In a review from January 1981, Gary Bushell dismissed Criminal Class as ‘too slow’ after seeing them play in North London for the first time – but I would argue they were already pointing towards a darker, heavier strain of Oi that would later come to define the genre, as it moved from the loosely defined, almost ‘fictional’ category of Bushell’s early compilations into a more concrete style of skinhead music with its own distinct traits.
No song better captures Criminal Class than ‘Fighting the System’: a slow, menacing track. The lyrics read as a call to revolution. The central breakdown, laden with foreboding, represents the insurrection, after which the same steady march resumes beneath a rising dawn.
I spoke to Craig St Leon, vocalist in what was one of Britain’s earliest skinhead Oi bands. Most photos were sourced from the excellent Oi! The Archives page and used with the admins’ permission.
Matt Crombieboy
Hi Craig, can you tell me where and how you grew up?
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Creases Like Knives 