M A N D Y N O LA N ’S
SOAPBOX
W W W . E C H O . N E T. A U /
S O A P - B OX
LIVE MUSIC
FREEDOFREEDOM OF HATE SPEECH Every time I hear people bang on about ‘Freedom of Speech’ I feel nauseous. Freedom of Speech never seems to me to have anything to do with freedom at all. When you hear people bleating on about it, it’s never freedom to say something good. It’s generally the freedom to say vile things and go unchecked.
Bello Winter Music serves up a hot baker’s dozen announcing the first 13 acts headed for the boutique music festival in Bellingen 11 – 14 July.
TEDESCHI’S KALEIDOSCOPE
In a world being asked to be more politically correct, to be more compassionate, to be inclusive, to open its arms to the planet’s dispossessed, this overused tenet of democracy called ‘Freedom of Speech’ has become a dangerous platform used to serve the interests of bigots who’ve got the shits because they are losing the upper hand. They’ll even shoot you for it. Because their freedom is about you not having yours. Theirs is the freedom to hate. We are at war. This time it’s not about Queen or country, or even religion, it’s about belief. This war is played out in chat groups and Twitter accounts across the world, where online tribalism allows faceless bigots an audience. A tribe. An army. Where, from the anonymous comfort of their computer screens, hate mongering extremists radicalise other angry white (usually male) people towards violence. But we have a tribe too. It’s a tribe of inclusion, and love, and non-violence, and equality. We need to mobilise our tribe with the same ferocity as they have mobilised theirs. We need to shut them down. The bigots are imploding. They no longer can use their privilege to be unashamedly racist. The privilege to be disgustingly sexist. The privilege to be entitled and white. But they’re not going to go quietly. The stinking toxic privilege-bus full of hateful violent white supremacists needs to be driven over a cliff. Metaphorically of course. I don’t condone violence. I certainly don’t condone violence in the name of freedom. I do however condone locking them out of their social media accounts. Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms have to become accountable for the kind of material disseminated. I get banned for a picture of a breastfeeding mother due to ‘morality’ yet some of these turkeys get thousands of shares. Their psychotic view of freedom is a risk to everyone else’s freedom. The Grafton born terrorist who killed 49 people last week was a published voice of hate and violence way before he orchestrated the deaths of innocent people. He proved himself an extremist deadlier than any other seen in our country or in New Zealand, so why did they have no record of him? He’d been active online for a long time. Why haven’t the agencies that are so quick to lock up suspected Muslim terrorists locking up all the online ultraright supremacists that live amongst us? They’re not hard to find. They have massive followings. I could name five right now. We could start with Senator Anning! It’s no coincidence that some of the followers of Senator Anning are neo-Nazis. You can find them in the back of videos or photos doing the classic one armed Heil Hitler salute! We can’t truly apologise for the Australian born monster we’ve unleashed when we have an elected politician making a statement on government letterhead which defends the actions of a terrorist mass murderer by laying the blame on immigration and on the Muslim community itself. It’s not enough to come out and distance yourself from Anning. He needs to be removed. If a 17 year old can throw an egg, then why can’t the whole country? Otherwise we endorse fascism. We are seeing a rise in fascist thinking. Fascist thinking that wraps itself in our flag and says, ‘This isn’t hate. This is Freedom of Speech.’ Australia is a better country for becoming multicultural. You can’t have your kebab and eat it too. To be a patriot today is to embrace multiculturalism because those faces Indian, Pakistani, Indonesian, Italian, Greek - well they ARE Australian faces too, just as much as the puffy white English ones are. I no longer believe in Freedom of Speech. I do believe however in the freedom to practise your religion without being murdered. The freedom to live without fear of persecution. The freedom to be safe. The Freedom to Love. So let’s mobilise with the same moral ferocity against violence as right-wing extremists assemble to enact it.
42 The Byron Shire Echo lëſĈIJ ǩǧǽ ǩǧǨǰ
BELLO WINTER
While the repertoire for keyboard is endless, the piano is one of the only instruments to create a truly orchestral sound on its own; the colours and timbres of the instrument have mirrored not only changes in classical music over time, but also evolutions in engineering and architecture. In this program, Simon Tedeschi presents the piano in all its majesty and dynamism - from the heartbreaking lyricism of Schubert, the romance of Chopin, to the visionary dissonance of Prokofiev, and the incandescent swing of Fats Waller. Presented by the Byron Music Society at the Byron Theatre at the Community Centre on Sunday at 3pm. Tix are $35/40 with $10 student tickets at byroncentre.com.au
THE HANDS OF THE CARPENTER… AND THE WALRUS! Local heavy folk band Walrus and the Carpenter are back on at their local stomping ground The Courthouse Hotel in Mullumbimby for the launch of their 5 track EP In my Hands. They will be aptly supported by up and coming local indie-rock band Blindmouth. Both bands performed at the Mullum Music festival 2018 and are looking forward to rocking the Courty together. The show is on Saturday and will kick off at 7.30pm Mullum time. Cover charge is $15 on the door.
Direct from Chicago for their first Australian tour, retro queen Tammi Savoy and The Chris Cosello Combo get Bello cooking with classic soul, vintage R&B and killer rockabilly riffs. Add some Afro jazz and deep world music beats from Senegambian Jazz Band, raucous sax-laden disco funk from Vaudeville Smash, Latin, blues and soul infused rock’n’roll from The Montgomery Brothers, punked-out street brass from Horns of Leroy, sassy soul from Melbourne fem-hop act The Mamas, the soulful, beat driven sounds of Sydney’s Alt R&B cosmonauts Gold Member and the blistering blues guitar of Lloyd Spiegel, and you have one super tasty Bello line-up guaranteed to get the party started. Adding to the Bello Winter Music mix are the strikingly beautiful, deep pop sounds of Laura Jean, 60s psych-soaked rock’n’roll from Jess Ribeiro, inter-woven synth and guitar from Merpire, killer vocals from folk artist and sometimes ukulele whisperer Leah Flanagan, and the new R&B and electronic influenced sounds of Hein Cooper. With more than 60 additional acts to be announced in April, this will be one Bello Winter Music to remember. Now in its fifth year Bello Winter Music is a family friendly wholetown festival. As well as the music pouring out of 14 different venues, Bellingen comes alive with street theatre, markets, circus performances and a psychedelic Magic Bus (free rides around town). The festival features Bellingen LeaF, a sustainability focused program of workshops available at no extra cost to festival goers, and the hugely successful Youth Mentorship Program which gives aspiring, young musicians the opportunity to receive mentorship from an established artist from the line-up and to perform at the festival. Tix on sale now at bellowintermusic.com
UKE CAN DO IT! If you’re a beginner ukulele player, Miss Amber and Stukulele have a UKE NIGHT just for you. Come and strum along to simple songs with easy chords and be part of a massive ukulele orchestra. Your favourite tunes will be le d by the uke night band, featuring Rod Coe on Bass, Jamie Pattugalin on drums with special guest Chris Cook on other stringed things and special guest vocalist – Country Music Queen Clelia Adams. The songbook is available through www.ukemullum.com. Great fun whether you are strumming, singing or just enjoying the vibes. Adults $15 kids Youth (6 - 15 yo) $2.50... everyone else is FREE on Thursday 28 March from 6.30pm.
“...a truly unforgettable musical experience.” Irish Echo
Plus special guest
ANGIE HUDSON (BANKSIA / ÁINE TYRRELL)
FRI 22 MAR,8PM • CLUB MULLUM Tickets @ www.clubmullum.com
North Coast news daily in Echonetdaily www.echo.net.au