AUSTRALIAN LEFT REVIEW 19

• Paul Weller, Jimmy Sommerville, Sarah-Jane Morris, Billy Bragg and Junior: Slumping for the Labour Parly, STRIKING A CHORD: Rock and Politics in the Eighties

artificial product of scheming tune in. drop out". By the early David Rowe capitalists. In between is a chaotic ’seventies, things had changed. While swirl of intermediate positions which I rock ideology nominally retained its will attempt to negotiate. In this article outsider status, the demise of both ock music, tike space, is big. I will focus on three current issues in rock hippiedom and full employment Very big. It has a huge rock concerning Live Aid, tobacco led to a period of "me generation” R audience, is extremely (and other) sponsorship and Red introspection and a concentration on culturally pervasive and is serviced by Wedge’s political mobilisation of musical and technological virtuosity. a vast leisure industry. Like that other young people. Until punk camc along. Once great arena of popular culture, sport, First, however, a brief again, rock was avowedly subversive, rock has provoked controversy over background.1 Rock is a child of the shocking and overtly political. Safety the relationship between commerce ’sixties. It is the product of a meeting pins, bondage gear, swastikas, tom and culture. between the musical forms which had clothing, spiky haircuts, swearing on been developed in the Yifties with the TV, and songs of urban deprivation all Put simply, there are two sensibilities which emerged within caused a new moral panic.2 But punk polarised positions on rock. At one post-war “baby boom" youth. Rock also joined the roll of faded rock styles end of the spectrum of opinion, rock is was the generation gap, the anti-war and was replaced in public viewed as dissenting, liberatory and movement, the sex and drugs push coasciousness by fads and fashions the authentic voice of contemporary into music. Alternately, it advocated variously described as “new wave”, youth. At the other end, it is regarded direct political protest and the indirect “new romanticism" and “new pop”. as being passive, repressive and the challenge of hedonism — “turn ori. Here there was an emphasis on smart 20 AUSTRALIAN LEFT .REVIEW

clothes and “easy listening” music. It “cannot be taken seriously as a outside, and a phenomenon (Live Aid) appeared that rock had again been co­ response to the crisis of famine in which was principally a televisual opted by the industry. However, the Africa, especially in Ethiopia", while event in which the members of the live burst of idealism which accompanied W. F. Buckley in the US found the audience were screen extras rather Live Aid and some forceful cause “philanthropic in design” but than protagonists. If we compare like expressions of leftist sentiments in could not overcome his aesthetic more strictly with like, the concerts for rock music suggest aht the pendulum revulsion and his concern as to Bangladesh in 1971 set up by George is swinging back to a less apolitical, whether “the capitulation of the Harrison were regarded by the amoral and acquisitive rock. But these middle-aged suggests a cultural organisers of Live Aid as points to how signs may be only mirages or smoke­ insecurity”. On the left, Greil Marcus not to run a relief campaign. Where screens. We can properly assess them in the US characterised Live Aid as the former was well meaning but only by looking beyond conventional “an enormous orgy of self-satisfaction, poorly administered, the latter was rock hyperbole and, in the process, self-congratulation" while Australian businesslike and tightly organised. establish some of the ways in which Shaun Kenaelly argues that Live Aid George Harrison’s guru was no match rock is simultaneously a product of the was: for Bob GeldoPs millionaire rock wider society and an important promoter, Harvey Goldsmith, in influence on the shape of that society, A miserable appeal to a generalised bringing home the charity bacon. that society. “common humanity" [which] ensures that Live Aid revealed two major no difficult questions are going to be It is now almost two years since a asked. The sheer conformism of the qualities of contemporary rock global audience of around 1.5 billion sentiments shout aloud ... 3 culture. First, the sheer size of its people from over 100 countries constituency indicates that, when (almost twice the 1984 L.A. Olympics It is rather difficult to adjudicate focussed, it is a very potent social audience) watched Mick Jagger, Bob between such disparate views. force. Second, in the ’eighties, it is Dylan, Madonna, David Bowie, Paul However, if we consider Live Aid’s apparent that rock is rather more McCartney, Sting, etc. all perform on historical precedents, our perspective respectable than in previous decades behalf of Live Aid, raising over US$40 improves. Comparisons were made and is much less the voice of a million in the process for African between Live Aid and Woodstock in generation or movement than a famine relief. “Saint Bob” Geldof, the the euphoria of the moment. Yet, on fragmented soundtrack of contemp­ organiser, is now a secular Sir Bob, reflection, it is apparent just how much orary events. By way of example, it is while various documentaries and news the social climate has changed in the clear that The Who’s “My Generation” reports have shown relief getting to expressed the generalised feelings of some needy areas and struggling to ’sixties youth. In the late ’seventies, the reach others, crops regenerating after punk band Generation X sang “Your rain, and also continued famine in Most newspaper coverage Generation” as a riposte to what it saw war-ravaged northern Sudan. Aid for was unabashedly well- as the indulgence of boring old hippie Africa has been a mixture of sucess farts. After Live Aid's success in and failure — as we would expect — disposed towards Live Aid, tapping into a diverse audience with and reactions to it have been similarly with an oft-expressed a considerable age span, the varied. Responses to it tend to have appropriate song might be “Whose fallen into two categories. First, there pleasant surprise that the Generation?" is the celebration of the whole affair, egoistic rock music Yet it would be misleading to in particular, its communality and industry had done deny that overt, youth-focussed philanthropy. When a hard-nosed dissent has disappeared completely rock entrepreneur like Bill Graham something altruistic for a from the face of rock. But, again, it is describes Live Aid as the rock music change. much more systematic and hard- industry’s “finest hour. By far” and a headed than in the flower-power era razor-penned critic like Julie Burchill which is conventionally held to be the acts as a self-confessed “unpaid high point of rock’s social impact. It publicist for Mr. Geldof’, then the sixteen years that separate the two has coalesced around a recent forces in favour of Live Aid are events. While Woodstock epitomised movement in Britain called Red considerable indeed. Most newspaper hippiedom — love, peace and drugs in Wedge, although it must be coverage was unabashedly well a large paddock in New York State — acknowledged that there are some disposed towards Live Aid, with an Live Aid reflected post-hippie obvious local predecessors — Rock often expressed pleasant surprise that pragmatism, a self-contained fund­ Against Racism, for example, or the egoistic rock music industry had raising event in Philadelphia and Midnight Oil’s involvement (along done something altruistic for a change. London linked by satellite technology. with other bands) in People for Such benevolent responses were Marshall McLuhan would have Nuclear Disarmament. Red Wedge is rejected by sections of the political left relished the contrast between a distinctive, however, because it is an and right. On the right, the Australian happening (Woodstock) which organised attempt to help elect a Financial Review argued that Live Aid television reported on from the political party. This is the British AUSTRALIAN LEFT REVIEW 21

Labour Party and it follows that we way: “The Young must learn to take have to be cautious about the their politics straight, like adults, and portability of the phenomenon to not like fidgety children who must be Australia which does not, as yet, have cajoled into thinking by concerts and a radical rightwing government. Yet singalongs ... ”4 In addition to such there are obvious parallels in the criticisms is the suggestion that those conditions faced by youth in both young people who attend Red Wedge countries. High youth unemployment, events are there to see their favourite lower youth wages, work-for-the-dole rock stars and listen to music, and that schemes, tertiary fees, and so on are all the intended “message" goes through realities or pressing prospects. or past their ears. However effective Britain, with a youth unemploy­ Red Wedge may be in its aims, it is ment rate approaching 30 percent and transparently the product of the an uncompromisingly reactionary predicament of youth in contemp­ government, was ripe to produce Red orary British society. Yet do the same Wedge in late 1985. Established rock conditions pertain to Australia and artists such as Paul Weller, Billy can we expect a similar movement Bragg, Sade, the Smiths and Lloyd here? Cole and the Commotions have In one obvious respect banded together with the express circumstances differ in Asutralia purpose of ousting Thatcherism and where the memory of a (conventional installing a Labour government in rather than radical) conservative Britain. The campaign was mounted government still remains and a Labor ihrough a series of concerts rather government has won the last two than through conventional rallies, elections. However, the current with literature discreetly distributed economic crisis arid the shift to the and occasional encouragement from right of the Labor government is the stage in the form of “throwaway” fashioning a comparable slate of comments or politically informed affairs. And the arguments used by songs, such as Billy Bragg’s “Between Bob Geldof: Popular hero? Red Wedge to support Labour in the Wars" or Style Council’s “Walls Britain are the same as those applied Come Tumbling Down”. The members of the Labour Party. by many young people to the emphasis is on the punk era notion of Now that some information has Australian Labor Party — they’re the '■serious tun”, but with a clearer been provided about Red Wedge, we best of a bad bunch. Yet it is doubtful purpose — a Labour victory in the may attempt to draw some whether such a movement would be next election. conclusions about its emergence. whether such a movement here would The relationship between Red There is, first, the question of what be avowedly socialistic like Red Wedge and the British Labour Party is kind of phenomenon it is. Like Live Wedge, given the exaggerated stigma a little ambiguous. The black soul Aid, it has critics on both left and attached to the term in Australia.5 This singer Junior Giscombe describes Red right. Nick Robinson of the Young is not to argue that intense political Wedge as being “for, but not of, the Conservatives sees Red Wedge as “just debates do not arise here in association Labour Party”. Initial funds came an attempt by Neil Kinnock to present with rock music. The current dispute from the Labour Party and Labour the Labour Party Youth Section over tobacco sponsorship of rock gigs office facilities have been used, but without the influence of Militant is testimony to rock’s political Red Wedge hopes to become which dominates the l.PYS". This is potential. financially autonomous. They are not a surprising position, coming as it In the middle ofl 985, the tobacco “mutually friendly societies” but Red does from a representative of the party industry (in the shape of Philip Morris' Wedge is anxious not to be seen as that Red Wedge has sworn to eject “Peter Jackson” brand) made a simply an arm of the Labour Party from office. major move into Australian rock. The and, in particular, PR for its leader But there has also been criticism Sydney-based Peter Jackson Rock Neil Kinnock. Rather, it sees itself as a from the “hard” left. X. Moore of the Circuit functioned as an exercise in broad alliance which is favourable but Socialist Workers Party and the market testing, with the ultimate aim not beholden to the Labour Party, Redskins band has argued that, while of having a national rock gig network seeking influence by retaining the Red Wedge has been effective in bearing the logo “ The Peter Jacicson right to be critical. The tension mobilising musicians “it’s hamstrung Rock Circuit Presents ... " Currently, between disciplined party politics and to uncritical support of Neil Kinnock; names such as Electric Pandas, the free-wheeling youth pressure group it can’t rock the boat, it can’t criticise”, Allniters, the Party Boys, the Saints, politics is apparent, for example, in while Julie Burchill has argued that Machinations and Boom Crash Opera Red Wedge’s uneasiness about the popular music is_incapable of being have followed that of Peter Jackson. rooting out of Trotskyite Militant effective in any orthodox political The tobacco company undertakes to 22 AUSTRALIAN LEFT REVIEW

few years now, white Marlboro invested to buy goodwill through about this development is that it took (another Philip Morris brand) has association. This kind of the tobacco companies in Australia so sponsored acts overseas. With arch- underwrite the cost of publicity, long to stumble onto the idea. After corporate competitor Amatil (Benson promotion and advertising of selected all, Pepsi Cola have been doing it fora and Hedges) vying for the familair rock gigs in return for a brand-name rationalisation of the entertainment sport and high art outlets, the rock check on posters which prominently industry is commonplace, and it is not music audience is an appealing target feature open cigarette packets inviting really a major jump from the group. All that disposable income and (wordlessly) the consumer to taste and multinational corporate record pleasure-seeking should amount to a try- companies such as RCA, CBS, and good return on the $100,000 or so Perhaps the only surprising thing EMI (who have signed up most of the prominent Australian rock bands) to the other conglomerates who are looking for a piece of the youth market action. The tobacco companies, with their restricted advertising opportunities, are particularly keen to spread brand awareness through new channels. These manoeuvres have not, however, gone unchallenged. It is symptomatic of rock in the 'eighties that for every move by big business to colonise it there is resistance to such intrusion. Tobacco sponsorship of gigs was criticised in full-page advertisements by bands such as Hoodoo Gurus, Hunters and Collectors, and Midnight Oil who cried “ Hands off!”, while organisations such as the Australian College of Physicians, and individuals like Gordon Chater, Dick Smith and Lisa Forrest exclaimed “Hands up!"A rival circuit was set up by Quit for Life, promoting “The Big Gigs” by bands such as Spy v Spy who, in turn, thank Quit for Life for giving us freedom of choice of where and how we want to play. However, the financial insecurity common to many rock bands blurs the apparently stark choice between circuits. For example. Verity Truman of Redgum, a signatory to the “Hands off!" letter opposing tobacco sponsorship, has written of the "agency/ live venue scam" which “puts bands in the invidious position of choosing not where to work, but whether or not to work at all”. Also, Vince Lovegrove, the manager of another signatory. The Divinyls, further highlights the complexity of the issue by pointing out that they “do not support, in any way whatsoever, the Right to Life Organisation [sic] nor any lobby movement to remove the Peter Jackson Company from any form of sponsorship of the rock • Billy Bragg: hamming it up for Red Wedge. industry".6 This latter response, with AUSTRALIAN LEFT REVIEW 23

its confusing encouragement of (who, because of the sponsorship, has prevented the almost total corporate sponsorship and weren’t) has rather undermined the capitulation evidenced by, for simultaneous tirade against enthusiastically promoted image of a example, modern sport.8 “attempted corporate monopolistic strong, unified Australian rock Rock, then, is constrained by the sponsorship which dictates who will industry. The real conflicts and same forces which operate pervasively perform where”, is representative of problems confronted by rock bands in culture and society, and is itself part the predicament of mid-eighties rock. cannot be erased easily, however slick of a wider leisure complex. Yet it The need to take care of business leads the PR machine. cannot be simply reduced to its to tensions between idealism and Is there any general lesson we can money-making activities. Rock is pragmatism, autonomy and learn from the previous discussion of always likely to throw up a punk dependence, obscurity and ambition. three instances where rock and society culture or a Red Wedge which There is no space outside of a narrow interact in such salient fashion? Of challenges rationalised entertainment. range of market choices in which to course, it could be objected that they For, while many rock movements shelter. In the Darwinian world of are atypical examples, that rock is either begin or end in an orgy of contemporary rock, there are many more commonly about making music cynical commercialism, their uses and more bands than smokers who Quit and making money, but not meanings can never be easily confined for Life. necessarily in that order. Yet, to take or predicted. this line would also be unrealistic — it is clear that rock is a complex and dynamic cultural phenomenon. REFERENCES Currently, names such as Indeed, it is through its inconsistencies Electric Pandas, the contradictions and rapid shifts that we can gain a more profound and 1. For an authoritative account of rock’s Allniters, the Party Boys, development , sec Simon Frith, Sound Effects, exhaustive understanding of rock in 1981, New York: Parthenon. the Saints, Machinations society.7 1 began this article by pointing to 2. See Dick Hebdige, Subculture: The Meaning and Boom Crash Opera o f Style, 1979, London: Methuen and Dave two radically different evaluations of l-aing. One Chord Wonders, 1985, Milton have followed that of Peter rock which view it as either subversive Keynes: Open University Press. Jackson. or supportive of capitalism. This split 3. “The Children’s (sic) Crusade”, The may also be represented slightly Australian Financial Review, Tuesday, July 16, differently as the position that rock 1985;’’1 Confess", Nation Review, September 6, Corporate sponsorship also made has considerable impact on society, 1985. Quoted in Samuel Freedman “Our considerable inroads into rock culture which is opposed to the assertion Woodstock — Just as Good”, The Sydney Morning Herald, Saturday, July 27, 1985; with the Australian Made tour over that rock essentially reflects rather Arena, 71. 1985, p, 19. the recent New Year period. The than affects society. Difficult multinational Mobil Oil Australia theoretical questions are raised in such 4. Quoted in “ Revolt Into Style", New Musical Express, January IS, 1986. Quoted in “Rock Limited, Ansett and the ANZ banking disputes, but we may suggest that rock Gets Political in Thatcher^ Grim Britain", The group sponsored the Australia-wide and society have a reflexive and multi­ National Times, March 7 -1 3 , 1986. tour by acts like INXS and Jimmy layered relationship. Live Aid, for 5. One Australian working for Red Wedge says Barnes. The essentially commercial example, would not have been in The National Times article: "In Australia if nature of their involvement was necessary if there were not massive you had the word 'socialist'attached tea group carefully camouflaged through the global disparities in wealth, yet the like this, it would go down the tube.” shrewd utilisation of a community rock culture which galvanised action is Ci. Letters to The National Times, June 27 - July program and the exploitation of itself a product of the post-war 3. 1986 and June 13 - 19, 1986, Australian nationalism. Thus, Mobil’s Western affluence which substantially 7. Sec also David Kowe, “Rock Against the “Streetbeat” road safety campaign rested on global inequality. Clock; Independent Cultural Production", which was heavily promoted during Similarly, Red Wedge is only Social Alternatives 4 (4) 1985; “Rock Culture: the tour gave to their involvement a intelligible as a response to The Dialectics of Life and Death”, Australian “charitable” quality which recalled the Thatcherism, but the rock music Journal o f Cultural Studies 3 (2) 1985; “ Rock Today: From Love-Ins to Live Aid”, Australia t altruism of Live Aid. This was rock industry which produced it is, in many Quarterly 38 (1), 1987 (forthcoming). for the common good — which also ways, a model of acquisitive coincided, happily, with the raising of capitalism, to the extent that 8. See Geoff Lawrencc and David Rowe (eds) Power Play: Essays in the Sociology o f corporate profiles with the young. Conservative Party Chairman Australian Sport, 1986, Sydney: Hale and The full-blown nationalism which Norman Tebbit presented last year’s I remonger. characterised the tour also operatd to British Phonographic Industry cloak the substantial un-Australian Awards. Furthermore, it is the cut­ contribution to Australian Made, throat nature of the rock music DAVID ROWE teaches media and while the half million dollar loss and industry which has facilitated the entry cultural studies at Newcastle CAE. the squabbling between INXS (who of the tobacco companies, but it is also were on the bus) and Midnight Oil rock’s resilient social conscience that