Author: Crombieboy

Rude Boys, Rival Crews, and Boxcutter’s New Book

Our mate Jabari Adisa, aka Corky Boxcutter from Chicago, has recently published his first book, Jackpot: The Dread Skinhead. He also commented on our article about the rude boy style, and we think his take is worth sharing as a standalone piece:

“A few thoughts.

1. Rude Boy has always been a counter-culture and not a subculture. Rude Boys in both Jamaica and in England were a scorned, distrusted class (as you correctly call out in regards to the music), but at a certain point, being a rude youth became a badge of courage / defiance, a culture of resistance onto itself. That’s when you start to see ‘Rudie don’t fear’ and other pro-rude, proud rude tunes. And by the time Rhygin comes along, it’s a legitimate mentality.

Continue reading →
by Categories: Literature, Skinhead historyTags: , , , , , , 6 Comments

Squinting at the Rude Boys: A Subculture Rarely in Focus

When the picture below popped up on social media, some commented that it showed a bloke called Bubbles and his crew from Brixton. Apparently, it was taken circa 1968/69 at the top of Granville Arcade (now known as Brixton Village), which is located at the junction of Coldharbour Lane and Atlantic Road. I liked the photo, but I couldn’t tell whether this lot were rude boys, skinheads, or neither. Clothes-wise, nothing strays too far from the original skinhead look.

Then it occurred to me that, although rude boys are mythologised in reggae songs and often mentioned in passing in retrospective accounts of the original skinhead era, they remain photographically under-documented – which explains my considerable ignorance of their style, and why I can’t really place the lads in the picture.

Continue reading →
by Categories: Clobber, Skinhead historyTags: , , , , , , , 5 Comments

White lies? Paul Burnley’s Skinhead Diaries, 1980–86

Paul Burnley: Skinhead Diaries 1980–1986. A Coming of Rage Story

This book is the first part of the autobiography of Paul Burnley – in reality Paul Bellany, son of the famous painter John Bellany. As most readers will know, Burnley was briefly the vocalist of the National Front skinhead band Public Enemy from Maidstone, and later the singer of the London-based No Remorse – one of the most self-consciously extreme nazi bands on the Blood & Honour scene. This volume, however, covers his teenage years before he joined No Remorse – roughly 1980 to 1986 – when he became a ‘rudeboy’ and then a skinhead, quickly drifting to the far right under the influence of his mates and various formative experiences.

A very young Paul Burnley, left

Skinhead Diaries is self-published through Amazon, so much of the dosh is going straight into Burnley’s pockets. You may ask why I handed over my cash for the book, and why I’m helping promote it on this blog? To answer the first question, curiosity got the better of me. All things considered, I found it unlikely that my money would go on to fund some far-right terror cell. More plausibly, I’d be buying a retired ex-nazi a few pints. If that makes me morally complicit, so be it.[1]

Continue reading →
by Categories: Skinhead historyTags: , , , , 15 Comments

Where Have Warsaw’s Bootboys Gone? Echoes from the Skinzine Age

Readers will remember my exhaustive interview about the Polish skinhead scene of the ’80s and early ’90s, and this anthology, published by Bad Look Records of Warsaw (more specifically, Warsaw-Służewiec, which also happens to be the neighbourhood of my childhood), more or less picks up where that interview left off. It contains all issues of the Warsaw skinzine Przepraszam, czy tu biją?, which translates as ‘Excuse me, do they beat up people here?’ and ran from 1994 to 1997 – five issues in total.

Continue reading →
by Categories: Skinhead historyTags: , , , , , Leave a comment

Altitude and attitude: The story of the MA-1 from cockpits to council estates

The trusty MA-1 flight jacket is somewhat reviled among the more self-consciously ‘traditional’ elements of the skinhead scene and even associated with ‘boneheads’ by some. This is because it became ubiquitous on the scene especially from around 1982 onward – the United Skins era and after. But, as we will see, it was present throughout skinhead history, with the earliest photographic evidence dating to 1969. Without a doubt, it’s also a timeless piece of gear, oozing tough, functional USAF pilot cool, which many early skins wanted to emulate at least to a degree.

Continue reading →
by Categories: ClobberTags: , , , , , , 5 Comments

Running with the boss sound: Billy Idol and the skinheads

I never thought we’d end up mentioning Billy Idol on Creases Like Knives, but here we are – he references skinheads on his new single ‘Still Dancing’, released a couple of weeks ago. The third verse goes:

Skinheads stomp
Right down the road
Teddy Boys stood
Clutching their combs
Reggae blitz rock
Deep to the core
In Brixton
Punks trying to riot
Up on the high street
Causing a ruckus
Who wants to fight me?
Pogo slam
No need to remind me

Continue reading →
by Categories: MusicTags: , , , , , , , 7 Comments

Dirty Job, Klasse Kriminale, Kryzys and others: record reviews

Before the year draws to an end, let me squeeze in just a few reviews, mostly of records that people have sent or handed me in recent months. We’re still in no danger of ever becoming a ‘professional’ publication – as always, some of these good folks have been waiting for months to get their stuff reviewed. I hope they still appreciate the thoroughness and sincerity I’ve tried to put into these write-ups. Many thanks to Timebomb Records, Un Vie Pour Rien, Hellnation, Magura, Golpe de Gracia, and Manufaktura Legenda! All reviews by me this time.
Matt Crombieboy

Dirty Job: The World’s Decay LP
(Timebomb Records / Hellnation / Subculture for Life)

One thing straight away: this is my favourite Oi album of 2024, and it hit me somewhat by surprise – even though I’ve been following the band’s activities from quite early on. Formed in the Milan area by members of bands such as Ostile and, formerly, Brutti e Ignoranti and Stanley, they first landed in my adopted hometown of Bologna in February 2023, playing at the Forever Ultras’ clubhouse. They immediately stood out from the majority of young Italian Oi bands by maintaining a certain skinhead orthodoxy, both in sound and appearance, rather than dissolving it into ‘ultras rock ’n’ roll’ or coming off as just ‘random tattooed dudes playing street rock’. The music struck me as harder than most of their peers – not faster or heavier, but harder – and disciplined to the point of feeling almost a little militaristic. Ancient ‘war Oi’ like Vengeance sprung to mind.

Continue reading →
by Categories: MusicTags: , , , , , , , 2 Comments

The Price of Integrity, or: Rip Off’s Road from Bologna to Certaldo, 1980–83

Rip Off from Bologna are mainly known for one fateful event today: their performance at the Certaldo Oi festival in 1983, which became notorious as the ‘Italian Southall’. Vocalist Rozzi delivered a speech threatening to “hang the punks and the communists”, while two members of Rip Off’s crew stood on stage giving fascist salutes. All hell broke loose in the crowd. The whole night turned into one continuous mass brawl, and in the aftermath, Oi bands in Italy struggled to get gigs for years.

Continue reading →
by Categories: MusicTags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

Strength thru Concrete: The Foundations of Béton Armé

If you haven’t heard Béton Armé yet, you’re really missing out. I may be late to the party, but I’m fully on board now. Their sound combines melodic, classic Oi with prime Chaos en France-style vocals and the odd dash of hardcore. Everything stripped down to the essentials – a wall of sound like huge slabs of… well, reinforced concrete, which is what the band’s name means. Big singalong choruses and that raw, lo-fi sound we all crave. I saw them at Beach, Beer, Chaos in Badalona this year, and they absolutely floored me. Curious to know more, I sent a few questions to Oli (guitar) and Dan (vocals), and they didn’t disappoint.

Continue reading →
by Categories: MusicTags: , , , , 2 Comments

War off the Terraces: Football and Violence in Amsterdam

For what is probably the first time in the history of football hooliganism, a head of state is sending special aeroplanes to bring a group of ultras who drew the short straw back home safely. I’m talking about the fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv, of course. Over the last couple of days, these poor dears have assaulted taxi drivers, attacked pro-Palestine protests, and threatened Muslims in the streets of Amsterdam. They chanted, “Let the IDF win and fuck the Arabs”, “There’s no schools in Gaza because there’s no children left”, and booed a minute of silence for the Valencia flood victims. Then they got their arses handed to them. The mainstream media now describes this as an “anti-Jewish pogrom”. However, Netanyahu, who is something of an expert when it comes to pogroms, has been quick to assist… A Dutch skinhead mate of mine who is an Ajax supporter attended the match, so I asked him what went down last night.
Matt Crombieboy

Continue reading →
by Categories: Football, PoliticsTags: , , , 2 Comments