August Riots Prompt Rock Against Racism Concert Organization

A musician and historical researcher, who was impacted by the summer rioting across UK cities, has announced his intention to organize a Rock Against Racism concert. Kieran Bott, a doctoral researcher at University for Wolverhampton, stated that his motivation stemmed from an incident during the August rioting when an Indian friend expressed feeling unsafe to meet him in the city. Drawing on his knowledge of the 1970s Rock Against Racism movement, Mr. Bott has arranged for multiple bands to perform at the Newhampton Arts Centre in Wolverhampton this December. He expressed that while racism might never be fully eradicated, he felt compelled to take a stand against it. To date, six bands have been confirmed to perform, among them Mr. Bott’s personal group. Additionally, Mr. Bott will commence the event with a presentation detailing the Rock Against Racism movement, and representatives from community organizations dedicated to combating racism or assisting refugees and asylum seekers will serve as speakers. Mr. Bott explained that the chosen venue is located within the constituency formerly represented by Enoch Powell, the Conservative MP for Wolverhampton South West, who was notable for his anti-immigration “Rivers of Blood” speech delivered in the 1960s. Mr. Bott, who intends to organize additional concerts next year, stated: “There’s a cliche that everything comes from an idea and I realised that through my academic work and my music that the person who starts this is me.” He added, “The ethos of the Rock Against Racism movement is that you just do it.” He reported that the concept quickly gained traction, with numerous Black Country bands—including Abhey Aneja, Bansal Electrics, Pasalacqua and Blanco Negra—expressing a desire to participate, resulting in a current waiting list. Furthermore, Mr. Bott and two companions recently received an invitation from singer Tom Robinson to promote the upcoming event at his Birmingham concert, an experience Mr. Bott described as “successful and Tom was really supportive of what we are doing”. He noted that the summer riots in several cities resonated with his research and passion for music, but it was his friend’s expression of feeling unsafe outdoors that particularly impacted him. He recounted, “My friend is from India but has lived here for about four years now and we were meeting in the city centre but he said he was concerned and that he felt unsafe.” He further stated: “Racism has hasn’t ever gone away but when someone feels concerned for their safety doing every day things and to see that level of it come back, I wanted to do what I could to stop it.” “I don’t think you really eliminate it… but we challenge them and push them away to the maximum extent. People should feel safe,” he concluded. Tickets for the event on 7 December are currently available for purchase, with all proceeds, after venue expenses are covered, designated for the Refugee and Migrant Centre and City of Sanctuary in Wolverhampton. For updates, follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.