We’d been planning this for a long, long time to build a P.A. on a trailer, attached to a bike that could be taken throughout the streets of London. A detailed guide on how it was built will be posted soon.The day started early. Fruitbag began cycling the giant tricycle from our rehearsal space in Tottenham to central London at 7am! Fruitbag has never seen 7am before, he didn’t like it. Our wonderful friends at Enterprise Studios let us put it all together there so we swiftly attached the trailer and the speakers etc. We wrapped the banner Gary had made us around it to make sure nothing fell off. This was looking great and we were all very excited. We pushed it through the busy streets to Trafalgar Square. The turnout was great, no need to worry about numbers at all. We set up and started playing and immediatey a good crowd gathered round us. Our new friend Baraka was to be the cyclist for the day. We were loud and people were dancing in the square, it was a beautiful sight. Some of the SWP members came over and started shouting at us to turn it down so everyone could hear the speeches. We argued back that we have nothing against socialists, but this is an anti war march, not a pro socialist march and we have as much a right as anyone to be here. The socialists do not own the movement and they can not control it, only the people can and the people want to dance. The swollen crowd starting singing ’The Sound Of Revolt’ at the top of their lungs til the SWP members sheepishly realised they woud not be listened to and walked off. Once again, nothing against socialists, but this is an anti war march, not pro socialist march. We played a small set, got people hyped up and then had a break for cans and ciggy’s. The march got moving a few hours late and people were enough happy to have a sound system there- helping us push it, dancing in the street, singing along- it was a very moving sight. We (repeatedly) played ’The Sound Of Revolt’, ’Blood On My Hands’, ’Torch Guantanamo Bay’, ’The Streets Are Ours’, ’Call To Arms’ and a new tune we made up on the spot that easily got the best reaction- ’Power To The People’. We stopped outside Parliament and screamed at them to listen to us, that we the people demand to be a peaceful nation and to have politics about making the world a better place, not about making money. It was very empowering and we made a lot of noise. At Parliament Square we joined up with Rhythms Of Resistance (anarchist samba band) and played ’The Streets Are Ours’ in front of Brian Haw’s display. We marched round the square playing a few more tunes until the 3rd and final car battery gave up on us and died. A massively successful day in all. Johnny and Jim did their standard ducking out of load out and left the rest of us to push the system back to Enterprise Studios. We loaded it all down and, absolutely knackered, went and did an interview with Total Rock Radio, giving them the heads up on what had happened.Up til that point we were contemplating whether to go and play a squat party or not, then it became clear we all needed to sleep. Badly. Thanks list: Rob The Rub, Baraka, Christina, Gary, Enterprise Studio & the new breed peace movement.If you have any photos/ video, please send it to us!!
from the BBC NEWS website:
"Muffled reggae beats waft through the crowd from a tricycle pulling a small speaker and mixing desk.
The music mingles with the sound of the fountains, the shouts of vendors hawking placards, and the voices of speakers condemning the war from a stage at the foot of Nelson's Column."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lis1B93rHXE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnKJy34yHQc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiK0MIjqZDk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgxY1JNWiNM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oFZPfamBQY
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