„Make radical ideas accessible, entertaining and popular“

Jude Abbott von Chumbawamba über Kultur und linker Politik

prager frühling: Seit Jahren sind Chumbawamba organischer Teil linker Kultur. Wie würdest du das Verhältnis von Pop-Kultur und linker Politik aktuell beschreiben – fruchtbar oder entfremdet?

Jude Abbott: I think it's more alienated now than in the past. By 'the past' I mean in the 60's and 70's when revolutionary politics were soundtracked by popular culture. I think it's the fault of the left and also a result of capitalism learning and understanding culture. I'm glad Chumbawamba is what you call „an organic part of left wing culture” – it's where we would like to be. Because we think that radical ideas and revolutionary politics must be organic, must be open to constant change. In this way we'll keep up with and understand how to deal with and oppose the constantly-changing nature of Capital. As soon as the left becomes static and rigid, it is doomed to fail. It is a problem possibly of some people's religious devotion to Marx – of course Marxism is an incredible signpost and foundation, but it is now old, we have to constantly update it. The left has to acknowledge how politics can spring from sources outside the Marxist view. For instance, Feminism, sexual politics/gay & lesbian politics and environmental politics. But yes, I think that much of the radical left is alienated from culture. Look at art and theatre and music and TV... But it doesn't depress me, because there are always things to feel hopeful about. Always people making great documentaries and great songs and great theatre. It may not be as commonly popular as for instance Berthold Brecht or Bob Dylan or Marvin Gaye but it's there. There are always people making great revolutionary art.

pf: Auf dem Cover eurer neuen CD „The boy bands have won“ schreibt ihr, dass wir Kultur „recyclen“ und in neue Kontexte bringen müssen.

Abbott: Recycling culture is a pet subject of ours. We think that too many people get stuck in the same cultural cycles, and that if we take that cultural past, shake it up, change it round, re-use it, don't worship it but cut it up and recycle it, then there's the possibility that we can create a new language for the world we're in. Which is a world of recycled ideas! Boy bands and tribute acts are a sign of our capitalist culture. People seem to love nostalgia, because it's easy. So why not get that old culture and re-shape it to fit our world? So the album is a cut-and-paste way of looking at the world. Sort of ...

pf: In „The boy bands have won“ behandelt ihr das Phänomen Facebook („Add me“) und den Krieg gegen den Terror („Word bomber“), aber ihr vertont auch Bertolt Brecht („Right around the world“) und greift Motive aus der frühen Tagen der englischen ArbeiterInnenbewegung auf. Bemerkenswert ist vor allem die bescheiden-smarte und musikalisch authentische Art, sozialistische Arbeiterkultur zu zitieren. Wollt ihr dieses Erbe konservieren oder seht Ihr Spielräume dafür, sie neu zu erfinden?

Abbott: I think it's precisely by mixing up Facebook culture with Berthold Brecht that we can reinvent our view of culture. As the Situationists said, 'Modern Life Is Rubbish', we're a generation of people who mistrust everything we're told. So it's interesting for us to take bits of that crap culture and mix it with Brecht etc. and say, look, this is the world we live in. A big mess of ideas and influences. Stitching together poetry and tabloid headlines. And then saying, through it all, that there must be better ways of dealing with the world than what we have now. And that way is by talking to each other. Very simply, not by strapping bombs around yourself or by making friends on the internet, but by talking and working things out. Musically there are a thousand ways to sing these ideas. We like to mix 'pop' ideas with traditional English ideas, 'folk' music that springs from working class experience etc. That music is still relevant, and still a good way to pass on ideas, and still a good way to sing along while drinking beer and having a good time!

pf: Eine unserer Gründe sich mit dem Verhältnis von Kultur und linker Politik zu beschäftigen ist die Annahme, dass kulturelle Ausdrucksformen und Kunst in der politischen Arbeit systematisch vernachlässigt oder unterschätzt werden. Teilst du diese Annahme und hast du irgendeine Idee, wie man das verändern könnte?

Abbott: I think it's strange how many political activists don't understand the need for a thriving and exciting culture to go along with their activism. I don't think that Chumbawamba is the answer, and that all activists should listen to our band! Not at all. But I think any kind of radical politics should address the idea of culture – it plays such a big part in daily life, and we can't just dismiss it. I like how groups like Indymedia are involved in radical politics, and I love the wave of cheaply-made documentary films which are reaching mainstream film audiences. That's a good way to do it – trying to make radical ideas accessible and entertaining and popular.

Die britische Band Chumbawamba gibt es seit den achtziger Jahren. Sie hatte große Hits, wie den Antifa-Song „Enough is enough“, der noch heute auf vielen Partys läuft, und natürlich „Tubthumping“ – das Lied zur Fussball WM 1998. Chumabawamba machen politische Musik mit politischen Texten und sind bekennende Linke. Auf ihrem neuen Album „The boy bands have won“ (2008, Westpark, Indigo) mischen sie Brecht-Zitate mit Songs über das Internet-Portal Facebook. Für prager frühling sprach Kolja Möller mit Bandmitglied Jude Abbott.
Eine Übersetzung des Interviews ist auf der Homepage www.prager-fruehling-magazin.de abrufbar.