Sharing spaces with problematic characters and musicians, and getting on stage with them.

The sharing of spaces, co-existence and even collaboration of artists across the political spectrum has been the status quo for decades in all mainstream circles within the entertainment industry. This is obviously a topic that cannot be fully settled as it is primarily a political issue that people in different parts of the left/antifascist spectrum will view under different lenses, but nevertheless, it is an issue that urgently needs addressing so we will be giving our own take on it.

Co-existence does not equal contesting. The simple presence of antifascist artists in a space also occupied by fascists, racists, homophobes etc. doesn’t mean that space is being contested. The sharing of spaces and co-existence of artists across the political spectrum in the metal scene (and not just the metal scene) is nothing new; it’s actually been the status quo for decades, ever since right-wing agitators and reactionaries started pushing their beliefs, whether via agitprop, cultural biases or simple aesthetics. Bands with left-leaning lyrics have always shared the spaces of the metal scene with said bad actors and their presence not only didn’t deter them, it actually very often enabled them, pushing the narrative of metal “brotherhood”, the notion of free speech absolutism and that fascism can be fought in the marketplace of ideas simply by expressing opposition to it via one’s art, while simultaneously leaving the bad actors (and, not coincidentally, the capitalist metal marketplace) undisturbed. Fascism, racism, misogyny and other conservative values thrived under these conditions, both in their conscious forms and in cleverly disguised cultural and aesthetic norms, because the presence of left-leaning bands simply preaching their message did not contest them, and the metal scene has since become an increasingly hostile ground for anyone that questions or disputes the marketplace, both of ideas and of capitalism.

How do we contest ground then? By making it hostile and unwelcoming. By harassing and intimidating and ridiculing and cutting off access to those that would use it to spread hate and intolerance towards the oppressed (feel free to spread hate and intolerance towards the oppressors though). By going beyond simply preaching and making sure the bad actors feel unwanted. Which is not an easy thing, because decades of inaction and liberal praxis have made the metal scene one where bad actors are very much wanted, often even more than antifascists and anticapitalists. So if we want to contest ground, we better be prepared.

How do we prepare? Look at actions taken by workers’ unions, anarcho punks and squatters.  Their work is there to show that if you want to contest a space, whether an economic space, a workplace or a cultural space, first you build. You gather allies, you build your influence and outreach, you gather supporters and comrades and you make sure you have people to back you up and a place to retreat to if needed. You play at safe spaces first and make sure to extend them every chance you get, build alliances with other scenes and even non-musical spaces (and try to do it in an anticapitalist manner in the process, instead of imitating the compromised example of the metal scene).

Someone will argue that artists also need to make a living and are therefore limited in their choices. We agree that they do need to make a living, and that art workers are workers. And we expect antifascist and leftist workers to behave as such, to unionize, to organize, coordinate and support each other when taking on the workplaces they need to contest, and to build together their own spaces, not as backup or as they were once called “activist ghettos” (rightfully so in some cases, and a lesson that comfortable isolation is also not a solution) but as places to rest, regroup, feel safe and organize your siege of what has become poisonous ground.

So next time an antifascist band is invited to play a sketchy lineup they should remember that this is not a zero-sum game of “play/don’t play”. Can they amass enough support in the space they are invited? Can they coordinate with other bands on the roster to have each other’s back and be more efficient? How hostile will the specific audience be, what is the number of bad actors that they might have to confront? Can they get enough comrades to attend? The obvious math shows that contesting certain spaces is not really feasible, not yet at least, and by attending, say Steelfest, they are only making things worse by perpetuating the rotten ideological status quo of “co-existing”. But other spaces might be riper. So the question is not simply whether antifascist bands should play in the same space as established cryptofascist assholes, but whether they can make the assholes regret sharing the space and think twice next time.

TLDR: no one can tell you where to play, but if you do decide to contest a space, don’t just show up. Organize. Coordinate. Unionize. Agitate. And of course, harass and intimidate fascists and their collaborators every chance you get. And don’t worry about being labelled troublemakers and losing future gigs, this is the metal scene, most of the time it actually helps, and if some spaces don’t want you because last time you punched some nazis, it speaks a lot about those spaces themselves.