The day music fought back against ‘Nazis’

ANNIVERSARY OF CITY’S ROCK AGAINST RACISM EVENT IN 1970S

IT was the day Mancunians of all colours and classes came together against a common enemy – the politics of hate.

United by a love of music, reggae lovers, punks and skins came together for the Northern Carnival Against the Nazis back in 1978.

Britain was in economic trouble, lurching between oil crises and with industrial relations at an all-time low – the Winter of Discontent was approaching.

Against that backdrop, tens of thousands of people came together to challenge the scapegoating narrative of racist groups like the National Front. The 40th anniversary falls on July 15. The Northern Carnival Against the Nazis brought the ‘Rock Against Racism’ movement to the city.

It drew a 40,000-strong crowd to watch bands including Steel Pulse, Birmingham’s homegrown reggae legends, plus local punk bands like The Fall, The Buzzcocks and Mick Hucknall’s Frantic Elevators.

Four decades on, to mark this influential day of activism, Manchester Digital Music Archive – the charity behind the city’s online treasure trove of music and social history memorabilia – have created the We Are Dynamite exhibition, showcasing unseen images, artwork and memories from that day.

The exhibition, which will be made available to the public from September 3-22 at NIAMOS, Chichester Road, Hulme, is being celebrated with a launch event on July 14 at Manchester Central Library, featuring a panel discussion including key figures, like organiser Geoff Brown.

Geoff Brown, of the Anti-Nazi League and fellow organiser, Bernie Wilcox, of Rock Against Racism, had been among 3,000 Manchester-based anti-racists who travelled to London in April ‘78 for the first Anti-Nazi Carnival, joining 80,000 others to watch bands like X-Ray Spex and The Clash at Victoria Park, in Hackney.

Brown and Wilcox decided on the train home to do the same thing in Manchester. A small team of volunteers organised the whole thing, convincing Manchester council, bands, promoters and sympathetic groups to unite in a stand against racism.

In the months before the event, the Rock Against Racism movement in Manchester had been galvanised by gigs – not just in student areas, but in Partington, Droylsden, Bury and Stretford (including The Fall’s show at Stretford Civic Hall, recorded for posterity on The Fall: Live 1977 album).

Fly-posting and badges, with iconic Rock Against Racism and Anti Nazi League artwork, marketed the ‘Northern Carnival Against the Nazis’ on the streets.

And, by the time it came to the day itself, the scale of the protest and the turn-out was way beyond the expectations of the organisers.

“Everyone wanted to do something to help and we had phone calls every day from activists and people new to politics wanting to lend a hand. In the weeks before things just mushroomed”, Bernie Wilcox said.

“There was a massive buzz around the city and it seemed like everyone walking down Market Street on a Saturday was wearing at least one and often dozens of anti-Nazi badges. There were loads of different ones – NF = No Fun, Pogo On A Nazi, Skateboarders Against The Nazis, Gays Against The Nazis and Firemen Against The Nazis, and many more.

“There was a lot to do in preparation”, Geoff Brown said. “People were busy making banners, placards and badges as well as booking coaches and selling tickets.”

On the day of the carnival, 15,000 protesters marched from Strangeways, where it was believed the National Front had infiltrated the staff, to Alexandra Park, where 25,000 people had gathered for the gig.

Ramila Patel, from Bolton, was a key- Abigail Ward