Red Rock

Scan page 13

THE reactionaries who are in favour of racism and nuclear bombs have hardly a toehold in rock culture.

The reason is obvious enough. Rock music is largely the concern of youth so to a great extent it reflects the present consciousness of youth.

When it comes to racism and nuclear war - which the overwhelming majority of young people are definitely against - these views are expressed in rock music.

Television's so-called discussion programmes are notorious for having as their "members of the public' participants a bunch of middle class white idiots.

So I was amazed watching "Devil's Advocate' (ITV, Sunday 4 October) to see as the participating audience a genuine, lively multi-racial audience of unemployed youth who were (to an extent) able to speak freely their own minds. At the end of the programme a series of votes was taken and a massive 90% majority voted in favour of stopping all racist organisations and their literature.

And on the nuclear war front the Tories have deemed fit to launch what they describe as a "propaganda war" against, presumably, people who want to avoid nuclear holocaust.

According to the Tory rag, the Daily Express, such views are even "beginning to find favour with the public.

This campaign, followon from the disastrous flop known as the Spring Offensive, is to be known as Nott's (he's the Defence Secretary) Autumn Offensive.

It is to be primarily aimed at young people who no doubt will still march in their hundreds of thousands on the (ND march on October 24 despite the media being. filled with Soviet threat scares.

Even so, the Tories may well have the mass media at their finger tips but one thing they can't do is organise rock concerts which catch the imagination and creativity of youth. This is left to campaigns like Rock Against Racism and No Nukes Music. Both have planned impressive autumn concerts.

Kock Against Racism is now putting on the 'Anger on the Road' tour which is coinciding with this year's Right to Work march on the Tory Party conference in Blackpool. The concerts are free to people on the dole and only a couple of quid to the rest of us.

Reggae

The excellent reggae group Aswad headlined the first gig at Manchester Poly on 10 October, and along the route there • were many other concerts featuring local groups and the betterknown Mo-dettes.

In fact you might still be in time to go to the eve-ofthe-rally-show at Blackpool's Squires Cle On Friday October 15 with Coup de Grace, Column and Zero Sounds before the lobby itself starts.

Elsewhere, No. Nukes Music is gathering a reputation via local gigs, badges and a newly launched (and very good, too) fanzine called 'Rebel with a Brain'.

Also, two concerts to nelp raise money tor the CND march are being held. Birthday Party and Maximum Joy are playing the Brixton Town Hall on Saturday October 16 and the day before the march itself, in London, the Gang of Four and Theatre' of Hate play the Rainbow.

P.S. More detailed mation on RAR and coming up shortly! inforNNM ultimately about | a society where heterosexuality is no longer compulsory, where gender no longer shapes our capacity to relate emotionally and sexually to other ical practice.

Will there be a strategy for the achievement of feminism and gay liberation in your next manifesto?

SECOND-CLASSE: CITIZENS !!!#

Scan page 14

strikers Play Octobor TW 10 S 17 5 13 21 22 30 11 12 20 19 27 28 29 18 26 JOHN HARRIS

----- pull-quotes -----

searing Toda

I WANT TO HOLD 2OUP

WELL NOT BE TREATED AS