Love Music Hate Racism

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Love Music Hate Racism concert in northwest England in 2004.

Love Music Hate Racism (LMHR) is a music-oriented campaign by the Anti-Nazi League and Unite Against Fascism. The campaign involves concerts aimed at spreading an anti-racist message. It follows in the tradition of the 1970s Rock Against Racism (RAR) campaign, which also involved the Anti-Nazi League.

LMHR was set up in 2002 in response to increased support for the far right British National Party.^[1] The first big LMHR concert was a festival in Manchester’s Platt fields, headlined by Doves and Ms. Dynamite. Central to the ethos of the organisation is the idea that modern music is influenced by many cultures and traditions, and that it can be used to bring different kinds of people together. Most LMHR concerts include several music genres.

The organisation has worked with several popular acts, including three winners of the Mercury Prize: Dynamite, Dizzee Rascal and Badly Drawn Boy. In 2005, the film Who Shot the Sheriff?, which documents the history of RAR, toured the United Kingdom with LMHR events, including the Liverpool tribute concert for murdered teenager Anthony Walker, featuring by Ms. Dynamite, Roll Deep, The Stands, and Lupe Fiasco. Other prominent supporters from the musical world include The Libertines, Morrissey, David Gray, The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster and Belle and Sebastian. There have been two large LMHR concerts in Trafalgar Square.

In October 2007 popularity for the group dramatically increased thanks to a big campaign in the popular Music magazine, NME.^[2]

It was announced in December 2007 That the group will be marking the 30th Anniversary of the RAR/ANL carnival and procession with a similar event in Victoria Park on 27th April 2008, featuring performances from major contemporary acts plus appearances from some of the musical heroes of the RAR era. The campaign have already stated that one of the main aims of the event will be to inspire thousands today to vote against racism in the Greater London Assembly which takes place weeks after the event.^[3]