Another Bullet in the Cake?
Another bullet in the cake? No, this time I eat the cake. I
finally saw "Hate Rock" the long awaited - actually 23 hours
download - documentary about us. The presentation of the
documentary seems much harder than what the video says in
reality. Before watching this video I asked for impressions to
people who saw it on the cable in the US and all their comments
have been very negative. I was caught days ago while answering
to some questions on the phone. I classified this documentary as
antifascist propaganda, because this is what it seems reading
the introduction on the websites (SMG productions and Discovery
Times) and this is how people described the show to me. I have
to say instead, after watching the work, that it is a
"documentary" and not the ultimate show about the "absolute
evil". If I ever missed anything or did not understand anything
or if you just want to post a comment (including the expected
"go to hell"), you can send a message to my forum (you don't
need to register) or to my email address: viking@ashtree.org
Contents Length limitation (about 1 hour) and lack of
time make also the best of the videos a marginal work. You must
have asked yourselves: what to include and what to exclude? How
to delineate the whole documentary? So, this is the section in
which I will list (I will exceed!) your "made 30s, why not 31?",
all good advices for someone who'll try to write a book - maybe
- about hate rock in future, and I guess many of the things I
will write down here were maybe consciously excluded, not just
forgotten.
I have seen you pointed your attention to our more or less
extreme faces, the "interface", so how music is spread, how
concerts are organized, what different images we use, the
persecution we get and so on...it's a very good video, but I
think sometimes it is too "aesthetic", it often proposes some
songs with "impact" lyrics but does not get into their deep
meaning, imaging people outside already know about our beliefs
(only in Detroit instead you captured a good deal of
explanations about some aspects of white power music or when you
talked about the 14 words) and sometimes it escapes too much
towards descriptions of political organizations forgetting it is
a documentary about music and it confines the "white power"
movement into the racist thing too much. Question number one:
what is a racist? And on a higher level: what is a nationalist?
It would have been interesting to know how a song is born, in
what situation. From the documentary we seem to want ethnic
cleaning mostly or only and above all... and you sent my song
"Don't go round with the Jews", for instance (I'll take myself
as example, because I know myself), which is not a song about
that topic, but about the problem of social integration. You
chose from my interview my declaration "I say I'm not a nazi,
I'm a fascist, I must defend my italian history"... I must
comment, with or without that sentence my position doesn't
change: I'm a so-called "white power" songwriter anyway, so the
statement - extracted from a long discussion - is redundant in
this context.
You talked a lot about persecution against our music, absolutely
daily life. I think you fully described what happens to our
bands and organizers. Shawn made very clear arguments about it
and Erich of Resistance added that music sales help the
activities, but what's missing between these parts? It's quite
clear that people like the Big Jews or the Communists persecute
us (Death to ZOG! People shouted.), but no one clearly expressed
some opinions about the reasons. Hegemony for example? What does
it mean? What could the interests be? (I'm aware it's impossible
to talk largely about it in such a video without falling out of
the circle of the topic, but maybe a little idea could be given)
I think the most important reason is implicit, but at the same
time fragmented, in your documentary: this kind of music is
engine for activities! Really there are harder crimes than
"loving your own folk" in this world, but they are not
persecuted. Is recruitment a possible reason for this
persecution? You talked a lot about it, but you did not say it
is - surely it is - a reason why we are persecuted, or better,
there are opposite forces pulling people from other sides into
their own gardens. Very good...In total simplicity you expressed
so well the moment "before the concert" in Verona (also in
Britain showing true rehearsal). It's direct, it's clear... I'll
write more about it later in the editing section. Another good
note about the concert in Germany (it was like you were there
ready to be arrested together with the skins!).
I saw you noticed how internet increased the sales and the
spreading of our music... this is real. Anyway, you didn't
investigate about how our music is technically and artistically
produced. (You must have seen that artistic production is almost
completely missing in this scene!) You showed a recording
studio... but what about other solutions, live recordings
and...distance recordings? You also talked too little about
executive production: if you look carefully you'll find deep
gaps among labels! You touched the MTV topic, but which are the
requisites for being on MTV? And do we want to be there or are
we avoiding? (I personally was on the charts for most downloaded
songs on mtv.it...eheh! I'm terrible!) Or did you ask yourself:
in terms of numbers does the white power movement produce and
prefer more musically skilled bands or lyrically oriented bands?
Which is the balance among these two aspects? (Erich just
mentioned something about it) Is there any kind of
attempt/effort for an industrial product? Prussian Blue have an
organization behind, they "aggressed" the media, they have a tv
crew supporting them, a network of advancers...you talked about
them, but did not notice this! And how would a music industry
based on political groups make difference from current
mainstream industries if it takes off? What consequences does it
take? You talked about bands, some in political groups, others
external, but which are the differences between a band in
politics and a band which is not? Is music more transversal when
outside the party? What about the "fans"? How much do they
spend? How do top seller products change according to age,
country, income...of buyers? What about peer-to-peer and how
does it damage our scene? How do fans interact and cultivate
their interest (forums, mp3-video-photo uploads, blogs and
original websites...)? The Turner Diaries: cutting that part
there was place for all these aspects or for another band... I
would have chosen Kolovrat or some other band from Eastern
Europe.
I appreciated the fact - and now I'll be killed for this - that
you didn't mention Ian Stuart so much, but your analysis of
"hate rock" has been contemporary. I liked a lot the line you
followed, visiting the concerts and their backstages as
self-talking environments.
What's really missing? I'm not the only one who states this: I
think you didn't focus at all on the metal scene, such as Burzum
(whose cds are sold at your local Virgin Megastore!), or neofolk
(I'm considered neofolk, but I'm not one of the exemplary
artists who play this genre). You didn't talk about the pagan
and christian subcurrents and their struggles (oh, so wrong to
have religion and politics together... but this happens!). And
what else... you didn't see there are some professionists who
make this music and who are trying their way outside the
movement. (I won't nominate, because I'm not sure I am allowed)
I'm sorry to say this final thing, because your work really
deserves many honours, but this documentary is still a
"flouring" of white power music. I'm very critic about this,
yes, like a spinster teacher, because the attempt was really
promising and mature this time! So, sincere congratulations!
My experience on the set and the comments of the old
aunts... I have to award the professionality of those who
worked on this documentary, obviously in particular those 3 nice
guys I mentioned on "Gloucester Road" (I don't know the
others...). It was not my first time on tv and on press in
general. Apart from right-wing press stuff, my relationship with
the out-of-the-ghetto press has always been quite stormy... do
you remember, folks, for example, my pics with the bottle or
when (on Italian satellite tv) a prestigious reporter aggressed
me and cut my hair? I have to say this time I was treated like a
princess. I spoke, answered to questions, I was not aggressed,
never interrupted and I have eaten and drunk. I was shown on the
screen like a normal girl with a guitar during a possible
ordinary moment of my life - ok, Magnus and Katana are still
laughing on the floor saying I walk like a duck. Also all the
other people in the video are "men and women". I received some
complaints via email about what I didn't say in the video... you
have to know, sometimes I speak too much and I had promised my
close mates of Ashtree things about defence topics and
scientific reseach and paganism, because these are important
themes in our struggle here at Ashtree Records. You didn't
choose anything of this and ok, it's your choice. To those who
say I'm shown for a too short time on this documentary I reply:
I have always tried to fill my music with hidden messages and
now I appear on this video as a subliminal message, so I don't
see the problem!
Audience Some people said your documentary is too
British. Well, in my opinion since you are British and the
documentary was first produced for Five and then distributed
overseas, I think you might have some British audience. I would
like to write down some personal observations and I would like
to propose some new hint for reflection and curiosity. Before
investing money on any television production, you must have an
idea about the audience to which your product is addressed. It's
hard - believe - it's hard to find a man who's got no interest
or simply never heard of "hate rock", who sits down in front of
the tv and watches a show like this. It's not ignorance... it's
a situation like going back home, tired from work and just relax
with something pleasant which depends on tastes. You know,
television is still not "programmed" by audience (even digital
terrestrial, which is sold like "power in the hands of the
spectators!") anyway the man, who's God with the Remote Control,
could choose a documentary about lions rather than sieg heil
sieg heil... You talked about "arising hate rock". Do you think
hate rock is arising alone or is it accompanied by the number of
people who are interested in watching your documentary on tv?
(Remember, we sell cds because there are fond listeners) I'll
try to be clearer. I have the curiosity to know, whether you
considered to produce this video because there are a lot of
people who would like to know more about the topic. Somebody
shouted "another jewish thing!"... no, I think, instead, as
Orwell's Big Brother teaches, the unwanted truth is hidden! You
DO show hate rock, so I see no jewish conspiracy.
MacIntyre Donal, what kind of name is that? Anyway, I
thought MacIntyre was much worst, according to what my nice
cooperator from our Press Room Neil Rush said: "George Clooney
on holiday". Oh, God, I thought, What is it? I'm watching from
far away Italy. The times I was in Britain I never had the
opportunity to see this man in action on tv, so this is my first
time. I read his name and I searched on internet. His photos on
his website don't make good impression of him as professional
figure... I'm not becoming a bigot... I would like to focus
again on the introduction written for this documentary. As I
said above it seems a factious introduction, referring to words
like "disturbing rise of the racist and anti-semitic music
industry". It's true, I should not connect the man with the
words reported above, but - this is an advice - pay attention,
Mac, because you may fall into the well known tv trap of
"kindness", a disease attacking media... nobody's safe! The
history of times has taught: good-looking = kind. Anyway, Mac, I
know you too little to go on discussing this. I found the
location where you spoke adeguate. It was very "hip hop" style
and in a certain way "opposed" to white power and since you are
an external viewer (I'm not saying you're hip hop or black) the
thing unconsciously matched somehow. I'm sure, I bet 50 pounds,
you didn't think about this, but the location was chosen because
it was more "streetlife" and more "bad macintyre".
Video & Sound Editing ... More on
http://power.ashtree.org