ey

 

 

 

page eight -

Pe

- by Dan Hilborn
David  Stanner _ first
became involved in the
organization of concerts as
a form of protest last year
when he attended. an anti-
racism conference in New
York. When he returned to
Vancouver it took very little
time for him to establish
himself as one of the
leading figures in the local
Rock Against (RA) concept.
There had already been
several R  A_ Racism
concerts-in Britain by that
time and most of the
concerts featured a mixture
of reggae and punk music.
The organizers of the New
York conference were
hoping that R A Racism
could be ‘as successful in
North America as it was
across. the Atlantic.
Stanner, along with Joey
Shithead from D.O.A.,
organized Vancouver’s first
ever R A Racism concert at
the Smiling Buddha last
year. Three local bands,
D.O.A., Rude Norton and
the Jah Jah Children,
raised enough money to
send D.O.A. to Chicago for
a concert where © twenty
other bands, including the
Patti Smith Band played.
Chicago had been chosen

 

for the festival because of

   

recent political activities
there involving a Nazi party
which had been receiving
growing popularity. Frank
Miller and his Nazi group,
similar to the National
Front in Britain, planned a
march through the Jewish
suburb Skoki in a show of
Nazi strength.

In Britain the R A Racism
organizations have planned
concerts with the co-opera-
tion of the  Anti-Nazi
League featuring such
groups as the Clash and the
Tom Robinson Band.

In Vancouver, however,
there is no formal Rock
Against society and each of
the concerts bearing that
title have been separately
organized. To date D.O.A.
has to be labelled this
town’s premiere anti-racist
band, but like all of the
bands in the city they are
not concerned totally and
only with racism.

“We're interested in
helping out anywhere we
can have an_influence,’’
says Ken Lester, manager
for D.O.A.

The Rock Against con-
certs in the past year
include several R A
Radiation concerts, a few R
A Racism concerts and one
R A Prisons concert which

cS

 

  

The Other Press

Ve

i
le

’) J]

was organized by a group of
prison activists.

One concert, with a
similar taste to the R A
Radiation happenings, was
held just this past weekend
on the anniversary of Three
Mile Island.

Local bands have also
been getting out of town to
play at Rock Against
functions, like the Sub-
humans who went to
Edmonton last -year. The

Mes ee

   

0.0.A

Punks rock against racism

AS (Do

©

list of bands in the
Vancouver area who sup-
port the Rock Against
movement is quite for-
midable.

D.O.A. has. one song
called ‘‘| Hate You’’ which
is anti-racist in tone, Rabid
plays “Trident was
Blasted’’ and the Sub-
humans protest police in
‘Inquisition Day’’. Besides
these, the Devices, The
Explosions, Private School,
The Young Canadians
(K-Tels), Tim Ray and
AKA, Tunnel Canary, The
Tin Twist, the Braineaters,
the Pointed Sticks and
Female Hands have all
played at Rock Against
concerts.

“You don’t harangue

people with long speeches,

the idea of it is just to put
on a_ concert,’’ = said
Stanner.

Stanner doesn’t feel that
Rock Against will become a

March 31, 1980

~

  
   

formal

organization in
Vancouver but he draws a
parallel to the anti-nuclear

protests which have a
similar set-up.

The Coalition for a Non-
Nuclear World will be
sponsoring an _ anti-nuke
benefit on April 4 featuring
Ad Hoc, Pied Pear and
Sukay, a South American
folk group, in preparation
for April 26 International
Day of Anti-Nuclear Protest
when a rally will be held at
Sunset Beach Park.

The Vancouver Rock
Against movement is most-
ly kept going by the contri-
butions of the participating
bands, bands which are
trying to make the
injustices of racism, nu-
clear power, and prisons
known to their listeners. As
Ken Lester says, it’s music
which battles the ‘‘con-
sumerism and _ mindless-
ness of disco.’’

 

from page 11

Five minutes later there
was a_ struggle in the
engine room (where the
engines are) and Kirk’s
shirt was ripped off. Van
shook his head. ‘‘I am
shocked at how little man
has progressed. Oh, there
have been technological
advancements but how
little man has changed.
Improve a machine and you
increase ten times, but
improve man and _= you
advance a thousand-fold!’’

Oh yeah?’’ snarled Dan.
“Take this, you _ big,
overgrown baboon!’’ Hil-
born struck Van_ several
times with little effect. Dan
paused and put his arm ina
friendly fashion -around
Van's shoulders. ‘‘Look, |
hope | wasn’t out of line
about that crack about
being a baboon. I’m sorry |
said that, it’s not fair to the

 

rest of the baboons.’’ By
way of answer Van picked

Hilborn up and threw him
against the wall.

“Give up captain, | have
three times your strength!’’

“Yes,’’ replied Dan,
““But | have a phaser!’

Later, on the bridge,
Kirk was looking especially
pleased with himself.
“Well gentlement, once
again, good triumphs over
evil. | think we have earned
a bit of relaxation. Bones, |
Know a place in town where
the women are so.. .”’

‘I know the place, Jim!’’
replied Worthington.

“Let’s go seel’’ ex-
claimed Campbell hope-
fully.

These are the voyages of
the D.C. Otherpress. None
of the names were changed
to protect the innocent
because there were no
innocent. However, several
bottles of green stuff were
consumed and they all had
a good time. (I thought you
would like to know how it
turned out).

 

 

 

enna ee

 

 

 

s