Oi Polloi

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This article is about the Scottish punk band. You may or may not be looking for the Greek expression hoi polloi.
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Oi Polloi

Oi Polloi playing at Augustibuller in Sweden, 6 August, 2005
Background information
Origin Edinburgh, Scotland
Genres Streetpunk, anarcho-punk, Scottish Gaelic punk
Years active 1979—present
Labels Campary records, Ruptured Ambitions, Words of Warning, Oi! records, Green Vomit
Associated acts Aberfeldy
Disorder
Exploited
Kling Klang
Bus Station Loonies
Gin Goblins
Newtown Grunts
Divide & Conquer
Moniack
In Decades Decline
Rocka Ragnarok
Website Official site
Members
Deek Allen
Cameron Tongs
Oigridh
Olssen
Former members
Murray Briggs
Stu "Doccy" Dunn
Calum Mckenzie
Muz
Riley Briggs
David "Rat" Connolly
Chris "Felcher" Wheelie
Calum Nicholson
The Love Doctor
Neil Bateman
Sned
Ethan Buck
Davoi Martin
ozzy
Roland "Roland Wagstaff" Wagstaff
gillie
Euan McKenzie
bulbheid
keith chugwin
brian "red" tipa
peggy
chris
Morag
Dreamin' Dan
Goz
Yagga
Dave Beards

Oi Polloi are an anarcho-punk band from Scotland that formed around 1981, also notable for their contributions to the Scottish Gaelic punk sub-genre.

Contents

[edit] History

Oi Polloi's first studio recording was a demo entitled Destroi the System, which is believed to have been released in 1984 or 1985. After the now defunct music weekly Sounds gave their previous home-recorded demo a favourable review, demand increased for gigs further afield. A second studio demo, Green Anarchoi followed before the release of the first vinyl offering, Resist the Atomic Menace. The line-up of the group has went through fifty members since their formation, making up the countless incarnations of the band. Oi Polloi’s only permanent member has been vocalist Deek Allen. The band is currently based in Scotland.

Attacking world leaders and multi-national companies with humour and anger in different languages

The band are supporters of Earth First! and uses the motto "No Compromise in Defence of Our Earth," which is an adaptation of Earth First!'s motto. They support direct action in defence of the environment, hunt sabotage, and resistance against racism, sexism, homophobia, facism and imperialism. They have recently started singing in Scottish Gaelic and use the language in day to day communications. They see the use of Gaelic and other endangered languages as important to maintaining the biocultural diversity of life. They toured Europe with Seattle-based punk band Mill a h-Uile Rud who sing entirely in Scots Gaelic and Les Ramoneurs de menhirs who mostly sing in Breton. Singer Deek has been involved in Gaelic television and has appeared as Moses on a Gaelic comedy programme. The band are currently recording their 2nd full length Gaelic LP "Duisg!", to be released in 2010

Oi Polloi's was originally founded by Deek Allen and other posh boys from school. Their name Oi Polloi and their album Unite and Win (Punks and Skins) often gave the impression that they were a group of skinheads, or even anarchist skinheads. The band has never been a "skinhead band," but has had both skinhead and punk members who have emphasized unity between the two groups.

Oi Polloi live in 2006

After numerous other gigs in the Edinburgh area and the recording of the group's first cassette demo "Last of the Mohicans" on a home hi-fi, drummer Stu "Doccy" Dunn left to become a karate instructor and was replaced by Muz who later recorded with the Apostles. Apostles and Political Asylum original drummer Chris Low also did a stint on the kit for a time while various other one time Oi Polloi members went on to play in such varied bands as British Standard, Disorder, Exploited, Kling Klang, Aberfeldy, Bus Station Loonies, Gin Goblins, Newtown Grunts, Divide & Conquer, Moniack, In Decades Decline,Rocka Ragnarok, Firestone: Legend of the Hawk and Austin Lucas's band The Pressmen. Drummer Murray Briggs who played on several of the band's 7" records as well as the "Fuaim Catha" LP now plays in Scottish Indie band Aberfeldy along with brother Riley who himself had a brief spell as Oi Polloi guitarist back in the '90s. Brian Tipa was instrumental in writing a great deal of material for the band in the mid-1990s. He was a member of the American band Blownapart Bastards, who later formed Uwharria, and now plays in Robotnicka. David 'Rat' Connolly was the guitarist through much of the early years, playing his last gig and album in 1991. Rat wrote the music for classic songs such as Pigs for Slaughter and Boot down the Door, he went on to become an archaeologist and Middle Eastern adventurer. Former bass player Calum Mckenzie (92-99) has since relocated to the US and now plays in the NYC based thrash/punk band Death Mold. On the "Omnicide" 7" bass and some vocals were by Morag Cruickshank from Aberdeen grindcore band Grunge.

The name Oi Polloi is a pun on the English loan of the Greek phrase hoi polloi (Greek: Οἱ πολλοί) which means literally "the many", but is extended to mean "the masses" or "the common people". Oi! refers to a form of punk music.

[edit] Discography

[edit] 7" EPs

[edit] 12" LPs

[edit] External links

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