When Bristol Live reported a few weeks ago that a number of local pubs were hosting a ‘F*** the Jubilee’ punk festival, the story went viral and the republican sentiment that exists in our city, provoked outrage among some monarchists.
For the innkeeper of the Plough in Easton, there is nothing controversial about the event itself, which is part of a long tradition of punk events in the pub, dating back to before the days of the internet.
The pub has traditionally held punk nights around the Queen’s birthday and has often played The Sex Pistols' ‘God save the Queen’ as an alternative to the national anthem before England games. The pub is expecting its usual crowd for the festivities this weekend alongside friends at The Chelsea and The Lion pubs nearby.
READ MORE: Bristol pubs announce 'F*** the Jubilee' three day punk festival
Like many working in hospitality, the staff at the pub will be working ‘twice as hard’ during the upcoming extended bank holiday weekend, explained The Plough Innkeeper, Tom Quarrelle. The popular community pub which took a leading role in the award-winning veg box scheme during the pandemic, will be kicking off the celebration tonight (Wednesday) with a Bhangra band.
Mr Quarrelle said: “As far as the Plough goes, we have traditionally had punks do an all-dayer around the Queen’s birthday. We just get on with it, we’re not there to cause conflict, it’s been something we’ve been doing way before the internet.
“It just feels completely wrong that there is a billionaire who has inherited wealth through empire when we live under racist immigration laws and mass poverty. I’d say I was anti-monarchy, I don’t think it’s a great idea, I think it’s outdated and completely out of touch with what’s actually happening.
“We’re celebrating what’s great about Britain, with a Bhangra band, a Reggae band, a House night and a Punk night. The general perception [of punk] is that it’s going to be loads of people spitting and smashing things but in my experience the punks are actually a polite bunch of free thinking, provocative party people and we love working with them.
“They are the nicest people, really organised and they care. It’s not just that they want to say f**** the Queen, f**** the monarchy, they are saying that there are other things in this country that are really important.
“Right now the focus is on trying to save Boris Johnson’s skin and trying to cook up this nationalist spirit when there’s a whole load of real stuff going on. People are living in serious poverty, people are being sent to Rwanda.
“If you look at how the rich live, they can live outside laws because they can pay to sidestep them. A case in point is Prince Andrew.
“People say it’s not the 1970s but we’re still dealing with the hangover from the 1970s, those institutions are still in power. Provocateurs and politicians are still trying to cling onto a sense of nation and identity from the 1700s, for people that don’t chime with it, it’s quite distasteful.
“We will all be working, anyone who works in hospitality will be working twice as hard. Bank holidays weren’t given to us by the Queen, they were given to us by trade unions.”
The Plough Inn plans to have four days of live music and entertainment over the extended bank holiday weekend, with its punk night on Saturday (June 4). The three day and night punk festival is being organised by Bristol’s DIY punk collective the Bristol Skum Collective, and will be spread across three pubs, beginning at The Lion in Redfield this Thursday (June 2).
