Whatever Happened To Those Heroes ? Squeeze Rise To The Challenge

Whatever Happened To The Protest Band

Now I am nearly 50 and in my important years of growing up I took to Punk Rock. Great protest bands, the Clash, Stiff Little Fingers, Dead Kennedys, post punk, Rock Against Racism and indie as young people such as myself related to the musical movement that poked fun at the system. I remember a Save the GLC gig at County Hall being halted as the National Front invaded the stage as a clearly shocked singer of the Smiths watches also somewhat bemused. Then you sort of grow up and your principles are destroyed by the promises of Blair as your spirit is tamed and mediocrity and quasi- Toryism becomes acceptable.

I can’t pretend to be au fait with the bands of today although I am kept abreast by my co conspirator on the fanzine, Chris, half my age.

So what am I alluding to. Well the protest band is apparently still alive as Squeeze hijacked the smug Marr show and humiliated Cameron, too dim-witted of course to realise.

So a band from my era are still left to carry the flag of the protest song.

I am utterly proud as Squeeze are the shirt sponsors of my football club Lewes FC, where I help write fanzine. They recently did a fund raiser in Lewes Town Hall before their last tour and we have a very uncorporate tie up with them. Not sure we make much money or what is in it for them but hey ho.

Lewes is funny. It is often mooted in the press as the typical middle class town. In the 13^th Century though the Battle of Lewes was influential in the creation of British democracy and Thomas Paine resided here. Middle Class it is but a stroll down Grange Road, house values £500-850 k at the last election saw the election poster count Green 7 Labour 7 Lib Dem and Tory fat zero.

A very middle class protest it was and let’s face it the concern of Lewesians is not council estates but the invasion of DFL’s….down from Londeners forcing locals out of the town as house prices rocket. But it was heartfelt by Tilbrook and has highlighted an issue of concern and must of pissed off the Tory High Command and that’s what protest bands should do 10/10

Apologies for crap grammar

#squeeze

 

The Great Escape ?

The Great Escape

So is Darren Freeman, a bloke who you just feel despite the results from the off is a great fit, about to jump on a Harley Davidson and fly over the barbed wire into the safety of current status retention? A well trodden path drenched in the past failings of Keehan and Brown, the helmsters (a word I have just invented !) overseeing our previous failings in this department. Equally adorned with the mightiest fight when Ibbo battled with his fiery troops and retained our Conference South status, despite the kitchen sink the least of his worries, being thrown at him.

At the moment I would say and am glad to say, our imminent relegation is not a foregone conclusion. You’d never have thought that a month ago. Yes maybe it looks unlikely, but importantly results show we are finally firing….spluttering is maybe a more succinct definition, that’s what you do when you are dead and buried and signs of life spring forth !?

That is all it is, a fresh sign of life. Let’s not carried away results are beginning to go our way and it maybe just the ‘death throes’ but I don’t think so. I admit I had given up. I argued with other Chris we would stay up when DF appeared but admit to agreeing with my fellow comrades before the Merstham cancellation it looked like we were finished.

I think despite some crap results there is no doubt DF has dramatically improved the team into one that could hold its own but spell bound by the awful run of dreadful results we all gave up. Indeed that run has seen us spiral into a desperate position. I don’t do facts and stats. We are now getting points and I just get the feeling watching DF in interviews he is a tenacious young manager turning around an astonishing mess he inherited through the failings of Brown. Spirit has returned, tentative I know, the dropped shoulders are still for all to see but so, also noticeable, is a new spirit. His methods have been questioned and the number players used, but I am Chris and my passion is football I am not a football manager and whatever method he uses if he gets results is fine with me.

Relegation or not, if DF can provide a finish where we are fighting with a chance of staying up with a few game to go then if we stay up he is a hero and if we get relegated he must be given the close season to get a team for the gloom of Rymans South. If we sink without a trace he has to go, but I am glad to say this does not seem currently to be an issue