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June 6, 2024 - David Icke
19:04
Jam For Freedom - Gareth Icke Tonight Musical Special
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Hello everyone and welcome to a special musical episode of Garethite Tonight.
Our perceptions and opinions are often moulded by popular culture, and popular culture is generally driven by the arts, whether that be The Beatles, Eminem, or by Harry Potter and Fifty Shades of Grey.
I prefer Wizards to Bondage, personally, although I am open to a combination of the two.
The creative arts have a way of talking to people and planting thoughts without the person even realising it.
And for that reason, the arts have been completely co-opted.
Hollywood and the music industry are now merely tools to push an agenda and predictively programme rather than entertain.
If your face doesn't fit or your opinions aren't aligned with a pre-agreed consensus, then you aren't welcome in the club.
Now, that's been the case for decades.
But the last four years really showed us just how far the world of entertainment has sunk, with even the so-called rock star radicals all pushing government narratives and even excluding people from their concerts for the crime of having bodily autonomy.
But there is a change in the air.
There are many artists out there that refuse to toe the line and are instead attempting to forge a path, and I guess an industry of sorts, of their own.
In this musical episode we'll be talking to some of those artists and hearing some of their work.
Our final guest this evening founded Jam For Freedom.
Campbell McLaughlin started the world's only street touring and open jam project in the summer of 2020 with 15 international chapters performing regular shows at its peak.
The movement has brought together over 500 shows across the world to help encourage people to get outside, connect, live without fear and express themselves.
It gained support from Eric Clapton and Van Morrison on its journey.
This independent movement is celebrated every year with the Jam for Freedom Music Festival.
Campbell, welcome.
What inspired you to start all this?
So it was the summer of 2020.
There was this flu that happened.
I don't know if you guys heard about it.
Something was in the press for a bit.
Something, some kind of sniffle.
And I just thought, we've got to get people outside and have a good time.
And so it was really just that idea of like, let's help people's mental health.
And that stood at the core of Jam for Freedom.
I was living in London.
There was a park in East London called Bartlett Park.
And I live local to there.
I'd turn up with my speakers, my drums and my microphone and it just became bigger and bigger and people would come out from their flats and all kinds of people and families and children and the musicians started joining in and hearing about it and travelling from London to come and join in and I just kept doing it every week.
And then when the lockdowns intensified in the winter, I just started learning about what was really going on.
And I just thought, I've got to take a stand for this.
This is destroying businesses and children's health and the backlog of operations and things.
And I just thought, we've got to end the lockdown.
Stop it.
Jam for Freedom.
So I changed the name, called it Jam for Freedom.
And then it's just been a roller coaster since then, you know, meeting Eric Clapton, borrowing his van, just non-stop touring.
And then we decided, let's celebrate that with a festival.
So we did our first one last year.
And this year we're coming back.
Bigger and better with some amazing artists and you'll be there as well.
I'm looking forward to that.
Did you get any grief?
I was talking to Hume by Fire earlier and they're saying that because of their views on certain things that there are other artists that suddenly wouldn't perform with them.
You're out there jamming for freedom at a time when they're trying to do lockdowns and everyone was becoming Rona Karens for a bit.
Did you get any stick for it?
So I couldn't get many musicians that wanted to join me.
I had one drummer called Felipe Amorim from Brazil and he was a really cool drummer I met in that summer of 2020.
He did some gigs with me but I couldn't find a singer really to come on tour and I found a guitarist, an Irish guitarist called Alan Boyle and it was just me and Alan and Felipe at points and then I had to learn how to sing because there was no singers.
So I was a drummer and I always wanted to learn how to sing and stuff but I was forced into like...
Yeah, I'm just, you know, just forced into it really.
So it was basically, you know, I had a massive network of musicians in London that I worked with and had done gigs with, and none of them were interested in touring in the lockdowns at all.
And it was just me and just really just one or two other guys.
But then when we'd go on tours, we'd pick up musicians on the way, you know, You know, some might do a couple gigs with us in Scotland or Wales or whatnot.
And then eventually, we did do some gigs in Manchester and Alexandria Park, which is a lovely park.
They go there mostly every Sunday and there's a thing called the Jam Tribe that's still going on up there.
And then I managed to get a few more musicians that then came on more gigs with me.
So then it wasn't just me the singer, it was like a guitarist and a singer.
And we kind of just accumulated more and more musicians.
And then we had Eric Clapton's van and it was just packed out, all six of us.
So we did that in summer 2021.
That's great.
But then it's just kept growing and connecting with new artists and inspiring new bands to form.
that have met at Jam for Freedom gigs or inspiring people to write songs and albums whilst on tour with us or whilst seeing what we've done.
So yeah, regardless of people initially not being into it and being against it, you know, I just kind of knew that that's what happens when you kind of like do something a bit different.
Like you're going to have the detractors.
Of course.
When you kind of put yourself out there.
And I just knew This is what's gonna happen, you know?
So what made you go for the music festival?
Because I'll be honest with you, I look at what has to go into putting together a music festival, no thanks, it's not for me.
So what made you want to do it?
Well, I did them in my garden when I was a teenager, so... I'm from a council house, my garden's not that big, but, you know, we could pack a, you know, 80, 100 people in and it was just tight.
It was just... I used to do a few of those for my birthday, basically.
My mum was really...
really influential in that and cooked food for everyone and it was a really nice community and you know my cousins were the bodyguards you know security and it was just it was just a cool community vibe you know everyone from the street would come and have a good time so I've always wanted to go back to that.
That way of doing things.
And I guess Jam for Freedom has always been a celebration of that.
You know, I just want people to get together and have a good time and connect.
And I love music.
You know, I'm a musician.
And the festival is a celebration of that.
And with my journey and all the free-thinking people and musicians that have joined me and that support what I do, you know, they're all on board.
And, you know, there's like a Over 150 things going on and performers from America and Ireland and Europe flying in to play.
That's a lot of organisation.
So what did you take away from the first one?
Because you've obviously organised a first festival, like you were talking earlier about, you know, you're always going to have detractors.
I know people were complaining about certain things.
I went, I had a great time to be honest.
But, you know, people were saying certain things.
What have you learnt from that to then implement into a new, bigger, better festival?
Yeah so um you know when you do something like that for the first time you're always going to have teething problems so there's just stuff that you learn that you just you had no no idea about like when we got our a couple of lorries to come in initially on the first day on the one day on the one of production days you know like the big lorries that have um tarpaulin like i didn't know but they can't go through You know, if there's loads of trees, they can't, because it'll get ripped and destroyed.
So we had to then spend a few hours getting beer kegs in with a different vehicle, and it's just stuff like that.
You just end up, where's all the time gone?
You know, to do that other stuff.
So you have those teething problems, but this year we've got a massive volunteer team.
We've got an amazing production team that's supported by Rites of Spread and has done their tours and gigs.
So they should have all the experience in the world then?
Yeah, they're fantastic.
And then the site's like a proper, beautiful, beautifully maintained site with loads more car parking, loads more camping space.
It's literally a stone's throw from London and Luton and Heathrow airports, so it's really accessible.
And yeah I mean that's really it and that was really that's really all we had to deal with last year was just teething problems and just production company and the site that we worked with just not not pulling their weight and and we've recovered from that and and as you can see we've got a stacked up stacked lineup.
Yeah it's a massive lineup.
People coming back and returning and new guests So, I mean, it's all steam ahead and it's all on track to be an incredible four-day experience.
What is your vision for it?
Or do you not have one?
It's just a case of, I'm going to do it, and then this year it will do this, and then next year I'll try and make it better, and then the year after that and it goes where it goes, or are you kind of...
That's where I want it in 10 years, 20 years.
I want to be competing with, you know, not necessarily Reddingham, and these things are just absolutely enormous, but you know, a decent-sized festival.
I'd love for that to be the case, but you just kind of have to take it year by year, especially with...
How it relates to the economy and, you know, people's changing habits and things.
But yeah, we're just going to see how this year goes.
I mean, I'd love to expand it and take it to America and have one in the same month in America and England.
Um, but yeah, I mean, just with my changing and my change in philosophy and, you know, seeing the world in a different way and seeing what's going on in the world and understanding things differently, you know, I'm always considering, right, how can I make this event the best it can be for the world for Humanity for peace on Earth.
And so we'll just have to wait and see.
But I mean, this year is... I mean, it's enough to think about already.
But once we get this one out of the way, we'll consider our options.
Where to go from there.
Yeah.
I mean, it's interesting because you mentioned that about people's change of habits.
I hadn't even necessarily considered that.
I get the economic point.
People just can't afford it because, you know, the economy is on its backside.
But in terms of people's change in habits, Because with the lockdowns, for every single person that I saw go, oh mate, lockdowns are done.
I am out on the town.
So many others just went, I'm kind of used to it now, actually.
I don't bother going out anymore.
I'll just buy an eight pack of beer and sit at home.
It's cheaper.
Yeah.
Have you seen that in terms of getting people out?
I don't know.
I don't know if I've been in the Jam for Freedom bubble where we've just had, we didn't, you know, we had massive gigs in lockdowns.
I'm just surrounded by lazy people.
I don't know.
But yeah, I mean, it's just, I mean, we're doing a gig with the World Council for Health.
So we're doing the Jamf Freedom Takeover for their Better Way Fair, like detox fair.
So that whole event is about helping people that want to detox from certain medical products, et cetera, et cetera, or just get healthy.
So there's all these new aspects and ways of Bringing events to people with different messages, with different meanings.
Yeah.
We're working with the Together Declaration as well.
And so what they're doing is, you know, helping councils and, you know, get rid of stupid net zero policies and stuff like that.
So there's all those different angles of where are we going to go?
And we work with those organisations and they've got events going on with different messages.
And it's like, maybe there'll be something where we all align and we all have some kind of More of a powerful, unity type event.
Because it is a lot doing it.
My beautiful partner Betty helps me with everything.
But essentially it is a lot on me and it would be nice if we had a bigger team in terms of coordinating similar messages and getting it out there and more unity.
It's definitely needed.
100%.
Yeah, on everything.
You know, I think we saw quite a bit at the end of the COVID stuff, people started to come together, didn't they?
They had amazing numbers, not just in London, but in Berlin and other places all over the world.
And it was like, Hang on, we've done something now and then suddenly, you know, they just chuck in different spanners, whether it be October 7th or whatever, that then just tears everyone apart again, suddenly everyone falls out again, which is devastating.
Yeah, that really did happen, the October 7th thing, man.
Split it down the middle.
So that's another thing that I've been questioning because...
Yeah, I mean, like, I'm a born-again Christian.
I wouldn't say I'm a Christian, but I love the story of Jesus and that inspiration and, you know, that peaceful rebellion against tyranny.
It's amazing.
And we all love that story.
And that's, that's powerful.
And that's what kicked me, that's what kind of kicked me up the butt to start Jam for Freedoms.
I had my cross and I felt like, I've got to do this.
I don't care if they, you know, Put me on a cross or whatever.
Do you know what I mean?
I'm going to do what's right.
I'm going to get out there.
I'm going to help people, give them the confidence to open up their businesses and have a good time and be free.
You know, normally a Christian is a Zionist.
So that's normally the view of Christianity is, because it's in the Old Testament, there's prophecies of Israel and things like that.
And so what you see in America is the Christians there are normally always just 100% support Israel and everything they do, and they want it to be there forever.
So you've got that aggressive energy.
And then, so part of me has come back and looked at that and gone like, wow, like, What are they doing?
They're bulldozing people's houses, you know, and trying to destroy indigenous people.
And then I look back to, like, our ancestry, like, we have, like, Scots-Irish ancestry.
And then I look at, like, what did they do in Ireland and Scotland?
And they had the same concepts, and they did it to Welsh people and English people and Europeans and everything.
And I just think, like, what the hell is actually going on?
Like, who are we?
Can we just get to a point where we just say killing people is wrong?
Yeah.
No matter what colour they are, where they come from.
And just draw a line under it like that.
That would be great.
Yeah, 100%.
And, yeah, I mean, just the religious aspects of it.
Like, people get so attached to these religions.
And, you know, and I've grown up around, like, ex-Muslims and ex-Christians and, you know, people that have just left those religions.
And there's a lot of control that those religions have on people in terms of just common sense and just like, you know, you can take the good things from Islam, there's loads of good things, you can take all the good things from Christianity and Judaism and you can be a better person but then it's that kind of, that martyrdom attached to it.
Yeah, the tribal side of it.
Yeah.
But it's interesting, people allow Religion to do their thinking for them in the same way that they allowed, you know, Matt Hancock to do the thinking for them and Fauci to do the thinking.
It's a similar sort of mindset.
I kind of, I don't really know what's going on, you think for me and then I'll just do as you tell me.
That didn't work for me.
So that's the change of philosophy I've had with seeing all of that bigger picture.
Yeah.
And then, and so then part of me, and when I designed this jam for freedom, it was when all of the BLM stuff was happening.
And I just thought, I'm going to put everyone on here of all different colours.
I'm like, whatever.
Yeah.
Like, do what you want.
I'm, you know, I don't believe in all that tribalist, Black Lives Matter.
So it was just, Strange.
But I'm going to put us all on a picture from all over the world and let's just see what happens.
And so part of me is now like, lockdowns are finished.
Obviously there's still battles going on with politics and councils and, you know, net zero and climate scams and all that crap.
Sorry for swearing.
But there's more to life.
We need peace and we need peace for You know, indigenous peoples everywhere, you know, all of the people across the world, we need to just try and, you know, bring more peace to the world.
So, Jampa Freedom is developing in that sense, and my philosophy is developing with it, and I think we all are seeing the world's events, so...
Yeah, that's life, isn't it?
Yeah, I hope it goes great.
You know, like I said, I'll be there and hopefully it'll be lots of people of all different backgrounds and everything, you know, coming together and actually showing that, hey mate, we can all get on.
Because actually, when you scrape the veneer of whatever your tribe you identify as, we're all the same, really.
We just want to get on, make sure our kids are fed and we've got roofs on our heads and all that sort of stuff.
And the rest of it's all just kind of nonsense detail, I think, personally.
Yeah, absolutely.
I mean, I've got a kid now.
That changes everything, man.
Born a few weeks before our first festival, so we had a newborn.
A bit of added stress for you when you're trying to put together a festival?
Well, it's changed, but I mean, but yeah, the festivals, it's going to be incredible.
I mean, we've got our last 100 tickets now.
It's a lot less than that.
So, yeah, if you guys want to come, I don't know if we're still looking into a camera, but yeah, grab your tickets and come support the musicians, support everything that we do, all of the panellists, the comedians, all the hard work that we put in to build a better world for everyone, for our children, and just having a good old crack and a good celebration.
Sounds good, mate.
Magic.
Campbell, thank you so much.
I'll lean over and shake your hand, mate.
Appreciate it.
Much appreciated.
That's all for this week.
As always, thank you so much for tuning in.
Thank you to all our guests for coming onto the show.
I wish you all a great weekend and we'll see you next week when I'm joined in the studio by Dr Anita Baksas.
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