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I didn't remove anything that was cited. I merged the Anti-racist and left-wing skinhead paragraphs and inserted a few things that are common sense.
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In the late 1960s, some skinheads (including [[Black people|black]] skinheads) had engaged in ''Paki bashing'' (random violence against [[Pakistan|Pakistani]]s and other [[South Asia]]n immigrants).<ref>[http://www.skinheadnation.co.uk/tilburyskinheads.htm Violence In Our Minds - The Skinhead Nation]</ref><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20050929223759/http://www.trojanrecords.net/articles/monty2.htm Monty Montgomery of the Pyramids/Symarip interview]</ref><ref>http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,909318,00.html?promoid=googlep</ref> However as early as 1970 there were already many Skinheads in the [[White Nationalism|White Nationalist]] National Front and there had also been [[anti-racist]] and [[leftist]] skinheads from the beginning, especially in areas such as [[Scotland]] and [[Northern England]].<ref>[http://www.skinheadnation.co.uk/glasgowskinheads.htm No Mean City - The Skinhead Nation]</ref> <ref>[http://www.sozialismus-von-unten.de/archiv/text/redskins.htm REDSKINS - The Interview, 1986]</ref> In the 1970s, the [[racist]] violence became more politicized, with the involvement of organizations like the [[National Front (UK)|National Front]] and [[British Movement]], which included many skinheads among their ranks. Those organizations' positions against blacks and [[Asian]]s appealed to many [[working class]] skinheads who blamed non-white [[immigrant]]s for economic and social problems such, as an increase of social tensions in urban areas, and who disliked the growing threat of Communism to Western Europe. In the late 70's several openly Nazi groups which were comprised of skinheads emerged and because Skinheads who embraced the Nazi ideology became predominant in the sub-culture the public and media came to view the skinheads exclusively as a sub-culture promoting White Power.
In the late 1960s, some skinheads (including [[Black people|black]] skinheads) had engaged in ''Paki bashing'' (random violence against [[Pakistan|Pakistani]]s and other [[South Asia]]n immigrants).<ref>[http://www.skinheadnation.co.uk/tilburyskinheads.htm Violence In Our Minds - The Skinhead Nation]</ref><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20050929223759/http://www.trojanrecords.net/articles/monty2.htm Monty Montgomery of the Pyramids/Symarip interview]</ref><ref>http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,909318,00.html?promoid=googlep</ref> However as early as 1970 there were already many Skinheads in the [[White Nationalism|White Nationalist]] National Front and there had also been [[anti-racist]] and [[leftist]] skinheads from the beginning, especially in areas such as [[Scotland]] and [[Northern England]].<ref>[http://www.skinheadnation.co.uk/glasgowskinheads.htm No Mean City - The Skinhead Nation]</ref> <ref>[http://www.sozialismus-von-unten.de/archiv/text/redskins.htm REDSKINS - The Interview, 1986]</ref> In the 1970s, the [[racist]] violence became more politicized, with the involvement of organizations like the [[National Front (UK)|National Front]] and [[British Movement]], which included many skinheads among their ranks. Those organizations' positions against blacks and [[Asian]]s appealed to many [[working class]] skinheads who blamed non-white [[immigrant]]s for economic and social problems such, as an increase of social tensions in urban areas, and who disliked the growing threat of Communism to Western Europe. In the late 70's several openly Nazi groups which were comprised of skinheads emerged and because Skinheads who embraced the Nazi ideology became predominant in the sub-culture the public and media came to view the skinheads exclusively as a sub-culture promoting White Power.


In an attempt to counter this perception some skinheads formed anti-racist organizations. [[Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice]] (SHARP) started in the United States in 1987, and [[Anti-Racist Action]] (ARA) began in 1988 as an anti-racist movement, not a political movement.<ref>http://www.skinheadnation.co.uk/newyorkskinheads.htm</ref><ref>[http://www.skinheadnation.co.uk/sharpskinheads.htm Neither Red Or Racist - The Skinhead Nation]</ref> SHARP spread to the UK and beyond, and other less-political skinheads also spoke out against neo-Nazis and in support of traditional skinhead culture.<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/oppressed/</ref><ref>http://www.skinheadnation.co.uk/sharpskinheads.htm</ref> Two examples are the Glasgow Spy Kids in Scotland (who coined the phrase ''[[Spirit of 69]]''), and the publishers of the ''Hard As Nails'' [[zine]] in England.<ref>[http://www.skinheadnation.co.uk/glasgowskinheads.htm No Mean City - The Skinhead Nation]</ref>
In an attempt to counter this perception some skinheads formed anti-racist organizations. [[Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice]] (SHARP) started in the United States in 1987, and [[Anti-Racist Action]] (ARA) began in 1988 as an anti-racist movement, not a political movement.<ref>http://www.skinheadnation.co.uk/newyorkskinheads.htm</ref><ref>[http://www.skinheadnation.co.uk/sharpskinheads.htm Neither Red Or Racist - The Skinhead Nation]</ref> SHARP spread to the UK and beyond, and other less-political skinheads also spoke out against neo-Nazis and in support of traditional skinhead culture.<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/oppressed/</ref><ref>http://www.skinheadnation.co.uk/sharpskinheads.htm</ref> Two examples are the Glasgow Spy Kids in Scotland (who coined the phrase ''[[Spirit of 69]]''), and the publishers of the ''Hard As Nails'' [[zine]] in England.<ref>[http://www.skinheadnation.co.uk/glasgowskinheads.htm No Mean City - The Skinhead Nation]</ref> The SHARP are now defunct and in many countries the overwhelming majority of skinheads that can be found are White Nationalist ones which abid by the [[Nazi germany|National Socialist]] ideology.


===Political categories===
===Political categories===
There are several different political categories of skinheads. However, many skinheads don't fit into any of these categories. The usefulness of these terms is to explain the dominant forces of skinhead political groupings. There are no reliable statistics documenting how many skinheads have belonged to each category.
There are several different political categories of skinheads. However, many skinheads don't fit into any of these categories. The usefulness of these terms is to explain the dominant forces of skinhead political groupings. There are no reliable statistics documenting how many skinheads have belonged to each category.


[[Anti-racism|Anti-racist]] skinheads, sometimes known as [[Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice|SHARPs]], are aggressively opposed to [[neo-Nazism]] and racism, although not always political in terms of other issues. The label ''SHARP'' is sometimes used to describe all anti-racist skinheads, even if they aren't members of a SHARP organisation. Some anti-racist skinheads have been involved with political groups such as [[Anti-Fascist Action]] or [[Anti-Racist Action]]. White power and traditional skinheads (especially in the U.S.) sometimes refer to them as ''baldies''.
[[Anti-racism|Anti-racist]] skinheads, sometimes known as [[Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice|SHARPs]], are aggressively opposed to [[neo-Nazism]] and racism, although not always political in terms of other issues. The label ''SHARP'' is sometimes used to describe all anti-racist skinheads, even if they weren't members of the now defunct SHARP organisation. Some anti-racist skinheads have been involved with political groups such as [[Anti-Fascist Action]] or [[Anti-Racist Action]]. White power and traditional skinheads (especially in the U.S.) sometimes refer to them as ''baldies''. This category includes [[Redskin (subculture)|redskins]] and [[Anarchism|anarchist]] skinheads. The most well-known organization in this category is [[Red and Anarchist Skinheads]].


Apolitical skinheads either oppose all politics in general, are politically [[moderate]], or keep their personal political views out of the skinhead subculture. Skinheads on either extreme of the political spectrum sometimes refer to this type as a ''fencesitter'' or ''fencewalker''.
Apolitical skinheads either oppose all politics in general, are politically [[moderate]], or keep their personal political views out of the skinhead subculture. Skinheads on either extreme of the political spectrum sometimes refer to this type as a ''fencesitter'' or ''fencewalker''.


⚫
[[White power]] or [[Nazi skinhead]]s are [[Racism|racist]], extremely [[Nationalism|nationalist]] and highly political. They tend to be the most violent skinheads and there are many gangs which identify with this subculture like the Hammerskins, Aryan Brotherhood, and others.
[[Left-wing politics|Left wing]] skinheads are anti-racist and [[Anti-fascism|anti-fascist]], taking a militant pro-[[working class]] stance. This category includes [[Redskin (subculture)|redskins]] and [[Anarchism|anarchist]] skinheads. The most well-known organization in this category is [[Red and Anarchist Skinheads]].

[[Right-wing politics|Right wing]] skinheads are [[Conservatism|conservative]] and [[Patriotism|patriotic]], but not necessarily extreme or [[Fascism|fascist]]. This type of skinhead seems to be common in the [[United States]].<ref>http://www.stuffmagazine.com/articles/index.aspx?id=1519</ref>

⚫
[[White power]] or [[Nazi skinhead]]s are [[Racism|racist]], extremely [[Nationalism|nationalist]] and highly political.


==Style and clothing==
==Style and clothing==

Revision as of 17:26, 9 August 2007

This article is about a subculture. For a bald head, see baldness.

Skinheads, named after their cropped or shaven heads, are members of a working-class subculture that originated in Britain in the 1960s. Many were influenced by the rude boys of the West Indies and the mods of the UK.

In subsequent decades, the skinhead subculture spread to other parts of Europe, North America and other continents. Politically, skinheads range from far-right and racist to far-left and anti-fascist; and everything in between (including apolitical). Fashion-wise, they range from a more cleancut mod-influenced 1960s style to less-strict punk- and hardcore-influenced styles.

File:Oldlexscoot.jpg
Skinhead with scooter

History

File:Skinhead-revolt.png
English Skinheads in late 1960s

In the late 1950s, Great Britain's entrenched class system limited most working class people's educational, housing, and economic opportunities. However, Britain's post-war economic boom led to an increase in disposable income among many young people. Some of those youths spent that income on new fashions popularised by American soul groups, British R&B bands, certain movie actors, and Carnaby Street clothing merchants.[1][2]

These youths became known as the mods, a youth subculture noted for its consumerism — and devotion to fashion, music and scooters.[3] Mods of lesser means made do with practical styles that suited their lifestyle and employment circumstances: steel-toe boots, straight-leg jeans or Sta-Prest trousers, button-up shirts, and braces (called suspenders in the USA). When possible, these working-class mods spent their money on suits and other sharp outfits to wear at dancehalls, where they enjoyed soul, ska, bluebeat and rocksteady music.[4]

Around 1965, a schism developed between the peacock mods, who were less violent and always wore the latest expensive clothes, and the hard mods (also known as gang mods), who were identified by their shorter hair and more working-class image.[5] Also known as lemonheads and peanuts, these hard mods became commonly known as skinheads by about 1968.[6] Their shorter hair may have come about for practical reasons, since long hair can be a liability in industrial jobs and a disadvantage in streetfights. Skinheads may also have cut their hair short in defiance of the more bourgeois hippie culture popular at the time.[7]

In addition to retaining many mod influences, early skinheads were very interested in Jamaican rude boy styles and culture, especially the music: ska, rocksteady, and early reggae (before the tempo slowed down and lyrics became focused on topics like black nationalism and Rastafarianism).[8][9] Skinhead culture became so popular by 1969 that even the rock band Slade temporarily adopted the look, as a marketing strategy.[10][11][12] The subculture gained wider notice because of a series of violent and sexually explicit novels by Richard Allen, notably Skinhead and Skinhead Escapes.[13] [14] Due to largescale British migration to Perth, Western Australia, many British youths in Perth joined skinhead/sharpies gangs in Medina, Rockingham, Armadale, Kelmscott, Lynwood and Thornlie in the 1960s; forming their own Australian style.

By the 1970s, the skinhead subculture started to fade from popular culture, and some of the original skins dropped into new categories, such as the suedeheads (defined by the ability to manipulate one's hair with a comb), smoothies (often with shoulder-length hairstyles), and bootboys (with mod-length hair; associated with gangs and hooliganism).[15] [16] [17] Some fashion trends returned to mod roots, reintroducing brogues, loafers, suits, and the slacks-and-sweater look.

In the mid-1970s, the skinhead subculture was revived to a notable extent after the introduction of punk rock and Oi! music. Skinheads with even shorter hair and less emphasis on traditional styles grew in numbers and grabbed media attention, mostly as a result of their involvement with football hooliganism. These skinheads wore punk-influenced styles like higher boots than before (14-20 eyelets) and tighter jeans (sometimes splattered with bleach). However, there were still several skinheads who preferred the original mod-inspired styles. Eventually different interpretations of the skinhead subculture expanded beyond The UK and Europe. One major example is that in the United States, certain segments of the hardcore punk scene embraced skinhead style and developed its own version of the subculture.

Racism, anti-racism and politics

In the late 1960s, some skinheads (including black skinheads) had engaged in Paki bashing (random violence against Pakistanis and other South Asian immigrants).[18][19][20] However as early as 1970 there were already many Skinheads in the White Nationalist National Front and there had also been anti-racist and leftist skinheads from the beginning, especially in areas such as Scotland and Northern England.[21] [22] In the 1970s, the racist violence became more politicized, with the involvement of organizations like the National Front and British Movement, which included many skinheads among their ranks. Those organizations' positions against blacks and Asians appealed to many working class skinheads who blamed non-white immigrants for economic and social problems such, as an increase of social tensions in urban areas, and who disliked the growing threat of Communism to Western Europe. In the late 70's several openly Nazi groups which were comprised of skinheads emerged and because Skinheads who embraced the Nazi ideology became predominant in the sub-culture the public and media came to view the skinheads exclusively as a sub-culture promoting White Power.

In an attempt to counter this perception some skinheads formed anti-racist organizations. Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice (SHARP) started in the United States in 1987, and Anti-Racist Action (ARA) began in 1988 as an anti-racist movement, not a political movement.[23][24] SHARP spread to the UK and beyond, and other less-political skinheads also spoke out against neo-Nazis and in support of traditional skinhead culture.[25][26] Two examples are the Glasgow Spy Kids in Scotland (who coined the phrase Spirit of 69), and the publishers of the Hard As Nails zine in England.[27] The SHARP are now defunct and in many countries the overwhelming majority of skinheads that can be found are White Nationalist ones which abid by the National Socialist ideology.

Political categories

There are several different political categories of skinheads. However, many skinheads don't fit into any of these categories. The usefulness of these terms is to explain the dominant forces of skinhead political groupings. There are no reliable statistics documenting how many skinheads have belonged to each category.

Anti-racist skinheads, sometimes known as SHARPs, are aggressively opposed to neo-Nazism and racism, although not always political in terms of other issues. The label SHARP is sometimes used to describe all anti-racist skinheads, even if they weren't members of the now defunct SHARP organisation. Some anti-racist skinheads have been involved with political groups such as Anti-Fascist Action or Anti-Racist Action. White power and traditional skinheads (especially in the U.S.) sometimes refer to them as baldies. This category includes redskins and anarchist skinheads. The most well-known organization in this category is Red and Anarchist Skinheads.

Apolitical skinheads either oppose all politics in general, are politically moderate, or keep their personal political views out of the skinhead subculture. Skinheads on either extreme of the political spectrum sometimes refer to this type as a fencesitter or fencewalker.

White power or Nazi skinheads are racist, extremely nationalist and highly political. They tend to be the most violent skinheads and there are many gangs which identify with this subculture like the Hammerskins, Aryan Brotherhood, and others.

Style and clothing

In addition to short hair, skinheads are identified by their specific clothing styles. Skinhead fashions have evolved somewhat since the formation of the subculture in the 1960s, and certain clothing styles have been more prevelant in specific geographic locations and time periods. The following list includes many of the clothing articles that have been worn by skinheads.[28][29][30]

Hair:

  • Men: Originally, between a 2 and 3 grade clip-guard (short, but not bald); beginning in the late 1970s, typically shaved closer, with no greater than a number 2 guard. Now some skinheads clip their hair with no guard, and some even shave it with a razor. This started with the introduction of the Oi! scene. Some skinheads sport sideburns of various styles, usually neatly trimmed.
  • Women: In the 1960s, many female skinheads had normal or mod-influenced hairstyles. During the revival, many started wearing a Chelsea hairstyle, which, in some cases, is a shorter punk-influenced version of the feathercut. A feathercut is short on top (the crown), with fringes at the front, back and sides. Some Chelsea cuts are shaved almost entirely at the back, only leaving fringes in the front, and bangs. Feathercuts tend to have longer fringes.

Tops:

  • Men: fitted Ben Sherman, Fred Perry, Brutus, Jaytex, Arnold Palmer and other brands of button-up or polo shirts; Lonsdale shirts or sweatshirts; V-neck sweaters; cardigan sweaters; sweater vests; T-shirts (plain white or with text and/or images related to bands or the skinhead subculture); fitted blazers. Traditional skinheads sometimes wear tailored suits — particularly tonic (also called shark-skin) suits, so named for the shiny material. Some Oi!! and hardcore-oriented skinheads wear plain white wifebeater undershirts, especially in North America.
  • Women: Same as men, with addition of dress suits — comprised of a ¾ length jacket and matching short skirt.

Coats: MA-1 type flight jackets (popular brands: Warrior and Alpha), usually black or green; blue denim jackets (Levi's or Wrangler); Harrington jackets; monkey jackets; Crombie-style overcoats; sheepskin 3/4 length coats; donkey jackets; parkas.

Bottoms:

  • Men: Levi's, Lee or Wrangler jeans (usually blue), straight leg with rolled cuffs (turn-ups) to show off boots, often with hem cut off and sewn to give neater, flatter turn-up; Sta-Prest flat-fronted slacks and other trousers; bleachers (jeans splattered with bleach to resemble camouflage trousers), popular among punk-influenced Oi! skins; combat trousers (plain or camouflage), popular among Oi! skins and scooter boys.
  • Women: Same jeans and trousers as men, or skirts and stockings. Some skingirls wear fishnet stockings and mini-skirts, a style introduced during the punk-influenced skinhead revival.

Footwear:

  • Men: boots, originally army surplus or generic workboots, then Dr. Martens (AKA Docs, DMs or Doc Martens) boots and shoes, and later brogues and loafers (especially among suedeheads). Other brands of boots have become popular, partly because Dr. Martens and Grinders footwear are no longer made in England. During the 1960s, steel-toe boots were called bovver boots — thought to derive from the Cockney pronunciation of bother (in this context, meaning violence).
  • Women: Dr. Martens boots or shoes, monkey boots, loafers or brogues.

Hats: Trilby hats; pork pie hats; flat caps (AKA Scally cap, Benny or driver cap) or winter woolen hats (without bobble). Less common have been bowler hats (mostly among suedeheads and those influenced by the film A Clockwork Orange).

Braces: Various colours, usually no more than ¾ inch in width. In some areas, wider braces may identify a skinhead as either white power or a poseur. Braces are worn up in an X or Y-shape at the back. Some Oi!-oriented skinheads wear their hanging braces down, so they can be seen when wearing a jacket.

Badges: Button badges or sewn-on fabric patches with text and/or images related to bands or the skinhead subculture. Politically-minded skinheads sometimes wear badges related to their ideological views.

Style categories

There are several different types of skinheads in terms of style. Some skinheads don't fit into any of these categories, and many display characteristics of more than one category. The usefulness of these terms is to explain the dominant skinhead styles. There are no reliable statistics documenting how many skinheads have belonged to each category.

Also known as Trads or Trojan skinheads, traditional skinheads identify with the original 1960s skinhead subculture in terms of music, style, culture and working class pride (see Spirit of 69). Unlike the other categories of skinheads, many traditionalists do not regard attitudes toward politics or racism as central to the subculture.

Oi! and punk-skinheads originated after the development of punk rock in the 1970s. They often have shorter hair and more tattoos than 1960s skinheads, and wear items such as higher boots, tighter jeans, T-shirts and flight jackets. Although the original Oi! bands advocated a pro-worker populist stance, the Oi! music fanbase includes a wide range of political beliefs, from far left to far right.

Hardcore skinheads originated in the United States hardcore punk scene (with bands such as Iron Cross, Agnostic Front, Cro-mags, Sheer Terror, Warzone and Murphy's Law). Originating in the late 1970s, they differ from traditional skinheads by their musical tastes and a style of dress that is less strict. Political views vary, and are not essential to this group.

Laces and braces

Some skinheads, particularly highly political ones, attach significance to the colour of boot laces, braces, and (less commonly) flight jackets. Some use them to indicate beliefs or affiliations. The particular colours used have varied regionally, so only skinheads from the same area are likely to interpret them accurately. In many areas laces must be 'laddered' - arranged with the outside laces horizontal and parallel, resembling a ladder - to be considered of any significance. The "braces and laces game" has largely fallen into disuse, particularly among traditionalist skinheads, who are more likely to choose their colours for fashion purposes.

Tattoos

Tattoos have been popular among many skinheads since at least the 1970s revival. The following are examples of tattoo designs that have been popular among some skinheads. In 1980s Britain, some skinheads had tattoos on their faces or foreheads, although the practice has since fallen out of favour. Popular skinhead tattoos have included: a crucified skinhead (designed by Mick Furbank for the Last Resort skinhead shop in Aldgate) or other skinhead images; bulldog; spider webs on outer elbows or other areas of the body, Sailor Jerry-style tattoos; sparrows; boots; music-related logos; national or regional flags; images related to A Clockwork Orange; laurel wreath; rose; crossed riveting hammers (similar to those in West Ham United logo); weapons (e.g. brass knuckles, bats, switchblades); slogans such as: Oi!, ACAB (All Cops Are Bastards), SKIN, Skinhead or Bootboy.

Tattoos popular among anti-racist skinheads include: a Trojan helmet; anti-Nazi logo; skinhead smashing a racist symbol; crucified skinhead (two-tone black and white), images of black and white skinheads together (e.g.shaking hands); anti-racist slogans (e.g. Smash Fascism, AFA; SHARP; ANTIFA). (Note: redskins and anarchist skins may have political symbols such as red stars, red flags, hammer and sickles or anarchy symbols.)

Tattoos common among white power skinheads include: Swastika or other World War II Nazi symbols (such as SS symbols); three 7s (Afrikaner Resistance Movement logo); flags (e.g. of the wearer's home country, of Nazi Germany or of the American Confederacy); crossed claw hammers or other Hammerskins symbols,; Ku Klux Klan symbols; white nationalist slogans such as: White Pride, White Power, WP, 88 (Heil Hitler), 1488 (Fourteen Words/Heil Hitler), HFFH (Hammerskins Forever, Forever Hammerskins), Blood & Honour (or B&H); Celtic cross or other Celtic symbols; Runes, Vikings or other Nordic symbols (which white power skins use to symbolize white culture.)

Music

The skinhead subculture was originally associated with ska, rocksteady and reggae music, by artists such as Desmond Dekker, Laurel Aitken, Symarip and The Pioneers. The link between skinheads and reggae led to the development of a subgenre known as skinhead reggae. Many of the early skinheads also enjoyed soul music and rhythm and blues. Suedeheads of the early 1970s also listened to British glam rock bands such as The Sweet, Slade and Mott the Hoople.[16][31]

The most popular music style for late-1970s skinheads was 2 Tone (also called Two Tone), which was a musical fusion of ska, rocksteady and punk rock.[32] The 2 Tone genre was named after a Coventry, England record label that featured bands such as The Specials, Madness and The Selecter.[33][34][35] The record label scored many top 20 hits, and eventually a number one.

Some 1970s skinheads also liked certain punk bands, such as The Clash and The Jam, and by the late 1970s, the Oi! subgenre became accepted by many skinheads and punks.[36] Musically, Oi! combines elements of punk, football chants, pub rock and British glam rock.[37] The Oi! scene was partly a response to a sense that many participants in the early punk scene were, in the words of The Business guitarist Steve Kent, "trendy university people using long words, trying to be artistic...and losing touch".[38] Some forefathers of Oi! were Sham 69, Cock Sparrer, Skrewdriver and Menace. The term Oi! as a musical genre is said to come from the band Cockney Rejects and journalist Garry Bushell, who championed the genre in Sounds magazine.[39][40][41] Notable Oi! bands of the late 1970s and early 1980s include Angelic Upstarts, Blitz, The Business, Last Resort, Combat 84 and The 4-Skins.[42] Not exclusively a skinhead genre, many Oi! bands included skins, punks and people who fit into neither category (sometimes called herberts).

American Oi! began in the 1980s with bands such as The Press, Iron Cross, The Bruisers, the Anti-Heros and Forced Reality. American skinheads created a link between their subculture and hardcore punk music, with bands such as Warzone, Agnostic Front, and Cro-Mags. The Oi! style has also spread to other parts of the world, and remains popular with many skinheads. Many contemporary Oi! bands have combined influences from early American hardcore and 1970s British streetpunk.

Although many white power skinheads listened to Oi! music, they also developed a separate genre known as Rock Against Communism (RAC).[43] The most notable RAC band was Skrewdriver, which started out as a non-political punk band but evolved into a neo-Nazi band after the first lineup broke up and a new lineup was formed.[44][45][46] RAC started out musically similar to Oi! and punk rock, and has adopted some elements from heavy metal and other types of rock music.

Glossary of terms

  • 3i's (or 3-eyes), 8i's (or 8-eyes) etc.
Leather shoes or boots, referring to the number of rows of lace eyelets. Other common numbers are 10, 12, 14, 18, and 20.
  • Bleachers
Blue jeans treated with household bleach to create a military camouflage-like pattern. They were popular among punk-influenced Oi! skins of the late 1970s and the 1980s.
  • Bonehead
  1. A derisive term used by traditional and anti-racist skinheads for a neo-Nazi skinhead.
  2. A derisive term used by traditional skinheads for punk-influenced Oi! skinheads.
  • Bootboy
  1. Another word for skinhead.
  2. A specific gang-oriented skinhead offshoot that started in the late early 1970s, involving a longer hairstyle and mod appearance, but still wearing boots. Their main focus was football hooliganism.[17]
  • Boot party
(primarily USA) Euphemism for a skinhead fight involving kicking, especially when one side outnumbers the other.
  • Bovver boy
(primarily UK) Another term for skinhead, specifically one who frequently seeks out enemies to fight. Opponents are usually members of rival subcultures or football firms. Bovver is Cockney dialect for bother (in this case, referring to violence).
  • Braces
A fashion accessory for holding up trousers, consisting of a pair of elasticized bands which go over the shoulders and fasten to the trousers (usually with metal clips). In North America they are commonly called suspenders, although many skinheads use the British term. (Suspenders in UK English means a garter belt.)

(primarily North America)

  1. A female skinhead (also called a skinhead girl or skingirl or skinbird).
  2. The usual haircut of a female skinhead, consisting of short hair on the crown, sides and back; with a longer fringe in the front and on the neck. Also known as a feathercut.
An image depicting a skinhead suspended from a cross; often seen on T-shirts and patches, or as a tattoo. It symbolizes the hardships of the skinhead lifestyle (such as being vilified as racist even if one is not), but many left wing skins also use it to symolise the plight of the working classes. It was designed in the 1980s by Mick Furbank for the Last Resort skinhead shop in Aldgate, London. The shop used it on T-shirts, advertisements and plastic bags.
  • Fence-walker (or Fence-sitter)
A derisive term used by political skinheads for those who refuse to take sides, or who will associate with opposing groups.
  • Freshcut
A skinhead (usually young) who is new to the subculture. There is no consensus about how long one must be part of the skinhead subculture before this label no longer applies.
  • Oi Toy
A female who has sex with several male skinheads; a skinhead groupie.
A dance style associated with ska music.
Acts of extreme violence, often random, with no clear reason. It comes from the fictional Nadsat dialect featured in the Anthony Burgess novel A Clockwork Orange.

Footnotes

  1. ^ Rawlings, Terry (2000). Mod: A Very British Phenomenon. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-6813-6.
  2. ^ http://www.modculture.co.uk/culture/archive.php?category=modscenepast Articles from Modculture.com
  3. ^ Barnes, Richard (1979). Mods!. London: Eel Pie Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-85965-173-8.
  4. ^ Edwards, Dave. Trojan Mod Reggae Box Set liner notes. London: Trojan Records. TJETD020.
  5. ^ Old Skool Jim. Trojan Skinhead Reggae Box Set liner notes. London: Trojan Records. TJETD169.
  6. ^ Marshall, George (1991). Spirit of '69 - A Skinhead Bible. Dunoon, Scotland: S.T. Publishing. ISBN 1-898927-10-3).
  7. ^ http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,909318,00.html?promoid=googlep
  8. ^ Smiling Smash: An Interview with Cathal Smyth, a.k.a Chas Smash, of Madness
  9. ^ http://www.reggaereggaereggae.com/Special%20Articles.htm
  10. ^ Straight From His Own Gob - Noddy Holder interview
  11. ^ http://www.brumbeat.net/aslade.htm
  12. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A454925
  13. ^ http://www.skinhead.no/content/articles/richardallen.asp
  14. ^ http://www.stewarthomesociety.org/sex/gensexco.htm
  15. ^ http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,909318,00.html?promoid=googlep
  16. ^ a b de Konigh, Michael (2004). Suedehead Reggae Box Set liner notes. London: Trojan Records. TJETD003.
  17. ^ a b Marshall, George (1991). Spirit of '69 - A Skinhead Bible. Dunoon, Scotland: S.T. Publishing. ISBN 1-898927-10-3).
  18. ^ Violence In Our Minds - The Skinhead Nation
  19. ^ Monty Montgomery of the Pyramids/Symarip interview
  20. ^ http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,909318,00.html?promoid=googlep
  21. ^ No Mean City - The Skinhead Nation
  22. ^ REDSKINS - The Interview, 1986
  23. ^ http://www.skinheadnation.co.uk/newyorkskinheads.htm
  24. ^ Neither Red Or Racist - The Skinhead Nation
  25. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/oppressed/
  26. ^ http://www.skinheadnation.co.uk/sharpskinheads.htm
  27. ^ No Mean City - The Skinhead Nation
  28. ^ Knight, Nick (1997). Skinhead. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-0052-3).
  29. ^ Marshall, George (1991). Spirit of '69 - A Skinhead Bible. Dunoon, Scotland: S.T. Publishing. ISBN 1-898927-10-3).
  30. ^ RudeBoy/Skinhead Style - Ruder Than the Web!
  31. ^ http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/interviews/rhkiw.htm
  32. ^ The 2-Tone discography
  33. ^ http://2-tone.info/articles/books.html
  34. ^ Moskowitz, David V. (2006). Caribbean Popular Music. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 270. ISBN 0-313-33158-8
  35. ^ http://www.thespecials.com/history3.php
  36. ^ Dalton, Stephen, "Revolution Rock", Vox, June 1993
  37. ^ Oi! – The Truth by Garry Bushell
  38. ^ Robb, John (2006). Punk Rock: An Oral History (London: Elbury Press). ISBN 0-09-190511-7
  39. ^ Turner, Jeff; Garry Bushell (2005). Cockney Reject. London: John Blake Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1 84454 0545
  40. ^ http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/1196/rejects.html
  41. ^ Oi! – The Truth by Garry Bushell
  42. ^ Marshall, George (1991). Spirit of '69 - A Skinhead Bible. Dunoon, Scotland: S.T. Publishing. ISBN 1-898927-10-3).
  43. ^ http://www.aryanunity.com/memoirs8.html
  44. ^ http://www.punk77.co.uk/groups/skrewdriverinterview.htm
  45. ^ http://www.punk77.co.uk/groups/skrewdrivecuttings.htm
  46. ^ http://www.skrewdriver.net/diamond.html
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