As the nationwide campaigns continue to fight against library closures as a result of government “austerity” measures, a number of singers are raising funds to help save Kensal Rise Library, in Brent Park, London. Nick Cave is selling the handwritten lyrics of Where the Wild Roses Grow, whilst Sinead O’Connor, Goldfrapp, Pet Shop Boys, and Depeche Mode are all auctioning signed CD’s.
Singers Support Campaign to Save Libraries
July 10th, 2011 | Posted by in Anti Library Cuts | UK News - (0 Comments)Never Buy the Sun, a polemic against News International tabloids, was written by Billy Bragg on Friday 8th July during the News of the World storm; it was debuted at Garforth Arts Festival on Saturday.
Fukushima Power Plant Antinuclear Songs Proliferate
July 6th, 2011 | Posted by in Asia-Pacific | Environmental Campaigns - (0 Comments)Further to an earlier News item – Radioactivity (A Nuclear Outcry Song for Japan) many more antinuclear songs have been released. Interestingly the songs are finding their widest distribution on internet social networking sites, and are not being much featured by the mainstream media. Some of the songs were written for previous campaigns, but are now again in demand. For example Kiyoshiro Imawano’s reworking of Summertime Blues with new antinuclear lyrics. Some of the newer songs attack the government for a perceived campaign of misinformation and incompetence, for example Kazuyoshi Saito’s It Was Always a Lie.
Kiyoshiro Imawano’s reworking of Summertime Blues:
Kazuyoshi Saito’s It Was Always a Lie:
By Workers’ Toil Alone. A Case of Then and Now!
July 4th, 2011 | Posted by in Anti Cuts & Financiers | UK News - (0 Comments)The song By Workers’ Toil Alone is not news, but it was new to me, and I think that it demonstrates very well the idea of recurring themes for struggles and campaigns, some of which are very topical! For example, from the lyrics:
The general draws his pay check
The lawyer pockets fees
Corporations make their profits
And the banks put on the squeeze.
I received the song from a friend in the form of a (probably) 1950s or 60s postcard published by the TGWU.
Billy Bragg at Exeter 30th June Strike and Demonstration
July 3rd, 2011 | Posted by in Anti Cuts & Financiers | Billy Bragg | UK News - (0 Comments)Billy Bragg joined the demonstration in Exeter against public sector cuts, and performed Tomorrow’s Gonna be a Better Day. Protests, demonstrations, and strikes by some public sector unions happened across the U.K.