RNC 2008: "Rude Mechanical Orchestra" (What Is A Radical Marching Band?)

Photo By John Hoff, September 1

Just prior to the September 1 Anti-War March to XCel Energy Center, it was looking like this little group--the "Rude Mechanical Orchestra"--was going to march all by itself and kick off the festivities early...

They marched with spirit toward XCel Energy Center, but stopped short when police lines started to form and--more importantly, I thought--when there were no huge elements of the rally which broke away to follow them. Their playing was very skillful. These were not just a bunch of kids making noise with instruments, but an actual MARCHING BAND. (However, they simply walked, protest style, and didn't actually MARCH in the way a "marching band" marches.

I picked up one of their fliers--which includes comic book panels with stick figures--and it has been wadded up and kicking around my backpack for about a week, now. I'm just going to throw the content of the flier into these next few posts. Here we go.

What's A Radical Marching Band?

Glad you asked! A radical marching band is a street band of activists who use music to support radical and progressive events, organizations and culture.

The music, presentation, instruments, and skill level can vary widely between different groups--the politics are the common ground in this movement.

Most bands have traditional brass, woodwinds, and percussion, while some are all drums and others include more unusual marching instruments like banjoes, (sic) violins, accordians, melodicas and more. A few have megaphone-enhanced vocalists, or sing as a group at times. Some bands have visual elements like dancers, flag twirlers, fire breathers, or stilt walkers. Dozens of these bands exist and more get started every year.

These bands play indoors or out, standing still or moving. At big marches, the band can lift spirits and keep protesters pumped. Small rallies and actions can be made much louder and more visible by adding a band. Good organizations doing non street-based work can be supported by playing at their benefits and parties.

How do we start one? Here are some suggestions:

THE CALL

The first thing is to get people together and playing. Write a fun but clear political statement about it and circulate. Use radical forums (Indymedia, activist listservs, etc.) and mainstream ones (Craigslist, musician's forums, bike shops, community centers, supermarkets, music shops) Don't worry, the politics will scare off right-wingers, and often attract unorganized people who are angry and want to make noise about it. Talk to friends and strangers about the band--and get their contact info as well as giving out your flyers.

PRACTICE!

It's important to get people excited first and not spend hours meeting about names, uniforms, mission statement--those will come. Make practice welcoming with food, drinks and good music before playing time. Pick one or two easy songs and jump right in. It's OK if it sounds rough: many people will be learning or relearning their instruments. (TIP: Have extra hand percussion around for people without their own instruments)

THE MUSIC

You might find a wide range of skill levels at first. People will get better with practice--if they feel welcomed and supported and keep coming. Start simple and go slow at first. (Flyer provides URLs to some free sheet music, smudged and crinkled on my copy) Songs like (indecipherable) and Bubamara are good starters.

GET ORGANIZED!

An important assignment for new band members is finding more recruits--have flyers available and ask them to forward your call to their networks. Make a weekly practice time/place that works for everyone. The easiest way for the band to disappear is to get lost in scheduling limbo. Eventually, you'll want a website, mission statement, listserv, contact list of members and a collection of sheet music. The best way to do all this is by splitting up the work, allowing everyone to be a vital member of the organization and preventing burn out.

NOW, PLAY SOME GIGS!

The best gigs are in the streets, especially protests, marches and parades, where you can play a limited repertoire repeatedly, or improvise by backing up chants--plus the crowd probably won't even notice mistakes. ONce the word is out, there'll be no stopping the deluge of new recruits and radical gigs! Questions? Email us at rmo@riseup.net for support and advice.

Love and Noise!

(To learn about existing bands from all over the U.S. check out www.honkfest.org, the website for an annual street band convergence. Or, search for "streetband" in Yahoo groups for an international listserv on the subject.