Homework by candlelight (AKA the 3 day week - Up the Miners!)

1973

Spangles

The taste of summer holidays 1976-1979

Burnt Toast

The smell of Breakfast & Tea (1967-1992)

Bands I wish I'd been in #6 - The Pop Group

Born out of the debris of The Avon Soul Army and the catalytic impact of seeing The Clash and Sex Pistols early on in the nascent punk scene. The Pop Group swiftly took the punk rule book and ripped it up. Incorporating funk, free jazz, dub and punk soundscapes. The original band featured Mark Stewart, John Waddington, Simon Underwood, Gareth Sager and Bruce Smith. Their heady combination of James Brown, Albert Ayler, Funkadelic and King Tubby mixed with radical lyrics was a complete headfunk for a teenage suburban punk like myself. 

Their debut single 'She is Beyond Good and Evil' was the most searing combination of potent punk/funk and poetic imagery I'd ever heard. These boys were different to anybody else on the scene. This was followed by their debut album 'Y', which covered all the bases (and basses). The relentlessly funky chaos of 'We are time' & 'Thief of Fire' interspersed with dub piano melancholy of 'Savage Sea' - the album beautifully underpinned by Dennis Bovell's production work.


Then came 'We are all Prostitutes' the song that sold thousands and the (bootlegged) t-shirt that sold millions....

They then followed up with a second album 'For show much longer do we tolerate mass murder', an album that was even more political and featured The Last Poets and Mark Springer. An album that was pilloried by the likes of the IPC owned NME but still stands up as a fine piece of work - albeit not quite as remarkable as 'Y'. In amongst all this activity was a formal bootleg LP 'We are Time'... And then came the most joyous slab of Funk to come out of the UK in the 1980's - 'Where there's a will' b/w 'In the beginning there was rhythm' but the equally unconventional and fabulous The Slits.

The first incarnation of The Pop Group played their last gig at the CND march in Trafalgar Square in 1980 in front of half a million people. The gig featured old and new versions of the band and they finished with a version of 'Jerusalem', which to those of us present took on almost magical properties (We having sprinted through traffic whilst 'We are Time' ricocheted around the heart of London). It was a remarkable/shambolic day...

So, why do I wish I'd been in The Pop Group? Well apart from the songs, the free form mindset, the lyrics, the amazing iconography, the willingness to challenge the musical 4/4 status quo of punk (which very quickly simply reverted to rebel posturing, boring guitar solos and appropriating the language of tired old cock rockers), the courage to wear their politics on their (LP) sleeve and the desire to SEEK - they were the most dynamic live act I'd ever seen! 

Postscript.
I was initially concerned that their return in 2011 would tarnish their name. I had no need to fear - live they are still an astonishing proposition and I did finally get to fulfil my ambition at Komedia in Brighton a couple of years ago. Mark Stewart thrust the mic forward for me to sing... 

"Where there's a will, there has got to be a way..."

Excelsior!

Paraffin 2

The smell of winter 1973-1977

Paraffin 1

The smell of winter 1973-1977

Hiding in plain sight (or ‘You always used to be able to spot a Nazi ‘cos he wore a badge’)

When I was 14 (back in 1976) one of the boys in our year suddenly started bringing in copies of ‘Bulldog’ the National Front’s newspaper. Bulldog, for the uninitiated was a combination of jaundiced articles, vile rants, badly drawn cartoons, recruitment advertising and requests for money to fight the scourge of Bolshevism and anybody else the latest group of British Fascists hated. The National Front, a fundamentally racist entity, had been recruiting at English football grounds from the early 70’s, with quite alarming success. 

The disaffected young white male population gravitated towards the Front with undue haste. Barely a decade after the summer of love/height of the swinging 60’s, the UK had crumbled into a bitterly divided nation. A class war had erupted in the shape of the struggle between the miners and the government. The 3-day week and recession helped incubate resentment. And whilst the wealthy remained untouched, the white unemployed populace looked for someone to blame and the National Front found plenty of scapegoats for their rage… West Indian, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, African and Jewish communities were targeted and violence was never far away. 

Eastbourne, sleepy old Eastbourne, the sun trap of the south and home to the largest collection of white over 65’s in Europe at that time hardly seemed a relevant recruiting ground for the NF. There were less than 20 BAME families in the town at the time and there was hardly anything to suggest that the situation would change. But the NF continued to peddle their ‘truths’and they went on a recruitment drive to turn the rather weedy youth of the town into some kind of elite Freikorps. A rather simple strategy of identifying the intellectually immature but physically intimidating was the way forward. And so, it came to pass that our school got its very own playground brownshirt – NaziBoy!

It began with a badge. Badges being quite high on the teen boys currency list. A little NF badge, if you were none the wiser, might seem like just another band badge – white red & black. The badge provoked interest and provoked a conversation or two. The recruitment process had begun. After the badge, some stickers. They’d start appearing on bus shelters, in the school toilets, on desks and noticeboards. The message was simple “PAKIS GO HOME”. The message was repetitive. The message was of course, repulsive!

The follow up was then the newspaper. ‘Bulldog’ full to the brim with odious, ill-concealed racist rhetoric left the reader in no doubt who was to blame and what should be done. Terrace humour mixed with a mangled manifesto hewn from off cuts of Enoch Powell’s ‘rivers of blood’ speech. Battle-lines had been drawn.

Fortunately, to the eternal credit of all but two of my classmates, the message was received, understood and swiftly rejected. Membership of the Anti-Nazi League/Rock against Racism skyrocketed and robust debates were had on every bus home, the untruths were confronted at each and every turn. Admittedly the significant shoeing that was meted out to NaziBoy helped to sway any of the undecided. 

The point of sharing this little snapshot of a political awakening on the South Coast of England is twofold:

1)   Recognition of my schoolmates who swiftly and rigorously rejected the doctrine that NaziBoy had been championed with spreading.

2)   To also recognise that it was easy to confront such an obvious affront to common decency because the tactic of playground recruiting was so route one.

The problem of course now is that, the same enemy has become far more sophisticated in their branding, message and approach. Route one is no longer viable, these tricky fuckers are far more subtle. The use of well-worn tropes is still happening, not least because the rebuttal portals are no longer geared up to respond. The significant leap to the right by media houses has left rigour and context trailing behind all those chasing clicks. The various techniques and approaches to get people on their own (the digital equivalent of getting somebody round the back of the back sheds and threatening them with a right kicking) are so marvellously subtle thanks to targeted EDM’s, FB Posts etc.

What I’m trying to say is that the bastards aren’t wearing badges anymore and it makes it easy for the weak and embittered to join the slipstream of hate… 

It is our duty to call them all out. Every single one of them, every single time. If we don’t before you know it, NaziBoy and his chums will not only run the playground, they’ll own the whole damned country!

"Politics doesn't affect me" #3

What then? When!

When they start charging you £80 for a prescription. £100 for a Doctor's visit...
When the smell from the plague pits starts to interfere with the Sunday bbq...
When the private health 'funds' deny treatment to "whoever we decide"...
When the only doctors and nurses left refuse to work pro-bono...
When the latest antidote is only available to gold card members...
When they refuse to take on patients with high blood pressure...
When they deny those with a family history of cancer, anxiety...
or
When quarantine stations will only accept MasterCard...
When the new flu strain sweeps across Southern Asia...
When they kick your parents out of their care home...
When your child can't get a hospital bed...
When antibiotics stop working...
When botox blisters burst...
When small pox returns...

What then? When!

©Andrew Franks - Soul Bay Pres - June 2019

"Politics doesn't affect me" - #2

Take the not inconsiderable issue of racism. Whether it is the time honoured tactic of fear-mongering, be it the sinister musings of Enoch Powell's 'Rivers of Blood' speech to the laughable but no less ghastly ramblings of Billy-Bunter-come-lately Boris Johnson. They all seek to serve the same end. 

Divide the working people and then divide the profits amongst the ruling class. Point out the differences, scaremonger and watch the powerless turn on themselves, whilst the powerful reap the benefits. Of course the prime exponent of this is the current resident of the White House...

It is no longer acceptable or appropriate to do nothing. Doing nothing is not allowed any more. You must revel in rebellion. It doesn't mean taking up arms, although the occasional Strawberry Milkshake does seem to be the mode of expression du jour. But whatever you do, you cannot do nothing. 

Put simply if you don't actively condemn you passively condone! 

"Politics doesn't affect me" - #1

When I started my first ever day's work in a local government office in true blue Eastbourne, I proudly declared to my colleagues that I was a Labour supporter (despite being too young to vote). This seemingly innocuous statement provoked a funny range of responses from a dismissive 'pah' from some, to a derisive 'bloody commie eh?' from my ex-army supervisor and his little sidekick. 

Whilst I suppose I pretty much expected their response, after all, almost everyone voted Tory in Eastbourne "even the Seagulls". What I didn't expect was the relatively cool 'older' bloke (all of 27 years old, I suspect) to lean into the conversation with this observation... 

" Of course. If you aren't a socialist by the time you are 20 - you haven't got a heart. If you aren't a conservative by the time you are 40 - you haven't got a brain..." 

A pithy observation maybe but something that stuck with me nonetheless. It struck me then that it was such a lazy and cynical view of the world - genuinely heartbreaking. It assumed a pre-ordained path and almost instinctively gave one permission to just give up on politics, to give up on life... Perhaps in a time when news was more uniform and access to more radical thought came via University or progressive relationships, it was more understandable that some people believed that politics wasn't for the likes if us.

However, surely the same argument is not quite as valid? I am still staggered at the number of relatively 'sane' adults I know who profess ignorance of or, more regularly, actively avoid 'politics'.  If the last 63 years have taught us anything it is that when politicians (and their sponsors) are left to their own devices, they have a tendency to fundamentally f'things up. If they are not held completely accountable they will drive division, increase their own wealth and royally screw us over... every single time!

Time for a change, time to resist, time to remember - you have still got a heart!

Poetry and interference...

Are you listening...

Elektronische - ART IMITATES

His generals looked at him in horrified silence...

Link to the You Tube video. From the EBN.EX Dub-plate - 'Dark edges of the dance floor'

That there football... (Part 3)

And so, another World Cup has been and gone. Was it the best ever? No, most probably not. That honour still goes to Mexico 70. With Spain 82 & Germany 06 perhaps running them close. However, it was certainly enjoyable, with the prima donnas ousted early enough for new heroes to be welcomed and championed.

England's performance was encouraging enough, Brazil regained some composure after the horrors of the last tournament (despite Neymar's histrionics), Germany's departure made for a little more jeopardy in the latter stages, France glided to victory, Croatia gave everything but came up short, Spain's pre-comp suicide most probably did not have much impact and Ronaldo's vanity still irked enough to detract from his sublime technique. Cavani looked a much better player than I've previously given him credit for and Japan proved shrewd tacticians despite themselves.

There weren't any real downsides, the stadia looked great, the promised violence just didn't kick off and the hosts weren't the no hopers they had been portrayed as. As for Australia, the hype and hoopla back home was always going to be impossible to live up to. The notion that Australia were shoe-in's to escape their group showed a lack of perspective of the world game that will continue to limit the national team's progress in major tournaments. They are still Championship challengers in a Premiership world. The major problem in Australian football is highlighted at junior and club level, where physicality is praised over finesse. It is all very well promoting a Dutch footballing model and imposing 4-3-3 on junior sides but until coaches, clubs and committees recognise that the world of football is ever evolving, they will continually be 20 years behind the world game.

That there football... (Part 2)

Well, all good things etc...

The reality of the situation is that we were lucky to make it as far as we did. We aren't really one of the best four teams in the world. Gareth Southgate isn't quite the tactical genius he was 24 hours ago (not that I'm being critical, he completely surpassed most expectations - especially mine). And yet, the England team performed way above expectations and more importantly behaved impeccably. I know that might seem an odd thing to be so immensely proud of but...

It was about time that a group of obscenely highly paid sportsman fulfilled the other key part of the bargain, which is to be genuine role models and not just roll around on the floor models!

Thank you.

In the meantime though, it is worth remembering the following...

I was looking for a job and then I found a job... #5

You wait for a few aeons for a job to come along and then 3 come along at once...

1. Dream role, mentally stimulating. Short term.
2. Longer term, eyes closed but pleasant enough.
3. Lifer but as dull as...

What to do, what to do.

I think we all know the answer!

That there football...

Once every four years and it is time to... get the Panini album, pull the England shirt out from the box in the loft, ignore the fact that you've been slagging them off for the last 3 years and 11 months, become an expert on the current form of the Saudi keeper and become very conversant with random time zones and inhospitable waking hours.

But now the fun bit is over and we have to start to brace ourselves for the knockout stages and the anguish that 90/120 minutes +/- penalties can bring.

It is wonderful but also so agonising....

Slow moving

I just popped back in to see how things were looking and there still seems to be a rather healthy appetite for the various different memories, moments and meanderings described here. I'm conscious that I've been ridiculously slow in posting anything new. I blame football, life & the weather.

However, look out for the following over the coming weeks.

• More bands that I wished I'd been in.
• More albums no self respecting gentleman or lady should own.
• Book of the week
• Film of the month
• How to make a million overnight
• The best way to rob a hedge fund
• MP's we have loved (in a series of 3)
• MP's we despise (in a series of 50)
• More strings of desire
• The five best parties ever
• The truth about David Icke
• Britain's favourite boxers
• Salad Cream v HP Sauce
• And a message from our sponsors

...Perhaps

Insights from a Modernlife II

A new style, fashion, music and arts blog is due to be launched within the next couple of weeks. And whilst the prospect might fill you with a dread bordering on pathological, fear not. The writers behind the blog are persons of impeccable taste and style. They know the difference between an edge produced on woven fabric during manufacture that prevents it from unravelling and a zone of altered rock, especially volcanic glass, at the edge of a rock mass.

There will be articles on some of the stand out designers, influencers, style connoisseurs and fashion houses. From the finest accessories to the coolest of cheap cheats that will keep the opposition guessing and the spectators admiring. The soundtrack to a Modernlife will also be covered, with album reviews (classics & new releases). Occasional film reviews too as well as news snapshots and all the what-to-dos. 

Be seeing you! 

Insights from a Modernlife

Poll results - What colour is Sunday?

Results in...

A split decision between Blue & Yellow.

Thank you for voting!