May 23, 2001 16:16

THE POLITICS OF DANCING!

The 'Tour Of Shame' stops off at Downing Street, Conservative Party headquarters - and then provides entertainment for stunned shoppers...

COLDCUT's 'TOUR OF SHAME, an open-air LONDON bus trip to promote their forthcoming election single 'RE:VOLUTION', took place today (May 23).

The Ninja Tune label honchos teamed up with the similarly situationist Free Party (who are standing in three Brighton constituencies) for the stunt. Coldcut are using the moniker 'The Guilty Party'.

The open-topped bus - equipped with a fully operational sound-system - departed from the Ninja Tune offices at about 10am, before driving past Downing Street, then delivering a copy of the 'Re:Volution' video to the Conservative Party headquarters for the attention of Mr Hague.

After a stop-off on the Westminster end of Embankment, the bus then progressed through Parliament Square and Victoria to Hyde Park, where the entourage planned to stop at Speaker's Corner. However, that plan was scuppered by parking restrictions, so the bus proceeded past stunned shoppers on Oxford Street, and through Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square, before ending up back at the Ninja Tune offices in south London.

Speaking to NME.COM on the bus, Coldcut's Matt Black explained: "It's a way to stick two fingers up to the political system."

"I see this as being a bit like a satirical cartoon," added Black's Coldcut partner Jonathan More. "It's a great tradition in British politics."

"Art and satire are about the only weapons we've got left against the political parties and the corporations," concluded Black. "They can deal with a lot of things, but they can't deal with taking the piss out of themselves. They've got no sense of humour."

Check NMEDANCE.COM tomorrow for the full Coldcut interview and the promo video for 'Re:Volution', which features Anne Widdecombe, Tony Blair and William Hague.

To find out more, check their website here.[/url]