Thee Faction are a British garage rock/

garage punk A garage is a covered structure built for the purpose of parking, storing, protecting, maintaining, and/or repairing vehicles. Specific applications include: *Garage (residential), a building or part of a building for storing one or more vehicle ...

band from Surrey, England, noted for their explicit

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...

agenda. They refer to their music, which incorporates elements of garage rock, pop and

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

as "Socialist RnB". Their album ''Up The Workers!'' was rated one of the ''Daily Mirrors top twenty albums of 2011.

Biography

Thee Faction's debut album ''At Ebbw Vale'' was released in 2010. Dubbed 'rhythm and booze' and 'timely' by

Simon Price Simon Price (born 25 September 1967) is a British music journalist and author. He is known for his weekly review section in ''The Independent on Sunday'' and his book ''Everything (A Book About Manic Street Preachers)''. Career Writer Pric ...

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...

it was rated 8/10 in

Vive Le Rock ''Vive Le Rock'' is the third solo album by Adam Ant, released in September 1985. Production Producer Tony Visconti, famous for his 1970s work with Ant's heroes Marc Bolan and David Bowie, commented on his work with Ant on ''Vive Le Rock'': ...

. Is This Music? praised the record, comparing the band to Dr. Feelgood. Second album ''Up The Workers! or, Capitalism is Good For Corporations That's Why You've Been Told Socialism is Bad All Your Life'' was described by the Daily Mirror as "Power-packed garage rock 'n' soul underlined by a defiantly political edge." The title track featured Ivan Chandler ( The Echoes) on piano. The album was rated 7/10 by Drowned in Sound who praised it as "a lot of fun, undeniably stirring.. Thee Faction write showstoppers" but also criticised the music as "entertaining in a very conventional way". The band's third album ''Singing Down The Government, or, The War of Position and How We're Winning It'', was released in 2012, and introduced all-female horn section Brass Kapital. The album was promoted by headlining appearances at the Marxism Festival and

Tolpuddle Martyrs festival The Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival and Rally is an annual festival held in the village of Tolpuddle, in Dorset, England, which celebrates the memory of the Tolpuddle Martyrs. The event is a celebration of trade unionism and labour politics organise ...

and included contributions by Richard Archer from

Hard-Fi Hard-Fi are an English indie rock band, formed in 2003 in Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey. The band's most recent lineup before going on hiatus consisted of Richard Archer ( lead vocals and guitar), Kai Stephens (bass guitar and backing vocals) an ...

and rapper Clencha. Free download-only singles for tracks 'Soapbox' and 'Sausage Machine' were accompanied by promotional videos.

Q Magazine ''Q'' was a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1986 by broadcast journalists Mark Ellen and David Hepworth, who were presenters of the BBC television music series '' The Old Grey Whistle Test''. ...

praised the album as "a critique of societal hegemony on the back of a grimy blues'n’b twang, rife with the contagious energy of people who know they're right", and it was rated 7/10 by

Mick Farren Michael Anthony Farren (3 September 1943 – 27 July 2013) was an English rock musician, singer, journalist, and author associated with counterculture and the UK underground. Early life Farren was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, and aft ...

in Classic Rock Blues magazine. Thee Faction released fourth album ''Good Politics: Your Role As An Active Citizen Within Civil Society'' in 2013, preceded by single 'Better Than Wages', remixed from the album by Andy Lewis. The album featured (on one track each) guest vocals from writer Francis Wheen and saxophone from Crayola Lectern, and was rated 8/10 in Classic Rock and 4/5 in The Independent and Mojo who called it "wildly galvanising, blisteringly angry, insanely entertaining blue-collar rock'n'roll". OTJC_180614

Thee Faction released fifth album ''Reading Writing Revolution: The Tendency of the Rate of Profit to Fall'' in June 2015, preceded by a track on double-CD fundraising album ''Orgreave Justice'' and free download single "Choose Your Enemy", released on 29 March with accompanying video. A second free download single "(You've Got The) Numbers (Why Don't You Use It)" accompanied the release. The album received 5/5 in the Morning Star, 9/10 at MaximumVolumeMusic, and a positive review in

Socialist Standard ''Socialist Standard'' is a monthly socialist magazine published without interruption since September 1904 by the Socialist Party of Great Britain (SPGB). The magazine is written in a simple, direct style and focuses mainly on socialist advocacy ...

, while R*E*P*E*A*T zine called it "highly enjoyable, dangerously tuneful, subversively catchy and dialectically danceable, as well as being (as the title implies) properly educational - thought provoking and agitational." The band announced a number of summer festival dates, including

Glastonbury Glastonbury (, ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbur ...

, and a return to Tolpuddle and the Matchwomens Festival. Thee Faction guitarist Babyface, under cadre name "Chris Fox", won the

Beard Liberation Front The Beard Liberation Front (BLF) is a British interest group which campaigns in support of beards and opposes pogonophobic discrimination against those who wear them. It was founded in 1995 by socialist historian Keith Flett who continues to orga ...

's 'St David's Day Beard of Wales' title in 2015, 2017 and 2018. He was runner-up in 2016. Thee Faction keyboard player and vocalist Kassandra Krossing, aka Cassie Fox, started the LOUD WOMEN organisation and festival in 2015. She also now plays bass in noted "mummycore" band I, Doris, along with Thee Faction trombonist Nineteen Nineteen. Thee Faction's most recent gig to date was a 2017 benefit show for the anti- Haringey Development Vehicle campaign. The band has not officially confirmed a hiatus, although a slogan on one of their web-pages, "R&B sui generis", may indicate that, like other left-wing groups, they have gone into the Labour Party.

Politics

The band have performed with, and for, various artists and organisations of the broad Left including

Attila the Stockbroker John Baine (born 21 October 1957), better known by his stage name Attila the Stockbroker,Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 208 is an English punk poet, multi instrumentalist musician and songwriter. He pe ...

, Robb Johnson,

Chris T-T Chris T-T (born Christopher Thorpe-Tracey, 16 September 1974) is a retired English singer-songwriter based in Brighton. In a 20-year career he released 10 studio albums, two live collections and a number of collaborations. He is also a speaker, ...

Grace Petrie Grace Petrie (, born 24 July 1987) is an English folk singer-songwriter and guitarist from Leicester, England. She was hailed in ''The Guardian'' as "a powerful new songwriting voice" in 2011. Biography Grace Petrie began performing in 2006 as ...

Colour Me Wednesday Colour Me Wednesday are an English indie pop/pop punk band from West London, England, built around sisters Jen and Harriet Doveton. The band are noted for their melodic guitar pop, politicised lyrics and DIY punk method, including producing thei ...

, The Tuts, Billy Bragg, TV Smith, The Hurriers,

Mark Steel Mark Steel (born 4 July 1960) is an English author, broadcaster, stand-up comedian and newspaper columnist. He has made many appearances on radio and television shows as a guest panellist, and has written regular columns in ''The Guardian'', ' ...

, Josie Long, the SWP, the Welsh Communist Party and the Jeremy Corbyn Labour Party leadership campaign. The band appear to be unaligned with any particular organisation or tradition but are noted for promoting ideas associated with

guild socialism Guild socialism is a political movement advocating workers' control of industry through the medium of trade-related guilds "in an implied contractual relationship with the public". It originated in the United Kingdom and was at its most influent ...

, democratic socialism,

classical Marxism Classical Marxism refers to the economic, philosophical, and sociological theories expounded by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels as contrasted with later developments in Marxism, especially Marxism–Leninism. Karl Marx Karl Marx (5 May 1818, ...

and

left communism Left communism, or the communist left, is a position held by the left wing of communism, which criticises the political ideas and practices espoused by Marxist–Leninists and social democrats. Left communists assert positions which they reg ...

, while supporting a range of

left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...

and

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...

causes. Notwithstanding the band's use of Ostalgic tropes and apparent (possibly parodic)

anti-revisionism Anti-revisionism is a position within Marxism–Leninism which emerged in the 1950s in opposition to the reforms of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. Where Khrushchev pursued an interpretation that differed from his predecessor Joseph Stalin, ...

, in a 2013 interview they declared themselves "

libertarian socialists Libertarian socialism, also known by various other names, is a left-wing,Diemer, Ulli (1997)"What Is Libertarian Socialism?" The Anarchist Library. Retrieved 4 August 2019. anti-authoritarian, anti-statist and libertarianLong, Roderick T. (20 ...

of one kind or another". Thee Faction have however attracted criticism for their political views; notably, a 2012 gig review by

Ruth Dudley Edwards Ruth Dudley Edwards (born 24 May 1944) is an Irish Unionist historian and writer, with published work in the fields of history, biography and crime fiction, and a number of awards won. Born in Dublin, Ireland, she has lived in England since 1965 ...

for

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

angered the newspaper's

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

readership.

Discography

Albums

*''At Ebbw Vale'' LP/CD (Soviet Beret, 2010) *''Up the Workers! or, Capitalism Is Good for Corporations That's Why You've Been Told Socialism Is Bad All Your Life'' CD (Soviet Beret, 2011) *''Singing Down the Government, or, The War of Position and How We're Winning It'' CD (Soviet Beret, 2012) *''Good Politics: Your Role as an Active Citizen in Civil Society'' CD (Soviet Beret, 2013) *'' Reading Writing Revolution: The Tendency of the Rate of Profit to Fall'' CD (Soviet Beret, 2015)

Singles/EPs

*''Better Than Wages'' (remix) CD romo single*''Songs To Remind the Class of the Glorious Victory to Come and the Work That Must Be Done to Get There'' CD EP (Soviet Beret, 2013) t._Attila_The_Stockbroker_and_ t._Attila_The_Stockbroker_and_Judy_Dyble">Judy_Dyble.html"_;"title="t._Attila_The_Stockbroker_and_Judy_Dyble">t._Attila_The_Stockbroker_and_Judy_Dyble

_Compilation_appearances

*"Deft_Left"_on_''Now_Hear_This_103''_( t._Attila_The_Stockbroker_and_Judy_Dyble">Judy_Dyble.html"_;"title="t._Attila_The_Stockbroker_and_Judy_Dyble">t._Attila_The_Stockbroker_and_Judy_Dyble

_Compilation_appearances

*"Deft_Left"_on_''Now_Hear_This_103''_(The_Word_(magazine)">The_Word)_(CD)_2011 *"Relentless"_(Judy_Dyble_with_Thee_Faction)_on_Judy_Dyble_-_''Gathering_The_Threads''_(3CD)_2015 *"Police_State"_on_''Orgreave_Justice''_(2CD)_2015 *"Rent_Strike"_on_''Don't_Be_Left_Without_Us''_(2CD)_2016

_Members

;Current_members *Billy_Brentford_–_vocals_(2010–present) *Dai_Nasty_–_drums_(2010–present) *Nylons_–_face-melting_guitar_(2010–present) *Babyface_–_guitar,_polemic_(2010–present) *Kassandra_Krossing_–_vocals,_organ_of_truth_(2010–present) *Thee_Citizen_–_bass_and_superstructure_(2012–present) *Red_Scare_–_trumpet_(2011–present) *Nineteen_Nineteen_–_the_'bone_of_contention_(2011–present) *The_Ol'_One_Hand_–_saxophone_(2015–present) ;Former_members *Horace_Hardman_–_bass_(2010–2011) *The_G.A._–_saxophone_(2011–2015) ;Live_members *Bert_'iggins_–_Welsh_harp *Charley_Stone.html" ;"title="The_Word_(magazine).html" ;"title="Judy_Dyble.html" ;"title="Judy_Dyble.html" ;"title="t. Attila The Stockbroker and Judy Dyble">t. Attila The Stockbroker and Judy Dyble">Judy_Dyble.html" ;"title="t. Attila The Stockbroker and Judy Dyble">t. Attila The Stockbroker and Judy Dyble

Compilation appearances

*"Deft Left" on ''Now Hear This 103'' (The Word (magazine)">The Word) (CD) 2011 *"Relentless" (Judy Dyble with Thee Faction) on Judy Dyble - ''Gathering The Threads'' (3CD) 2015 *"Police State" on ''Orgreave Justice'' (2CD) 2015 *"Rent Strike" on ''Don't Be Left Without Us'' (2CD) 2016

Members

;Current members *Billy Brentford – vocals (2010–present) *Dai Nasty – drums (2010–present) *Nylons – face-melting guitar (2010–present) *Babyface – guitar, polemic (2010–present) *Kassandra Krossing – vocals, organ of truth (2010–present) *Thee Citizen – bass and superstructure (2012–present) *Red Scare – trumpet (2011–present) *Nineteen Nineteen – the 'bone of contention (2011–present) *The Ol' One Hand – saxophone (2015–present) ;Former members *Horace Hardman – bass (2010–2011) *The G.A. – saxophone (2011–2015) ;Live members *Bert 'iggins – Welsh harp *Charley Stone">Charley Marx – auxiliary guitar *Jenny Marx – auxiliary drums

References

External links

Thee Faction websiteThee Faction bandcamp

Reviews

At Ebbw Vale reviewLouder Than War reviewSinging Down The Government reviewReview
in Morning Star
Morning Star live reviewGod Is In The TV live reviewReading Writing Revolution

Interviews

Interview
by Jack Monroe
ISN interviewThee Faction on class2015 interviewInterview
by

Rock n Reel Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

Louder Than War interview
{{Authority control English punk rock groups Garage punk groups British garage rock groups British socialists Political music groups Musical advocacy groups Musical groups from Surrey Underground punk scene in the United Kingdom