Love Music Hate Racism @ the ESF

United Kingdom | by John Bownas | 16 October 2004

Saturday's ESF proved that young people across Europe genuinely are interested in the issues that matter. LMHR are staging events throughout the weekend, and for many they are the highlights of the programme.

The Love Music Hate Racism message is a strong one, and it harnesses the power of people's genuine love of all genres of music to unite them against the scourge of racism in all of its forms - from institutional facism to individual bigotry. The European Social Forum itself challenges a wide range of issues, but racism is perhaps the one that affects the most people in the UK on a day-to-day basis - and for that reason it is the one that we should seek to address as a priority.

If you didn't get along to last night's debate featuring Asher D at Alexandra Palace or the Babyshambles gig at the Coronet then you can make up for it today by going into central London for the LMHR debate at Centrepoint between 3 and 5pm today (Saturday 16th Oct) - and this should be a good one, as it features Pete Doherty and Billy Bragg. Once you are there then stick around and buy a ticket for the show at The Astoria, where the likes of Carbon/Silicon (Mic Jones' new band), Billy Bragg and a host of others (including a very special rumoured guest who we can't name, but who you will all recognise as one of the all-time greats if he makes it along) will put on another show that's not to be missed.