Miners strike benefits 1984: Deptford, Woolwich, Old Kent Road with Test Dept, The Mekons and more

There were many fundraising gigs in support of the miners during their 1984/85 strike, including across SE London. One of the most musically significant took place at the Albany in Deptford in September 1984 where Test Dept played with the South Wales Striking Miners Choir - starting a strong relationship between the two that led to the album 'Shoulder to Shoulder'. I've written about that here before, but there's some additional detail in an interview with Test Dept's Graham Cunnington at Electronic Sound. According to Gra:

“Pat Brown, who was in the Deptford Labour Party at the time, was putting on this benefit at the Albany arts centre, but all the bands he’d earmarked to play had pulled out. Jack Balchin, who was our sound guy and who worked in Deptford and Lewisham teaching music to young kids, said we should do it. He went up to Pat and said, ‘I’ve got the band for you’. Pat had never heard of us, but he said OK, and because we were used to putting on our own shows, we said we’d organise the whole thing. We also said we should have some direct involvement with the mining community, not just do a benefit and send the money out'.  I didn't realise that the Choir was originally pulled together for this gig, rehearsing their songs on the bus on the way to London.

Poster for the Albany gig by Brett Turnbull
(sourced from Test Dept facebook group where there are some pics from the gig)

The Ambulance Station squat on the Old Kent Road also hosted gigs. This 'Solidarity with the Miners' punk benefit in August 1984 featured Your Heterosexual Violence, The Unknown Colours, Violet Circuit and State Hate (I saw the latter play there on another occasion). The Ambulance Station building (which seems to have actually been a former fire station) still stands opposite the Tesco supermarket on Old Kent Road.

In November 1984 The Mekons played a miners benefit at Thames Poly cellar bar in Woolwich with 5 Go Down to the Sea, the Eels,  A Popular History of Signs and the Violet Circuit (again)

See previous posts:

Test Dept and the Miners Strike

Lewisham Miners Support Group/Women Against Pit Closures

Supporting the Miners at Goldsmiths

A mix of music from the miners strike I did a while ago: