Riots London

So as you probably know, I am in London and last night, the night before and quite likely tonight as well, riots have dominated the news. Quite rightly as well, given that people are going around the city, breaking and taking stuff.

I have seen some comparisons to the 1977 winter of discontent. Where the music of the time took up the call. Bands such as The Clash sent out a cry for people to take control. Although , it is not necessarily what it seems on the surface.

The song is a call to arms for the white people of London to determine their own rights. Not in a Nazi right wing way, as they subsequently went to great pains to clarify. More to mobilise in the same way the Afro Caribbean community was at the time. They also came out with this at a similar time

London's burning.

Well indeed it is again. This isn't a social or a political blog and so I am not going to get too into the rights and wrongs on what is going on. It does seem to me that things are pretty bad in the UK at the moment. However they are nothing like as bad as they were in 1977. Please keep that in mind at all times. These riots are not about the social oppression and a crumbling fabric of society. These riots are people stealing stuff because the police are overwhelmed.There isn't a political statement in it. They are anarchists, left or right wing. They are just thieves.

Will we see any music of any note come out of this? it is likely that we will see something come out of the London underground. Maybe something from Ndubz? I hope not if I am honest. Sorry , I try to like everything , I really do. But that stuff is just pap.

I am not of this generation. I am too old for that. It does seem to me though that despite my penchant for new music there isn't a movement going on at the moment that isn't either incredibly self obsessed or obsessed with things. The music that inspired people to drop out, to question society to try to make a difference, has gone.

Come back John Lennon, John Lydon, Joe Strummer, hell even Bob Geldolf, your country needs you . . . It needs you to write a song and inspire someone of this generation to write something that we can all get into . Something that is better than this by Limp Bizkit

Please. We need something good out of this senseless chaos.