★★★★☆
The penultimate event of the Off The Shelf festival was a fascinating discussion of the Black Alternative culture. Stephanie Phillips, author of ‘We Were Here’, is a music journalist and the lead singer of the black feminist punk band ‘Big Jane’. The event was well attended, with a range of age groups and backgrounds eager to hear about the redefined history of alternative music.
Audience members were engaged in the discussion of how the alternative music scene has evolved from the 1950s/60s to the present. Being able to gain a far better understanding of a music scene that once reached the mainstream and became whitewashed was enlightening. During the Q&A portion at the end of the talk, many participants commented on how unaware they were of how interconnected this music scene was with other music genres, and how much of the alternative music scene was part of their own lives.
As with many of the events I have attended as part of the Off the Shelf festival, there is always a desire for more time. To be able to hear insights not just about the writing of the book, but also the processes it has taken them to produce much of the content within the pages. Hearing about the interviews with either current or ex-members of different bands and seeing how their personal views may have differed from what the band was portraying. Although Philips discusses at the beginning that this was not to be a memoir, having the event meant the audience could hear more about her personal journey in the alternative scene that you do not get the chance to hear about in the book.
The event was rounded out by a discussion between Philips and the audience about how the alternative music scene will play a role in resistance, both now and in the future. Philips talks about how she hopes the alternative movement will play its role, as much of the scene’s music and aesthetic are about nonconformity and signal rebellion. Much of the music has a deep-seated rage that can be harnessed to act on people’s vision for how they want the world to be.
Overall, I was really impressed with the discussions at this event, and I have definitely come away with a fresh perspective on a music scene I was aware of, but did not really know much about. The understanding of radical optimism and how alternative music can serve as a platform for a counterculture to what we currently have was inspiring for all to hear.
