Tright here’s no higher time than now for a documentary on fashionable music’s position within the struggle towards racism and fascism. And in true punk spirit, this lo-fi indie packs in a whole lot of historical past and righteous ardour for not a lot price range – even when, to be brutally trustworthy, its core narrative is a really minor a part of that historical past, centred on a bunch of ageing Conflict followers.
The Conflict are very a lot the touchstone right here. Motivated by musicians similar to Eric Clapton echoing the Nationwide Entrance’s racist and anti-immigrant sentiments, Joe Strummer and co turned key gamers within the Rock Towards Racism motion within the late 70s, alongside acts together with Metal Pulse, Tom Robinson and Aswad. (The 2020 doc White Riot lays out the story in additional element.) Whereas some punk bands, such because the Intercourse Pistols, flirted with Nazi imagery, the Conflict drew a line within the sand and stood towards fascism and racism, as numerous musicians, writers and commentators from again within the day level out.
That line existed earlier than the Conflict (there’s an informative detour to the late-50s Stars Marketing campaign for Interracial Friendship, which included the likes of Cleo Laine, John Dankworth and Lonnie Donegan), and it existed elsewhere after, carried by way of the Eighties by the likes of Billy Bragg, the Levellers and the Males They Couldn’t Hold – lots of whom are interviewees right here. There’s additionally a fast lesson on how Belfast punk, and Terri Hooley’s Good Vibrations report store and label particularly, minimize throughout the political and sectarian divides of Seventies Northern Eire.
In the present day, after all, the struggle wants combating greater than ever, within the period of resurgent far-right politics, poisonous social media, Brexit and Donald Trump (whose supporters have included John Lydon), to not point out a reluctance on the a part of some musicians to get overtly political and take a stand on such points. For these unfamiliar with the historical past, this can be a helpful primer, and for probably the most half the story is instructed by way of a dense however energetic collage of interviews, archive clips, stills and lyrics, typically all on the similar time. There’s a scrapbook-like aesthetic of break up screens and graphics that’s pleasing to the attention and packs in a whole lot of data.
The place the movie falls down considerably is in its latter phases, when these keepers of the Conflict flame take motion towards the way in which their heroes are being hijacked by, er, beginning a social media group for “Conflict followers towards the precise” – and holding a number of small live shows that includes comparatively obscure bands and audio system, whose most recognisable names are Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell. Regardless of some makes an attempt to convey issues updated with a fleeting point out of grime music, these comparatively minor actions, largely led by a gaggle of white males of their 60s and 70s, are hardly on the reducing fringe of right now’s activism. There’s a definite impression of using on the coattails of bigger historic currents, however there’s little question their hearts are in the precise place, or that their message continues to be price placing on the market. In the case of solidarity and resistance, these previous punks can nonetheless train right now’s youth or factor or two.
