An interview with Jonny Banger, Huck 82’s Artist-In-Residence

This story appears in Huck 82: The Music Issue. Order your copy now.

Founder of the infamous Sports Banger collective, Jonny Banger has many strings to his bow. Based out of their HQ, ​“Maison De Bang Bang” in Tottenham, north London, he’s a renowned fashion designer, knows his way around a punchy slogan and the dark arts of bootlegging, he’s famous for speaking truth to power, he’s never not standing up for what’s right. Jonny’s also made books, published zines, is a community voice, a DJ, a record label owner, noise maker, a rave thrower and a rave goer. He’s collaborated with The KLF, Jeremy Deller, Skepta, The ICA, XL Recordings and more. Not to go too over the top but, in the UK at least, Sports Banger is a cultural touchpoint.

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What was your first rave and how did it impact you? 

I’d rather talk about my last rave. Odyssey Soundsystem born from a long lineage of illegal free party rave crews. They’ve started their own one day festival. They move 2,000 tickets without a line up, fair price entry, fair price drinks, no sponsors. The production involved is huge – visuals and sound that rattles your guts. It’s great to see something like this operate outside the framework of bastard corporate one day London festivals that should die on a skip. Shouts to Oddy, Brains Kan, Equality, Exodus, Faktion, VOH, Project Storm, AZ1, Massika.

How does music inspire your creativity in the other things you do?

Our studio is called Maison de Bang Bang. The soundsystem we built is the beating heart of the space. Technics 1200s and a Formula Sound mixer, 12-inch drivers hang from the ceiling, and a 15-inch sub is wedged between boxes of stock. All our work is inspired by the sounds. If I’m writing or reading there’s always music on. I just wrote the foreword for Nasty Nema’s book, Ghost’s in the Machine: The Hauntology of Graffiti and Rave Culture, 1990 – 2010. I was listening to DJ Spanish Fly — Unfinished Business.

If Sports Banger was a rave mixtape, which one would it be and why?

Probably Mindwarp in Bits, recorded in Colchester with DJ’s Sy, Slipmatt, Ellis Dee and Ratty. It was the first mixtape my brother got me for my 10^th birthday. Hardcore will never die.

Has running your record label Heras changed your understanding of the music industry in any way? 

In the music industry, just like fashion, mediocrity is the majority.

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Do younger generations that you work with understand the importance of the rave movement? 

Rave was more punk than punk. Grime was more punk than rave.

How has working with someone like rave pioneer (and Athena artist) Jimmy Cauty helped your understanding of the story of rave – and what its future might hold?

The main thing I’ve taken away from working with Jimmy was to continue to do whatever you want, for whatever reason you want. Even better if you don’t understand why you’re doing it.

Is music the most effective way to protest when you’re feeling helpless?

Art is a powerful way to communicate but action is what’s needed. Jeremy Deller sees art as a way of staying engaged and in love with the world. I like that. I find art allows me to think critically. A cost of living crisis is hammering UK households. Labour betrayed millions of young people after dropping the pledge to abolish university tuition fees. New protest laws mean more police, more power, more restrictions. It’s time for collaboration in a big way, especially for young artists, to organise. 

• Read next: New documentary revisits the radical history of UK free rave culture

We want our Artist-In-Residence to expand your mind, so here are some cultural things Jonny Banger recommends you should explore

Film 

Black Cat, White Cat by Emir Kusturica. A Serbian bootlegging romantic black comedy crime film. Completely blew my mind when I first watched it. It’s hilarious and a riot to watch. Jodorowsky’s Dune, incredible documentary from our spiritual leader. Run Lola Run kinda feels a bit like a German techno Trainspotting. Maybe that’s just the running. The film’s tempo and rhythmic structure grabs you. Everything is recorded 120 – 140 BPM and it propels the film with relentless urgency.

Song/​piece of music

Tom Tom Club — ​‘Space Shoes of Love’.

I step on earth with my space shoes,

with your space shoes?

with my space shoes.

Museum or gallery

Went to the British Library for the first time recently. Jaw dropping. Lots of stuff to see for free. If you like books a couple of my fave shops are Walden Books and Hurlingham Books. Cheap, stacked high, no real order, chaos can all come tumbling down. Go visit Tim Hunkin’s arcade of Novelty Automation. Bruce Castle Museum is great for a bit of local Tottenham history. The spade used to plant the Seven Sisters trees? They got it.

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Piece of art or photograph

Anything by Peter Kennard.

An inspiring fellow artist

The grand high bitch Jeanie Crystal. Go see her band Jeanie and The White Boys. She’ll kick you in the face. I see myself more in her working class queer punk blues than I do in a lot of these beige, middle class dance music producer partnership puppets.

Keep up with Sports Banger at their official website and Instagram.

Josh Jones is Huck’s editor. Follow him on Instagram.

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