Today should have been Sophie Lancaster’s 23rd birthday.

But she was murdered for her appearance. She dressed in the goth style.

It is an extreme example of how we police each other into conformity, how we fear difference in others, and how easily it is exploited into horrific violence.

The Sophie Lancaster Foundation has been set up by Sophie’s family and friends in the wake of this tragedy. They seek to educate against hatred and prejudice.

Tonight, at Manchester Cathedral, they premiere an outstanding and deeply, deeply chilling short animated film, ‘Dark Angel’, about what happened to Sophie. I embed it here so you can view it too.

Also shown in this post is a video featuring a live performance of my song We Are Not Afraid.

Sophie was the inspiration, for she was a young woman who lived life as herself and had the courage to be who she was.

Conformity sucks. A curse upon the ordinary! Three cheers for the niche!

For Sophie, and for her Mum Sylvia….

People think I’m a singer. I don’t see myself that way. I’m a storyteller.

I find stories that interest and inspire me, and I retell them in a portable way that others can pass on too, through song.

People approach me with stories and say “You should write a song about this!” And sometimes I do.

So I’ve decided to make that a feature of this site.

If you hear of a great story or struggle that deserves to be a song, contact me here in the Comments Box below and tell me about it.

If you have some weblinks or info then even better. If not, I’ll do my own research on it.

It needn’t be something grand (although it can be). It might simply be about someone you knew.

But send me the stories you think I should be writing about, big and small.

In the New Year it will be a core part of this website, but why wait til then?

Note: I don’t promise to write about everything I’m sent. Writing just isn’t like that. But imagine how cool it’ll be if one of your suggestions turns into a fully fledged song! Let me hear them.

So what inspires you? Tell me. Soon it could be inspiring lots of other people too, in song.

Thanks to all who came out last night for the Roy Bailey gig at the Liverpool Folk and Roots Festival.

Congratulations to The Random Family for curating such a great new festival. (You can catch their festival gig on Saturday at St Brides Church in Percy Street).

Big thanks too to Tony Mulhearn for a fascinating overview of Liverpool’s radical past that took us into the middle of the 19th century.

And of course to the wonderful Roy Bailey who was as enchanting as ever.

The Festival continues until Saturday so make sure you catch the remainder of it. You can see what’s on here.

One that stands out in particular is the event at The Palm House in Sefton Park on Thursday night at 7.30pm, entitled Twilight Garden Party, run by the good people of Almanac Folk.

It is a night of song, story telling, spoken word and live illustration in the beautiful surroundings of Sefton Park Palm House.

It features the excellent Lizzie Nunnery, as well as Atlantic Massey, who blew away the 2008 Working Class Music Festival when working as The Prelude.

With singer/harpist Nula Mathers, and singer Andy Hickie also on the bill, it’s one not to be missed.

Eleven days ago, I played a gig in Liverpool as a benefit for the Leeds cleaning workers who had been on strike since September 7th.

They faced pay cuts of up to £6,000 and the workers said no.

I’m delighted to report that they have won!!

This is the power of working people united together in struggle. This is the power of the union.

If the workers in Leeds had not fought this then some would have had a third of their wages snatched from them.

It took 12 weeks of courageous strike action and a lot of solidarity, but in the best traditions of the labour movement, people stuck together to defend each other and won.

From threats of massive pay cuts and privatisation, both threats have now been removed.

They march back to work tomorrow triumphant.

Congratulations to the cleaning workers of Leeds. Your victory gives confidence to us all and will stay the hand of other councils who were hoping for your defeat as a cue to wage attacks on their own workers.

We can make the world stop. And we bloody well should!

Song

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Links

Colin Burgon in the Guardian

On Tuesday 24th November I’ll be supporting the fantastic Roy Bailey in Liverpool.

The gig is (amazingly) free entry as part of the Liverpool Folk and Roots Festival.

Doors open at 7pm, and the music starts very soon afterwards. Be there early to catch my set as I’ll be on at the start of the night to leave as much room for Roy as possible.

It takes place at The Casa, Hope St, Liverpool. Getting your tickets from the venue in advance is advised due to expected high demand.

Don’t miss this one. It’s not often that a genuine folk legend like Roy Bailey, who Tony Benn labelled “the finest socialist singer of his generation”, can be seen completely free of charge.