Gene_Clark

They were just easy targets at the time really. Generally speaking they were an entrepreneurial lot and Germany was in a terrible state. It was already fucked before the Great Depression due to war reparations from WWI. The Nazis were opportunists and took control at a time when the Communists could have just as easily seized power if things had happened slightly differently. That's not even the slightest justification for what took place, you understand. There's no justification for murdering one person for their ethnicity and beliefs let alone 6 million. The Poles were good during the war though, they probably got the shittest deal of the lot the Poles. However, it's estimated they saved 500,000 jews by fighting the nazi authorities and releasing jews back in to society. Going off at a tangent here but everyone else in the war got something, Poland was largely deserted by the west after we promised them they wouldn't fall under the Soviet sphere of influence. historically Poland was always fucked over by rest of Europe; partition of Poland in 18th Century an absolute joke; Russia, Prussia & Hapsburgs just waltzed in 3 times in 30 years & helped themselves to large swathes of land. Poland didn't exist between 1795 & 1918!!

They were just easy targets at the time really. Generally speaking they were an entrepreneurial lot and Germany was in a terrible state. It was already fucked before the Great Depression due to war reparations from WWI. The Nazis were opportunists and took control at a time when the Communists could have just as easily seized power if things had happened slightly differently. That's not even the slightest justification for what took place, you understand. Jews were money lenders as the Church forbade usury (charging interest), which is where the money-grabbing stereotype comes from. The Weimar Republic disintegrated as it was knacked from the outset (Versailles Treaty as you correctly observe). In times of economic crisis, the far right exploits worries & unease, generally by providing simple lies rather than the complicated truth. same tactics from EDL & BNP today

this is one of the hardest things to explain to people; being Anti Zionist (for example opposing Israeli occupation of Palestine) is not being Anti Semite (which is prejudice against Jews). i think your post brings out the difference, in being Anti Zionist but not Anti Semitic.

Oh yes, I could see just how profoundly exciting it was. Having been just too young for punk & really got in to music with the Rough Trade 1978 DIY post punk experimental stuff, I was fully in support & awe of the innovative work going on in that genre. Sadly, my musical taste had been seduced by Teenage Fanclub, The Wedding Present & The Fall, where it remains to this day; my last 4 gigs have been Roger McGuinn, The Fall, Veronica Falls & Wire.

When I visited Auschwitz / Birkenau, I saw the room full of children's shoes, taken from Holocaust victims. Unspeakably sad; a profound & life changing, humbling experience I have to say.

Jim Mawdsley's club night before Shindig wasn't it? The new Riverside book by Hazel Plater & Carl Taylor tells the club's story from 85-99 in great detail; well worth buying, especially for the bits by me in it. I don't know who ran it but it ran around the same time as Shindig (Shindig was shit imo). It was monthly but on through the week (Wednesday or Thursday) so it obviously got a few students but at least they were ones with a bit of savvy. Might have a look at that book btw. I was involved with Riv & Paint It Red from 88 when I moved back to North East (had been to quite a few Riv gigs in Summer when visiting, but was a student from 83-88 so missed start up), until around 96 time, when the bairn was born, which pretty much coincided with the gig scene dying out - was never a lover of dance music so i can't comment on quality of any of those nights.

I cycled down past there on Sunday morning heading to Swalwell, but can't even recall what is there now; levelled land on the whole of the old Tyne Tees site I presume. Will check next weekend. Was last down Ouseburn for Veronica Falls gig a week past monday; didn't get to Tyne or Free Trade, but Cumberland & Cluny vibrant as ever, with Ship reopened. There's hope for the alternative end of town yet I guess....

Jim Mawdsley's club night before Shindig wasn't it? The new Riverside book by Hazel Plater & Carl Taylor tells the club's story from 85-99 in great detail; well worth buying, especially for the bits by me in it.

Billy Furious is Mark Jensen isn't it? No; not at all!! One of the writers used to live in the same street as my mate at Chapel Park. Canny bloke, can't remember his name though, you might know him. yes i do (i think) - sent you a PM as using real names & know they don't frequent here

I remember not long after it became 'The Fog' and me and a couple of mates went in for a game of pool (mate lived in Melbourne Street at the time) and there was us, the bar staff and about two other people, on a Saturday night as well. It was canny tragic considering what it had been like. We stayed for about 20 minutes. And aye, I like The Egypt Cottage too. That was turned trendy and ruined. The demise of the Riverside meant they'd both have been on borrowed time anyway though. I assume The Egypt is still trying to be a wine bar. Egypt has been pulled down!! The longest continuously trading pub in town is no more. You're right; demise of Riverside & Julian the manager moving on killed the place. Preferred jukebox there to Barley; "Waiting Room" by Fugazi, "Mr Pharmacist" by The Fall & lots of Gary Clail.....

no idea; last time I was in Stereo was January 2006 for a quick pre gig pint before seeing John Cale at The Sage, who was rubbish actually

Billy Furious is Mark Jensen isn't it? No; not at all!!

An important one though.

February 20th this year - I was at The Cluny same night seeing a band & someone mentioned seeing it on way there

And the Barley / Firkin / Stereo burned down in February this year. Also, Fred Plater does own The Tyne. He was also Billy Furious's first landlord when he got a flat on manor House road in Jesmond

The Egypt Cottage was a better bar in my opinion. Best thing about the Barley Mow was seeing the rockabilly pool players mercilessly taunting the mackem barman Jez Robinson, who formed "A Love Supreme" & was mackem correspondent for the Sunday Sun.

I think the Holocaust is something we should never forget.

I will attend the Holocaust Memorial Day gathering as I do every year.

Is it because most red poppy wearers are sympathetic to the Holocaust?

I wonder why that is.

How many of those who make such a conspicuous show of wearing red poppies each year will also commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day?

corrected

no, it's a fella from cork who lives in Bray

I've said this before to many people about you. You're a fucking idiot.

Emre's glorious free kick defeated the Mackems 3-2, whose marvellous fans reacted to this defeat by attacking a bus load of their disabled supporters on Barrack Road. It is a moot point whether this was more shameful than Brewse declining to wear a "Kick Racism Out Of Football" badge yesterday