time for change once more

So goodbye 2010 you were a tome of badness! Well, you weren't really but politically you were redundant.

I wrote my first fanzine in 1984 and had pieces in it about capitalism being the wrong choice for the people. 26 years and a lot of mileage later we should be recreating those zines of yesteryear. We need a different slant to the anti-gang though. We now need to be the pro-gang. Don't be anti-state, be PRO change. Reclaim our world and reclaim our words.

With that in mind here's my new year revolutions

1) Keep listening to uplifting music. It may only need three chords, sometimes a lot less but music has the power to do so much more than entertain. Entertainment is good, it's a start. We can use our music to spread knowledge and inspiration.

2) Support local business. Whether you are anarchist, capitalist or a pain in the tits you use money at some stage. This can pay rent, keep you warm or whatever but it is a chain we are cogs in. You can be a good cog and try and grease that chain.

Anytime you think of something that you feel would be a shame if it ceased then support it. In Dublin it was Road records and local shops. Let's support those worth supporting.

3) All talk is cheap, talk Politics! Don't be afraid to voice a reasoned opinion. let's get dialogue going again. How can we get out of this mess? How can we assist each other through this (see point 2). Let's have debates, let's have fun, let's be optimistic and let's DO!

4) Don't rely on elected individuals. Whilst I have no doubt that most people believe they can change the world, those that feel elections are the only avenue are misleading the rest. We can work within our communities to affect change. Sure, politicians can enforce decisions that effect us all but lets start local and in the meantime try and get those who might assist the people to be the ones in power.

5) Communities are the key. That could be punk rock community, residents community or work community we can work together to make our surroundings better. Help your trade union, help your local charity, help your neighbour. BE!


6) This one I have given a lot of thought to, let's help our neighbours out. Invite them in for that cup of tea, car pool, food pool, work together. A group of parents hang out? why not swop babysitting sessions. Gonna go out for a meal? why not dine in and invite your friends. Organise some pot lucks (preferably vegan). Let's work together and be in it for EACH other.


7) Henry sang it, I've said it but the words ring true Don't talk about it, DO IT
With that in mind my pledge for this year. Remember it is not about what we are against anymore, it is about what we are FOR

Support these

Volunteer - Seomra Spraoi
Join - Dublin Food Co-op
Read and subscribe - DIG BMX mag ,
Maximum Rock'n'Roll fanzine , Razorcake fanzine ,
New Internationalist magazine
Support thumped.com , moshspace.com

Make your own pledge and let's change this damn world

Saturday afternoon 2011

"My soul for the sole of your shoe" -

Being raised as a a Catholic in a completely different Ireland to 21st Century those words had such an effect on a 14 year old aspiring punk rocker from Dublin. My older brothers introduced me to music. Their weekends consisted of bringing home the latest vinyl from Advance records and pounding our stereo speakers with sounds from the Sex Pistols, Clash, The Ruts and Ian Dury. Mine was spent looking up to them. After a while it was less about pink socks and bondage trousers and more about the words. The Clash played a huge part in this but without question it was Crass that upped the levy. The questions were flying thick and thin. You want politics, we got them in Ireland. Britain had the Miners Strike we had a hunger strike!! Ten Men Died after deciding it was better NOT to eat food than wear a prison uniform.

My Dad had a name for me and my friends, the Saturday afternoon gang. Our Saturdays consisted of leafletting or protesting whatever cause was looking for support. Want to organise a boycott? Just call us in. This was the case for a number of years and when Flux started questioning our food consumption it just made sense not to eat meat. Chumbawamba sent on tapes and with them came information about vivisection and cruelty to animals. Our choice was made for us. Meat was up there with Thatcher and Reagan. Evil!!!


Our community was one of letter writing penpals. Soaped stamps and communication was key. Fanzines reprinted whatever leaflets were left over. "Wanna help with Martin Foran being released from prison?" Sure thing. "Do you agree with No More Censorhip" Definitely. "How about Merrell Dow locating to Ireland" No way. As for Apartheid, boycott them all and spread the gospel through our photocopied publications.

Our 50 copies was your 5000 facebook friends!!!

The next step was to get a band together to supplement the words. We questioned everything. Every decision was political. All politics is local, all local activity scrutinised. Our bands played gigs that people could afford to attend, we then spread the wings to try and get bands to come to our country. We used our community to get these bands and the community spread the word like wildfire. We then were able to give these bands some food, all vegetarian.

After a few years of no nestle, coca cola or unilever products it just seeemed logical to take the next step. Remove all dairy. the Smiths made vegetarianism ok with their meat means murder lp. Recent terrestial TV station, Channel 4, showed a powerful tv programme about meat production. Sure it isn't it the same for Dairy. Still the same cycle of torture and dominance. And so it continued. Vegan for life!!!

And then the tories were kicked out, peace came to our country, Saturday afternoons moved to football, lots of gigs happened, lots of bands started travelling and it became the norm. We still tried to kick against the pricks but they were made of rubber. In Ireland we had a celtic Tiger. A lot more people got a lot more disposable income but the gap between rich and poor kept increasing. The celtic tiger got septic whilst our mortgages all kicked in. Meat still means murder, dairy still means torture and maybe, just maybe our Saturday afternoons will liven up once more now that we are penniless.

allo allo what's going on here

allo darlin' s/t fortuna pop

For those of us who love sun this is the equivalent of a dream desert island. Blue skies and seas, glorious days and not a trouble in the world. Every time I listen to allo darlin I close my eyes and dream. Dream of a better place where we don't kill each other for food or pleasure.

I remember a time that seems like a world away. An era where there didn't seem to be any recession. ireland had come from a time when all your school mates left the country for work. It was adjusting to a life where people were now choosing to stay in the country. My memories of that time are one of looking to music for everything. It gave me politics, it gave me sense and it gave me Sarah records. Even mentioning the bands Talulah Gosh and Heavenly bring a nostalgic smile to my face. Allo Darlin' bring me back to that life.

This is the bands debut album and it reeks of intelligence. Beautiful songs that are talking to me, the listener. This is not a band that will spend it's time hiding backstage. They will be out there with us, speaking to us, listening to and communicating with us. What I'm trying to say to you is that I love this album, I love this band and I think if you have a hankering towards a pop tune you will too as you listen to music for all the right reasons

Sing along now
"We do it, because we love it, and I'm here, because I love you"

Remember the 7"

I have finally had a bit of time to get up and down to the record player every few minutes. I've acquired some 7"'s recently and it has been so refreshing listening in.

For some reason they have made me get my Montana Pete 7"s out and even further by having a refreshing listen to Minutemen. I can never get tired of listening to the Minutemen. Anyway back to those 7"s

Airfix Kits
FlexTime 7"/ Playing Both Sides 7" (Deranged Records / Dirtnap Records)
Minutemen kick Big Flame up the Dawson
(I love yr) 80s aesthetic, 21 Hot Knives are the perfect supplement to Flex Time. Short snappy songs on a 7" record with a jangly guitar sound. It's slightly off time and is a throwback to what i liked most in the 80's. I'd love to see their record collection cos I want what these listen to. The other 7" is playing both sides and Leaving produces more of the same. Allans scotish vocals reminds of a time when whirling pig dervish played the lead in my collection. I can't get enough of this stuff.


And then I get a 7" by Sauna Youth. There is very little detail on the band and the 7" is pretty minimal in detail. However thanks to the internet I can read all about them. it's not reading I wanna do it's listen to these 3 songs. Kind of like a more hardcore version of Airfix Kits. It has that quirky sound but with Minor Threat as the condiment. Again no info on the 7" but 4 great songs can be explained by huxleyboon@gmail.com if you want.

Stop Climate Chaos

Georgios Altinitzis from the ITUC spoke on this subject. His main thrust was that this is the one major issue facing us all over the next few years. As members of the human race it is imperative on us to act. As members of a Trade Union we have to represent workers rights so to this end the ITUC are working on proposing a “Just Transition” which will allow a move to ‘green’ jobs and aid developing the green economy. An example was given from the floor about cleaners who loose their jobs when recycling is made mandatory. Georgios was quick to point out that this was not a result of trying to implement climate change but work practice change. Recycling is different to cutting carbon emissions and it is being used as a way of implementing cuts, hence the need for a Just Transition. Patricia McKeon from Unite spoke about how their union have been evaluating all they do from a carbon emissions point of view and encouraged other unions to set up working groups that will detail ways of reducing their carbon footprint.
Internationally: ITUC recently passed a resolution on combating climate change where it calls for a reduction of emissions of 40% by developed countries by 2020.
Nationally: ICTU are setting up a working group to look at the Climate Change issue
Colin Roche from Stop Climate Chaos gave a talk on their work to date. 25 million climate refugees anticipated over the next decade due to rising sea levels. There will be a bill going to Govt soon on climate law that the group have been actively pursuing. They have also been busy lobbying politicians to their cause and have received 70 signatories across the political spectrum to a climate commitment. Stop Climate Chaos is a conglomeration of 30 organisations from Civil Society with no union endorsement. This meeting was a first step towards changing that and it was mooted that if the Just Transition was put on to the agenda that unions could then be persuaded to join in.

Trade Union Friends Of Palestine

Mags O’Brien, from SIPTU gave a presentation on the Irish delegation that recently visited Palestine. Again she detailed stories of untold hardship being impressed on people. Mags showed pictures of deserted streets which are no go areas that contrasted greatly with the bustling activity on the streets of illegal settlements. She also spoke about the wall that Israel are building to shield itself off from the Gaza strip. This cuts through peoples gardens and rites of passage and is a massive structure being built against the wishes of the international community right around the Gaza Strip.
The BDS Campaign of Boycott, divestment and Sanctions was supported. Mags stated that Israel is an Apartheid State like South Africa once was and Sanctions and boycott have been called from Palestinian Unions in an effort to force Israel into a settlement. ICTU support this stance. There is a boycott of Israelis goods and of cultural activities. Artists, like Leonard Cohen, who have played Israel are being boycotted in a effort to stop them from going there. 150 artists from Ireland have signed up to a campaign pledging they will not travel to Israel to promote their music.

International Trade Union Confederation

ITUC
International Trade Union Confederation held their 2nd World Congress in June this year. Owen Tudor who is head of European Union and International relations of the TUC UK attended and gave a rundown on how the ITUC works. 13 Resolutions were passed on major issues such as Climate Change, Globalisation, gender equality, Peace, Israel and migrant workers. World Day for decent Work is taking place on October 7 and ITUC is the driving force behind this