Left Field - Postscript

 

I recently added this postscript to the online edition of my memoir but, soon after completing it, was informed that the book is no longer available for sale. For this information I must thank a friend who tried to purchase a copy, not my publisher, or more precisely, my ex-publisher.  Left Field was published in 2016 by Unbound and distributed by Penquin. Unbound declared itself bankrupt in March 2025. It was sold to its own executives!. Its founding personnel seem to have had no trouble setting up a new company with the name 'Boundless', while Unbound authors have been left driftless.  

I feel very sorry for those writers who had been raising funding for their books and now find themselves in publishing limbo. Fortunately for me I put Left  Field online a couple of years ago after I had my first suspicions about Unbound. They sent me six-monthly royalty statements which were incomprehensible to decipher and never included royalties. 

If you were to ask me how many books were sold I have no idea. When I was invited to speak about my book at WOMAD, Unbound failed to turn up with any books, which was equivalent to being invited to perform a music set there and your roadies arrive without your guitar or PA system!. Fortunately Dubioza Kolektiv were there that year and gave an impromptu gig after my abbreviated talk. So farewell Unbound and good luck to any authors who are hoping to publish with Boundless. But you can now read my memoir for free here and on Audible.  

My publishers are now Riversmeet who were introduced to me by fellow writer, Jan Woolf, and who are everything that Unbound proved not to be. They are interested in 'focussing on high quality writing, performance and teaching which engages with contemporary issues by linking the past to the present.' I regard them as both publisher and friend. 

 The intervening years since Left Field's publication have been ones of personal and political hope and of personal and political despair. In other words, nothing out of the ordinary.

Not surprisingly for someone in my eighth decade, these have been years when close friends have left this planet while I remain clinging to its edges, aware of Leonard Cohen’s words to Marianne Ihlen that, “I am so close behind you that if you stretch out your hand, I think you can reach mine.”

My  operation for a subdural haematoma  which I wrote about in Left Field was followed two years later by a heart valve operation, then a stroke caused by a strepsis infection of my new valve. More recently I have had epileptic seizures and now write without a glass of wine or beer as my prompt!  I used my hospital stays to campaign for an NHS that has now saved my life three times.

 

I'm proud that the unfairly much-vilified Jeremy Corbyn visited me when I was in St Barts Hospital. The worst insult he has had to endure has been accusations of ‘anti-semitism’ when he has been at the forefront of anti-racism struggles for decades. I last saw him three years ago when I joined him in Cable Street at a demonstration to mark the 85th anniversary of the battle to stop fascism in this country.

With that in mind, I helped organise a letter in his support signed by Ken Loach, Brian Eno, Nigel Kennedy, Alexei Sayle and thousands of others, I consider Corbyn to be our El Pepe. 

His visit to my bedside was organised by Alice Kilroy whose death has left my grip on the planet more enfeebled. She was a wonderful friend and visited me in hospital more times  than anyone outside my immediate family. I miss her. Here she is with the banner she made for my 70th birthday. It says: "70 years young/ The cops have not caught me yet/ No point  braking now"

Before she died in February 2020, Alice asked me to take over her work as one of the contributors to People's Campaign for Corbyn Facebook.  You can view all these blogs on my website at www.davidwilson.org.uk

Thanks to Jan Woolf I have got to know Ken Livingstone, the other politician accused of anti-semitism because of his defence of Palestine. On 20th April 2024 Jan organised a 'Thanks Ken Livingstone' celebration. Family and friends gathered to honour his life and legacy as Mayor of London. We were treated to poetry, a piano recital from his granddaughter, Sky Hutchinson, and contributions acknowledging his many achievements as a good and effective politician. On sale was a pamphlet which included my conversation with him over a takeaway curry.

As I write this postscript genocide continues to flatten Palestine, confirming the continuing importance of all that Jeremy and Ken have said and done. Aided and abetted by our political leaders and the 'corporate media' it seems that all we are left with is Antonio Gramsci's - 'pessimism of the heart, optimism of the will.'  Jeremy and Ken, along with many of my friends, help me with that optimism.

Plenty to keep me busy and angry, but I am also finding time to write new books.  My World Café  was published by Riversmeet in November 2023. It is a collaboration with the wonderfully gifted artist, Laura Davis. I am now writing My World Music which will be published by Riversmeet in 2026.

These years have been ones when my eldest son lost and won back his disability benefits. Many haven’t and many have lost their lives in the process.

These have also been years of loss for me, not just of the dead, but of a living son who has ghosted me. I wrote about this under a pseudonym for Stand Alone, a charity set up for people estranged from their families. 

My past as co-founder of War Child still haunts me and hope it haunts those I write critically about here. I recently learned that the present War Child CEO receives an annual salary of £118,000. My critique of aid charities continued after two visits to the Calais ‘jungle’ refugee ‘camps’. 

More happily I visit Mostar to stay with my Bosnian family who I write about in Left Field. 

Here is my Mostar son, Oha Maslo, with his wife, Masa. They have taught me that 'family' is not just biological. Today Oha is Director of the Mostar Rock School, succesfully bringing together young people with music,

Here in London I have been trying to play guitar again. My left hand was weakened by the stroke. My London music friends are at Camden Guitars and the owner, Deicola Neves, tells me off when I complain. "Didn't you know that Django Reinhardt only had three fingers? 

Deicola and his shop have become my London Pavarotti Centre. Here he is playing great jazz on bass guitar. He performed at my 80th birthday celebration, as he did twelve years ago at my father's funeral. 

And here is the Dubioza Kolektiv 'Cross the Line' track made with Manu Chao about borders that kill. I dedicate this entry to Oha and family, to Deicola and all those who have kept me connected to music and a life without borders., both physical and mental.

Finally  I am honoured that the following messages were sent me to mark my 80th year.

BEN WILSON: ‘Hey David and all of you that have turned up to celebrate this milestone birthday. I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. So bloody hell David you’ve done it! 80! I say this because, as you all know my dad had a lot of health issues, but has luckily got though them, Raise your glasses as I will tonight, but sadly David can’t, except with a soft drink’

OHA MASLO: ‘Dear father, Well, you are turning 80 now. I do not have any doubt that, at the moment, you are surrounded by people who are important to you and who love you. I'm not sure how you're going to get through such a beautiful day without having a drink, good luck with that, hahaha. You were 52 when we met, which means I have to run through 5 more years to reach that age :) And I have known you for 28 years now :) We, Maša, Zoe, Luna, Lejla, and I, your southern family, are very happy for all these years that we are sharing together with you. Knowing your father's case, there are going to be at least 20 more :) We will have a time to celebrate this round number with you in Mostar in about a month's time. I would like to ask everyone in the room now to help us from down south to deliver our celebrating energy to David. - Take the glass, make sure there is drink in there :) - Look at David's eyes - And repeat after me - Živio sto godina - U zdravlje - Have a drink, and enjoy the party :) Thank you everyone. Love from Mostar. Happy birthday Father xxx’

IRIAL & DARLA ENO: ‘Wishing you a very happy birthday. You have always been, and cntinue to be, such an inspiration to us both. Thank you for always speaking truth to power, and never giving up the fight for what is right. With love, admiration. Solidarity, and hopes for a brighter future’ Irial & Darla xxx

HENRIETTA SEEBOHM: ‘Happy Birthday! You are an inspiration, a legend and a community builder. Thank you for your welcome to the Pavarotti Centre in Mostar in the 90’s. Congratulations on your 80th birthday – you rock!’ Henri 

HAIFA ZANGANA: ‘My dearest friend. On your birthday let's celebrate friendship and solidarity. I and Mundher, will be with you though we are both in Tunis, and I will borrow a few lines from our friend Saadi Yousif, the iraqi poet who calls himself ‘The last communist’. To you " You are free. You pick a sky and name it, a sky to live in, a sky to refuse. A sky as vast as your heart. Your friendship’

CECILY BOMBERG:  ‘In all the many years I’ve known David, he has not just spoken or written about his anger and despair for the world’s injustices, but has put his all actively and daily into attempting to defeat them, never counting the cost or seeking fame or reward, and I love and bless him for it. Happy birthday David, may you live another 80 years. This old world needs you’

HIDETO AND CHAKO WATANABE: ‘Very happy 80th birthday, David! We wish we were there to celebrate this with you all. The time we were together doing Future Trust and Eclipse were one of the most exciting times of our life and remembered fondly always. Big thanks for the friendship!!!!’ Hideto and Chako.

And at the end of the 80th year celebration this poem was read by the person who is the reason why I am still here, Anne Aylor.

WILD GEESE by Mary Oliver 

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting—
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

 Read all of Left Field here.

 

HELP Album 1995-2025

 

I am preparing the manuscript of my music and memory book (My World Music) for my publishers (Riversmeet) , and am adding a chapter on the War Child HELP album which was released 30 years ago. As I do so I am struck by how powerful it was; the quality of the music, the dedication of its artists and the strength of its message - that the war was being challenged by musicians while the politicians and corporate media looked the other way.

Decades later we have a much larger genocide taking place in Palestine and, although there are musicians actively working to expose current war crimes, (step forward Brian Eno and Roger Waters) where is the 2025 HELP album?

In August 1995 I was asked to speak at a demonstration in Trafalgar Square in support of the victims of the Bosnian war. Other speakers included Michael Foot and Brian Eno. I said: “I would like to speak on behalf of the young people of Bosnia. They are like young people everywhere. They take pleasure in music …They have the anger of youth and they can love like only youth can love. The young die when they are the ones who should live …In this war, it is the child who is killed because it is the child who plays in the street when the shell explodes.”

Tony Crean of Go Discs!, the record company that represented Paul Weller, happened to be walking through Trafalgar square and heard me. He later recalled. ‘Shit, I’ve spent the last couple of years of my life thinking about pop music and not realising what was going on under my nose’.

Andy Macdonald, the head of Go Discs! recalls that Tony ‘came into the office like a man possessed. He said, “Boss, I’ve been watching what’s happening in Bosnia. It’s fucking outrageous. We’ve got to do something.” '

And they did. A few days later my War Child co-founder, Bill Leeson, and I were invited to meet Tony and Andy in a Notting Hill restaurant. They told us of their plan to release the HELP album. It was to be recorded in studios on Monday, September 4th, 1995 and be in the shops five days later.

HELP sold over 70,000 copies on the day of its release, becoming the fastest-selling album in British music history. The artists waived royalties and it raised more than £1.5 million. Brian Eno produced the album and was responsible for making sure the recordings were ready for pressing in time for the Saturday release. Racing against the clock, he said of the experience, ‘Tapes were appearing from everywhere, me trying to keep some mental track of it… Enjoyable panic, but I went into Hitler mode in the last few minutes.’

The tracks included Oasis and friends with ‘Fade Away’, The Boo Radleys and ‘Oh Brother’, The Stone Roses (Love Spreads), Radiohead (Lucky), Orbital (Adnan), Portishead (Morning Air), Massive Attack (Fake the Aroma), Suede (Shipbuilding), The Charlatans vs The Chemical Brothers (Time for Living), Stereo MCs (Sweetest Truth), Sinéad O’Connor (Ode to Billy Joe), The Levellers (Searchlight), Manic Street Preachers, (Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head), Terrorvision (Tom Petty Loves Veruca Salt), The One World Orchestra (The Magnificent), Planet 4 Folk Quartet (Message for Crommie), Terry Hall and Salad (Dream a Little Dream of Me), Neneh Cherry and Trout (1,2,2,3,4,5), Blur (Eine Kleine Lift Music), The Smoking Mojo Filters with Paul Weller, Paul McCartney, Noel Gallagher, Steve Craddock , Damon Minchella. Steve White and Carleen Anderson with ‘Come Together’.

Paul Weller recalls that ‘I had to self-medicate because I was so nervous, so I was a fucking mess by the end of it. But Macca was great, man. He was really fucking cool.’Noel Gallagher remembers that, ‘As the tape started, it suddenly dawned on me that I’d never played 'Come Together' before. “What key’s it in?’ I asked. ‘I was fucking winging it.’

Listening to HELP 30 years later I am astounded with the entire album and don’t want to place one track above another. But if pushed it has to be Terry Hall and Salad ( Merijene van der Vlugt) with ‘Dream a Little Dream of Me’. Terry Hall referred to his love of the Mamas and the Papas recording and deciding that ‘this is the one’. Of the studio recording session carried out over eight hours he says ‘There was a string section, two dogs roaming around, babies, press and a video crew. It seemed like the whole world was listening to me improvising some harmonies. I always say it was the highlight of our career. It meant the world to us.’

The income from the album was used to provide artificial limbs for wounded children, food and clothing to orphanages, the purchase of a refrigerated truck to supply insulin, funding for school meals in central Bosnia, support for a mobile medical clinic, the supply of premature baby units , as well as baby milk, contraceptives and even funding for mine clearance programmes. Linda McCartney supplied 22 tonnes of her veggie burgers which were delivered to three Bosnian cities. Help monies were also used towards the running of the War Child bakery and to expand the charity’s music programmes.

Tony Crean said, ‘we did something with real quality, it’s had an impact that’s lasted. If you chuck a big enough stone in the pond, some ripple will hit something and make a difference.’

Decades later and with another, bigger genocide taking place in Palestine, we need to chuck a fucking boulder into that pond and make a difference.

You can view the 1995 HELP album on YouTube and the Channel 4 TV documentary on the making of the album.You can then donate to Medical Aid for Palestine and if you are in the music business help lift that rock.

David Wilson, co-founder War Child