SKINHEAD ARMY HISTORY OF N.Y.H.C. 1980-2000
It wouldnt be a complete history of the NY scene without mentioning the influence of the skinhead culture.If you ask ten skinheads what it means to be one,expect ten different answers.But there are definite rules and codes to being a skinhead.One is PRIDE.Some refer to pride in being part of the working class,rather than being on welfare or living off anothers wealth.Others refer to Pride of unity amoung their fellow associates,whether drinking in a bar,going to shows ,or standing together in a fight.And then there are those whos pride runs with their racial (or racist) beliefs "Nazi punks...FUCK OFF!" Dead Kennedys
Skinhead style started to show itself in the NYHC scene at its beginning.Actually it was the Buddhist monks that first shaved their heads as to renounce worldly materialism.Ironicly,the Nazis during WWII never wore shaved heads-that was considered a humiliation to be put upon concentration camp prisoners.The true Oi skinheads appeared in Britain in the late 60s(rather than explain,look up ´skinhead´ on your search engine.Some sites refer to hate groups,others to groups like S.H.A.R.P.).America also had its version of skinhead with the gangs in the Bronx (The Fordham Baldies actually existed).The first ones I met were at a show at CBGBs in 1978.They were there to see a band called Mike Pardo´s Straight Edge(meaning the razor,not the yet-to-happen sXe).Big,mean looking guys with leather jackets and massive tattoo work,totally impressed this kid.
"Collosal man was a skinhead.." The Psychos By 1981 a new generation of skins started appearing at punk rock shows.Not much resemblence to the Oi type,more like punks with shaved or buzzed heads.The boots were basic black combat boots,leather or army coats,jeans with torn knees,work gloves,chain belts.It was the ska followers,more educated in British ways, that brought more of the look into the scene with creepers,Fred Perry shirts,while punks brought in the Oi sounds like the Business,The Exploited,Sham 69,The Cockney Rejects,GBH.The first true skinhead band I saw was the 4 Skins at some club uptown. "Skinhead rebell...kick´em in the ass....Skinhead rebell...ain´t got no class" Murphys Law
The skinhead style wasnt the only one that worked its way into the scene.There was also the Rasta influence and the home-boy look of sneakers and adidas sportswear,then came the skater street look. NYHC started to become a wide mix of styles.sXe bands seemed to be wearing the look too,so the was a wide cross influence.By 1983 the mohawks started fading out,so most shows became a sea of bald heads and tattooed bodies.Soon the combat boots and chain belts gave way to Doc Martins and braces.Agnostic Front became straight-up skinhead,American style "We gotta stick together..punks and skins..united and strong" A.F.
Up to this point it was just that-style and music.Few actually knew the political storms that followed the skinhead movement at the time,but soon they found out.Though the scene seemed to be largely white,catholic school types,there were also jewish,black,latino and asians in the mix too,Id guess about a 60-40 ratio,so it could hardly be considered a prejudiced bunch.Of course I cant say what was in the hearts of every individual but racial politics was at the time avoided.There was too much fun going on for that kind of stuff.In fact it seemed Religion was the big question of the day.Besides being a bunch of hell-raisers,there were the beginnings of those whose spirituality led them toward,of all things,Krishna.
"Cro-Mag...skinhead...breakout"
Though Harley was a crazed skinhead kid,John introduced him to the Krishna temple in Brooklyn,along with others.The Krishnas gladly fed them and brought them into the Krishna life.The Cro-Mags then became linked to the faith.It seemed alot of the scene was headed that way,seeing that the life-style worked well with sXe,being about abstaining from things like drugs,sex and alcohol.But it clashed with the beer drinking and sometimes glue-sniffing-dust smoking ways of the Oi boys.Plus the anarchy types hated religion,so a "schism" started to arise-the NYHC scene was splitting into factions.
"Dont forget the struggle..dont forget the streets.." Warzone
Violence up to this point was mostly sent outwards toward home-boys,bouncers and crazed bums that took on the skins and punks on Avenue A,Thomkins Square Park,various bars and clubs.If you liked to brawl,hang around long enough and you were in it.But when an EP called "White Power" from the National Front band Skrewdriver started showing up,things were about to turn real ugly
"The dogs of war are coming for you..." Skarhead
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J´étais un jeune ado innocent, dans le punk et le métal, et je connaissait rien...
enfin comm tu veu man! 