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Photo: Dean Chalkley

NME has teamed up with the Love Music Hate Racism campaign to create a special CD to combat the growing problem of racism – and it’ll feature the likes of The View, The Enemy and Lethal Bizzle.

The 15-track disc, to be given away free with NME on October 10, came about after we reported earlier this year that fascist organisations were giving away albums by white power bands outside schools and universities in Britain.

LMHR decided to hit back with a CD of bands prepared to stand up against the racist message and joined forces with NME to get it distributed throughout Britain.

One of the bands contributing a track to the album is Bloc Party, and frontman Kele Okereke told NME there was no question that his band would get involved.

“The thing is, I heard about what the BNP were proposing to do and it sent a real shiver down my spine,” he said. “They’re an evil organisation and the thought of them handing out stuff to young impressionable minds is incredibly frightening. Anything we can do as a band to raise awareness we will do.”

Okereke added that doing a CD was a good way to undermine the BNP’s efforts to spread their hateful message.

“Our generation has become really savvy and au fait with traditional marketing techniques. So these kinds of organisations have to find ways of reaching people – it’s a form of marketing, they’re trying to sell an idea to people,” he explained. “We’ve got more sophisticated as people, they have to find more sophisticated ways of peddling their hate.”

The CD’s final tracklisting is currently being put together, but Dirty Pretty Things and Maximo Park are also confirmed, with plenty of other bands keen to sign up.

“Musicians -from Leadbelly and Woody Guthrie to The Clash and Steel Pulse to Rage Against The Machine and Public Enemy – have a fine tradition of solidarity, of undermining and openly opposing racism and fascism,” explained LMHR organiser Lee Billingham, “and this CD and group of musicians will build on that and continue that fine tradition in 2007 when we really need it.”

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Date/Time	Venue	Town/City	Seetickets	Viagogo
Jun 19, 2012 19:00	The Garage	Glasgow	Tickets not currently available.	Buy Bloc Party Tickets from £45
Jun 20, 2012 19:00	Hmv Ritz	Manchester	Tickets not currently available.	Buy Bloc Party Tickets from £45
Jun 21, 2012 19:00	Koko, Camden	London	Tickets not currently available.	Buy Bloc Party Tickets from £84