That’s right, nothing is going to stop Spanner (or us) from getting their brand new album ‘We Won’t Be Stopped’ over this side of the pond. It’s on its way, via punk post, and should be here by the end of February. We’ll keep you posted!
This is our third Spanner release. We had a hand in putting our their first 12″ ‘Crisis,’ and then took part in the ‘History Lessons’ EP, which saw Spanner and Action Sedition do up a couple of tunes each on a 7″.
Both these records are available as free / pay-what-you-like downloads from the Rebel Time Records bandcamp page.
Mixing politics and pleasure, this militant punk’d up ska band from Bristol, England, strikes fear into the hearts of capitalists, cops, bosses and politicians everywhere! With the release of ‘Won’t Be Stopped,’ they continue their mission that aims to prove punk can and should still be part of a genuine opposition and resistance movement within our communities, and we are pleased to be apart of bringing their music and message into North America.
In their own words:
“Spanner has been mixing politics and pleasure since around 2000, and we aim to still be at it when it’s time for dancing on the ruins of the empire. We’re taking bookings for the after party now! Our sound is a small contribution to the soundtrack to revolution and we hope to inspire both much dancing and more direct action. We play militant, ska’d up punk that’s not just for 
entertaining “alternative” consumers or being part of the illusion of rebellion. Punk for us has to be more than noise and more than a hairdo. We want punk and punks to be part of a community in opposition and resistance to this murderous system which leaves everything it touches damaged or dead. We know that with our creativity and determination we can make a new world, and punk is about doing it now! We’d also very much like our music to strike fear into the hearts of capitalists, cops, bosses and politicians everywhere… if only they could hear the words!
We love meeting DIY bands, gig collectives, subverters, squatters, rebels, resisters, renegades, revolutionaries and fellow trouble makers from all over. It reminds us that we are everywhere!!! We are always looking for gigs and festivals to play, so get in touch if you think you could do with a Spanner in the mix.”
Here’s a taste of the new album …
Wreck the prison society
Rebel against everything that stops us being free
Revolt against sexism and patriarchy
Rethink assigned gender and identity
Reject the culture of celebrity
Wreck, Rebel, Revolt, Rethink, Reject
For all these things there is no app
Could it be your smartphone’s another clever trap?
Full screen dominance, we’re isolated
Keyboard warfare’s overrated
Social media does not make a revolution make
Profile, status it’s just another fake
Mass communications aren’t mine or yours
But another tool to keep us masses indoors
The illusion of community and connection
Has got us all facing in one direction
We won’t change much with all the texts we send
Obsessed with the screen and facebook friends
Can you really do it all from your phone
Or is the power at your fingertips not your own?
Is it all a substitute for taking tho the streets
And the power that we hold when we really meet?
There’s no shortcuts on your laptop
We’ve a long way to go to make the madness stop
Are you carried away with your portable device
And a mobile that keeps you immobilised?
Our time is wasted staring at these screens
When we could be in the real world fighting for our dreams
Breaking the grip of handheld distractions
Shutting down their power as we switch to action
Rage against abuse and brutality
Reclaim our lives and our autonomy
Resist the destruction wreaked by industry
Refuse the impositions of authority
Remember past struggles and our history
Rage, Reclaim, Resist, Refuse, Remember
Separation, exploitation
You can justify anything
When every living thing’s at our disposal
And you think the human race is king
Property, authority, hierarchy
Lies at the root of it all
But from where you think you’re stood on top of the world
There’s a very long way to fall
Objectification, severed relations
Numbers replace lives
Mass torture, cruelty, abuse and slaughter
Are neatly normalised
Domination, subjugation
Ours is the loudest voice
But what makes our species really stand out
Is it’s capacity to destroy
Domestication, annihilation
For fun, food, profit and science
Unquestioning acceptance
Of horrific daily violence
CH:
Categorised as commodities
Legitimises the atrocities
Ringing any bells from history?
Let’s fight like hell for all to be free
Break:
It’s not up to us how other animals should behave
We’ve got no place to control or to enslave
What makes you think that you can decide their worth
Their lives, their conditions, their death and their birth?
Why do you accept that human progress and gains
means inflicting so much misery, suffering and pain?
The slaughterhouse, the zoo and the laboratory cage
Must be demolished and abolished with all our rage
But we can’t stop there because there’s so much more
Total liberation is what we’re going for