While the majority of American musicians remain silent about possible U.S. military involvement in Iraq, several British rockers are banding together in a nationwide anti-war effort.
With Prime Minister Tony Blair among Bush’s strongest supporters, a cavalry of artists led by Blur’s Damon Albarn and Massive Attack’s Robert “3-D” Del Naja are staging protests and advertising campaigns to end British support of a possible U.S.-led strike.
Together, Albarn and Naja are the masterminds behind animated hip-hop outfit, Gorillaz.
According to the U.K.’s Independent, the latest demonstration – a 1,500-strong march and sit-down protest on London’s Downing Street – resulted in eight arrests Nov. 2. The march was in conjunction with a nationwide day of action organized by the “Stop the War” Coalition and the Center for Nuclear Disarmament, which Albarn and Naja recently joined.
“I’m not having a go at anybody else’s government, I’m talking and focusing on my own, and we should have a discussion,” Albarn told NME. “There isn’t any kind of consensus.”
Naja echoes Albarn’s sentiments and says the two encourage everyone to sign a CND petition against the war. Last week, Naja told fans on the official Massive Attack Web site the CND confirmed the NME advertisements he and Albarn designed raised an additional 18,000 signatures of support.
“Ten years ago this happened and no good came of it at all,” Naja said. “It’s all so vague, nobody really knows what’s going on.”
Albarn and Naja hope to rally other like-minded musicians to promote “Stop the War.” Elbow’s Guy Garvey and ex-Verve singer Richard Ashcroft have pledged their support already.
“What can we do about it?” Ashcroft told NME. “What we can do is pray for peace and pray that the Americans don’t start a war.”
A weekend poll showed 66 percent of MTV viewers think it is good for musicians to be involved in politics.
Moby is one American artist speaking out against war. The artist addressed fans on his Web site and questioned the timing of the White House’s war drums.
“The fact that he’s focused his administration on war in Iraq right before mid-term elections makes me very uncomfortable,” Moby wrote. “It’s not as if Saddam Hussein became any more evil in the last few months. He’s been pretty consistently evil for the last 20 years.”
In September, Albarn and Naja delivered an open letter to Blair outlining their position. Legendary music producer Brian Eno (David Bowie, U2) was among the letter’s signees.
The letter urged Parliament to renounce its support of a military assault, saying an Iraq invasion would “open a Pandora’s box which may be impossible to close.”
Not all British artists agree with the activists, though. Former Jam leader and mod-rocker Paul Weller told NME he learned his lesson after involving himself politically in the ’80s.
“Once you get involved with those [protesters] you see how it’s all run,” Weller said. “It’s more about their egos and it’s not about really making a difference.”
Politically minded on-stage and off, both Albarn’s Blur and Naja’s Massive Attack have new releases looming. Massive Attack’s latest will hit stores Jan. 27, 2003. Blur is mixing its Fatboy Slim-produced 6th LP–minus ousted guitarist Graham Coxon–and will release it early next year.