The Music of Activism w/The Cides

“I want to reason like an anarchist…There’s a rebel inside me, and it’s coming to play.” – The Cides, “The Rebel” 

Can music amplify the reach and impact the of a social movement? Today’s Coup Save America guest is a musician and anarchist who is passionate about social justice. Paul Hayward, a former Molester, is the founder of the UK punk rock group The Cides. Paul lives off the grid, so we are grateful that he was willing to travel to a Paris hotel with strong enough Wi-Fi to stream his interview, which was recorded on October 4th, 2023. 

This episode is, in Paul’s words, “a picnic basket of topics.” With no set agenda, Sean and Paul launch into a random and impromptu conversation on whatever current social issues spring to mind. They begin with the story of Paul’s troubled childhood in the UK and his early history as a student and budding punk artist, squatting with both friends and strangers in an abandoned Brighton hotel. 

Sean and Paul then talk about anger at the status quo, the history of UK’s monarchy and the influence of the Magna Carta on the formation of the United States, and what the heck is the World Economic Forum? 

We also hear discussions about Israel and broad definitions of antisemitism, mass psychology, the monetization of The Guardian and BBC, the pros and cons of sex education in schools, Bill Gates and digital avatars, mislabeled conspiracy theorists, transhumanism, and where the terms Left Wing/Right Wing came from. 

Throughout today’s broadcast, we hear “This Being Human” and other tracks from The Cides new album The Rebel, coming out on World Social Justice Day in February of 2024. And as a nod to the freedom fighters here in the United States, The Cides recorded an alternate version of their song “Wake Up, England” retitled…you guessed it,”Wake Up, America.” 

Listen closely to hear the moment during the recording where Paul’s doorbell rings and integrates perfectly into the song!!! 

Other topics include: Steve Biko, the Extinction Rebellion movement, Guy Fawkes, “factory cities” in China, humans being chipped like pets, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and how the television has become one large pharmaceutical ad.