How to spend £350K + / ODS Saxon and Goat Leaf just Great / And Brilliant Theatre and Music This Weekend

There was a strange, nasty atmosphere in Town last Saturday.  It was something I’d not experienced in Rotherham before.   

There was something really frightening about coming through the Interchange to be confronted by walls of Policemen kettling fences and police Vehicles. 

As I walked along Effingham Road, making my way to All Saints Square there were riot cops, cops on horses, cops with dogs, and some very empty shops.

I could hear in the background racist chants emanating from the County Borough, where the cause of the trouble, the EDL, were gathering.  Those chants alone should have had the Police arresting EDL Members, but the Police seemed completely unmoved by the hateful chants. 

Ironic isn’t it?  We all got excited when a Footballer allegedly uttered racist comments, yet here our gallant Police Force actually allowed the EDL to shout the slogans out with real hate and intent in the voice - free of any sanction.

All Saints Square was closed down, by security fencing, Police lined the boundary of the Minster, and yet more Police mixed with the growing Counter Demonstration, suggesting we ought to behave ourselves, and asking us why grown men and women would want to be a part of the Counter Demonstration; especially one like me who could hardly walk.

I’m told that there were over 750 Policemen on duty  on Saturday the 13^th.  All leave was cancelled.  There were 200 max Counter demonstrators in all Saints Square; there were around 200 more counter demonstrators protecting the Mosque at the top of Ship Hill where the EDL were going to hold their Rally as instructed by the Police, I'm told  Oh and the EDL turned out about 100.  I make that 1.5 Coppers per protester!!   

No less than five, spread across the road, followed me back to the Interchange, they were in full battle dress.  Couldn’t resist thanking them for the protection as they realised I wanted a bus and not to bash an EDL member with my walking stick. 

Over done? – you bet it was.

For me the real surprise came during the speeches when the Deputy Leader of the Council informed us that it was the Police who had allowed the EDL march to take place; and had set the route of the march, etc, without consulting with the Council or anyone. 

Apparently the Policing cost was around £375K!  The cost to the Town Centre in terms of lost trading etc., is considerably more,  the most recent estimate I saw was £400K and the damage to the improving reputation of the Rotherham Town Centre cannot be measured. 

Personally I think that the Police have major questions to answer.  The main one being why the Police allowed a march to take place that broke many National Laws as well as Rotherham Bye Laws. 

When Mick and I put on Slamfest in All Saints Square at the end of July, we had to go on a major form filling exercise; provide £5m of public liability Insurance; complete risk assessments ; wait for permissions ; give assurances concerning stewarding and alcohol usage; and initially avoid a Utd Match day; and warned that  any call for Policing from our event would incur a charge.   

I’m told that the Counter Demonstration had to hobble together as much of the aforementioned papaerwork as they could in the short time they had to get organised , yet the EDL named the day and the Police without any reference or consideration for the “people” of Rotherham or cost simply gave permission for it to go ahead on the basis of free speech.

That free speech apparently includes words and slogans widely considered to promote racial hatred is absolutely stupid, but our gallant Police Force stood by and let it happen.  Why?  

We won’t go down that road though.

My concern really is aimed at what might be considered to be the low number of Counter Demonstrators, about 175 in total maximum and while represented during the speeches the exceptional and obvious lack of ethnic representation as part of UAF lead demonstration

Perhaps the turnout was not helped by the likes of Lord Ahmed and Community Leaders asking people to stay away.  The arguments being Community safety and giving life to the EDL through providing them with publicity.  Clearly Lord Ahmed and his friends have learnt nothing from history, e.g. that if you sit back, do nothing, you will soon be over run.  Where fascism and racism is concerned there can be no compromise.

There was a rumour on the day that even the Deputy Leader of the Council had issued advise that Labour Councillors should not be seen to be a part of the Demonstration.  In the event a handful of demonstrators and two MPs turned out, well done to them. 

It would be good to see Rotherham Council at the vanguard of defending their citizens from the disruption and threats of the EDL – maybe that’s just a little bit too much to expect.   Yes indeed.

Finally, there was clearly some sort of organisational mix up going on.  Nothing happened for a long time in the Square and it wasn’t clear exactly what was supposed to be going on.  Let’s hope it all gets sorted and clear lines of communication are opened before the next one……………………   yes the next one, apparently the National Front intend to March on Saturday 27^th – unless of course the Police do their job and stop it before it gets started.   The Police have a responsibility to the Rotherham Community, not the interests of fascist Organisations.

All Dickie's photographs from the day can be found HERE

That said, Saturday for RAE and the Fringe Festival was a good one.  OK we had to cancel the Saturday Brunch Club, but we were able to get on a truly top quality evening of Heavy Metal, with local Band Goat Leaf supporting the legendary ODS Saxon.  An evening super charged with positivism in so many ways.  

Visually and musically the  performances of both Bands were faultless.

It was also good to see The Trades Club once again packed to the rafters and bouncing, with some class acts. 

I think we chalk that concert up as a success, given the number of people asking for more at the end. 

Photographs from the night HERE and I'm told there are some better one's to come.

And so to a success of a different sort. 

On Monday at the Try Line Club, an interesting venue, The Rotherham Red Choir once again demonstrated their fantastic musical technical ability.  If there is a better Choir in the Town then I’m still to hear them.   I must also note an excellent song about Amnesty written by Rob Slow.  I think I might have a snippet of that which you will be able to find on the Web Site.

The Red Choir had put together a super programme including Two Play an interesting Husband and Wife duo of jazz playing, exponents of the French Horn.  A delightful half hours entertainment including music from the classics to the modern. 

Also included on the programme SOSA-XA brought the sounds of Zimbabwe and South Africa in a slash of great harmonies and colour.  A super end to the evening.  

And it’s good to report that the evening was played out to a near full house (of part the advantage of having large Choir participation – an old Masher trick) 

I also went to a meeting of the Get Sorted Trustees.  Watch this space for more good news very soon. 

Last Wednesday’s Acoustic Club went ahead as planned and played out to the usual suspects, I cannot even call it all the usual suspects.   It’s a great pity that such quality music is not getting the audience it deserves.   Next year even more thought will be put into the planning and venues for the Acoustic Clubs.  

But we cannot leave the Wednesday Club without offering a huge THANK YOU to Swansong Acoustic, Ian Huddleston, Paul Pearson / Chris Treebeard and Keystone Acoustic for once again making a super contribution to the Fringe Festival. 

It seems strange but we’re two weeks into the Festival and we’ve still not had a Fringe Festival Saturday Brunch Acoustic Club.  What would have been week one was taken up with Opus Hatch, and week two was wiped out by the EDL marching past.   Bring your own burgers – coffee / tea  - sandwiches and turn it into realm eating experience, a bag of crisps might pass.   But come and have some fun.  We need it after last Saturday.

David Kidman will be joined by Rum Doodle and Chris Scarlett for a guest spot and you might even find the Masher out on a pre op romp and a host of surprises .……….. + mainly yourselves for a relaxed mid-Saturday.   It’s going to be a goodie. 

If you were down to play at one or two please head on down for three and four and David will sort a spot out for you. 

And this coming weekend at the Fringe we have a variety of events for you.  On Friday 19^th, you can be taken to the Sheffield Workhouse of the nineteenth Century and the more modern work experience offered by Tesco in the twenty first century are brought to the stage on Friday 19^th October at the Old Market Gallery, Rotherham, in the form of two one person plays, presented by Rotherham Art Events as part of the Rotherham Open Arts Festival Fringe.

Tina Mckevit will be performing “A Poor Prospect: Tales From the Workhouse” that she co-wrote with Matt Hegarty.  It’s a tears and laughter performance providing a taste of what life in the Workhouse of Sheffield may have been like.  With some beautifully crafted songs the piece is given passion and intensity by Tina’s performance.   There is talk that the show will be taken to the Edinburgh Festival in 2013.

And Edinburgh is where Stan Skinny has returned from with a successful run of his one man show “The Tesco Chain Store Massacre” tucked under his belt.  Fifty minutes of pure satire, that on it’s Premier in Rotherham earlier this year, held the audience in tears of laughter.  Stan captures the essence of what some have has described as the modern equivalent to the Workhouse perfectly as he takes you through work experiences that any retailer will recognise only too well.

The main Festival are presenting “Call Me Mr Robeson” at RCAT.  It’s a bit disappointing that not more thought was given to the programming of the events, but hey the professionals know best, so Rotherham has two top quality Theatre productions in one night.

On Saturday more Theatre, this time at The Trades Club, where the BOT Theatre Company will be presenting a programme to show case the type of work they do.  There is a Matinee at 2:30pm and an evening performance at 7:00pm.   Please go along and make the performances a success. 

And at the Charters it’s The Tom Killner Band with support from The Blind Dead McJones Band from Leeds.  This is sure to be a cracking night so get in early.

I’ll be with you with more tales from the Festival and more, sometime soon, especially if I find out more about the threatened NF March on the 27^th October.  

Festival listings page is HERE All the full listings HERE

Hope to see you at the weekend’s Festival activities, and whatever you are doing this weekend, have great fun, support your local artists and keep it live.