Presented by the Bristol Radical History Group, Acts of Resistance is an opportunity to time-travel through radical history. This new project “Avant-Folk Punk-Opera is the new project of Steve Lake, of anarcho-/post punk band Zounds,[ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zounds ] rocking since the late 1970s.  

Acts Of Resistance is a performance of songs, verse and prose commemorating and celebrating 1,000 years of protest and dissent by the commoners of England. Original songs and stories are merged with adaptations of traditional material and found stories to weave a continuous thread that links working people’s struggle across the generations. Hear the voices of history from below such as The Diggers, William Blake, and King Ludd. 

Acts of Resistance features a redoubtable trio made up of Steve Lake (self-described “chief show off” with legendary anarcho-punk band Zounds, [https://zoundsonline.co.uk/ ] first appearing on Crass Records and nexus for all kinds of musical troublemakers), Bristolian Emo-folkster Aether Valentine, and Carl Phillip Louis (“folk-punk free-jazz mandolinist and singer/shouter of anarcho-romance poetry”).

After the performance, Pete Webb of BRHG and DIY music publisher PC-Press will facilitate a question-and-answer session with Steve Lake of Zounds, an opportunity which should not be passed up lightly. As well as tours and friendships with Crass and The Poison Girls, Zounds were among the original wave of anarcho-punk bands, particularly The Mob, Astronauts, Blythe Power and the Poison Girls, all bands that regularly played West Country benefit gigs and free festivals during the late 1970s and early 1980s. From the outset Zounds lyrics have been political without being predictably didactic. They are also unnervingly melodic for fans of hardcore punk, featuring accessible rhythms and beats that gave them wide appeal beyond the punk scene, with danceable favourite as “Subvert” even having a distinctly ska rhythm.

History is dead! Long live history… let’s make some more! Set your controls for the heart of the Microplex!