From the ashes of Vibe Tribe rose..
OHMS NOT BOMBS
Going off in the fusion of Protest and Party
The notion of techno-activism, cyber subversion, dance blockades has been borne from the recent explosion of creative energy as the dance and protest culture comes together. Pushed along recently by the Reclaim the Streets actions, the edge of culture opposed to the destruction of the environment, inequality of the state is growing by the day.
The acid house boom of the late eighties saw a new format and arena for expression, excess and human interaction. Breaking down the barriers of traditional entertainment the emphasis was placed on the participants of an event, taking the spotlight initially away from the entertainers. In Sydney as the rave party went overground, the Vibe Tribe collective took the concept in a different direction with its liberationist anarchist politics, free parties and community fund raising dances helping define 'Doof" culture in Australia. For various reasons the collective splintered in different directions in the mid nineties, the cyber subversive energy continuing on in a number of groups including Organarchy Sound System and Oms Not Bombs.
Organarchy concentrated on getting the home grown tunes out through its own label, whilst Oms Not Bombs put out the energy on the Doof protest frontier. The first oms Not Bombs tour in 1995 saw a dance protest on the lawns of New Parliment House in Canbarra drawing attention to the insanity of French Nuclear testing in the Pacific. Pacific nuke testing has now stopped but the madness continues in this land as more uranium mines are planned. A fund raiser at Alexandria's Graffiti Hall of Fame raised the bucks for an old Wollongong transit bus that embarked on a 10,000 k round trip to Jabiluka last year doofing, protesting and networking from Sydney through Canberra, East Gippsland, Melbourne, Adelaide, Uluru, Alice Springs and Darwin to the front line people power protests outside the site of Energy Resources of Australia's planet and future destroying uranium mine in Kakadu. The tour was a great experience. Traveling with a big mobile crew was found to be inspiring and stressful, by getting a real high from being closer to the elements, meeting strange and wonderful people and playing music in some amazing locations. The Ohms Not Bombs' "Dig The Sounds Not Uranium" tour in '98 took the crew 10,000 km on a round trip to the Northern Territory.
The Mutoid Waste co is currently involved in a similar trip. The need to mobilize and activate people has never been more acute. Jabiluka mine was delayed for a year due to the strength of opposition here and overseas. Now they're trying to fast track another mine at Beverly in South Australia that if allowed to go ahead will poison the great artesian basin water supply that feeds the centre of Australia. Plans are also afoot by the nuclear lobbyists to place a nuclear waste dump for the world in the outback of South Australia. A mobile people power movement has the power to stop this madness and set a precedent for the future.
The aim of Oms Not Bombs is to help catalyze such a movement to do this we must create unity between crews and collectives, political groups, subcultures and like minded folk across the land. The autonomous zone created on the dance floor is a good seedbed for such a unity. With the Earthdream convoy well under way it is be a good focus for a united response to the governments continued assault on the environment, on youth, the unions and the traditional aboriginal people of this country. Lets get this party started and close down uranium mining thus affecting the world by withdrawing Australia's role in the future destroying nuclear industry.
Like all collectives they rise and fall,Ohms Not Bombs like its predecessor Vibe Tribe has become more of a mode of contact,the original crew is scattered and involved in many other projects around the land.
Bass Bin Ladin regularly puts on Booty partys like Ghetto Fabolous,Players Ball in Melbourne,Chin Bindi is still djing around the place,Hi Jack Soundsystem in Sydney puts on rocking free party's, the mobile Trailer trash sound system is an active traveling unit with Mashy P (AKA Morphism)
- http://www.ohmsnotbombs.org (semi-dead website)
Dig The Sounds Not Uranium Tour
Click to enlarge
Featured in Cyclist Defrost - Issue #3 of the frigid/cryogenesis zine - november 1998. From the archive at Cyclic Defrost (Issue #3 PDF)
Mission Statement
Remember the revolution starts in your own mind
Mutate the state
Dismantle the arms trade
Make Australia Nuke free
Reclaim the future
Reverse Colonialism
Permaculturalise the Planet
Promote positive people power action
Love heals all Revolve Evolve Solve
RECLAIM YOUR AUTONOMY!
