Pete Shelley Memorial Campaign to host hate crime awareness festival in Wigan borough

As part of hate crime awareness month in February, the Pete Shelley Memorial Campaign have put together an event that not only highlights prejudice-motivated crime, it also honours the Rock Against Racism (RAR) festivals in 1978 while also helping with the current cost of living crisis by turning the clock back and charging the same prices as back then.

Taking place at the Turnpike in Leigh on February 10 Rock against Hate is bringing together a cross genre event that features three bands from the Ska, Two Tone, Reggae, Punk and New Wave eras.

The not-for-profit community collective made up fans of the Leigh-born Pete Shelley and is the team behind the Ever Fallen In Love mural situated on Bengal street.

It has also teamed up with Wigan Council to help raise awareness of hate crime

RAR brought together black and white fans in their common love of music, to discourage young people from embracing racism.

The musicians came from all pop music genres, some of the bands instrumental during RAR were Buzzcocks, The Clash, Steel Pulse, and The Specials, during the RAR event in Alexandra Park in Manchester on July 15 1978

It is well documented that Pete Shelley insisted that Steel Pulse, a lesser known Manchester based reggae band headline the event and not them despite the fact that Buzzcocks at the time were a household name,

The event closed with a jamming session that included members of Buzzcocks and Steel Pulse together at the gig that had purposely set punk and reggae bands side-by-side.

Playing host at The Turnpike Rock against Hate event will be MC Jeffarama who will be presenting on stage, SKAFULL a multi cultural band who pay tribute to 2tone,Reggae and Ska, Clash tribute band Death or Glory and Buzzcocks.

A spokesperson for The Pete Shelley Memorial Campaign said: “Creating this partnership with the council allows us the opportunity not only to raise awareness of hate crime but it also affords us an opportunity to do something very special in relation to ticketing prices.

“We are in a cost of living crisis presently and to help with that we have been able to turn back time to 1978 ticket prices, the full event which gives an opportunity to experience three sets of Rock n Roll history will cost just £3, which was the cost of a typical gig in 1978.

"It is also very relevant for us as a group to remember the part Pete Shelley played during RAR".

Tickets are available here