Commie Faggots, an ever changing line up of radical misfits, have been evolving, devolving and revolving around the London Underground scene since 2008. More queer and quirky than directly didactic, they would be the odd ones out on a rosta of acts that are Political with a big "P, like Propagandi, Billy Bragg or Rage Against the Machine. Similarly, whilst they do nod to the "Faggot" in their moniker with gender-bending costumes and make-up akin to The Rocky Horror Picture show, they are sometimes too rowdy - and sometimes too hairy - to nestle neatly into the sub-culture of Queer Cabaret. They have, in fact, never settled into the self-contained culture of any micro-group, and whilst their songs can be unashamedly forthright and anything but easy-listening, they aspire to accessibility and a more universal appeal than many bands in genres associated with protest music.There is an element of flippancy in what Commie Faggots do, but beneath the sarcasm and upbeat theatricality is an underlying seriousness. Their stage show contains neither earnest sermons nor stand up comedy, but they are seriously funny - in that their hardline humour can be serious and pointed.
Audiences might be more offended more often if they were not also being encouraged to take the band's lead in not taking themselves too seriously. Trying their best to avoid preaching to the choir, Commie Faggots have played parodies of Christian Rock to congregations in churches and sang diatribes against the bail-outs to bankers in the city. They have entertained punters in the queue to the O2 arena with ditties mocking this brand's monopolising of music venues, and have savaged the bands the audience are queuing to see with deeply unflattering cover versions. They have amiably eye-balled skin headed flag-wavers on St. George's day with a rewrite of the national anthem that begins "Take your national flag, and shove it up your arse". To a festival field full of middle class hippies they have, to the tune of Karma Chameleon, sang a song entitled "Trustytrustytrustytrustafarian", and to the intellectuals of Islington, they have presented "Bourgeois Individualist" to the melody of "The Lumberjack Song". With a nudge and a wink, public school boy politeness, and the disarming self-effacement of a wandering band of minstrels, they have survived this series of provocations unscathed. Consistently using the first person to relate their narratives, the joke is on the band themselves as much as the audience. The joke may go for the jugular but these jesters are not judgemental.
Whilst it may be obvious where this band's political sympathies lie, the lyrics avoid telling you what to think, and instead throw contradictory statements at you to push you in to making up your own mind.This incitement to audience participation is particularly evident in the many call and response sections of their songs, in which the band psyche up the audience to respond with shouts that directly contradict the calls or in which the band gently goad the audience to sing along with the choruses and then admonish them for doing so in the verses. They take inspiration from other acts in and around the London Underground Scene, such as Rob the Rub, Babar Luck, David Rovics, Shit Theatre and Vibe Machine. As well as their own originals, Commie Faggots give exposure to songs by other acts in the community. If Commie Faggots play a cover of a song the audience already know it will most likely be to savage it; from John Lennon to Bobby McFerrin and Elvis they show no mercy.
As the lyrics are the most important aspect of the band, the line up has always been primarily acoustic.They would not, however, easily fit in around a folk song camp fire, having as they do, a bent towards joyously mis-appropriating Slayer-esque thrash metal and abusing your ears with discordant and rambunctious kazoo harmonies. Whilst the line-up has grown from the original duo, to including -at various points - horns, beat boxing, interpretive dance and the Fagettes - their female backing singers - this acoustic base has remained throughout.
Whilst the lyrics are crucial, Commie faggots are not just a music band. Following the lead of groups such as KLF, you are as likely to come across one of their posters, videos or articles as one of their songs. This website itself, and the media it contains should help you know as much about the band as you can from any of their songs, a lot of which - incidentally - you can listen to for free as you make your way around the site, and some of which you can buy, as even Commies need to make a living ;)
Audiences might be more offended more often if they were not also being encouraged to take the band's lead in not taking themselves too seriously. Trying their best to avoid preaching to the choir, Commie Faggots have played parodies of Christian Rock to congregations in churches and sang diatribes against the bail-outs to bankers in the city. They have entertained punters in the queue to the O2 arena with ditties mocking this brand's monopolising of music venues, and have savaged the bands the audience are queuing to see with deeply unflattering cover versions. They have amiably eye-balled skin headed flag-wavers on St. George's day with a rewrite of the national anthem that begins "Take your national flag, and shove it up your arse". To a festival field full of middle class hippies they have, to the tune of Karma Chameleon, sang a song entitled "Trustytrustytrustytrustafarian", and to the intellectuals of Islington, they have presented "Bourgeois Individualist" to the melody of "The Lumberjack Song". With a nudge and a wink, public school boy politeness, and the disarming self-effacement of a wandering band of minstrels, they have survived this series of provocations unscathed. Consistently using the first person to relate their narratives, the joke is on the band themselves as much as the audience. The joke may go for the jugular but these jesters are not judgemental.
Whilst it may be obvious where this band's political sympathies lie, the lyrics avoid telling you what to think, and instead throw contradictory statements at you to push you in to making up your own mind.This incitement to audience participation is particularly evident in the many call and response sections of their songs, in which the band psyche up the audience to respond with shouts that directly contradict the calls or in which the band gently goad the audience to sing along with the choruses and then admonish them for doing so in the verses. They take inspiration from other acts in and around the London Underground Scene, such as Rob the Rub, Babar Luck, David Rovics, Shit Theatre and Vibe Machine. As well as their own originals, Commie Faggots give exposure to songs by other acts in the community. If Commie Faggots play a cover of a song the audience already know it will most likely be to savage it; from John Lennon to Bobby McFerrin and Elvis they show no mercy.
As the lyrics are the most important aspect of the band, the line up has always been primarily acoustic.They would not, however, easily fit in around a folk song camp fire, having as they do, a bent towards joyously mis-appropriating Slayer-esque thrash metal and abusing your ears with discordant and rambunctious kazoo harmonies. Whilst the line-up has grown from the original duo, to including -at various points - horns, beat boxing, interpretive dance and the Fagettes - their female backing singers - this acoustic base has remained throughout.
Whilst the lyrics are crucial, Commie faggots are not just a music band. Following the lead of groups such as KLF, you are as likely to come across one of their posters, videos or articles as one of their songs. This website itself, and the media it contains should help you know as much about the band as you can from any of their songs, a lot of which - incidentally - you can listen to for free as you make your way around the site, and some of which you can buy, as even Commies need to make a living ;)