Anthemic, anti-racist, pro-femme, pro-queer English punk. My coworker introduced me to Power in the Darkness on the day after the massacre in Orlando, and it reminded me of both the power of music to help us to make sense of our absurd, all-too-often wretchedly cruel world, and the power of good people to remain strong, loving, and celebratory in the face of hatred.
Track listing:
1. 2-4-6-8 Motorway
2. Up Against the Wall
3. Grey Cortina
4. Too Good to Be True
5. Ain't Gonna Take It
6. Long Hot Summer
7. The Winter of '79
8. Man You Never Saw
9. Better Decide Which Side You're On
10. You Gotta Survive
11. Power in the Darkness
Politics isn’t party broadcasts and general elections, it’s yer kid sister who can’t get an abortion, yer best mate getting paki-bashed, or sent down for possessing one joint of marijuana, the GLC deciding which bands we can’t see… it is everyday life for rock fans, for everyone who hasn’t got a cushy job or rich parents.
I got no illusions about the political left any more than the right, just a shrewd idea which of the two side’s gonna stomp on us first. All of us — you, me, rock ’n’ rollers, punks, longhairs, dope smokers, squatters, students, unmarried mothers, prisoners, gays, the jobless, immigrants, gipsies… to stand aside is to take sides. If music can ease even a tiny fraction of the prejudice and intolerance in this world, then it’s worth trying. I don’t call it “unnecessary overtones of violence.” I call it standing up for your rights.
And if we fail, if we all get swallowed up by big biznes before we achieve a thing, then we havta face the scorn of tomorrow’s generation. But we’re gonna have a good try. Fancy joining us?
You might also like:
 |
| The Saints - Prehistoric Sounds (1978) |
 |
| Blitz - Second Empire Justice (1983) |
And as it happens, Tom Robinson Band played Glastonbury this week. Great post, thanks.
ReplyDelete