They have seen a lot since they first met as teenagers watching The Clash play the Rock Against Racism rally at Victoria Park in 1978: divorce, class warfare, acid house, the bleak Thatcher years and even soap stardom, but the flame of punk idealism – what they describe as the “inner Strummer” – has never quite gone out.
A centre of 1970s anti-fascist activity and Rock Against Racism, the Empire and Institute buildings were destroyed in an arson attack in 1978.
Keats spent the early 80s as a performance photographer, shooting for the New Jersey State Opera in Newark, Mary Jane Eisenberg, Mabou Mines Theater Company, and for organizations such as Rock Against Racism.
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The ANL was linked to Rock Against Racism in the 1970s, which ran two giant carnivals in 1978 involving bands such as The Clash, Stiff Little Fingers, Steel Pulse, Misty in Roots, X-Ray Spex and Tom Robinson, attended by 80,000 and then 100,000 supporters.
At the Rock Against Racism shows in the early 1980s, Reagan Youth shared the bill with Dead Kennedys, U.S. Chaos, Agnostic Front, Bad Brains, Beastie Boys, and others.
Styrene made a guest appearance at the 2008 30th anniversary concert of Rock Against Racism in Victoria Park, London, performing "Oh Bondage Up Yours" with guest musicians Drew McConnell (of Babyshambles and Helsinki) and 'Flash' David Wright playing saxophone.
South West Syndicate have played at many events including Survival, Sydney Writers' Festival, NAIDOC Week, Arafura Games, Bankstown Festival, Bankstown Carnivale, Newtown Festival, Rock Against Racism, Asia-Pacific Conference, Youth Week, Corroboree 2000, Mascon Festival, Barunga Festival and Pacific Wave Festival