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FREE SOCIETYFree Society is the name given to a number of projects I work on and have worked on since around 1998. It's not an organization, a business, a movement, etc... When we started the zine, we decided to name it this because one of my co-conspirators was reading a biography on Emma Goldman, in which it was mentioned that some of her associates published a newspaper in the early 1900's also called Free Society. As far as I know, there was that zine, as well as at least one or two since this time bearing the same name. There are two major ideas that guide these projects: anarchism and the DIY ethic.
ANARCHISM
THE DIY ETHIC In addition to anarchism and DIY ethics, anti-racism, equality, animal liberation, anti-capitalism, are all important to me as well, but I don't feel its imperative to explain these here.
ZINEThe zine was started in June 1998, an idea which formed out of my circle of friends. The first issue was a collective effort with submissions from the crew, and physically assembled and distributed by a group of us. After a few issues it became more my own project with occasional submissions from others. I've continued doing this since this time, although the frequency of release has been declining.
DISTROThe distro officially started in around June 1999. I had begun trading my zine for copies of other people's zines at shows and through the mail. It just happened that I needed to sell stuff that I didn't make; hence a distro. At shows I had been picking up anarchist booklets and I made copies of these which I sold for cost. By the end of July 1999 I was selling vinyl releases which I ordered at a discount rate from Profane Existence. Also by this point, my best friend and romantic partner had begun helping me with tabling and soon after financially in the operation of the distro. Making copies of demo tapes was also a huge help in starting the distro, however, this activity has changed slightly since the beginning.
RELEASESI've been releasing music created by bands I was in since 1999. I didn't start sticking the name on the releases until 2003/4. For the most part, these releases are of bands I have been in but I will most likely be expanding into releasing music by others as my financial situation permits.
SHOWSAlmost all Free Society shows were operated by myself and my partner in crime starting July 29, 1999. The idea was to run funtastic punk shows, but also introduce some political awareness to the scene. This was done through having the shows benefit a cause of some sort (animal rights, anti-capitalism, etc...), providing tables of flyers and pamphlets, having speakers or videos, etc... Our first couple of shows identified us as Chem. Valley Punks Community Action out of a desire to disassociate the shows from my zine, but this was dropped in favour of Free Society (calling it what it was), and in the future we discontinued identifying ourselves as the promoters at all (since it was pointless name-reinforcement anyways). Some of the shows organized since December 2000 have been collaberations with other people, or have lacked my or my partner's involvement (IE: me and someone else, or her and someone else, etc).
ONLINEThis site has been online since 1999 and has served to host online versions of the magazine as well as facilitate mailorder for the distro and document the shows we were putting on. The format of the site is admittedly simplistic, but this is deliberate. I don't feel that the content needs to be dressed-up in fancy web-design. I intend the site to be functional and legible, preferably to as many as possible.Everything on here is anti-copyright meaning anyone within the international DIY scene are free to use any information or images provided here. It would be cool if you reference the site for whatever you use. The front-page image was created using another image and altered. It's there because I like it and think the character is cool. The "circle-A breaking the gear" is an image I created myself. Feel free to use and incorporate it into your own images for patches, etc... Anything but your new line of $80 sunglasses or whatever. The gear represents capitalism, and the circle-A is anarchism/anarchists. We're all breaking the system from the inside. Capitalism is global now so there is no outside until it falls. Through creating community we create what's necessary for the operation of a successful "more free" society as capitalism crumbles. Simultaneously creating and destroying. The colour red used for the logo images does not imply communism or socialism. I just think it looks cool.
THE MOVERS AND SHAKERSMEI was born in 1980 in a small city called Sarnia located in the province of Ontario in Canada. I grew up around this area and was introduced to punk by local skateboarders around 1990. Early on, I was introduced to the DIY ethics espoused by 80's hardcore bands like Minor Threat. Around 1996 I started listening to bands like Crass, Subhumans and Conflict and my mind was opened up to the world of philosophical anarchism (as opposed to 'chaos' as promoted by my heroes the Exploited), animal liberation, and pro-peace messages. In 1998 I was introduced to the DIY anarcho/crust/hc scene through a copy of Profane Existence #34, and stories from a traveller that arrived in my city (as well as the patches covering his pants). This pretty much led directly to my future involvement in this movement and drove home the DIY ethics I was already familiar with from my early "punk rock 101". In 2001 I moved from Sarnia to Peterborough, Ontario, to attend Trent University to study Sociology. I've since moved back to Sarnia again, having finished university (for now), with (almost) an Honours BA in Sociology. Right now, I work at an autobody shop doing random tasks and spend my time skateboarding, listening to records, playing music and trying to make life in a boring city less boring.
MY PARTNER IN CRIME
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