Boards
That cancelled Just Jam grime event
Has there been any chat on these boards about this? Difficult to see this as being anything other than institutional racism from the City of London police. An incredibly depressing knee-jerk reaction at a time when I thought the police were a bit more intelligent about this sort of thing.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/27/just-jam-grime-ban-police-prejudice-barbican
There is some talk in the grime thread
http://drownedinsound.com/community/boards/music/4441824
Its just stupid. Its prob down to people be scared about young people as well as race. I mean don't the barbican hold events for all ages with a bar all the time but now they're worried because some grime artists and electronic people are on a bill. The artists are all well established and play all the time all over the place with no problems. All the other events on the weekend are going ahead but they're scared of this one. Its not even all grime on the bill but grime will get the flack for it. Just Jam where putting on workshops all week for kids to go to and having a killer concert at the end, getting kids involved with this kind of music early when they can't get to clubs is a wicked idea and needs to happen more often really.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BhVR92oIQAAFZsV.jpg
It's all a bit sad really.
I thought this event was a really nice idea, too. As much as City of London police seem to be to blame here, it also feels like Barbican could have put the event on if they wanted to.
Bardican could have stood up to the police I suppose
Not sure why they didn't.
Racist or anti-youth, it was a very backward, old-style policing decision.
pretty sure I read recently
that the majority (I think it was £19m out of £20m total) of the Barbican's funding comes from the Corporation of London. I imagine that has a large part of them doing what the Corporation's police force asks them to do.
'Difficult to see this as being anything other than institutional racism'
no it isn't.
...
you're by some mile the most annoying person on DiS now
you used to be alright.
you think institutional racism is the only reason this could have been cancelled?
It's by far the most likely
racism/classism, whatever.
Classism is probably the most likely, yes
however thats a step away from saying its difficult to see any reason other than institutional racism as the reason for cancellation, particularly when you delve into omar's links to assad
Grime is music which has a strong link to two things: race and poverty
So race definitely played a role in the decision, as did class. As others have said they have held other festivals there and events which are pretty loud, but this young, racially mixed and angry dynamic which grime channels appears to have put the willies up them.
The Souleyman stuff is clearly ridiculous. He plays here all the time, he's smart enough not to talk politics and it's pure low level conspiracy theory.
It's a shame though, music is a positive force usually and many grime artists talk about that. I laughed at the barbicanisation of grime when I saw this but it was a pretty bold move to recognise changing cultures and perceptions by the Barbican. Which has now backfired.
Interesting to think if Barbican would ever have cancelled a black metal, punk or noise gig
for the same reasons, innit.
This^
(aside from the opening logical fallacy)
haha, whups
Alright, it's not "difficult"
I was making a point. The point being that the demographic perceived to be attending the event was the cause of the decision ie black kids.
You're right it's not difficult at all
it's always very easy for white middle class indie messageboard kids to come up with ALL SORTS of ridiculous, tenuous apologetics for institutional police racism.
Wasn't much of a grime even was it?
Omar Souleyman? Mount Kimbie? Sophie??
Line up
JME & Big Narstie Ft Preditah / Sophie / Omar Souleyman / RP Boo & Light Bulb / Mount Kimbie / Sticky / Newham Generals / Kurupt Fm / Marfox Nadus /Loefah & Chunky (with MARAWAS’s MAJORETTES)
JME, Big Narstie, Preditah and Newham Generals are the only grime on there.
Plus it was being put on/promoted by the photographers/film-makers,
who are closely associated with the grime scene.
Got advertised as a grime event
I guess that was all that mattered
Yeah
Other stuff is related too or comes from a simular urband kind of underground like RP Boo from Chicago with his footwork, Sticky and a load of old garage/uk funky, Marfox makes Lisbon Kuduro, Loefah & Chunky have dubstep links.
Do bands get their gigs locked down at the barbican? because there is a bar some kids might turn up and they're worried people without tickets might turn up? Its a venue, shouldn't they have ways with dealing with that like I dunno ID systems at the bar like they all do, not letting in people without tickets like you know everyone does... Should any events be aloud at the barbican if they can't handle that?
I was saying yesterday
When I saw Evian Christ support Nico Jaar at the Barbican last year the end of his set was like a full on apocalyptic rave, room blacked out, crazy harsh jungle beats (probably not what your average Nico Jaar fan was expecting tbf), and that was probably ten times more rowdy than anything that would get played tomorrow. But everyone on that lineup was white so no one batted an eyelid.
Yeah
Its just stupid. I mean JME is on twitter right now organising to play some golf tonight with tempz and the barbican are scared its going to kick off.
And yeah this new Evian Christ track pretty much is grime: https://soundcloud.com/evianchrist/waterfall
I fucking love the way
JME always just says 'anyone wanna go to the cinema?' on Twitter all the time :D
The only things I can think of, outside of institutionalised racism/prejudice,
are that:
- A direct threat had been made against Omar Souleyman.
- Although the gig was ticketed and sold out, it was free, and for some reason they thought that lots of people would just turn up.
I don't think either of those are that likely, to be honest, and the reasons given for the police putting pressure on the Barbican to call it off would apply to just about any other show put on at the venue, or even just any other venue.
Eh? It wasn't free?
I thought that a large chunk of the tickets were.
If not, then there's even less reason to block it.
Nah the cheapest tickets were like £15, most over £20
The workshops (which are still happening) are free.
'A direct threat had been made against Omar Souleyman'
huh?
Because of the situation in Syria and his views on it.
As I say, I still think it's pretty unlikely.
He's got links with the current, rather nasty regime over there
It's all a bit murky but apparently he's pro Assad and has made statements at gigs before. Trying to find info but a bit fruitless.
^this
He's been quite vocally pro-Assad over the past couple of years.
Yeah
He is playing field day this year though so maybe they'll cancel that as well, or you know if it is about him then why not just drop him form the bill? He's playing all over europe and has done over hear pretty recently hasn't he? Didn't he do an ATP not long ago?
Plus you can only go on what they've said and thats just stuff about the bar and kids as well as ticket stuff. If it is a bigger threat then maybe down the line we'll hear something but I dunno, doubt it. So it does look like they've shut it down for no real reason.
basically, they were afraid of being rushed and it going out of control
because it's grime and it has people who wouldn't even go near the barbican otherwise involved and attending.
people of different races and of different classes, yep
was it being explicitly advertised as a 'grime' event?
i can't see it mentioned in the advertising mail-out i received, infact it seemed to be trying to distance itself from any particular 'genre'.
the just jam site doesn't seem to really mention it in the press release or preceding materials either.
Yes it was.
Other 'non-grime' artists were added to the bill later on, but it was definitely marketed as a grime night when the event was announced and the tickets went on sale.
Sorry to ask a dumb question
But was this meant to be taking place in the main hall? Like, the big seated auditorium?
I've seen a few gigs at the Barbican over the years and it's a wonderful venue. I just can't imagine that it's a good venue for seeing those kind of artists in (never mind it being cancelled, another matter entirely of course).
Main Hall I think yeah
Its not ideal for stuff like this, but it was prob going to be more about being able to showcase this stuff to people of all ages in an arts venue, you can't do that in a club kids can't get in, they listen to it at home, on the radio all over but can't see anyone live. It kind of legitamises a pretty marginalised artform by letting grime into the barbican next to the things they do there, which it deserves because grime fucking rules and is easily some of the best art of the 21st centry.
I was walking down a street in the City late one night
and about ten members of the City po po jumped out of a van, surrounded me, and repeatedly asked me why I had been staring into an office building. I was more confused than anything I guess, but still: giant bunch of dicks.
They did it all as a live stream instead
http://www.dontwatchthat.tv/2014/03/just-jam-live-stream-tonight-1800-gmt/
That is an insane lineup for a livetsream, I missed it unfortunatly, hopefuly they put up a load of videos.
Good article on the livestrea here.
Looks like Noisey/Vice will be hosting a load of the videos for it too:
http://noisey.vice.com/en_uk/blog/after-the-police-shutdown-how-just-jam-was-saved?utm_source=noiseyfbuk
Videos from the livesteram
http://www.factmag.com/2014/03/08/watch-sets-from-omar-souleyman-loefah-rp-boo-big-narstie-and-more-from-just-jams-cancelled-barbican-show/
Aaaand, it's back...
http://www.dontwatchthat.tv/2014/09/just-jam-barbican-131214/
good luck to them all
wonder if this had anything to do with them being allowed to put it on again https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW_iujPQpys