Louder Than War review Not Just Bits of Paper
- david1170
- 13 hours ago
- 4 min read
Nathan Brown of Louder Than War has been reading Mickey Penguin and Greg Bull’s superb look back at the 80’s Anarcho-Punk scene, ‘Not Just Bits of Paper’…
Editors Mickey Penguin and Greg Bull vividly bring the UK anarcho-punk scene of the early 80s to life on the printed page with a collection of first-hand accounts, posters, handouts and other ephemera. Earth Island has worked with the authors to give this book a ten year anniversary reboot with extra content and full colour treatment, which makes for a compelling read, says Nathan Brown.
The title ‘Not Just Bits Of Paper’ could be taken to mean that the flyers and posters featured are more than just bits of paper: they are a historical record of counterculture. It could also be taken to mean that you don’t just get the bits of paper, you get the stories behind them. This collection features contributions from participants in the early 80s anarcho-punk counter culture, providing context and emotion.
I’m somewhat wary of retrospectives and histories with society seeming to live in a state of rampant retromania and yearning for the “good old days” (forgetting the bad bits), but this volume has the bad with the good. Attacks by the police or skinheads on gigs, squats and individuals are relived. Most of them don’t end well, but our protagonists aren’t put off. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” – in some ways, brutality dished out at punks in the 80s made many of us more resilient, or more determined to step in and help when others are being bullied (the current crop of bullies shouting at hotels being one example).
The way writers have described gigs they attended, the journeys to them, and what happened afterwards tangibly conveys the excitement, anticipation, exhilaration and occasional trepidation or fear. However, what is clear is that despite the downside, there was a lot of fun to be had. They ran the gauntlet but lived to tell the tale.
Big names from anarcho-punk feature, such as Crass, Conflict, Flux Of Pink Indians, The Mob and Antisect, but there is also a piece about GBH and images for gigs by Southern Death Cult or Inner City Unit. This reflects the reality of the time, which was that, for many, punk was not neatly segregated and regimented, with people sticking to one sub-genre.
Some of the bands featured are arguably as foundational to the ongoing development of punk rock counterculture as The Damned, The Clash and the Pistols. Their influence has reverberated down the generations, and today’s 16 year old arming themselves with a cheap guitar and two chords may draw on these bands more than the first wave. More provincial, lesser known, bands also pop up.
This book was previously available in black and white form a decade ago with 230 pages, but this updated and expanded full colour edition brings the subject matter alive. Some people used red as well as black ink to overlay images and text. Some folks must have found a stash of coloured paper next to the photocopier they were using in their library or workplace. Even items that were originally black and white (or grey and white!) seem vivid when you can see the yellowing of the paper with age. The full colour treatment also gave the editors the opportunity to recreate the anarcho-syndicalist red and black flag across the front and back cover.
You don’t just read a book like this. You peruse it. The graphical content deserves time so you can take it in properly. From hand drawn DIY posters for gigs in village halls to professional posters for large venues, there is always something to be gleaned. In general, the more DIY the item, the more likely there is to be polemic messaging alongside the details of the event, interesting collages or wicked humour (God Told Me To Do It’s send up of Ian Paisley being perhaps the best example).
I find the hand drawn or written items most interesting, considering the time and effort that went into these pieces, and the very direct connection with one individual’s handicraft. Tickets, lyric sheets and handouts that were stuffed into pockets at a gig, then stuffed in a box only to be resurrected years later, have tales to tell about what was going on in the early 80s. Not every image is explained, which is a good move. It leaves your imagination to fill in the blanks or ask rhetorical questions. Contemporary adverts for now sought after records or tapes are a bit like seeing photos of old friends. There are also a few photos.
A booklet Vi Subversa compiled to accompany the Poison Girls album Hex is included as a halftime interlude. Mickey Penguin’s tale of how he got involved with All The Madmen Records, then ended up at Southern Record Distribution, is a fascinating read. How he went from connecting with a song by The Mob to connecting with the band in real life is one of the great things about punk rock, and anarcho-punk in particular.
If anarcho-punk is your thing, then this makes a great companion to Ian Glasper’s The Day The Country Died, which told many of the bands’ stories. This gives you the wide eyed fan view. There is also a healthy crossover with David Insurrection’s recent study of Anarcho Punk sites in London.
For best results, I recommend you call in sick, turn off your mobile, disconnect the internet connection, put those old battered copies of Let The Tribe Increase, No Love Lost, Feeding Of The 5000, Penis Envy and Hex on the record player, stick the kettle on and lose yourself for a day in a fuzzy haze of unabashed anarcho reminiscence.
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