love music hate racism carnival

PCS Sponsored Dance Tent @ LMHR Carnival, Victoria Park, London, 27-04-2008.

Thirty years ago today, 70000 people got together in Victoria Park to listen to some class bands including The Clash and Steel Pulse and to protest against the extremist far right political party The National Front at Rock against Racism. Today 100,000 have gathered in very patchy weather to once again listen to good music played over 3 stages and to send a message out to The BNP that their political views are wrong and not what the masses in this country believe, this is Love Music Hate Racism Carnival 2008. The Dance Tent today could have been three times as big and it would still have been rammed. Whilst DJ Hype was playing the hardest drum and bass possible, police shut the tent for 30 minutes too many people where simply trying to get in to listen to quality music. When allowed to carry on to a half full tent, security and police battled to keep the hoards outside the tent entering. Hype plays music as hard as you can imaging, today he has MC, Daddy Earl with him, who has no difficulty in whipping the crowd in to a frenzy. Starting off the day and comparing, where PCS’s very own Tommy Def vs King Bats, (The Toxteth Rebel Alliance). Classic reggae and dancehall tunes got the crowd moving early on which did not stop for the next 6 hours. Throughout the day we are treated to some of the best sounds to come out of London for years, hip hop from Mistajam, a big man with a bigger sound, funky garage from Target and Karnage, bangra madness from Nihal and a double header of dubstep lords, Benga and Skream. These last two did a very good job of destroying eardrums and ripping up the dancefloor. With a host of speakers from Unite, LMHR and Mark Barker from PCSNW Region, some of the best new music about and an amazing atmosphere, LMHR Carnival is a great success. Lets hope in 30 years time we get back together in Victoria Park to celebrate good music and equality rather than having to raise awareness of the far right.

www.lovemusichateracism.com
www.pcs.org
barkermark2000@yahoo.co.uk
www.myspace.com/kingbats
www.toxtethrebelalliance.co.uk