Making Pageant music

STEPHEN Vic Brox, secretary of the Manchester ¿ Brox. secretary of the Manchester musicians' co-operative 'Music Force' believes passionately that modern and pop music must play a vital role in the revolutionary struggle of the working class.

He also says that the left, the unions and even the Musicians' Union have failed utterly to realize the enormous contribution pop culture' can maké to the fight for socialism.

Vic is not talking about the stereotyped sound mostly churned out by the record monopolies but the real expression-generally of revolt, dissatisfaction, defiance or of hope-most serious popular music-makers strive for.

After ten years as a professional band leader, singer, player and composer in Britain and abroad. Vic says the natural tendency is for pop and rock musicians to abhor the system.

Like actors, they suffer from super-exploitation. To live in the commercial world they often have to abandon any search for original expression and take up music jobs they hate.

Even the successful are swallowed by the recordentertainment machine and live eventually blighted despairing lives, when all they want to do is to play and communicate with the audience--the masses of youth who see in pop music something of their very own emotions and desires.

Because of these views, Vic and a dedicated band of north-west pop musicians have spurned the monopolies and are trying to build a sanctuary where talent and . expression can be developed without the crippling effect of monev and profit.

They already act as an agency for 14 or so bands and they hope soon to start their own company and record label.

Vic has thrown his weight behind the Pageant because he thinks he and his friends have something vital to add to the 'Road to Workers' Power'. His only regret is that he does not have time to provide more music and songs that the recreation of working-class history so obviously needs.

Vic told me why he was joining the Pageant campaign.

'We are a group of bands who have come together, elected a committee and formed an organization we hope can give us some freedom to develop and play the music we want.

'We have started as an agency, but must get our own company and reçord label going. We have run music sessions at the Halsworth Hall, Manchester, that have been a great success. At Mr Smiths on Sunday, we have an evening devoted to progressive music.

MISTAKE

'In the past the working-class movement has ignored the growth of rock music. This is a fantastic mistake because it has an enormous amount to offer.

'Most of the people I know in pop and rock would be sympathetic to the working-class and left-wing politics. Many come from the working-class anyway —others come from the middle-class, but they all start really with a deep dissatisfaction of society as it is, though they might be completely nonpolitical.

I think many of the more conscious workers look down on the pop musician. He has long hair and he's very rich and flamboyant. But this is rubbish. The exploitation, or "rip off" as we call it in the trade, is just fantastic. When I was working flat out in the States I probably That's lied ab when you cok. sider the expenses involved. Now I get about £10 a week and this is common. It's the rule not the exception.

"The successful ones, too, end up in a hole. They are steamrollered by the companies.

'Their talent is crushed and squeezed into the package they want. The monopolies are all-powerful, they own the record companies, own radio franchises, because all art forms that come from the working class are functional. Most of the groups are working class. They must have that spark and excitement to get through to their audiences and public.

It appears to me that what you want more than anything else is to rip away the blindfold and show people the real nature of society. Pop and rock can play a great role in • this. This, to me, is what the "Road to Workers' Power" is all about.

RESPONSIVE

*Musicians could be very responsive elements in this process. They have to be responsive; it's part of their work. If one person in a group begins to play double tempo, the rest will follow on they are good musicians for example.

"The object of the music in is to highlight the drama, make it clearer, make it more expressive and attractive by songs and incidental music.

'In the short space of time available I have written two songs. One is "The Chartist Marching Hymn"-this is where the Chartists sing joyously of their determination, to stand and fight for the Charter. The other song is the "Ballad of the Peterloo Martyrs".

'This describes the scene as the people go from all the outlying towns to St. Peter's Fields, Manchester, to hear Hunt.

'Now this is a ballad because I don't think anyone expected the massacre that occurred. It was really a great outing, working-class families with their children in their best going to listen to one of their heroes.

"The last verse will commemorate their deaths and show that they did not die in vain, because Peterloo led to some enormous developments in the working-class movement.

'I do some incidental music as well and a chant when the workers are coming out of the factories to hear the Chartists —a feature of this is the cry "Pull them out, pull them out" This refers to the workers at Stalybridge who pulled out the plugs on the iron furnaces to back the Chartists.

'This is the kind of stuff I am doing. I hope I can do more later. l think • - the kind of struggle put up in the "Road to Workers' Power" and the musician's struggle for his own • expression and freedom from exploitation naturally come together."