The Fascist Groove Thing by Hugh Hodges

Author:Hugh Hodges
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: PM Press

PART SEVEN

Now Is the Time for an Iron Hand

In 1985, Annajoy David (vice president of Youth CND), Paul Weller (an active supporter of Youth CND), and Billy Bragg (an active supporter of youth in general—he’d just finished his Jobs for Youth tour) got together and created Red Wedge. The idea, as Billy Bragg put it, was to “stimulate debate amongst young people about whether or not it was worth voting for Labour at the next election.”1 Paul Weller was more blunt about it: “We wanted the Tories out and a socialist government in.”2 In addition to Weller and Bragg, the musicians involved in staging concerts and day events were, many of them, this book’s usual suspects: Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt of Everything but the Girl, Jerry Dammers of the Specials, Tom Robinson, Heaven 17, Madness, and the other members of Paul Weller’s Style Council. But once the ball got rolling many others became involved too, including Elvis Costello, Prefab Sprout, Sade, and Bananarama. Tracey Thorn recalls, “Anyone who’d done a benefit gig was rounded up.”3 The Blow Monkeys were optimistic about what they could collectively accomplish, warning Thatcher:

You know that power comes from unity

C’mon!

We’re gonna celebrate

’Cause this party’s overdue

It’s the day after you.

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