Event overview
Media Forum, co-hosted by the Centre for the Study of Global Media and Democracy and the Popular Music Research Unit
Dave Randall (author, Sound System) in conversation with Anamik Saha.
Musicians have often wanted to change the world, and many—from underground grime artists to mainstream pop icons—channel that desire through the political power of music. Music has a unique ability to unsettle the most fundamental political and social conventions—or, alternatively, to stabilize the status-quo.
Sound System is the story of one musician’s journey to discover what exactly makes music so powerful. Years of touring, protesting, and performing have given Dave Randall an insider’s view of the music industry, enabling him to shed light on the most tightly held secrets of celebrity, commodification, and culture. He finds remarkable examples of music as a force of social change as well as something that has been used to keep people in their place throughout history. From the Glastonbury Festival to the Arab Spring, Pop Idol to Trinidadian Carnival, Randall finds political inspiration across the musical spectrum.
A blistering, intelligent polemic about the political power of music, Sound System investigates the raves, riots, and revolution of contemporary culture to answer the question—how can we make music serve the interest of the many, rather than the few?
Sound System: The Political Power of Music will be available to purchase at the discounted price of £10.
Reviews:
Tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music
“This engaging, hugely readable book…should be compulsory reading for anyone interested in the state of the world—and in the essential, life-affirming role music can play in changing it for the better.”
Maxi Jazz, lead vocalist for Faithless
“A thrilling trip through the dark corners and secret gardens of the music world! Randall leaves no stone unturned and has produced a work of rare insight.”
Dates & times
| Date | Time | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Mar 2017 | 5:00pm - 6:30pm |
Accessibility
If you are attending an event and need the College to help with any mobility requirements you may have, please contact the event organiser in advance to ensure we can accommodate your needs.
