Preview
INTERNAL AFFAIRS
Saturday, February 22
The Den (U of C)
In the last few years, local bands offering leftist political commentary have largely been situated in punk and hardcore, occasionally making it difficult to distinguish the social commentary from the loud angsty rage.
Audiences found it isn’t difficult to hear the message delivered by Internal Affairs, though. They’re an original hip-hop group with a live band and three MCs front and centre. Can you hear the lyrics loudly and clearly? Definitely – as long as rapper Concept (a.k.a. Jordan) doesn’t black out.
"I forgot my lyrics onstage last night and right in the middle (of the song). I was just like –" Jordan’s mouth gapes open in a holy-hell-I-forgot-my-own-dang-lyrics sort of expression.
"And the guy down in front of me was just blasting out the lyrics to the song. As soon as I heard it, I could go back into the song and he helped me, step-by-step, through the song. Afterwards, I went to talk to him and said ‘I gotta thank you so much – I would’ve screwed up so badly up there.’"
His bandmate, Femme Shui (a.k.a. Cara) beams with delight.
"That’s the greatest thing I’ve ever heard…. A lot of the people know the words. And that’s fabulous because… someone may say the words and not really think about it, but when they go home and sing in the shower, (the lyrics) go over and over in your head and you know the words. Suddenly, you’re just like, ‘hey, this person’s talking about that.’"
The average age of the members is 19, but Internal Affairs has more to say than any Swollen Members wannabe pop band. They’re diligently working towards what they’ve coined the Freedom of Mind Movement, which is characterized by the promotion of expression and the exchange of ideas, whatever these ideas may be. As musicians, they realize that they have an impression on their audience with each show, and they want that impression to be inspiring.
"The whole idea behind the movement is not attacking," says Concept. He uses the issue of gun control as an example, arguing that people shouldn’t increase regulatory programs (or, say, spend more money to devise regulations), but should work towards changing vision.
"Like, taking away why people need guns or why people feel the need to have power over people," he says. "Or why they feel so insecure and afraid of the world that they need to have a gun with them. Instead of regulation, we’re going for the whole new vision instead."
His band-mate Homage (a.k.a. Dustin) concurs.
"Vision, not programs – the metaphor is a river and when you build programs and formalities, you’re just putting sticks in the river, but it just washes away. Vision is like redirecting the flow."
If this is the beginning of a new peaceful and poetic revolution, it couldn’t have better timing. Nor could it have a more primed audience searching for more from the world than hostility, global showboating and violence.
For more information on Internal Affairs’ Freedom of Mind Movement, including their planned summer festival, head to www.members.shaw.ca/internalaffairs. |
