The launch of the RAR HOPE NOT HATE club night at Brixton Jamm

Geoff Martin | Monday, 11 February 2008 Source: Militant Entertainment

The launch of the RAR/HOPE NOT HATE club night at Brixton Jamm on friday 8th Feb was a stunning success.

The club was packed out with music fans and press fired up for the usual RAR mix of pop and politics and for some of us old-timers it was a lovely trip down memory lane so it was a pleasure to have Jerry Dammers from the Specials and Skegsy from the Ruts on hand to reminise about the good old days and to compare the visible signs of middle age.

Essex

lad the Marlers got us underway followed by the Mentalists who proved once again that the judges on Channel Fours Mobile Act Unsigned know nothing.

Then the Krak did their stuff and proved what a wise move it was for the Militant Entertainment lable to sign them up - they will be massive and between successive toe-tappers of the highest order they sent out an anti-bnp message to the growing crowd.

Local heros the Thirst showed why they are tipped by the NME to be massive this year - Pete Doherty made it down but due to a hold up at the studio in Wandsworth wasn't able to do a tune but we all appreciated his support for this important night.

And so we headed into the small hours with the Others. The lost bass player was eventually located and the place went nuts with beer sloshed about, a stage invasion and general mayhem. Dominic Masters did the honours with an expletive laced tirade against the fascists. Top work Dom

Dammers DJ'd the main bar and I stumbled off out into the south london night with me voice hoarse, me knees aching and a little bit Guinnessed up but happy that we'd done Red Saunders and the RAR legacy proud.

Geoff Martin

Militant Entertainment