Brighton’s finest noise merchants DITZ have revealed a brand new video for their latest offering ‘Total 90’.
It sees the band face off on the football pitch against a team including members of Slaves and FUR. It was made to highlight discrimination and inequality within football, and shot at The Dripping Pan – Lewis F.C.’s ground.
Commenting on the serious message behind the video, the band say: “Most people find it natural and easy to get involved in sports, but it’s unlikely that many of us would, if we had to cope with anxiety due to a chance we’d have homophobic slurs directed at us, or something whispered out of ear shot. This happens to be the case for 84% of gay men and 82% of gay women.”
“In one study we read, they found that in a predominantly heterosexual group of participants, more than 1/3 were found to use homophobic ‘banter’ in a sports setting. The problem is that when asked about it, the group passed it off as ‘being a part of the sport’. The greater irony is that those same players reported that they wouldn’t have a problem playing sports with someone who was a member of the LGBTQ+ community.”
“It’s terrible to consider that, in male association football, just a staggering 8 players have felt able to openly came out since Justin Fashanu in 1990.”
“All of this shocked us, pissed us off, confused and bemused us, so along with some of our mates from the UK music scene, we decided to get involved and have a go at doing something about it with this video. It’s a wry jab at the toxic masculinity, over the top gender norms, and all round idiocy that not only LGBTQ+ players, but also LGBTQ+ sports enthusiasts have to endure.”
‘Total 90’ is the band’s first offering for new label Alcopop! Records. You can check it out below.