graham
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There is no authority but yourself
Posts: 208
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Post by graham on Apr 3, 2006 22:06:06 GMT
I went through a period between 1984 and 1986 where we travelled up to London very frequently for gigs, demos, etc, and for some reason always seemed to end up at a Conflict gig. Indeed once we all went up to greenwich for some punks picnic affair and I got outrageously pissed, to a 'havn't got a clue where I am or whats going on' degree, when I came to my senses (sort of), well bugger me, there I was at a Conflict gig yet again, at Woolwich polytechnic, and I didn't even know they were playing in London that day. Or how I came to be at the gig... On one occasion Rick prevost and I hitched up to Leeds to visit Chumbawamba, and bloody hell, there we were yet again at a Conflict gig that night at Leeds University. Colin Conflict was wearing his 'Reagun's Bombed Libya' teeshirt, which was kind of stating the obvious www.gb0063551.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/anarchopunk/original/conflict.jpg .. I must have seen them about 20 times during that period. A couple of years later, when Conflict gigs had become very infrequent, I happened to pop round Bill Ballard's flat in Milton Road, and all the punks were round there putting on their big mohicans and best badges and leathers for a big night out in London... "Who's playing?" says I, some punk replied in reverential tones, "Conflict! its a real big event! Why don't you come along?", "Oh no thanks, I don't think I'll bother"... I still recall the shaking heads and looks I got that said "this guy obviously doesn't know who Conflict are, or what an important event it is when they play...
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Post by Billyb on Sept 20, 2007 10:11:35 GMT
Hi Graham, I was with you when we all went to the Anarchist picnic in Greenwich park in '85 and then on to see Conflict at Woolwich poly- that was the first time I ever saw them and I was well impressed! Oz, Sam and I ended up staying, for a couple of days, in a squat on the Loughborough estate in Brixton- with the nutters we'd met at the picnic & who'd gone to the gig with us.
Since then, I've seen Conflict loads of times and they're allright!
You told me you didn't like them because you got punched by a skinhead at a Conflict & Flux gig , in the early 80's, after Colin had been mouthing off! That would probably have put me off them as well! Bill
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Post by weeble on Sept 22, 2007 1:57:33 GMT
Do you know, its quite strange? I, too, had a similar experience! I was about 10, and my mum said,"can you go over the shop for some milk and coal?". So i took a £1 note and went to York Road market, and before i knew it, i woke up at a "Conflict" gig!!
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Post by Billyb on Sept 22, 2007 10:57:10 GMT
I got run over by a bus but an ambulance was swiftly at the scene. I assumed they were taking me to the hospital but next thing I knew.... would you Adam & Eeeve it! I was at a bleeding CONFLICT gig!!!
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Post by Billyb on Nov 27, 2007 20:41:15 GMT
Hi Graham, it was great to bump into you at that Conflict gig on Saturday!
(I know, I know - you weren't there to see THEM!)
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graham
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There is no authority but yourself
Posts: 208
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Post by graham on Dec 5, 2007 23:48:40 GMT
Hi Graham, I was with you when we all went to the Anarchist picnic in Greenwich park in '85 and then on to see Conflict at Woolwich poly- that was the first time I ever saw them and I was well impressed! Oz, Sam and I ended up staying, for a couple of days, in a squat on the Loughborough estate in Brixton- with the nutters we'd met at the picnic & who'd gone to the gig with us. Since then, I've seen Conflict loads of times and they're allright! You told me you didn't like them because you got punched by a skinhead at a Conflict & Flux gig , in the early 80's, after Colin had been mouthing off! That would probably have put me off them as well! Bill That was a totally mad weekend! Were you on that bus after the Conflict gig with those mental punks from Brixton who were having a go at the casuals who were also on the bus? I remember Rick prevost patted their big alsation (who would no doubt 'rearrange you with no provocation') and this bloke said, "Oi, don't touch the dog, we're from Brixton, know what i mean?" To this day I'm not sure that i did... Then it all got a bit unruly on the bus and so the driver drove into the yard of the nearest police station and woudn't leave until things had calmed down. Me and Rick wandered off at that point as these geezers were getting so lairy and aggresive we just didn't want to be around them, even though we didn't have a clue where we were. We walked for miles until we reached this party I knew about, we went in, and they were there as well (the lairy punks, not Conflict this time...). The next day some of us made our way to the Ambulance Station squat in the Old Kent road where there was some kind of squatted street festival going on, an din the evening went to yet another squatted party in Gillespie Road near the Arsenal football ground... I don' know where we used to find the energy...
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graham
Full Member
There is no authority but yourself
Posts: 208
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Post by graham on Dec 5, 2007 23:50:48 GMT
Hi Graham, it was great to bump into you at that Conflict gig on Saturday! (I know, I know - you weren't there to see THEM!) Yeah I did kind of think that 'ending up at Conlict gigs' phase of my life was over... But never say never, as they say. And I thought Zounds and Flux were plaing but got the wrong day...
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filf
Full Member
Posts: 206
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Post by filf on Dec 7, 2007 11:57:56 GMT
Were any of you guys at The Triad in Bishops Stortford, i think Flux Headlined and Conflict supported, anyway, when Conflict came on all the skins started asking the punks to get up and dance. And, suprise, suprise, when they did the skins beat the living snot outta them. Seem to remember Colin getting a beating himself after the gig cos he wanted the skins to stop f****ing thier gigs up. The Triad on a sunday was a top night, had some good laughs there.
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graham
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There is no authority but yourself
Posts: 208
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Post by graham on Dec 7, 2007 16:31:20 GMT
Were any of you guys at The Triad in Bishops Stortford, i think Flux Headlined and Conflict supported, anyway, when Conflict came on all the skins started asking the punks to get up and dance. And, suprise, suprise, when they did the skins beat the living snot outta them. Seem to remember Colin getting a beating himself after the gig cos he wanted the skins to stop f****ing thier gigs up. The Triad on a sunday was a top night, had some good laughs there. Thats pretty much what happened at the gig i was at, which was at teh Triad if I remember correctly. Most of us were there to see Flux, Conflict were the support band and pretty much an unknown quantity at the time, and had brought along this busload of Eltham skins wearing National Front regalia. No-one danced to Conflict, mainly cos no-one knew there songs so Colin made some made some remarks onstage about the skins being the true fans of the bands and all the anarcho-punks could f**k off. When Flux came on the skins subsequently laid into the audience. So well done Colin, ever the highly responsible spokesman for the band with total regard for the consequences... And pretty much set the classic Conflict gig pattern for winding up an audience before sending them out onto the streets to attack coppers/burger vans/rich bastards, etc, etc so that all these impressionable young drunk punks would be thrown into the front line whilst Col was backstage relaxing after the gig. Thats my take on it anyway. At least Crass never pushed their audience into situations they weren't prepared to deal with.
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Post by Billyb on Dec 9, 2007 23:46:36 GMT
"That was a totally mad weekend! Were you on that bus after the Conflict gig with those mental punks from Brixton?"
Hello Graham- you haven't posted on here for ages!
Yes I was- that's the weekend I was talking about and we did all end up at that party afterwards, as well! It was at the Anarchist Bookshop (I think!) Those punks from Brixton, we were with, were definitely "mental" but you should have seen the state of the place they were living in and the area it was in! (Unbelievably rough!) I think it partially goes to explain why they were like that...
Yeah, I think you'd have preferred the second day of the Feeding of the 5000 gig- Zounds were good but- Flux of Pink Indians were absolutely Amazing! That's the first time I've ever seen them and I thought they were great! Are you still in touch with them? If they do any more gigs I''ll definitely go if I can...
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filf
Full Member
Posts: 206
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Post by filf on Dec 10, 2007 7:49:27 GMT
I think you're spot on Graham. Not that i say this with any knowledge, but Conflict never really worked for me. I chatted to Colin a coupla times and he seemed ok, but the whole Skins thing was really his doing and wasnt welcome at any venue, especially when Flux were playing. To this day, i still rate Flux as one of the best. Top blokes and great material. And anyone who can call themselves "Colsk the terrible" is gonna be on a winner!
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Post by Billyb on Dec 11, 2007 0:10:39 GMT
No mate, it's not like that at all... NF- type skinheads probably did turn up at Conflict gigs in the early 80s- misunderstanding it & looking for somewhere to go... But Conflict are still going now and one of their gigs is one of the last places you'd find one!
Do you remember a band called U.K Decay? Loads of skinheads used to go to their gigs, back in the day, because they misinterpreted the lyrics of one of their singles- "For My Country"- but when they got to the gigs; they found out that U.K Decay's drummer was black!
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gary
Junior Member
Posts: 69
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Post by gary on Dec 11, 2007 6:24:32 GMT
UK Decay made a couple of great singles. I saw them supporting the Dead Kennedys at the Music Machine. Talking of Crass, I actually heard one of their songs played on XFM the other day! The Charlatans were playing their favourite records and Tim Burgess said that Crass was one of the first bands that he was into, and he played Bata Motel.
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Post by Billyb on Jan 3, 2008 21:00:57 GMT
Yeah nice- that's a well good song from a Great album! I really like the lyrics of the track- "Where next Columbus?"- they're so clever... I like the way it dismisses the precepts of about half a dozen western philosophies in just a few casual lines... Class.
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Post by purplenasty77 on Mar 2, 2008 16:06:44 GMT
i found a torrent sharing site called ; punkoiska ; you can get that crass film on it !
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