Well-red views of history

Before his untimely death from cancer in 2009, Hann had spent years interviewing anti-fascists of all ages with a view to establishing a permanent record and the publication of this excellent book is the fulfilment of the pledge his partner Louise Purbrick made to him before he died.

A number of these interviewees replied to an advert Hann placed in this paper in 2005, so the Morning Star is part of the history of the book, and it is full of testimonies of the role played by the Communist Party in the anti-fascist struggle of the time.

A large, packed room filled with anti-fascists of all ages listened to excerpts spanning the years, from the anti-Mosley battles of the 1930s and a lady climbing off a bus and hitting the fascist leader over the head with her handbag - it had a brick in it - to the experiences of a teenage volunteer in the Spanish civil war and the activities of the post-war 43 Group, formed to continue the wartime fight against fascism by any means necessary.

Mick from Hatfield, one of the legendary figures of the anti-nazi battles in the streets and gigs of the '70s and '80s, talked about his experiences with Red Action and Anti Fascist Action and I made a small contribution with a few memories of my own as an embattled performer in the early '80s punk/skinhead scene at a time when the far right were determined to gain a foothold.

It was a privilege to be there and the book, available from www.zero-books.net, is essential reading.

I'm currently on tour with a personal hero.

Patrik Fitzgerald was the original punk poet, a tiny figure who supported the likes of the Clash and Sham 69 in the early punk days armed only with an acoustic guitar.

When I first started performing as Attila in the early 1980s we did quite a few gigs together and he helped me a lot.

After some years living in New Zealand he is now well and truly back on the performance scene and has a wonderful new album Subliminal Alienation, available from www.patrikfitzgerald.co.uk.

We did three shows in the north together last weekend, carefully organised around Brighton's game at Sheffield Wednesday, where our No 9 tried his hand at amateur karate and got sent off. We lost.

Of course, it's not enough to combine gigs and football, the beer has to be right as well.

Friday saw us at the wonderful Thornbridge Brewery's Greystones pub in Sheffield, Saturday at the Fox & Newt in Leeds and Sunday at the Criterion in Leicester.

And this week we're off to beer heaven, Belgium.

www.attilathestockbroker.com