Simon RushworthTo this day, I can still remember the headline in Melody Maker.
It was May 1979 and the music weekly had its own exclusive on the General Election which had just taken place sweeping Margaret Thatcher into power.
“Jimmy Page votes Tory,” it screamed out in anger.
Now let’s just say I was a far bigger fan of Led Zeppelin than Maggie but if that particular organ wanted its readers to suddenly boycott all things Zep in collective outrage at the guitarist’s political persuasions, they were bound for disappointment.
Let’s face it, no-one should be particularly surprised that multi-millionaires did, do and will probably continue to vote for a Conservative Party which tends to tax less than its Labour Party rivals.
Woaaahh!! Stop right there. This is not a politcal blog but one supposedly about rock music.
And I can pretty much guarantee that this will be the only one I ever write in which politics is mentioned.
I love my music and politics is also a passion of mine (perhaps less so after Thursday night’s result!!) but certainly in the rock genre, I don’t believe the two should mix.
In the main, I don’t care how my music heroes vote though like most people I would be disappointed or perhaps even upset if I discovered one of them was a supporter of an extreme right wing party such as UKI……no don’t go there, Ian!
Even in my youth, I wasn’t particularly into politics expressed through music or movements such as Red Wedge.
And I confess that lyrics which contained a political message often went over my head.
That’s probably because I didn’t take too much notice of lyrics, which is an unusual statement to make for someone who counts Pink Floyd as one of his favourite bands.
The fact is that music was there for me to relax to, to express a mood, to get drunk on to party to.
Politics (which can drive me to drink!) was and is about what I believe in and what I’ll campaign for.
It is the roadpath of my serious life.
Music is that diversionary route off the main highway when I want to enjoy myself.
Ian Murtagh