Colin Moulding (supplied by PR as part of TC&I interview)
XTC’s Colin Moulding has spoken publicly for the first time about the use of one of his best-known songs in the row between Nigel Farage and Zack Polanski, after “Making Plans for Nigel” became the centrepiece of a dispute that has drawn in the Metropolitan Police.
The row began on 27 July, when a photograph appeared as part of a collaborative Instagram post from a Green Party event in Bristol. Among the images was one showing a man wearing a T-shirt bearing an illustration of a guillotine beneath the words “we’re only making plans for Nigel,” a lyric from Moulding’s 1979 XTC single. Farage accused Polanski of sharing content he called inciteful and Reform UK reported the image to the police.
Polanski, leader the Green Party of England and Wales, was tagged as a collaborator on the post rather than its creator. A party spokesperson said he removed it as soon as it was brought to his attention, adding that he “unequivocally does not support this type of dangerous message.” The freelance photographer who originally shared the image later said publicly it had been intended as satire, apologised to Polanski, and said they had reported themselves to the police. The Metropolitan Police have confirmed they are conducting enquiries following a third-party report, though no criminal investigation into a specific offence has been announced.
Moulding’s statement was issued through the Facebook group ‘Colin Moulding of XTC fan group’, by Mark Fisher, the fan and historian who has chronicled the band for more than four decades.
“Politics and pop music is a combination I’ve never really cared for. Pop music belongs to the kids ;- top of the pops ;- pans people , seven o’clock on a Thursday evening ;-all that ;- and all the kids who are now middle-aged and have loved pop music down the years ;- that’s the world that the song belongs to. Not the men in grey suits….But I also say that one cannot have a monopoly on the English language ;- it’s there for everyone. But it would be a great pity if the song came away from all this with a negative connotation. I just hope it doesn’t.—that’s all I have to say.—cheers…Colin M .”
“Making Plans for Nigel” was written by Moulding and released as the lead single from XTC’s Drums and Wires album in September 1979. Sung from the perspective of overbearing parents mapping out a settled, unadventurous future for their son at British Steel, it has no overt political meaning.
Moulding’s plea reflects an understandable wariness familiar to songwriters whose work is repurposed for causes they have no hand in.
Well, that’s a rather feeble response from Colin M, in my view. What is rearing its ugly head is hardly ‘men-in-grey-suits reclaiming pop music from the kids’, it’s reality, dear. And if an artist claims that their art can exist in a reality-free environment, then they are active not in the domain of art but of entertainment.
Colin is absolutely correct, in my view. The only bearing this song has on the leader of Reform is that his name appears in it. The song itself has sod all to do with Politics, much to do with personal politics though it was also written in 1979 and can be taken to be totally devoid of modern day “reality”.
The song covers overbearing forces being imposed on a young mind by people who “ know what’s best for you”
Fast forward to Reform and their proposed policies on immigrants, racial minorities and other obnoxious proposal, but of course they know best don’t they.
Maybe the 2 protagonists in this story should look into XTC’s back catalogue and study some of the lyrics. Muscle Down might be a start, followed by No thugs in our house.
Perhaps Both gentlemen would learn something from studying XTC’s back catalogue. Knuckle Down might be a good starting point followed by No Thus In Our House.
Complicated game, enough said.
Excellent response from legend Colin. Those who disagree (See below) with what he said would have him take a side. They can’t handle someone not bending to their superiority.
Excellent publicity for a classic. I’m surprised it hadn’t been referred to previously considering it’s title.
I hope it revives interest in the song and XTC.
it could be interpreted that because nigel’s parents set him up with a career in british steel, the fact that british steel no longer exists then the guillotine could be a metaphor for the death of british steel or that his parents put him in a job he didnt like so he wasnt actually happy in his world, like the song suggests, and that was like a death sentence.,