Scientists agree that some of the best Oi and punk music is coming from France nowadays, and that’s increasingly becomibrng common knowledge on our shores too: just ask any man, woman or child on a London bus. If you follow the French scene closely, Syndrome 81 will not have escaped you. Hailing from the chilly and wet seaside town of Brest, the band’s first outing was their self-titled demo of 2013, followed by the monumental Désert Urbain EP, a split-EP, and a 7’ single. Continue reading
As long-standing readers will remember, Creases Like Knives is based in north London’s Haringey borough – Spurs territory, but also where Coles Park Stadium, home to Haringey Borough FC, is located. Haringey Borough FC has been knocking about under that name since 1973, although its pre-history goes all the way back to 1907.
After last Saturday’s match against Brentwood FC, which Borough won 3–2, we had a chat with their hard-working manager, Tommy Loizou. He told us how hard it is to run a non league club, who his key players are, and about his transfer policy. Continue reading
Last week, in typically elitist London fashion, I pontificated about crombie overcoats. Well, this has prompted a response from my Yorkshire bro, the Northern Avenger. Here’s his tribute to an unjustly reviled skinhead staple. Bootgirls and bootboys, I’m handing over to the Northern Avenger…
The humble donkey jacket: one of the mainstays of the British coal miner, binman, and other manual workers and lefties of years past – and (some) skinheads of course. It has a long history with the working class. I will try – and probably fail – to explain some of its history and relevance to the skinhead cult. Continue reading
About a year ago, I sneered that there was nothing “authentically skinhead” about real Crombies. With no small amount of inverted snobbery, I suggested there was no point in getting one unless you were an “MP, diplomat or KGB agent“. Well, that was then. But last month, I sussed an unbelievable bargain for a Crombie Retro Coat in mint condition. Now I think real Crombies are the dog’s bollocks. Continue reading
Below, you will find our translation of an article that was first published in the German news weekly Der Spiegel on 8 June 1970. As far as we’re aware, it’s the only time the press in that country reported on the original skinhead wave. It would be eight years before skinheads made another appearance in Der Spiegel, once again in connection with racism and street thuggery in the East End of London. Continue reading
While the original wave of skinheads remained a strictly British phenomenon – the closest the French came to mod were the minets – it didn’t take long for the late 1970s revival to cross the Channel. As the Sham Army turned concert halls into battlefields and skinheads began to proliferate across Britain again, a small gang of punks in a working class banlieue of Paris took note. Around 1978, Farid, Pierrot, Fan, Fabian and a dozen mates swapped their spiky hair and leather for clean-cut crops and MA-1 jackets. Continue reading
“I’ve been attacked for political reasons – by West Indians who, like everyone else, have been mugged into thinking that all geezers with long hair are commies and all skinheads are fascists. In fact, we’ve got a lot in common with blacks. We both get police pressure, we both get spat on, we can’t get jobs, and we get kicked out of places. Except they have a colour they can never change, and we’ve got an appearance that we can change. The strongest thing to be is male, white, middle class and normal looking, isn’t it? Cause you’ve got it all then.” – ‘Deptford’ John Armitage, 1982
It’s no secret that the British ‘sussed skin’ movement of the 1980s is one of several sources of inspiration for this blog. Although we ultimately want to do our own thing rather than imitate, the combination of sharp style and smart politics is still an excellent starting point. Continue reading
Find below a little tale of solidarity between female teenagers in Dublin, originally published in the Sunday Independent (Ireland) on 19 April 1970 and transcribed by us.
Two things jump out: first, the girls’ overnight transition from ‘weirdo’ (hippie) to skinhead and their continued friendship with hairies. This is somewhat at odds with the accepted notion of ‘working class skinheads’ versus ‘middle class hippies’. Continue reading
Once upon a time, the mainstream media demonised The Last Resort as the ultimate violent hooligan outfit, and their live shows were depicted as cesspits of mindless thuggery. In hindsight, you were probably just as likely to encounter tribal aggro and booze-fuelled scuffles, say, at a Crass or Discharge gig. At a time when Thatcher’s policies relegated hundreds of thousands to the scrapheap, working class youths had to assert themselves somehow.
Of course, that’s not what you expect to see at an average Oi gig today. Continue reading
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