Rock Against Sexism
Fuck me the world was getting fucking serious and it was all starting to sound like Animal Farm at the start of 1979.
Someone somewhere had the bright idea that bands that had been vetted for racism were to be further vetted for sexism and be invited to sign an anti-sexist contract before a gig! Horror of horrors a band, The Fabulous Poodles, had played an anti-racism gig but some of their songs may have offended women! It was serious stuff.
At conferences, motions were passed, and on and on it fucking went in its own ludicrous way. Unsurprisingly this attempt to find the most boring right-on bands in the universe failed and Rock Against Sexism collapsed in debt. True to form they blamed Polytechnic Student Unions for charging too much for gigs and they suggested forcing them to charge future anti-sexist gigs less. Right on comrade!
Things were so complicated. Hilariously all those right on RAR and RAS boys and girls gigs with black reggae groups hit a bit of a stumbling block when it was realised that Rastafarian beliefs treat women with what could be regarded as contempt. For instance, a menstruating woman is regarded as sick, must be kept out of sight, and is not allowed to contaminate the rasta man’s food by cooking it. A woman’s body must be covered at all times and “women who have abortions are using their bodies for “internal cemeteries” (Boy Looked At Johnny P90. Burchill & Parsons)
“I’m more opposed to The National Abortion Campaign than I am to the National Front.” was the quote from Black Slate bassist Elroy. Nice going Elroy! And as the article above shows, Aswad didn’t exactly cover themselves in glory in their explanations between rastafarianism and sexism.
Things were so complicated. What bands could be used to give the message and let’s face it by the time they’d one their selection process it was likely to be a grim lineup featuring errr Carol Grimes who seems to be a very kind and well-meaning lady/activist.
There’s no point us putting on Judas Priest when they strut around with their bollocks hanging out. [On Motorhead…] neither would want the other. [On Adam & The Antz…] We finally decided it would be alienating for us to put them on, so we just did an interview with them in Temporary Hoarding instead. [Punk77 – and what a witch hunt that was!]
The Unwanted 🙂
When it came down to it RAR and RAS chose the bands they liked pure and simple:
The thing is RAR is trying to get involved with people we’re all into and interested in, instead of doing things we just feel we ought to be doing…What it comes down to is RAR has certain predilections in terms of music, and its therefore certain bands that are going to get used. (NME 24.3.79)
Wow, that was militant! In other words, through their censorship they were to choose what we were to hear. There were plans for a RAR record label. Just imagine the artistic freedom that would have been there.
The truth of the matter is that the band Motorhead was totally nonracist and ironically was the greatest supporter of Girlschool the only all-female hard rock band around. Judas Priest wanted to play an anti-racist benefit as did Blondie but ‘oh no!’ coz they weren’t politically sound.
It was all getting complicated eh? While I’ve taken the mickey I appreciate that in music, then and now, (2024) the sexism in music is horrific. I just disagreed with the methods they suggested above.
TalkPunk
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