Too good to be ignored!
Socialist Organiser1982 1982-09-09Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 11 →
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'Sex without Stress' is music if eiber Paul, Ja cannot 'Roles give you cramp ... leave. They've come so pressure point.
The GADC also refused to be tied down by traditional forms of campaigning. At a certain point, tactics such as pickets become routine and institutionalised', and lose their cutting edge. The GADC avoided this, for example, by organising impromptu pickets to force impromptu meetings with Council officials.
Whilst concentrating Un mobilising in the Gorbals itself, the GADC also built links with other campaigns further afield, such as the Wester Hailes anti-dampness campaign in Edinburgh.
The GADC also took care not to make the mistake of accepting the first offer made to it by the Council. Rather than accept the Council's compromise offers and thereby sell themselves short, the GADC effectively used such offers for propaganda purposes, by pointing out that such offers showed that the Council was weakening, and therefore further campaigning could achieve the demands in full.
In relation to the use of courts against the Council, the GADC was equally careful not to rely on them to achieve their aims. In both cases of the courts being used - the planned prosecution under the 1897 Public Health Act., and a later rates valuation appeal - the courts failed to come up with what the GADC ARENTS) strong District Labour Party; powerful enough to fully monitor and control the actions of a District Labour Group. Glasgow District Council, like Glasgow Corporation before it, has always been Labour-controlled, and yet it was this Labour-controlled District Council which was the main enemy of the GADC.
The Labour-controlled Council brought in private builders to build the scheme, permitted the use of the TRACOBA system, ignored complaints from the tenants, tried to blame the tenants themselves for the dampness, attempted to undermine support for the GADC, took tenants to court for withholding rent, dragged its feet over re-housing, and ottered only nominal compensation for all the hardship and loss for which it itself was to blame.
The . Labour District Group now seeks to add another chapter to this sorry record, by hiving off the Hutchesontown property. The Labour Group managed to get away for ten years with its Tory-type approach to the Gorbais. A strong campaign needs to be built right now in Glasgow, to finally call to account the Labour Group and those members on it who prefer doing a deal with private builders to rebuilding from scratch the Hutchesontown E scheme.
Throughout the ten years of struggle, the local Labour Party branch in the Gorbals had a record little better than that of the the camp of the District Labour Ciner: F.
Tho' District Councillor had the same attitiude to the campaign and did nothing to help it. Both she and the branch got their just reward in the 1977 District elections: she stood as an independent after being disowned by the branch over a corruption scandal, and the SNP candidate defeated both her and the official Labour candidate.
If the branch had thrown its lot in with the GADC instead of lining up with the District Council, it could have won the election, and, more important, built a mass base in the area, and used that mass base to control the actions of both the Regional and District councillors, and the MP, Frank McElhone:
From McElhone, it has been, as always, all mouth and no action. He was prepared to speak at public meetings and condemn the dampness (the tenants were, after all, his electorate), but do nothing.
He also tried to close down the Laurieston Information Centre (which had been an operating base for the GADC ever since it was sunched) in order to get tie jwn back on the camorse millaces.
Aithrugh the Hutchesontown F scheme is now virtually cupty, many of the problems associated with the der mie-ve anti-dampT38S camnaign remain: a Labour District Group accountable not t› the District Labour Group but only to back-handers from local building firms, moribund local Labour THE Au Paire are one band aire are one band that the or. salist con- co: Salist controlled news cannot afford to make trendy.
The Human League can be trendy - xids'll start having lopsided haircuts and buying synths. Spandau Ballet and Blue Rondo can be trendy - kids'll go down the clubs, buy the clothes, sid drink the cocktails. But the Au Pairo hius liking a band the: questions the whole basis of our exploitative: appressive and wanking culture. Wh.i do you want ... vorsi g class girls growing up thinking that they are scmething other than frizelous, mferior sperm Itrer mies and cheap labour when and if the bosses reed them?
No, matt, that wouldn't be good for the profits and power of the few. Don't want to push this lot too far.
Unfortunately for the media, the Au Pairs' music (live and recorded) is too good, too popular with too many people to be ignored. So instead they may be banned las the BBC did to 'Come Again'); their ideas may be pigeonholed as feminist rock' (probably the most meaningless cliche currently Dave Rommer reviews the new LP from the Au Pairs, 'Sense and Sensuality' doing the rounds, or made "safe' by back writers (who talk of revolution as if it were something one could do after lunch, and be finished with by the late afternoon - you could even get back in time for Crossroads) in the national music press.
'Sense and Sensuality' is the Au Pairs' second LP...: Quite a lot of the first side is about screwing.
'Grasp it and clasp it/ move in behind it/slide up, slip down...', from 'Instant Touch' 'Don't lie back' 'That's when it's worth it' 'Instant Touch' and 'Sex without Stress' are all funky and sexy:
Leśley's singing and phrasing make the slower songs. Kevin Rowland sings about being passionate. Lesley Woods is passionate. passionate.
'Sex without Stress' particularly effective. particularly effective.
'Roles give you cramp 'cos you get only one...
Painfully true. I'd wager I hate my male stereotype as much as Lesley obvious ly hates her female one ... only I have a good deal less to complain about.
'Fiasco' ends side ase. and it's a very differees sound. Along with Tooga in Coeek i sors sor diverse Sense Di Secst alis.
ise smsie? E Lesie. croppee te sang trait iriti all ten songs this would be the best dance LP of 1982.
The Au Pairs' musical development has been astonishing. Compare the variety of sounds and moods on 'Sense and Sensuality' with their debut 'Playing With a Different Sex" - or better still, compare it with You/ Kerb Crawler/Domestic Departure - their first 45.
Drummer Pete Hammond in particular has catalysed the development of the sound. His versatility and ability to handle complex rhythms has lifted the band above any others working in vaguely the same musical areas. can't imagine An Pai can't imagine An Pairs music if eitber Paul, Jane.
Pete or Lesley were to Pete or Lesley were to leave. They've came so far togetber and the be chemistry musically personally) must be right.
If some songs best son the An Pairs as their sow fal seriess des ise athens SidEs De FI I =.
You re neurotic with a probien it's better not to mention'.
If a woman takes 'too many' partners she is a loose slut/tart/whore. If she screws too few she is a 'tight cunt' If she doesn't make major decisions she is impractical/unscientific/ irrational/frivolous. If she does, she is bossy/unfeminine/an Amazon/a lesbian witch.
If she dares to fight her male imposed role then she's neurotic/hysterical/ crazy.
Male ego insecurity and self-hatred is projected onto females ... it's the whole social basis of the capitalist patriarchal system. Au Pairs' songs paint the picture with alarming and beautiful clarity. Women must find self-images of their own, rather than being pressed into male created moulds.
'Shakedown' is the beam of optimism on the LP.
'I feel a shakedown in the situation ... won't you hop on my wavelength ... go on and give it a little effort:' I certainly hope you're right, Au Pairs. The band expose a situation that needs a total re-think -a revolution. You can't reform oppression/restriction/exploitation into equality, peace and freedom. A fight-back is the only conclusion anyone can draw from the Au Pairs' ideas.
'America' , the closing song, stands out even in this company.
'Why don't you get a bayonet mince up a peasant or two?/Remember America is right behind you.' As my 8c bus crosses the Hockley Flyover, the woman sitting next to me looks up from her Mirror and says, ...the let Charles and little William both on the same plane -anything could happen those two men (well, one's