King 810: Music for Hard Times

King 810, a nu metal band from the USA, toured Australia in March. I went, and a lot of other criminals went too. There was even a few reintegration officers spotted in the crowd. Simply because, they strike a chord… with those who have lived hardship.

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King 810 (pronounced King eight one oh) is named after Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Why? Dr King organised the 1968 poor people’s campaign that many claim led to his death. The campaign demanded economic and human rights for poor Americans of diverse backgrounds. The 810 is the area code of Flint, Michigan, the poor suburb the band is from.

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Flint, Michigan is often called ‘Murdertown, USA’ due to its high crime rate. Ranked number one for violent crimes per capita from 2010 to 2012, it’s also the sight of the economic collapse of America’s motor industry, and a water crisis, where over a hundred thousands residents were exposed to serious lead and other chemical poisoning. A gutted police force and lack of services lead to rising, uncontrollable crime rates. Gunn, the lead singer has been shot, stabbed and arrested multiple times. The life of hardship is the basis for a lot of the lyrics.

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The band resonates with people in the system. Stew, currently on parole in Victoria said, “they come from a similar place and speak their truth. When I was in solitary, it helped me feel like I wasn’t alone, and there were other people who understood.”

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People who end up in jail often come from poverty and trauma. I am no exception. I was raised by a single mother. I still remember my mother saying, “I wish I could afford to buy us nice things”. It makes me wince to remember her saying it now. We lived in a town with no future for its residents. You either went to jail or left for the army. I’ve seen and done a lot of terrible things, things I regret so much. And so, I always related to the lyrics, these ones especially…

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“And I see things when I sleep at night, no author could describe with words, and I’ve went to bed hungry and I’ve fought for my life, and when the chips are down there’s no backing down, when I try to explain it just drives me insane, because I become so overwhelmed.”

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Jail was long. Years and years. People died inside, family died outside. Some inmates lost their minds. Some ended in the cemetery. And it left a mark on my psyche and on my soul. Even in jail, every full moon I would look out my cell window and say a prayer for them. Now that I’m out, I listen to this song, and hear the lyrics, and I cry.

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“If you ever make it out write down what you’ve seen, So we all live forever and we’re finally free” – Write About Us, King 810

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Now I am free. I’m so thankful I have been given the chance to write down what I’ve seen. I hope you all feel a little less alone. And when you feel alone, you can feel free in the stories you read and the music you hear, like we did.

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