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Strange Fruit


AdrianP

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53 minutes ago, wateroftyne said:

Is protesting about lynching people and hanging them from trees... political?

Very. When viewed from an age when whether black people actually had rights, or were indeed 'as human' as white people was incredibly political. It effectively killed Billie Holiday.

The fact that it is not as obvious now as it was then, doesn't change that that much.

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5 minutes ago, EliasMooseblaster said:

 but with all due respect to your band, I don't know whether a mostly-white covers group at The Trout and Kettle Plug are the most appropriate people to undertake that job.

I would say, in a vein similar to WoTs post about political, i don't think colour matters, I don't think it is relevant the colour or race of the group doing the song, wrong is wrong regardless.

I just think it is not something that goes in the set of a adult pop pub group

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43 minutes ago, wateroftyne said:

I think there's a point being missed here.

A few posts ago, someone said a reason for not playing it is because it's political.

I'm trying to say that, in 2020, it's not. The subject is no longer up for political debate.

This. The song was released 65 years ago. Very political then, not really political or even controversial now - which is a good thing as it shows how much things have moved forward.

However I still say the main reason not to play it is that it's dull.

 

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2 minutes ago, Count Bassy said:

However I still say the main reason not to play it is that it's dull.

You can liven things up afterwards with some Radiohead though.

 

seriously though, I can’t imagine any sort of public performance where this would be apt. There are MUCH better standards to cover that will differentiate your band from the standard ‘pub rock’ fodder, have a look around.

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4 hours ago, wateroftyne said:

I think there's a point being missed here.

A few posts ago, someone said a reason for not playing it is because it's political.

I'm trying to say that, in 2020, it's not. The subject is no longer up for political debate.

I don't think anyone was missing your point, I am just disagreeing with it. it is still political.

Literally, it is no longer acceptable behaviour to hang and burn people because of their skin colour in the south of the USA any more (ignoring the other places that it is), but the conditions that give rise to that haven't gone anywhere. in fact if anything they are on the rise.

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So many good replies. Thanks again. And it's still difficult to pick out the one, definitive, reason not to do it. Except that I wouldn't feel comfortable,  in myself, performing a song that's so tied to a particular place in time and location. And one where we, as a band, have no particular business going. So it's down to authenticity with me. 

Then there's the point about how it's going to land with Fred down at the Dog and Duck who wants a bit of a sing-song with his half of mild. It just doesn't fit the rest of our set, even if it was a great sounding song. Which it isn't, as already pointed out. So what does it benefit us, or our audience, to do it? As I said before, I can see no upsides here. 

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31 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Do the band or BL know how you feel? Have you mentioned your reluctance to perform it? If so, what was the response? Do you feel your place in the band would be on the line should you refuse to play it? 

No he doesn't but, as I said, I wanted to get a reality check before having that conversation. I think he's keen and has rehearsed it separately with the vocalist as a duo. That actually makes me think they can perform it themselves if they really want and I'll slope off stage for a quick half. As for my place in the band, know how difficult it is finding half decent bassists round here?! I think our relationship will survive, but really wanted to test out whether, to be frank, I was being a bit of an a*se for refusing. 

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3 hours ago, wateroftyne said:

OK. Humour me for a moment. 

Would you perform a sectarian Irish song at a gig if asked? If not, why not?

I am not sure what you mean, or that aware of any sectarian irish songs (actually any irish songs at all), so I don't think I am in a position to judge. 

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3 hours ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

This is the thing that is being overlooked for the most part here. If you're never going to be happy playing it, why do it?

Agreed - my band wont do oasis as I refuse to do it (not for political or ethnic reasons). Its not like we haven't been asked at every gig!

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