On June 6th there was supposed to be a big gig for Love Music Hate Racism in Finsbury Park London. Given the fact that the local elections are looming coupled with the concern that many of us feel about far right wing organisations such as the BNP - this was an especially important gig to be welcomed.

This message is made even more urgent because last night (Friday 28th May 2004) the BBC chose to broadcast at 11 40 on BBC1 a party political broadcast on behalf of the BNP, this shows us that we need big gigs like this one – we need to show our solidarity and show that the majority of right thinking individuals do not support these sinister and seriously misguided individuals who align themselves with the most insidious of evils.

Love Music Hate Racism were set to bring us the very best of UK music talent uniting against racism and fascism. The one day festival would have seen tens of thousands celebrating black and white unity against the racists and fascists and would have sent a loud and clear message - the BNP's not welcome here! At least 30,000 people were expected to attend - this show would have been London's first major outdoor anti-racism rally since 1978's Carnival Against The Nazis – so, it mattered and it was really important.

So – what’s gone wrong here then?? The press coverage is laying the blame at the door of the police reporting that they insisted at the last minute that organisers must erect a metal perimeter fence around Finsbury Park; this apparently suddenly made the event too expensive to hold.
Excuse me? - I know full well that I’m no expert in these matters but I would have thought that a proper and correct fence for a large gig was a pre requisite (as in the famous guide) therefore it ought to have been included as part of the most basic planning from the start don’t you think? Don’t the police ALWAYS insist on security fences for a large gig – I mean it’s the demographic of the thing isn’t it – don’t the Libertines have a knack of attracting the type of crowd that needs well thought out specific safety arrangements? I simply cannot understand how or why at the eleventh hour such a very basic and important safety arrangement could become an issue, and not only an issue it’s effectively caused the cancellation of a much needed gig.

I have absolutely no idea who’s behind this – I mean who is responsible for making this concert happen? I assume that the people from Love Music Hate Racism called in concert organisers for this – so who was it – which of our famous few are responsible here? Or did the Love Music Hate Racism people try to do it themselves? If so - Have they organised an event before? Did they read ‘The Event Safety Guide?’ did they get advice – if so from whom did they get advice? What did these people consider before raising all our expectations?

The NME reports Weyman Bennett Joint Secretary for Unite Against Fascism as saying “We believe if you can have opera in Trafalgar Square unshielded, then you can have rock music in a park and people can come and listen to it." – err, I hate to criticise someone who works on such a worthy cause but – hey mate, have you done much of this concert arranging malarkey? Did you have an early meeting with all the relevant agencies to make sure you knew what you’d need to have in place?
Happening right after the Love Music Hate Racism concert is the Fleadh, promoted by Mean Fiddler and featuring Bob Dylan – couldn’t these people have worked something out between them?

So, now we’re reduced to the Hammersmith Apollo if reports are to be believed, well that’s grand isn’t it? Finsbury Park would attract 30,000 - the Hammersmith Apollo has a capacity of 5,000 – now call me picky but I would have thought that the Love Music Hate Racism was important enough to deserve a big audience and to allow those of us who care deeply about these issues to show our support and our solidarity – that we are now denied.

Safeconcerts wants to know who is responsible for this incompetence and why the lack of support from the big boys who could still pull something out of the bag for this cause – but probably won’t.