TOPICAL punk. Declan Welsh and The Decadent West are here to make a mark and as he stylistically spits his way through the opening verse of ‘No Pasaran’, we’re met with an abrupt, frank, tuneful punk track that demands attention.
The song carries a mighty message; standing up in the face of fascism. And as we look back at Declan Welsh’s incredible 2016, there’s an immense sense of pride for the musician who’s become integral to the scene in Scotland using music to make the world a better place. Talking about the song he said: “The word gets chucked about a lot, but in the face of several xenophobic, far right, nationalist electoral successes in Europe and America, the time for us to stand up and be counted.”
He continued: “‘No Pasaran’ was the iconic statement used by Spanish Republican Leader Dolores Ibarruri in their stand against Franco in Madrid. It should be our rallying call today, to fight intolerance and hatred wherever we see it.”
Last year, Declan traveled to Palestine to witness the occupation and show solidarity with the Palestinian people. While there, he played a set at Bethlehem Live, performing ‘No Pasaran’ with an orchestra of refugee children. A group of amazing and inspiring Palestinian individuals took Declan around the west bank and in the process he was tear gassed by the IDF at a political protest.
Punchy, poetic, passionate, profound, political and of the moment, the track is a timeless track that’s sure to start a fire the belly of fans at the band’s gig this coming weekend; a tune we’re delighted to premiere on TTV.
‘No Pasaran’ will be officially released at Glasgow’s Stereo on 4th December 2016, get tickets for the show via his website. Listen below:
