Welcome To Rough Music - Brighton's new free monthly newsletter...

What Is Rough Music?

Yes it's an odd title. You're going... what the hell is "rough music"? Who the hell are we and what do we want?

Rough music is a Sussex tradition dating back centuries. It was a form of punishment for those who had offended their communities; people like profi teering landlords, wife-beaters or kiddie-fi ddlers. In the past lovely people like these were a lot harder to prosecute using the law. So people took matters into their own hands. Taking what ever they could to make some noise with them, they would stand outside the miscreant's house and make as much noise as possible. If they were successful the offender was often driven out completely. Although such gatherings were illegal they happened throughout Sussex with the last ones recorded as happening as late as the 1950's.

Now we want to bring back this tradition with a vengeance!!!

We want to show how the people of Brighton are making plenty of Rough Music of their own. How people are making Rough Music against City Council and big business profi teering feeding frenzies. How they are making Rough Music for those who treat their employees like dirt. How they are making Rough Music for businesses that think that the environment and the quality of people's lives is a secondary consideration to the important task of making mega-profi ts. From EDO/MBM the bomb makers to Brighton and Hove City Council, from the Shoreham Airport stitch-up to the sneaking encroachment of the supermarkets into every corner of the city; we say, bring on the music!

Boss pissed you off? Dodgy dealings at the council? Are you Simon Fanshawe’s P.A?
Perhaps you’ve got a story for Rough Music.s