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Post by teddythaelmann on Dec 19, 2007 4:29:32 GMT -5
... back then in their musical heydays? I only did once, after their gig in West Berlin some day in the spring of 1986. After the concert, a friend and I we asked for the possibility of doing an interview we wanted to put in a fanzine (which actually never saw the light of day) and they agreed upon. I still remember that attempt of doing an interview, as it was quiet deceiving for me. I was barely 16 years old and they were a bloody great special band for me. in fact I first learned through their early records that there was much more and better skinhead music beyond Sham69, the Upstarts and the Böhsen Onkelz (brrrrrrr). I had never heard about Soul, Motown, Stax ever before... Also, of course, we were aware of revolution and politics being important subjects within this band, but what we definitly didn't want to do was just asking about political issues. But what happened was verbal steam rolling. We hardly could ask something, we could hardly understand something as Chris Moore spoke fast and faster, with some northern accent, yet faster and I do not know, but it always all went back onto politics and organizing. Questions about music, skinheads or being anti fascist were always cleared off with 3 or 4 words, but economical and political aspects with 20 to 30 high speed sentences each. Even if he was telling something of more musical interest for us, it was fairly impossible to stay with it for more than a couple of seconds. Hell, this man really was rhetoric. and dominant. As the bassplayer and the drummer tried to join in it became clear that the verbal hierarchy was strictly distributed. But he just spoke, he never bellowed. He was used to it, he didn't need to bellow. He said something interesting about the band using music just as a bloody tool to open as many peoples minds as he could, to get their attention to convince them. I remember, we then wanted to know (and insisted about a dozen times) why they had started for that big aim from the musical and asthetical foundations of an ultra-tiny and publically well-hated minority of moron allegories... instead of multiplicating their audiences through something like combining their lyrics with Stock-Aitken-Wankerman pop music and dressing up on stage like Lionel Richie ... if all he wanted was just reaching as many people as he could...  Being serious about it, coming along as skinhead band in harringtons and boots was actually a big turnoff for many potential listeners... we never got answers on that... but besides our rhetorical inferiority, Chris Moore left the impression of a decent, amiable, polite, friendly, passionate and very, very intelligent man. and although he was hacking off any question about music within seconds, it became quickly obvious that his personal knowledge of soul, funk, reggae and music in general had to be encyclopedical. It would be interesting to know what he is doing these days. Maybe he is simply fed up with all this... |
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Post by teddythaelmann on Dec 19, 2007 4:57:41 GMT -5
... Chris Moore speaks German. fluently. Don't ask me why we did the bloody interview in german school english...
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Post by ouioui on Jan 5, 2008 12:07:55 GMT -5
In the late 80's he had a french girlfriend...He was then in Paris doing politics with the french 'branche" of SWP called S.I (socialisme internationale).
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Post by gshock on Aug 5, 2008 14:21:15 GMT -5
Now then all, just nicely got registered, great to see such a site dedicated to an old fav band of mine. Ive got 1 or 2 possible interesting stories relating to the Redskins, which i'll get posted over the next week or so. I was in a band from Hull called 3Action, in the early to mid 80's and came across the Redskins on numerous ocassions. We supported them a few times and also managed to wangle our way in without paying to a far few of thier gigs. One great story that i'll mention is when the original drummer, cant remember his name, went awol, and our drummer Dodger played with about 2 hours notice. The context of these times cant be downplayed - the miners strike was happening, numerous benefit gigs needed organising and other great acts (Billy Bragg, Newtown Neurotics, 3 Johns, Attilla the Stockbroker) were doing the rounds. Fanzines were an important outlet at the time and the common enemy of the 'Milk Snatcher' caused many working class lads and lasses to become politicised. This also brought us into contact with other organised political groups - SWP, Militant, Anti Facist Action etc and shaped a signifficant number of my gernerations lives. I'll be back shortly, probably start a new thread 'Confessions of a red skin from the 80's' or something conry like that!
Cheers
Gary
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Post by Bazza on Aug 6, 2008 5:37:46 GMT -5
One great story that i'll mention is when the original drummer, cant remember his name, went awol, and our drummer Dodger played with about 2 hours notice. The original drummer was Nick King (aka Cheel). If anyone out there is still in contact with Nick I'd love to know what he is up to these days. Looking forward to hearing the rest of you stories. |
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Post by gshock on Aug 14, 2008 5:54:36 GMT -5
Must have been around late'83 when we supported the Redskins in Hull for the first time. The venue, Spring Street Theatre, was quite an unusual choice, given that the more down to earth, working class Adelphi Club was going strong at the time. Spring St is renowned for the works of John Godber and tended to attract a fairly nice, safe, middle class audience.
Been the naughty chaps that we were, we felt obliged, from the off, to cause as much possible distress to this bourgois elite. We were quite heavily into the scooterboy / mod / skin scene at the time and so dressed fairly similar to the Redskins. On introducing ourselves as the Redskins and going onto to purposely play even more out of tune than we normally would have, the subsequent reaction was spot on. Youve got to remember that the majority of the audience had never seen the Redskins before. A number apparently began complaining to the management and some had actually demanded to have their monies be refunded. You wont be surpised to hear that we received a lifetime ban from Spring St Theatre as a result, only adding to our kudos and street cred I have to say.
Was always puzzling why X Moore would want to air his polemics to such an audience. Preaching to the converted always springs to mind. Sorry to say it but this tended to be typical of the SWP then. Lots of backslapping and head nodding but not enough of getting their hands mucky and talking to and about real people.
Cheers for now
Gary
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Post by telboyd on Mar 17, 2009 10:09:11 GMT -5
Sorry to say it but this tended to be typical of the SWP then. Lots of backslapping and head nodding but not enough of getting their hands mucky and talking to and about real people. Gary Eyup Gary... Don't think we ever met but we had some mutual friends... Swift Nick/Heaton/Paul Jackson/Sam from 'Pink Noise'/Attilla. In reference to the quote - I once had a massive argument with SWP leader Tony Cliff in a pub in Rotherham in 1986. He seemed to be saying many of the things I wanted to hear but, on this you're right, he was preaching to an already educated, politically astute, essentially white middle-class with more time on their hands than they knew what to do with. After The Strike everyone was a bit broken. Nowadays the ex-SWP member are all probably involved in charidee work. You know, to ease their conscience/give somthing back etc. I played the Adelphi on four occasions with 'The Way' and it was always a memorable night. The last one was the best cos it was the night Mickey Thomas scored in the last minute (89) and we were all watching it in the bar with Nick and his mates before we went on (that was when Liverpool were the villains of British football, of course). We had Tracie from 'The Jam' on BVs that night too. Got a message from Heaton through MySpace last month with Nick's mobile number so, if you're still in Hull and see him around, tell him I'm about to release my first album/record EVER after 25 years and over 200 recordings.! www.myspace.com/thespecialgueststarsAnyway, all the best mate - always thought you were a good band and, like you say, an integral part of the left-wing music scene back then. Tel p.s. Do you still see HughW? I used to be good friends with him after we did some gigs with Gargoyles but then I heard he got into some bother and ended up in prison..! Funny bloke (that's 'funny ha-ha' btw). |
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strike
Reds Strike The Blues
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Post by strike on Mar 17, 2009 11:05:07 GMT -5
Hi, I was in the SWP for a few years during and after the miners strike and I have to disagree with the previous 2 posts. In my experience the SWP DID talk to real people and took part in many of our pickets, even getting arrested. You guys need to stop being so bloody patronising. A band doesn't pick its audience, and it shouldn't be a case of who is more left wing than who! The Redskins did more than their bit, and they gave me a voice on live television, even if it was censored. Just cut the stereotypical comments about middle class white folk cos it is a stereotype.
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mx
Unionize!
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Post by mx on May 18, 2009 17:53:34 GMT -5
Like Strike I was in the SWP around that time. I knew Chris and Martin pretty well, partly through the party and for other reasons. I shared a flat with Martin's brother Mick for a while . Yes the SWP preached to the converted, but that's hard to avoid whatever message you are trying to get across, and they never held back from getting their "hands mucky" as well. Like many socialists at that time they spent hours on picket lines, with all that involved, shaking collection buckets on street corners, arguing the point at union meetings. The SWP was also crucial in the ANL, where things got more than just "mucky" at times. They made tactical mistakes, sure, and there were more "working class" organisations at the time, but which party do telboyd and gshock think they should have supported? They could have been "political" without aligning themselves too obviously with any particular party, like, say, TRB, the Au Pairs and others, but that wasn't Chris or Martin's way(I never really met the drummer or brass section ).
Going back to the original thread, yes, I personally met the Redskins a number of times and was at a lot of their early gigs well before the album came out (strike - were you at Skegness that year?).
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strike
Reds Strike The Blues
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Post by strike on May 22, 2009 11:37:44 GMT -5
Yes I was at Skegness in 1984, and also shared a house with Mick and Lucy in 1985.
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mx
Unionize!
Posts: 10
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Post by mx on May 26, 2009 17:26:16 GMT -5
Strike - I wasn't clear but I meant Skeggie 1982 (I think)- The Redskins played there that year.
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doc
Peasant Army
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Post by doc on May 27, 2009 17:52:38 GMT -5
First met them about 1982/3, I took photos of them at a rehearsal studio in Willesden for fetaures in Sounds and NME I think. I was also in a couple of bands at the time: Chronic Outbursts (shouty and occasionally melodic punk outfit) and the Anti Social Workers (reggae + overtly political toasting: poorly rehearsed and delivered but a good idea nevertheless: Mad Professor producer) and with those bands did numerous gigs mainly in London and Brighton with Redskins, Newtown Neurotics, Attilla, Benjamin Zephaniah, Seething Wells, Mark Miwurdz, Peter Tosh, Twinkle Bros, Conflict, Crass etc... Had a great time and remember it with fondness. Good to find this website.
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Post by Bazza on May 28, 2009 4:31:23 GMT -5
First met them about 1982/3, I took photos of them at a rehearsal studio in Willesden for fetaures in Sounds and NME I think. I was also in a couple of bands at the time: Chronic Outbursts (shouty and occasionally melodic punk outfit) and the Anti Social Workers (reggae + overtly political toasting: poorly rehearsed and delivered but a good idea nevertheless: Mad Professor producer) and with those bands did numerous gigs mainly in London and Brighton with Redskins, Newtown Neurotics, Attilla, Benjamin Zephaniah, Seething Wells, Mark Miwurdz, Peter Tosh, Twinkle Bros, Conflict, Crass etc... Had a great time and remember it with fondness. Good to find this website. I don't suppose you still have the photos you took of the Redskins? Would be nice to see if you've still got them Doc. As for the Anti Social Workers there was a thread on here awhile back about the band - revolutionrock.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=other&action=display&thread=408 |
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Post by rookley11 on Jun 10, 2009 21:59:41 GMT -5
interviewed them for a fanzine i used to do called Frame in about may of 84, before the pompey poly gig. absolutely terrifying experience for a 17 year old from the IOW with a slightly tenuous grip on my emerging left politics.
i was assisted with my floundering by billy bragg and andy kershaw, who came over, to help me out.
i still have a tape of the interview somewhere , safely under lock and key in new zealand, i think it also has some of the soundcheck on it, as well as a few photos and a copy of the fanzine.
i remember being in the dressing room before and during the gig, and getting my hands on strummer's old black telecaster.
this gig was, i believe, a week or two before the infamous GLC outdoor one, which i went to and have a bootleg tape of.
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Post by chuckwilson on Feb 12, 2010 8:53:13 GMT -5
Used to live next door to Martin and Chris till they got their own places in Harlesden and Willesden Green and was in the same SWP branches as them. Also know Strike.Small world
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Being serious about it, coming along as skinhead band in harringtons and boots was actually a big turnoff for many potential listeners... 
