I’m currently listening to Wagon Burner for the umpteenth time on my commute to work, while at the same time reading Chris Brookmyre’s latest novel, Quite Ugly One Evening. Music and books, two of my favourite pastimes. As I listen and read, it becomes apparent that there is a link, howevertenuous it may seem, between the two, based on the social commentary that forms the core of them both.
Wagon Burners is the third vitally unapologetic and intensely passionate album from the forthright Dead Pioneers on which they continue to kick against the pricks, the pricks in this case being racism, the rise of right wing and the conveniently brushed under the carpet and, if it wasn’t for voices like Greg Deal’s, conveniently forgotten genocide of the indigenous people of America and the theft of their land. Quite Ugly One Morning is the latest in Brookmyre’s clever Jack Parlabane murder mystery novels, but at the core of the story is a tale of historical cultural racism that still bleeds pervasively into modern society and culture.
As I read and listen, I realise these separate works together are both a reflection and a sad indictment of 21st Century society, a society that in many ways is heading backwards at a rate of knots, and requires the more progressive amongst us continue to stand together and use our collective voice to challenge the unacceptable rise in the emboldened racists who are more visible than they have been for a long time, encouraged in no small part by what can only be described as thinly veiled fascism within the political elite, in both the US and closer to home.
In the last few weeks across in the US, there were the usual celebrations for the 4th of July, signs of which seem to be creeping into society now on these shores, something I can’t get on board with, the continued Americanisation of our culture into the 51st State, a celebration of 250 years of colonialisation and the birth of a nation? Don’t make me laugh. A convenient whitewashing of what happened to the indigenous people to allow the creation of this new “civilised” nation. Perhaps they should have checked on the definition of civilised…and as Trump and his boot licking cronies rail against immigration they conveniently forget the bloody history of his great nation.
Closer to home bigotry was in full view across the early weeks of July as the Orange Order and its knuckledragging supporters marched in our cities “celebrating” their “culture” (I use both of these terms loosely) which translates as pretty much hating on anyone who isn’t a white Anglo-Saxon protestant. And in even recent days, groups of concerned citizens, (for concerned citizens read racist vigilantes) took to the streets around several estates in Glasgow. Their aim? Protecting the streets. In reality, little more than attacking anyone who had a different colour of skin and accusing them of mythical crimes. Even one of their figureheads Yaxley-Lennon piled on making false accusations which he later had to backtrack on.
it is interesting how some folks will embrace this turning of the UK into the 51st state but will also rail against immigration repeatedly shouting their inane cries of “Stop the Boats” while ignoring the real societal issues of poverty, lack of social housing and failing governments, instead leaning into their own ingrained racism and bigotry, and failing to hold to account the crooked politicians who twist the narratives to feed their fervour. The insidious creep of racism extends around the world emboldened by right wing politicians extolling fascist values.
And when you get idiots posting the quite frankly unbelievable idiocy of things like “theres no racism if you ignore it tgeres no sectarianism if you ignore it” (I deliberately haven’t corrected their grammar or misspelling) you realise what you’re up against…
It is up to every one of us to stand together against these individuals and challenge those in society who have insidious & abhorrent views. To quote Angela Davis “In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.” The more voices that rise up against the likes of Trump, Farage, Yaxley Lennon and their ilk the better society will be. On a positive note, it has been heartening to see recent anti-fascist protests still vastly outnumbering the Nazis… hmm, Nazi’s… Nazi Teeth that reminds me…
I seem to have got side-tracked from what I set out to do, write a review of Dead Pioneers crucially necessary latest album, but I won’t apologise for my tangential rant, even though I acknowledge that no matter how long I walk this planet I will never be able to express myself as eloquently or of course with the lived experience of the mighty Greg Deal, a man passionately dedicated to the cause, and who never minces his words, never misses his mark or the target of his ire with his fervently impassioned and beautifully eloquent diatribes.
The album opens with the eloquence I just referred to demonstrated in shovelfuls in the shape of Dead Presidents, a calm assertion of his masterfully articulated and carefully worded dedication to his forbears, an expressive gracefulness which is repeated later in the album in the opening to Seeing Red, one of the album’s highlights where Deal’s vividly illustrated points are profoundly structured and resonate with an evocative power. More of that later…
As Dead Presidents fades, the darkly brooding intro to the first of the albums perfectly crafted collaborations kicks in, in the shape of the vicious tirade of Nazi Teeth featuring feminist punk band Cheap Perfume channelling the spirit of their 2017 single It’s Ok (To Punch Nazi’s). The intro builds momentum before Deal spits out the initial line “you’ve got a lot of nerve claiming racial superiority in the most diverse country in the world” before laying down his vengeance upon “fascists, white supremacists, unprincipled ego nihilists” & “nazis, fascists and incel boys.” I’ve been called a woke liberal lefty before, which I wore as a badge of pride. However, I’m not such a liberal that I don’t recognise that words don’t always work, and I’m all in with punching a few Nazi’s and knocking out their teeth if that’s the only language they understand. As Stephanie reiterates as the song closes out “If violence is the only language they speak, it’s OK to punch Nazi teeth.” If that song doesn’t have you pumped up and ready to go then nothing will…
A Message from Mr Bell is a powerful 18 second invective from actor and comedian W Kamau Bell who manages to rant expressively against the genocide of indigenous people, the slave trade, racists and paedophiles in it’s brief between song interjection, closing out with the line “None of Us are Free Until All of Us are Free”…
…Something that won’t happen while we are down trodden by the ruling classes, the kings and masters Deal rails about on the next track No Kings, those whose main aim is to divide and spread hatred to maintain their power. And yet people continue to bow down to those who are there to keep them in their place, just look at the vile overture to money & greed that was the recent coronation of old sausage fingers and the sickening sight of fawning, kowtowing subservience by the flag waving masses. Towards the end of the song Deal lists all the negative connotations of the systems under which we live…. Allowing the thriving of depression, oppression, white supremacy, class war, grifters, oligarchy, genocide… and death. Before closing out with a dig at the Royal Family? Fuck you and your golden toilet…
Greg Deal calls upon his Pyramid Lake Paiute heritage in the thought provoking Animals That Roam the Earth, or Hemma U Poone Teepugoobakwaetu Modu in the Numu, the language of the Northern Paiute. The song title links into Deal’s 2023/24 installation at the MCA Denver of the same name. The overall exhibition was named Cowboy which aimed to challenge the glorified vision of American cowboys and revise the fabricated white-centric history. The stark lyrics over a driving rhythm paint a vividly horrific picture reclaiming the true narrative.
In an uplifting collaboration with The Interrupters, Never Alone features a theme that Aimee Allen & Co. have explored before, finding your community and kindred spirits through your love of music. This song is a boisterous celebration of everything that is positive about the joy and relief in finding your lifeline and your lifelong clan who will stand by you through thick and thin, the one you haven’t been able to find through blood ties. The chorus, delivered in her instantly recognised timbre by Aimee is a jubilantly spirited rallying cry of unification… “I had to leave my home, to find my home, a bond thats strong like flesh and bone, a family I could call my own, we’ll never, never stand alone…”
Jason Williamson of outspoken caustic Nottingham post-punk duo Sleaford Mods is the next collaborator to grace Wagon Burner on the brutally scathing The Worst Among Us, opening with an incessant sonar beep before breaking into its bold unrelenting rhythm underlining Deal’s lyrics which illustrate personal experiences of racism and genocide deniers and apologists, with Williamson’s scathingly acerbic vocals speaking out against the normalisation of death and killing.
Two of the most thought-provoking tracks on the album are the aforementioned Seeing Red and the albums penultimate track, Nobody. I’ve mentioned the intelligent eloquence in Deal’s lyrics, the lucid fluency of the words and delivery of Seeing Red is an impeccable embodiment of this, faced with the folly & cognitive stupidity of those who challenge him. The spoken word song starts with no backing, all the focus is on Deal’s words. As the song builds and he mentions righteous anger, the backing tack kicks in and starts to build with a forceful intensity as the exasperation in the lyrics comes to the fore. His fury increases to an incendiary rage, and the intensity of the music rises in line with this, searing white noise builds to aggressive guitar shredding as Deal repeats “Am I angry?” with an incredulous and righteous consternation. Brilliantly impactful.
The fury and rage don’t so much build on Circle Jerk the Wagons, it’s more like a furious explosion of indignant wrath. Deal spits out his lyrics with an incensed ire, demonstrating a livid rage, matched in his spleen-venting vexation by the high-octane backing, furious riffing and machine gun drumming helping deliver his message of vitriolic vengeance towards billionaire bastards and nazi marionettes who follow a fucking clown – whoever could he mean? Interestingly Circle Jerks vocalist Keith Morris recently had an altercation from the stage with two front row MAGA chuds who appeared to be oblivious to the messages behind the music and songs by the band. Moving on to Zealots Deal changes the direction of his wrath to the hypocritical zealots who virtue signal without taking any affirmative action, or criticise those on the same side as they effectively become a destructive rather than positive force for good.
The penultimate song, Nobody, is perhaps the strongest song on the album, and in strength I don’t mean in terms of heavy “in your face” punk rock guitars, and thunderous drums, no, but while the backing music is packed with effectively textured subtle bass lines and discordant riffs that builds to a fervent peak the real power comes from the formidable authority in the absorbingly philosophical and insightfully thought-provoking lyrics.
On the final song of Wagon Burner, Deal makes an uplifting call for unity and action, encouraging the mobilisation of communities coming together, and of spurring us all to stand together with our fellow humans against the bourgeoisie …. Don’t take my word for it, Deal says it far more articulately than I can, LFG, (Let’s Fucking Go) ends the album with a positive bang, and it’s rallying cry reminds us of the line from Mr Bell… “None of Us are Free Until All of Us are Free”…
Definitely an album of the year, nay, album of our times, contender.