Against Me!

[Pacomari]

Originally Posted by I_got_a_mohawk

So, you wouldnt see a band because you like their sound, you only go to see people whoes lyrical content you approve of?

i have seen hip-hop acts, post rock bands, ambient acts, noise artists and many other genres of live music.

there lyrics don't provoke issue with me as they don't proclaim anything beyond bitches and money, the colour of a leaf or there is no lyrics at all. when a band sings songs which are meant as a rallying cry for anarchy and then fuck over one of the first people to ever help them out just so they can make more money you really need to consider the label punk rock.

[FTTW]

i enjoy against me so i'll be going

[Rich]

I shall be going to Glasgow. And I love the new album. If you don't like them anymore, don't bother arguing about them.

" I'm totally not going to buy the Sabot 'Crime' "

[Ekawk]

Originally Posted by Kingmob

as an aside on the screwdriver thing, they weren't always a nazi band as I understand it and I know a few older punk guys who still listen to the earlier material. I've never listened to any of it as the band is forever tarred with that association to me. But: I had an enduring love for Bad Brains from the moment I heard them. I still enjoy their records despite the homophobia expressed by some members of the band at certain points in their existance.

The early history of Skrewdriver is fairly complex. The first 3 Skrewdriver records (2x7"s & 1xLP on the Stiff /Chiswick labels) are straight forward punk records with no apparent right wing connections at all. Mark Radcliffe of Radio1 "Mark & Lard" fame drummed for them on at least 1 tour! & their proper drummer used to do Socialist political activities on behalf of his Labour candidate father. The band split in 1979 & it wasn't until the group relocated & reformed 1 year later with only 1 original member (Ian Stuart) that all the right wing stuff came to the surface, which is basically why a lot of people say "they weren't always a right wing band", which on the surface seems to be the case.

Look a little deeper though and there were always extreme right wing views within the band.
Ian Stuart always openly held racist views even in the early days of the band while of the other 4 members 1 was a Labour supporter while the other 3 "weren't interested in politics" (so in short turned a blind eye to Ian Stuarts beliefs).

Though it gets even more complicated still because after the band initially split in 1979 the "socialist activist" member of the band started to look deeper into labour policy (Remember the Labour party in 1979 was far different to todays Labour party) and realised he held a seperate viewpoint and around 1979 or 1980 both himself & Ian Stuart discovered & joined the National Front (yip the Socialist member of the band became an NF member at the same time as Ian Stuart).

Once the new "openly racist" version of Skrewdriver were formed the initial non racist records were all withdrawn by both Stiff & Chiswick.

So while there is technically no racist content to early Skrewdriver material, in reality there was always an open racist / right wing belief held by 1 band member in the early "OK to like Skrewdriver" days of the band which 4 of the band members chose to ignore (1 of whom later converted to racist beliefs).

So really depends on your own person viewpoint as to whether a band playing non racist material featuring 80% non racist members turning a blind eye to the 1 racist member = a racist band.


Interestingly and hardly ever mentioned, after Skrewdriver split in 1979 drummer John Grinton (The Labour activist who became a National Front member). Went on to become drummer for the Nips (Nipple Erectors) while openly being a NF member & the Nips featured none other than Shane MacGowan of the Pogues.

So if you believe Skrewdriver were a racist band in the early days because the band members turned a blind eye to a member being openly racist then surely by the same logic that makes Shane MacGowan the frontman for a racist band as the Nips done the exact same thing as Skrewdriver by 75% of band members turning a blind eye to an openly racist band member.

[Keerin]

i wish i could turn back time and post that much information about a shite band with my first post.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Keerin

i wish i could turn back time and post that much information about a shite band with my first post.

aye, if thats not copied and pasted im impressed.

[cynix]

Originally Posted by FTTW

i enjoy against me so i'll be going

Agreed. Awesome live band so i'll be hoping to catch at least a couple of these shows.

And the listening to racists bands thing... at least those bands have a genuine anger and passion in their music (remember when hardcore used to be like that?), which is more than can be said for 1/2 of the fake as fuck shite which pretends to be hardcore these days. The Aggressive Force album is musically excellent, if you can deal with the racist lyrics (which BTW I don't find any more abhorrent than those of the average "kill the rich" anarcho punk band and i don't see anyone condemning them for their equally narrow minded prejudice) then there's a top class hardcore/punk album there...

[Pacomari]

Originally Posted by cynix

And the listening to racists bands thing... at least those bands have a genuine anger and passion in their music (remember when hardcore used to be like that?),

hardcore is now heavy metal. hair cuts and spandex. except change spandex for tight h&m jeans.

[tartanriot]

Originally Posted by cynix

And the listening to racists bands thing... at least those bands have a genuine anger and passion in their music (remember when hardcore used to be like that?), which is more than can be said for 1/2 of the fake as fuck shite which pretends to be hardcore these days. The Aggressive Force album is musically excellent, if you can deal with the racist lyrics (which BTW I don't find any more abhorrent than those of the average "kill the rich" anarcho punk band and i don't see anyone condemning them for their equally narrow minded prejudice) then there's a top class hardcore/punk album there...

said with pride.

[Kierkegaard]

Originally Posted by cynix

And the listening to racists bands thing... at least those bands have a genuine anger and passion in their music (remember when hardcore used to be like that?), which is more than can be said for 1/2 of the fake as fuck shite which pretends to be hardcore these days.

Dude, say what you like about the tenants of National Socialism, at least it was an ethos.

[TGO]

I can't believe I used to get into arguments like this. I must have looked like such a retard.

[cynix]

Anyways, what is it the Against Me dudes have allegedly done? Anyone hook me up with a link?

[Baz]

Originally Posted by cynix

Anyways, what is it the Against Me dudes have allegedly done? Anyone hook me up with a link?

they got popular. rule number 1 - dont get popular.

as far as i can see. i`ll probably get proved wrong. fuck it, im gonna enjoy myself

[graham enzk]

Originally Posted by cynix

Anyways, what is it the Against Me dudes have allegedly done? Anyone hook me up with a link?

they kill babies.

they also date rape OAPs.

they have also been known to do really bad farts in lifts just as they get out leaving the other users to deal with the stench.

they are bad men.