No Fun! Politics pt1
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As we have seen the late seventies saw the far right starting to gain credibility in the UK with the real possibility of them gaining some political power. Adding to this in music Eric Clapton made some casual racist remark and Bowie appeared to be flirting with fascism. For once there was clear cut right and wrong. Defeat the far right and ally music to the forces of good. All well and fine. However with the Nazis on the run the broad based movement turned in on itself and suddenly music did become no fun as the potential finger of suspicion was pointing everywhere. The vague references to anarchy and revolt gradually crystallised into concrete dogma not to enlighten but to criticise and prescribe. Welcome to the witch hunt. Sexist? Racist ? We'll find you.

While we all rallied to the fight against racism under the Rock Against Racism and Anti Nazi League banner little did we know the political machinations of The Socialist Workers Party were grinding their insidious way into the heart of the crowd. With never any realistic hope of gaining any political power they managed, through a sleight of hand, to rapidly assume rock'n'roll power in the rising tension of the times.

You see not everyone wanted Troops out or CND or this or that. But an Anti Nazi League that's a different matter. What kind of person must you be not to support it? The enemy that's what! With the mobilisation of a radical punk army behind them the implied slogan 'if you are not for us then you must be against us' made them powerful figures in rock. Double page spreads in the music weeklies and high profile carnivals and marches meant that the hint of racism or suggested fascism could kill a band dead or severely impede its progress..

"Part of the ANL's political radicalism lay in its total acceptance of punk's rough sound, the music of bands like the UK Subs, Ian Drury or Jimmy Pursey's Sham 69. Yet Rock Against Racism did not simply adapt itself to the existing punk sound. Rather it sought to change and develop punk music."
 David Renton - Socialist History

Who fuckin' asked it to change our music? Bands like 'Fourth Reich' basically disbanded or changed name because of their name. The Cortinas were questioned as to the intent behind 'Fascist Dictator' No more was there a lind of McCarthyism present than in the NME with those two lovable SWPers Julie Burchill and Tony Parsons setting themselves up as witch finder generals. Lets slur the Stranglers and so on.

Burchill and Parsons

David Widgery

 True to form though like all good commies from the Russian to the Spanish Revolution they turned round in The Boy Looked at Johnny and knifed the bands them made in the back for a quick buck!  And like all good commies where the dogma was the political commissars weren't far behind to mop up the stragglers. Did I say dogma ? Welcome to the comedy. Looking back at the what these people said and did I can't stop laughing. But back then this was serious and there were reactionaries and racists to root out and burn. Principal players David Widgery, Red Saunders and Lucy Toothpaste; the political arbiters of our musical tastes. Uninvited guests.

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