Wednesday 12 March 2014

Well, Let Me Ask You, Melissa…

…do the police feel a need to act over other forms of ‘music’? Are they going to swoop on Glyndebourne or the Royal Opera House, or a country & western event?

If not, perhaps you should ask yourself why.
When Michael Hann from the Guardian contacted the Barbican, he was referred to the City of London police; in turn the police stated, "The Barbican is the venue … it's down to them."
On its website, the Barbican has announced that all other events taking place as part of the Barbican Weekender will take place as planned. Given this sequence of events, how are grime fans supposed to believe that the police are not scapegoating them?
It’s not just the police, though, is it?

And when a broad spectrum of people all agree, what does that tell you?
… the police cannot keep holding everybody connected to the grime scene to ransom because of its past, especially when so many hardworking, ambitious people have shown how positive grime can be.
I note you don't give an example...
This situation is an example of the tensions in which the more aggressive side of grime music is wrought: the tensions are not just fantasy, they are real. Any references to crime and underground cultures should be understood as part of a coded power dynamic between sound-system culture and the authorities…
Well, then, they should be happy that The Man is clamping down on them, since it gives them something to write tuneless little ditties about…

6 comments:

MTG said...

There are insufficient funds in the compensation coffers to risk exposing PC Phlab to tripping risks and hypothermia, when this type of event can be banned from 75 degrees of comfort and physical safety.

I count my blessings for a vibrant life in a free and tolerant democracy; where diverse recreation is encouraged, protesters are treated well and where dissidents are not automatically sectioned, stitched up or plod smeared. Oh, hang on...

Surreptitious Evil said...

I had managed, until this post, to be wholly ignorant of the "grime music" genre. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to restore that fortunate condition.

Anonymous said...

And Melvin said........WIBBLE! C'mon Melv, dude, speaka da lingo man! Shouldn't you be out cutting dat lawn man?

Anonymous said...

That raghead looks well old, too old to be doing rap

Trevor said...

Why doesn't Melissa have a marquee put up in Daddy's garden and invite all her vibrant chums to perform? She reminds me of that posh bint who rolled around the gutters of London and was paid by The Spectator to write about it - can't remember her name.

JuliaM said...

"I had managed, until this post, to be wholly ignorant of the "grime music" genre."

Sorry... ;)

"Why doesn't Melissa have a marquee put up in Daddy's garden and invite all her vibrant chums to perform?"

Yes indeed! What happened to the old spirit of 'let's put on the show RIGHT HERE!'..?

*gets popcorn*