The punk rock firmament glowed brighter on Wearside than most other English conurbations during the 1980s, with Red Alert, Red London and the Toy Dolls all sharing beers, band members and basslines on Oi compilations during its heyday. Sharpened by the experience of growing up amid the closure (or “managed decline”) of its shipyards during the Thatcher era, Red Alert saw themselves as Sunderland’s answer to the deserted Docklands’ Cockney Rejects and released a steady stream of EPs on No Future Records, calling it quits after their standout 1983 album We’ve Got The Power. By 1989 the band had reunited, though line-up changes inevitably followed over the years (bringing in the likes of Lainey from Sunderland punks Leatherface), as did a split LP with The Templars following a New York tour.
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Attentive readers would undoubtedly notice my appreciation for the vitality of the current Catalan skinhead scene. Even those who visit casually would not mistake it for a mere historical re-enactment society. While the scene embraces styles ranging from the 60s, 70s, and 80s to contemporary variations, it seamlessly melds tradition with a resolute sense of purpose and relevance in the present moment. Catalan nationalism has become a major international news item since last year, and although some Catalan skins I spoke to are more critical of it than others, it’s fair to say that, for the most part, they are among its most fervent supporters.
“I’ll never forget, there was a Chinese restaurant in Chislehurst called the ‘Hong Kong Garden’. Me and my friend were really upset that we used to go there and like, occasionally when the skinheads would turn up it would really turn really ugly. These gits would just go in en masse and just terrorise these Chinese people who were working there. We’d try and say ‘Leave them alone’, you know. It was a kind of tribute”.
Creases Like Knives 