Sounds, September 30, 1978

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Sounds

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One aim, one love, one destiny


Garry Bushell

Anti-Nazi League Carnival
Brixton

"All them people — I can't see where they end." A pre-teens boy perched on his dad's shoulders stared open-mouthed around Brockwell Park at "all them people" — Lambeth Council's official estimate was 150,000, ITV News said 60,000, take your pick. Either way there were more there than even Vicky Park.

The music at moments like this, although cementing the proceedings together, is secondary to the event itself and its politics — the only politics that matter, the politics of living.

The event had begun hours before as an estimated 50,000 gathered in Hyde Park to politely listen to speeches from labour movement bigboys and, more enthusiastically, to Tom Robinson's message that the real battle starts when today has ended. Then the crowd filed off-like some huge festive snake, winding its colourful path over Vauxhall Bridge and down to Brixton.

20 teenage Londoners, embryonic Jilted Johns to a man, decided to forget Gordon for the real thing "Webster is a moron" they sang, and "Disembowel Enoch Powell." Everywhere people were smiling, laughing, dancing, happy.

"All them people," giving the lie to those cynics who try to paint the ANL as some sinister Socialist Workers Party plot. "All them people," a wide-ranging celebration of solidarity for freedom and against uniformity and bigotry — fired by the same spirit that fires dissidents in Russia and trade unionists in Chile.

'They will try their tricky device / Trap you with the ordin'ry / Get your teeth into a small slice / The cake of liberty' (Ian Dury)

Miles away the forces for uniformity and bigotry managed to prove how they're the "real voice of the nation" by rallying a whole 1,200 (police estimate) Gumbie Theatre drop-outs and slithering past deserted office blocks outnumbered by coppers and a 3,000 strong ANL contingent. (Sociologists note: Their march included only 50 skins, Brockwell Park saw close on 1,500, including the welcome return of the Afro Boys).

Meanwhile, back with the human race, rock made its stand again as groups threw professional considerations to the wind to play on the backs of lazy-fan-laden lorries; including veteran punk music-to-march-by exponents Crisis, the Boots And Braces Band, Southall's own Ruts, four numbers from those mighty suburban rockers The Members (whose generator ran out of petrol) and cheerful white reggae from China Street (their fine single "Rock Against Racism" hits your store next week).

Stiff Little Fingers had already begun their set as the tail end of the marchers reached Brockwell Park. I came in on their passionate version of Marley's "Johnny Was." Everything you've read about this group is true. They rank amongst the most impressive new punk bands around.

SLF don't just sing about Belfast streets, they live on them and their anti-racism grew from arguing against the orange/green divide, But they're not humorless polities as their doo-wop Beach Boys spoof "Barbed Wire Love" ("Ba, ba, ba, barbed wire love") showed.

They encored with the strong new single "Alternative Ulster" before dashing off to Cardiff to support TRB.

Wish Viv had been with me for the next band as know as much about reggae as Tom O'Connor knows about comedy. Misty reggae is very urban. The bass sound especially is harsh and aggressive. But it was perfect relaxing sunny park music (reggae always works better in festival atmosphere than punk which, after all, is late night sweaty club music).

Jimmy Pursey came on after Misty to show he wasn't bottling out to appease his minority of racist fans (he's under so much pressure — you bastards are killing him). "No one's gonna tell me what I can and can't do," he hollered, "I'm here 'cos I support Rock Against Racism". And the group wasn't because he sincerely believed the tension he could have caused would have wrecked Carnival.

Elvis Costello And The Attractions didn't cause tension but they did up the excitement quota and for many (me included) they were the musical highlight of the afternoon. Elvis stood there, red drape, black collar check shirt, black cords and belted thru 16 songs, powerfully and professionally, starting appropriately enough with "Night Rally" (he knows what they're doing and he wants to do more than look) and ending with the new single "Radio, Radio."

"Welcome to the black and white minstrel show, 'ow about jumping up and down against racism," he grinned and proceeded to smash out a non-stop, bitter-sweet procession of songs of love and revenge.

"Radio, Radio" was an uptempo rocker, but not as instantly commercial as the other newie "Oliver's Army" with its strong poppy tune and a hookline: "Oliver's army is here to stay" that'd warrant an instant terrace translation and be a sure-fire hit.

Aswad, the militant yout's from the Grove who played that first major RAR gig with the Adverts, ended RAR's biggest event so far totally convincingly. Their music is more sophisticated than most homegrown acts and they've established themselves as one of Britain's foremost reggae bands. Tony

This ain't "alien rhythms" — this is our culture. Brinsley Ford was pretty overcome, "This is ire, ire that there's so many people here today" he was saying during "Natural Progression" before starting its chant of "One love, one aim, one destiny." What an end to a beginning.

How do they do it? "Divide and rule / Split em up, spit 'em out / Keep us out of sight" Menace).

How do we do it? United against the Nazis, the racists and the cynics. That's the way it's got to be!


Tags: Rock Against RacismBrockwell ParkLondonThe AttractionsNight RallyRadio, RadioOliver's ArmyTom RobinsonBob MarleyIan DuryRadarThis Year's ModelTiny StepsEmotional FascismArmed ForcesWake Up Canada Tour1978 Japan Tour1978 Australia TourChristmas showsBirkenheadJake Riviera

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<< >>

Sounds, September 30, 1978


Garry Bushell reports on the Rock Against Racism rally, Sunday, September 24, 1978, Brockwell Park, Brixton, London.


Sounds notes the upcoming release of the single for "Radio, Radio."


Sounds reports on scuffles following EC's warm-up gig, Saturday, September 23, Grand Hotel, New Brighton, England.

Images

1978-09-30 Sounds page 46.jpg
Page scan.


Cover.
1978-09-30 Sounds cover.jpgPhotos by Gus Stewart.
Photos by Gus Stewart.


Meanwhile, the other Elvis...


Sounds

1978-09-30 Sounds clipping 02.jpg

Elvis Costello releases a new single on Radar on October 20. It's "Radio, Radio" which is previously unreleased in Britain, although it did appear on the American version of This Year's Model. The B-side is "Tiny Steps," a new song.

There's still no firm release date for Elvis' third album, although the present working title is Emotional Fascism. He is also completing a BBC2 documentary for the Arena series and tours of Canada, Japan and Australia have to be fitted in before Christmas, when Sounds understands that Costello and the Attractions are lining up a series of special Christmas shows.


Photo by Gus Stewart.
Photos by Gus Stewart.



EC was here (2)


Sounds

One hand typing

1978-09-30 Sounds clipping 01.jpg

Monday morning can get hectic. This one brought a phone call from Mike Simpson of The Birkenhead News, who was at a hush-hush gig that Elvis Costello did in Liverpool on Saturday.

Apparently, Simpson was involved in some argument in the dressing room — at some point the cuddly Jake Riviera, Costello's manager, is supposed to have insulted Simpson for his long hair, flared jeans and velvet jacket — and a disagreement about Simpson's presence in the room ended with him somehow moving down a set of steps and sustaining a broken wrist and a head wound which necessitated five stitches.

At the time of going to press it was not clear whether Simpson was intending to take legal proceedings against anyone involved. When Costello's PRs, Coulson-Frame, were approached, they gave a couple of quotes which they then withdrew.

"If he walked in my office I'd smash him in the fucking eye myself anyway," said Coulson. "I'd smash anybody that worked for Record Mirror just if they were walking down the street. Journalists are all clogs. They treat anybody with a bit of talent like a piece of meat."


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