What compromises do you feel bands should be allowed in terms of getting their message out?
Nic: Culture in general has always been a vehicle for social-political change. Theatre was the main progressive cultural political vehicle for a long time. (It’s) a good question because reality will often kick your holy principles into the gutter. Bands like Rage Against the Machine didn’t compromise their message. As for the major or independent label dilemma, every band has to make a decision they can live with. Bands like System of a Down didn’t change their music. In fact, it got crazier.
Nerve: Hardcore dancing – do you see a lot of this at shows? Is ninja-core the next frontier?
Nic: Yeah, we do see kung-fu fighting demonstrations at shows, but skinheads are not into that dancing and that is half of our crowd. We are too old to start learning those moves without putting our backs out live! That would look great on a DVD.
Nerve: What are Union Made’s plans in the foreseeable future?
Nic: Tour as much as we can with our new album, Hard Grace, and hopefully inspire HC bands to sing about broader issues instead of making alternate breakdown versions of the popular classic “Hangin’ Tough” from New Kids On the Block.
Need some quality reading material? Look no further than the always insightful FREE SOCIETY zine…
Issue 18 is now available for your perusal. It’s only $3.00 and includes reviews, writings about Canadian internment camps, Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (in the USA), shows, the eviction of Ungdomshuset (Copenhagen, Denmark), more state terror in Genoa, Italy, writings on Children’s Programming by Steve Curtis, and interviews with THE FALLOUT (Toronto, ON), TRIOXIN 245 (Ottawa, ON), MISERY INDEX (DC/MD, USA), and PROPAGANDHI (Winnipeg, MAN).
The bars on the windows don’t make me feel more secure.
It just reminds me that we’re trapped in here. When I blink lately I see
fire and if I keep them closed I am free for a while. And there’s black
but with stars of gold. Like a hint of something better that these
streets now hold. Something complete and a chance to believe and now
I’m stronger since I’ve seen fire. I see fire burning. I see fire burning.
I see fire burning. Can you smell the hope!? I see fire burning. I see fire
burning. Now we’re tearing up there shitty fuckin world. We met a small
prophet with soot on her face standing on a box and screaming at the sky.
I’m just one small voice but like a beacon of light. I’ve drawn you all to
me to even up the score. I got a hand full of matches and a heart of gold.
I’ve had this vision from out in the cold but that will change when I make
you believe. I’ve drawn you all to me cause I’ve seen fire. You can’t defeat
us or come between us but you may join us as we watch it burn.
Back in August 2007, Aaron from the aforementioned Generation Annihilation radio show interviewed Byron from THE FALLOUT.
Head over here and click on the Generation Annihiliation link under the “Rock/Punk/Hardcore” category. It’s the August 25, 2007 episode.
Lots of other great stuff too…check out the playlist:
Playlist August 25th 2007
The Fallout – Turning Revolution Into Money CD, In This Land (Longshot)
Career Suicide – Attempted Suicide CD, Attempted Suicide (Deranged)
Regulations – Different Needs 7″, Cat Eyes (Havoc)
Alternate Action – Tough Times 10″, Thin Line (Nayryan)
Wednesday Night Heroes – Guilty Pleasures CD, Uncivilized Bastards (BY0)
The Fallout – Dismantlement CD, The End Of The War Years (Insurgence)
The Fallout – Turning Revolution Into Money CD, Quebec City (Longshot)
The Fallout – What Is Past Is Prologue CD, Raise the Minimum Wage (Longshot)
The Fallout – Turning Revolution Into Money CD, PTL Pass The Ammunition (Longshot)
The Fallout – What Is Past Is Prologue CD, In The Gutter (Longshot)
The Fallout – Dismantlement CD, Peace Love And Anarchy (Insurgence)
The Fallout – Dismantlement CD, Radio Fallout (Insurgence)
The Fallout – Dismantlement CD, Change The World Today (Insurgence)
The Fallout – Turning Revolution Into Money CD, The Great Disappointment (Longshot)
The Fallout – Turning Revolution Into Money CD, Gateway 30 (Longshot)
Blundermen – Fuck The Commonwealth CD, 309 and Beyond (Fans Of Bad Productions)
Sons Of Ishmael – Mimsy With The Borogroves 10″, Evolution Is For Turkeys (Self Released)
Pointed Sticks – Waiting For The Real Thing CD, Somebody’s Mom (Sudden Death)
The Tranzmitors – S/T CD, Plastic Genocide (Deranged)
The Futureheads – S/T CD, A To B (679)
The Jolts – Jinx CD, Caffeine Hangover (Black Market)
Blitzkrieg Boys – 20th Anniversary Album CD, Mickey Mouse Goes To War (Woimasointu)
Violent Minds – Eyes Of Death 12″, Brutality (Parts Unknown)
ANS – Success At Last CD, Don’t Hate Skate (Overdose On Records)
Under Pressure – Come Clean CD, Tranquilizer (Yellowdog)
Ribzy – ‘81-’85 Recordings CD, Absentee List (Vinehell)
Eliminate – Systematic Annihilation CD, Systematic Annihilation (Merte Negra Discos)
Four Stroke – I Was A Teenage Suicide Bomber CD, Moral Panic (Crusty)
Kakka-Hatta 77 – Totaalinen Kakkahata CD, Hamaan Haimatuledhdukseen (Combat Rock Industry)
Massmord – Inget Liv CD, Wasted Lives (Crimes Against Humanity)
Disclose – Tragedy LP, Dying Of Disease (Your Own Jailer)
Bastards – Insane World LP, Vote For Your Lords (Hohne)
Crude SS – Network Of Friends LP, Destroy Capitalism (Plastic Bomb)
Nitad – S/T 7″, Panikattack pa bus 316 (Deranged)
Dick Cheney – Pa Mitt Rum 7″, Hinber Ente Me (Thrash Bastard)
Totaliatar – Vi Ar Eliten LP, En Av Dom Som Skamtar Om (Prank)
Limb From Limb – Death Famine Plague CD, Final Unholy Judgment (No Options)
SMD – The Devil Makes Me Do It LP, Kill The Gods (Six Weeks)
Martydod – In Extremis CD, Tamed Humans (Havoc)
Bludwulf – Cryptic Revelations CD, Hell Razor (Charged)
Saw Throat – Indestroy LP, Indestroy (Skuld)
Merciless Death – Speed Kills CD, Tombs Of The Dead (Heavy Artillery)
Avengers Of Blood – Speed Kills CD , Enemy Attack (Heavy Artillery)
3 Inches Of Blood – Fire Up The Blades CD, Trial Of Champions (Roadrunner)
Voivod – Katorz CD, Silly Klones (The End)
Razor – Shotgun Justice CD, American Luck (Fringe)
Sacrifice – Apocalypse Inside CD, Salvation (Metal Blade)
Judas Priest – Painkiller CD, All Guns Blazing (Columbia)
Iron Maiden – Best of The Beast CD, Hallowed Be Thy Name (EMI)
Black Sabbath – The Dio Years CD , Turn Up The Night (Rhino)
Here’s a couple of fairly recent streaming interviews with The Rebel Spell…
First off, from March 2007, check out “A 4.5 minute radio documentary on Vancouver punk band The Rebel Spell. This piece provides an intimate look into the unexpected goals and philosophy of a politically-active group of young musicians.” You can stream the documentary here .
Anti-Warped today/ a punk rock hit parade/ of independent sound/ our own identity/ build our community/ without the industry/ create a new scene/ peace, love and anarchy/ I know my disapointment shows/ I know my frustration grows/ for all that’s comfortably complacent,/ I haven’t got the patience/ for polite entertainment/ it just makes me hasten/ my changing attitude/ confused for being rude/ cos’ I’ve got anewscene/ with peace,love and anarchy/ no animosity/ fuck their hierachy/ we respect each other/ that’sour currency/ there ain’t no money/ just credibility/ we’ve got our own scene/ peace, love and anarchy
The title of the new CD is “Dismantlement.” Any particular reason behind the name? What does ‘dismantlement’ signify to The Fallout?
‘Dismantlement’ is taken from the Erik Marcus book ‘Meat Market’. ‘Meat Market’ is a very honest look at the current reality of animal cruelty and the animal advocacy movement. He draws analogies between the struggle for animal rights and the history of abolitionist and civil rights movements in the US. He makes a convincing argument for regulations to begin to put an end to factory farming practices.
‘Dismantlement’ also extends this idea and applies it to taking apart other exploitive industries. A number of songs on the CD reflect these ideas.
Continuing with the literary references, I saw “Dismantlement” described as having “elements of John Steinbeck and Howard Zinn poured into a punk format.” Accurate? As the lyricist, is this something you are consciously going for?
Comparisons to Steinbeck are flattering but unwarranted. We write concise songs to drive a point home in less than 2 minutes. We try to avoid clichés. We aren’t afraid to look in the mirror and see that we are a part of the systemic issues we are addressing. We are challenging both ourselves and our audience to face up to what is needed to affect change and the role we all play in making that happen.
You cover “Strange Fruit” on the CD – a song written almost 70 years ago, made famous by Billie Holiday and an anthem of the anti-lynching movement of the 1930s. With the whole Jena 6 controversy raging in the U.S. it would seem that this is still a very relevant song. What made you choose this song to cover? (How)does it fit into the whole ‘dismantlement’ theme?
Strange Fruit is a very powerful song. I think a lot of people would be surprised that such a graphic lyric was written in the 1920’s. Obviously we’ve stripped it down somewhat.
It extends the ideas on ‘Dismantlement’ as lynching was a big problem some 50 years after the end of slavery. The struggle for civil rights was still in its infancy. Blacks were free but they were not accepted as equals by many whites.
The Jena 6 situation demonstrates that hate crimes are still a problem. It’s another example of racism not being dealt with seriously.
Yeah, speaking of that, I know you guys have played a few Rock Against Racism shows and I understand that because of your involvement in that, your personal information – home address, phone number, etc – were posted to a neo-nazi website called Canadian Redwatch. What was that all about? Did you get hassled in any way by boneheads because of that?
We had neo-nazi’s scare the management of the Hamilton club, the Underground, with threats of violence if they allowed a Rock against Racism show to go on as scheduled. The gig was postponed and eventually held at the Corktown where we played without a problem. I’m not sure why we get this reaction from Hamilton.
My personal information was posted on the right wing website Canadian Redwatch but I haven’t been harassed in any way because of it. I guess one generalization that seems to be true is that racists are very lazy people.
Of the posts I’ve read about the Fallout on these right wing bulletin boards all I can say is that if people took the time to read our lyrics they would see for themselves that all these accusations simply aren’t true. It’s nothing but wild assumptions based in ignorance.
In the song “A Shot Rings Out”, about gun violence in Toronto, you say “here’s a message to my American cousins, make a few less guns, then you can build a few less prisons.” Care to expand on that? Seeing as this interview is running in an American publication…
Hand guns are a problem in Canada because of their availability in the US. It seems self-evident to this Canadian that guns and violent crimes are directly connected. Reducing the availability of guns will reduce the incidence of violent crime.
You’ve got a couple of songs about Animal Advocacy on “Dismantlement,” and you were chosen recently by VegNews magazine as one of the “top 25 most fascinating vegetarians.” Is The Fallout an ‘animal rights’ band first and foremost?
The Fallout is a punk rock band. We write songs about issues important to us. We rally against injustice. We promote the ethics of DIY and thinking for yourself. Animal advocacy is just a part of it all.
So what other issues are important to you guys? It seems to me that you do tend to focus somewhat on particularly ‘Canadian’ issues…
We focus on issues that not only affect Canadians but on issues that Canadians can act and speak out against. It’s too easy just to point fingers at the US and their imperialist foreign policies.
On the CD we touch on migrant farm workers in ‘Ontario’, community radio in ‘Radio Fallout’, the power of organized labor in ‘Bread and Freedom’ and personal responsibility in ‘Riot Boys’ and ‘Change the World Today’.
The Fallout are on/have been on a couple of fairly small independent labels – Longshot and Insurgence. Would you ever entertain the idea of signing to a major label? Does the ’signing to a major label to reach a bigger audience’ or the ‘we’re tired of preaching to the converted’ argument make any sense to you?
We certainly understand bands that would like to make their living from their music. We’re just not convinced that bands such as Anti-Flag are capable of crossing over into the mainstream markets. They have already made artistic compromises to have their CD’s sold in retailers like Wal-Mart. Shaking hands with the devil isn’t the only option.
With Insurgence Records we are collectively working towards creating an independent industry. It may never be as commercially successful for us but we will always retain full creative control over our music.
Hopefully, with enough like-minded independent bands playing and networking together, we can one day back the major record corporations into a corner they can’t escape from.
Ok, that leads me to my next question… it seems that the idea of ‘community’ comes up a few times on this album – on Radio Fallout you applaud community radio, on Peace Love And Anarchy you call for the building of “our community” and Bread And Freedom is about the power of unions…is the building a ‘counter-power’ or ‘alternative community’ something you see as necessary/desirable? Something you see yourselves as contributing too in some way …
The idea of creating co-operatives, which is growing in other industries, is seriously lacking in the music industry. I don’t understand why bands either choose to toil as complete independents or chase the elusive ‘recording contract’.
It seems to me that bands would better serve their common interests by working together and pooling their resources.
Labels like Insurgence Records are committed to creating mutually beneficial arrangements. Creating a larger co-operative musical scene seems much more desirable than one watching bands shaking hands with the corporate devils.
In the song “Talkin’ Punk Rock Civil War’ you say that “Our music, poetry and politics don’t lead to a cure. We need more than talkin’ punk rock civil war.” You’re saying that punks should take a more action-oriented approach to things? Less talk, more action? Any particular action you are fond of?
It’s sometimes easy to think that music is a catalyst for change. This song is about being honest and accepting the fact that real change comes from people who take action. It’s about lifestyle choices that are in harmony with our communities.
I participate in protests, I’m active in my trade union and I’m a regular blood donor. It’s about doing whatever you can do to impact your community in a positive way.
