The Lee Dorrian Interview Originally the editor/publisher of the punk fanzine "Committed Suicide" Lee Dorrian went on to be the singer and lyricist with Napalm Death and later Cathedral. Early in 2012 Lee took time out to interview the band about the whys and wherefores of their reformation, old stuff, new stuff and other stuff along the way. Read on......

Twenty-four years since their initial demise, Antisect are once again an active force. Always far more than just another rock ‘n’ roll band, their significance in the UK underground and beyond has never been fully acknowledged. As the years pass by more and more people are starting to appreciate their significance as a source of inspiration to many other bands and individuals, both lyrically and artistically.

Their message of individual freedom was as much liberating as it was inspirational back in the 80s when ‘Anarcho-punk’ really did seem to offer an alternative lifestyle. Whether they would have considered themselves Anarcho-punk is another story, but as with a lot of other bands and artists at that time, they carried their own torch through the bleakness of society. Early recordings show obvious influences and whilst the sound was killer raging hardcore punk, it wasn’t until the release of the seminal debut and only album In Darkness There is No Choice was released in 1983 that their true individuality was realised.

From then on they forged forward, always approaching their music with interesting twists and turns, and were certainly one of the heaviest bands that Britain had to offer. Their metallic edge and uncompromising lyrical stance had a huge influence on what would eventually become known as ‘Britcore’, a naff term adopted by the British music press towards the late 80’s. Unfortunately, the only recordings that exist from the post - In Darkness days are one 7” (Out From The Void) and a multitude of live soundboard recordings and bootlegs that have been in circulation ever since. Founding member Pete Lyons gives some straight talking answers on subjects relating to things past, present and future.

L.D.

First of all I have to say how great it is to have Antisect back after all this time; One of the most truly inspiring bands ever to come out of Britain in my mind.

Obvious question - why now?

People had been asking us off and on for years, but the combination of the need to head off into our own worlds after we originally split back in '87 and life taking over in the intervening years meant that the time just never seemed right. It is something that we've all thought long and hard about, and in a way it would probably be a lot safer to leave it alone. (Not tarnish the myth and all that shite... blah, blah, blah...) We know there will be plenty of cynics, but essentially we feel we've got something to say, both ideas wise and musically and the fact that the various responsibilities that life has thrown at us have begun to ease up a little now gives us the time and opportunity to do it. We had a repeated offer from the USA and eventually decided to meet up, have a chat about it and see where we were all coming from nowadays, and it was a surprisingly easy experience for everyone. Of course some ideas and opinions have altered through the years, but we found that essentially we all pretty much held the same basic beliefs as we did back then. A night of debauchery ensued, with the end result being the decision to try a day in the studio to see how it felt musically. A month or so later saw us play together for the first time in 20-odd years, and, despite the odd bit of rust, it felt surprisingly good.

Since playing your first ‘reunion’ show in Puntala, Finland, what were you anticipating prior to it and how does it feel to have now finally done it? Are you looking forward to getting out there and playing more?

We didn't really know what to expect at all, to be honest. Once we made the announcement that we'd reformed, we got a fair few offers from here, there and everywhere. The USA show was due in June and as it became evident that there was no way we were going to be ready in time, we thought that giving ourselves a deadline would be a good way of kicking ourselves into gear. Puntala came in, the timing was just about doable, and it seemed like the ideal place to start. We spent a day or so there either side of the show and were genuinely blown away by the response and the reaction. Yep. it was kinda weird to find ourselves on stage again after so long, and not everything went right but then, when does it ever? We cut loose a bit after the show and most of us spent the rest of the night and on into the late hours of the morning hanging out and chatting with people. It's probably fair to say that the whole thing was a surreal experience, but yeah, it was good to have done it and it probably helped remind us all that it can be as much about meeting and communicating with people as it is about rock n roll.

Does it feel like there is a bit of unfinished business to achieve since your original demise? You did have a bit of a reputation for not turning up to gigs – I can count at least three that I went to off the top of my head! Haha...

Our lifestyles are a lot different now to how they were back in the day. You have to remember that back then some of us were squatting, some of us were on the road and some things just weren't as easy to come across as they are today. If we didn't make it to a scheduled gig, it wouldn't have been because we didn't want to do it. More than likely a case of shite transport or some such other unforeseen crisis emerging from the way we lived. We've actually hitched to our own gigs in the past on more than one occasion and anyone who's attempted that knows how ridiculous and unpredictable it can be. We have the benefit of being able to be more organised about things now. Communication is a lot easier and in a lot of ways, it's a totally different set up. Unfinished business? Not so much that, as a desire to see where we can take it.

Through various phases of the band, the line-up that’s currently in place appears to be a unique combination of members from both the In Darkness.. and latter day periods. There’s a distinct, if basic, difference between these two passages of the band, in the sense that the first is more clearly ‘politicised’ and hardcore punk sounding, whereas the latter had a more post apocalyptic grinding rock & roll vibe to it. Was it intentional/important for the reunited band to contain both of these elements and if so, why?

It was always going to be important to have as many original members involved as possible. We know that people want to hear both the material from the “In Darkness...” period as well as the later, unreleased stuff, and we think that the crossover of members from both periods gives this incarnation a solidity and integrity, plus, in all honesty, we wouldn't have done it had that not been possible. We wouldn't agree though that the latter period wasn't as politicised. Yes. The sound was evolving to a darker and heavier style, and the lyrical content wasn't as overt as previously, but our intent definitely remained the same. There are, after all, only so many ways you can express the same sentiments in the same way before you begin to parody yourself? We were simply moving things on, in a way that was a reflection of who we were.

Apart from these elements, are you planning to introduce new perspectives, songs, visuals etc to the current band? Yep. Pretty much all of that. We're 25 years older, so yes, though the core essence of what the band was always about remains. there are obviously gonna be new perspectives here and there.

We've began demoing new material including reworking some of the later unreleased stuff, so yep, there are plans for a release some time in 2012. It's pretty fair to say that it's not gonna be “In Darkness 2”. Musically it is shaping up to be pretty much in line with how we were going before we split, though it will fairly certainly include a few twists and turns along the way. The visual element has always been something we've wanted to include. We're trying things out with one or two people and though it's difficult to predict at this stage, hopefully we will begin to incorporate this into the shows as things progress.

With the re-introduction of Pete Boyce and Caz Eden into the fold, do you feel that there is more to live up to in terms of the original ideals of the band back then? What was the original reason for them parting company in the first place and how did they initially feel about coming back? (sorry if that’s a boring/cliché’ question).

There's nothing in particular that we feel the need to live up to. The original ideals didn't change greatly throughout the later stages of the band. The fact that the material from the later period was never released, possibly meant that the subject matter and ethos were not really documented in a way that defined the band during that time, unlike the "In Darkness..." period.

Pete left the band in '85 when he decided he simply wanted to do something else with his life. He'd joined at a really young age and went through the whole gamut of circumstances and situations that being in the band had thrown up and just felt that he needed the change. Over the past few years he'd put up the first, basic website and since that time he'd had various people asking him about a reformation. When we made contact, it just seemed natural that he be part of it this time round. He was, after all, a pretty significant figure in the writing of "In Darkness..."

With Caroline, it became more and more obvious that, with the way the music was evolving, there were less and less opportunities to include the type of thing she had previously done. This time round, again, we wanted to include her, as apart from anything else, we felt it would be better to have the inclusion of a female perspective. We've all known Caroline for a very long time and we all love her to bits, but unfortunately, for a number of reasons, things haven't worked out the way we had hoped and we've reluctantly agreed that she will not now perform with us.

As you state, a lot of things have changed since the old days. This is perhaps a sensitive subject and is not so much directed at Antisect but more generally. Pete Lyons has mentioned that since the early days only he and one other band member are still vegetarians.

Looking back do you think it is strange that people seemed to have been so passionate about animal liberation, to the point where they were quite fearless about getting arrested or worse for their beliefs? Later on in life it seems to a lot of people from those days that it was more ‘something we used to do’, as opposed to it being a lifelong philosophy or lifestyle? Also, how does the affect the choice of songs you choose to play in the set?

It can be a lot easier to be more outwardly radical as a young person when our circumstances mean that responsibilities are more limited. For a lot of us, as life moves on and circumstances alter, the choices we make become more complex. Raising a family for example, brings with it it's own set of dilemmas. For instance, is it right that we would bring up our chidren in the image of ourselves? Or does this simply engender another set of "rules"? Of course it doesn't hurt to offer them an alternative view to the one that's most commonly presented to them, but surely we must be mindful that we allow them the opportunity to develop their own morality in their own way. It shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that, when one has the responsibilities of a family for instance, that person is less likely to want to risk destabilsing it by having themselves put inside for taking part in some overt political act. So as time goes on, those of us who have the inclination, generally find more subtle ways of expressing our thoughts and feelings.

Inevitably, in doing this, compromises are made. It pretty much comes down to where we draw our own personal line. There are very few of us who manage to live in complete accordance with our beliefs. Life in the 21st century contains so many issues that what most of us do is make a series of choices based on priority and levels of compromise. We all, in some way, contribute to the machine, but what's important is that we keep sight of the bigger picture, which itself can often appear abstract as we become absorbed in trying to simply assert ourselves on the myriad of situations that day to day living throws up.

There has only ever been one line up of Antisect when all the members were non meat eaters. This was the final line up before we split in 1987. We've never wished to dictate to whoever might be in the band that giving up meat should be a prerequisite. It is a band, first and foremost. Albeit a band with very definite views and perspectives. Granted, the issue of animal rights is a passionate one, and one that rightly should have a place in the overall debate, but, without meaning to trivialise it in any way, we prefer to see it as one issue and one part of a much broader whole.

At least from the release of In Darkness…onwards, Antisect has always been very original both creatively and musically, when considering the scene it evolved from. Lyrically I would say that Antisect was more philosophical than political, or even ‘Anarchist’. The sleevenotes within the album I always found to be very enlightening and personal when compared to the more, dare I say intellectual approach of Crass or basic approach of Discharge. I suppose it’s easy for others to put things into perspective years after the event but how do you feel looking back about what you wrote and the way it was presented? Do you feel that your message from back then is still relevant today?

If we didn't feel that pretty much everything we said back then still has resonance today, there's no way that we would have seriously considered getting back together. We're constantly made aware of how people who have never seen the lyrics until recently feel they have a connection and a relevance to what is going on in the world today. Let's face it. Not a great deal has really changed. If we came across as more philsophical back then it would probably be a reflection of our belief that we change nothing without first taking a look at ourselves. It's probably fair to say that all of us would align ourselves with anarchism in the broadest sense, but this alone is open to so much interpretation and complexity that to say we were "anarchists" seems simply to serve the purpose of establishing this fixed identity, which can be manipulated and interpreted at will. All of us. You, me, everyone, are first and foremost human beings. We were born like that and we will die like that also. Everything really is in us.

There is of course the age-old problem, or should I say perception, that if you are a band that has recorded and released something, it’s very easy for the listener to stick you in that in that place and never allow you to move on from it. In a strange way it has now almost become fashionable for kids to wear patches with Amebix, Peni, Antisect etc logo’s plastered all over their black clothes, to the point where it’s even ‘hip’ in some circles.

With this in mind, it’s very easy to become critical of peoples motivations. On the other hand, it could be seen as a positive thing but like most artforms that eventually become defined, the overall sense is that people are more concerned with looking back as opposed to forwards.

There’s no denying that the renewed popularity in this kind of music has made it easier for you and certainly Amebix, to return (and rightly so), but how do you feel about the whole ‘nostalgia trip’ aspect that it could be conceived as by some?

We're not here on any nostalgia trip whatsoever. Let's make that clear. We're here to look forward, not back. Of course we realise that some people will want to talk about what went down before, and that's fine. We're happy to do that. We're happy to perform some of the older material, but that's not the purpose of doing this. We're sure that there will be certain aspects of what we might do that will draw blood from the people that still see us how they saw us back in the day, and that's fine. We're not doing this to make friends. We're doing it because we like the noise we make and this is our vehicle to express our thoughts and feelings.

Musically as well, you weren’t afraid to try different things. As time went on, the more metallic influence seemed to shine through stronger and in many respects you were ahead of the game. Whereas the metal influence on Discharge led them to glam, it seemed to make Antisect heavier.

Of course the lack of real message in metal generally seemed to dilute the punk scene of its social awareness, and the emphasis started to become more focused on technical ability and pseudo fantasy lyrics around about the mid-late eighties. Was this something that you ever thought about? Did you ever feel that the meaning of songs often got lost by the pure aggression of the music?

To us, it seemed like the social awareness aspect of the scene gradually disintegrated as more people tired of the battles they had to endure in order to exist in that cultural framework. The shift for some people towards a less politised genre like metal, was maybe a part reflection of that. Though obviously, punk and metal are not a million miles away from each other anyway. We've never really thought of ouselves as a "punk" band or a "metal" band, to be honest. Although the links are obviously there. We wrote and played what we wanted to hear at the time. Besides, our technical limitations simply wouldn't allow us to be a more technical type of band even if we had ever wanted to be. We were quite happy with our riffola. As for the lyrical style, we've never considered writing pseudo fantasy lyrics. That's simply not what we're about. It's true that the lyrics on our later material are less overt that previously, but the subject matter remains consistant.

Music reflects our emotions, and if it is to do that accurately, then it must surely reflect feelings other than simply anger or rage. It's pretty difficult though, to express the wider range of our emotions through a fixed genre, and that's where we're coming from when we say we don't think of ourselves as a this band or that band. Yes. Our music is predominately dark and heavy, but you can be sure we'll continue to explore the other sides of who we are from time to time.

Despite all of the question marks surrounding integrity, motives and the way things ‘aren’t like they used to be’, it must be pretty gratifying to learn that your music has stood the test of time and since become popular all around the world, way more so than it ever was at the time?

Yes. No doubt about it. It is nice to feel that we might have touched the hearts and minds of people around the globe and hugely gratifying to think that somehow we leave our mark on the world, but at the same time, we're only a very small fish in a great sea. As kids, starting out from the band hall in a small town in the midlands, to the point we're at now, none of us could have foreseen the times, good, bad and some just plain weird, we have had in between.

What are the question marks surrounding integrity, motives and the way "things aren't like they used to be", exactly?

Over the years, many bootlegs of demos & live recordings have appeared on the scene, which I would imagine are in no way authorised by band members? Is this something that bothers you and have you ever thought about compiling some of these recordings yourselves, making it legitimate?

With only two commercially released recordings, these bootlegs or old cassettes are the only way a lot of people can put the bands history into perspective. Maybe you prefer that there is a certain sense of anonymity to these recordings being out there, because at least they are?

The main thing that kinda bothers us is that there has definitely been a bunch of people out there making money out of us without being straight up enough to contact us first to see how we might feel about it. True, there was a time when this was more difficult than it is now, but a simple rule of thumb might be, if you don't have the band's permission for you to exploit them in this way, then, if you have any integrity, you simply don't do so. The other thing is that the quality can often be pretty poor. People have very differing ideas of what constitutes quality control, either in the audio or the presentation.

There are plans in the pipeline to compile an "anthology", of sorts, and we're talking with one or two people about it, but it's early days yet. We'll see what happens...

What is the true story regarding the aborted second album that was scheduled for release through Mortarhate? How far did you get into the recording process, where was it initially recorded and why was it never finished?

It was a strange time for us. There had been lots of upheavals in people's personal lives and plus it's probably fair to say that we were all definitely "overdoing it". The whole thing is a pretty hazy memory now, but the simplest way to put it would be to say it just came at the wrong time. We began tracking at The Greenhouse studios, near Old Street in London and, interspersed with slavering drink and drugs sessions, cut most of the drum tracks there. We then moved on to Alaska studios in Waterloo to start work on the guitars and vocals. Which is probably where it hit the wall.

It was becoming more and more difficult to express what was in our heads. "In Darkness..." had enabled us to document our thoughts and feelings from the first years of our adult lives and, in doing that, it used up a lot of subject matter. Conscious of not wanting to repeat ourselves, it made the whole lyric writing process from then on a lot more complex. Musically, we'd written what we felt was some great material, but, if we're honest, we were probably coming up short in our ability to do it justice in the studio. The other part of it was that we were finding it increasingly hard to reconcile our thoughts with the stuff that was going on around us at the time. Despite some close associations, we'd never really felt like we were a part of any "movement" or whatever you might wanna call it, but by this time, possibly more because of the direction the music had taken, we were definitely feeling a bit out on a limb. Plus I think we felt that the label, whilst certainly helping us with regards to the studio sessions, along with a few other people around us, didn't really "get" what we were about, so there did feel like there was a little distance there. In truth, I think that at that stage a lot of stuff combined and we just felt a little bit lost and simply unable, for various reasons, to get out what was inside.

Looking back at a time when the band was initially active, it seemed that a lot of people and similar bands were genuinely hungry for change. What do you think the music of that period did actually change and do you think it has been long lasting? How would you compare, if you could to the music or ‘punk scene’ of today?

If any of the events of that particular time changed anything, I would like to think that they may have encouraged a few people to evaluate themselves more, and to look at the world around them with a broader perspective. In an every day sense, it sowed the seeds for what has become a much larger underground network of people, musicians, discussionboards, venues, art space, you name it, today, and on a personal level, I'm just as hungry for change now as I was when I was 18. Sure, I express it in different ways, but what was in my head then, is definitely still there now. I hesitate to put a label on it, but.... well.... you know.....

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Words

 

They
(In Darkness There Is No Choice - LP, 1983, Spiderleg Records)

Who are these people who believe they have the right
The knowledge and the wisdom to impose their barbaric way of life
Upon you and l and others in this world
Which itself belongs to all of us or haven’t they fuckin’ heard?

Who are these people who support the cause of war
And use their false morality and label it as law
Who are these people who change happiness to pain
And turn the suffering of one into another’s so called gain

Who are these people who wreak starvation and disease
And who are these people who build their system based on greed
Who are these people who create aggression, fear and hate?
And then use them as tools to keep all others in their place

We have created all greed and all hate
For we are as one and so must all take the blame
We are pleading for heaven whilst accepting this hell
We’re asking for liberty whilst repressing ourselves
We are controlled by outsiders to whom we pledge our support
By our silence and acceptance we too are at fault
We sit and we suffer and worse believe its ok
Or we scream till we die but it wont go away
We may advocate peaceful or armed revolutions
But all we create are more institutions
To bind us and blind us and tell us we’re free
To restrict and confine us within normality
Well freedom is internal or haven’t you sussed
To possess freedom of mind is the first forward thrust
And normal, what’s normal but a lie and a con
The most overcrowded prison where no-one belongs
The thought police are with us they have been for years
They’ve standardised values with their weapons of fear
Fear of being pointed at of not blending with the crowd
We’ll state we’re individuals but never too loud
We’re frightened and scared of the extent of our plight
And we hide in the darkness when presented with light
We’ve polluted and poisoned and mistreated this land
We’ve tamed all the animals but failed to tame ‘man’
We eliminate the symptom rather than the cause
We're all the disease but we're also the cure
The rich and the poor and the weak and the strong
The black and the white and the old and the young
For givers and takers and daughters and sons
For good against evil our work has begun
We must all stand together to rid this world of war
And want and of suffering so open your door
To harmony to unity, to equality, to sharing
Start breathing, start feeling, start living, start caring
We can reach new horizons of trust and respect
We can live hand in hand and let peace take effect
We can open our hearts to compassion and love
We can open the cage that imprisons the dove
We can open our minds to be alive and be free
We can take down our barriers and reveal the true WE

There is no them and us
There’s only you and me

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The World's Biggest Runt
(In Darkness There Is No Choice - LP, 1983, Spiderleg Records)

An animal has a heart and flesh that is precious
But obviously more to man than animal
An animal is a life. It has a body, a mind
And is it forever and ever to be abused by mankind
At peace in its field, but when human comes near
It cowers away and it trembles with fear
Because it knows that at some point in its life
Man will lead it to fate with the blade of his knife
Eat your pet puppy, what a cruel thing to say
But lead a lamb to slaughter and of course that’s ok
The blood soaked death house to the well gr(k)illed meal
What right do you offer for the life that you steal
Meat in the restaurant…medium or rare?
How did it get there ? too few really care
Animal for breakfast. Animal for tea
Animal for supper. Well who cares? WE!
Picture the family, knives in their hands
All waiting for mummy to produce the dead lamb
Expectant and hungry to chew on its flesh
Little Sue dosen’t like meat. But mummy knows best
She’ll tell Sue of protein because that’s all that she sees
Mummy’s unaware of blood and heart disease
There’s millions starving because there’s meat on the table
But try and tell mummy and she’ll dismiss it as fable
Animals in cosmetics, animals to eat
Animals fill stomachs, but a life is not meat
Animals imprisoned and encaged for our pleasure
Used and abused as mere toys for our leisure
Destroyed and tortured in mans laboratory
Humiliated and stripped of all dignity
Dissected and burned and poisoned to death
And what is the reason? So one may add to ones wealth
Animals for clothing, animals for meals
But what right do you offer for the lives that you steal?
Animals to shoot at, animals to hunt
Definition of human……………………………………

We completely denounce the barbaric belief that to slaughter so called lesser species for profit should be viable and morally acceptable.To take the life of any living creature, we see as being totally unacceptable .Deeming ourselves as the most intelligent species, we appear to have reached the conclusion that all other species are expendable. This archaic way of thinking, has led to both the extinction and near extinction of hundreds of species of animal during our short time on earth. What we are faced with is a complete reassessment of our whole moral standards. Not only do we use animals to achieve our own ends, we also seem to believe that it is our natural right to do so.

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Education or Indoctrination
(In Darkness There Is No Choice - LP, 1983, Spiderleg Records)

Poor little jimmy, it’s his first day at school
He doesn’t know the answer so he’s told he’s the fool
"Stand in the corner you stupid little boy
our question must be answered or we’ll take away your toys"
Teacher’s got his views on the way you’ve got to be
(You may have your own opinion as long as you don’t disagree with me)
Teacher knows what’s best, remember teacher’s always right
The teacher is this system and this system rules your life
Defiant little fucker he won’t wear the uniform
So headmaster gets the cane out to ensure that he conforms
Everybody else must wear the shirt and tie they say
If you insist on being different we’ll have you taken away
Poor little jimmy they’ve forced him to obey
He doesn’t like school so he’s absent for a day
One day grows to two days then it’s for a week
Teacher contacts mummy says jimmy’s playing hide and seek
Mummy’s so distraught she says "I’ve given him all l can"
All Jimmy wants is freedom but she doesn’t understand
All her life she was told that if she didn’t tow the line
She would end up just like daddy and daddy’s doing time
Meanwhile little jimmy’s confused he’s in despair
Mummy says she loves him as he’s taken into care
She can’t hold back the tears as she waves her son goodbye
Poor jimmy’s disillusioned and he too breaks down and cries
Poor little child they’ve forced him to obey
He wouldn’t wear the uniform so they’ve had him locked away
Teacher knows what’s best for you, Teacher’s always right
The teacher is the system and this system rules your life

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In Darkness...
(In Darkness There Is No Choice - LP, 1983, Spiderleg Records)

Gazing out through the bars of sanction and right
Enclosed in your prisons of anonymous life
Offering but glimpses of who you can be
Alive with no vision yet pretending to see

In darkness there is no choice

Come out of your cupboards, you boys and you girls
Come out and play it’s time to unfurl
Take off your masks and lay down your shields
Without your deceit you could make living real

In darkness there is no choice

Abandoning reason you substitute faith
In others in darkness and thus seal your fate
Accepting the path that failure has spawned
Pathetic, frightened you’re sold to the norm

In darkness there is no choice

Living the illusion of pretending you care
Revolving in spirals, locked in despair
You refuse to acknowledge the strength of your will
You’ll suck us down with you as you slide down the hill

In darkness there is no choice

 

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Heresy
(In Darkness There Is No Choice - LP, 1983, Spiderleg Records)

What is your purpose
Who is your god
Who owns your mind
What path do you follow
For whom do you speak
Which mask do you wear
Who draws your line
What is your weakness
Where lies your love
What are your dreams
Where are your standards
What keeps you going
How large is your prison
What breeds your hate
Where do you hide
Where are your strengths

What are your nightmares
When do you cry
How high are your walls
What is your weapon
How far can you see
What is your truth
Where are your values
What brings you joy
For whom do you bleed
Which way do you turn
Who carries your burden
How large is your prison
How deep is your search
Who is your slave
How bright is your flame
Where is your future

What do you offer
What are your barriers
Who owns your mind
What is your shield
What do you steal
What is your justice
Who is your martyr
Where is your corner
What is your liberty
What is your peace
What is your purpose
Where lies your faith
Why was your past
Who do you oppress
Why do you care
What is your bondage

What do you use
How high are your walls
Where is your reason
Where is your enemy
How much can you take
What is your wisdom
What breeds your hate
For whom do you suffer
What is your scapegoat
What do you argue
Why is your fear
What is your cause
What is your answer
How long have you got
What is the time
It’s the time for change

 

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Channel Zero (Reality)
(In Darkness There Is No Choice - LP, 1983, Spiderleg Records)

We call it television. It could be used as the greatest form of mass communication of knowledge that exists in the present day. However what we see on our screens is merely a very acute reflection of the path that mankind has taken in ‘his’ short and somewhat erratic existence. Is it not ironic that the knowledge and technology that brought forth this marvellous invention could not be put to further use in the field of eliminating some of the struggles that stand before the progression of humanity? For example - learning to live in true cohesion with our environment and ridding ourselves of the burdens of poverty, inequality and greed Like many other ‘advancements‘ in the practice of human science.Television has been put to use in a wholly retrogressive way. Far from enhancing the qualities of life, it's possible benefits have been largely overlooked. What we are left with is the mirror image of our own shallow and pretentious little ‘worlds’. We laugh, we cry, we feel hatred, we feel love as we absorb ourselves within the characters portrayed on the screen. Whereas if we were to take a step sideways we might recognise the characters as being several shades of ourselves. Television, to most, is regarded as a primary source of entertainment rather than one of many possible forms of education or enlightenment. We allow ourselves to switch our own minds off as we plug into that of another. On the whole television does nothing more than put into prospective our own shortcomings

Turn away from the cathode ray and face reality…
A world of greed, pretence and fear and misery
The focal point of view is the means for our escape
And until we realise this problem the show remains the same

Channel Zero - Reality

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Hallo There, How's Life?
(In Darkness There Is No Choice - LP, 1983, Spiderleg Records)

Look into the depths of your own beings. Seek out the truth
Realise it in yourselves. For you will find it nowhere else

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Yet They Still Ignore
(In Darkness There Is No Choice - LP, 1983, Spiderleg Records)

"It’s a shame about the third world
They’re starving at our feet"
Are you sure you’ve quite alright now George?
Have you had enough to eat?
There’s lots and lots of stew left
It’s over there on the shelf.
Are you sure you’ve had enough now?
Well you can always help yourself."

Yet they still ignore

Wallmart’s got a sale on
"How about a treat?"
Says hubby to the wife
As they’re walking down the street
They’ve got so much to choose from
That they don’t know what to get
Maybe an electric toothbrush
Or another cutlery set….

And still the minutes tick away
Another hour off another day
Silence as the world is blind
To the suffering of humankind
People starve all over the world
The voice of hunger but few have heard
Some they laugh whilst others cry
Some gain wealth, others die

They’ll buy a brand new toilet seat
That’ll match the nice new loo
"Have you got a red one?
Oh well, we’ll paint the bathroom blue.
How about one of these?
I’m not quite sure what it’s for
But we have a couple on the mantelpiece,
And I’d really like one more"

Yet they still ignore

"How about a nice big joint?
Aunt Lucy’s coming to dinner.
Oh look George it’s a chuckie roast
It’s got to be a winner"
They’ll lavish it with mint sauce
Finish off with apple pie
Then they’ll sit in front of the big square screen
And let their conscience die

And yet they still ignore

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The Buck Stops Here
(In Darkness There Is No Choice - LP, 1983, Spiderleg Records)

Is life better than death?
If so, then surely peace must be better than war
If suffering is something that nobody wants

then why should it escalate more?
Are we really so afraid we have to close our eyes
And ignore these things exist
Until people are prepared to cast away their greed
War and poverty will always exist
Some of us believe that it’s more important
To feed the banker before the poor
And some are not quite sure just what they want
But they’re positive that they want more
Conflict in the name of peace
As we declare war again and again
Seems to be that the politics of power
Are brutal murder equals material gain
Why are we content to ride the wave?
Whilst forgetting about the storm
And why must the hand that delivers the child
Seek to strangle the unborn
People bath in affluence
Wealth in wallet but not in mind
Divorced from want and oblivious to
The unfortunates of humankind

And meanwhile, half a world away
A baby cries dying of hunger
Its tiny body ravaged with disease
An old man falls to his knees
Embracing a blood stained corpse that once carried life
The battered corpse is his wife
A grief stricken mother turns silently from a window
As she awaits her son who’ll never return
Another victim of another cause
Obscenity….War
In the playground wide eyed children play war games
Whilst on the other side of the street real war continues
Guns and bombs as toys
Or the real macoy
Men pointing rifles out of armoured cars
Creates tension, causes bloodshed
And we fool ourselves, as some of us believe that this is peace
A grain of rice a day
Keeps malnutrition at bay….Bollocks!
Most, so called, aid to the third world
Comes in the form of weapons
Well I’m sorry mate but something’s gone wrong
If we seriously believe that guns and bombs preserve life
Seems to us that the opposite is true
Weapons create wealth only for the arms dealers
And not those existing in the third world
Is it really ok to make money out of death
Civilisation? We’re but a fucking joke
We’ll never find peace unless we find ourselves
But it’s late and it’s getting very dark outside

 

 

 

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Tortured and Abused
(In Darkness There Is No Choice - LP, 1983, Spiderleg Records)

I am an animal strapped to a chair
Nobody helps me because nobody cares
Humanity injects and injects me again
Why am I subjected to this unbearable pain

Why …….Why must I die

I am an animal fed with disease
Forever I yearn for the joy of release
Throughout my existence I’ve been abused and confused
I wish they’d destroy me, I’ve nothing to lose

Why…….Why must I die

I am an animal, with wires in my head
Sometimes I think I'd be better off dead
Humanity is allowed to kill me or damage my brain
Why am I subjected to this unbearable pain

Why…….Why must I die

I am an animal. Is life so unfair
They’ve stolen my innocence and replaced it with fear
They’ve poisoned my bloodstream and tortured my mind
Why am I punished when I have committed no crime

Why…….Why must I die

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Out From The Void (Part 1)
(Out From The Void - 7" EP, 1985, Endangered Musik)

Clawing your way up the walls
Holding the key but never finding the door
Locked on the inside you remain
Struggling to break from the ties
Almost there but you still compromise
Joining hands but you're still on your own at midnight

Sucked in by the flow of the tide
Whatever the circles it's the easier ride
But in doing so you sacrifice yourself
Fear of being out on your own
Fear of setting foot out on the great unknown
Binds you to captivity. You create your chains

Freedom is not out of reach
But one must must learn before one may teach
That liberation is dependent upon your honesty
Whatever you desire to do. Whatever you want. Whatever is you
Live by your standards, your law

Listen and try to understand
The feelings within these lines
Our strengths, our hopes, our anger
Our will to stay alive

Desperate to communicate
The beauty of our dreams
Wanting but never knowing
If our message is received

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Out From The Void (Part 2)
(Out From The Void - 7" EP, 1985, Endangered Musik.
(Re-recorded and re-released as 2011-12 Tour 10" single)

Caught in the web of the shit you create
Seen it before yet you still take the bait

Hope, future, poisoned by fear

Secure in the vacuum that sits in your mind
Too fucking frightened to venture outside

Hope, future, poisoned by fear

Down in the depths of the void you remain
Breaking the rules but still playing the game

Hope, future, poisoned by fear

Anguish, screaming
Tears shed make whirlpools in rivers of blood
Alone in the crossfire, fear tearing at your heart
Close your eyes
Nothing is seen
Except the darkness

Desperately you cling
To your illusions of security found in layers of wealth
Turning away from the carnage but you'll never escape 'cos it's real
Close your eyes
Nothing is seen
Accept the darkness

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4 Minutes Past Midnight
(Written 1982. Released as 2011-12 Tour 10" single)

I heard your screams as the blast tore through your face
I watched in silence as denial laid the world to waste
I saw the light dissappear as the sun turned grey
I was a silent witness to the end of days

4 Minutes Past Midnight

I watched the dreams of generations turn to nightmares
I am a witness to the thoughts that were too much to bear
I felt the hatred for the people that we became
I felt the bitterness and anger, the  angst, the pain

4 Minutes Past Midnight

I looked into your eyes for some compassion for the world we shared
You stared right back at me and told me that you didn't care