Legendary UK anarcho-punks commemorate their late singer Colin with a new album, recorded live in Dordrecht, the Netherlands
In 1981, Conflict formed in Eltham, Southeast London. They got to know Crass. The first Conflict record, ‘The House That Man Built’ EP, came out in June 1982 on Crass Records. By 2025, singer Colin Jerwood was the only one left of the original line-up. The rest of the band members had changed repeatedly. Colin was often not their only vocalist – singing along with him were at various times were Steve Ignorant of Crass, and, from 2025, Fiona Friel.
Things looked good for the band in 2025. They released their first new album in 22 years, ‘This Much Remains’. They planned a tour in the UK and continental Europe. Then, unexpectedly, Colin passed away. This was a terrible shock for his relatives, friends and fellow band members.
How, then, about the concerts that had been planned? The band members and Colin’s family discussed that and decided that the gigs would go ahead as tributes to Colin, with Fiona as the only singer. So, at the 2025 Rebellion Festival in Blackpool, Conflict played. There was also a panel commemorating their late singer. With as its slogan, words written by Colin, “To Live On In Hearts Is Never to Die”.
This also forms part of the full title of Conflict‘s new album, released on 20th March 2026; ‘To Live On In Hearts – Live In Holland’.
The panel audio recording above says about itself: “As part of the Literary Festival at Rebellion 2025, a panel of friends and family members shared their memories of Conflict frontman Colin Jerwood. Featuring Steve Ignorant (Crass, Conflict), Sid Truelove and Zillah Minx (Rubella Ballet), John Clifford (original Conflict bassist) and his partner (and former Conflict vocalist) Sarah Taylor, Franky (great nephew) and Colin’s children James and Georgia Jerwood. Many thanks to Dom for hosting the panel.”
The video below shows Conflict playing in 2025 in the Czech Republic – one of the final shows with Colin on vocals:
Conflict played in the Netherlands several times, such as in October 1982, at LVC Leiden and Vera in Groningen. In 1986, Conflict played in Tilburg, at the start of a tour in the Netherlands, which ended on 7th December at the Parkhof in Alkmaar. In 2007, they played not only in Blackpool, but at the Amsterdam festival also called Rebellion too.
During the 2025 tour, on the 26th of September, Conflict‘s only concert in the Netherlands was at Bibelot in Dordrecht, where they had never played before, and where there are few punk gigs. The building used to be a power station. The band played at the ‘Power Stage’ of Bibelot, a hall for three hundred people. Belgian punk band Dammit opened for Conflict.
That show was recorded for this new live album. Furiously, dedicatedly, the band roared through a set of eleven classic Conflict songs and six tracks from their last studio album from 2025 ‘This Much Remains‘. Here is a video about the new live album:
Their first song played in Dordrecht was ‘The Impossible Soul‘ from their 2025 album. The third song, ‘A Mother’s Milk‘, about animal rights and the dairy industry, was also from that album.
‘Masters of the Race?‘ is about ‘profit over people’ billionaires, like Trump, Musk and Bezos, who feel challenged by ‘female, black, gay, trans, ally, other’ opposition.
‘This Much Remains‘ is the title track of their last studio LP. It is about not giving up; The song includes lines mockingly asking the ruling classes: “Oh you think it’s easy to govern work-shy working class, lazy lefties, anarchist scum?”
The last two songs are ‘That Other Song‘ and ‘The Collusion Exclusion‘. In ‘That other song‘, Colin wrote about friends who have died. Its final line is “But they live through me foreverly”. Now, sadly, this line applies to its author as well.
Fiona says about ‘The Collusion Exclusion’: “It is about how we are divided and set against each other in order to maintain control, unwittingly colluding in our own oppression. The more we fight amongst ourselves, the more they can exploit the situation to their advantage. Colin wrote the first verse and chorus, and I just finished it off, with my version of the chorus and a second verse. … I mean, Boris Johnson and Donald Trump look like caricatures of human beings, it’s absurd that anyone would vote for them, but they did and have done again in the case of Trump. They are using the devices of turning people against each other. “Look over there! That other poor person is your enemy, not me, the billionaire”.”
Colin sang in ‘The Collusion Exclusion’: “It’s the same old system and the same old song, 40 years later and they’ve still got it wrong.” A system in which the powerful divide the lower classes and so they can maintain control.
Recorded Live at Bibelot, Dordrecht on 26/09/25 and Mixed and Mastered by Gav King @ Inferno Studios, ‘To Live On In Hearts – Live In Holland’ is out on CD on 20th March and on vinyl on 27th March 2026 via Mortarhate/Cadiz Music – order your copy HERE
To Live On In Hearts (Side 1):
- The Impossible Soul
- Cruise
- A Mother’s Milk
- There’s No Power Without Control
- Just Defy
- No More Excuses
- Masters of the Race?
- Tough Shit Mickey
- Punk Innit
Is Never to Die (Side 2):
- From Protest to Resistance
- Berkshire
- Whichever Way You Want It
- This Much Remains
- Mighty and Superior
- Serenade is Dead
- That Other Song
- The Collusion Exclusion
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In 1978 Herman co-founded Dutch Rock Against Racism and was a founder of Pin punkzine. He’s vocals/saxophone for Cheap ‘n’ Nasty and in 2021 co-founded the Punk Scholars Network, Netherlands.
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