One of my discoveries of this year was that punk in it’s raw challenging pure form is still very much alive and well and ready to do battle with the Status Quo (not the band, they’ve been through enough) in 2018.
“My blood brother is an immigrant, a beautiful immigrant, my God Mother’s Freddie Mercury, a Nigerian Mother of Three”
Idles put out one of the most visceral and exciting records of the year with their Joy As An Act Of Resistance album in September. Paving the way between early hit Well Done and the release of their masterpiece of ‘topical politics wrapped around a musical brick’ that was the chanty anti-fascist anthem, Danny Nedlelko.
“My best friend is a citizen, he’s strong, he’s earnest he’s innocent, my blood brother is Malala, A Polish butcher he’s Mo Farah”
As ideas go, “We are all one”, “All people are equal”, “Everyone is from somewhere”, “We are a brotherhood of Man”, “It’s a round frikkin’ planet” (however you phrase it) it’s a pretty simple one.
Why then, does it feel so controversial in 2018? Look around…
“He’s made of bones, he’s made of blood, he’s made of flesh, he’s made of love, he’s made of you, he’s made of me, unity!”
In a scene that features bands like Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes, Dream Wife, Frank Turner and Louise Distras it’s entirely fitting.
Fitting that Idles should unite a young, positive, and yet angry youth. A youth ready to rage at the world we are handing to them with it’s caveats and broken ideals.
If this generations third act structure is to solve the mess we present to them as ‘just the way it is’ with no compromise on the basics of human rights and human wrongs. Then this song could play over the credits of that particular story line.
Once these bright young things have got it all figured out and turn to the future with the petty and damaging issues of today’s world resolved. We’ll acknowledge it was us who let torch pass fall in the tall grass.
“Fear leads to panic, panic leads to pain, pain leads to anger, anger leads to hate, yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah, Danny Nedelko”
Happy New Year!
Steve For The Deaf 