Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!newsfeed.stanford.edu!nntp.cs.ubc.ca!cyclone.bc.net!newsfeed2.telusplanet.net!newsfeed.telus.net!news-feed01.roc.ny.frontiernet.net!nntp.frontiernet.net!news02.roc.ny.POSTED!53ab2750!not-for-mail From: "NY \" 4-1 for Scotland \" Dark Blue" Newsgroups: alt.skinheads Subject: alt.skinheads FAQ Lines: 5257 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1409 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1409 Message-ID: X-Complaints-To: abuse-news@frontiernet.net X-Trace: 52616e646f6d4956bf14ca8f0f691b5804e45975f663e607ee5fb769cb75ee47d4a361bf99c8a10df8bdc2b27487db5ad48a0aeba6ce11350b064c71e551608ae6b0e44a9f2e71f0be1a88329c954c5d83db5b31d11c9f3c2a7376eba1e1c144 X-Abuse-Info: Please be sure to forward ALL headers so that we may process your complaint properly. NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 03 Jun 2004 04:23:10 GMT Date: Thu, 03 Jun 2004 04:23:10 GMT Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu alt.skinheads:187832 Since no one has posted it in over a year .. might as well FAQ for alt.skinheads Questions and Answers about the Skinhead Subculture Doug Herbert dherbert@tradskin.org ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.0: Acknowledgments Special thanks to Jason A. Dare, former maintainer of this FAQ Stephen Martin, originator and former maintainer of this FAQ who collected/compiled most of this material, and db (db@progeny.demon.co.uk) the author of the Skinheads Media List. Furthermore, thanks to the authors of the alt.music.ska FAQ, Oi! the FAQ, and wp FAQ, authors of skinhead related WWW pages, and subscribers of the various related newsgroups. Most of all, thanks to all you SKINHEADS around the world who keep the subculture alive and well! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.1: Introduction In response to all of those, "What do white laces mean?", "Why do you people hate ?" questions, and because Michelle Chen bemoaned the lack of a proper FAQ, I present the following information on the Skinhead subculture. The information in this FAQ has been culled from the Tomas Willis' alt.music.ska FAQ, and Arthur LeBouthillier's White Power FAQ, Gerrard Lindsay's Oi! the FAQ, various postings to alt.skinheads, material from various WWW pages, personal experience, and discussions with other skinheads. This FAQ file will (hopefully) become available available for anonymous FTP on the archive site rtfm.mit.edu as of the May 30th, 1999 posting of the FAQ. The Official alt.skinheads Homepage is at http://www.tradskin.org You may distribute the FAQ freely but if you wish to display it on a website of your own, I encourage you to link to the Official Website since this will always be the most up to date version. This FAQ will be posted at alt.skinheads and other newsgroups twice a month whether it need be or not for review, criticism, and approval. Also, Stephen Martin maintains a FAQ-lette, "Dear Doc Martin", which is a subset of this FAQ. DDM contains his personal contributions to the Skinhead FAQ and questions specifically directed to him, and his responses. Direct your web browser to http://www.storm.ca/~smartin If you have any questions, concerns, or corrections about the Skinhead FAQ please contact me (Doug Herbert) at dherbert@tradskin.org ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.1.1: Updates to the FAQ This section is mainly used to keep track of the modifications made to either version (text or html) of the FAQ and then apply to the other version. But you can use it to see what's new in the FAQ! 30MAY1999: The FAQ is (should be) available via FTP from rtfm.mit.edu Began inserting Y2K compliant dates 19SEP98: SECTION 3.10.1 - Removal of broken links: Monkey Boots Homepage 12SEP98: Addition of Do A Runner! to the OI! Mail-order lists 01SEP98: Updated Lee's Oi band lists, Section 3.5.1 01AUG98: Updated numerous email addresses 01JUL98: The Official Alt.Skinheads FAQ Canada Day Release by Tradskin.Org Various: Updated Tomas Willis' web address, fixed Graham's name, removed reference to his website, updated Elizabeth Richardson's email address SECTION 3.6.1 - Updated URL of the Oi Lyrics Page SECTION 3.10 - Removed reference to homepage of band 'No Cover', formerly 'Kenny Jones' SECTION 3.14 - Removal of Liz Lopez's quote SECTION 3.14.1 and 3.16 - Gave Fredrik Th Ónell an email address SECTION 5.1 - Update of Eric Coomer's email address 21JAN98: SECTION 3.6.1 - Addition of "Joe Hawkins" lyrics by The Oppressed 01FEB98: SECTION 3.10 - Separation of Homepages and Mailing List sections to 3.10.1 and 3.10.2 SECTION 3.10.1 - Addition of Skinhead Heaven and The Ska FAQ Homepage links SECTION 3.10.2 - Update Ska-List information SECTION 4.2.2 - Addition of B Fowler braces comment SECTION 4.8 - Update clothing stores' info 1.2: Table of Contents Part 1 1.0 Acknowledgments 1.1 Introduction 1.1.1 Updates to the FAQ 1.2 Table of Contents 1.3 What is a Skinhead? 1.4 What is a Rudie, Rude Boy, or Rude Girl? 1.5 What is a Mod? 1.6 What is a Chelsea? 1.6.1 Do skinchicks exclusively date skinheads? 1.7 What is a SHARP? 1.8 What is a Bonehead? 1.9 What is an Independent Skin? 1.10 What is White Power? 1.11 What is a Hammerskin? Part 2 2.0 Why are you a Skinhead? 2.1 How do you become a ("claim") Skinhead? 2.1.1 What is a Freshcut? 2.1.2 Why do new Skins need to get beat in? 2.2 Why don't you get a life? 2.3 Why do you hate? 2.4 Aren't all Skinheads Nazis/White Supremacists? 2.5 Why be a Nazi? 2.6 Aren't all Skinheads violent little motherfuckers just itching to fight? Part 3 3.0 Skinhead Culture 3.1 Skinhead History 3.2 Aren't Skinheads Working-Class? 3.3 Skinhead identity crisis 3.4 What is ska music? 3.5 What is Oi!? 3.5.1 OI! IT'S JUST STREET-ROCK'N'ROLL! 3.6 More on Oi! 3.6.1 Lyrics to Oi! songs about Skinheads 3.6.2 Oi! music label and mailorder addresses 3.7 Skinheads Media List 3.8 Magazine and Newspaper Articles about Skinheads 3.9 What about 'zines? 3.10 Are there any Skinhead homepages or other Internet resources? 3.10.1 Homepages 3.10.2 Mailing Lists 3.11 Skinheads in the Classroom 3.12 Skinhead Jokes 3.13 Skinhead Short Stories 3.14 What is the best dark beer? 3.14.1 Guinness Extra Stout 3.14.2 Murphy's Irish Stout 3.15 Do Skinheads use drugs? 3.16 Skinhead Scenes? 3.17 DONT WANNA BE A VICTIM: SKINHEADS (PART ONE) Part 4 4.0 Skinhead Fashion 4.1 What colour are your Docs? 4.1.1 Anybody know where I can find DM oxbloods in either 3 or 4i? 4.2 Boots and Braces don't make a Racist 4.2.1 Boot Laces 4.2.2 Braces 4.3 The Late Great Burgundy Flight 4.4 Patches 4.4.1 The Spirit of 69 4.4.2 Crucified Skin 4.5 FREDS! 4.6 What the freak is a "wifebeater"? 4.7 What is a Donkey Jacket? 4.8 Where can I get ??? 4.8.1 Anybody have a source for Sta-Prest trouser or Dickies? Part 5 5.0 About the Newsgroups 5.1 alt.skinheads 5.2 alt.skinheads.moderated 5.3 alt.skinheads.arent.neo.nazis 5.4 alt.music.ska Part 6 6.0 Requiem for the Dead 6.1 Stephen "Donny The Punk" Donaldson ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.3: What is a Skinhead? Following on the heels of their older brothers and sisters, the Mods (See: What is a Mod?), in the 1960's British working class youths adopted a shorter hair style and a more serious attitude towards life and play. The Skinheads tended towards physical labour and veered away from the overly flamboyant Mod style of dress as spoken of in the Kinks' song "Dedicated Follower of Fashion". The shaved head and steel toed boots has been said to have originated amongst dock workers who required the safety of the steel toes and who shaved their heads as a precaution against head lice. It is the Skinheads predeliction towards manual labour rather than more intellectual pursuits which has lead to the characterization of Skinheads as being "unintelligent", "Cro-Magnons", "cannon-fodder for the military" and other more or less polite references. This stereotype is just as abhorent as any other stereotype that 'rights' activists campaign against and it is a perfect example of the hypocrisy of these same activists that they are the ones who perpetuate it the most. (See: Skinheads in the Classroom) After a hard days work the original Skinheads tended to dress in their most respectable clothing and congregate at the mostly Jamaican run dancehalls where they mingled with the West Indian community (See: What is a Rudy?), many of whose members would be their workmates from the docks, and adopted Ska as the musical sound of choice. Other staples of the Skinhead culture are a love of generous quantities of beer and soccer. (See: What is the best dark beer?) The early Skins were not necessarily a racist bunch, as shown by the melding of the two cultures and the existence of numerous West Indian Skins. With the continued immigration from Pakistan things changed and a number of Skinheads, both black and white who felt that their jobs were being threatened turned against the Pakistani community while others continued to enjoy the fine curries and other Indian/Pakistani foods. The high point of the original Skins, sometimes identified as Trojan Skins was the Summer of '69. The passage of time saw many Skins settling down, growing their hair out, and starting families with their girlfriends (See: What is a Chelsea?) The mid and late 1970's witnessed a resurgence of the Skinhead culture with a violent turn as teens adopted the Skinhead look and took their love of soccer to a fanatical point. These "Football Hooligans" were devoted to their chosen Football (Soccer to the rest of the world) teams and would engage in physical confrontations with the supporters of opposing teams. Often enough innocent bystanders ended up taking the brunt of the aggression. During this time the British Nazi Party and other minor racist organizations began recruiting their followers from the ranks of these football thugs and skinhead poseurs and thus the Boneheads came into being. (Gerrard A. Lindsay) writes: uh....skinhead is more than fashion sense and musical taste, but it definitely requires the two. aside from working class pride and self-respect the skinhead cult is still just that, a youth cult. i know plenty of guys who are proud working class joes who are not by any definition skinheads. i know tons of cool people in construction boots and baggy pants who are not skinheads. this isn't even really directed at you, i'm just seeing lots of people using the 'it's not just a fashion' or 'it's not just music' thing to excuse the fact that they are not really skinheads. if you don't dress like a skinhead and don't like at least some of the music (and that don't mean hc), yer not one. Richard Collins writes: Being a skinhead is alot in your heart. I mean the fashion is all part of it but you have to have the belief as well. Some kids can dress the part but not have the heart, sorry for that rhyme. But I have friends that have grown out there hair because of jobs or whatever, I know guys that are too old to bother with alot of the BS around the scene. They still dress in a manner condusive (sp) to the skinhead fashion. For years I just had short hair. Never bald, only as short as a number two. People didn't even know I was a skin. Skins knew, punks knew, mods and other people that are familair with the subculture knew. You don't have to show the world what you are about unless you feel that it is necessary. Hey you don't gotta claim anything unless you are in a crew. I mean if you are a proud working class kid who knows your roots and believes in yourself you are just as much a skin as the next man. It's not all about what you wear or how close you shave the scalp. If I grew out my hair again I'm no less of a skinhead. Some people look shitty bald, do the world a favor leave your crew cut if you have a funky head. I mean just look at all those bald head NBA players, half of those guys need to grow it back. Skinhead is more than a fashion statement, it's a way of life. Apparent White Supremist MARKW691 wrote: Being a SKINHEAD is not about being violent and hating everyone but about perserving a race and nation. Hate is a word commonly associated with SKINHEADs but it's not about hate. We are called hate mongers and bigoted bastards because we want to keep our bloodline clean. IN a world of impurity we struggle to purify. SKINHEAD means self-sacrifice and oppression by those who view our cause as unjust. To be called a racist is not a put down for the actual definition of a racist is person who supports and promotes their race. This means that if you have any pride in your ethnical background you are a racist. SKINHEADs do not roam the streets looking for a fight but work as lawyers doctors and prominent business men. So don't be fooled by media brainwashing we are not out looking for a fight. Although things can turn violent, we do not tolerate anyone trying to desicrate our race by race trading, homosexual marriages, and anti-white believers. People hate us because we are proud. Pride by other races is encouraged and so is race preservation by any others so long as it does not interfere with our beliefs. Now I ask you this do you deem it fair for a person to be hated because they have pride and want to keep something in this God forsaken world clean? Stephen Martin wrote: And, his historical revisioning aside, he actually seems to have a clue. To build upon what meager truths he's presented: Hate is a word commonly associated with SKINHEADs but it's not about hate. Being a SKINHEAD is not about being violent and hating everyone but about just plain living and enjoying life (Beer, Chelseas and Ska anyone?). We are called hate mongers and bigoted bastards by those who are as ignorant as they claim us to be. SKINHEADs do not roam the streets looking for a fight but work as tradesmen, shopkeepers, and even [sinking as low as] lawyers. Don't be fooled by media brainwashing. We are not out looking for a fight. Things can turn violent but we do not tolerate anyone trying to attack us and will defend ourselves. People hate us because we are proud, we have respect and honour for ourselves, and for the people who deserve it (remembering when our institutions were something to be proud of, when there was more civilization around us), and they often mistake this pride for hatred of anything that is *non-skinhead*. We really just don't care. We, as individuals, are proud to be who we are, and if someone else is proud of who they are, why should it be a problem? I ask you this, do you deem it fair for a person to be hated because they have pride in themselves and want to keep something in this God forsaken world clean? Does it make sense to you to assume that if a person is proud to be a Fireman they don't have equal respect for the Police or Ambulance Attendants, Construction Workers, etc.? Is it really any different than assuming that anyone who is proud of their sub)culture has nothing but disdain and hatred for other (sub)cultures? Think about it. Graham writes: Michael Bennett wrote: ARE THEY DIPSHITS OR WHAT. WHO TOLD THEM WHAT A SKINHEAD WAS. THEY NEED TO CHECK INTO KKK, AND NOT SKINHEADS. TRUE SKINHEADS ARE ANTI-RACIST. IT STARTED, BEFORE RACISTS CAME INTO PLAY, IN BRITAIN WITH THE FRIENDSHIP OF JAMAICAN IMMIGRANTS AND LOCAL BRITISH YOUTH. This is where are you wrong. While it is true that outright racist skinheads are not "original" skinheads in the real sense, there were are those skinheads who hold racist ideals. Whether you or anyone else doesn't like it - in terms of political opinion, there is no such thing as a set political stance that provides the "real" definition as to what a "true" skinhead is or was. Just like there are non-skinheads who are racist and anti-racist, equally there are skinheads who hold racist and anti-racist beliefs. If anything precludes someone from being a "real" skinhead it is someone who becomes skin believing that "real" skins are either specifically racist or anti-racist (bonhead or sharp). Most skins I know- and it works in both directions- can respect, although they may not agree with a skinhead who is a bonehead or a skinhead who is sharp. Someone who is skin first, politics second (whether it be left or right) most skins can accept. There is an important distinction between a skinhead who is a bonehead and a bonhead skinhead in the same way there is a distinction between a skin who is sharp and a sharp skinhead. The defining factor is which comes first - skinhead or politics? If someone allows their politics (left or right) to be the defining factor as to whether they are a skinhead, then that person is a wannabe - using skin image and culture for their own purely personal ends. Either they are using the way society labels skins either to reinforce the sterotype that a skin is only a skin to be racist (putting aside working class skin history, culture and loyalty in the process) or (in the case of most modern sharps) because they think it is really a bit of a laugh to go around challenging the sterotype image (again skin history, culture and loyalty being put aside). It is true that some of the first skins were from Jamaca and they were involved in crews with white English skins. Equally, however, some of the first skins were involved in what was loosely called the "APL" (Anti-Paki League) and it cannot be denied that both some West Indian and English skins were involved in - to use the term of the time - "Paki bashing". These combined crews of English and Jamacans objected to what they saw as the influx of alien cultures and beliefs to the UK which was damaging their job prospects and (for want of a better word) personal values. The organised racism where racists hijacked the skinhead image came about during the late 60s and into the 70s and still exists. Equally with sharp it came about during the 80s. It's ideals were honest and whether or not most skins accepted what it stood for it was respected. However, in the 1990s it seems to have been hijacked. It now seems more about a society for trendy stereotype challenging more than anything else. THEY FOLLOWED THEIR FAVORITE FOOTBALL TEAMS, AND FOUGHT OPPOSING TEAMS. IT MADE NO DIFFERENCE OF COLOR, AND IT WAS ABOUT UNITY!!!! In the early days most crews consisted of a cross-range of political / cultural / nationalistic beliefs that included both racist and anti-racist views. However, most were skinheads first and political second and hence respected each other. I remember this being the case even during the mid / late 80s. I can't say that it is so obvious today. Primarily, I think this comes down to the right wing becoming more extreme and the left wing becoming more silly. It is true what you say that with the first skins, colour was not the defining factor as to whether someone would or would not be accepted. The fact that Afro-Caribbean skins existed alongside and together with white English skins proves that point. However, equally, it is true that racism was there from the outset against certain foreign nationals and cultures, as in the APL example above. With the original skins the racial issue was not a case of all (as bonehead skins would have you believe) or a case of nothing at all (as sharp skins would have you believe). In reality it was there but aimed at specific groups, not non-white English/British nationals per se. 1.4: What is a Rudy, Rude Boy, or Rude Girl? Rudy is synonymous with Rude Boy and Rude Girl. Of course the only difference is in the sex. Melody Maker described a Rude Boy as a "sort of cool super-hooligan," where 'rude' in Jamaican usage means wild, violent, or reckless. Rude Boys were a product of the mean streets of Shanty Town, as described in Desmond Dekker's "007 (Shanty Town)" (1967), "Rude Boy Train" (1968), and a host of other Dekker releases. Shanty Town refers to Dekker's home, the overcrowded slums of West Kingston, Jamaica. The area was plagued with unemployment, tension, and violence. An Associated Press story noted that it contained "ramshackle dwellings, the majority of them made of cardboard, plywood, corrugated metal or some other discarded material." Dekker: "Them a loot/Them a shoot/Them a wail/At Shanty Town/When rude boy deh 'pon probation/Then rude boy a bomb up the town." Harry Young of Lightning Strikes (The Lou Christie Newsletter) states: Due to very repressive police policies, only a few "rudies" actually went around looting and shooting. But every teenage male in Trench Town adopted the rude attitude and dress, especially a jaunty cap. In the popular culture, "Rudy" became an outlaw hero figure, like Jesse James, Billy The Kid, or even James Bond. During the '50s and '60s many Jamaicans and other West Indies immigrated to the UK. In addition to the Mod (see: What is a Mod?) influence, Skinheads adopted the Rude Boy music (see: What is ska music?), tough street -level attitude and various aspects of their fashion. These days Rude Boys can be typically identified wearing a dark suit, thin black tie, and pork-pie hat. Rude Girls appear to have more freedom in their fashion. Brian Poust describes the Rude Girl look: The norm seems to be either the Fred Perry, short skirt (dark color or plaid is common), ankle socks and loafers look (fishnets and 3 button jackets optional) a la the usual skinhead girl out on the town look, or the A line dress, usually two tone in color it seems with nice low heel shoes. Hair seems to range from the chelsea (which I'm seeing a lot more grown out these days) to a bob, sasoon style, or for longer hair, a flip (which works well with the A line dress). If you can find a Mondrian patterned dress, you'll win the heart of every guy in the room! These are pretty much the recognizable looks, but be creative! Don't fall for the checkerboard myth. It's not as cool as everyone thinks. There are more colors in the spectrum than black and white and if I never see a short plaid skirt again in my life, I'll die a happy man. Pleats are right out, and don't underestimate a well fitting double breasted car coat for the colder weather coming up. Flights are functional, but the skinhead crowd more than supplies an ample number of those at shows. Parkas are warm, but most girls I've seen wearing them end up looking like they've raided dad's closet. Experiment, find something that looks smart that everyone else isn't necessarily wearing. If you've got the flip thing going on, try a scarf a la "That Girl" Marlo Thomas every once in a while, it works! 1.5: What is a Mod? Harry Lowes writes: For the record, MODS were *Modernists*. MOD CONS means *Modern Convieniences*. As in "The flat had all *MOD CONS*." Brian Poust writes: Mod is a direct outgrowth of Post War Britain, when all of a sudden teenagers had disposable income and a desire for an identity beyond schoolboy or working man. This strive for identity led to using their income to look better, act smarter and have more fun than their elders, and to make it known that they were a force to be reckoned with, and that they had a voice and influence, especially in the marketplace. James F. Dugan writes: Mods or modernists were working class youth cult in England in the 60's. They were very fashion concious and a product essentially of the space age bigger better faster culture of the 60's, hence the name. They also were fans of R&B and Soul (as well as some ska). Their counterparts, the Teds or teddy boys or rockers were an older youth cult that by the time the mods came around were essentillly American style greasers. I wouldn't go so far as to call Psychobilly fans teddy boys, for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that losts of Psychobilly folks are ex-skins. Watch Quadrophenia. Chris writes: There is one problem here. They were on the cutting edge, but frankly, they aren't anymore. That was the only reason to be. Skins on the other hand, have the common working-class bonds and beliefs. That's why we are still legitimate. Mods on the other hand, don't have this reason for existing. They are just living the life that was, not is. These days, a mod would be a fuckin raver (which kind of explains the state of ska today, but that's another matter.) The mods that were the forefathers of skins deserve the respect, but not the ones of today. Brian Poust replies: Your tired little arguments really are ridiculous. Your implication that skinheads are on the cutting edge and that mods don't have a working class ethic it beyond bullshit. I think it shows a lot more self respect to have a good work ethic and still care about being clean cut and well dressed than it does to look like some downtrodden aggro loving half-wit. Working class is not about poverty, my friend. Working class is about making a respectable living and pulling your own weight, no matter what your job is. There are a lot of skinheads who also realize this fact as well, you just seem to have missed the boat. You can be a skinhead and still not talk and look a complete mess. I daresay you'd be terribly laughed at by original skinheads. You obviously don't have a clue about mods, you only know that you think skinheads are better. If you gave any thought to what you believe before you wrote, whatsoever, you might realize that the only reason to be a mod is NOT to be on the cutting edge, ravers are not mods, ravers aren't on the cutting edge, and I am certainly not illegitimate, thank you very much. This is getting far too silly as it seems that a lot of skinheads can't get their heads out of their asses to see that they aren't going to take over the world, they aren't going to start some new Worker's Revolution, and they're often just too damn closed minded for their own good. 1.6: What is a Chelsea? Chelsea originally refered to the girlfriend of a Skinhead but has since come to refer to females as Skinheads in their own right. Whether the term stems from the name of the fringe, short on top and longer around the sides, they adopted, or whether he hair style was named after the girls remains a mystery to me. Jennifer J. Jewkes says: I have a feather cut now...and it needs a trim. I live in Chicago...so a chelsea is out of the question for now... I'm getting tempted to shave it again...only when it get warmer..prolly in a few months..the way Chicago's weather goes. I agree... Chelsea's are stunning...but feather cuts have a bit more class..especially when you are older and have to worry about finding a job. Gerrard A. Lindsay weighs in stating that: someone remarked that not many original skinhead girls had short hair. maybe i'm wrong, but most pictures i've seen did feature skingirls with short to cropped hair. maybe not extreme fringe, but i haven't seen any pictures of skingirls with long hair from before the seventies... even the skinhead bible mentions skingirls going to male barbers for haircuts... Jenn replies: I didn't say that they didn't have *short* hair, but that they rarely *shaved* their heads. I've seen plenty o' pics of skinhead girls from the '60s with bobs 'n stuff, or just really short hair, but a girl with a shaved head 30 years ago would have been a true rarity, from what I've seen. > even the skinhead bible mentions skingirls going to male barbers for haircuts.... Again, mine is obviously not the word of God, but there's a difference between short hair and a shaved head on a female, and a woman in the '60s with a shaved head would've had a hell of a time in public (outrageous hairstyles not being *nearly* as common in those days--unless you count beehives as outrageous). Besides which, a great many "skingirls" in the beginning (unfortunate though this may be) were pretty much just girlfriends of skinheads, and not quite as apt to shave their heads." jadec@uno.edu wrote: noone answered my other hair question, what is a chelsea? is it a fringe of a different name, or what? Schroedinger Cat writes: I think Jenn answered this one effectively, but I'll recap... in relation to skinheads, it is both a skinhead girl and a skinhead girl haircut (a ffringe, basically, though I usually hear fringes referred to as just the bits on the front, chelseas go all the way around). dave gets the final comment: uhh not sure what's worse? environment with like no skingirls or an environment full of skingirls just too old for you? life sucks below the drinking age ;)" 1.6.1: J.A. Dare writes: "Question for you skinchicks: Do you just exclusively date skinheads?" From: Jenn Well, at the moment I'm exclusively dating *a* skinhead... But generally, I probably *couldn't* only go for skins simply because I'd be very lonely--there are very few skinheads where I live and even fewer single ones (my boyfriend included, now...). If I could, though, I probably would, if only because I find skinhead guys particularly attractive--more so than others, usually. If I met a guy I really hit it off with who wasn't a skin, though, I'd probably give it a chance. In the end, though? Yeah, skinheads are always first on my list. :-)" 1.7: What is a SHARP? Todd Ferguson writes: In the late 1980's a group of skinheads got together in NYC to form the first chapter of Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice. SHARP had three main objectives: to educate the public about true skinhead culture, to expose the bonehead imposters for what they really are and to drive the boneheads out of their communities by any means necessary. The New York chapter was quickly successful and soon chapters sprang up elsewhere as news spread. Today SHARP is the most predominant anti-racist skin group around and you can find SHARP chapters all over the world, as well as other anti-racist skinhead groups like SCAR, SPAR and RASH. Sir Lawrence of Skarabia writes: Here in Hawaii the are the HARPS H.awaiianskins A.gainst R.acialP.redjudice. There are japanese and chinese skins here as well. 1.8: What is a Bonehead? Bonehead is a derogatory term used by Traditional and other Skins to denote any Skinhead who holds to racist or White Power beliefs, as well as those Neo-Nazis who have adopted the skinhead "look" in an attempt to hijack the movement. 1.9: What is an Independent Skin? Kali Holloway writes: "Independent" is usually used interchangeably with "traditional". Stephen "Donny" Donaldson writes: "I thought 'independent' meant 'not in a crew'. I certainly hear it in that sense in NYC." 1.10: What is White Power? White Power is an empowering philosophy of White racial nationalism and ethnicity. It refers to a diverse range of philosophies from leftist White racism to National Socialism. Perhaps the simplest imperative about what White Power stands for exists in the "14 words" coined by former Bruder Schweigen member, David Lane: "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for White children." [WPF] In the eyes of non-racists, White Power is the modern embodiment of the evils of the Fascist Nazi Party and its belief in the superiority of the "White" or "Aryan" race over the Jews, Blacks and others whom White Power advocates choose to blame for the woes of modern society. 1.11: What is a Hammerskin? In Pink Floyd's _The Wall_ movie, there is a video segment sung to the tune "Up against the Wall," where Pink takes on the visage of a powerful leader. During this sequence, hundreds of skinheads march through the street and chase the "Pakis" (Pakistanis) out of England. Although the movie is largely opposed to that viewpoint, young skinheads were emboldened by the image of strength and came to call themselves Hammerskins. As these groups spread throughout the U.S. and Canada, they took on regional prefixes like: Western Hammerskins, Northern Hammerskins, Confederate Hammerskins and other such names. [WPF] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2.0: Why are you a Skinhead? Stephen J. Alexander (stephen@coos.dartmouth.edu) writes: > revolt@execpc.com writes: >Assuming thier aren't any first generation skinheads on this NG, I'd >like to know why some of you became skinheads. > >-Was it the image? To some extent, yes. It is a wondrous thing to inspire respect (and sometimes fear, depending on where you are) just because you look a little odd and you stand up straight and proud. >-The beliefs? Yes, provided you're not talking about white pride. My take on the reason anyone ought to be a skinhead is a matter of attitude. Basically it's losing the juvenile sophomoric bullshit that most of the world partakes in daily, and getting serious about your life. Of course that means getting serious about having fun too... I guess that's why I have such discriminating taste in beer, heh. Anyway, before I claimed skin I was something of a rebel without a cause. In high school, I was always looking for some way of life to relate to because all the crap I had seen previous to that had got me nowhere... one religion or system of beleifs seemed as empty and stupid as another. I knew what shitheads most of the world is comprised of and I wanted to separate myself from it, but I didn't know how. I don't think I could have at the time either, I was pretty clueless in high school. Be that as it may, I guess it follows that when I met some skins and realized what they were about, I came to know what I was meant to be. >-An apreciation for the dress, which is one of the strangest things > about the whole lifestyle, especially in the U.S. Yes. Boots and braces are rad as hell... I've thought so since I first saw them, at that. I wouldn't say the style of dress is so much strange, as distinctive. My mother thinks it's anachronistic, which makes sense when you consider when the whole skinhead thing started. She also mentioned to me how her father wore thin braces to work when she was a child in the forties and fifties (in the states) so the style really isn't that far from home. There are a few other features of the 'look' which the observer will notice as well, which also suit me just fine. revolt@execpc.com writes: -Was it the image? Stephen J. Alexander (stephen@coos.dartmouth.edu) replies: To some extent, yes. It is a wondrous thing to inspire respect (and sometimes fear, depending on where you are) just because you look a little odd and you stand up straight and proud. Jenn comments: Speak for yourself, kiddo! I don't look even the least *bit* odd... [friendly grin] Mike (UK) writes: It was the image, look, lifestyle. A hard look that suits me and I find appealing in others. Hardness tempered with a brain. I'll talk myself out of a fight almost every time but I'll stand my ground when I have to. Respect for myself and other skins. The clothes which look fucking brilliant. A feeling of belonging to something that *I* believe is worthwhile. Life can be impersonal enough even in the UK (Heaven alone knows what it's like in the US) and the recognition between skins is relief from this. The music (Ska) though I also like Techno and am a good dancer! I also feel it's important to correct the idea that all skins are boneheads as we're not. I'm not a kid anymore but at 35 much of the angst and relative insecurity of youth has gone to be replaced with even stronger conviction. I remember the skins in '69 and the 2nd wave and hope the movement never dies. A right wing "robotic army" plays no part in all this. (I think those latter are very close even to George Marshalls words). DREWSKIN has the final say: I am a skinhead because the pride i feel for my country goes more than skin-deep. I believe skinheads are the people most dedicated to their beliefs in this world today... whether it means being a white power skinhead(bonehead) a traditional skinhead,a SHARP skinhead, etc. etc.... or just a normal guy like me who`s into good music, pride for my country, beer, fine skinhead girls and likes dressing sharp and dancing to good music... 2.1: How do you become a ("Claim") Skinhead? freddfish@smart.net (Frederick N. Crouse) inquires: Anyway, this fellow referred several times, in the course of the story, to how he became a skinhead. In fact, he never referred to the process as "becoming"; instead, he said that he "claimed skin".... Jenn replies: The phrase "to claim skinhead" is a commonly used one, but the word "claim" is *not* necessarily used in the sense you see it. Basically, there is most definitely a genesis involved, but rather than most skinheads seeing their becoming such as being a gradual process--during which *entire* period they would call themselves skinheads--the best skinheads are those who have taken the time to research and immerse themselves in the subculture, and learn as much about it as they possibly can...*before* they "claim skinhead". In other words, there is that period of genesis and learning, but it is not until *after* they feel that they have enough of a grounding in the history of the subculture, and enough to offer to it, that a person will finally "claim skinhead", or start identifying him/herself as an actual *part* of the subculture. Stephen Martin wrote: Unlike political parties, or specific job categories, social groups such as Skinheads, Hippies, etc., have no formal entrance requirements, yadda, yadda, yadda. I think you'll find with many people that it is simply a matter of them becoming aware of the fact that they have been, already *are*, and always will be a Skinhead, and then taking that finally step of identifying with "their people". 2.1.1: What is a Freshcut? A Freshcut is someone new to the Skinhead subculture. "When are you no longer a Freshcut?" That's purely subjective, depends on who you ask. rooster@oi.skin wrote: Being a freshcut is not a bad thing. It is just typical that the new person gets picked on. Just hold your head high for a while and return the abuse to the next freshcut that comes along. Michael Rosencrantz (rosie@interport.net) writes: It is the duty of the younger skins to irritate the older ones. When I was younger I'm sure I bugged the hell out of the older guys. Now that I'm a decrepid old man, I sometimes get a little huffy when 3000 teenagers ask me to buy them beer. 2.1.2: Why do new Skins need to get beat in? mybrkeeper@aol.com (MyBrKeeper) wrote: I've got a question about new skins in general. Why do they get "beat in"?? Is that just a local thing or do you have to be beat up by older skins to be a skin. Graham writes: See whether you can stand the pace of things. You certainly don't have to be beat up by older skins to be a skin. However, when you get to know a group of skins for the first time, if you stand your ground then you end up with far more credibility than you would otherwise have. 2.2: Why don't you get a life? Skinheads, regardless of their political, sexual, or religious persuasion, or lack thereof, do have lives which, while they may differ from your own principles and ideals, are no less valid then those of any other member of society at large. While you may not agree with their lifestyle, keep in mind that there's bound to be someone who doesn't approve of yours either. 2.3: Why do you hate? While the popular media enjoys its love/hate relationship with Skinheads, almost consistently portraying them as sub-literate, unemployed racists with a fondness for hiring themselves out as bodyguards/storm troopers for the Neo-Nazis, this is a gross distortion of the truth. Anyone who truly understands the origins of the Skinhead subculture (see: What is a Skinhead?) sees right through that stereotype but, unfortunately, there are those who cannot distinguish between a Skinhead and a Bonehead (see: What is a Bonehead?). In all fairness to the Boneheads, in his White Power FAQ, Arthur LeBouthillier answers this question saying: White Power advocates love their race. Because of that, they are strongly opposed to any attempts to harm it by means of loss of territory, loss of economic or political self-determination, disenfranchisement or race mixing. In order to preserve their race and its interests, they are often willing to engage in hostile acts against perceived threats to it. Well, that's enough of that for now. 2.4: Aren't all Skinheads Nazis/White Supremacists? No. The term Nazi comes from the name given to Adolph Hitler's National-Socialist German Workers Party, a *form* of Fascism, and thus has had no validity since 1945. The proper term for resurgent Nazis is Neo-Nazis. Supremacy refers to an alleged right to rule over other races. As with Neo-Nazism, although some Boneheads are White Supremacists many are not. Stephen Martin writes: While skinheads, racists, and Neo-Nazis are not mutually exclusive, they are not necessarily inclusive and it is just as wrong to tar skinheads with the taint of neo-Naziism or racism as it is to paint any ethnic group as a pack of criminals or what have you. Please, do try to keep in mind that the original skinheads grew out of the melding of British working class youth, both white and black, with the music and fashions of the immigrant Jamaican community. While such racialist organizations as the BNP (British Nazi Party), and others have had some success recruiting members who affect the style of dress associated with the skinhead subculture, you will find that these aberrations are minor compared with the number of Traditional skinheads, S.H.A.R.P.s, Gay/Lesbian skinheads, those skinheads of African, Spanish, French, etc. descent, in addition to those skinheads (none of the aforementioned categories being mutually exclusive) running the gamut of political persuasions from Anarchists to Apolitical to Communist to Conservative to Libertarian, etc. and/or religious faiths including Buddhists, Christians, Jews, etc. Just witness this following posting retrieved from Deja News: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Re: Older man wants to be a skinhead - advice? From: James F. Dugan Date: 1996/01/13 newsgroups: alt.skinheads Dr. Stanley Korobka writes: >Hi there, people. My name is Dr. Stanley Korobka and I am interested in >becoming a skinhead. Although I am an older man (62) I must admit that >I am very attracted to skinhead culture, especially the spirited music and >rebellious fashions. I was always a good boy, did what my Daddy told >me to, went to medical school, invested wisely and such. I suppose this >is a midlife crisis long overdue. But there you have it. By the way, I >am not a racist, I am actually Jewish. Can I still be a skinhead? Could >anyone give me pointers on where to shop? > >Stan > >Dr. Stanley H. Korobka, aspiring skinhead Well doc, I don't mind saying that this is without a doubt the strangest thing I have ever seen on this newsgroup. Rest assured you don't need to be a racist to be a skinhead, many of the skins here are non-racist and several are also Jewish. However the fact that you don't know this makes me wonder what exactly it is about being a skin that you find attractive. Skinhead is predominantly a working class youth movement, and as you are neither working class nor a youth, it would be a bit of a stretch. This isn't to say you couldn't be a skin, but I think you may be the first 62 year old doctor to ever express interest. Jim Dugan ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.5: Why be a Nazi? BRicha6796 wrote: I've always wondered why people become nazi skins as opposed to real skins. It seems to be fascists are way more greedy than "the evil jew" I mean Resistance cd's are REALLY expensive. And if you ever read a copy of Resistance most of the shit they preach i obviously untrue. I mean wouldn't it just be better to be non-political? Not necessarily SHARP but just be a skin as opposed to being part of all the bullshit. Look at most nazi bands today. They sound like cock-rock. Is this really skinhead music? I don't think so. I heard the america first committee does not want to work with nazi's in "The Aryan Quest" cuz their are too many gays. I just wanna know what makes hanging out with bikers, gays, longhairs, and white trash look attractive as opposed to hanging out with decent clean working class people. Ivon Kalalang replies: I really don't understand either. Maybe, it's the disposition people take in life that resulted from a bad experience, or the in bred desire to harm someone and you're just looking for an excuse. This is how I picture it. The early skins were cockney fuckers. Racism was never their main theology, and racist tendecies were what they were, tendencies. Someone could be, someone couldn't be. So in comes along NF and BNP takes the disenfranchised youth and churns out white power kids. So years later, the media exploits this. People have gotten so used to seeing skinheads as being racist on TV, that it actually has an odd influence on some people who just want to be a skinhead becuase they are racist, and to them being racist from what they see on TV is what being a skinhead is all about. Music is another topic in itself. WP stuff is expensive, but considering a lot of it was put on R-O-R, and R-O-R stuff is pretty damn rare. That's why I'd buy a WP album. I mean, look at some of the bands from the US before 1990, Allegiance, Arresting Officers, Forced Reality, and etc. They were actually okay to listen to. I mean Arresting Officers has some catchy songs like 'Stop Red Action' and 'United Skins'. Anyways, the point is, it's really too easy falling into the media's view of nazi skinheads. Just look at that one stupid HBO special 'Skinheads USA'. 2.6: Aren't all Skinheads violent little motherfuckers just itching to fight? Richard Collins wrote: Well assuming that the lot of us are college students or something to that nature, it is safe to say a good number of the regulars out there are of the more intellectual variety, despite their personal beliefs. This brings we to a question about fighting. I'm not saying you can not be smart and also tough at the same time, but people of intelligence have been known to use their minds to avoid fighting. Then again, we all at times get the overwhelming urge to beat the pulp out of some stupid piece of human fieces. So are any of you girls or boys aggro skins? Do you have some friends that can not go out without ... A) Starting a fight B) Suggesting you (as a group) start a fight C) Looking for any excuse to jump into a fight Last night at Desmond Dekker this little skin girl told a bunch of us boys that some guy hit her. So a boot party nearly insued. I was just watching being the hippie scum that I am. No, but seriuosly I don't get off on being the sixth guy to boot some one's head in. Fighting to me is not a nessicary part of being a skinhead. I recognize fighting as a part of life we all must face but it doesn't need to be a part of every night on the town. Graham replies: I was when I was younger. I soon realised however that I was going to end up in a lot of shit. What's the point? If you have to stand your ground then I believe stand it. I don't believe in going out looking for fights though. I realised that if I was going to (to use an old naff but appropriate phrase) live by the sword, then I was going to die by the sword. Eventually you end up getting into a fight with someone who is much stronger and you get the shit kicked out of ya. These 3. [A, B, and C] I can think of a couple of skins I know that are like it. The problem is that there are those who like to start a fight on purpose but then leave everyone else to finish it. I suppose I used to see it as the easy way to solve everything. CRM94001@UConnVM.UConn.Edu (Chris) replied: Depends on whether the guy deserves it or not. In the case that you just described, yes, I would. But if some guy just starts talking shit and calling me names, that's no reason. I've been called worse. Sometimes you just get in the mood where you're just waiting for a fight. About a week ago, I was going to hit this crusty that was shooting his mouth off too much, but my friends held me back. They later changed their mind when we found out the next day that the same scumbag had hit this female friend of ours. All in all, it depends on the situation. Janis Collins writes: I'd sure like to find the real reason behind this group. If you're so non racist and nonviolent, what's up with all the fighting? Generalizations have their beginnings in truth even if they tend to get distorted later. 9 time outta 10 if you see red docs with white laces on a skinhead with the famous red suspenders you're looking at trouble. If they're enmasse, you're really looking at a massacre fluffy@nyc.pipeline.com (James F. Dugan) replies: What the hell are you talking about? 9 times outa 10 I see oxbloods with white laces, i'm saying "Hi, how are you" to their owner. As for red suspenders, they're really not that popular. Futhermore, 9 times outa 10 when a skin beats someones ass, they deserved it, and 5 times out 10 the other idiot started it and wants to whine about it later. Even accepting all of the things you say as gospel, there is separate and perfectly good reason for your experiences: you and your friends are assholes. Janis Collins (dallas25@voicenet.com) writes: Because they're already proving themselves defective so why not expect more negative behaviour?? Are you trying to say that you're just as likely to get a violent response out of a Joe Citizen/well-to-do officeworker as you are a skinhead? And of course Janis is right. Witness this exchange: Chris UCB (chrisucb@aol.com) wrote: I am looking for fellow skins in the S.F. area particularly the east bay. I am tired of always being bored at home please e-mail me or post to this newsgroup. Richard Collins (richie@netcom.com) writes: Who are you man? Where do you live? Note the way Richie immediately starts pumping poor Chris for his address, obviously so he can go over and beat him up. Let's read on... The scene out here is huge. I live in the east bay in the suburbs but still the city is only minutes away. Are we talkng east back like Livermore? Concord? Obviously a well veiled threat there, and see how he's still searching for his address? Even the farthest reachs are accessable to SF. Yep, Skinhead Fascists. They're the worst and it's obvious that Richie is a member of their crew... (I guess that's enough sarcasm) Joellen Welch (jowelch@lynx.dac.neu.edu) gets the last word with: 'Janis Collins ' wrote: I'd sure like to find the real reason behind this group. Janis- The real reason for this group is so SKINHEADS can "get together," in a virtual sense, and talk about stuff, and meet, complain, rant, etc. Michelle- Don't take that personally. What I mean is anyone should be able to post, as long as they know what they're talking about, which you have proven since before I've even been here. If you're so non racist and nonviolent, what's up with all the fighting? Janis- I'm violent, I have a violent attitude, but try to remember that while some of us may not have hair, most of us have proven our high intellectual capacity, and many of us are proven geniuses. From that, you can infer that we do also have brains. We think before doing something stupid, like running out and beating someone up over bullshit. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3.0: Skinhead Culture Many argue what this whole thing is about. My take on it is stop arguing and start enjoying life! The following song sums it up well: "It's the movement that keeps our spirit strong, It's the pride we have that keeps us moving along, It's the music, that beat so proud and true, It's the way we live, it's good times, through and through The Times Smilin' faces, Cheers! to everyone, There's no time to waste, no hesitation, Let's start having fun! We hear their politics, Their fucked up views and expectations We get so sick and tired of bullshit lies and accusations The Times... We stand side by side, Marching to the end Brotherhood is in our blood Strenth within our friends! Oi!..." -"The Times" by The Skoidats 3.1: Skinhead History courtesy of the Lashout Website (http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~lashout/skns.html) Skinhead origins begin in Britain in the mid to late 1960's. Out of a youth cult known as the "Mods," the rougher kids began cutting their hair close, both to aid their fashion and prevent their hair from hindering them in street fights. These working class kids adopted the name "Skinheads" to separate themselves from the more dainty and less violent Mods. Huge groups of these explosive youths would meet every Saturday at the football grounds to support their local teams. The die hard support for a group's team often lead to skirmishes between opposing supporters, leading to Britain's legendary "football violence." When night swept the island, the skinheads would dress in the finest clothes they could afford, and hit the dance halls. It was here they danced to a new sound that was carried to Britain by Jamaican immigrants. This music went by many names including: the ska, jamacian blues, blue beat, rocksteady, and reggae. At these gatherings the skinheads would dance, drink, and laugh with each other and the Jamaican immigrants whom brought the music to Britian. During the 1970's, there were many changes in the "typical" skinhead. For some fashion went from looking smooth in the best clothes you could afford with a blue-collar job, to looking like you were at home, even when you were out. For others the disco craze of the seventies hit hard, resulting in feathered hair, frilly pants, and those ugly seventies shoes. By the late 70's the National Front, Britain's National Socialist party, had invaded the skinhead movement. Kids were recruited as street soldiers for NF. Since skinheads were already a violent breed, the NF decided that if their young recruits adopted the skinhead appearance, the might benefit from the reputation. It was at this point that racism permeated the skinhead cult without the consent of its members. Also by the mid 70's punk had put the rebellion back in rock-and-roll, opening a new avenue for street kids to express their frustrations. The shifting mindset brought kids into the skinhead movement as yet another form of expression. By the late 70's punk had been invaded by the colleges, and record labels, letting down kids who truly believed in its rebellion. From the streets came a new kind of punk rock, a type which was meant to be true to the working class and the kids on the street. This new music was called "Oi!" by Gary Bushell, and the name stuck. Oi! revived the breath of the working class kids. Because of Oi! music's working class roots, the media scorned its messages unlike they had done with the first wave of punk. With the change in music came a new kinds of skinheads, and the gaps between the different types widened. Aside from the National Front's skinheads, the movement had been simply a working class struggle, rather than a right-left political struggle. With skinheads forming their own bands, political lines began to be drawn on the basis of right-left and even non-political politics. Politically right groups were often associated with the National Front and had distinct racial messages. Leftist groups looked at the working class struggle through labor politics. Non-political groups often shunned both sides simply because they chose to be political. The Oi! movement consumed most of the 1980's and is still alive today. Skinheads have spread to every part of the globe. Each country supports an independent history of skinhead goals, values, and appearances. The definition of "skinhead" varies from country to country, which doesn't say too much since it also varies from city to city. Starting in the late 80's, through present day, there has been a large resurgence back to the "traditional" values and appearance of the 1960's skinhead. This has occurred in Britain, America, as well as most of Europe. This has lead to even more tension, this time between "traditional," and "non-traditional" skins. 3.2: Aren't Skinheads Working-Class? TBD 3.3: Skinhead identity crisis Joellen wrote: I hate to generalize, but a lot of people who aren't skins who are my friends tend to generalize as well. I made friends with this girl in one of my classes last year, and she found out I was a skin, and then it was like the whole skinhead thing was more important to talk about with me than anything else we used to talk about. She'd say things like "I told my boyfriend last night that I was friends with a skinhead and he almost DIED. Can you beleive it? So I thought maybe you could talk to him so he knows what you're about and he doesn't have to worry about me hanging out with you and all." I was polishing my boots and my roommate and her friend were over, and the friend asked me why I was polishing my boots. I was polishing them because they looked like they'd been through a war. My roommate piped in with, "Well, she's a skinhead, and skinheads have to have really shiny boots." It seems that everything anyone else does normally, we only do because we're skinheads. "Why is that girl over there eating a hamburger, Tiffany?" "Well, you see, Todd, my darling, she's a skinhead." God forbid the professors find out you are, you have to write papers about it when everyone else can choos the assignment. "Well, I thought I might suggest that *you* write *your* paper on skinheads. Maybe you could write about the night your whole dorm tried breaking your door down when they found out and how you had to keep yourself locked inside with a parking meter in hand in case they got in you were going to hurl it at the first one's head as a warning to the others." "Or maybe you could tell us all about the history behind the culture," when everyone else is writing about their familial historical backgrounds. John M. Stafford replied: A decade of experience has taught me that when someone who is not a skinhead mentions the word "skinhead" to me, my reaction is to just smile at them. You don't agree, you don't deny. If you deny then you are obviously living a lie. But if you agree then the damn "skinhead" thing becomes more important than your own skills and personality. I have no need to discuss skinheads with non-skinheads, and I am not so insecure about it that I need to shove it down everyone's throats. Horse wrote: Skinheads aren't just static characters. We are dynamic (for those english majors out there) we have varied interests, we can't be holed into the stereotypical corner like the media and other idiots would like us to be. And its this dynamic character that separates us from the wankers that try to horn in on the subculture. They try so hard to fit the stereotype that they stick out like sore thumb. And even further more thats why this subculture hasn't gone the way of grunge, or the raver, or any other fad thats was there today then gone the next. The constrictiveness of each little fad wears off and loses its fun after a couple months. Its the individuality thats keeps it strong, with the respect and tradition at its base. 3.4: What is Ska music? Ska is dance music, first and foremost. Ska was a Jamaican dance music that swept out of Jamaica in the early 1960s to shake the butts of working- and middle-class Jamaicans before going on, via the West Indian immigrant connection, to the U.K., and then on to the world. In the U.K., ska was also known as `blue beat' music. Rocksteady, and later, reggae sprang from the loins of ska in the late 1960s. Mid-1970s and 1980s/1990s revivals of this popular dance form have kept this music alive and fun through the present. The ska beat on drums and bass, rhythm guitar, lots of horns and maybe a Hammond organ --- that's the ska sound. [AMS] Ska came to England with immigrants in the early 1960s. Known in the U.K. briefly as ``Jamaican Blues,'' ska inspired the formation of the Blue Beat record company, providing yet another name for the ska sound: `blue beat.' Ska gained popularity in the U.K. with the `Mod' scene, leading to the residual association of small-brimmed trilby (hats) and scooters with ska music. [HSBR] (For scooter talk, check out the alt.scooter Usenet group.) [AMS] For more information on ska and it's relation to the skinhead subculture, checkout The Ska FAQ Home Page at http://www.twillis.com/ska/faq/ 3.5: What is Oi!? 1. "Hey!" (from cockney slang, a shortening of the greek 'oi polloi' or common people.) 2. Oi! is the label which Gary Bushell (a British journalist) gave to the late seventies/early eighties streetpunk bands who refused to be a part of the plastic punk (call it the ancestor of MTV punk) that was big at the time. Nowadays Oi! is thought of as a melodic, old school type of punk but it was originally more of a movement than a sound. The grandfathers of Oi! are Sham 69. They were one of the first bands to take punk to a level higher than just shock value. They used their music as a working class protest. The classic Oi! band is the Cockney Rejects (who were the first band to use the chant oi! in their music). Their 'ruck n roll' attitude (we ruck n you roll) pretty much sums up the oi! stance, non-political, working class, proud music. A lot of bigger punk bands were also originally identified with the oi! movement (i.e. the Exploited who as 'skinhead herberts' are on Oi! the Album). Oi! is streetpunk, oi! is working class kids winning, oi! is punx and skins together, oi! is oceans of beer and mountains of pride..... Buy an Oi! comp and it'll change yer life. [OTF] [written by Gerrard Lindsay (botbskin@akula.com) of Bottom Of The Barrel. http://www.akula.com/~botbskin/] 3.5.1 OI! IT'S JUST STREET-ROCK'N'ROLL! "If punk was *real*, then Oi! was *reality*!" -Laurie Pryor "No mess. No fuss. Just pure impact..." -Mick Furbank Oi! is a melodic type of punk-rock which originated in Britain around 1980 and has since spread throughout the world. The forefathers of Oi! (Sham 69, Menace, The Lurkers, Slaughter And The Dogs, Cockney Rejects, Cock Sparrer, Angelic Upstarts, etc.) played what some of the smarter press of the time dubbed, "real-punk" (i.e. punk-rock with a message/theme of "social realism"). A lot of the press who courted the original wave of punk-rock, wholly ignored or wrote-off what was soon to be called Oi! as "thug-rock," and thus insured unfair treatment of the genre right from the get-go. Around 1980, bands like the 4-Skins (East London), Infa Riot (North London), The Last Resort (Herne Bay), Red Alert (Sunderland), The Business (South London) and Blitz (Manchester) began to pop-up all across Great Britain. This phenomenon of strikingly similar-minded, yet unrelated bands was quickly clumped together as "Oi!" by Sounds journalist Gary Bushell, taking the name from the classic Cockney Rejects song, "Oi! Oi! Oi!" Bushell not only gave Oi! its name, he compiled and gave the world the first Oi! compilation, "Oi! The Album" (released by EMI injunction with Sounds magazine). "Oi! The Album" -- though not a truly stellar record or even completely representative of the Oi! genre of the time -- set the precedent for the compilation as an important part of the Oi! movement, as witnessed by the release of countless Oi!-focused compilations world-wide ever since its release. Musically, Oi! is generally distinguished by anthemic melodies, terrace-style backing vocals and a pace/tempo more suitable for pogoing and singing along, than slam-dancing and stage-diving. Together with ska and reggae, Oi! forms the musical focus of the traditional skinhead subculture, and together with hardcore and classic punk-rock, it forms the musical focus of the punk subculture. The impact of the early '80s, English Oi! scene could be felt the world-over, with Oi! bands and scenes popping-up globally, kick-started by bands like Iron Cross in the U.S., Bohse Onkels in Germany, Komitern Sect in France, Cobra in Japan, Nabat in Italy and so on. This is barely mentioning the huge impact Oi! had on the U.S. hardcore scene, evidenced by such classic American hardcore bands like Agnostic Front, 7 Seconds, Youth Brigade and Negative Approach citing Oi! as a huge influence, as well as covering many brickwall standards. Sociologically, Oi! is a coalition of street-punks and skinheads, and emphasizes working-class concerns and themes: labor, fighting, shagging, drinking, pride, self-respect and generally having a laugh -- the "politics of life" or the "politics of the street." Being rooted among the working-class, street kids and the powerless, authentic and traditional Oi! rejects the authoritarian and conservative politics of the extreme right as well as the knee-jerk, reactionary politics of the extreme left. Oi! is having a laugh and having a say. Oi! is bigger than any uniform. Oi! is sharp in brain and dress. Oi! is you and me... Winning. Oi! is thinking for yourself. Oi! is pride and self-respect. Oi! is the beat of the street. Oi! is working class protest. Oi! is youth eternal. Oi! is youth enrage. Oi! is a way of life. Select major British Oi! bands (past and present) include: A.B.H, Another Man's Poison, Anti-Establishment, Anti-Social, Attak, The Betrayed, Blitz, Braindance, The Blaggers, Boisterous, The Business, The Burial, Cock Sparrer, Cockney Rejects, Combat 84, Condemned 84, Crashed Out, Criminal Class, Crux, Distortion, The Ejected, The 4-Skins, The Gonads, Gundog, Infa-Riot, Indecent Exposure, Intensive Care, The Last Resort, Last Rough Cause, Major Accident, The Oppressed, Pressure 28, Prole, Red Alert, The Samples, Section 5, Short'n'Curlies, Straw Dogs, The Strike, Subculture & Vicious Rumors. Select major American Oi! bands (past and present) include: The Anti-Heros (GA), The Authority (CA), Battle Cry (NY), Best Defence (PA), The Bruisers (MA), Boot Party (CA), Bottom Of The Barrel (NY), Bovver Wonderland (CA), Broken Heroes (NJ), Chapter 21 (Chicago), Ducky Boys (MA), First Strike (NY), Forced Reality (CT), Headwound (NJ), Iron Cross (DC), Immoral Discipline (DC), Limecell (PA), Lower Class Brats (TX), Moonstomp (GA), Niblick Henbane (NJ), 90 Proof (TX), Oxblood (NY), Patriot (NC), The Press (NY), Pist'n'Broke (MI), Pledge 84 (NY), The Radicts (NY), The Service (WI), Stars And Stripes (MA), Stormwatch (DE), The Templars (NY), The Toughskins (CA), U.S. Chaos (NJ), Those Unknown (NJ), The Uprise (PA), The Wretched Ones (NJ) & Youth Defence League (NY). Select major International Oi! bands (past and present) include: Agent Bulldog (Sweden), Angry Ducks (Japan), The Bad Vultures (Japan), Becks Pistols/Pobel Und Gesocks (Germany), Bitter Grin (Canada), B.T.M. (Poland), Camera Silens (France), Cobra (Japan), Crikey Crew (Japan), Dose Brutal (Brazil), The Fuck Ups (Norway), Gruesome (Japan), The Herberts (France), Impact (Canada), Klasse Kriminale (Italy), Kohu-63 (Finland), Kidnap (France), Komitern Sect (France), Die Lokalmatadore (Germany), The Magnificent (Holland), Mata Ratos (Portugal), Nabat (Italy), Oxymoron (Germany), The Pride (Holland), The Quick And The Dead (Australia), Rezystencja (Czech), Sideburns (Japan), Snix (France), The Stage Bottles (Germany), Tolbiac's Toads (France), The Vacant Lot (Canada), Vanilla Muffins (Switzerland), Virus 27 (Brazil), Warrior Kids (France), The West Side Boys (France), Zakarrak (Spain) & Zona A (Slovakia). Other bands which move on the fringes of Oi! include: The Adicts, Angelic Upstarts, Anti-Nowhere League, Barbed Wire, Blaggers ITA, Blanks 77, The Blood, The Casualties, Chron Gen, The Crack, Dropkick Murphys, Exploited, Frankie Flame, Garotos Podres, Lurkers, The Macc Lads, Menace, 999, Oi Polloi, One Way System, The Partisans, Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Toy Dolls, Red London, Redskins, Resistance 77, Rose Tattoo, (early)7 Seconds, Sham 69, Slaughter And The Dogs, Splodge, Stiff Little Fingers, Special Duties, The Suspects, The Swingin' Utters, Vice Squad, The Violators & Youth Brigade. Some Oi!-focused record labels (past and present) include: Bird, Bleach, Bronco Bullfrog, Carry On Oi!, Captain Oi!, Chaos Productions, Dim, Do A Runner!, Dojo, DSS, Force Majeure, GMM, Hammer, Havin' A Laugh, Headache, Helen Of Oi!, Kickback, Knock-Out, Link, Longshot, No Future, Oi! Records, One By One, PunkCore, Riot City, Scumfuck, Sta-Press, Step-1, S.P.E., Teenage Rebel, T.K.O., wins, Vulture Rock & Walzwerk. Some related newsgroups are: alt.punk, alt.punk.europe, alt.skinheads, alt.skinheads.arent.neo.nazis and alt.skinheads.moderated [written and compiled by Lee 69 (SoundViews@aol.com) of "Do A Runner!" 'zine & records. http://members.aol.com/SoundViews/doarunnr.html] 3.6: More on Oi! On 6 Mar 1996, Gerrard A. Lindsay wrote: ever notice how many 'skinhead' songs and songs about skins that there are in the world? for instance 'skinhead moonstomp', 'skinhead girl', 'skinhead jamboree', 'skinhead speaks his mind', 'skinheads don't fear', 'moonhop in London', 'skinhead moondust','where have all the bootboys gone','bootboy',oi! oi! oi!,'skinheads in stapress', 'resort bootboys', 'bring back the skins', 'chaos', 'clockwork skinhead','boots n braces','back with a bang','crucified' (by iron cross),'skinheads rule,ok', 'fresh and burning','joe hawkins'...... From: am24379@swt.edu (Andy MacLaurin), fluffy@nyc.pipeline.com (James F. Dugan), skh8729@ocvaxa.cc.oberlin.edu (Kali Holloway) (revised in v0.15 with corrections from James F. Dugan) As for lyrics, here are the complete lyrics for Suburban Rebels as taken from the liner notes of The Business 1979-1989 on Blackout Records. They're the sons and daughters of well off bankers Tom Robinsons' army of trendy wankers Flared blue jeans and anoracks, With yellow streaks all down their backs Who act so tough when [they're] on TV, But trendy wankers don't scare me Oi Oi Oi Chosen Few, (x2) This is what we think of you Suburban Rebels playing at reds You would-be urban terrorists You don't scare us with your badges and banners You know fuck all about heavy manners. You're the middle class kiddies from public school Who write your slogans on toilet walls Like Tony Benn's clones in plastic macks You wave a hammer and sickle, never Union Jacks Got lots of mouth when you're in a crowd But when you're alone, you don't speak loud! Of course, I have several versions, where the lyrics are changed but this is the closest to an "official" version I've found. I also have the lyrics to Harry May, Coventry, Shout it Out, No Emotions, Never Been Taken, Out in the Cold, Blind Justice, Do a Runner, Another Rebel Dead, Welcome to the Real World, Frontline, Mortgage Mentality, Handball, Smash the Discos, H-Bomb, Loud Proud and Punk, Real Enemy, Product, and Saturday's Heroes, if anyone is particularly interested. I may post them anyway, if I can scan them. Jim Dugan 3.6.1: Lyrics to Oi! songs about Skinheads Email me (jadare@vt.edu) for additions and/or corrections. Songs with asterisks (*) after them indicate lyrics obtained from the Oi! Lyrics website at http://www.gis.net/~skin contributors are many (see website). Lyrics available in this section(in alphabetical order): The Boys* -Youth Defense League Carry On -All Systems Stop Chaos* -The 4-Skins Clockwork Skinhead* -The 4-Skins Combat 84* -Combat 84 Giovani Skins Senza Una Chance -Klasse Kriminale Hard Skin -Hard Skin He's A Skin -Anti-Heros Joe Hawkins* -The Oppressed Resort Bootboys* -The Last Resort Skinhead* -Combat 84 Skinhead 88* -Youth Defence League Skinhead On The MBTA -Dropkick Murphys Skinheads Forever -Fully Loaded Skinheads In Sta Press* -The Last Resort Skinheads Rule O.K. -The Templars Un Altro Rebelle Morte -Klasse Kriminale Vi Accuso -Klasse Kriminale Violence In Our Minds* -The Last Resort What's A Skin -Anti-Heros "The Boys"* -Youth Defense League We're from the city, from the streets Our mates always seem to meet No one seems to care Wear our boots and crop our hair We don't wear Martens just for kicks Don't wear braces just for chicks Don't cut our hair to make us look bad Won't be caught up in nobody's fad (chorus)We're the boys - YDL We're the boys - YDL We're the boys - YDL We're the boys - YDL Skinheads! (repeat 1st verse) "Carry On" -All Systems Stop From "I've Got My Friends" Comp CD booklet (FR6809) A Man with pride is a skinhead with boots on A man with strength is a skinhead that's strong A skinghead with honor will never show shame A Skinhead that's true can carry the flame (Chorus) I know we got the pride Again we're growing strong Somehow we'll find the strength to carry on (Chorus) Skinheads in the street drinking and fighting Skinheads in the street fighting the law Working class man a true patriot Working class hero won't take no shit (Chorus x4) I know we've got the strength I know we've got the strength I know we've got the strength to Carry on (x3) Carry on! "Chaos"* -The 4-Skins Do you remember the days in 69? Seeing all the skinheads standing in a line Foaming at the mouth, Waiting for a fight High boots, cropped hair, what a fuckin sight (Chorus) Come back of the skinhead come back of the boot People that we don't beat up We're gonna fucking shoot We are the new breed, we will have our say we are the new breed, we ain't gonna die Trouble east London Trouble in the street On the street corners Where the gang still meets Talking about the weekend What they're gonna do If you aint careful They are gonna do you! (Chorus) Chaos in the city Civil war now Skinheads taking over Like skinheads know how Skinhead with his boots on Nobodys fool Skinheads taking over? Chaos is the rule! Chaos, chaos, chaos - dont give a toss Chaos, chaos, chaos - dont give a toss!!! "Clockwork Skinhead"* -The 4-Skins Wearing braces, the red, white, and blue doing what he thinks he ought to do Used to be a punk and a mod too Or is it just a phase he's going through (chorus) He's a clockwork skinhead, just a clockwork skinhead clockwork skinhead - got no choice He's a clockwork skinhead, just a clockwork skinhead clockwork skinhead - One of the boys Take him to the pub, buy him a beer Tell him what he wants to hear Wind him up like clockwork toy wants to be a man but he's just a boy (chorus) Believes everything the papers say What's he gonna be today What is it hip to be Will he be himself or will he copy me? "Combat 84"* -Combat 84 Pair of DM's on your feet Well polished and looking neat Paramilatary, here's the score We're the band Combat 84 Know whats sacred we must fight Thats why we won't be denied Short hair and braces hanging down There'll always be a skinhead in town (chorus)Thats why we rule the street Thats why we ???????? (2x) 1st verse "Giovani Skins Senza Una Chance" -Klasse Kriminale "Young Skins With No Chance" English translation From "I Ragazzi Sono Innocenti(The Kids Are Innocent)" LP lyric sheet (TWINS 02) (Chorus) YOUNG SKINS WITH NO CHANCE (x4) They write their problems on the walls Confused politics entered them Alcoholic nights of frustration Skins in the street have no answer They drink beer waiting for a gig Among these streets drugs and concrete Where are true friends Where are old values Skins in the street have no answers But they want to live free They have no jobs they have no money And nobody will listen to them Guilty free innocent injured The revolt will burst one day Skins want a bit of peace And freedom one day (Chorus) (x4) "Hard Skin" -Hard Skin From "Hard Nuts and Hard Cunts" LP lyric sheet (HOO31) Hard Skin, we're hard Boots and braces, hair cut short Don't do things that we are taught Boozing and shagging And going to the game Life for us will always be the same Hard Skin we're hard Running and fighting on a Saturday night Life is pukka, life's alright We're Hard Skin and we're ok You can't touch us We won't go away "He's A Skin" -Anti-Heros From "That's Right!" LP lyric sheet (WWR027) They call him a nazi, they call him a child cause he holds his head up high, too proud sometimes too wild He's the one that's full of hate, the target of abuse Won't try to explain himself, because there is no use (Chorus) He's a skin, he's a skin, stick with you through thick and thin He's a skin and he'll be a skin, when he's the only one You know that he's got his friends, you know they stand tall Each right maybe have some drinks and then they have a ball Don't you try to stop them, don't get in their way No matter waht you do, we will have our say. "Joe Hawkins"* -The Oppressed See him walking down the street Doctor Martens on his feet Levi jeans Ben Sherman shirt Fuck with him and youll get hurt (Chorus)Hes a skinhead, he dont care Marten boots and short cropped hair Hes a skinhead, he dont care about you Walking down on the Brighton pier Long haired hippies filled with fear Cruch of bone as the boot goes in Joes so proud to be a skin (Chorus) Prison couldnt change his ways Skinheads back hes here to stay So if you think youve got the suss Be a skinhead, be like us (Chorus) Hes the king, king of skins Whats his name, Joe Hawkins... "Resort Bootboys"* -The Last Resort (aka The Warriors) We wake up a 10 o'clock Put your boots on and go round the block We have a few beers and we joke around We make our way to the football ground We hate all the junkies, we hate all the grease We're only here to disturb the peace Wear Dr. Martens and wear levi's We are the resort bootboys We know its gonna be a hell of a game One - nil down its always the same But we don't really give a fuck Believe it or not, we're here for the ruck After the game we count all the scarves We jum all over some geezers car We lost the game but we won the fight I hope its on the box tonight "Skinhead"* -Combat 84 We will never fade or die whatever you try to do We're the first of today, and the last of tomorrow Skinheads not a fashion, its a way of life (chorus) Skinhead skinhead never give up just stick together and act as one You never never never give up, just stick together and act as one See us on the telly, you read about us in the news We will never fade or die, whatever you try to do "Skinhead 88"* -Youth Defence League Subculture working for twenty years Bred full of anger and public fear We will soon unleash our rage read about us on the front page (chorus)Skinheads 88 (x2) Standing strong, bred to hate! We are skinheads from the start we'll reject what you have taught Boots and braces a way of life a way to deal with all our strife (chorus) 4x Those who try to oppress you judges and the boys in blue They had better listen to us 'cos we're the ones who got the suss "Skinhead On The MBTA" -Dropkick Murphys (Not really Oi! but damn good song anyway) From "I've Got My Friends" Comp CD booklet (FR6809) Now let me tell a story about a big ol' skinhead on a tragic and fateful day. He put 10 cents in his pocket kicked his wife and family and went to ride on the MBTA (Chorus) Well did he ever return, no he never returned, and his fate is still unknown, he may ride forever neath the streets of Boston, He's the skinhead who never returned. Skinhead goes right down to Kendall Square station and he changes for Jamaica Plan, The conductor says skinhead I need a nickel, Skinhead throws him right off the train (or "Skinhead punches him in the brain" for angry folks) (Chours) Now all night long skinhead drives through the station wondering who can I go see. Can't afford to buy crack in Chelsea or a bundle in Roxbury. (Chorus) Skinhead's wife goes to the Scully Square Station ever day at quater past two And through the open window she hands Skinhead a grenade as the train comes rumblin through (Chorus) Now you citizens of Boston don't you think it's a scandle how skinhead stole that train. What's the big fucking deal, He'll work for beer, Let skinhead drive that train! (Chorus x2) He's the skinhead who never returned He's the skinhead who never returned He's the skin who never returned! "Skinheads Forever" -Fully Loaded From "Skinheads 4-Ever" LPEP back sleeve (VOLT-20) I know that things have changed Since the good ol' days But things haven't changed that much So you got married well I did too But I don't cowar to the touch Bon't tell me that you've had enough Of being an asshole male Talking shit on girls and getting drunk Loud music with a hail That we'd be Skinheads forever I'm never never gonna change That we'd be Skinheads forever I'm talking to my brothers in shame You stopped hanging out A long time ago Won't even show up for free beer What the fucks the problem Ain't we good enough Does she have you on a leash to Keep you near Your getting too soft gotta slap you around Like she does but we don't keep you down Listen very closely to what you said Change your views you'll be dead "Skinheads In Sta Press"* -The Last Resort (aka The Warriors) Run amok and have fight Get pissed up cause a riot Smash windows and burn beach huts Tell the government to stuff the cuts Cut the taxes one by one Cut them til the job is done Show them how to be a pest Be a skinhead in Sta Press They got more money then I got sense Theyre just after your last few pence Shine up your boots pour a pint Lets go protest tonight The old bill try to take us down Bring us before The Crown Lock us up when we have fights Keep us of the street at night "Skinheads Rule O.K." -The Templars From "The Return of Jacques de Molay" CD sleeve (Dim 022) See by the boots that I wear See by the way I cut my hair I'm proud to be a skinhead, it's a way of life A youth subculture as sharp as a knife (Chorus) Look at the youth today Skinheads rule and that's O.K. See us in the cities, see us in the suburbs 25 Years on and we're still going strong Skinheads rule O.K., we are the boys Our music is loud and our music is Oi! (Chorus) We remember our roots, we remember them well Spirit of '69 still lives on The music may have changed but not our hearts We still love reggae, rocksteady and ska (Chorus) "Un Altro Rebelle Morte" -Klasse Kriminale "Another Rebel Is Dead" English translation From "I Ragazzi Sono Innocenti(The Kids Are Innocent)" LP lyric sheet (TWINS 02) Another rebel is dead They say he has killed himself The system's guilty Another name in a list Which will be forgotten A high price to pay You were a Skinhead And you had tattooed it inside you Terraces you house "Genoa" in your heart Fight in the suburbs Gigs and laughs (Chorus) Another kid. Like you and me. His name is Davide. Don't forget it You'll always be in our hearts All together at "Polena" Ready to invade the streets You liked all this There was a sile in you You were proud among the kids And everybody followed you The last farewell Among the colours of your football team Too many questions But no answer A young girl Will never know why (Chorus) "Vi Accuso" -Klasse Kriminale "I Accuse You" English translation From "I Ragazzi Sono Innocenti(The Kids Are Innocent)" LP lyric sheet (TWINS 02) I accuse you as you accused us I accuse you of your ignorance I accuse you of lack of objectivity Neither knowledge nor tolerance Because for a journalist life isn't important Truth isn't important slaves of lobbies and parties they sit at those desks For a journalist reality isn't important You speak about things you'll never understant Newspapers, news Monthly, weekly magazines you spread hate and confusion After creating a new fashion But the Skinheads are really different The Oi! it's too real and proud And you'll never understand it But the Skinheads are really different The Oi! you'll never understand it On your waste paper you've written our name Thanks to your power of press You cancel our gigs I accuse you of inventing news In the front page without thinking You have destroyed the truth without even speaking with us For a journalist my story isn't important Other ideals other experiences re-written As if they were mine For a journalist truth isn't important You speak about things you'll never understand I accuse you as you have accused us... "Violence In Our Minds"* -The Last Resort (aka The Warriors) I was walking down the road with a dozen pals of mine Looking for some aggro, just to pass the time We met this stupid hippy and he tried to run away But i punched him in the nose just to pass the time of day (chorus) Great big boots, great long laces Our jeans held up with scarlet braces Get out of our way or get took for a ride We've just got violence in our minds Wake up in the morning, have me ready brek Drink me cup of Bovril and wring my mothers neck Strollinto town, beat a Soul Boy black and blue Put a fruit gum in the meter cos there's fuck all else to do (chorus) We go to football matches, we always have a laugh Always get some bovver in, before the second half We have our selve a smashing time, we really have some fun Especially when the odds are ours 25 to 1, to 1 "What's A Skin" -Anti-Heros From "That's Right!" LP lyric sheet (WWR027) Skinheads there when things get rough, and when he's needed he's always tough Won't ever run won't ever hide, he ain't scared that they'll lock him inside Seems to stand above them all, He'll be there when the low lifers fall You know what I say is true and you know in your heart when I speak about you Know in your heart when I speak about you. (Chorus) What's a skin, he's hard what's a skin he's tough, what's a skin he's honorable. Do you think we won't live long? Do you think that we're not strong? Fire burns in all of our hearts be on top cause we got the smarts Skinhead knows when he is right and he knows he don't have to fight But when he does he tends to win and that's how they remember him That's how they remember him. 3.6.2: Oi! music label/mailorder addresses It is often the case that finding Oi! music is a difficult task. Typically, large nationwide music stores don't carry Oi! and if they do you might be able to pick up an Oi! compilation. That's well and good if you're just getting into Oi! or just a curious music lover. However, if you have found yourself hooked on Oi!, compilations aren't enough. You might have found a track on a compilation by a certain band you wish to hear more of or a friend of yours suggests a certain album or band. Thus, I have compiled a list of record label and mailorder addresses. Where ever I could, I included fax numbers, telephone numbers, email addresses, etc. Additions and corrections are welcomed. Typically, their catalogues cost a $1 or a few stamps. I suggest if writing to the international labels/mailorders from the US to send them 3 32 cent stamps which covers for overseas mailing charge. ------------------------------------------------------------ US label/mailorder addresses ------------------------------------------------------------ Do A Runner! Oi!/Street-punk 'Zine P.O. Box 23523 Brooklyn, NY 11202-3523 USA email: SoundViews@aol.com So far they've released a mini-lp for the Templars, up next is a worldwide oi! comp, and a videozine. They also do distro on a number of other oi!/skinhead records and zines. GMM Records PO Box 15234 Atlanta, GA 30333 FAX/Phone: (404) 873-5484 Very good! Reissue classic Oi! albums to releasing modern Oi! such as Condemned 84(UK), Anti-Heroes(GA), Patriot(NC), Oxymoron(Germany), The Authority(SoCal), etc. Vulture Rock PO Box 40687 Albuquerque, NM 87196 FAX/Phone: (505) 294-0398 Very good! Sells tons of Oi! Very LARGE selection of American, JAPANESE, and other international Oi!/streetpunk music. I've gotten lots of stuff by them, very reliable. Only downside is they sellout of their stuff really quick because of their popularity. Headache Records PO Box 204 Midland Park, NJ 07432 I know they've released stuff by the Templars(NYC) and The Wretched Ones(NJ), and probably other area Oi!/streetpunk. Taang! Records 706 Pismo Court San Diego, CA 92109 Phone: (619) 488-5950 FAX: (619) 488-5156 E-mail: taang@eletriciti.com This is the label The Business are on and I believe Anti-Heros are with them too. I don't know who else is on this label, but hell, The Business are huge sellers among the Oi! community. ------------------------------------------------------------ International label/mailorder addresses ------------------------------------------------------------ DOJO Records PO Box 281 Canterbury, Kent CT1 2BB, England Sell all the old Oi! compilations on CD. Very good place to start out if you're new to Oi! music. Step-1 Music PO Box 21 Tenterden, Kent TN30 7ZZ, England Also sell old Oi! CD comps and reissue classic Oi! albums on VINYL. Visionary Vinyl PO Box 30 Lytham St. Annes FY8 1RL, England FAX: 01253-712362 Phone: 01253-712453 email: king@visicom.demon.co.uk Mainly reissues classic Oi!/streetpunk LPs and 7"s. Also sell many Oi! videos, such as "Oi! the Video" (1 and 2), Cocksparrer, Last Resort, etc. Be warned, be sure if ordering in the US to request to get the NTSC version or else you'll probably get the PAL version which won't play in VCRs in the US. I know, from personal experience. Captain Oi! PO Box 501 High Wycombe, Bucks HP10 8QA, England Sells old Oi! CD comps including reissue of Oi! Records (of Roddy Moreno fame) stuff. Helen Of Oi! Records 15 Spring Gardens Ventnor Isle of Wight PO38 1QX, England Sells LOTS of modern Oi!/streetpunk from the US, UK, and abroad. Walzwerk Records Postfach 1341 D-74643 Knzelsau, Germany FAX: 0049-07905/259 or Walzwerk Records Ballingloger, Lixnam Co. Kerry, Republic of Ireland FAX/Phone: ++353-66-32088 http://www.arrakis.es/~walzwerk/index.htm I found 2 addresses for Walzwerk. If you're looking for European Oi! check this label out, they have tons! I got a Mata Ratos (Portugese Oi!) 7" from them. Very Good! DSS Records PO Box 739 4021 Linz, Austria FAX/Phone: 0043-732-316391 email: dss_rec@highnet.co.at Don't know much about DSS but I do know they sell alot of modern Oi!/ streetpunk. Dim Records Ullrich Grossmann PO Box 1718 96407 Coburg, Germany FAX/Phone: 09561/60099 Dim released the now classic Templars 1st full release, "Return of Jacques de Molay." Don't know what else they sell though. Twins C.P.804 - Como 5 22100 Como, Italy Sell ITALIAN Oi!/punk such as Klasse Kriminale, Nabat, The Stab, etc. 3.7: Skinheads Media List (v2.7 14SEP97) by db@progeny.demon.co.uk I've compiled a book and film listing, to expand upon that which appeared in Stephen Martin's first version of the FAQ. It is a bit lengthy, but of hopefully of interest and value anyway, see what ya think! Books and Films of interest to Skinheads; not necessarily an exhaustive list or required reading/ watching. Neither is this meant to be an indication of the quality of the content! * BOOK Information given, where possible: Title Author, year of publication, Publisher ISBN, availablilty info, synopsis/comments * FILM Information given, where possible: Title Lead Cast, Director, Year of release, Country of production Category & any release/availablilty info. Additions, corrections, updates, comments and any detail to fill the gaps welcome, please email me (db@progeny.demon.co.uk). -------------------------------------- Section 1: Suppliers -------------------------------------- Try the following source for your quality gear: ------------------- * ST Publishing ------------------- at: PO Box 12 Lockerbie Dumfriesshire DG11 3BW SCOTLAND United Kingdom. ST (Skinhead Times) Publishing in the UK publish a large range of these books and orders can be placed with them direct. They do not have a telephone ordering service, nor do they accept credit/debit cards. If you want to know about titles and costs; drop them a line and ask for a catalogue (I'm sure they'd also appreciate a stamped addressed envelope or a little dosh). NB: STP no longer publish the paper 'Skinhead Times' - it ceased being produced back in 1995 and they no longer have any back copies either. They do however publish a new 'zine style street mag called 'One Eyed Jack'. Contact STP for details. ------------------- * Visionary ------------------- at: http://www.state51.co.uk/uk/visionary/ or king@visioncom.demon.co.uk Suppliers of Alternative music videos, CD's and Vinyl. Uk based with full online catalogue. You can order by credit card as well. -------------------------------------- Section 2: BOOKS -------------------------------------- Quoting the author and/or title and/or ISBN at your local bookshop should be able to get you nearly all of the titles available. For those out of print - you'll have to rely on book searchers or your local 2nd Hand bookstores. -------------------------------------- Soccer (Football) Violence (Factual) -------------------------------------- Everywhere We Go - Behind the Matchday Madness Dougie & Eddy Brimson, 1996, Headline Book Publishing 0747252254 Steaming In (Journal of a Football Fan) Colin Ward, 1989, Pocket Books 0671853651 In Your Blood (Football Culture in the late 1980's & Early 1990's) Richard Turner, 1990, Working Press 1870736079 **Out of print** Among The Thugs Bill Buford, 1991, Mandarin 0749313285 Bloody Casuals (Diary of a Football Hooligan) Jay Allan, 1989, Northern Books 0905489411-1 ------------------- Novels/ Fiction ------------------- The Football Factory John King, 1996, Vintage 0099731916 One For The Road Kid Stoker Nightshift (Growing Up in and around Wigan Casino 1974-1981) Pete McKenna, 1995, STP England Belongs to me Steve Goodman, Low Life (STP) 1898928002 Red London Stewart Home, 1994, AK Press 1873176120 Saturdays Heroes Joe Mitchell, Low Life (STP) 1898928053 The Complete Richard Allen Volume 1 (Skinhead, Suedehead, Skinhead Escapes) Richard Allen (aka James Moffatt), 1992, STP The Complete Richard Allen Volume 2 (Skinhead Girls, Sorts, Knuckle Girls) Richard Allen (aka James Moffatt), 1993, STP The Complete Richard Allen Volume 3 (Trouble for Skinhead, Skinhead Farewell, Top Gear Skin) Richard Allen (aka James Moffatt), 1994, STP The Complete Richard Allen Volume 4 (Boot Boys, Smoothies, Terrace Terrors) Richard Allen (aka James Moffatt), 1995, STP The Complete Richard Allen Volume 5 (Mod Rule, Punk Rock, Dragon Skins) Richard Allen (aka James Moffatt), 1995, STP The Complete Richard Allen Volume 6 (Glam, Teeny Bopper Idol, Demo) Richard Allen (aka James Moffatt) ** due to be published by STP, date to be announced ** ** The 18 individual Richard Allen novels were originally published in the 1970's by New English Library - all are now out of print. Casual Gavin Anderson, 1996, Low Life (STP) 1898928207 ------------------- Graphic Novels ------------------- Skin Milligan, McCarthy & Swan, 1992, Tundra 1858090008 ------------------- Photobooks ------------------- Skins Gavin Watson, 1994, STP 1898927057 Public Enemies Leo Regan, 1993, Andre Deutsch 0233988300 Oi! The Photobook A.H van der Sluys, 1993, Double Shot (Roermond, Holland) NO ISBN Cream of The Crops, A Skinhead Photobook Mark Brown, 1997, Street Music Publishing 8460563677 -------------------------------------- Reference - Skin, Ska & Mods -------------------------------------- You're Wondering Now (A History of The Specials) Paul Williams, 1995, STP 1898927251 Skinhead Nick Knight, 1982, Omnibus Press 0711900523 Total Madness George Marshall, 1993, STP 0951849743 Spirit of '69 (A Skinhead Bible) George Marshall, 1991, STP 0951849700 Boss Sounds (Classic Skinhead Reggae) Marc Griffiths, 1995, STP Skinhead Nation George Marshall, 1996, STP 1898927456 Watching the Rich Kids Arthur Kay, 1992, STP **Out of print** Skinhead Street Gangs Loren Christensen Bad Manners George Marshall **Out of print** Mods Richard Barnes **Out of print** Scooter Boys Gareth Brown The Two Tone Story George Marshall, 1990, STP 0951849735 **Out of print** Skinheads Shaved For Battle: a cultural history of American Skinheads Jack Moore, 1993, Bowling Green (Ohio) 0879725826 (HB), 0879725834 (PB) - This book has been termed "somewhat 'objective' in their appraisal of White Power advocates" in the White Power FAQ, and has been consistently derided by the members of alt.skinheads. Stephen Martin (smartin@somemag.com). Loud, Pround 'n' Punk - The Business Garry Fielding, 1996 The Two Tone Book for Rude Boys Omnibus Press ** Out of print** ------------------- Alternative/Political ------------------- Fuhrer-Ex Ingo Hasselbach, 1996, Chatto & Windus 0701165367 - From the German book: 'Die Abrechnung: Ein Neonazi Steigt Aus' by same author, 1993 by Aufbau-Verlag GmbH, ISBN: 3746670136 this version contains photos (the English version is text only) Blood in the Face: "The Klu Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, Nazi Skinheads and the Rise of a New White Culture" James Ridgeway, 1990, Thunders Mouth Press 1560250038 GAY SKINS: Class, Masculinity and Queer Appropriation Murray Healy, 1996, Cassell 0304333247 ------------------- Reference - Punk ------------------- Punk Diary (1970-1979) George Gimarc, 1994, Vintage 009952211X Sex Pistols File Ray Stevenson, 1978, Omnibus Press 0860014649 Cranked Up Really High Stewart Home, 1995, Codex 1899598014 -------------------------------------- Section 3: FILMS -------------------------------------- ----------------------- Soccer (Football) Violence ----------------------- The Firm Gary Oldman, Lesley Manville, Phil Davis Alan Clarke, 1989, UK * TV FICTION Trouble on the Terraces Narrated by Sean Bean Allan Sharpe, 1994, UK * VIDEO DOCUMENTARY I.D. Reece Dinsdale, Warren Clarke, Sean Pertwee, cameo by Phil Davis Phil Davis, 1995, UK * MOTION PICTURE Hooligan '96 Narrated by Lesley Grantham Sharper Image Productions, 1996, UK * VIDEO DOCUMENTARY ------------------- Mods & Skins ------------------- Romper Stomper Russell Crowe, Daniel Pollock, Jacqueline McKenzie, Alex Scott Geoffrey Wright, 1992, AUSTRALIA * MOTION PICTURE/ FICTION - A cinematic masterpiece, one of only two films which I have paid to see twice. - Stephen Martin (smartin@somemag.com) Quadrophenia Phil Daniels, Leslie Ash, Toyah Wilcox, Sting, Phil Davis, Mark Wingett Franc Roddam, 1979, UK * MOTION PICTURE/ FICTION Made in Britain Tim Roth, Terry Richards, Bill Stewart, Eric Richard, Geoffrey Hutchings Alan Clarke, 1982, UK * TV FICTION Meantime Tim Roth, Phil Daniels, Gary Oldman, Alfred Molina, Marion Bailey Alan Clarke, 1983, UK * TV FICTION A Clockwork Orange Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Adrienne Corri, Miriam Carlin Stanley Kubrick, 1971, UK * MOTION PICTURE/ FICTION - This film is not available in UK in cinema or video due to restrictions placed upon it by the Director. Skinheads, The Second Coming of Hate Chuck Connors, Barbara Bain, Jason Culp, Elizabeth Sagal, Brian Brophy Greydon Clark, 1989, USA * MOTION PICTURE/ FICTION - "Skinheads: the Second Coming of Hate", is a nonsensical film whose only reasons for existence seemed to be to add to Chuck Connors' bank account, and to bolster the bruised egos of jocks everywhere. - Stephen Martin (smartin@somemag.com) Skins - The Movie Wings Hauser Wings Hauser,,USA * MOTION PICTURE/ FICTION - Has anyone seen this piece of trash?? If you havent...dont bother. What a load of bollocks. Its written by, directed by, and stars one pratt named Wings Hauser. Where the fuck did they dig up this guy??? Anyway.....obviously this guy was beaten up by some skins and this movie is his fantasy of what he wishes he could do if he actually had a set of testicles. All I can say is save any money hiring it. About the only good bit in it is the head skin's shirt, and the room with the giant swastika painted on the floor (if you're a neo-nazi). Save your money and forget it. Deth (deth@magna.com.au) World of Skinhead Filming by Doug Aubrey Alan Robertson & Doug Aubrey for Channel 4 Television, 1995, UK * TV DOCUMENTARY - George Marshall was consultant on this programme and it is worth viewing alongside his book 'Skinhead Nation'. STP plan to release this on video at some point - no details announced as yet. Skinhead Farewell BBC, 1996, UK * TV DOCUMENTARY - This TV programme on the life of Richard Allen was transmitted in the UK in March 1996. It is not available on video, nor is it planned to be released. American Skin 1996, USA * MOTION PICTURE/ FICTION - Elizabeth Marie Richardson (emrchrds@cc.memphis.edu) writes: American Skin is a piece of shit. First of all it's a bonehead movie. Second of all, the sound and the cinematography is horrible as well as the plot. Oi! THE VIDEO (Part 1) Visionary Video, UK * HISTORY/ MUSIC - Features Sham 69, Blood, Cock Sparrer, Angelic Upstarts, Cockney Rejects, Splodge, Peter & The Test Tube Babies, Toy Dolls, Business, Red Alert. Catalogue No: JE284 from: http://www.state51.co.uk/uk/visionary/ Oi! THE VIDEO PART 2 Visionary Video, UK * HISTORY/ MUSIC - Features The 4 Skins, Blitz, Vicious Rumours, Oppressed, Condemned 84, Section 5, Boisterous, Another Mans Poison, Braindance, Last Restort, Argy Bargy, The Business. Catalogue No: JE294 from: http://www.state51.co.uk/uk/visionary/ ------------------- Punk ------------------- Rude Boy Ray Gange, The Clash, Sara Hall, Johnny Green, Terry McQuade, Liz Young Jack Hazan & David Mingay, 1980, UK * MUSIC FICTION The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle Mary Millington, Liz Frazer, Malcolm McLaren, The Sex Pistols Julian Temple, 1980, UK * MUSIC FICTION Sid and Nancy Gary Oldman, Chloe Webb, David Hayman, Drew Schofield Alex Cox, 1986, UK * MOTION PICTURE/ BASED ON FACT -db@progeny.demon.co.uk 3.8: Magazine and Newspaper Articles About Skinheads The Werewolf of London (baetsch@plains.nodak.edu) writes: Check out the Jan. 8th issue of the New Yorker magazine, there's a long article (about 20 pages) by a former member of the German neo-Nazi movement. He has since had a change of heart and wised up to the total bullshit that neo-nazis spew, and now he gives talks at schools and stuff...I thought it was pretty interesting. His name was Ingo Hassebruck (?? Something like that) inkedsknhd@aol.com (Inkedsknhd) writes: Check out the article in the new (April 1996) Esquire about "skinheads" in the military! Once again, all skins are neo-nazis! So are guys with shaved heads! Lets hear some positive stuff from military skins for a change. NY Times and ADL Slander Skins Again by the late Stephen Donaldson June 28, 1995 Letter To The Editor The New York Times 229 W. 43rd St. NY NY 10036 The Times has once again (June 28) carried a one-sided report on skinheads, which takes the fund-raising propaganda of one group, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), at face value to give readers a totally misleading impression of another group, skinheads. If the Christian Coalition issued a report demonizing homosexuals you would include a response from gays; if the Environmental Defense Fund issued a report demonizing Western cattle ranchers you would try to put it in perspective. Why does the Times thow the principle of balanced news reporting out the window as soon as the word "skinhead" is uttered? First you take an already skewed ADL "Survey of Neo-Nazi Skinheads" and then report its findings--not in quotations from an ADL spokesperson, either--as applicable to all skinheads ("skinheads remain....", "skinheads share...they read...they prefer....their disposition" "American skinheads are organized..."). You might as well take a report on "Right-Wing Militia Military Veterans" and then continually tell your readers "veterans favor....; veterans denounce...., etc." as if these militia members represented all veterans. In fact, the ADL has accepted the preposterous claims of extreme right groups to the skinhead tradition---which actually began among Jamaican blacks in the 1960s, not "in England two decades ago"--and given them currency because having a scary enemy helps the ADL raise money. In so doing they are actually helping the Nazis by giving them legitimacy among working-class youth. Traditional skinheads denounce these imposters as "boneheads" who have no respect for the long tradition of racial integration which in fact has characterized the skinhead movement. Anyone who has attended skinhead music events in New York City can see for themselves that black, Hispanic, Oriental and Jewish skinheads are common. Nationally and internationally traditional working-class skinheads far outnumber the boneheads, financed by wealthy right-wing patrons, who are trying to steal a proud tradition. All the "skinzine" publications I have seen are determinedly non-rascist, and the main one in New York, "No Escape," is edited by a black skinhead. So is "Carry No Banners," the leading Midwestern skinzine. The ADL report may have "found no discernible national skinhead organization in the United States," but they either didn't do much research or deliberately omitted traditional skinheads, since they omitted the nationally organized non-rascist United Front organization, now headquartered in Ohio. Maybe they couldn't handle the UF's racially integrated logo. Traditional skinheads often proclaim that they have been crucified by the sensation-seeking mass media. As a former newspaper reporter, I like to defend good papers like The Times. But you continually prove their point. As a responsible paper, you should be talking with real skinheads, especially here in New York where you are published, and report the truth, not just the ADL's propaganda. Why don't you talk to someone from SkinHeads Against Racial Prejudice (SHARP), which has chapters around the nation and in New York, for example? The writer reported on alternative music for a number of publications, including Maximum Rock & Roll, New York's Under the Volcano, and, in 1994, the Skinhead Times, under the name "Donny the Punk". Don't forget to check out into alt.music.ska and read the FAQ for more information on Ska and it's relationship with Skinhead culture. 3.9: What about 'zines? Skinhead/Ska/Punk/Oi! 'Zines (All apolitical & non-racist!) Do A Runner! Oi!/Street-punk 'Zine P.O. Box 23523 Brooklyn, NY 11202-3523 USA email: SoundViews@aol.com internet: http://members.aol.com/SoundViews/doarunnr.html *Issue #1 - out of print! *$3(US)/$4(World) for issue #2 *Issue #3 due out Summer 1998. All rates in US funds. L'ERE BETE fanzine C.P. 27501 Laval, Quebec HYG 4YZ Canada fax: (514)686-7613 email:lerebete@geocities.com internet: http://netrover.com/~ricky/lerebete/ Contact for prices. Oink! Skinzine P.O. Box 27813 Washington, DC 20038-7813 USA *during summer months: P.O. Box 46 Cresskill, NJ 07626 USA email: avidday@intac.com internet: "The Skinternet" http://www.intac.com/~avidday *Issue #4 still available with FREE 7" from the Templars and Bottom Of The Barrel-$4ppd/$6(world) *Issue #5 in the works with FREE 7" from Wretched Ones, Lager Lads, Infiltrators, and the Krays-available now for preorder-$4ppd/$6(World) All rates in US funds. Teenage Warning! Street Music 'Zine *Ordering from Europe: Marcos Mari Brown Apartado de Correos 1474 07800 Ibiza (Baleares) Spain 1.50 Pounds/5DM/15FF/$3 or 300 Pesetas per issue *Ordering from rest of the World: Johan Van Mieghem Postbus 46 9050 Ledeberg 1 Belgium $4 per issue email: bullfrog@arrakis.es internet: http://www.arrakis.es/~bullfrog/zine.htm All rates in the above currencies. Accept cash (registrated letter) or IMO (International Money Order). No cheques, or eurocheques. -------------------------------------- Other 'Zines voxpop@nyc.pipeline.com (Michelle Chen) writes: Alright. It's time to spam for my zine. My zine doesn't have very much to do with skinheads, I'm afraid, but spamming for my zine is more productive than posting up Jews4Jesus propaganda (wink, wink). I'm currently getting ready to spit out another fun-filled issue of Inverted Magazine. The 3rd issue is a split issue put together by me and a kid in Chicago named Brian (for those of you on IRC, that's Briangeek--yes, meeting zine geeks over IRC is pathetic), who runs big*geek zine. I'm sure you will find it entertaining, and if not, you will at least have plenty of other reasons not to like me after reading it. Oh, and for those of you who read the second issue, I did NOT rip anything off of the Lashout website this time. If you would like to subscribe, send a stamp to this address: Inverted Magazine c/o Michelle 75 Grand St. #2E New York, NY 10013 Yes, that is my home address. I invite you all to come to my house and kick my ass if you think you did not get what you payed for (though, I'm sure my zine is worth around 32 cents). Thank you for your time. -------------------------------------- White Power (possibly defunct) Rampage: A Skinhead Voice P.O. Box 19 Coalville Leicester LE67 1DS England SledgeHammer: The Voice of the White Nations, by the Northern Hammer Skins P.O. Box 428 Gatineau Quebec, J8P 7A1 Canada $25.00/yr. (12 issues) in Canada $30.00/yr. U.S. $35.00/yr. Overseas All rates are in Canadian funds 3.10: Are there any Skinhead homepages or other Internet resources? 3.10.1: Homepages Skinheads On The Internet/The Lashout home page http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~lashout/skns.html Traditional Skinhead http://pages.prodigy.com/NY/quintskinhead/ Skinheads Rule...OK?! http://www.op.net/~lambreta/ The American Skinhead Page http://edlab-www.cs.umass.edu/~mmelillo/ SPiRiT 69's Home Page! http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/1741/ Skinhead Heaven http://www.macropolis.demon.co.uk/heaven.htm Bottom Of The Barrel http://www.akula.com/~botbskin/ Oi! the FAQ http://www.akula.com/~botbskin/whatoi.html The Ska FAQ Home Page http://www.twillis.com/ska/faq/ Bronco Bullfrog Homepage home of Teenage Warning! 'Zine http://www.arrakis.es/~bullfrog/ The Skinternet home of Oink! Skinzine http://intac.com/~avidday/index.html Do A Runner! Oi!/Street-punk 'Zine http://members.aol.com/SoundViews/doarunnr.html L'ERE BETE fanzine http://netrover.com/~ricky/lerebete/ BSSC Home Page http://www.StudioJohnMStafford.com/BSSC_Home_Page.html Razors in the Night http://www.users.interport.net/~sed/ Stormwatch (stormwatch@gnn.com) Homepage http://members.gnn.com/stormwatch/stormwatch.htm Personal Homepages Snag's Homepage http://www.worldramp.net/~snag/ Stephen "Donny" Donaldson (sprdon@ix.netcom.com) Homepage http://www.igc.apc.org/spr/ A Ska page http://www.duke.edu/~jrb11/viskasity.html Bootboy (bootboy@airmail.net) For vit musik http://web2.airmail.net/bootboy/nordl.htm SkabOi! (skadadle@tiac.net) homepage on the web http://www.tiac.net/users/skadadle/skadadle.html Schroedinger Cat's (scat@panix.com) homepage http://cognac.resnet.upenn.edu/~scat Mac's (cmmorrison@oxblood.compulink.co.uk) skinhead www page http://members.aol.com/skinheaduk/ 3.10.2: Mailing Lists ska-list From the Tomas Willis (skafaq@twillis.com) Ska FAQ: How do I get a ska email-based mailing list? What are other ska resources on the Internet? There are a few options. 1. Cleveland Ska Concert Mailing List To join the Cleveland Ska Concert Mailing List, send email to plato@en.com to subscribe. 2. Cincy Ska Mailing List To join the Cincy Ska Mailing List, send email to jbohland@ddt.eng.uc.edu 3. Skagroup mailing list There is also a ska mailing list group, Skagroup, that runs like a listserv (all posts are automagically mailed to all members of the list). To subscribe, just send email to majordomo@list.pitt.edu with subscribe skagroup in the message body. 4. SkaBeat mailing list Also, you can send email to Andre Prochaska (djdre@aol.com), to get onto the SkaBeat, mailing list, as described in Zines. oi-list Lee 69 of "Do A Runner!" Oi!/Street-punk 'Zine maintains the oi-list. You can reach him by email (SoundViews@aol.com) or visit the homepage http://members.aol.com/SoundViews/doarunnr.html 3.11: Skinheads in the Classroom TBD 3.12: Skinhead Jokes On 13 Feb 1996, Stephen Donny Donaldson wrote: Q: There's a skinhead, a punk, and a rudeboy in the back seat of a car. Who's in the front seat? A: A cop. From: tony testa , Feb-14-96 14:58 how many skins does it take to change a lightbulb? 11-one to do it and ten to back him up richie@netcom.com (Richard Collins) wrote: There was a three story apartment building in California. On the first floor lived some skinheads. On the second floor lived some punks. On the third floor lived some hippies. On day a big earthquake hit and the building was toppled to the ground. Who survived? The skinheads, they were at work! "Dominic Green" (demonicgroin@cix.compulink.co.uk) writes: The New York Police Department expressed concern yesterday at the number of Hairless Vagrant Youths hanging around underpasses, dark alleyways and latrines holding Personal Computers with the intent to Maim and Rob. One such unhirsute youth was questioned by reporters: Our Man In Brooklyn: 'So, Dave - can I call you Dave?' Dave: 'That's me name.' OMIB: 'So, Dave, you - hit people with this Personal Computer thing?' Dave: 'I do. Ram the screen down straight over their ead. IBM PC's works best, then the ole ead goes right down the cathode tube. Macintoshes only works on folk with small eads, like Children and Creationists.' OMIB: 'But...why don't you just...hit them. With your hands?' Dave: 'I'm a child of the Information Age.' ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A fellow I know was over in England for a while and sent this back: Bonnets, Spanners, and Boots... by Mel Pheasant The language here is quite different. It's almost the same, but enough to make it unintelligible if you are listening to someone speaking slangily in a pub, after having a few. I'm putting together a glossary for myself: chip 'o larter - a little sausage used for garnish (not a guy from Ireland) bonnet - car hood boot - car trunk gateau - cake prawns - shrimp yorkshire pudding - not pudding at all, but a full coarse meal minced meat - not a meal at all, but a desert bangers and mash - disgusting sausage in something or other clotted cream - unknown, but apparently quite popular oxtail soup - unfortunately, what you'd think sweets - deserts crisps - chips chips - fries lunch - usually the meal around noon dinner - usually the meal around noon supper - usually the meal around noon (note no clear word for evening meal) tea - a fictitious break around 4pm that no one seems to take high tea - late night snack I think low tea - no reference to this, perhaps Sat. morning tea after a big party? takeaway - takeout food drizzle - rain sleet - rain rain - rain blustery - rainy showers - rain mist - rain gales - wind and rain, don't even bother with an umbrella fog - slower rain wind - rain coming in at a slight angle, just under the umbrella wet - rain, but they aren't sure what kind, or a mixture damp - fog, with some drizzle and rain, perhaps showers stormy - blustery rain, with wind cold front - rain warm front - rain occluded front - rain sun - occasional light poking through the clouds light - thin clouds with drizzle or rain dark - think clouds, with any kind of rain patchy - different kinds of rain, with thin cloud patches clear - not describing the sky, but perhaps "rain clear across England" weather - rain dry - the weather man's been on the wagon widget - strange things put in beer cans to get it to foam properly beer - beer pint - beer ale - beer bitter - beer lager - beer cider - horribly strong beer/cider draught - beer half - a weenie glass of beer stout - beer you can't see through real ale - beer made the old way cheers - like aloha, means almost anything, like hi, bye, please, thankyou, excuse me, excuse me for farting, a toast, thanks for the toast, thanks for stepping on my foot, thanks for spilling beer on me, thanks for holding the door open, etc. sod - "sod it", an expletive suitable for use in front of youngsters mate - Canadian equivalent of "guy", American "man" dodgey - what you'd think, actually, just applied to more things fag - cigarette faggots - large meatballs First UK Tranlation Guide by an anonymous person: In this first attempt, I'm going to try a phrase-translation guide to talking in the UK: "A hurricane came by and flattened my house, and whisked away all my children and worldly belongings" translates to "we had a bit of a wind". "The idea was so stupid we laughed it out of the meeting room" translates to "It's not on". "This soup is so aweful you couldn't even stick a goddamned knife through it" translates to "It's a bit stodgy". "Two hundred bored fishermen, unable to fish because of bad weather, beat the crap out of each other and busted up a lot of commercial property" tranlates to "there was a bit of a rumble at the pub last night". 3.13: Skinhead Short Stories (fiction/non-fiction) Saturday Night Aggro? Hardly... by The Werewolf of London Saturday night aggro? Hardly...this is kinda funny...last night I was downtown with my roommate and another friend. I just wanted to kick back and have a beer and relax after my return trip from Winnipeg (aka Cool Canadian City),anyways, the three of us are walking up the street about 10 PM minding our own business and heading for the bar. Well, as we're waiting to cross the street thisjock-boy with a backwards baseball cap turns in front of us and yells out the car window "Hey faggots! Who does the sucking and who does the fucking?" and sped off. This brought a finger salute from all three of us and a wish for a beer bottle to throw. Well, we see him turn the corner and go up the next block . We decide to have some fun, mainly because he was in the car with three girls, probably trying to impress them with how hilarious he was. We speed-walk up the block and round the corner just as he's turning into the parking lot of the bar. He sees us heading for him, turns the car around and speeds off down an alley along the railroad tracks and rounds the corner. We follow after after him and round the next corner to see them sitting in another parking lot, nervously waiting. I was the first to spot them and pointed at them. He's now facing three pissed off older guys marching shoulder to shoulder straight at his car with determined looks on their faces. He rolls down the window and screams "What the fuck is your problem?" to which my buddy yells "Come here, punk!" One of the girls in the back shrieks "Leave us alone!" and I yell "We want him, not you." We're almost up to the car and my roommate yells at him "Hey, talk shit to us now." He gives us a terrified look, rolls up the window and punches the accelator, leaving in a cloud of dust and spun gravel while we chase him down the street for a block. Hey, we wouldn't have hurt him, we just wanted to scare him a bit and teach him a lesson about yelling out car windows at strangers. I guess he realized that it's no longer funny when they call your bluff and come for you. Well, if anything he turned chicken in front of the three girls and lost some face there. Saturday nights can be fun :) Ah, College by Zach Archer Tonight me compose music! Yes! Due tomorrow! Song for piano and pretty female singer! Fuck! Shit! I am neither piano player nor pretty female singer! Stupid poem by Lord Byron! Make sound good! Unga boop boop be doop! Throw in a few gratuitous "Oi!"s. Hmm. What's this chord? C#, D, Eb all at same time! It's perfect! I'm a fucking genius! Anything sounds good at this hour! Herald me a fucking intellectual and buy me a yacht. I like fire! Drank lots of coffee. Let me _emphasize_ that. Drank LOTS of coffee. Hope can fall in sleep-coma soon. Hmm, let's stay up and finish this fucking project that's been due for 10 weeks oh come on I mean I had other things to do and besides I don't like poetry it's stupid anyway TEEEEA-CHER why can't I write a SYMPHONY with parts for people shooting rifles I've always wanted to do that. At the end they point the rifles at the conductor and maim 'em! Ha ha, a stupid pretentious music gimmick! Staying up after sleeping three hours was GOOD idea! I can feel it in my veins! I can feel it wanting to come up through my mouth! Met a skinhead downtown, said he was passing through. Him: "WAnna get a beer?" Me: "Uh... no, I have to go finish.. uh... I'd rather not talk about it." ARGH. Too much pizza is a bad thing. Need go home, soak in neighbor's hot tub. Calgon, take me away! Need to bust heads. Cop followed me around, wanted to kick in his headlights. Almost did. Well, not really. Mmm. Unga. So, is stupid music thing done? FUCK NO. Wrote for 6 hours today, 6 hours the day before that, put it in computer, using horrible MIDI software that crashes every time you play.. an accidental. Sounds like total shit! LifelessBorgPerformance{tm}! Underwater oboe sound replaces pretty female singer! Oh come on just give me ten MORE weeks I swear I can write for symphony or something cool like that just no more FUCKING PIANO MUSIC. Rain is wet! Remember when I did the music for that play? And I had three weeks, or actually two, because I got really sick? Why does this ALWAYS HAPPEN???!! This could have been really cool music. It's incomprefuckinghensible. And so am I. Actually, I'm not nearly as fucked up as I'm pretending to sound... Maybe I'll just go burn down a church and piss a pentagram on the pavement, maybe it'll be linked to a satanic conspiracy and get in the papers and we can re-kindle the Jesus Crusades, right here in Californica. Hot shit. Where's the Fighin' Jesus when you need him? 3.14: What is the best dark beer? Michael Rosencrantz (rosie@interport.net) writes: Good dark ales-- Brooklyn Brown (very very good) Newcastle Brown Ale Brooklyn Chocolate Stout Old Peculiar McEwan's Scotch Ale Guinness Anything I brew myself (except that batch last summer, you know the one I'm talking about) Good dark lagers-- I don't really like lager, but here's a few: Shiner Bock Celebrator (cool little plastic goat tied to the bottle) Richard Collins (richie@netcom.com) writes: The best dark beer (stout actually) is Guinness hands down. If stout is a little too thick for you try a porter or lager. And don't overlook Beck's Dark, I know it sounds common but it is really decent stuff. Personally I'll take a stout any day but if it is darker than a cup of Denny's coffee I'll drink it! From: LAHC Student I don't think it is dark beer, but I like it (Killians). I think they have red and dark brown. If you haven't already tried it, I suggest you do. Joellen Welch (jowelch@lynx.dac.neu.edu) writes: Harpoon Stout. Ya can't get it just anywhere, though... On Tue, 2 Apr 1996, Moonstomper wrote: Hrm...It's not the best dark beer, but my favorite dark beer is Yuengling Porter, brewed in (I believe) Pottsville, Pennsylvania. It's apparently America's oldest brewery, and during prohibition, they made ice cream to stay afloat. The reason it's my favorite is that it's good when you don't want something as heavy as guinness, but it's still definitely a dark beer, and also, it's relatively cheap, and it was readily available in supermarkets that didn't carry much good dark beer. (In other words, the only other real option was Beck's, which cost more). Unfortunately, I can't get it up here in Mass., cuz it's a small brewery, and they already have trouble meeting all the demand. "sigh* Cheeky Princess (leah_rochelle@bc.edu) writes: King K of the Allstonians wanted me to post this too: You are right about Yuengling being America's oldest brewery and I agree that they make some excellent Gevvy's namely the lager and their black&tan is outstanding. But alas, I've not had the porter yet. Even though it is a brown ale, Newcastle is by far better than Becks. I could probably score some of the porter from my future father-in-law who turned me onto Yuengling last year when I visited in Allentown, PA. Let me know through this address. I'm getting some anyway, when he comes up to Boston for our (Cheeky's & my) wedding. roke@mail.utexas.edu (rokester) writes: P.S. A good dark beer is Ziegen Bock Amber, Brewed right here in TX J A Dare writes: Here's my two cents. Stouts rule, okay?! Thus the following.... 3.14.1: Guinness Extra Stout TBD Fredrik Th Ónell (fr@unforgettable.com) writes: Did I tell you what happened when they tried serving Guinnes at the bars at school? They had to stop. They run things non-profit and even without enough margin to make a zero-budget if the cans aren't left behind to be recycled (1/13 dollar a can...) And what does a tech student who has just had a Guinnes do? Of course he opens the can to see what the little bubble gizmo in the bottom look like. They only got back like 10% of the Guinness cans... 3.14.2: Murphy's Irish Stout TBD 3.15: Do Skinheads use drugs? TBD 3.16: Skinhead Scenes? Susan Monaco (smonaco@essential.org) wrote: I'm curious about the skinhead scene. What do you guys generally think about drugs, sex, food, women, where whites should live, your place in society, and attitudes toward the law? smd (wondrboy@eden.com) writes: Drug use is to a certain extent a matter of personal choice. Too much of anything can suck the life right out of you. Sex. Case in point: it's gotten out of hand, and we're catching hell for it. Food? What a dumb question, who doesn't like to eat? Women? I like them. I'm marrying one soon. White people? They manage to live everywhere, like roaches. That'll never change. My place in society? Eternal rake. Law? Well one hand I don't like to see little children fondled and old ladies stabbed, I know what it's like to spend 14 hours in jail at a time for utterly silly bullshit. The law is forever a necessary evil. It's our worst best friend, generally a tool of the ruling class. PJRmovie (pjrmovie@aol.com) wrote: Okay, here goes it again: If anyone knows anything about any skins, scooters, mods or even a rockabilly scene in Italy, please let me know. My friend is moving to Florence in September and desperately is seeking some good people to hang with. smd (wondrboy@eden.com) writes: This probably isn't helpful, but I'll spill my guts regardless. I was there in december and had the full range of the "skinhead experiences". People think you're a Nazi, people pick fights with you in nightclubs, you meet good old fashioned traditional skinheads (in this case at the Vatican, the police don't trust you, et cetera. I saw two pieces of good grafitti "Mods Rule, ok?" and "Punx and Skins: El Grupo Fred Perry". I had alot of fun. Beware that the flight jacket is a fashion staple, like the trend of blue jeans. EVERYONE wears them. They don't really mean much. At the same time the clash between neofascists and lefties/anarchists is pretty eminent amongst the young. Lots of young people walking around with the fascists insignias. Lots of battles of propaganda through spray paint and poster. It's an old battle, and I'd stay out of it. Okay, that's about it. There are cool people, it may take a while, but they're out there. If you can afford to have a good time there, it's an alright place. Fredrik Th Ónell (fr@unforgettable.com) writes: Heh... Well, over here shaving your head is a bad idea if you're not 6 ft. 5, 200 lbs (or non-kaukasian). We've got hoards of gangs made up of 16-yr. old ex-yougoslavian muslims and/or arabs who are basically just braindead racist dickheads walking around trying to find someone swedish-looking to beat up to show how tough they are (only ten against one or so, gotta admire them...). Then they spend a lot of time bitching about how everyone who's not them is _sooooooooo_ 'racist' since everyone hates them (which is true, but not very racist IMO) and doesn't 'respect' them... I feel really sorry for all the nice refugees/immigrants who live here, who have to put up with seeing their contrymen being like that and suffering from the effects of it. Anyway, if you're not big enough to be a threat _and_ shave your head, you can wear a t-shirt with a crossed over swastika and "nasi's fuck off" printed on it. They are too clueless to realise what it means. You get beaten up none the less. I don't think even you would be safe. I'm so goddamn tired of all the racism here, both the 'normal' one and the 'reverse'. It ruins a lot! The Werewolf of London writes: Yep..it's official, i have deemed Winnipeg, Manitoba to be on Marc's Official List of Cool Places. I just returned from an overnight jaunt up there...and not only did I find a kick-ass music store with tons of Oi and Ska (I picked up Oi! The Main Event CD) , I also found a store with a sale on Docs, no 3-hole oxbloods steelies :( but i did snag a pair of black 3-holers for $89 Canadian...damn good price in my book... Scariest part was that =:0 ...I actually got laid again...this is getting wierd...twice in one month? I'm afraid that the polar ice caps are going to shift pretty soon...such unusal activity must be a prediction of something big about to happen...gotta love those Canadian women...:) Yep...Winnipeg is cool... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3.17: DONT WANNA BE A VICTIM: SKINHEADS (PART ONE) by Donny the Punk (may be reprinted freely) Skinhead! The very word breathes flames. To most of the population, which has heard of skins only thru the mass media, "skinhead immediately conjures up lurid pictures of Nazis, the Ku Klux Klan, ignorant gangs, a disciplined corps of mindless terrorists, the young storm troopers of the Fourth Reich. Many react with visceral revulsion, disgust, even blind hatred. To skins themselves, the term evokes pride, a sense of honor, a feeling of tribe and family and affectionate brotherhood. Mixed in for both skins and their enemies are images of macho violence, flight jackets, drunken brawls, gang rituals, nationalism or patriotism, soccer fans, beer, oi! punk rock music, British youth cults, Doc Martens boots, "braces (suspenders), ska music, and the working class. And above all, the short haircut with its film images of convicts and soldiers. In the years ive been writing this column, i dont think i have ever attempted a more difficult subject than skinheads. Ive written on oi! and on ska music, both of which heavily involve skins, and over two years ago i promised id eventually write a column on skinheads. In the last issue i described my joy at a NYC skinhead show, but until now ive shied away from tackling this complex and usually misunderstood subject head-on. Crucified for Your Skins I started out as a newspaper and Associated Press reporter, so i am not one of those folks who blame the press for everything. But i certainly have never seen any group of people as viciously, callously, and systematically slandered and misrepresented, without any attempt at a balanced or objective presentation, as the skinheads. Their treatment, violating all the professional standards i was ever taught, is a black mark indeed on the record of American journalism. For the sake of sensationalism (which a gullible public rewards with greater sales and ratings), the mass media, whether TV, film, newspapers, or magazines, has been holding up neo-Nazi and rascist boneheads as skinheads, accepting their claim to that term at face value. The trad(itional) skins, who are the vast majority and who do not generally recognize the boneheads as true skins at all, rarely show up in the media at all. The most outrageous journalistic errors are committed at will, and nobody cares. Why? Skins are mostly working-class, and few of the media bigwigs have ever known one. Skins dont move in the power circles of the media, they dont mean much to heavy advertisers, and they have no big lobbies and well-connected law firms to make noises when the media mistreats them. Also as a side effect of a powerless working-class background, skins are not brought up with the idea that efforts should be directed towards changing the system. And by now the skinhead stereotype has become so well ingrained as a bogeyman of the media that most skins feel it is hopeless to even try to change things, abandoning the field and concentrating on personal contacts at the grass- roots. It still hurts, tho, when ignorant people everywhere hate you for a Nazi at the mere sight of a shaved head; all the more so when youve got the scars from fighting the real Nazis. In the United States, a major culprit is the Anti-Defamation League, which is headquartered in NYC and normally fights anti-Jewish discrimination, but which each year produces, distributes, and publicizes a report holding up "skinheads as tools of the neo-Nazi right wing. Typically, the ADL acknowledges the existence of non-rascist skins only in a tiny buried footnote (which is of course overlooked by all the media folks) to the effect that "the term skinhead in this report means only neo-Nazi skinheads and is not intended to reflect on other skinheads. But for 30 pages or so the ADL then fulminates in large type about "skinheads as a grave threat to minorities everywhere and an organized force of storm troopers available to neo-Nazi and KKK groups around the globe. The mass media always picks it up and uncritically prints summaries of it year after year, and this is how the "opinion makers in the USA get their false image of skinheads. Those who are editors and producers then reflect that stereotype when they commission their own people to do pieces. Cops, judges, bosses, teachers and others in turn take their views uncritically from the media. Bootboys are no angels to be sure, but It is no wonder that skins feel crucified by the media, and that the Crucified Skin is one of the most popular images of skinhead artistic tradition. I myself have made numerous attempts to open up a dialog with the ADL, but they simply refuse to respond. My theory is that the Skinhead Menace is too useful as a tool to frighten wealthy donors into making donations to the ADL for them to give it up. Every cause-oriented fundraiser needs a scary threat to get fat cats to cough up the bucks, so the ADL makes "skinheads out to be on the verge of seizing the streets and putting their supposed Nazi bosses in power and ship all those rich Jewish donors off to new concentration camps. Since nobody among the circles of the powerful knows or defends skins, and the Nazis love the publicity, nobody holds the ADL to account, so why change? The irony here is that the ADL is actually helping the rascists by this campaign, making youth across the country believe that if they want to join a tough group called "skinheads, or enjoy oi! music, they have to adopt rascist attitudes and work with the far right. They are actually undermining the efforts of trad skins to reclaim our heritage as a multiracial skinhead movement. But nobody cares. Kids of the 80s I first got my head shaved as a Navy enlisted recruit, a second time when i became a Buddhist, and a third time when i became a monk for a summer. But my association with skinheads goes back to 1979, when i was a big fan of Sham 69 and spent 3 days with singer Jimmy Pursey while i interviewed him for PUNK Magazine. He first taught me about skins and their close connection to punk rock; Jimmy was once both a skin and a punk, and his band is widely acknowledged as the origin of what later became oi! as a skin/punk musical coalition. Jimmys authentic working-class style appealed to me tremendously and reminded me of the cameraderie id enjoyed as a common sailor. But my combative embrace of violence while living off low wages in the South Bronx ghetto eventually got me convicted in 1980 of "assault with intent to commit murder on a cop and thus sent off to federal prison for 4 more years of working-class companionship and lessons in violence. I had to fight in every joint and i usually lost, but i showed that i "had heart and was willing to stand my ground against the odds. After getting out, i hung out as a Lower East Side punk with many skins and even had one of the original Frisco skins (Dickie) living with me for a while; i interviewed Agnostic Front for Flipside and defended skins as a subgroup of punk rockers in my monthly NYC scene reports for Maximum Rock & Roll, causing several arguments with editor Tim Yohannon, who hated skins and to this day wont give me a regular column there. I did get insulted by some skins for having been raped in jail (which i never kept a secret), had my leather MC jacket and oi! records stolen and my nose broken by two skins in 85 (i saw the thief again in prison in 90), and was seriously beat up by 6 self- proclaimed Nazis in 87 (2 of them later apologized to me). But i never considered these guys to be typical, and in an April Fools skit on Pat Duncans WFMU show in 86 i ended up becoming a skin and forming a band with the Dalai Lama while The Sedated played in the background. By then i was collecting skinhead music on tape and was a big fan of The Radicts, then NYCs major oi! band; i almost became their manager. After an 8-month parole revocation in 90, i started going to ska shows and discovered the NYC oi! revival. Feeling Alright With the Crew Finally in May 1993, after a run-in with the Newark, NJ, cops left me full of anger and determination, my friend Eric, then a skin, shaved the rest of my head, which had been half-skin and half-hair since 1990. By that time i had already been associating with the Mayday skin crew for half a year, and i learned much about the tradition from them (the crew disbanded in 94). I went to the legendary United Front skin festival in Washington, DC, in June (UtV #15) and got such a warm welcome that i went ahead and got Docs and braces in July. I dont believe anyone really becomes a skinhead overnite, just by shaving your head and having your parents buy you a set of boots and braces and a flight. No, "skinhead, i knew, was for skins a title of pride and honor; it has to be earned and the tradition learned, and i refused to call myself a skin until other respected skins recognized me as worthy of the honor. I had some doubts when i got jumped at the instigation of a Nazi bonehead right after an August 93 Madball show (#16), but kept at it and joined loose skinhead associations like SHARP (SkinHeads Against Racial Prejudice), United Front, and the International Rangerskins, read everything i could find in print about skins, attended a lecture on skinhead history, listened to endless skinhead anthems going back to its Jamaican roots in the 60s, joined in the ongoing Internet debate via alt.skinheads and #ska, started the electronic Oi!-list, wrote and photographed for a bunch of skinzines including Skinhead Times; published two letters to the editor in the New York Times protesting their very biased news coverage of skinheads; and above all talked with countless skins about what "skinhead meant to them. I was commissioned to write a piece on non-rascist skins for the Village Voice but the editor who assigned it died. I kept my fidelity to punk values and music as well, copping to the early 80s designation of "skunk as a fusion of skinhead and punk. Meanwhile, in NYC and (generally) worldwide, the skin and punk scenes, which had lost their original fraternal proximity in the later 80s, moved back together again (especially in the oi! music scene), returning to the close ties of the late 70s and early 80s, leaving me comfortable as a skunk. Not long ago Mark Brown, editor of the European skinzine Bronco Bullfrog, now merged with Skoink! to become Teenage Warning, named me his American correspondent. Rebels With a Cause It was with some trepidation that i decided to wear boots and braces and a large OI! button during the filming of the Mike Wallace interview with me about prisoner rape on "60 Minutes (aired March 3), but i wanted to send a signal to the knowing among the 45 million viewers (in the USA) of my subcultural affiliations. I didnt know how skins generally would react to my disclosure that i had been gang-raped and hence, in the view of many males, had "lost my manhood. In a very macho subculture, it seemed to be a risky step. Then this month i got my long-awaited copy of George Marshalls "Skinhead Nation" in the mail; its first chapter, incidentally, is about NYC, which says a lot. This Scotskin, former editor-publisher of Skinhead Times and author of "Spirit of 69: The Skinhead Bible" (the real skinhead handbook, must reading for any real skin or anyone seeking to understand the skinhead movement), just happened to see me on "60 Minutes (broadcast in the UK). In in the last chapter of this 156-p. sequel to "Spirit of 69," George said some very nice things about me as a skinhead , calling my appearance "the bravest thing Ive ever seen a skinhead do and describing my battle against the prison system and its institutionalized rapes "the sort of battle that skinheads throughout the world respect as being part of the very fabric that runs through the skinhead cult in its purest form. This judgement from the most respected skinhead in the world left me, a writer, at an unaccustomed loss for words, but not so Alexandra Gerber, office manager for Stop Prisoner Rape, a ska fan who has been hanging with skins since she was 13. She wrote to George: "You should have seen the happiness in his face, and dare I mention them, the tears of pride welling up in his eyes....It is so good to see that his community will back him and recognize his work. Nor is George the only one: The Business singer Micky Fitz embraced me recently after a NYC show, having read about my work while touring in Seattle, and members of The Templars (whose song provided the title for this column) and Patriot (whose song "Bail Me Out describes the fear of being raped) have also shown their support . When the matter came up on the Internet recently, i learned that a longtime skinhead friend of mine in North Carolina, Jimi 45, had told one of the Oi- list subscribers that he would give his life for me. That is the kind of loyalty that skinheads recognize as one of the traditions highest ideals. Warriors Yes, and perhaps they also recognize that, tho perhaps i am now too old for street brawls and too busy running a national organization for pub crawls, i am in my own way still very much a fighter, refusing to be a helpless, defeated victim, yes, taking on the very government itself, the Goliath of violent power, in a cause with few allies. My earliest memory is being in a Navy boxing ring at the age of 3i still have the team photo and so i have been a fighter all my life. So by way of thanx to all these skins, and acknowledging my own skinhead allegiance, this 2-part column. In the next issue ill try and describe skinhead history and tradition and the skinhead movement today. [box text: Skinhead Nation and Spirit of 69 can be ordered from See Hear, the zine store at 59 E. 7th St., NYC 10003; Moonska Records, NYC store at 150 E. 2nd St. (Ave. A) or PO Box 1412, NYC 10276; or ST Publishing, PO Box 12, Dunoon, Argyll, PA23 7BQ, Scotland; STs prices are $30 and $20. For the Oi! list, send the e-mail message: info oi-list to: listserver@nizkor.almanac.bc.ca] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4.0: Skinhead Fashion "When a Skinhead has his head shaved, wears a Flight Jacket and big Doc Marten Boots, people notice him" - Loren Christensen Skinhead fashion is important but shouldn't really be strictly defined. There's label snobbery with skins as much as cult. Skinhead togs are a mix of military, workwear and city gent! Utility and style. The practical cult! Three distinctive sterotype looks have emerged however. Smart Skin: Suits (single brested, 3-4 button), shirts(button collar, no tie), sta press trousers, boots, brogues, crombies. Everyday Skin: Jeans, Combat Trousers, Boots, Fred Perrys, T-shirts, Button collar or collarless shirts (plain or tartans), MA1 jackets, Levi style jackets, donkey jackets. Bonehead Skin: High boots(14-22 Holes), black drainpipe jeans, combat/camo trousers, Black MA1's, Union jack / WP T-Shirts. Of course most skins mix all of the above sterotypes and wear lots more besides A spin off cult is scooter boys who tend towards the bonehead look, MA1's, camo/combats and boots. Which is more suited to hours spent in the rain on a scooter on route to Morcambe. [SHG] James F. Dugan (fluffy@nyc.pipeline.com) writes: You don't have to look any way to be a skinhead. Its not about clothes, or even hair for that matter, but apparently you're way too caught up in appearences and the signifigance of your own opinion to even come close to understanding this. 4.1: What colour are your Docs? From: smartin@somemag.com (Stephen Martin) I've got a pair of black 8-holes that I wear regularly, a pair of Black Watch Tartan 8-holes that I wear frequently, and a pair of blue 14-holes with red tartan laces that I use as my rain boots. :> From: dj jurgen CHERRY DOCS, either my 14 0r 18 holes with Combat Sole. Those are my preferences although I also like my black 14 holes. From: skh8729@ocvaxa.cc.oberlin.edu (Kali Holloway) To tell the truth, I'm a little more partial to Getta Grips than Docs these days, mainly because Getta Grips (in this age of mass-produced Docs) are sturdier than Docs, and last longer. Never go over ten eyelets. Monkey boots look nice on girls too, but I think loafers---not boots--- should be worn with skirts. My favorite pair of shoes that I own, though, are Docs with red Iron Crosses on the side. Doc stopped making them a few years ago, and I used to work in this store that sold Docs (Junkman's Daughter in Atlanta, for those of you that have been there) and they were the last pair to be found. They've actually lasted a good three years thus far... From: Graham Nothing else but 14 holes - Black or proper oxbloods, not cherry bloody red. From: richie@netcom.com (Richard Collins) I prefer 20 eye pink docs with purple laces. For some reason a lot of men in SF like my boots ! Go figure ? From: modstyle68@aol.com (MODSTYLE68) oxblood always! my current pair are 10 hole, i'd never wear more eyes than that! From: Michael Rosener 14 eye steel cap for fun, and i want a pair of the black & white wing tips for those dressier occasions From: baetsch@plains.nodak.edu (The Werewolf of London) Black 8i Docs....that's the only pair i have, i can't afford another pair at the moment... The Werewolf of London (baetsch@plains.nodak.edu) writes: Joellen Welch (jowelch@lynx.dac.neu.edu) wrote: Yeah, they make white Docs, but they're patent leather (the ones i've seen at least) and have black stitching with black laces. White Docs, eh? Just the thing if you work in a hospital....or drive a Mr. Softee Ice Cream truck... From: dave, Oink! 'Zine OXBLOOD!! Joellen Welch (jowelch@lynx.dac.neu.edu) writes: Greasy leather, if I'm not mistaken, is just smooth and shiny, right? Well, in any case, i like my boots 10-hole, black, and so shiny you can see yourself in them, until i walk out the door and my showroom shine gets scuffed... I'm also ordering the three-hole oxbloods (cherry red?) from Sheely's soon... rumor has it that they're going to stop making three-hole steel-toes soon, so get 'em while you can -- you never know what's true or not these days! They're only 34.99 in pounds, good deal! Out of eleven responses the top two most popular styles were the 14 or 8 holes in Black or Oxblood. 4.1.1 Anybody know where I can find DM oxbloods in either 3 or 4i? I can find cherry reds everywhere, it's oxbloods I'm looking for. Hell, I'll even consider a used pair if they are 10 1/2 US and don't stink too bad. (baetsch@plains.nodak.edu (The Werewolf of London) Graham writes: I don't think you will find any. I think they haven't been made as oxbloods for about 7 - 8 years now. You can turn cherry reds into oxbloods by putting a fine coat of black polish on them and then a coat of oxblood polish. They don't go black, just darker red. Bullskn (bullskn@aol.com) writes: Umm granted i picked mine up like a year and a half ago...im still pretty sure they sell em at the Dr Marten store in chicago..if anyone really wants the address email me..ill have to dig it up 4.2: Boots and Braces don't make a Racist. 4.2.1: Boot Laces kamui (kam@escape.com) wrote: what's the deal with the color of boot laces? i hear that if you had white laces, it used to mean white power? can someone clear this up for me on what different colors are supposed to stand for? thanks. Common concensus seems to be that the colour coding of boot laces amongst skinheads is a thing of the distant past. The most sensible post on this subject read: From: dj jurgen This whole perceived meaning of colours of laces is childish and ridiculous! Being a skin is not about the colour of laces in one's boots. The funniest posts, however, came from Graham, and jagdwild@ecnet.com (wrath of god), who wrote: Graham wrote: Acetes_Man@msn.com (Acetes Man) wrote: White lace -> White power (or supremacy if you like) Red lace -> Fascist / Fascism and yellow laces in red rangers means you're Ronald McDonald....next.... Hey whats wrong with yellow laces in red rangers? Every cool skin is wearing them these days. They look really cool with my rainbow 3" wide braces ( I unfortunately have this urge to wear a red rubber nose every time I wear this outfit). Bryan If I had one of those silver flights, I could be a raver also. Graham did shed this bit of light upon the whole subject: The original lace thing started when English skins started choosing the colour of their laces depending on which football team they supported. When I was younger and used to support Watford (I know, we all make mistakes) I used to wear yellow. As a Coventry supporter (known as the 'Sky Blues') if I wear my black docs I have blue laces in them. Very few English skins do this anymore. I know a few old'uns who do. As for what they mean today in terms of media perception to your politics it is a load of wank. The meaning of colours vary from area to area. I've know places in England where white means white pride, but NOT white power (parts of North London). In other places white can mean white power and white can mean gay. Perhaps the colour thing was true when the laces were first linked to which football team you supported. Some of the football crews did have a particular strong political bias and people there assumed that because you wore "X" colour you ran with "X" crew who, in political terms, were mainly "Y". I guess this is where the politics/lace thing must have started off. Graham writes: gregng@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu (Gregory Gardner) wrote: Well, back in my day (1980-84), the _ONLY_ color were red laces, and the _ONLY_ boots were 10-hole DM steel-cap "Blackguards", which I don't think Doctor Martens even makes any more. The named boots like "Blackguards" were made by Joe Hawkins under licence. They also used to make a pair called Blackwatch. Can't recall the name of the 8 or 14 holes. If you go back in history then you'll find that the only original colours were football team colours. And you absolutely NEVER laced them in cross-overs (that still annoys me when I see some kid with DM boots laced crossed over. Kind of sad.) I know of one crew that did. It was done to piss everyone else off...and it worked. Of course, after a while I started using flourescent orange laces. They seemed original at the time. ...or a Wolvey supporter.... Wolverhampton girls - The essex girls of the midlands (;-) Y'know, I'm getting tired of this semiotic hair-splitting. Wear what you like. ... so long as it is the colour of the football team you support... An old man. I'm getting there Graham ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Common concensus, again, seemed to indicate the following colour codes: black - You have just bought these boots and the laces aren't worn enough to necessitate buying a new pair. white - white power, white pride, Boneheads, nice contrast with black leather/you avoid mud puddles with admirable dexterity. red - white power, Nazi, National Front, Boneheads, Communists yellow/black/blue - S.H.A.R.P. (circa 1990, Sacramento and most of Northern California) yellow laces/red rangers - you're Ronald McDonald yellow laces/blue rangers - you're Batman! pink laces - gay skin or fag-bashing skin blue laces/black docs - Chelsea/Coventry supporter blue laces - cop killer, sXe yellow laces - Columbus Crew/Watford supporter, cop/asian basher green laces - keep on skanking? Environmentalist? Celtic Pride? flourescent orange - Wolverhampton supporter There are some who say that the following codes also exist: Yellow: Anarchy, looking for ultraviolence Green: Sharp, Gay basher Orange: Biohazard fan But there has been no colloboration of this. 4.2.2: Braces kamui wrote: braces? From: Jenn Braces is just a synonym for suspenders. Any kind of suspenders. They could be 3 inches wide and they'd still be braces. Skinheads just happen to be partial to the ultra-skinny kind, but they're *all* braces, 'cause they're all still suspenders. From: b fowler (bridget.fowler@which.net) hi, your faq is v.good, but I think people should know that the reason suspenders are called braces is because in England suspender are garter belts. Which conjures up some funny imagery. cheers Bridget 4.3: The Late Great Burgundy Flight From: jadec@uno.edu fluffy@nyc.pipeline.com (James F. Dugan) writes: Sylvia Rowe writes: I don't know of ONE self-respecting guy who would wear a burgundy flight. I think of them as girls flights, as do a lot of people I know. Maybe it's not PC to make gender distinctions, but I like to think that we girls can have something a little feminine that's all ours. We used to have monkey boots, but you men took to wearing them too. BTW, nobody ever said your choices were limited to burgundy or green flights. Why not black or blue? Well I'm not a big fan of burgundy flights in general, but I never thought of them as a "girl" thing. Now monkey boots on the other hand... Jim Dugan NO, no, I'll have to go with Sylvia here about the flight, and Jim about monkey boots.... JOE From: mrosener@ix.netcom.com(Michael Rosener ) richie@netcom.com (Richard Collins) writes: BRicha6796 (bricha6796@aol.com) wrote: I got a burgundy flight and a black flight and Oxblood Docs and black Getta grips. I dunno Is that cool. I don't wear them all at once. My Burgundy flight has about had it anyway. So have my Getta Grips so I guess it's oxblood Docs and a black flight for me. > Another dude with a burgandy flight. Some people out there have this strange notion that it is a feminine color. Now maybe, pink, or magenta would be feminine but good old burganday rocks. I dated a girl named Burgandy, but that is another story .. .. Well hell, if we're all coming out with our burgandyness (is that even a word?) i had one, but it's toast now. I'm going with a good ol' blue now. sketch And so everyone started coming out of the "burgundy flight" closet. American President William "Bill" Clinton was even heard to remark: "I had a burgundy flight once, but I didn't wear it." Chris, CRM94001@UConnVM.UConn.Edu summed it all up best when he said: I'm basically in the same boat as Sketch. I had a burgandy flight, then I got my green one (which was a piece of shit) but I have to say that the best lookin one has to be the blue. Throw on a pair of oxblood london undergrounds, a box hat, and yer good to go! BRicha6796 (bricha6796@aol.com) writes: Well off the subject of wet dreams etc. I got this catalog and they have flights in Silver, Desert camo, and woodland Camo. That's much worse than burgundy. BEN 4.4: Patches Joellen Welch (jowelch@lynx.dac.neu.edu) writes: I've been dying to find a backpatch that says "better dead than red", but other than that, i just have an American flag. I have POW-MIA patch (yes, I've been a supporter since six, not since i cut my hair off), but I just ordered a green and black one that's gonna go on my flight. As for bands, i just stick with the little sleeve pins, of which I currently have none. "AudioWhore, M.D." writes: I love patches with the name of the band on them, but because I'm a music snob, personally, I would have to know -a lot- about the band before I put it on my flight. I saw a nifty Scofflaws patch, but I didn't get it, because 1> I don't own any of their material, 2> I don't know them well enough as a band-- ie. # of albums, members, history, 3> Because it would be just plain embarassing a huge fan of there (who knows everything about them) started talking to me about them.... The Werewolf of London wrote: Well, I have a US Flag on my left shoulder, a Union Jack (or Butcher's Apron as some call it) on my right shoulder, a pin that says Oi! and a pin with a skin, Union Jack and "The Last resort" on it... Jen/Ed has a Canadian flag on her left sleeve, a patch with a skin and Oi! on her right sleeve, an Oi button and skinhead girl button on her flight (she can't get her newsgroups anymore so I thought I'd speak for her) scat@panix.com (Schroedinger Cat) writes: Let's see... I have a Skinhead Moonstomp (small, square one) on the back of my flight, with a Vespa: Foremost in Performance patch underneath it; a Chelsea: England's Pride patch on my right sleeve, with a Deutscher FuBball-Bund patch underneath it... on the front is yet another Chelsea patch, and on the left sleeve is Ajax, with a smaller vespa patch right above the pocket. On the collar I have my grandmother's coast guard pins from WWII, a Chelsea badge (surprise surprise), America/Germany crossed flags, and my Cum Laude pin (I had to put it somewhere or I'd lose it!) 4.4.1: The Spirit of 69: Michelle Chen (voxpop@nyc.pipeline.com) wrote: One of my friends in school has a yellow and black, circular patch that reads "69" on his backpack. Everyone seemed to assume that it represented the -- er, sexual position, "69". However, at a show, I saw a skinhead with the same patch displayed prominently on his flight jacket. I came to the conclusion that he thought it stood for the "Spirit of 69". Could it be either, or was that skinhead just humiliating himself? 8)? Richard Collins (richie@netcom.com) writes: Well funny you should ask that little girl. Many of my friends and I have those "69" patches on our flights. We wear them in refrence to "Spirt of 69" to indicate that we are traditional skinheads, in the same way a SHARP would have a SHARP patch or a nazi a swastika. Somehow there is a connection however with the astrological symbol of the Cancer. I do not know what it is to be honest. And ironically I am a Cancer so when people ask me am I a Cancer I sometimes think "How did they guess ... duh" I guess that patch has a dual meaning for me, but generally it is a trad thing ! The Werewolf of London (baetsch@plains.nodak.edu) writes: paul (pmarti1@gl.umbc.edu) wrote: i thought the sham skins started the 69 patch thing. the sham army and so on. yeah, that's what i thought too....The Sham Army started it... 4.4.2: Crucified Skin SmokeyL (smokeyl@aol.com) writes: what is the history behind the crucified skinhead? I saw on one of the tatoos of a crucified skin, blood and honor, which kind of sounds like something racist? please fill in me on what the significance about it is? napoles lisa m (napoles@students.uiuc.edu) writes: The crucified skinhead symbol was used by the Oi! band Last Resort, but it's pretty much become a universal skin symbol. Schroedinger Cat (scat@panix.com) writes: The crucified skinhead thing is getting co-opted by freshcuts. If there's one patch you SHOULDN'T put on your first flight, it'as a crucified patch... that's about having suffered persecution and the like for a LONG TIME because of being a skinhead... I have no particular time frame in mind, but let me just say that I've been wanting one for a few years now, and think I'm going to wait a few more just in case. You get a crucified skins patch when you know you're in it for life; and frankly, no matter how dreamy-eyed you may be at the prospect of boots and braces, after your first month with a shaved head you can't really know if a year from now you'll find it equally appealing. (booromj1480@cobra.uni.edu) writes: I've never actually heard of wearing a crucified skin patch. Around here you get it tattoed after about 5 or 6 years. But most of the skins that have stuck it out that long don't have the patch or the tattoo. The patch seems kinda dumb. Last word on "Patches and Pins" goes to paul who writes: well right now i have a red stripe, and a skinhead moonstomp pin. the busters and selecter patches, and a guinness bar towel on the back under an embroidered fred wreath. Which brings us to: 4.5: FREDS! From the home office in Sioux City Falls, Nebraska (NO, not really), "James F. Dugan" writes: I suppose I can take a stab at this ... I realize this is way too long, feel free to edit it. Fred Perry's: Probably the single most popular "skinhead" shirt around, particlarly in the US. Despite a recent popularity among Ravers, Skaters, and television personalities, that laurel wreath crest is pretty much synonymous with skinheads, and feartures prominantly in zines t-shirts and tattoos. History: Fred Perry was arguably the greatest English tennis player of the 20th century. He died last year in Australia, in his early 80's, and despite persistant rumor, was not black. Like many athletes today, he lent his name to a line of tennis related apparel with the ubiqitous laurel wreath, a traditional symbol of victory, as it's logo. The original line were standard tennis shirts, made from an open weave pique knit fabric that "breathed" and absorbed sweat. Contrary to anther rumor, Perry did not "invent" this style of shirt, it was popularized in fact, by Izod Lacoste, as an alternative to playing tennis in long pants, long sleeved shirts and sweaters. Today, the company that owns the trademark makes every thing from wool sweaters to golf shirts, to warm up suits. The shirts were very popular in the early to mid 60's, particularly in, England, but as English Fashion was dominant at the time, the sold well all over. Sean Connery can be seen wearing a white one on the beach in Dr. No (look closely in this scene and you can also see his tats on his forearm, which are "Scotland Forever" and "Mum and Dad") and they appear often in "period" films such as Air America (a ghastly yellow with an aqua crest) and Quadrophenia (several shirts on Mods and Rude Boys) The shirts, as can be seen in Quadrophenia, were very popular as everyday wear with the fashion concious (obsessed?) mods. As hard mods grew away from their more intellectual and wealthier counterparts, they continued to wear the shirts. This is in part due to the "I'm not going to dress like a peacock all the time" mentality and partly because many of the shirts came in fabric and piping combinations that matched football team colors. Even when the shirts fell out of mainstream fashion, skins continued to wear them, and they essentially became a part of skinhead culture. Particularly here in the US, they're sort of a status item, because theyre not easy to find, and unless you find one at TJ Maxx, rather expensive due to the exchange rate and import duties. Also, Ben Shermans, the only other contender for an "official" skinhead shirt, are less distinctive, despite stitching the Ben Sherman logo on the newer shirts, more expensive, and harder to find. Finding/Buying Fred Perry's: Fred Perrys aren't easy to get a hold of, and a shirt can cost you up to $50 when you do find them. Your options are basically: tennis shops, mail order, TJ Maxx, or thrift stores. Things to keep in mind: Your best bet is at TJ Maxx in the early spring. Many get good selections in and they run $12-20 as opposed to $35-50 for a new shirt. This is especially useful if you live in an area with few skins. They don't get bought up and you can often get them on the clearence rack for next to nothing. Conversely, go to tennis stores at the *end* of the summer when they have all of their sales. Thrift stores just require persistance. I personally hate mail order. You have to wait forever, often they send the wrong thing or size and they're expensive. Unfortunately, some people have no other alternative, particularly if you want a sweater, socks or basically anything other than a plain shirt. A few tips, call first and be very specific. If its out of stock, then decide if you wa nt to substitute. Also, keep in mind that if you order from Shelly's or the Merc *you* are responsible for the cusoms duties, its not included in the price, and they *won't* tell you. Its really an unpleasant surprise to have to go to the post office and pay $30 bucks over what you've already paid to ransom your new shirt/suit/hat/whatever from the Government. In general, be persistant, and buy what you like when you see it, but don't buy something just' cause its got the logo on it. Some of that shit is UGLY and you're not going to get cool points for wearing a black Fred with neon lime green piping (true story) just 'cause its got a crest on it. I've gotten a ton of gear over the years and I think I paid full price for exactly one of the shirts I still have. Jim Dugan 4.6: What the freak is a "wifebeater" ;p? (Michelle Chen) James F. Dugan (fluffy@nyc.pipeline.com) writes: A wifebeater is an "A" shirt (as opposed to a"T" shirt, [yes these names actually mean something]) otherwise known as a ribbed tank top or a "(least favorite ethnic group here) formal shirt" For some reason they are particularly popular with skinheads, and IMHO, the most comfortable undershirt you can get (unless of course you have to worry about tats showing through your shirtsleeves) 4.7: What is a Donkey Jacket? kylet (kylet@netwalk.com) wrote: What is a Donkey Jacket? For the Love of God, please tell me!! The Werewolf of London writes: Well..I guess it's sort of like a car coat...I don't have one so I'm no expert, just going on what Richie told me. Basically a jacket that's a bit longer than waist lenght...anybody else care to help out here? Charlie Chester (guy@fs1.csu.man.ac.uk) writes: Kyle a donkey jacket is a working man's coat of a type worn by coal miners (when we still had any), labourers, builders & the like. It's longer than a suit jacket but shorter than most coats. They are usually black or sometimes very dark blue and are made from heavy woollen cloth. A donkey jacket's most distinctive feature is the large patch over the shoulders and upper back, originally of leather but often made of vinyl these days. This was probably put on to help keep out rain and stop the tools or materials carried over a workman's shoulder from fucking up his coat. In this country you can get them very easily from army surplus or work wear stores. 4.8: Where can I get ??? From the Skinheads on the Internet web page, Skinhead gear web page, TreySkin (voodoo@phatjunkie.net), bigskank@northcoast.com (MIke), Michelle Chen, dj jurgen (jurgen@io.org), Kate Lloyd (kalloyd@lynx.dac.neu.edu), and John M. Stafford (JMStafford@compuserve.com), Laz (hellboi@coastnet.com): Probably the most difficult thing for skinheads, at least those not living in large cities or on the coasts, is finding traditional skinhead clothing. Even in large cities it is sometimes hard to find places that carry a good selection or reasonably priced clothing. This list is to help skins find the clothes they want to wear. It is a little skimpy at the moment, so I hope that people will send me some mail with more places to add to the list. Descriptions/comments by the above people. 99X 84 East 10th St. New York, NY 10003 212-460-8599 A friend of mine went to NY and ordered a bunch of stuff from them. The prices seemed to be a little inflated, but he got a bunch of cool stuff. Fred Perry, Ben Sherman, Lonsdale and various things. The 3/4" braces are sharp (and of good quality). I guess they only do COD for mail order. Nagoi (Nagoi@aol.com) writes: MOON RECORDS, a great nyc ska label/store has relocated to the basement of 99x, making shopping quite convenient.-s.kocho Air Wair Chicago 3240 N. Clark Chicago, IL 312-248-6599 Fred Perry's and boots. Probably more stuff but I don't really know. Army Surplus, Millets Everywhere, Ideal for good cheap boots, camo & combat trousers and of course MA1 Jackets. Camouflage I 334 W. Pender St Vancouver, BC V6B 1T1 Tel: 604-669-8843 Fax: 604-669-8448 Camouflage II 888 Granville St Vancouver, BC V6Z 1K3 Tel: 604-669-0506 Fax: 604-669-8448 Large assortment of Flts, DMS, Geta grips, Tradional Dr. Martens Shoe polish (Air Wair). Cole & Decker 1520 Lonsdale ave. P.O. Box 3742 North Vancouver, BC CANADA V5M 3I7 (604) 985-0259 They're currently offering for retail gingham in red, navy and black for short sleeved shirts, $60 Canadian and $45 US. In long sleeve, they have navy blue, mars green, black and white for $65 Canadian and $47.50 US. Crash And Burn 328 Mell Ave. Suite B Atlanta, GA 30307 (404) 230-BURN From the people I've talked to, this seems to be a complete skinhead store. Some have even compared it to the Last Resort shop. The have everything: Music, Boots, Perry's, Ben Sherman's, donkey jackets, etc. I'm pretty sure they are cool about mail ordering, though I've never done it myself. If you are looking for something, you'll probably find it here. They have screen printed patches, backpatches and buttons together with a bunch of stuff. I'm not sure about their prices, just call and ask for Frank/Hillary. D&M Clothing Toronto, Ontario Canada Doc's Here Toronto, Ontario Canada Holts Camden Lock London A small shop that sells a large range of docs and other quality boots / shoes with a skinhead / mod customer base in mind and at good prices. HORROR SHOW badges Frank Bruno P.O. Box 1095 Chelsea, NY 1011-1095 You can get buttons from HORROR SHOW badges. They mostly have Oi!. There are black/white and also full color. The buttons are $1.00 each and when you buy 5 you get 1 free. Its a minimum of $5.00 for mail orders. Just write and they'll send you a list and information. ICL Clothing Toronto, Ontario Canada Le Shoe Store (3 - locations) Toronto, Ontario Canada The Merc 19-21 Ganton St. London W1V1LA England 071-439-7750 or 071-734-1469 FAX 071-734-1476 The skinhead store. They have everything you could possibly want including Fred's, Ben Sherman's, footwear, T-shirts, etc. I've never ordered anything but everyone that I've talked to says that the service is good. The catalog has some cute girls in it too. At Ganton St & Camden Lock London A top shop dedicated to skinhead gear at good prices and a range not to be beaten. Own brand suits, exclusive ben sherman gear, hard to find fred perry oddities! Also stocks books, fanzines and cds/tapes. Well Worth a visit. Scootering International Magazine P.O. Box 46 Weston-super-Mare, Somerset BS23 1AF, England, UK TELE/FAX: (01144) 1-934-414785 EMAIL: 106240.3402@compuserve.com Skinead Times uses Scootering International magazine as its official mail order outlet. Scootering is open for business 5a-1p EST (2a-10a PST, (9a-5p GMT) M-F. They accept VISA, MasterCard, Access, and EuroCard, as well as checks drawn in pounds sterling. Sherrys Ganton St, London. Similar to and across the street from, The Merc. A smaller shop with large range of Freds, Bens and own brand suits, all the usual skinhead gear. Shellys Several around central London. Oxford St (2), Covent Garden. A huge range of boots and shoes all at about the best prices available. SYMS New England For all you skinheads out there looking for some fine wear that is actually within your budget, check out SYMS. I know it has several depots in New England, I don't know about anywhere else. So if you don't know about it, go there. Shirts run about $1 -20 and sweaters are about $20-25, usually a pretty good selection to. Top Skin Mailorder Top Skin, P.O. Box 20234 Cincinnati, OH 45220 I've never used them, neither had the person who gave me the info. If anyone has ordered from them let me know what they have. Trash Vaudeville 4 St. Marks Place New York, NY 10003 212-982-3590 From what I understand it is more of a punk store carrying Docs, laces, braces and various other things. I don't have a lot of information about them. Nagoi (Nagoi@aol.com) writes: trash and vaudeville on st marks has pretty much deteriorated into a riot girl store, so enter with caution. Two-Tone Mailorder 251 Main Ave Passaic, NJ 07055 (201) 778-7478 I don't have the address right now, but you can order Perry's, Sherman's, music, and all kinds of skinhead related stuff from them. I'll put the address and phone number up as soon as I find it. As to whether or not they are cool to deal with, idunno, i just ordered my first item the other day, and the girl was pretty nice and friendly, sooo.... Er, they carry a fairly good selection of clothing, but it's kind of expensive. They sell Fred Perrys and workpants and porkpie hats. They also have a little leather-bondage section (heh heh). They sell a lot of records, too. More punk than ska, but they have a lot of stuff on vinyl. They also sell books from S.T. publishing, as well. 4.8.1: Anybody have a source for Sta-Prest trousers or Dickies? (CRM94001@UConnVM.UConn.Edu) writes: Dickies are good pants for really cheap. I've had mine for a while, and the the things have still held their crease without ironing the damn things! Plus they look pretty good, too. Joellen Welch (jowelch@lynx.dac.neu.edu) writes: You don't want Sta-Prest. They're such crappy quality now. Get Dickies. they rock. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5.0: About the Newsgroups 5.1: alt.skinheads As the number of mindless crossposts and silly gits with nothing better to do than come trolling onto the newsgroup ground upon my (and a whole heck of a lot of other people's) nerves, I wished that I could use a killfile. Unfortunately, some servers don't allow one that luxury, so I just scan the subjects/authors for those that interest me. And so... People to Read in alt.skinheads (Past and present members) Name Email Address Alan Guest alan@macropolis.demon.co.uk Audiowhore, M.D. mandalo@cs.tufts.edu The Werewolf of London baetsch@plains.nodak.edu Chris CRM94001@UConnVM.UConn.Edu Gerrard A. Lindsay botbskin@akula.com Ivon Kalalang ikalalan@sierra.valleynet.com James Dugan fluffy@nyc.pipeline.com Jennifer Jewkes jewkes@orion.it.luc.edu Joellen Welch jowelch@lynx.dac.neu.edu Jen Lyons/Moonstomper jloyns@emerald.tufts.edu Cheeky Princess leah_rochelle@bc.edu OhioSkin ohioskin@aol.com db db@progeny.demon.co.uk Eric Coomer coomer@ix.netcom.com Michelle Chen voxpop@nyc.pipeline.com Graham (no longer active) Jenn Starkman (no longer active) Jason M. Garner cd630@freenet.carleton.ca Sylvia Rowe ??? Kali Holloway skh8729@ocvaxa.cc.oberlin.edu Dominic Green demonicgroin@cix.compulink.co.uk DJ Jurgen jurgen@io.org Modstyle68 modstyle68@aol.com Stephen "Donny" Donaldson sprdon@ix.netcom.com Rest In Peace Schroedinger Cat scat@panix.com Elizabeth Marie Richardson emrchrds@cc.memphis.edu Horse horse@charm.net JezeByrdx Jezebyrdx@aoe.com John M. Stafford JMStafford@compuserve.com Martina P. McBurney madmarti@total.net SoundViews soundviews@aol.com Paulskin pmarti1@gl.umbc.edu Richie DCRichie@aol.com Your mileage may vary, but these are the only people posting/who have posted that I make a point of reading and that I could remember off the top of my head. Any additions to the list are encouraged. Eric Coomer writes: What is Alt.Skinheads really all about?? It's real simple. Like most newsgroups, alt.skinheads was created by people interested in discussion of a certain topic. Simply SKINHEADS. First and foremost, alt.skinheads was NOT created as a political sounding board. I know, I joined the group shortly after it's inception... Skinheads come in many shapes, sizes, and genders- let's hear it for the ladies! as well as political persuasions etc. But there is an underlying identity of being a skinhead which transects all of these qualities. That is why we are here on this board. There are more appropraite newsgroups to post and beat your chest about whatever political bullshit you want. This just isn't the place. So to put it real bluntly, feel free to contribute to the discussion if you 1) Are a skinhead 2) Are interested in Skinheads 3) Have something worthwhile to add It's pretty rude to join in with such pedestrian comments that label all of us nazis, racists, thugs (okay maybe), or of particularly low IQ. Read the rest of this FAQ, decide for yourself if you're still ingorant enough to make such comments, then by all means post your diatribe to some other newsgroup set up for political discussion. Alt.politics.* is a good place to start. Maybe even alt.stuff.it.up.your.ass Cheers 5.2: alt.skinheads.moderated From the desk of the moderator, db@progeny.demon.co.uk: ALT.SKINHEADS.MODERATED Alt.skinheads.moderated was the brainchild of a group of alt.skinheads contributers who found that, as with many Usenet newsgroups, the 'signal to noise ratio' (i.e., the amount of unrelated and off-topic garbage being posted to the group) was making it a difficult forum for Skinhead related discussion between Skinheads. At present alt.skinheads attracts about 100 new postings per day - a large number of which are crosspostings, spams, get rich quick scams and mass postings of flame baits. This is not to say that there isn't a platform for discussion somewhere in there - it just makes finding it a lot harder! (the joy of KILLFILES) So in order to created a group whose postings could be controlled in some manner, alt.skinheads.moderated was created by Graham in 1994. It works in the same manner as a regular Usenet group - except that there is a nominated 'moderator' who monitors what is posted to the group. The moderator sees all the messages before they become publicly available. At that point they are either posted intact and unedited to the group or zapped. Anyone is welcome to post messages too alt.skinheads.moderated and there is no secret censorship or hidden agenda, but in fairness to all, the following obvious guidelines apply to all postings.. The moderator will not post your message if it: * is WAY off topic. * is a spam * is a deliberate flame bait * is a binary (although some exceptions could be likely) * it is apparently a forgery (anon remailers are welcome) * is a multiple posting (i.e., several copies sent of the same message) * a crossposting from an unrelated group on an unrelated topic In December 1995 Graham needed a rest from moderating and so a new moderator 'db' took over. If your service provider doesn't carry the group - then hassle them! It is very low volume and it is not a platform for racist propaganda. 5.3: alt.skinheads.arent.neo.nazis I finally got access to this ng over the summer. I found out there isn't much traffic there such as the case with alt.skinheads.moderated. Again, it appears many service providers don't carry the newsgroup. 5.4: alt.music.ska Mainy skinheads who can't bare the mindless ( and endless) spamming of alt.skinheads subscribe to alt.music.ska instead. Of course many skinheads post at alt.music.ska to contribute to the related discussion. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6.0: Requiem for the Dead 6.1: Stephen "Donny The Punk" Donaldson More TBD Chris Wais wrote: I saw a memorial for this guy on a web site the other day....don't know who he is but i'd like to. In any case, i always feel bad when people die and even more so for fellow punks. If anyone has any information on who this guy was, please let me know. Alex Siegfried (alexma@crl.com) writes: Donny the Punk is a New York punk-come-skin (anti-Nazi skin, mind you) scenester who's three claims to fame are his columns (a regular in Under the Volcano), his advocacy for SPR (Stop Prisoner Rape), and his attempt to get on the ballot as a presidential candidate (aborted due to two reasons--lack of funds and... well... he's dead. Duh. Although I don't think it'd be too much of a leap to go from a brain-dead Reagan to a complete-dead Donny). I'll e-mail you a copy of his Punk For Prez campaign flyer if you like. He was one of the more interesting people in the punk scene, it's really a pity he passed on. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sources (cited and not): [AMS] alt.music.ska, various postings. [AMSF] alt.music.ska FAQ, maintained by Tomas Willis [AS] alt.skinheads, various postings. [HSBR] "The History of Ska, Blue Beat and Reggae," Various Artists, Esoldun S.A.R.L./Blue Beat REG 101, (1992). Liner notes by Delroy Sion Eccles. [OTF] Oi! The FAQ, maintained by Gerrard A. Lindsay [SHG] Skinhead Gear Webpage [SOTN] Skinheads on the Internet webpage [WPF] White Power FAQ, maintained by Arthur LeBouthillier End of FAQ: Skinhead (alt.skinheads) Frequently Asked Questions TradSkin International ... because I am involved in Doug Herbert - SkinFAQ Maintainer Mankinde; And therefore never http://www.tradskin.org/ - FAQ home send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Last updated: Sat Jun 19 00:16:21 1999