In fact, these kinds of connections today would see anyone, no matter how big, totally cancelled and driven into the outer darkness. But, strangely, this story is totally neglected by the press. Odd because not only was Suggs connected to a real racial nationalist, but Madness was very much part of the Ska movement -- with its West Indian roots -- and even did "racial togetherness" Two-Tone tours with multiracial bands like THE SELECTER and THE SPECIALS. How are the press ignoring this? Although I'm glad they are because Suggs is a decent sort.
Nevertheless, the guy must have some really good PR people working hard to keep his "toxic" past out of the public limelight.
In all fairness, it should be pointed out that so-called "racialist" views were entirely normal in the 1970s and 80s among working class Brits -- and probably still are -- so neither Suggs or Donaldson should be seen as any kind of abnormal monster. In fact, a lot of today's political correctness should rightly be seen merely as a tool of class oppression, used to push down the working class. John Lydon of Public Image seems to think so.
So, what exactly was Sugg's connection with Ian Stuart Donaldson?
Well, for a start there is a Scottish connection -- both Suggs, whose real name was Graham McPherson, and Donaldson were of Scottish background.
Suggs was born on 13 January 1961 in Hastings ("on a stormy night," according to the man himself), the only child of William Rutherford McPherson and Edith Gower, who may have been Welsh. Soon after he was born. Suggs's dad disappeared, leaving Suggs to be brought up by his single mum, who sometimes worked as a "singer" in pubs and clubs in London’s sleazy Soho. In fact, it's clear from various stories that Suggs's mum was some kind of prostitute, while his dad appears to have been a "junkie." The fact that he overcame that to become a big success is definitely to his credit.
As for his famous monicker, this was a nickname he chose almost at random so that he wouldn't be seen as "Scottish" down in Cockney London.
As he grew up he became interested in music, going to his first gig -- THE WHO -- in 1976 when he was 15. Around this time he started following the punk skinhead band SKREWDRIVER, fronted by Donaldson, which had come down from the North of England. He even became their roadie and a good friend of Donaldson, in whom he appears to have found a kindred spirit.
The story, when it is commented upon at all, is that Donaldson and Skrewdriver were completely "non-racist" until around 1982 when they suddenly became "more openly" White nationalist. By that time Suggs and Madness had made it, having their first big hits in 1979, and -- so the narrative goes -- Suggs had already stopped associating with his old friend.
This is supposed to let Suggs off the hook, but if this story is at all true, it probably means that Suggs actually pushed Donaldson into his "race aware" politics, not the other way round. Donaldson, remember, was from the much Whiter and less "racially divided" North, while Suggs was a self-admitted Chelsea football hooligan, a group of people who were notoriously racist at the time.
But there was in fact a lot of overlap between Madness's success and Suggs's friendship with Donaldson. The song "The Bed & Breakfast Man" on Madness's 1979 eponymous debut album is supposed to be about Donaldson, with the vid reportedly being filmed outside Donaldson's B&B in Kings Cross, where he was living at the time, having just moved out of Suggs's Mum's flat.
There is also this rather cosy photo from 1982 showing Donaldson & Suggs polishing their boots in Suggs's Mum’s flat, before heading to The Last Resort, a legendary skinhead shop in Brick Lane.
Revenge of Riff Raff
7th March, 2021
This article reads two faced, at the same time it's supposed to be an expose on Suggs dodgey past and connections with Ian you're.subtlety letting him off the hook for it
ReplyDeleteA bit judgemental there, pal.
DeleteApprox 1980 - Madness did a matinee gig at Hammersmith Odeon for under 16s before doing their main gig in the evening. At the matinee, there was a group of skinheads at the front, giving Nazi salutes and chanting 'sieg heil'. Between songs, Suggs acknowledged them 'Yeah, sieg heil, mate'. I couldn't tell whehter he was completely sympathetic with them, but it certainly wasn't a criticism of them, or telling them to shut up.
ReplyDeleteSaturday morning madness at Hammersmith, I was there
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