Monocled Alchemist

JOHN OPPOSITION hears CONFLICT-ing reports about the state of Anarchy in 1982

Article published in Sounds, 15th May, 1982

Conflict | Muck And Crass | IT TAKES a certain dedication to spend a Sunday night in the cavernous open spaces of the Electric Stadium, Chadwell Heath. Miles from a tube station and supplied by an unreliable bus service, the venue is well nigh inaccessible unless you have your own transport.

It’s at places like this that you can tell just how hardcore a band’s supposedly hardcore following really is. So when, on the recommendation of some mates, I went there to check out Conflict a few weeks ago, I was pleased to see a goodly turn-out of spikey-tops and skins.

A couple of numbers from the band and I realised why they have built up this committed following in a relatively short space of time. Conflict hit you right between the eyes, visually as well as musically.

After a set that fizzed like an over-ripe Molotov Cocktail and exploded with bursts of punky aggression, I resolved to investigate the matter further and thus found myself at Mottingham station, South-East London, on a sunny Sunday afternoon a couple of weeks later.

Conflict picked me up in a vehicle so ravaged by time, rust and God knows what else that the exhaust had somehow re-routed itself inside the car. Sitting in the back watching clouds of evil smelling fumes gush forth from the bowels of the monster, I wondered for a moment if I was going to be an unwilling participant in some kind of punky suicide pact.

Conflict | Muck And Crass

The journey was, however, mercifully short and soon we were ensconced in loud-mouthed and lanky lead singer Colin’s bedroom drinking coffee (all there is on a Sunday afternoon in Eltham); ‘we’ being myself, Colin, guitarist Steve, drummer Paco and technician and general motivator Paul. Then we trooped over to an office in an adjacent school and the Conflict story gradually unfolded.

Although the original idea for the band was born as far back as 1978, Conflict have effectively been in existence for about a year-and-a-half. They played their first gigs in their home base of Eltham on April 11, 1981 (“The same day as the riots,” says Colin).

Crass-inspired bands

Since then they have shed vocalist Pauline and played 20 odd gigs, mostly in the London area but also further north supporting mentors Crass.

It was with the Crass connection that I started: just how important was their influence on the band’s development? The sudden flux (excuse the pun) of Crass-inspired bands has for the most part left me completely cold; I was never exactly awestruck with Crass themselves and most of the clone bands appear to be disappearing up their own arses. Who wants to live in a commune anyway?

Colin: “We don’t sound like Crass — people used to say we did, but they don’t any more. Crass have been an influence in as much as it was through following Crass that we were motivated to get our own band together, but we formed Conflict to make our own statements, not re-gurgitate Crass’s. Having said that, they’ve given us a lot of help and encouragement, both with gigs and recording.

Conflict | Muck And Crass

Our first EP, ‘The House That Man Built’ is out on the Crass label, and they’ll be helping us with future projects, although they won’t be putting any more of our records out.”

HAVING HEARD the EP and seen the band live I certainly agree that they don’t sound at all like Crass — both musically and lyrically they appear to these ears far more positive in every respect.

Songs like ‘Conflict’ (which is on the EP — available now, folks), ‘Crazy Governments’ and ‘Exploitation’ put them on a par with fellow South-East Londoners the Business in the no-nonsense reality punk stakes.

Flux Of Pink Indians

Full thanks though to Crass for the help they give to Conflict and other bands which enables records to be released which would otherwise never see the light of day. Although I don’t agree with a lot of what Crass say and record, when they assist excellent bands like Flux Of Pink Indians and Conflict they have my full endorsement.

After a fairly lengthy discussion about the theory and practice of Crass I’m suddenly reminded that I’m supposed to be interviewing Conflict, not Crass. They’d formed the band ‘to make their own statements’, exactly?

Anarchy, vegetarianism, anti-war, anti-Exploitation (Wattie variety), anti-sus — these subjects are dealt with in their songs. But how does it all fit together?

“We call ourselves anarchists. That doesn’t mean we believe in chaos —our ideal society would be one of small self-governing communities, with people being able to run their own lives. But above all we’re trying to say that we don’t want to be used by the political Left or Right; our song ‘Crazy Governments’ and the symbol we use make that very clear.

“In the past we had the reputation of being a Right-Wing band, and more recently it’s gone the other way and we’ve been called communists — it’s all ridiculous really, attributing high-flown political affiliations to four guys out to play music and say things in their own way.

Surely if these political activists really believe in what they’re doing then there must be far more important considerations for them to worry about than what teenage punk bands are saying.”

This bit comes straight from the heart. Conflict are all young (aged between 16 and 19) and in the last year have gone from playing to 30 people in Eltham to playing in front of hundreds at major London venues

Conflict | Muck And Crass

We talk at length about the different strands of ‘anarchy’ and I make the point that Milton Friedman’s extreme economic liberalism doctrines of laissez-faire capitalism were all part of the anarchist tradition; also that a Kings Road weekend punk would claim to be an ‘anarchist’ because it was part of the punk fashion, much as mods might go to Margate or soulboys to Tiffanys. Conflict reply, much as Crass would I suppose, that ‘anarchy’ has nothing to do with Friedman or fashion and everyone has their own idea of what it means.

We talk about the ‘system’. They say no, they wouldn’t vote, because all the parties are the same, but they would involve themselves in campaigns (e.g. the South-East London Fares Fair march, at which they played) if the issues concerned directly affected them.

As with other like-minded people I’ve met, I find Conflict’s ‘anarchism’ to be a very personal and rather inconsistent philosophy. I respect their views — but I’d vote Labour, if only so I could afford to travel by Tube again.

IN THE middle of these Mastermind-level political soul-searchings the door bangs open and in strides Big John the bass player, crash helmet in hand, electrician by trade and fresh from work (on a Sunday afternoon —must have lots of power cuts in Eltham).

Meat Means Murder

He’s just in time to hear the speech of the afternoon from Paul, along with Colin the most vociferous of the bunch, on the subject of vegetarianism and animal liberation — another cause close to Conflict’s hearts (or Paul’s and Colin’s anyway).

They have this little pro-vegetarian number called ‘Meat Means Murder’ you see, and I venture to suggest that maybe it’s a teeny weeny bit inconsistent for self-styled animal liberationists and vegetarians to wear leather jackets and boots.

“Oh no it’s not,” says Colin, “we get them second-hand, you see!”

Conflict | Muck And Crass

A spectacular piece of double-thinking. I suggest that, in any case, it’s perhaps more important to sort out the terrible problems of our own race (Poland, El Salvador, Falklands, etc.) before dealing with the rest of the animal kingdom. But Paul cuts short my frivolities with an angry glare.

“Animals can’t speak up for themselves, so it’s up to us to do it for them!” he says sharply. “Even the most oppressed nation of people has its spokesmen — animals don’t!”

He goes on to explain that on the previous day he had been on a 5,000-strong anti-vivisection demonstration at Porton Down in Somerset (I think) outside the government research station where tests are carried out on living animals.

“It was great! Every conceivable type of person was there, from punks and skinheads to 60-year-old grannies. And you could see the police agreed with us —people were being really OUT OF ORDER, ripping down fences and all, but hardly anyone got arrested, and they didn’t turn the dogs loose on us.”

DOGS? Dogs protecting a government vivisection laboratory? The somewhat humorous vision of rows upon rows of canine Judases fills my mind — but I have to admire Paul’s dedication, and he doesn’t have even a second-hand leather jacket.

No, seriously, vivisection is horrendous, so is battery farming and many other forms of animal abuse, and such cruelties must be stopped.

It’s a far cry from there to the ‘Meat Means Murder’ brigade, however Carnivorous animals abound in this world (ever seen a vegetarian tiger?) . . . . [the magazine is missing pages and the rest of this interview]