Where Have All The BootBoys Gone ?
Many late Twentieth Century subcultures have been exhaustively analysed and pored over
by historians, academics and journalists; collected, collated and curated in books, magazines,
galleries and museums. This level of recuperation has never been applied to the Skinhead
movement – the subculture retains a strongly close-knit and largely underground identity,
away from the cultural mainstream.
THE BOVVER BOOT
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| Bovver Boot Fanzine |
It’s no secret that the British ‘sussed skin’ movement of the 1980s is one of several sources of inspiration for this blog. Although we ultimately want to do our own thing rather than imitate, the combination of sharp style and smart politics is still an excellent starting point.
That’s especially true in a time when much of what passes for leftwing skinhead culture has been reduced to black-clad autonomist chic and the kind of headbanging anti-fascism peddled by the likes of The Oppressed. OK, so you’re against nazis – but what are you for, mate?
.The fact that bands such as the Redskins and The Burial – but also NYC’s The Press – could answer this question without hesitation is what gave their music and culture a positive edge. They didn’t really need the eternally looming bonehead to define themselves against in each and every song.
Alongside Hard As Nails, Spy Kids and others, Glasgow’s Bovver Boot constituted the spearhead of sussed zines. Find attached issue number 2, which came out in early 1986. Features include the Redskins and The Business alongside forgotten underground luminaries such as The Condemned, The Silence and The Restrictors.
Notably, both the Redskins’ Neither Washington Nor Moscow and Condemned 84’s Battle Scarred receive top marks in the review corner. Well, few could deny these are both fucking awesome albums. Did it really surprise anybody that C84 turned out to be what they are, though?
Thanks to original spy kid, Mark A, for supplying us with this copy of Bovver Boot. Click the link below to download the PDF (guaranteed virus and malware free) and enjoy the zine!
Download Pdf
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