Machine Tattoo

pict#1
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tip R3-R5-M5-M7
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machine DM 49

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machine DM 77 ( CROWN )

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MACHINE DM 87

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MACHINE DM 01

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1. Banana Steady Beat (Lodoyo) – Big Story
2. Combat (Jakarta) – On The Street Tonight
3. G-Squad (Semarang) – Booze ‘n Sing
4. Haircuts (Bandung) – Never Give Up, Never Give In
5. Minuman Keras (Lampung) – Miras
6. Moonstomp (Bandung) – Kick For All The Bastard
7. No Man’s Land (Malang) – Oi! Oi! Today
8. Oppressionhead (Bandung) – (We’re) Skinheads Revolution
9. Scudetto (Bandung) – Jhony Workers
10. Skinny Dolls (Bogor) – Up On
11. Scream Of Oi! (Semarang) – Blue
12. The O (Bali) – Bekerja
13. The Orak Arik (Solo) – Skinhead
14. The Resistance (Bali) – Masa Depan
15. Weekend 69 (Medan) – I Love Story

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Semangat Djoeang Tattoo Studio - Solo

Alamat Studio : cemani jln.candi rt.005 rw.011, Sukoharjo, Indonesia 57552

office : 081548694545

facebook/semangatdjoeangtattoo

collection #1

collection #2

Street Army - Demo Solo

vicious war.mp3

Suedeheads - article

#suedeheads#
The very word Suedehead refers to the grown-out crop i.e. a Skinhead haircut. The attire and the attitude that went with it were not very different from those of his immediate predecessor however; it was rather a variation on a theme. The Suedehead of the early Seventies wasn’t so much a separate entity as a continuation of the smart Skinhead who (in many cases anyway) had always worn his hair slightly longer than the ubiquitous number one of ’69.
One has to remember when the Skinhead was yet to be christened as such; Peanuts (as they were somewhat inaptly called) still wore their hair in a college-boy style. The neatly side-parted hair re-appeared at the tail-end of the movement when what basically still were Skins had their hair in that style, or indeed a grown-out crop which resembles the “French crew” (which is like a crew cut but longer, about two inches all over) of the early Mods. So the whole style had come full circle, because Skinhead was Mod begat in the first place, so that’s where our story begins.
Although a certain ‘Spartan branch’ of Mod was spotted in the London clubs by some as early as ’65, I’d say a change started to become more or less apparent when Mod started to die down in ’66. There will always be present a certain ‘hard case’ element among young males growing up and in this case the Hard, or Gang, Mod deserves a mention. For day wear he may have opted for desert boots, Levi 501s, a Ben Sherman button-down shirt or a Fred Perry topped off by a Harrington or an MA 1 flying jacket. Gradually the Hard Mod would change into the boots-and-braces Skinhead with his mean looking number one (electric hair razors have settings known by their numbers). Sideburns were optional and remained just that all the way through. Those that were young enough adopted/adapted the new look of the kids that were too young to have been Mods in a neat working class amalgamation.
Now this is obviously where the pared down version of The Look takes shape. Boots, worn for practical reasons, jeans with precision turn-ups, shirts mostly plain or striped at this stage and thin braces worn for show. This look has its place of course when we’re talking street smart. Add to it a nice cardy or V-neck sweater and/or a nice casual jacket for instance, replace the boots with smart shoes and it will have a somewhat different effect altogether.
There is quite a bit of ambivalence surrounding the aggro side of the Skinhead and I will let that comment speak for itself. Most people will lose interest in that sort of thing soon enough (or turn pro indeed) because of relationships and other responsibilities. I do want to concentrate on the smarter end of the whole phenomenon anyway, but as far as the splintering of the original Mod movement went, the Hard Mod was definitely faction number one (sic).

Then there were those who’d gone flamboyant, student, hippy or had settled down by then (’66 that is) already, but I will further ignore all of them for obvious reasons (apart from the fact that people were expected to settle down pretty early in those days and often did so, which in itself is an important social factor as we shall see later). Finally there was the Conservative or Suit Mod type that had stayed ‘with it’; the former Mod, as it were. He’s not necessarily the most interesting sort of person, although depending on where he is coming from, he can be quite interesting. He will probably have copied his look (to an extent) from the older guys from his neighbourhood or his older brothers or cousins maybe. Now where he truly becomes interesting, in my book, is when he is subtly adding his own ideas to “The Look”. He becomes more interesting still when he is broadminded enough to pick up new ideas from the next generation. Of course in this case, the new mood suited him perfectly, seeing as he’d worn his hair short for years anyway.
This ‘new’ street smart look did appeal to him shall we assume. Suits were for evening wear only now (mind you that during the heyday of Skinhead people like him were still called ‘suits’), but during the day he could be seen sporting e.g. loafers or ‘town looking’ brogues (Royals), Levi’s Sta-Prest trousers, that were basically slacks, a pristine button-down shirt and some nice casual jacket perhaps topped off with, say, a number three.
He wouldn’t have had his hair any shorter than that because it would have made him look suspicious in the eyes of young women for one thing, not to mention his employer. He would also be too mature to want to look like the younger kids and what’s more: the smartest dressers among these may have wanted to copy his more sophisticated look and in turn impress their mates. That’s called cross-fertilization I think.
The fact that people had relatively little time to indulge in that kind of thing was, as mentioned before, an important factor in their outlook on life as such. You were supposed to marry in your early twenties, so you had to save up if you were so inclined when money was in most cases tight to begin with. People on average couldn’t spend the amounts of money on clothes we are nowadays used to. So that makes it even more admirable how they managed to look so smart.
Another ‘hair thing’ is that you would soon have grown tired of attracting attention from the old Bill (police) let alone not gaining access to nightclubs full stop. I think that one is called natural progression or common sense really.
One should furthermore be aware of the fact that smart Skins had always dressed in what became later known as a Suedehead manner. The idea was, once again, to look smart and not like a thug. Trying to look hard when you’re really not (except maybe when you’ve got the numbers) doesn’t help anybody at the end of the day. The smartest answer in both senses of the word is to dress to impress and the Suedehead most certainly did just that!

Apart from the fact that Suedeheads resembled Mods in their overall smartness and colourful look, what should also be mentioned is that they borrowed some elements from the Rude Boy as well. Think shades, pork pie hats, cropped trousers, Crombies and the Rock-steady music. Ska/Reggae and Soul meant a lot to them (as in Deep, Black and Urban) because it set them apart from the undiscerning, or so they thought. And it was a soundtrack they could dance to obviously.
The ‘out-and-out’ Suedehead look consisted of smart shoes (mostly brogues and loafers like those made by Faith Royal), Sta-Prest trousers in all their various colours, check button-down shirts (Ben Sherman, Brutus or Jaytex were popular, a lesser known brand they wore was Arnold Palmer), plain coloured knitwear ( e.g. bright red or pastel V- necks or mustard cardigans although the latter were arguably more Skinhead), Harrington jackets and the aforementioned Crombies or a sheepskin, and then maybe that porkpie hat and ‘them’ shades.
Suits were basically three button, narrow shouldered, high buttoning with narrow lapels and waisted, worn with parallel trousers ( 20” bottoms by ’71 ). Exact styles differed a lot because of fast changing fashions at the time, but were also regional. They often came in tans and bronzes or light and petrol blues (with red linings), tonik two-tone material, Prince of Wales checks or dogtooth patterns. Ties were fairly sober and narrowish. Pocket squares were all the rage.

Girls often wore boy’s shoes, loafers mostly, crepe soled lace-ups, clumpy nurses’ style shoes with a brogue pattern or plain, and other popular high street fashions such as sling-backs both with flared heels, suede and patent-leather, buckled shoes, in bright multi-colours towards the end.
Geometric patterned, plain and side patterned tights were popular with miniskirts (again preferably mohair or failing that the cheaper Trevira, styles – plain A-line, pleated often tartan checks etc, lots of buttons). Same shirts as the boys, off-the-peg suit jackets of varying lengths, although 3/4 length just above the knee was very popular in 2-tone fabric, PoW checks, double breasted also. Crombies. Trevira two pieces and mohair, Mod-like shift dresses would be worn too, Maxi length dresses at the very end of this period, often backless halter-neck.
The hair was slightly longer than the boys’, it would be in a neat style, parted with lots of forehead, with the lengths razor cut, sometimes lacquered. Some girls would wear their hair just long as it happened, often in ponytails or off the face with an Alice-band or hair clips. Make up was eye heavy with pale lips, early-on sometimes no make-up at all; Skinny eyebrows-false eyelashes, perfume – Youth Dew, very popular.
So the foundations of this look were laid in ‘66/67. The somewhat older dressers even went back to the roots of Modernism, may it have been perhaps not consciously so. The “Ivy shop” and later “Squire” as well, catered for the former Mods that wanted to carry on looking sharp. Those two shops were totally Ivy League and both stocked beautiful knitwear, thick soled shoes (such as wingtips and plain cap brogues), button-down shirts, Harringtons, raincoats and Prince of Wales check suits to a collegiate cut.
Young men that didn’t think of themselves as Skins would be considered just that by today’s standards. Although some of them did become Suedeheads. The difference would have been unmistakable to those In The Know (ITK) but it would have been a nuance that was subtle enough for the Suedeheads themselves.
The Modernist tradition of exclusivity and secrecy (some would call it elitism) carried on at any rate and the funny thing is youths began to wear suits again during the day in the early seventies. They were very likely a bit more daring colour-wise than they as Skinheads (and please note we’re talking about the same people here, expanding The Look) would have preferred and that’s basically another Mod trait.
Just previously to Suedehead there’d been a short-lived fad to sport the city gent look (in this version : navy or black blazer, white cutaway collar shirt, striped tie, grey flannel parallels and black toe-capped Oxfords) which had also taken place in ’62 (striped, waisted suits in this case, but also with the added bowler and brollie like their Seventies counterparts). In other words: young men experimenting with traditional garments in order to create a look of their own, subverting the very thing in their playful sartorial rebellion, if you will.

This (at the time) 17 year old Smooth from North London is wearing a made to measure Crombie and a trilby, Levi’s, a Ben Sherman shirt and Oxfords. The girl was a model and has on a petrol blue/gold Trevira suit. A lot of the gear came from High Street stores like Burton and Top Shop.

Now let’s get back to where the Suedes were taking The Look afterwards. The hair grew longer still (short on top, down to the collar at the back and sides) and they turned into “Smoothies” come ’73 with their either very plain shoes or Norwegians (clumpy loafers with a basket-weave vamp), round collared shirts, Fair Isle yoke sweaters, tank-tops, loose cords etc. Then feather cuts, Oxford bags, Budgie gear etc or back to denim and spray painted boots for some i.e. the return of the Boot-boy…shame !
Others went on to become early “Soul Boys” that carried on shopping at the better shops on the Kings Road, if they were from “The Smoke”, but that story is not for me to tell. More than a few of the older lads went for the ‘French Cut’ look thus going for individuality and leaving the uniform behind.
Although some Skins had stayed true to the cause there weren’t many left by ’76. When Punk came along people became very much aware again of the sense of belonging that is a big part of any youth culture, the attraction of that ‘community feeling’ was wearing on pretty heavily during that time. Many disillusioned Punks as well as those who disliked the scruffy image looked back to the fifties and sixties for inspiration. Of course there were those who followed in the footsteps of older relatives too, because they recognized the simple beauty of a concept their elders had enthused them with.
Among various revivalists were (again) some that wanted to be a little sharper and thought of themselves as Suedeheads. For many though, it was the idea of the sussed, “smart Skinhead” that proved appealing. The “smart Skinhead” went very much against the tide of the plastic Skins that had entered the scene and signaled a trend back to basics, and all that.

Tom McCourt made the change from Skinhead to Suedehead early in 1978. In this photo he is wearing a silver mohair suit which was handmade, one of his original Ben Sherman shirts: a very light stripe in pale green and a very pale lemon. The overcoat a dark navy wool number, it had raglan sleeves and was from Aquascutum. The shoes were brogues. He was probably also wearing a tank top, complementing his socks colour-wise.

Ever since the Eighties there have been purist Skins keeping the original styles alive. They won’t have to look that far really, especially these days with the www. For instance: Levi’s, Lee and Wrangler are all doing some excellent repro jeans, but also A.P.C. and Edwin are worth investigating. There are several sources imaginable as for an authentic American styled shirt as well. Sta-Prest is probably a little hard to come by, but YMC is an interesting label in that respect as well as for some other gear. A good pair of smart trousers, Crombie style coats, raincoats, sheepskins etc can be found without too much hassle in a decent men’s shop or in some of the High Street shops even (just like in the old days, if your imitation looks smart enough it’ll do the trick nicely). Footwear can be traced through the original makes or can indeed be modern and perhaps a bit sleeker, in true accordance with a Mod-like aesthetic.
Suits can be bespoke of course, or seeing as the fashions were changing so rapidly back in the day, they could just as easily be e.g. Paul Smith or Ozwald Boateng, as in classic with a twist.
Away from any sub-cultural meaning, as the photos will hopefully show, The Suedehead look is a look that can definitely still work when updated ever so slightly. Looking smart doesn’t mean ‘boring old man’ by any means and the haircut remains a classic.
The women’s ‘updating’ bit requires some thinking that I will gladly leave to a female person to be honest, but that aside. I think both men and women will be able to see the subtlety of this classic, timeless look, if they really want to.
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SKINHEAD "sebagai sebuah counter-culture/budaya tandingan kelas pekerja dan kesadaran perjuangan kelas" Book 2010

Salam olahraga !!
setelah di download baca dan jangan di telan mentah!!!

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Skinheads By John King - Book 2009

Skinhead Book By Jhon King

"The Nineties had belonged to the children of the hippies, drugged-up flower-power babies charging top dollar for peace and love. The offspring of the skins and punks and football hooligans were claiming the new century." At a time when "white English working-class culture" or a reductive, demeaning interpretation thereof is under the media microscope, any novelist who can enlighten the rest of the world as to the realities behind the smug generalisations of both left and right should not only be treasured, but heeded.
Once it may have been sufficient to describe John King as "the nation's finest writer of football fiction", but he long since transcended this classification. King's achievement since his debut has been enormous: creating a modern, proletarian English literature at once genuinely modern, genuinely proletarian, genuinely English and genuinely literature. His novels immerse his readers in the stream of consciousness of people who, as routinely depicted in the media, barely have consciousness at all.
However, with Skinheads, his seventh novel, the subtext is in danger of becoming the text. It seems to have been written specifically to render explicit what was left implicit in his earlier works. It is a gentler, easier read than its predecessors, but easier isn't always better.
In England Away, the final volume in the "football trilogy" which began with The Football Factory and continued in Headhunters, King was able to generate enormous poignancy, by juxtaposing the reminiscences of an old soldier preparing to attend a reunion of his regiment with the roistering "two World Wars, one World Cup" braggadocio of a bunch of hoolies introduced in his previous novels. Here,, by comparison, the symbolism is clunky. "Estuary Cars" is a skinhead-run minicab firm which has been ferrying King's characters around throughout the loosely-knit saga. Here it cruises into the spotlight, the narrative focusing on a triad of protagonists associated with the company.
The firm's patriarch, Terry English (one devoutly wishes that the author had resisted the temptation to subtitle the opening section "Estuary English"), is a veteran skinhead knocking 50. He is mourning his dead wife, attempting to keep his semi-reformed-hoolie nephew Nutty Ray gainfully employed and out of trouble, and worrying that his 15-year-old son Laurel (aka "Lol") is developing hippie tendencies. Plagued both, by persistent ill-health and a crush on a younger employee, Terry dreams of reopening a derelict club called The Union Jack as an inclusive shrine to a primal version of skinhead culture unbesmirched, by association with far-right racists. The author's message could not be clearer if the "author's message" were watermarked on to every page.
Even hoolie Ray, who did extensive reading while in nick, articulates a persuasive strain of left patriotism which stretches from George Orwell to Billy Bragg. The author's patented ease with the greater and lesser arcana of pop culture is once again in evidence (ska, blue-beat, 2-Tone and Oi being the dishes of the day). But even some of the prose "Ray turned the engine off, unrolling his six-foot-four frame, the hyenas in the Nissan suddenly silent as seventeen stone of skinhead muscle marched their way" uncomfortably evokes a literate, left-wing version of a Richard Allen pulp novel.
The ace street-fighter of contemporary English fiction seems to be telegraphing his punches rather too obviously. This, as any of his characters could have told him, is not necessarily a winning strategy in a real ruck.

Obstinate w/ Warkrusher "Crust Opposition 2011"

The Obstinate
1. selamat datang di barisan para pembangkang
2. alcohol crew
3. hidup tanpa misi mati tak berarti
4. propaganda militan
5. this is my fucking way

Warkrusher
1.tribal
2. sanity lost
3. gore driven instinct
4. untitled track
5. wishpers in the wind
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Tales Out Of School Movie 'Malang 2011'

"TALES OUT OF SCHOOL This is might be the first documentary film about Indonesian skinhead ever made. The purpose of this project is to share and giving deeper understanding toward skinhead cult, especially in Indonesia. The film was not made to convince you that I am the expert or the one who knows best about skinhead. I made this, because I believe the documentation also has to be made by the in...sider, the people of the skinhead itself in order to give a new perspective inspite of all contradictions over skinhead cultural studies on mass medias these days. There are documentary films about skinhead in other part of the world, especially America and Europe which is considered to be the first generation of skinhead community. Without intending to be little all those films, Tales Out of School is trying to high light the daily lives of skinhead community in Malang, a city in eastern province of Java, and to emphasize the local values. And last, the film is dedicated to those hard workers who never took off their boots, and always wear it proudly. Oi! for all! Oi! to the world.

SATU Mei 2011, sebuah kesaksian mengenai skinhead di Malang, Indonesia, telah resmi terbit dalam bentuk film dokumenter. Mudah-mudahan bisa membantu memberi pemahaman yang lebih mendekati tentang kultus skinhead, terutama di Indonesia. Sekaligus memberikan pandangan baru di luar kontradiksi-kontradiksi yang selama ini terjadi di seputar kajian tentang kultur skinhead di media-media yang sudah ada.

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ASHES OF DEATH "Moralitas Pembangkangan" ep SOLO

1.ASHES OF DEATH
2.SERANG PEMAKAN HARTA
3.BANGKAI PERPECAHAN
4.ORANG-ORANG PENDUSTA
5.POTRET KUSAM BURUH ANAK

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Artickel "A Close Shave" from a Bath magazine

An article about Bristol Skinheads from a Bath magazine

Skinheads were youth culture's original whipping boys (and girls), demonised in the press, their look hijacked by the far right. But with skinhead gods Dave and Ansell Collins and the Pioneers appearing together in Bristol this week, it's a chance for the old originals to show us what they were really all about. Chris Brown and Cris Warren talk to local skinheads past and present, and discover it's not just a haircut, it's a way of life.

DON'T BOVVER ME

From Levi Sta-Prest to Harrington jackets, Chris Brown's seen it all, growing up as a Bristol Rovers fan, back when the Tote End boot boys hated everyone –including each other.
There should be a new reality TV programme. A sort of Carol Smilie makeover of misunderstood and misrepresented inhabitants of these islands. And who would be at the top of the list of disenfranchised individuals badly in need of a spot of TV-friendly PR? Traffic wardens? Asylum seekers? Government press secretaries? How about skinheads? If ever there was a cult that was seriously in need of some of the smiley one's magic, it's those shaven-headed fascists from the Neanderthal age. Because, let's face it, that's exactly what they were, wasn't it? Sieg-heiling boneheads who thought nothing of forcing babies in their prams to sniff glue (well, OK, that did happen in a park in Bristol in 1983) but let's go back to the original crop-headed lads (and lasses) from the late 60s...
It's hard to imagine now just how huge the skinhead movement was more than three decades ago. As the old-school mods 'progressed' from purple hearts to acid, and de-camped to their free-loving communes in Wales, the angry young men of the nation cut their hair, donned overtly working-class clothing and, by and large, began kicking the shit out of each other with exceedingly large workboots. All this, while a backing track of 'janga, janga, janga' thumped in the background - a new music from Jamaica, which had evolved from ska and rock steady. And I don't mean Harry Belafonte. I'm talkng reggae in all its politically incorrect 'Tighten Up Volume 2' glory. The early cropheads emerged in London in early 1968 as a direct rejection of the flower-power, peace-loving hippy. And by the summer of 1969, with Desmond Dekker at number one in the charts with 'Israelites', the grip of the skinhead movement on teenage Britain was irreversible and vicelike,
So what attracted young men and women to this violent anti-social cult? Well, for a start, the very fact that it was violent and anti-social. But that's being simplistic - it also had style, bucketloads of it. It wasn't all bovver boots and braces.
Admittedly, early skinheads got most of their gear from ex-army stores (Marcruss on Hotwell Road was a favourite, especially for the suede zip-up USAF jackets) , but as the cult developed, so did the fashion. Harrington jackets -named after the Ryan O'Neal character in 'Peyton Place', a popular soap of the time - replaced the flying jackets, while the Crombie overcoat, as worn by city gents, quickly became the must-have item of clothing on the terraces of Ashton Gate or Eastville during the winter of 1970. The ever-sa-sharp Levi Sta-Prest changed colour from brilliant white to iridescent 'Tonik', while the all-important boot evolved from steel-toe-capped workboots to de rigueur Dr Martens and all-leather (and very expensive) brogues and loafers, customised with an extra inch of leather sole, courtesy of the cobblers in Fairfax Street. (And you thought Elton John invented the platform shoe.) The famous button-down Ben Sherman shirt became synonymous with the skinhead, and as the candy stripe gave way to multicoloured checks, every 15 year old around the country begged his mum to get him a shirt bearing the legendary black and gold label.

But trying to make out that the first-generation skinhead was merely a follower of fashion, and a misunderstood victim who suffered from a bit of bad press, is indeed a half-truth. The violence that engulfed the skinhead, like the gas that made the old Rovers ground smell, was frighteningly real, and to dismiss and ignore it would be foolish in the extreme. The nation's football stadiums became the skinhead's battlegrounds, as did the seafronts, the dancehalls and the high streets. They fought greasers, hippies, gays and Asians, but mostly they fought each other - which, I suppose, proved they weren't prejudiced. They hated everyone. Maybe they were guilty of selective racism, if there is such as thing. Among their ranks, in many cities, were large numbers of West Indian youths, and their love of reggae music spoke volumes - after all, it was skinheads who got 'Young, Gifted And Black' by Bob and Marcia into the top five.
Much is made today of the violence in Bristol city centre on a weekend. Well, you're having a laugh. Many a young man ventured into the centre back then, in search of pulling a mini-skirted 'sort', but the only thing that was guaranteed to come his way was a smack in the mouth, if he looked at someone 'the wrong way'. When the skinheads were at their peak in the early 70s, the city centre was no place for the faint-hearted, especially around the covered market area, where pubs like the Crown, Rummer and Elephant (pre-gay), as well as the notorious Stage Door in King Street, drew hordes of shaven-headed lads from the council estates in search of a bit of 'aggro'. The law even resorted to setting up a special taskforce, which was quickly named 'The Bovver Squad' by the Evening Post, to try to contain the violence. It hardly succeeded, and as for the football violence... well, I could write a book.
WHERE HAVE ALL THE BOOTBOYS GONE?
'Where Have All The Boot Boys Gone?' was a record by Slaughter and the Dogs in the eariy 80s, Well, where have they all gone? What are they doing now? Do they look back on those days with regrets? Are they filled with remorse? Far from it. Here's what two ex-skinheads, 50-year-old Bob 'Dobbsy' S (now a heavy goods vehicle driver, married for 29 years and living in St George) and 49-year-old Ian H (computer systems analyst, married for 21 years and living in South Gloucestershire), remember of those days...
Can you remember the first time you saw skinheads? What made you become a skinhead? What drew you to the skinhead movement? Who did you fight with?
Bob 1968, in the Croydon area of London. Crystal Palace and Millwall fans. I was 15 years old, and fell for the clothes, the reggae, the gorgeous skinhead girls and the excitement of the whole scene. I followed Bristol Rovers, so I was one of the Tote End boot boys. We hated greasers, although, funnily enough, a lot of our fans were greasers. We fought with other skins at football - they used to chant 'soap and water' at the greasers, because they were so filthy but it still caused offence to us, so we stuck together with the greasers for the cause.
Ian Almost certainly whilst attending a football match. There was a considerable amount of media coverage about the emergent youth culture and the violence that accompanied it. I do remember that some of the articles dealt with the fashion of the skinheads both male and female. This would have been around 1969-70, As I regularly attended football, I was drawn to being a skinhead, together with my mates, as that was what many working-class young males were doing. It also served that basic human need to belong to an identifiable group,
Where did you hang out? Favourite pubs, clubs? Clothes shops?
Bob At football grounds around the country mostly. The infamous, but much-loved Never on a Sunday cafe in Fairfax Street, Cora's cafe on Colston Avenue, Monte Carlo cafe in Eastville (full of greasers, but they were Tote Enders). and pubs like the Elephant. the Way Inn (next to what's now the Royal Marriott) and the market cellar bars. The Top Rank (now the Works), the Locarno (above what's now the Academy). Bank holiday trips to Weston. Torquay and Weymouth were absolute mayhem. Shops were Coke and Clobber (next to the Never on a Sunday), Carnaby One. Beau Brummel on the Centre and Austins In Broadmead
Ian Many of the dancehalls and discos within pubs were playing Motown and reggae, so it attracted us,I used to go to the Locarno on a Monday night with mates, where we'd meet other skinheads, It was an opportunity to wear a suit, together with a tie pin and handkerchief in the top pocket, which was an absolute must.
What was your favourite item of clothing, where did you buy it, and how much did it cost?
Bob Doc Martens. purchased from Jacobs in Old Market for about £2 15s in I969. Yellow Ben Sherman shirt bought from Kings Road. London for £2 10s, shrink-to-fit Levis for £3 you had to sit in the bath for hours to get them to fit.
Ian Doc Martens identified you as a skinhead. They became associated with the culture of bovver more than anything else - and they were very comfortable to walk in. I think that's why I kept them for so long after I ceased being a skinhead. I bought them at the market for £4 19s 6d. For a long time, I kept them in the garage, not telling my parents. and put them on once I'd left the house in my 'sensible' shoes, We used to have our trousers and jackets made to measure by a tailor in Broadmead called 'Jacksons'. You went in one week to be measured up and pay a deposit, then returned the following week to pick up the finished garment and pay the balance. It was important to have your trousers exactly in fashion being prescriptive about the width of the trouser legs, width of the tum-ups, patch pockets and having a ticket pocket. Similarly, Jackets had to have a certain length for the centre vent. a specific style and width of lapels and also a specified number of buttons on the sleeves

Do you still own any of that clothing, and do you still wear It?
Bob No, but I still wear similar clothing, like button-down shirts, Levis-but full-length now, not short A smart pair of Wegian Loafers (leather slip-on shoes) - classic look, still instantly recognisable to anyone from that era.
Ian I've kept a long black leather coat (more from the smoothie era), which was styled on one that Marvin Gaye wore on the cover of 'What's Going On', but that's it.
Do you think there were any specific skinhead 'values' that have influenced your life today? Do you still adhere to those values?
Bob I still retain a great passion for Rovers, still spend a lot on clothes that aren't that far removed from then - quality jeans, smart poIos, even bought a pair of brogues last winter. Still see mates from 35 years ago at football. I'm disciplined with work, never lost any time. been at the same company for over 33 years.
Ian I don't think there were any particular values that were specific to the skinhead culture of the time. Perhaps there was the liking for smart clothes and being well dressed. which I suppose I've retained since. although not to the same degree.
What made you stop being a skinhead? Do you still engage in 'skinhead activities' - football, music gigs?
Bob Skins and suedeheads naturally progressed to smoothies. The second generation of skins in the late 70s. lost the edge in clothing, music and politics - I got married. and settled down. I'm a season ticket-holder at Rovers, still buy and retain my original collection of soul and reggae records. Love to see footage of musicians from that era
Ian The fashion moved on and I wanted to be the same as my mates. We had now become 'suedeheads' and had grown our hair longer and wore different, less utiIiIarian clothes, no more boots - loafers and even moccasins, I haven't been involved. in skinhead culture or activities since the early 70s. but still retain a love of Motown and soul music.
Do you have any about being a skinhead?
Bob No regrets. Had a great time. Still see a lot of people from that era who are like-minded. Could have done without the criminal record, though!
Ian No.
Chris Brown is the authour of 'Bovver' (Blake Publishing Ltd, £5.99). the best selling eyewitness account of growing up as a Bristol Rovers fan: the sights, the sounds, the fashions and the fights.

SKIN UP

Skins are what they used to be, says Cris Warren.

The haircut seems almost ubiquitous nowadays, but real skinheads are hard to find. They're still around. though. Go to any gig by a visiting Jamaican artist, and you'll find them immaculately turned out, sharply cropped hair for the men, feather cuts for the women, suited and booted, as if it were still 1968. Shirehampton skins Ricky and Lorraine admit that skinheads are a rare breed these days. but they keep the flame alive, paying immaculate detail to the look and regularly going out to ska gigs and attending scooter rallies. "You do get some funny looks now and then. People want to know what it's all about, or they make assumptions about you. We go to see The Simalators [Bristol-based ska group with an absolutely storming live reputation] a lot. In fact, I do their website, and they're brilliant. They really keep the flame alive - you see quite a lot of the old-school skins there dancing to the music and meeting up."
The pair have been immersed in skinhead culture for '...ever' says Ricky, a former butcher, now a website designer, decked in perfectly creased dressed-down, taken-up Levis. properly cut Ben Sherman shirt (not the flabby ones on the market now) and DMs (which must be polished). When he's out for the night, he dons Crombie coat and fastidiously pressed suit, topped off with a three-pointed hankie in the breast pocket
'We've got home movies of me as a lad in a Harrington, two-tone trousers. It's just carried on from that. I've always listened to the same music ska is my passion - and worn the same style. I got into it in the two-tone era then you were either a mod or a skin I look the skin path."
Ricky's partner Lorraine. manager at a dry cleaners, has been a 'skingirl' slightly longer. Her brothers were skinheads when she was growmg up in Shirehampton and she adopted the classic skingirl style feather-cut hair ("which Ricky does. You go into a hairdresser's now. and ask for one - they're like, 'You what?'). sharp two-piece suit (single-breasted, three buttons. bottom left undone, double pocket flaps), fishnets and white ankle socks. "It's attention to detail, a very sharp but simple look. It's a working-class thing, and we take a lot of pride in our appearance. A few years ago, you could be ostracised if your suit wasn't pressed or you were in the wrong shirt... it's not so snobby now, but we still take pride in it.'
Being a skinhead nowadays is a quieter business,but the prejudices still exist. "We still don't get accepted. Older people just use the old stereotypes about bovver boys, and the younger generation know nothing about it. It's like you're from another planet. Skins nowadays are mainly people our own age, or a bit older. Some people do look at you, and you can tell that they assume you're in the far right, or something. There are skinheads who are fascists, but there are also a lot of people who are Nazis, and who don't have a skinhead or wear boots -sadly, that's the way it is. We, personally, don't have time for those sorts of politics. Our culture is based around the original skinheads, and reggae and ska music, black West Indian music. That's at the core of everything. People lump all skins logether, and usually say they're racist or whatever, That's just a stupid stereotype, and it's certainly not true of us and the people we know"
So what keeps them being a skinhead? They both reply at the same time, laughing: 'We've got a wardrobe full of clothes, We can't do anything else" Lorraine takes over: "It's just a way oflife - Trojan, ska, it's passionate music... the clothes...it's a way oflife,' adds Ricky. "Society just tells you what to do, what to wear, what to listen to, It shouldn't be like that, and we like being slightly different, doing our own thing."

SKA-BOOM

Cris Warren traces the legacy of two of Ska's biggest tunes.
"The two biggest' records, if you were a skinhead in the late 60s, were Dave and Ansell Collins 'Double Barrel' and The'Pioneers' 'Longshot'Kick De Bucket'. It's as simple as that - they sort of defined the time." Reggae DJ Steve Rice
was a 15 year-old Brixton teenager when Trojan records unleashed the 45s that soundtracked the growing skinhead movement. Rice was already something of a ska and rocksteady buff, regularly buying Studio One cuts imported from Jamaica, but, he says, "Double Barrel and Longshot were something else. Dave Barker's shouts over 'Double Barrel' - nobody had heard anything like it in this country. It was,like, what the fuck was that? They were massive tunes, way ahead of their time. The bands must have been pretty overwhelmed when the tracks were hits over here. They probably only got about $20 for recording them, and all of a sudden they were massive on the other side of the world. I remember them being on 'Top of the Pops', looking a little bemused."
Although The Pioneers scored. another huge hit with a version of Jimmy Cliff's 'Let Your Yeah Be Yeah', chart action for both acts practically disappeared. D&AC's singer Dave Barker (the band's producer thought they'd do better if audiences imagined the pair were brothers), pursued a not-so-successful soul career, while Ansell Collins went on to be a much-in-demand keyboard session player, featuring on many of King Tubby's records.
A gig by the now re-fonned Pioneers and Dave and Ansell Collins at Fiddlers in Bristol on September 12 promises to be something of a red-letter day for fans of ska and rocksteady. "I imagine there'll be quite a few ofthe old-school skins and a bunch of old farts like me, but there'll be a a good mix of other people. too.' says Steve. reflecting on the enduring legacy of Jamaican ska, Steve will be DJing the night, with selections from his formidable reggae and funk collection. So he'll be playing the aforementioned anthems, then? "Er, no. I'll be honest with you - I like the songs still.. but you don't half get sick of hearing them being played all the time. In fact, I don't think I've even got a copy of them. I'll leave that to the bands.'

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download pdf

Zine SPY KIDS "issue #2

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.

(THIS IS AN INTERVIEW WITH PAUL BARRETT OF 'HARD AS NAILS' ZINE)

(I ASKED PAUL A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT 'HARD AS NAILS' ZINE......THANKS PAUL)

The first edition of 'Hard As Nails' hit the streets in the summer of 1983. We
(Ian & me) were Skinheads living in Essex and had been part of the Essex/East London
scene since the late '70's. We were increasingly dismayed by despoilment of Skinhead
culture in the early '80's. Oi! had added vitality to the movement, but the degeneration
into rag tag glue bags and knob head nazis defiled our core values. Our own politics were
probably best described as proud,patriotic and socialist. As such we were a put down
to 'white noise boneheads'.

We wanted Hard As Nails to reconnect Skinhead back with it's roots - working class,
anti-racist and smart. The 'zine was seminal but reflected a small undercurrent of
'Sussed Skinheads'. In '83 this was little more than a ruffle. Tiny firms such as the
Camden Stylists,Britannia Skins,Southend Clockwork Patrol and the Suedehead Syndicate
were populating gigs and dances. Often more closely aligned to the residue of 'Mod
Revival'. These guys and girls were Sharp and had nothing in common with 'Arry 'Arris
the gormless cartoon skinhead scruff who featured in most issues. However Hard As
Nails was not just about history. Although staying through to our roots, we also wanted
to acknowledge the Dynamic nature of Skinhead rather than staying stuck in 1970.
Hard As Nails sought to synthesise the best of the present with the past. There were
decent new bands such as 'Potato 5', 'The Burial' and 'Red London', all of whom -
received well deserved coverage. Then there were the features on clothes,working
class culture,our rivals (Greasers!) and even the odd bit of sport (boxing & football).

From the second issue in late 1983 we really took off. This issue with it's East London
gangster and uncompromising message attracted the interest of 'Garry Bushell'.
Subsequently Hard As Nails featured in the music press, some national newspapers and
even a spot appearance on the radio with Pete Murray. This publicity and word of mouth
recommendations ensured a growing circulation movement. The numbers of 'Tonic
Suits' and 'brogues' spotted when we were out and about slowly increased. Those
years saw a well established scene, 'Gaz's Rockin Blues', The Sols Arms,Militant Skank
Sound System were some of our regular hangouts. Numbers were never huge -
hundreds rather than thousands but that gave it a more exclusive feel. Many readers
became friends - the likes of Paul Armstrong,Chris Butler,Gail McGee,Teresa Reynolds,
Dudley Somers,French Cyrille,Mike Hudspith,Dempsey,Terry Wham & Brentford Linz.
Over the years we made visits to other firms - Cardiff,Glasgow,York,Dublin,Belgium
and France. These confirmed that Sharp and Sussed Skins n Suedes were perfusing
the streets and terraces once again.

Hard As Nails continued into late 1985 when we decided to call it a day. We had
achieved what we set out to do and the movement was well established, It
was time to hand over to other 'zines that followed in the wake of Hard As Nails -
'Backs Against The Wall', 'Croptop', 'Bovver Boot' and 'Zoot'. Some were -
derivative but others were taking the movement in exciting new directions. Looking
back now,our efforts seem amazingly amateurish, Hard As Nails preceded the age of
desktop publishing and social networking. Hard As Nails was banged out on an
old typewriter and taken to a local photocopy shop before being distributed. For
us cut n paste meant scissors and a pritt stick. Each edition took days to compile as
Ian and I shuttled back and forth to each other.

Some quarter century later I am surprised that there is still interest in what we did.
It is also good to know that there are still smart skins both young and old who
are 'keeping the faith'. I have kept an interest in the Skinhead movement since
then and still knock about with a few of the old crew,even though we are pretty
disparate now. I've even been known to don what the kids call a ''Shiny Suit'',
brogues and crombie when im in a soulful mood.

(A MASSIVE THANKS TO PAUL BARRETT OF HARD AS NAILS 'ZINE FOR THE
INTERVIEW AND PICTURES..........CHEERS AGAIN PAUL!)

(INTERVIEW BY JOHN BRADLEY aka RUDEBHOY 2010

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Artickel "Trouble in the Town": Skinhead Reggae

“Skinhead reggae” has come to mean a subgenre of reggae with influences taken from ska and rocksteady as well as soul/R‘n’B, often with fast Hammond organ leads and danceable beats, loved by adolescents of the British working class. But reggae itself became popular among white British youth after ska and rocksteady had receded, more or less as skinhead became an identifiable subculture in the United Kingdom, in 1968, peaking in 1969, and then disappearing into seudehead, glam/glitter, etc., by the early 70s. Therefore, it is something of a misnomer to speak of “skinhead reggae” as separate from the early reggae that was popular amongst white kids, because those white kids were nearly all skinheads. It was not until at least a year or more into the close association between the musical form and the fashion that the tunes now inextricably linked to the subculture by their lyrics began to emerge. Many of the skinhead reggae songs were covers or else more well-known early reggae/ska/rocksteady tunes that had been reworked, sometimes with new lyrics specifically about skinheads. Symarip’s “Skinhead Moonstomp,” possibly the most classic (and one of the most primitive) skinhead reggae song uses the music from a Derrick Morgan tune called “Moon Hop.” Symarip, it’s worth noting, was the well-known band the Pyramids under a pseudonym due to contractual obligations. From the shit-fi perspective, some of the finest examples of skinhead reggae—the primitive iteration of a genre conceived through stripping away ska’s and rocksteady’s flourishes—are those 45s obviously made solely for the purpose of cashing in on the trend. As with most shit-fi music, reckless abandon and crapulence figure highly into the shitasticity. So a few drunken/stoned Jamaicans fooling around in a studio, riffing on the concept of “skinheads,” and trying to get the tape to the pressing plant quickly, before the trend was dead, actually led to some of the best sides in the genre. At the time, poor distribution meant that these 45s were often impossible to find outside of the big cities, even as kids were lapping the tunes up over the airwaves and in the dancehalls. Over time, these shitty sides rose to the top because skinheads, being skinheads, could not quench their thirst for songs explicitly about their wily ways. Thus, what might, under alternate circumstances, be considered exploitative is actually the quintessence of skinhead reggae. It’s dumb, simple, crude, often improvised, fun.
The slightly dulled edge endemic to much of the reggae recorded from 1968 to 1971 or so in Jamaica—resulting from in-the-red live recordings and poor-quality tapes and gear—making the sound more brittle and sinewy, sometimes void of a middle range, does not automatically qualify it for the attention of Shit-Fi, but it sure helps. Unfortunately, I must note that what much of the UK-recorded reggae of the moment lacks in lo-fi-delity, it makes up in celebratory idiocy; thus, the majority of the songs below originated in London.

Here's a primer on some of my favorite skinhead reggae tunes.

Desmond Riley "Skinhead A Message to You"
Desmond Riley’s “Skinhead A Message to You” must have been a crowd pleaser in the dancehalls when it came out. (Recorded in London in 1969, it was one of the first songs to call on skinheads by name.) An infectious and dumb tagline “bop bop ba doo” gets stuck in your head, and maybe if Riley and the local constabulary had their druthers, so too did the message of wearing your boots with pride but not hurting nobody. The song seems to hope, and explicitly say, that this reggae music should’ve kept the kids dancing rather than fighting. Yet one can extrapolate that this tune was recorded far enough into the nascence of the skinhead subculture that the bootboys’ self-destructive menace was at the fore for all involved parties. Gotta make that cash, Riley must’ve thought, but I hope I don’t get my arse whooped when one of these dancehalls explodes into a bovver wonderland. One other thing: “Don’t call me skinhead, my name is John, John the Baptist”—not sure exactly what that’s about except that he’s maybe telling us that none of the original skinhead reggae artists was a skinhead.
Hot Rod All Stars "Skinhead Speaks His Mind"
Might as well cut to the chase here. “Skinhead Speaks His Mind” is to skinhead reggae as “Bummer Bitch” is to punk rock. (This gang also wrote “Skinheads Don’t Fear,” another classic.) Electric jug, James Brownisms, uber-simple and spare reggae guitar, and lyrics even a crop-top eighteen sheets to the wind could remember: “skinhead / skinhead / skinhead / skinhead / skinhead / skin / yow / sock it to me, skinhead,” etc. One almost has to wonder whether the Hot Rods were taking the piss, because surely the mind of a skin has room for other pertinent topics (the four Bs, perhaps? Birds, boots, bovver, booze…not necessarily in that order). Anyway, this one is killer. “Skinheads Don’t Fear” has a more stomp-on-the-downbeat reggae feel, no lyrics, and no electric jug. Leaving out that instrument circa 69 was probably to make sure no one would confuse skins with hair-farming middle-class peaceniks.
Tommy McCook and Stranger Cole "Last Flight to Reggae City"
Lest I give the false impression that all skinhead reggae sides had the word “skinhead” in their titles, let’s take a listen to Tommy McCook and Stranger Cole’s “Last Flight to Reggae City.” The flutes in this one call to mind a line from Ronald Reagan’s favorite poet, John Gillespie Magee, Jr.: “Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth.” I picture a bootboy magically flying on gossamer wings from the humdrum council flat toward a Caribbean idyll that would, of course, be known as “reggae city.” Gotta get on that last flight, #007. (Incidentally, several skinhead reggae tunes date themselves to a zeitgeist moment of James Bond worship by mentions of 007.) The idea of a “last flight” wasn’t as menacing in 1969 as it had become by 1975, after the fall of Saigon. Skinheads definitely imagined themselves putting their booted feet up and maxin-and-relaxin, not dangling from landing gear, on this flight. The MC reveals the one-off, live nature of these tunes when he says, “This is your captain, Captain Streggae from Reggae City.” I guess nothing rhymed with reggae that day. “Your estimated flight will be two minutes and forty-five seconds and you’ll be flying at forty-five RPM.” Bliss.
The Charmers "Skinhead Train"
Just beneath the aforementioned "Skinhead Moonstomp" in the list of brilliantly incompetent improvisational rhymes about skinheads sits yet another track about conveyances: "Skinhead Train." Maybe it was something about the transnational character of skinhead reggae that inspired songs like these. The insistent commands offered by the Charmers' MC, however, don't make the Skinhead Train sound as welcoming as the Last Flight to Reggae City. If we imagine the former as headed to Babylon and the latter to Zion, the difference in sentiment between the songs becomes scrutable. But skinheads really only ever wished to ride the train to the terraces—and perhaps Brighton on a bank holiday weekend. Zion wasn't so far away after all.
Joe the Boss "Skinhead Revolt"
“Skinhead Revolt” by Joe "the Boss" Mansano has a great trombone line as well as an exceedingly skank-friendly interplay between the guitar and organ. The only lyrics to this mostly instrumental side are the titular ones. Great concept, themselves stolen for the title of a compilation LP released by Earmark, which is essential for fans and abecedarians alike. I like how the organ solo gets louder and quieter and louder in the middle. It’s tough to say if that’s artistic expression or studio hi-jinks at work. Either way, I approve. Tunes this great must’ve soothed the savagest of shaven-head beasts, but I can understand why licensing hours would have led to violence in the streets. You just don’t want a song like this to end.

Claudette and the Corporation "Skinheads A Bash Them"
Though the subculture centered around a macho look, and its pulp literature, typified by Richard Allen’s books, was shockingly misogynistic, some of the finest reggae tunes were sung by women. I suppose it all makes sense psychoanalytically. “Skinheads A Bash Them” by Claudette and the Corporation is yet another ode to the finer points of skinhead life, built around a simple, upbeat reggae guitar line interspersed with saxophones. Claudette’s excellent singing brings this laconic tune up a flight or two from the basement of shit-fi exploito-skin-reggae, and this one seems to bridge two of the primary categories of early reggae, Hammond organ–led dance tunes and the “toasting” drunk/stoned style. (A third common style is soul/R‘n’B covers played reggae style.) One also appreciates the sentiment herein, as Claudette asks why the shaven-head cohort "a bash them,” with the “Paki-” implicit. Another of Claudette’s dance tunes is called “Queen of the World,” and it’s infectious.

Phyllis Dillon "Woman of the Ghetto"

A bit late (1971) and more on the rocksteady side of the spectrum, Phyllis Dillon’s version of Marlena Shaw’s “Woman of the Ghetto” nevertheless is, as they say, a heartbreaking work of staggering genius. Any true Jack the Lad knows that this song narrates the daily life of his long-suffering mum. Rarely has the intersection of class consciousness and gender consciousness been expressed with such verve.
Laurel Aitken "Skinheads Are Wrecking the Town"
A recent discovery for me, thanks to skins with computers (waiting on their Giro, blogging down the job centre), is “Skinheads Are Wrecking the Town.” This primitive mash-up, avant la lettre, of Desmond Dekker’s classics “Licking Stick” and “Shanty Town” is actually by Laurel Aitken, even though the terrible-quality mp3 circulating online lists the auteur as unknown. It’s a novelty. And it doesn’t match either of its forebears, but it’s dumb and it’s about skinheads wrecking the town, so it rates as shit-fi skinhead reggae.
King Horror "Loch Ness Monster"
A sub-sub-sub-genre of skinhead reggae, at least judging by the available retrospective compilations, is zoologically themed joints. I’m not quite sure what, other than general fearsomeness, was behind these tunes, but “Zapatoo the Tiger” by Roland Alphonso, complete with growls, “Brixton Cat” by Rico & The Rudies, and “Loch Ness Monster” by King Horror are some examples. The latter is particularly silly, as it begins with a not-very-blood-curdling shriek, followed by King Horror warning about the dangers of said beast from the depths. I suspect the instrumentals for these tunes were written before the themes were, and they used the first idea that popped in their heads. One gets the feeling the tunes were not built to last—intended to be played in dancehalls for only a few weeks and then forgotten. That they live on is one of those quirks of subculture history. Still, the music in these tunes is not intrinsically shit-fi, it’s just that it’s accompanied by such odd toasting. Two other tunes that might fall into this category are “Funky Duck” and the James Brown–influenced “Funky Chicken,” meant to be accompanied by specific dances à la Macarena, Electric Slide, and Twist. Sadly for those with number-1 crops across the land, the reggae version of the Funky Chicken dance never seems to have quite taken off. I wonder why.
Sir Collins & the Black Diamonds "Black Panther"

In 1969, a song called “Black Panther” could not have just been a tune about a large feline. With its roars, similar to those of “Zapatoo the Tiger,” the black cat in question, who is also met with the refrain “Power” throughout the song, was clearly meant as an homage to the fierceness of the Black Panther Party. Beyond its notable, touchy, subject matter, which nevertheless receives the typical skinhead reggae treatment—it’s rendered silly and incoherent—this song’s fidelity stands out. It is likely an example of a riddim recorded in Jamaica and then overdubbed in London, and the musty sound evokes what we associate with Jamaican reggae of the moment. The track’s flipside, “I Want to Be Loved,” which sounds more like it was recorded in London, calls for worldwide unity between blacks in Jamaica, Africa, etc. Pretty powerful stuff beneath a veneer of jubilant party music.

GG All Stars "2,000 Tons of TNT"
If you and your firm were going to blow up the nearest cop shop, you might need a couple pounds of TNT. If you were going to blow up every bleedin’ Bobby from Brixton to Bournemouth, Edinburgh to Cardiff, 2,000 tons of TNT might cut it. “The boss of every explosive.” (As a result of this song, TNT should have a place on the Periodic Table of 69 Antisocial Elements.) "2,000 Tons of TNT" could be the quintessence of baldheaded reggae, with tentative flute playing; bog-standard, out-of-tune guitar work; and seemingly improvised lyrics. Boss, indeed. I like how the song is a bit too long, too.

GG All Stars "Barbarus"
So: “Barabus” (Barabbas?) might be the best skinhead dancehall tune of all, from any standpoint. I defy you smartly dressed boys and birds not to stomp your boots as this one, also courtesy of GG All Stars, plays. Pardon me while I go off, play a round of darts, shave my head, and then cry into my pint glass at the sheer perfection of this song. Turn it up!

The Pioneers "Reggae Fever"
“Skinhead braces and big boots is the talk of this town.” The paradox I loved about punks and skins hanging out on the street 25 years after the peak of skinhead reggae the was how our outlandish appearance was certain to attract the attention of norms, rival subcultures, and tourists yet nothing was more execrable to us than tourists taking our picture. But, percentage-wise, a tourist was far more likely to get chased down by a gang of bootboys and have his or her camera smashed (and if that was the extent of it, said tourist was lucky). The days of skinheads ruling the streets of the Lower East Side, as much as the “ruling” part was a fantasy in the heads of the skins and those—like me—who feared them, are incontrovertibly over. It’s been nearly 15 years since I’ve heard of a gang of skins forcing a punk rocker to pay a toll to pass their throng on the sidewalk—my 16-year-old buddy once convinced such a gang he was a veteran, what with his army surplus jacket and combat boots, which commanded such respect from the skins that he was allowed to pass for free. So, no, I do not lament the ebb of right-wing thugs who counted among their achievements having smashed up an anarchist bookstore, along with numerous gaybashing attacks, and other nefarious activities. But I must say that the changes in New York City I have witnessed in the days since my teenage years, of which the disappearance of the skins is a small but visceral microcosm, have profoundly shaped the way I think about the city. In the most basic way, it’s this change that animates everything I plan to do with the rest of my life: studying the shifts in the urban social landscape under neoliberalism. The Bowery becoming a safe playground for tourists, rather than the seamy boulevard upon which skins chased and beat them, was not a natural or inevitable process. What’s more, the failure of those booted-up 'n' suited-up kids with self-proclaimed “working-class pride” to mount anything like a coherent riposte to capitalists or cops was not wholly their fault, as much as it breaks my heart that the skins violently opposed anarchists and leftists, rather than finding common cause with them. Today, their mutual absence, the streets’ silence—where what’s missing is all their inchoate ideas spoken brashly—demonstrates how much they had in common, how interdependent they really were. (A shift onto the web is no substitute.) It sometimes seems the numbers of new high-rise condominiums are inversely proportional to the city's numbers of street-urchin subculture kids. Our own self-destructiveness—skins’ and punks’ alike—played a huge part in our collective disappearance from the public’s eye. But it merely abetted the destiny the city’s leaders already had in mind for us, and for so many other street kids.
Anyway, the orotund, baritone singing about newspaper headlines in which "skinheads are always at their very best” in “Reggae Fever” is of course ironic. Skins’ febrile best will always be the worst in the estimation of polite society, but, removed from the fear that used to characterize my youthful encounters with skinheads, it is—compared to the city’s welter of conspicuous wealth, the sheen on risk management and its exclusion and incarceration—as pretty a scene as I can envision.
Silver Stars "Last Call"

There are roughly two types of people in the world: those who hear the words “last call” shouted on a regular basis and those who don’t. Skinheads on the whole fall into the former category. The homosocial nature of skinhead gangs means that even if you lads don’t go home with the top bird, you’ll still have your male companions. And if one of your male companions wants to end the night with a Guinness-breath make-out session, well, the point of waiting until last call is that most potential witnesses have left by then anyway. I’ll end here. I hope, if you weren’t already familiar, I’ve opened your eyes to some of the dirty joys that lurk in the subterranean realms of “skinhead reggae.”

semangat djoeang

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