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
Like, share, spread the word. Cheers!
perfectmoToday’s the day Brutus are reissuing their own version of the iconic Sta Prest trousers. As the company website states, Brutus NevaPress were “originally released in 1966”.
This is welcome news for two reasons Continue reading
With their new album, the first in almost 30 years, Komintern Sect prove they’ve still got it. It’s like they’ve never been away. Powerful, fist in the air Oi anthems that will have all the skins and punks singing along…
Ah, fuck it. Contra Records ignored my request for a review copy, probably because they consider my blog too unimportant. That’s ok – this way, I don’t feel tempted to churn out a bland promo text in the hope of earning myself more freebies. Less industry ties equal healthier critical faculties. Continue reading
Found in an old copy of Glaswegian skinzine, Spy Kids (#3, 1985): a pisstake on advertisement sheets from the famous East End clobber store, The Last Resort.
Compare and contrast with the original:
Published in 1981, this book by punk poet Garry Johnson – who can be heard on some of Gary Bushell’s ‘Oi!’ albums – has long been out of print. Even the 2008 reissue is selling for 100 quid on Amazon now. To be honest, it isn’t worth this kind of money. Continue reading
I’m in two minds about charity. On the one hand, it offers direct help for people in dire need. On the other, there should be no need for charity in the first place. In a sense, the fact that charity picks up some of the pieces helps to keep those who do the devastating in business.
Gentrification, yuppification, social cleansing: while the useless idiots of the Football Association have decided that Spurs fans’ proud self-identification as yids is, in fact, ‘anti-Semitic’, David Lammy’s local autocracy sells off Haringey borough – including its Tottenham heartland – to property developers, tears down council estates, and prices out the poor. Yuppies and affluent hipsters pour in and take their place.
It is a pity, for Haringey has a long and proud cultural history – not least as a stomping ground for all manner of youth cults. Enjoy this little tribute to the borough and behold the pictures of original Haringey skins and assorted bootboys.
“Your droogie is your brother, someone you can trust” – Hotspurs skins, date unknown. Continue reading
Creases Like Knives 