war and the campaign for nuclear disarmament(CND)probably had their largest ever membership.
The peace camps at Greenham & Upper Heyford were symbols of the struggle for a safer
world.Antisect, who were a collection of Anarcho/pacifist's were involved in the campaign.
We visited Greenham and Heyford and even got arrested on occasion for acts of non violent direct
action.
The war on war was not going away......
The Album "In darkness....there is no choice" was recorded at Southern and released 1983.
Produced by Colin "Coal Bunker" (Flux of Pink Indians), and it reached No. 4 in the indie charts.
This was followed by the single " Out from the void"
1)Do you think Antisect is more well known now compared to the old days when
Antisect were active.
No, we were well known just after the release of In Darnkess.. I think in about 1983 we had the chance to be fairly well known if
we had continued to work as hard as we did. We gigged our asses off for a long time because as a group that was what we
enjoyed, in fact we lived for it. The album was received well and we should have produced more material of the same quality.
But shit happpens. Wink and I left the band. The guys carried on for a couple of years and the musical direction changed.I was
surprised at the amount of people who visited the website and sent emails, who are pretty young and werent even born when
we were still a band.
2)Did the drug problem break up the band? Were drugs a big problem in the punk scene in the 80's. Did alot of
band members have drug habits?
Drug problems did not break up the band. In fact with the exception of one member, we were not really into drugs. I read a
piece in MRR after I left the band in 1985 stating that I had died from a drugs overdose. Obvious bullshit and none of the band
had drug habits. That is one of the eternal myths of all time. We were not a fucking druggie band. We may have tampered a bit
like most do but we did not have habits. Im not sure where this bullshit came from.
3)In Antisect what were your best and worst memories?
The best moment for me was leaving the studio after 5 days and knowing that the album was finished and all being happy with
the final result. The next few months of gigging were the best days of my life as the crowds were brilliant. The worst was
leaving the band, I'd had enough. There were no fallings out or arguments or any of that shit. Id just decided that I needed to do
something else.Id been with the band since I was sixteen and I felt the need to move on and do other things.
4)If you can go to the past and change anything what would it be?
If I could change anything if would be the thing called fear in all of us. Fear of each other, the things that make man turn
against man. There is something in our nature that always keeps us at arms length. How else couldwe do the things that we
do to each other? On a personal level id like to have seen the Clash live as I think they were one of the most originial and
influentual punk bands, despite the fact they signed to a big label.
5)Do you still consider yourself a pacifist and are any of the other members still involved in any peace groups
similar to CND?
I have to admit that I would not consider myself a pacifist, purely because I would take steps to defend myself and my family
should the need arise. But I am still totally opposed to hate, bigotry agrression &war. I was a member of the peace pledge
union for a couple of years. This organisation is totally opposed to violence and the use of war. True pacifists who renounce all
forms of violence, I wish I could be that way but Im not.
6)How has your beliefs changed since the old days?
Not a lot. Im a bit older &wiser and know that we aint gonna change the world. We just have to try to be tolerant and get along.
Look at the differnces between the worlds we live in. Compare your own life to a starving person in Africa or some poor bastard
in Afganhistan. Were the fucking lucky ones.
7)A lot of UK anarcho vegetarian punk bands go back to eating meat after a
few years. Why is this?
I don't know. But Im no longer a vegetarian. Id had emails from vegetarian groups who say that some of our material (Torture
&Abused/The worlds biggest runt) influenced them. I say to all that at that time in my life Ifelt so strong about the abuse of
animals that I felt I needed to write about it. I feel a bit of a hyprocite now, but I aint gonna lie to anyone and pretend that I don't
eat meat.
8)What has changed in the punk scene compared to the old days?
The punk scene in the UK is still going strong. Obviously it will probably never be as it was, but there are still a lot of people,
old and new, who follow it. I think the holidays in the sun festivalsare a great idea. A lot of bands reform only to play at these
events, but its still a great way for people to meet up and listen to some great bands.
9)What does punk mean to you and do you still consider yourself a punk
rocker?
I was fifteen years old when I went to see the UK Subs in Northampton and it changed my life. The music, the clothes, the
total vibe - fucking brilliant. The very fact that we were saying fuck to the establishment and we were gonna change the world. I
was born a punk and will die a punk.
10)Since you are older now how do you see life.. Do you think things can still change and be influenced by
your actions?
I think that were all responsible for our own actions and that we should treat others in the ways we like to be treated ourselves.
Its no that hard to influence people, but its difficult to be tolerant towards others, but NOT impossible
11)What do you do for a living now? Do any of the members have a family?
I played bass in a few local bands up until a couple of yrs. ago. John B. formed a band called Splitpigs. I write the odd music
review for local Indie bands but now work in an office as a partsspecialist. I have 2 daughters and a son. John Bryson has 2
daughters. Im not sure about the other members as we kinda lost touch
12)What makes you happy and what do you do for fun?
Being with my family is the only thing that truly matters.
An animal has a heart, and flesh that's precious
(But obviously more to "man" than animal)
An animal is a live. It has a body, a mind
And is it forever and ever to be abused by "man" kind
At peace in its field but when human comes near
It cowers and trembles with fear
It can sense that at some point in its life
"Man" will lead it to fate with the blade of "his" knife
"Eat your pet puppy? What a cruel thing to say."
But lead a lamb to its slaughter and of course that's okay
The blood soaked death house to the well gr(k)illed meat
What right do you offer for the life that you steal?
Meat at the restaurant...medium or rare?
How did it get there? Too few really care
Animal for breakfast. Animal for tea.
Animal for supper. "Well who cares?" (We)
Picture the family. Knives in their hands
All waiting for Mummy to produce the dead lamb
Expectant and hungry to chew on it's flesh
Little Sue doesn't like meat. But 'Mummy knows best'
She'll tell Sue of protein because that's all that she sees
Mummy's unaware of blood and heart disease
There's millions starving because there's meat on the table
but try and tell Mummy and she'll dismiss it as fable
Animals in cosmetics. Animals to eat
Animals fill stomachs. But a life is not meat
Animals imprisoned and engaged for our pleasure
Used and abused as mere toys for our leisure
Destroyed and tortured in "mans" laboratory
Humiliated and stripped or all dignity
Dissected and burned and poisoned to death
And what is the reason? So one may add to ones "wealth"
Animals for clothing animals for meals
But what right do you offer for the lives that you steal?
Animals to shoot at animals to hunt
Definition of human.......................
We completely denounce the barbaric belief that to slaughter
so called lesser species for profit
should be viable and morally acceptable to take the life of any
living creature
we see as being totally unacceptable. Deeming ourselves as
the most intelligent species
we appear to have reached the conclusion that all other
species are expendable.
The archaic way of thinking has led to both the extinction
and near extinction of hundreds of species of animal during
our short time on earth.
What we are faced with is a complete reassessment of our
whole moral standards.
Not only do we use animals to achieve our own ends.
We also seem to believe that it is our natural right to do so.
Who are these people who believe they have the right
The knowledge and the wisdom to impose their barbaric way
of life. Upon you and I and others in this world
Which itself belongs to all of us or haven't they fucking heard
Who are these people who support the cause of war
And use their false morality and label it as law
Who are all these people who change happiness to pain
And turn the suffering of one into another's so called gain
Who are these people who wreak starvation and disease
And who are these people who build their system based on
greed. Who are these people who create aggression, fear
and hate. And then use them as tools to keep all others in
their place
We have created all greed and all hate
For we are as one and do so must all take the blame
We are pleading for heaven whilst accepting this hell
We're asking for liberty whilst repressing ourselves
We are controlled by outsiders to whom we pledge our
support
By our silence and acceptance we too are at fault
We sit and we suffer, and worse believe it's okay
Or we scream till we die but it won't go away
We may advocate peaceful or armed revolutions
But all we create are more institutions
To bind us and blind us, and tell us we're free
To restrict and confine us within normality,
Well freedom is internal or haven't you sussed
To possess freedom of mind is the first forward thrust
And normal, what's normal? but a lie and a con
And the most over populated prison where nobody belongs
The thought police are with us, they have been for years
They've standardized values with their weapon of fear
Fear of being pointed at of not blending with the crowd
Well we'll state we're individuals but never too loud
We're frightened and scared of the extent of our plight
And we hide in the darkness when presented with light,
We've polluted and poisoned and mistreated this land
We've tamed all the animals but failed to tame "man"
We eliminate symptoms rather than the cause
We are all the disease but we are also the cure
The rich and the poor and the weak and the strong
The black and the white and the old and the young
For givers and takers and daughter's and son's
For good against evil our work has begun
We must all stand together to rid this world of war
And of want and of suffering, so open your door
To harmony to unity to equality to sharing
Start breathing start feeling start living start caring
We can reach new horizons of trust and respect,
We can live hand in hand and let peace take effect,
We can open our hearts to compassion and love
We can open the cage that imprisons the dove
We can open our minds to be alive and be free
We can take down our barriers and reveal the true we
There is not them And us. There's only You and me
