Where was
Anti-Apartheid?
Pete Bloomer reviews the Mandela concert Last minule confusion and a car, and we were away down to London to see Mandela, I left my papers, forgot the Poll Tax and was determined to enjoy myself.
The music was slick and well-organised, ranging from the great to the inap. propriate. Overall the solcotion was safe und pre dictabic. In con-s trast to the Mandela *88 Concert, the artists socm to have been told not to make statements. It was as if the songs were to say it all by themselves. So what do Keep on Rocking In Top of the bill: Mandela The Free Worid", or "Wild Women Do' or 'Blowing In The Wind' mean, in this particular context?
in a night of heroes, the music was not at all bad. Many people's heroes, Simple Minds, Lou Read, Jackson Browne, Tracy Chapman, Peter Gabriel and others performed for the crowd. Highlights included Lou Read's "Great American Whale" with words charged which ended in cheers after his line referring to apartheid, 'stick a fork in their ass and turn them over, they're done'; the oration for Stetsonic, the only rap group; Tracy Chapman coming on after Mandela to sing "Talkin" about a Revolution' and an emotional Jerry Dammers singing Free Nelson Mandela', which made the crowd move.
Much has heen written in the press on Mandela's speech. before a platform of over a billion people. All 1 can say is that it was remarkable only in its brevity and for being so unmemorable; yet the audience
REVIEWS responded generously and enthusiastically
The crowd was overwhelmingly young, and genuinely there Lo express solidarity as well as to enjoy themselves. Comparisons to the March 31 Poll Tax "battles' can be made, not that the groups are the same but commentators seem to respond to crowds of radical youth in an almost mystical way - treating our expression of vitality as a surprise, as if they wete newI did enjoy myself, everyone did. But it always seemed unclear what it was all about. The Anti Apartheid Movement was absent from Wembley. With no speaker, and no mention on the tickets: no one leafletted the gig. It was as if they were determined not to use the apportunity to build the movement - which is more than
So what is the effect of an event like this? Such media events level consciousness.many new layers are made aware of the struggle, while other more conscious layers are persuaded that maybe their active involvement is not required. Yet such miss audience and goodwill must be addressed. All socialists must take note - don't denounce popular support - politicise it
Whilst respectable resistance will he strengthened, Tor myself no amount of commemoration can change the meaning of solidarity. I like Peter Gabriel a let: and I'll always remember 70,000 clenched fists aloft, and the deafening sound of singing to "Biko" in memory of the fallen and the victory to come.
Murder in the
playground: the