Black history month

[flatandy]

Robert Cray was the first gig I paid to go and see, I think.

[mids]

Racist.

[mids]

I had a black housemate at uni who only liked rap. He poo-pood Robert Cray, and this other black lad who liked him, as not being radical enough.

[mids]

He also objected to Heather Small going out with Shaun Edwards.

[unclejunior]

Robert Cray was great live 👍
Saw him with Buddy Guy who was also excellent & had a club in Chicago while I was living there..

[flatandy]

Heather Small's voice was unlistenably bad.

[voice]

No matter who was playing most of the festivals I went to in early to mid 80s had very white audiences. Even the one I saw Burning Spear at only had a few restas in the crowd.

That being said when I went to reggae and dub festivals the audience was much more of a mix.

[wetkingcanute]

I went to the Pilton Pop Blues and Folk festival a long time ago - I think - Tyrannosaurus Rex played if I remember correctly - it's all gone a bit hazy. Or was it the Isle of White. No tell a lie it was the Windsor Jazz and Blue festival in 1966 - Cream played their first real gig.

[perrykneeham]

Isle of White Festival? Bloody hell! You people.

[voice]

Last festival I went to, here in BC, I knew non of the bands really appart from the Tragically Sh!t, and Bear Naked Ladies, all Canadian line up as I remember, so you can imagine...

[happyhammerhead]

'Ocean Colour Scene' sends me to sleep.

And that's just their name - no music required.

[Repat Van]

Jun 14, 2022 17:20:13 GMT unclejunior said:

After all Lenny only spent 5 years playing in the Uncle Tom black & White minstrels…
I ve never seen a white band rocking the Notting Hill festival amongst all those black faces either

Notting Hill Festival?

[Repat Van]

Jun 14, 2022 17:52:57 GMT perrykneeham said:

I suppose some black kids must have been inspired and encouraged by Sir Lenny. Sasha Johnson and Van to name but two. We have a thriving culture or professional black people, many of whom actually have decided to live their lives being a colour. TBF to Uncle Sir Tom Henry, he doesn't have such a thick hide that he pretends to have been held back, while simultaneously being a very well-regarded and paid public figure.

You should seek help for your obsession with me.

[mids]

Jun 15, 2022 5:00:57 GMT Repat Van said:

Jun 14, 2022 17:20:13 GMT unclejunior said:

After all Lenny only spent 5 years playing in the Uncle Tom black & White minstrels…
I ve never seen a white band rocking the Notting Hill festival amongst all those black faces either

Notting Hill Festival?

I  think he meant The Notting Hill carnival.

[perrykneeham]

The Notting Hill Khanival, more like.

[ootlg]

Notting Hill Khanage, shurely?

Couple of times I went it was... interesting. Ended up in a packed pub somewhere shoulder to shoulder with people I didn't much like. And that was the bunch I went with.

[mids]

I went once. It was raining a bit and even at the periphery, was a bit "chaotic". I left.

[flatandy]

I went a couple of times. I agree with OOTLG’s description. I didn’t like the people much. The worst of rich white West-central London showing off how they slummed it, showing off how cool they were because they smoked dope and could be aloof about the people coming in, trying to slum it a bit more by abusing the police even though for once these particular police had done nothing wrong. There were almost no black people living actually on the route by that point. The actual floats and carnival part were fine but a bit underwhelming. The rest was sh*t.

[flatandy]

I do wonder if Sir Len is trying to atone for his past. I’m pretty sure running around screaming “Katanga Katanga” and his Trevor McDonut character would be viewed a little differently these days.

[mids]

Not to mention his stint as a B&W Minstrel.