Street Punk - C/D?

How much of an influence was this stuff on American hardcore? I know Negative Approach covered 4 Skins and Blitz, and someone in 7 Seconds was wearing a Cockney Rejects t-shirt on the cover of one of their records.

"Cockney Rejects are the world's greatest band"

-Big Boys, from "Fun Fun Fun"

I remember an interview with Big Black on an early UK tour - they were out to buy just as much vinyl by Blitz and the like(and as many pairs of Doc Martens) as they could carry home.

What about Angelic Upstarts (better than any of 'em); Discharge (up to about '84 better than any of 'em - after that a quite phenomenally rapid descent into crapness); G.B.H. (belong with "all the others you name")?

What about Eplieptics, Six Minute War, or any of the anarcho bands (Conflict, Cr@ss, Disorder, FOPI, The Mob, Subhumans, Zounds....)?

The UK Subs see out of place in Col. Poo's list, as they were class of 77 punx, but didn't make onto recd until 78? (Apart from the Roxy comps). They were always good. As Stew sez the first few Discharge recds were good - the various bands they spawned like The Varukers were pretty useless tho.

Blitz were great when they went all Factory with Second Empire Justice - a bit gumby for my taste before that.

Various other names : Abrasive Wheels (Army Song is fun), Anti-Pasti (crap), Last Resort (fascists).

I included the UK Subs because they were around and gigging with a lot of these bands in the early 80s and they were a big influence on the rest of the bands, so they do fit, I think.

I seem to hold the unique opinion that the Exploited were actually quite a good band, if you can ignore the moronic fans they attracted and Wattie being an arsehole.

Anti Pasti were actually great fun live (mainly because Martin Roper was such a good front man) but most of the material was a a bit meh and apart from a couple of notable exceptions ("Set Them Free", "Two Years Too Late") they never seemed to really nail it in the studio.

Does anyone else remember the 1981 "Apocalypse Now" Tour (in order from the sublime to the ridiculous: Discharge; Chron Gen; Anti-Pasti; The Anti Nowhere League; The Exploited)?

Having caught the tour at the Lyceum, my most abiding memory is when The Exploited (who, inexplicably to my mind, were headlining) were joined on stage by a special guest guitarist, whom I immediately greeted with cheers and yells.

The Exploited fan next to me; who was sporting a 12" pink mohican and was covered in tattoos, leather, studs and safety pins; just looked at me blankly and asked "'Oo's 'ee then?". I told him. Remaining equually blank he then asked "'Oo's Brian James?".

THE BEST OF OI! VOLUME 1

1. Suburban Rebels - Business
2. Someone's Gonna Die - Blitz (1)
3. George Davis Is Innocent - Sham 69
4. GLC - Menace (1)
5. Police Oppression - Angelic Upstarts
6. England Belongs To Me - Cock Sparrer
7. One Law For Them - 4 Skins
8. King Of The Jungle - Last Resort (1)
9. SPG - Red Alert (1)
10. Summer Of '81 - Violators (1)
11. Police Story - Partisans (1)
12. Smash The Discos - Business
13. Running Riot - Cock Sparrer
14. Right To Choose - Combat 84
15. Working Class Kids - Last Resort (1)
16. Yesterday's Heroes - 4 Skins
17. Police Car - Cockney Rejects
18. Razors In The Night - Blitz (1)
19. Meglomania - Blood (1)
20. Maniac - Peter & The Test Tube Babies
21. Tuckers Ruckers Ain't No Suckers - Gonads
22. Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps Please - Splodge
23. Kids Of The 80's - Infa Riot
24. They Don't Understand - Sham 69
25. England - Angelic Upstarts

THE BEST OF OI! VOLUME 1

1. Harry May - Business
2. Nation On Fire - Blitz (1)
3. Evil - 4 Skins
4. Johnny Barden - Last Resort (1)
5. Chip On My Shoulder - Cock Sparrer
6. I'm Civilised - Menace (1)
7. Such Fun - Blood (1)
8. I Wanna Be A Star - Cockney Rejects
9. Transvestite - Peter & The Test Tube Babies
10. I Lost My Love To A UK Sub - Gonads
11. What Am I Gonna Do - Ejected
12. For The Love Of Oi - Section 5
13. Real Enemy - Business
14. Rapist - Combat 84
15. Each Dawn I Die - Infa Riot
16. I Don't Wanna - Sham 69
17. Take 'em All - Cock Sparrer
18. Take The Blame - Vicious Rumours
19. Arms Race - Partisans (1)
20. Don't You Ever Let Me Down - Crack (2)
21. Violence In Our Minds - Last Resort (1)
22. On The Streets - 4 Skins
23. Action Man - Strike (1)
24. Emergency - Infa Riot
25. Kids On The Street - Angelic Upstarts

> Does anyone else remember the 1981 "Apocalypse Now" Tour (in order from the sublime to the ridiculous: Discharge; Chron Gen; Anti-Pasti; The Anti Nowhere League; The Exploited)?

Yes! I went to one with Blitz, GBH, The Abrasive Wheels & the (frankly hopeless) Destructors in 1982 (?). Can't remember the name of that tour tho'.

6. I'm Civilised - Menace"

Aaaaah Menace - they were a great band. Still not bad actually fwiw.

I bought a single they released in c1999, it wasn't too bad. They had a song on the Captain Oi sampler this year, was shite, as was the rest of the sampler. Captain Oi does put out excellent reissues though. The above-mentioned Destructors are getting a singles collection next month.

I like Menace too. I was listening to 'Last Year's Youth' at the weekend.

Anyone remember the sub-genre of 'Clockwork Orange bands - Major Accident, The Adicts etc. Was there one called The Droogs?

I saw that "infamous" documentary about Combat 84, I thought to be fair they didn't come off as dodgily right wing as they're made out to be. They're a Tory Oi band rather than a NF Oi band. See also Condemned 84, Close Shave, etc.

The 4 Skins I think got a bad rep because of the Southall riots, which they deny being involved in in any way, but who knows really.

The putrid stench of Gary Bushell?

The Exploited fan next to me; who was sporting a 12" pink mohican and was covered in tattoos, leather, studs and safety pins; just looked at me blankly and asked "'Oo's 'ee then?". I told him. Remaining equually blank he then asked "'Oo's Brian James?"

Very sad.

Also, please disregard this:

Adicts - everything I've heard

and replace with Songs of Praise and Sound of Music, cos I listened to their 3rd album, Smart Alex, and it was fucking shit.

I always thought when NME et al used to say Green Day were ripping off the Damned, that they should have said the Adicts (I don't see that much Damned influence in Green Day to be honest).

This is where the good times went
With his brains lying on the pavement
With a broken bottle in his hand
And another in his back

Do you feel alright?
Oi! Oi! Oi!
Someone's gonna die tonight
Oi! Oi! Oi!
Do you feel alright?
Oi! Oi! Oi!
The boys are out tonight

Was it something that he said?
Or his football scarf now stained red
Or the broken bottle in his hand
You will never understand

Do you feel alright?
Oi! Oi! Oi!
Someone's gonna die tonight
Oi! Oi! Oi!
Do you feel alright?
Oi! Oi! Oi!
The boys are out tonight