Lockdown! at the Disco #10: The Power Episode
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Hiyaaaaa! Hey, hello. You’re listening to Comics Youth Radio presents Lockdown! at the Disco and this is episode number 10: The Power Episode. So come in, get comfortable, and flex, honey…we’re kicking off in a jet black power pose with Ms. Joan Jett…
TRACK ONE: “Bad Reputation” – Joan Jett
What a powerslam of a song! You’re listening to Lockdown! at the Disco and I am your host Amy Roberts here with you for the next 60 mins or so of major power moves. As I said at the beginning there, this is The Power Episode and we’re doing this one today because I think we’ve hit a weird wall at the moment, you know?
We’ve hit a wall with lockdown. We’ve hit a wall with our capacity for things. We’ve hit a wall with schoolwork and work-work and we’ve maybe even hit a bit of a mental wall where we feel a little foggy and a little tired and we just need a little push to keep us keeping on.
I’ve definitely felt like that these past two weeks and I know a lot of you have too. And you know what? It’s alright for us all to admit that.
So let’s just do a quick check-in, shall we? Because power is quite an abstract thing.
We all know – from just the absolute state of society at the moment – how power, and certainly too much power, can be a dangerous thing. Power corrupts, people. And it can be ugly and cruel and oppressive in the wrong hands.
But in the right hands? Ooh, mama! You got a good thing going. And especially if those hands are your own and you’re looking to use that power to propel yourself forward and to prop yourself up.
So that’s where we’re coming from today – power as a positive force. Power as inspiration. Power as community. Power as hype. Power as resilience and swagger and you just owning who you are and how you live and where you wanna be and where you wanna go.
This is a track as requested by Lucas M who says that it makes him feel powerful. This is “Dark Black Makeup” by Radkey.
TRACK 2: “Dark Black Makeup” – Radkey
TRACK 3: “I Believe (Get Over Yourself)” – Nico Vega
That jammin’ little number was “I Believe (Get Over Yourself)” by Nico Vega and it was requested by Bell who says that it always gives her a boost and that it was one of the first songs that her girlfriend sent to her – which is so sweet it damn near gave me toothache.
A little heads up to any new listeners we’ve picked up here: The show that you’re listening to is produced by Comics Youth Radio. Here at Comics Youth we’re proud to be a youth organisation who provides holistic and creative support and opportunities to marginalised and disadvantaged young people across the Liverpool City Region.
We make all sorts of cool things like comics, zines, books, poetry jams with our young people – who are aged between 8 and 25 – and now we also make podcasts with them too, like this one that you’re listening to right at this moment.
if you’re interested in knowing more about Comics Youth or getting yourself involved in some way then check out our website www.comicsyouth.co.uk or drop me an email, amy@comicsyouth.co.uk.
And now, let’s get back to chattin about power moves, shall we?
Because, can I be perfectly real with yers all right now? I haven’t been feeling very powerful the past couple of weeks.
I’ve felt kind of smushy, you know? Like one of those crushed fries you almost slip over on in Maccies that’s been pulverised by a hundred smelly trainer soles? Or that rank warm lettuce you get on a fast food burger that’s just like really lank and limp and you’re like, I know that once upon a time you used to be a leaf but now you are 80% sweat and 20% sad and WHAT IS LIFE…?
And I’m running with these fast food metaphors right now because sometimes I just need to be served a quick hit of power so I can pull myself back up, look at myself in the mirror, do a flex and say Babe, you’ve got this. You’re She-Ra. Don’t be the pulverised fry – be the one who pulverises that fry!
And when I need that fast hit of power serving up to me, I go to my tunes. I hit up my power playlists and I absorb that power like a chocolate hob knob absorbs a mug full of tea.
This next track is my go-to song for feeling mighty and powerful. It’s my absolute fave for blasting loud through headphones and struttin down the street to scowling at people to stay the heck away from me.
Oof, this is L7 with “Shove” and I hope you absorb every last drop of it’s power.
TRACK 4: “Shove” – L7
TRACK 5: “Idoless” – The Distillers
That was The Distillers with “Idoless” which is a song that has remained a permanent resident of my power playlists since I was a wee, scrappy teenager still figuring out my power.
I don’t think it really matters how old you get – you’re always in the process of figuring out your power, you know?
It’s a whole process. Not just in terms of figuring out what power you may wield or want to wield, but also in how best to utilise that power.
Discovering and owning your power can be an incredible asset for change. Once you figure out your worth and your strength, you can use it for amazing things.
It makes you discover how to feel confident in who you are and proud of yourself and the things that you do.
And it can also make you feel capable of asking for better – for yourself and for society and for the world at large. Once you can identify your power and the ways that it can be used, you’ll find the right doors will open and that you have the strength to close doors to things that don’t make you happy or bring you joy.
There’s a lot to get angry about in this world and we need our own individual power with which to fight back against the things and the people who try to diminish our agency and our strength.
We need that power to fight for ourselves and for everyone and everything that we care about.
Find the things that make you feel power and take that energy for yourself! It’s a Big Gulp with a long straw and it’s waiting for you to take a humongous noisy slurp, ya hear me?
These next two tunes are a couple of pop powerhouses requested by Tom and I hope they make you feel like standing tall and pushing through all the rubbish.
This is “Survivor” by Destiny’s Child.
TRACK 6: “Survivor” – Destiny’s Child
TRACK 7: “Roar” – Katy Perry
That was “Roar” by Katy Perry as requested by Tom and I’m not too punk rock to admit that it has snuck into my running playlist on many an occasion as one of those songs that helps me to push myself and keep running even when my legs turn to jelly and my the sweat is heavy and the breaths are gasping.
And that’s what true power boils down to: The ability to decipher that feeling of wanting to quit and wanting to tap out and wanting to just lie down and say No more, I’m tired, I’m done – and instead, saying Nah – I’ve got this. I can get past this. I can get through this. And when I do, I’m gonna level up and I’m gonna boss the heck out of this and next time will be a little bit easier for having done so.
I’ve been playing a lot of computer games during lockdown which has also reminded me of that feeling. I’m not the world’s best gamer – I don’t have a lot of confidence in my gaming ablity, to be perfectly honest. And I find that very frustrating – especially when I just can’t get past a level or beat a boss or when I’m playing Super Smash Bros. against my boyfriend and he beats me 10 games in a row – sometimes more, haha.
But I’ve also learnt from sticking with it and just trying again and again that eventually I do figure out how to defeat the baddie or how to move forward to the next level. And each time that I do I feel that little bit stronger and that little more confident and capable.
And while I’ve been playing these games, it’s made me think about how that level of thinking should apply to real life too. Growth can be terrifying and difficult and sometimes even a little painful – but it’s also so worthwhile and so satisfying when we find ourselves growing past a massive obstacle and onto better things.
The only way we can grow is by making mistakes and getting hurt and sometimes even feeling a little embarrassed or frustrated about where we are compared to where we’d like to be.
Every time we grow, we get that little bit more powerful and we can set our sights on bigger and better things for ourselves.
Including finally beating our other halves on Super Smash Bros.!
Speaking of games, I’d like to do a huge shoutout to our art director Ste who’s been keeping us all entertained here at Comics Youth by doing some amazing game streams over on Twitch.
He plays a different game every Wednesday from 2 – 4pm over on the Comics Youth channel which you can find and watch via Twitch.Tv/comics_youth
He’s just finished up playing a run through of Night in the Woods on there – which is a big fave in the Comics Youth office and one of my dearest most beloved games ever – and it was an absolute treat to watch.
And yes, I cried at multiple times throughout! No shame, pals. No shame.
And now, a reminder that ‘power’ doesn’t necessarily mean a heavy or forceful thing – we have a tendency to position the idea of power as being this brute, masculine weight, you know?
But actually, power can be tender and delicate. Sometimes power can be soft and it can be kind and it can also be super femme.
This next song was requested by Rosa who says that while this song might not be a traditional ‘hype’ track that the lyrics make her feel like she can do whatever she needs most. Her and her girlfriend also listen to it every night before bed and she loves that for them – we stan a good bedtime anthem, ladies!
This is the sublime “Ready Now” by Dodie.
TRACK 8: “Ready Now” – Dodie
TRACK 9: “Peach Plum Pear” – Joanna Newsom
That was my girl Joanna Newsom with “Peach Plum Pear” and that woman’s music is where I go when I want to escape into another world and feel like some wondrous, powerful princess of doom and carnage – which is a huge mood. Glitter and weaponry, anyone?
And that’s us done for another week here at Lockdown! at the Disco! Next week we’re serving up The Cheerleader Episode – expect big bombastic tunes, some crazy little dance numbers, and some pep to share with the whole squad. Maybe we’ll even squeeze in some vampire slaying into the equation…
Until next time hunker downers, remember: Everything is not cool, but it can be. Stay safe & stay sassy and my goodness, stay powerful. And remember, you’ve got the love to make that happen.
TRACK 10: “You Got the Love” – The Source, Candi Staton