I was on strike on Wednesday. No one, especially teachers (or nurses or ambulance crews or any public sector workers), takes the decision to withdraw their labour lightly but sometimes you have to take a stand and say 'no more'. I attended a demo and march in Manchester city centre, a very well attended event and as we marched round town in the rain passersby, people working in offices and even those stuck on trams (who couldn't move because of the march), were waving, clapping and shouting encouragement.
Steve Mason's new single, The People Say, is a joyous and uplifting song- an indie/ folk/ gospel hybrid with a lovely electronic squiggle underpinning it- in praise of those who push to make the world better, in his own words 'a rallying call'. 'I heard the people say/ Where's the beautiful fight today?' Steve sings, while the video plays drone footage of a union march, so it fits nicely with my week.
The album The People Say is taken from, titled Brothers And Sisters, is out in March. I always know what Steve Mason albums are going to be like. I've bought all four solo albums and saw him live when he toured to promote the previous one, 2019's About The Light. Somehow I missed the first song from the forthcoming one, which came out two months ago. No More features guest vocals from Javed Bashir and is about imperialism, colonialism and the cultures of the countries the UK invaded and colonised over the course of the last few hundred years.
Both songs have the sound Steve has made his own since he turned up in The Beta Band in the 90s, the crunchy drums, acoustic guitars, multi- tracked vocals and ascending chord sequences. Not one to shy away from the big themes and the big issues Brothers And Sisters is described by Steve as a big 'fuck you' to Brexit and a 'giant fuck you to anyone who is terrified of immigration'.
4 comments:
There is power in a union. Got to take a stand in these dark days, so more power to you.
Nice song. And suits the post. I agree for you guys going out it isn't a choice taken lightly, but I absolutely agree that people should take a stand and be listened to. The incumbent clowns at no. 10 seem to find so many excuses to dodge actually attempting to resolve issues rather than anything else. For some it's about pay, others working conditions. A union is the only voice some have and striking a last resort to get heard. I fully support those on strike and took part myself a while back (although I am not on a union unfortunately) in London from Holborn over Lambeth bridge towards Westminster. The support was amazing. Hoping no.10 wakes up and starts 'smelling the coffee'. Have a good weekend.
Totally behind you, SA (and all the others). Can't believe it's come to this... oh, wait, yes I can. Holding onto hope that things just have to change for the better at some point soon.
Really enjoyed 'The People Say' too, very uplifting as you say and the perfect soundtrack to your post.
It goes without saying that I'm 100% behind the public sector workers, the railway workers, the mail workers, the NHS workers and indeed anyone else who is taking action to get the pay and conditions outcomes they deserve from the hypocritical bastards who are running the country into the ground.
Oh, and both of those Steve Mason tunes have passed me by......the new album will very much be on my radar.
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