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we’ve done. Why not? The answer I’d like of what we do is completely self-evident by
to give is we did it so bloody well but I’m standing and watching the band and listen-
not sure I could say that with any convic-
ing to the music. Ours is a subliminal mes-
tion. I just don’t think it’s copyable, not
sage of unity of cultures within the British
based on traditional tunes against reggae.”
Isles, but it’s visual and auditory. We’ve
S
o open your ears to the return-
ing folk-reggae monarchs who
in all likelihood will be playing a
festival or a gig near you very
soon. Catch ‘em while you can
Has the musical landscape shifted never got on a political bandwagon.”
because they’re here for one year and one
much in the meantime?
They remember years ago playing a
year only. Unless… I mean, if it all goes
Hart: “Massively. I’ve noticed from
swimmingly, they’ll surely be tempted to
gig in Chesterfield that was fly-posted by
being on the fringes of the folk scene that
carry on…
the BNP and the promoter offered them
the old amateur attitude that used to
the option of pulling the gig. “We said ‘Of
“No!” says John Hart. “No!” says Jon
exist seems to have gone and there’s been
course we want to play. Why wouldn’t we?
Moore. “No!” says Simon Care. “No!” says
a radical change that’s completely healthy.
That’s the point.’ But these are difficult
Glen Latouche.
People like Kate [Rusby] and Eliza [Carthy]
have come to the fore and there’s an
times. Because of the financial situation
Is that a maybe?
incredible market for what is essentially a
right now I think we could be in for anoth-
“Maybe…”
niche music. And we love Jim Moray. He
er wave of nationalism.”
www.myspace.com/edwardiiofficial F
came to see us in Birmingham and invited
the brass section to play with him at the
Folk Awards. If there’s someone who
Edward II’s early ‘90s line-up – Wicked Men days
could cross into the mainstream if he
wanted to, it’s Jim, because he’s got it all.
There’s no weak link.”
You’d hope the social landscape
would have changed radically too in the
years of EII’s absence, but the BNP is still
raising its ugly head and, with its likeli-
hood of gaining more ground in these
depressed times, the multicultural mes-
sage silently expressed by EII every time
they step on stage together becomes ever
more important.
“As a black person in society, I think
things have moved forward, but not far
enough, in fact they’ve probably moved
sideways,” says Glen. “To me things are
pretty much the same, they’re just dressed
up in a different way. It’s still there but it
has been brushed under the carpet. Things
aren’t how they should be.”
John Hart agrees. “We’ve still a long
way to go. We’ve always been careful as a
band never to preach politics. The politics
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