Alt.Skinheads FAQ
Alan Guest
<SMALLER>Send me a copy, dear. Ta! I've got WWW access but I can't be
assed going.
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dckom
On Fri, 20 Jun 97 18:23:07 GMT c.e., Jenn Starkman
<Dictator...@zog.ca> wrote :
>Well, after having told the Keeper Of The FAQ, Mr. Jason Dare, that I would
>post the FAQ for him over the summer while he's temporarily offline, my rotten
>newsreader seems to have made that nearly impossible. So...
>
>If anybody is interested in checking out the FAQ, it can be found on the World
>Wide Web at:
>
>http://www.vt.edu:10021/J/jadare/skinhead/
>
>If you want to see it, but don't have WWW access, feel free to post a request
>and I'll be happy to e-mail you a plain-text copy, though please be warned
>that it's a rather large text file.
>
>Jenn
Here ya go, kiddo. Lets see if this works, shall we?
yer hippie pal,
David
<<Best viewed with text editor, screen maximized, font Courier New size
10>>
Subject: FAQ: Skinhead (alt.skinheads) Frequently Asked Questions
Date: 9 March 1997
Time: 9:12 p.m. GMT
Version: 0.75.1c (Still Drafted)
Part: 1 of 1
FAQ for alt.skinheads
Questions and Answers about the Skinhead Subculture
Jason A. Dare
jad...@vt.edu
1.0: Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Stephen Martin (Stephen...@skinnet.jammys.net),
former maintainer of this FAQ who collected/compiled most of this material,
and db (d...@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 <insert group here>?" 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 be made available for anonymous FTP on the archive site
rtfm.mit.edu as soon as a REAL version is produced and has been available
on
the WorldWideWeb for the past six months.
The Official alt.skinheads Homepage is at
http://www.vt.edu:10021/J/jadare/skinhead/
An on-line (framed) version of the Skinhead FAQ can be viewed at
http://www.vt.edu:10021/J/jadare/skinhead/faq.html
You may distribute the FAQ freely, but if you choose to post it on a
website of
your own, I encourage you to provide a link back to the Official Home of
the FAQ
since this will always be the most up to date version. This FAQ will be
posted
at alt.skinheads and other related 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 additions to the Skinhead FAQ and
questions specifically directed to him, and his responses. Direct your
web
browser to http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/~aj759/
If you have any questions, concerns, or corrections about the Skinhead FAQ
please contact me at jad...@vt.edu
-Jason Dare
1.2: Table of Contents
Part 1
1.0 Acknowledgments
1.1 Introduction
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: Culture
3.1 Skinhead Culture: History
3.2 The Great Skinhead/Working-Class Debate
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 Oi, Oi, Oi, Oi!!!
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?
3.11 Skinheads and Education
3.11.1 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 same activists that they are the ones who perpetuate it
the
most. (See: Skinheads and Education and 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
nessicarry.
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 Wilson 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
bonehead 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 sterotype 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 to-day.
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 the 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 Starkman 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."
ja...@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 Starkman
Well, at the moment I'm exclusively dating *a* skinhead... <grin>
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 (ste...@coos.dartmouth.edu) writes:
> rev...@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.
rev...@execpc.com writes:
-Was it the image?
Stephen J. Alexander (ste...@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?
fred...@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.
roo...@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 (ro...@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?
mybrk...@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 Wilson (gra...@dircon.co.uk) 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
MessageID: 4d8g41$n...@pipe1.nyc.pipeline.com#1/1
references: <4d4s6g$g...@ixnews3.ix.netcom.com>;
organization: The Pipeline
newsgroups: alt.skinheads
In article <4d4s6g$g...@ixnews3.ix.netcom.com>;, 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 intrest.
Jim Dugan
Thank you.
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 so 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 Wilson 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.
CRM9...@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
flu...@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 (dall...@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 (chri...@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 (ric...@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)
Janis Collins <dall...@voicenet.com> wrote:
I'd sure like to find the real reason behind this group.
Michelle Chen replied:
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.
Janis Collins <dall...@voicenet.com> wrote:
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?
Joellen Welch (jow...@lynx.dac.neu.edu) gets the last word with:
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: Culture
"we're all skinheads we stand proud,
we're working class and shout it out loud,
we love our oi! that's what we live for,
can't get enough we always want more..."
the pride 'the pride'
3.1: Skinhead Culture: History
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. [SOTN]
3.2: The Great Skinhead/Working-Class Debate
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]
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.
3.5: What is Oi!?
"Hey!"
(from cockney slang, a shortening of the greek 'oi polloi' or common
people.)
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 (botb...@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:
Another Man's Poison, Anti-Establishment, Anti-Social, Attak, The Betrayed,
Blitz, Braindance, Boisterous, The Business, Cock Sparrer, Cockney Rejects,
Combat 84, Condemned 84, Crashed Out, Criminal Class, Crux, The Ejected,
The
4-Skins, The Gonads, Infa-Riot, Indecent Exposure, The Last Resort, Last
Rough Cause, Major Accident, The Oppressed, The Partisans, Pressure 28,
Prole, Red Alert, Section 5, Short'n'Curlies, Straw Dogs, The Strike &
Vicious Rumors.
Select major American Oi! bands (past and present) include:
The Anti-Heros (GA), The Authority (CA), Battle Cry (NY), The Bruisers
(MA),
Boot Party (CA), Bootcamp (NY), Bottom Of The Barrel (NY), Chapter 21
(Chicago) Bovver Wonderland (CA), Broken Heroes (NJ), The Choice (CA),
Forced
Reality (MA), 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),
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) & Y.D.L. (NY).
Select major International Oi! bands (past and present) include:
Agent Bulldog (Sweden), The Bad Vultures (Japan), Becks Pistols (Germany),
Cobra (Japan), Crikey Crew (Japan), Discocks (Japan), Dose Brutal (Brazil),
The Fuck Ups (Norway), The Herberts (France), Impact (Canada), Klasse
Kriminale (Italy), Kohu-63 (Finland), Komitern Sect (France), The
Magnificent
(Holland), Mata Ratos (Portugal), Nabat (Italy), Oxymoron (Germany), Pobel
Und Gesocks (Germany), The Pride (Holland), Sideburns (Japan), Snix
(France),
The Stage Bottles (Germany), Die Lokalmatadore (Germany), 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, Casualties, Chron Gen, The Crack, Exploited, Frankie
Flame, Lurkers, The Macc Lads, Menace, 999, Oi Polloi, One Way System,
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, Dim, Dojo, DSS, Force Majeure, GMM, Hammer,
Havin' A Laugh, Headache, Helen Of Oi!, Kickback, Knock-Out, Link, Oi!
Records, One By One, PunkCore, Scumfuck, Sta-Press, Step-1, S.P.E., Teenage
Rebel, Twins, 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 (Sound...@aol.com) of
"Do A Runner!" 'zine. http://members.aol.com/SoundViews/doarunnr.html]
3.6: Oi, Oi, Oi, 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: am2...@swt.edu (Andy MacLaurin), flu...@nyc.pipeline.com (James F.
Dugan),
skh...@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
From: jow...@lynx.dac.neu.edu (Joellen Welch), Eric Coomer
(coo...@nuc.berkeley.edu), bae...@plains.nodak.edu (The Werewolf of
London)
I was walkin' down the road with a dozen friends of mine
lookin' for some aggro, just to pass the time
we met a stupid hippy, he tried to run away
but I punched him in the nose, just to pass the time of day!
Great big boots
Great white laces
Jeans held up by
scarlet braces
get out of our way or get took for a ride
we've just go violence in our minds....
In article <15FEB96. 137772...@IBM.UTM.EDU>, Sylvia Rowe writes:
THE BROWN FIELDS OF BIRMINGHAM
(sung to Skrewdriver's version of "Green Fields of France")
1) Well how do you do, Mr. Bill Riccio
Tell me why did you do that damn HBO show
And look like a kook to the whole USA
We can read 'tween the lines that you're really gay
I see by his license he was only 19
When he joined the great call for the Riccio Army
And we hope you raped quick, and we hope you raped clean
Mr. Bill Riccio you are gross and obscene
Do you beat the meat slowly
Do you fuck young boys only
Do you play the skin flute as you butter them down
And did the boys play with your hairy asshole
And did the lads play with your big old fat roll
2) Did you leave a spot on his fair white behind
In his sore asshole is your memory enshrined
Although you should have died when you were 16
In that faithful butt you're forever unclean
Or are you a stranger without a name
Enclosed in your jail cell behind a glass frame
In an old wife beater tattered and stained
And faded to yellow from your putrid pit stains
(CHORUS)
3) Well the sun now it shines on your dirty ripped pants
As the vomit spots make your broken toys dance
And look how your sons can down a 12 and a 6
There's no gas, no barbed wire, but we wish you were nixed
And here at your compound it's still no-girls land
The countless young skinheads passed out in the sand
To your blind indifference to your fellow man
To a whole group of buys who were raped by your own hand
(CHORUS)
4) Mr. Bill Riccio, why'd you do that damn show
Do those that live here know why you did blow
And did they believe that they wished you're their dad
If they did then they're really demented and sad
The sorrow and suffering, the disgrace and the shame
You know how to give white power a really bad name
Mr. Bill Riccio, it'll never happen again
If it does we'll know who exactly to blame
(CHORUS)
Sylvia
Iron Mountain CHS, Tennessee
BRicha6796 (brich...@aol.com) writes:
Vulture Rock
POBOX 40687
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico
87196
And I think you have to send a dollar or something but it's the best Oi!
mailorder catalog that I know of with very decent prices.
3.7: Skinheads Media List (v2.2 29DEC96) by d...@progeny.demon.co.uk
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 <availability>
SYNOPSIS/COMMENTS
FILM Information given, where possible:
TITLE
LEAD CAST,
DIRECTOR, YEAR OF RELEASE, COUNTRY OF PRODUCTION
CATEGORY & RELEASE AVAILABILITY INFO
Additions, corrections, updates, comments and any detail to fill
the gaps welcome, please email db (d...@progeny.demon.co.uk).
**********************
* Section 1: BOOKS *
**********************
Quoting the author and title (and ISBN where given) 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.
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 what titles they have available and the prices - drop
them a
line and ask for a catalogue (I'm sure they'd also appreciate a stamped
addressed
envelope or a little dosh).
Their address is:
ST Publishing
PO Box 12
Lockerbie
Dumfriesshire
DG11 3BW
SCOTLAND
United Kingdom.
N.B.: STP no longer publish the paper 'Skinhead Times' - it ceased being
produced
back in 1995 and they no longer have any back copies left.
--------------------------------------------------
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
---------------------
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 late 1996 by STP **
** 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
-----------------------------------------
Reference - Skin, Ska & Mods
>
>******
>Note: I am no longer using my freenet or Netcom e-mail accounts
>in order to protect those servers from the mailbombing which I
>have been subjected to recently. Anybody who would like to contact
>me via e-mail should leave a message on alt.skinheads to that effect,
>and I will be in touch with you.
>
>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Free thought, neccessarily involving freedom of
speech and press, I may tersely define thus:no
opinion a law-no opinion a crime.
Alexander Berkman
Cmdr. What
Jenn wrote...
>
>Well, after having told the Keeper Of The FAQ, Mr. Jason Dare, that I would
>post the FAQ for him over the summer while he's temporarily offline, my rotten
>newsreader seems to have made that nearly impossible. So...
I'll give it a try, but I make no guarantees...
>If anybody is interested in checking out the FAQ, it can be found on the World
>Wide Web at:
>
>http://www.vt.edu:10021/J/jadare/skinhead/
>
>If you want to see it, but don't have WWW access, feel free to post a request
>and I'll be happy to e-mail you a plain-text copy, though please be warned
>that it's a rather large text file.
>
>Jenn
...again.
>******
>Note: I am no longer using my freenet or Netcom e-mail accounts
>in order to protect those servers from the mailbombing which I
>have been subjected to recently. Anybody who would like to contact
>me via e-mail should leave a message on alt.skinheads to that effect,
>and I will be in touch with you.
We know.
--
Resist censorship!
http://www.eff.org
.
Jenn Starkman
In article <866976524...@progeny.demon.co.uk>,
dckom <dc...@atlcom.net> wrote:
>On Fri, 20 Jun 97 18:23:07 GMT c.e., Jenn Starkman
><Dictator...@zog.ca> wrote :
>>Well, after having told the Keeper Of The FAQ, Mr. Jason Dare, that I would
>>post the FAQ for him over the summer while he's temporarily offline, my
rotten
>>newsreader seems to have made that nearly impossible. So...
>>
>>If anybody is interested in checking out the FAQ, it can be found on the
World
>>Wide Web at:
>>
>>http://www.vt.edu:10021/J/jadare/skinhead/
>>
>>If you want to see it, but don't have WWW access, feel free to post a
request
>>and I'll be happy to e-mail you a plain-text copy, though please be warned
>>that it's a rather large text file.
>>
>>Jenn
>
>Here ya go, kiddo. Lets see if this works, shall we?
> yer hippie pal,
> David
Perfect!
Thanks David! I owe you one! :-)
Jenn
Jenn Starkman
In article <866976538...@progeny.demon.co.uk>,
Alan Guest <al...@macropolis.demon.co.uk> wrote:
><SMALLER>Send me a copy, dear. Ta! I've got WWW access but I can't be
>assed going.
Well, thanks to David (dckom), it has now been posted to the newsgroup, so you
ought already to have a copy by the time this is posted. If you've missed it,
though, do let me know and I'll send it off ASAP.
Jenn Starkman
In article <867108692...@progeny.demon.co.uk>,
"Cmdr. What" <cmdr...@mail.marsbase.net> wrote:
>
>Jenn wrote...
>>
>>Well, after having told the Keeper Of The FAQ, Mr. Jason Dare, that I would
>>post the FAQ for him over the summer while he's temporarily offline, my
rotten
>>newsreader seems to have made that nearly impossible. So...
>
Not to worry--dckom seems to have already done so, and as I said, there are
other ways of getting hold of it if necessary, which I will be happy to
facilitate for anyone who wants a copy.
Jenn
******
Note: I am no longer using my freenet or Netcom e-mail accounts
in order to protect those servers from the mailbombing to which I
have been subjected. Anybody who would like to contact me via e-mail
(for other than malicious reasons, that is) should leave a message on