Fight! The powers that B. (N.P.)
2009-06-12 by Hal BerstramCornershop – England’s Dreaming
It was sickening when the British National Party secured its first 2 European Parliament members in last week’s elections. While the BNP’s advance was mainly caused by the implosion in support for the governing Labour Party rather than any huge upswing in their vote, it is still most unfortunate that these fascists will be heading to Brussels.
In response I offer a classic from multicultural Britain, circa 1993. Cornershop were formed in Leicester by Tjinder and Avtar Singh, playing what could best be described as chaotic indie noise-rock. The name was a reference to the stereotypical occupation of immigrants who came into the UK from countries like India and Bangladesh from the 1950s onwards. Their debut ep, “In The Days of Ford Cortina”, was pressed on ‘curry-coloured vinyl’ and was an attack on the racism that many immigrants and their families experienced in the heyday of the National Front (the ancestors of the BNP) in the 1970s.
“England’s Dreaming” is from their second ep, “Lock Stock and Double Barrel” and is basically a call to arms. “Shut up shop, get on the streets and fight the powers that be”. I’d love to know which 50s sci-fi flick (it sounds like) is sampled here. The sound is basic noise-rock but the energy of the record is unbelievable.
Later on the band would get much more sophisticated mixing indie-rock with Indian and dance influences to score big chart success with the LP “When I Was Born for the 7th Time” and associated single “Brimful of Asha” in 1997 – the heyday of Tony Blair’s “Cool Britannia”. “7th Time” and the followup “Handcream for a Generation” were both brilliant albums, the latter containing their best ever song title in “Lessons Learned from Rocky I to Rocky III”.
One of the best British bands of the last 20 years, and just one of about eight trillion reasons why the BNP are talking out of their butts.
Download MP3 (0:00min / 0MB)
- 'Elivis Sex-Change'
- compilation easier to get hold of than the original ep - now deleted but available 2nd hand
- 'Lock Stock and Double Barrel'
- the original release 2nd hand on discogs
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