‘There was this incredible cultural explosion going on…’
I went to a gig branded as Love Music Hate Racism as recently as 2008, proof if any were needed that the good work started by Rock Against Racism (RAR) in 1976 still continues in the modern era. On the bill that day were The Courtneers, Kaiser Chiefs and Reverend and the Makers, and while it was indeed a wonderful day of music and activism, a few decent indie bands playing in Rotherham is not quite on the scale of what RAR achieved in the ’70s and ’80s…
Chronicling the rise of the National Front through musicians such as Eric Clapton and Rod Stewart spouting overtly racist tropes both on stage and in the music press and culminating in the legendary 1978 show at Victoria Park, Rubika Shah’s slight documentary sticks to the facts to tell an inspirational story. It’s easy to scoff at the attempts of those in the arts to hold political sway, but standing against racism is not a question of politics, it’s a question of decency.
Mixing archive footage with interviews, mainly from the organisers of RAR, but also from members of The Clash, Sham 69 and X-Ray Spex, White Riot is a historical document of a time that we all hoped had been left in the past. Alas, with far right and racist rhetoric on the rise, this documentary is sadly as timely as ever.
As a record of a crucial time in rock music history, White Riot is a compelling but frustratingly short account from those that were there. For fans of the punk scene and for those interested in opposing racism, White Riot is a solid and prescient film.