Skrewdriver
From Metapedia
Skrewdriver is a White Power band formed by Ian Stuart Donaldson in 1977 in Blackpool, United Kingdom.
Contents |
[edit] The early years
Skrewdriver made their first live appearance in February. 1977, supporting French act Lil' Bob Storey, at the Manchester polytechine. After the success of their first the band ventured to London for the weekend to record a single for Chiswick. Their debut single 'You're So Dumb' was a tirade against drugs. It was a brave contrast for a new band making its way in a music industry so predominantly in favour of the use of drugs. Everything appeared to be going in the right direction and the band found that the local press in Blackpool were taking notice of the group.
Three weeks into the release of the new single, Chiswick boss Ted Carroll told Melody Maker of this delight with the seven inch and his belief in the band. "Skrewdriver is a band we like. They have had no press coverage and it is not yet available in the bigger stores but more than four thousand copies have already been sold."
Skrewdriver made their debut on the London live scene on, Saturday 16th of April at the Roxy Club. The band certainly made their mark, and received favourable reviews in the network of Punk fanzines. The band were on the bill at The Music Machine club in Camden, the last day of June 1977, along with 999 and Ireland's Boomtown Rats. Both support groups came on and went down really well, then The Boomtown Rats appeared and found a less than appreciative audience. This was a hard-core Punk crowd and they didn't appreciate the Rats brand of watered down New Wave Pop. On top of this Bob Geldof, later on Band Aid fame, was strutting around the stage impersonating Mick Jagger.
This really annoyed Ian Stuart who at the time was talking with 'Big Vince', a hardcore Punk with a violent reputation. Ian told Vince to "dock that wanker Geldof". The audience had already started throwing bottles, but when Vince began to walk up the stairs to the stage, Bob Geldof thought he was coming up to join him singing. "Whack!" the next thing he knew, Geldof was knocked to the floor.
This was 1977, the year of Punk. Skrewdriver were on stage at least once a week and had become very popular, especially with the Skinheads that had latched on to their gigs. One of the Skinheads regulary turning up was Grahame McPherson, a sixteen year old, better known as 'Suggs' . Ian would often go out drinking with his crew, the 'North London Skinhead Elite', which consisted of Suggs, Chas Smash, Toakes, Chalky and most of the faces that appeared on the first Madness LP. Ian decided to give Suggs a job as Roadie, there were no wages, but it meant that he didn't have to pay to get into gigs.
In an interview Ian did for Melody Maker in 1977 he was asked if Skrewdriver were a non-violent band, shocking the reporter Ian replied "No, No, I actually enjoy fighting. Fighting was the only thing to do in Blackpool. There were no rock concerts, you had to travel to Manchester or Liverpool for that. Blackpool is for pensioners." At a time when people were telling the group to distance themselves from their Skinhead audience, Ian and the boys reverted to their Skinhead ways. Punk had become fashionable and was losing much of its cutting edge. Skrewdriver were perhaps showing a little naivety and un-beknowingly playing into the media's hands. .
Next release was a double A side singe, Anti-Social / 19th nervous breakdown, and came out October 1977. Following that by a few weeks was the LP All Skrewed Up and then a month or two after that Chiswick would produce the band's third single Streetfight / Unbeliever. The Streetfight seven inch never made it past the planning stages, perhaps due to the bands ever increasing violent reputation or through Chiswicks growing dis-heartenment with them.
The first week of November 1977 All Skrewed Up hit the shops. Selling at two and a half pounds, the album consisted of twelve original compositions + a cover The Who. The new year didn't bring any change of luck for Ian, when attending a Fairport Convention concert, was involved in a fight with bouncers and received a beating, needing thirty-two stitches in a back wound.
Still avoiding London, the band made their first venture into Europe, headlining at the Gibis club in Paris. Chiswick were constantly telling Ian that they would bet nowhere as a Skinhead band. Music journalists wanted Ian to make a statement distancing the band from their Skinhead following, this Ian had tried hard to avoid.
In 1979, the band was based in Manchester. The new set failed to please NME (New Musical Express paper) and also failed to delight Chiswick records who sent Roger Armstrong up to Manchester as a prelude to recording the second LP. The new material that included 'Built Up, Knocked Down', was a disappointment as far as Roger was concerned. Skrewdriver had left the Punk thing behind and with it they left any hope of further recordings with Chiswick. Ian was eager to to get some of this new material out on vinyl and so struck up a deal with Manchester's TJM records to release a single. The seven inch featured a line-up of Ian, Kev, Glen Jones and new drummer Martin Smith. The foursome recorded Built Up, Knocked Down, Breakout and A Case Of Pride. The record certainly cast a new light on Skrewdriver's musical prowess, but unfortunately for the group, the music media totally ignored it. Perhaps it wasn't surprising considering the theme of the title track, Built Up, Knocked Down, was a direct attack on the music business.
Disillusioned with all that was happening with the band, Ian had started to get involved with the National Front. He liked being a Skinhead and could see nothing wrong with being patriotic. He was heavily influenced by a Lancashire Skinhead known as 'Scully of the End End', nicknamed so because he spoke with a dodgy Cockney accent. Ian had no love of blacks and his experience with them during his time in London had done nothing to alter his feelings on the matter. Almost all the Skinheads he knew were that way inclined, so he joined up and it wasn't long before he was a leading activist in Young National Front section.
Eventually Ian could see nothing coming of the band, so he decided to call it a day and return to Blackpool. As far he was concerned he could not see where he could now take the band, it was a decision that he made reluctantly.
[edit] 1980's
In 1980 Ian returned to London and stayed at a squat with Ron Hartley. He also spent more time with Suggsy of the band Madness. While in the capital, he was also knocking around with people from the London National Front. After much deliberation and discussions with the YNF leader, Joe Pearce, he said he'd consider reforming the band and join the newly launched Rock Against Communism.
RAC was formed as a direct response to the success of Rock Against Racism.Ian said he'd play at their debut gig at Conway Hall in Holborn, but failed to show on the night. Melody Maker sent journalist Vivien Goldman to check it out. The bands that played were White Boss and Dentist, two Punk groups who had nailed their colours to the post of RAC. Ms Goldman was told that Skrewdriver were supposed to play 'but had to bow out due to record company pressure.' This was the final nail in the coffin of Skrewdriver. Any mainstream commercial credibility they had retained had just gone out of the window. The stage had never been far from his mind and again he thought of starting a new group. He began to write new material, this time his lyrics were tinged with the patriotism that had so engulfed his soul. The hurt he felt at the hands of the music industry while with Skrewdriver was apparent and took up much of his writing subject. Ian toyed with the idea of forming a band called simply 'Britain', but in the end vied for resurrecting Skrewdriver.
In the summer of 1982, Ian decided to start the band once more. His first job was to find a new line-up and there was no trouble recruiting his new bassist Mark French and drummer Geoff Williams from the remnants of South London's very own racist Skinhead band, The Elite. "Skrewdriver Needs YOU!" Screamed the advert placed in an August edition of Sounds magazine. The ad for budding Skinhead guitarist promised a European tour and a record deal. Within days the vacancy was filled by Mark Neeson, better known as 'Lester'. With the help of Mickey French, The Last Resort shop owner who had already set up a line of Skrewdriver T-shirts, the band went into the Workhouse studios in South-London to record some new tracks. Two songs, Boots & Braces and a revamped version of Anti-Social, were recorded for a compilation LP called 'United Skins' and another two, Back With A Bang and a new interpretation of the 1977 song, I Don't Like You, for a new single.
Back With A Bang received a favourable review in Sounds, although the question of the band's political persuasion was again under the spotlight. Even though Ian was by then heavily involved in the activities of the National Front, he was reluctant to totally push it with the group.
Back With A Bang became the Skinhead anthem of the early eighties and the Last Resort shop was doing a roaring trade in selling this twelve-inch single. On the seventh of October Skrewdriver played their first gig in nearly three years, at the One-hundred Club on London's Oxford street. The gig was a prelude to the much publicised 'Back With A Bang' concert two weeks later at the same venue. Both gigs went well and earned the group a regular slot at the One-Hundred club.
Nationalist tracks, such as Don't Let 'Em Pull You Down, were indicative of where Ian was taking the band. Unpopular with the music press but music to the ears of the NF and BM (British Movement) Skinheads that made up most of Skrewdriver's audience. Ian also doctored some of his old songs to represent his new direction. Government Action had the line 'You've got to be old to get money' changed to 'You've got to be black to get money' . The group all wore Union Jack patches on their flight jackets and after only a couple of gigs, Ian had the group kitted-out in an all black, fascist style, Skinhead uniform.
In 1983,The NF were keen to re-launch Rock Against Communism and so set about arranging a concert in Stratford, East London. On April 2nd 1983, over 600 fans turned up to see Skrewdriver supported by The Ovaltinees and Peter And The Wolf.
1985 saw the release of the LP : Blood and Honour.On the LP, Ian tackled subjects as diverse as drugs (Needle Man), soviet tyranny (Poland), Rudolf Hess's imprisonment in Spandau (Prisoner Of Peace) and the hustle and bustle of daily life (One Fine Day). This was interspersed with a more general theme of racial pride. Later in 1985 saw Ian Stuart and Des Clarke being arrested for an brawl that happened in London between Skrewdriver members and a black street gang. Both Ian and Des recieved 1 year in jail.
Throughout the 1980's Skrewdriver recorded many albums and toured across the UK and into Europe.Also Ian released a few solo LP's including a line up that became known as the Klansmen.
[edit] 1990's
In October 1991, Skrewdriver was invited to play a concert in Germany for the Re-Unification.One day before the show,members and local Skinheads, fired up on beer attacked a Youth Center that was a hang out spot for leftists and socialists.In the affray 1 young man was stabbed, and did survive.Ian was released, but the rest of the band weren't so lucky. The concert went ahead as planned, with Ian being back by the German band Storkraft.Over 2000 skinheads from all over Germany attended this memorable gig.
[edit] The End of Skrewdriver
On the morning of Thursday, 23rd of September 1993, Benny, a friend of Ian received a phone call. It was Ian asking if he'd be able to see him that day. Benny explained that he'd better not come round as the police had phoned and were on their way to discuss the confiscated beer from the Euro Aryan Fest. He asked about the evening and said he intended to go to a Bikers pub near to him called The Durham Fox. Benny said he couldn't, but he'd promise to see him the following day. In the evening Ian met up with Cat, Dickie, a Skinhead called Boo, and a ginger haired fellow by the name of Rob. The five of them took Ian's car to Burton where they'd meet up with a couple of local Skins and have a drink at the Royal Oak in the Market Square.
There was nothing particularly different about this evening, to his friends Ian was not only their inspirational leader, he was also good fun to be around and enjoyed a good laugh. The lads decided to a call it a day just before eleven, there was a gig planned for the following Saturday and still a fair bit to organise. Rob hadn't been drinking so he took the command of the car and the five sped off back along the A38 to Heanor.
They had just overtaken a car, on a stretch of road near the Toyota factory in Burnaston, and were moving back into the nearside lane at about fifty five miles an hour, when suddenly something happened. The steering wheel lost control and suddenly the car was heading for the central reservation. Ian grabbed the wheel saying to Rob "Don't try and kill me, I've got a gig on Saturday."
There didn't seem to be any real danger and the comment was said as more of a joke, than out of fear. The next thing they knew the car had swung back across the road onto the grass verge spinning over and finally smashing into a ditch. It happened so quick. Cat, still dazed from the crash, said "What's happened here?" the seriousness of the incident was not ringing through. Gathering his wits about him, he looked over at his brother Dickie and said to Rob (the driver), who'd just come round, "He's in trouble."
He then glanced around at the others. Immediately he said "Boo's dead." They both looked at Ian and the full extent of what had happened began to dawn on them. "Fuckin' hell" Cat blurted. Positioned in the middle of the back seat, with Dickie on the right and Boo to his left, Cat had endured the accident more successfully than his friend. The impact had penetrated the left side of the VW Polo where both Ian and Boo were sitting.
The emergency services arrived and the lads were taken straight to hospital. Boo was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident. Ian was rushed to Queens medical Centre in Nottingham, with severe head injuries. There he failed to regain consciousness and died at twenty minute to eleven on the Friday morning 24th September 1993.
[edit] Discography
Singles
- You're So Dumb - 1977
- Anti-Social - 1977
- Built Up, Knocked Down - 1979
- Back With A Bang - 1982
- White Power - 1983
- Voice Of Britain - 1983
- This Is White Noise (1 Track) - 1984
- Invasion - 1985
- The Showdown - 1989
The Klansmen
- Johnny Joined The Klan - 1988
Skrewdriver
- All Skrewed Up - 1977
- Hail The New Dawn - 1985
- Blood and Honour - 1986
- White Rider - 1987
- Boots and Braces - 1987
- Voice Of Britian - 1987
- We've Got The Power (Live) - 1988
- After The Fire - 1988
- Warlord - 1989
- The Strong Survive - 1990
- The Early Years (Vol. 1&2) - 1990
- Live And Kicking (Live) - 1991
- Freedom, What Freedom? - 1992
- Hail Victory - 1994
Ian Stuart Solo
- No Turning Back - 1988
- Slay The Beast - 1990
- Patriot - 1991
- Patriotic Ballads with Stigger - 1991
- Justice For The Cottbus Six - 1992
- Our Time Will Come - 1993
The Klansmen
- Fetch The Rope - 1988
- Rebel With A Cause - 1989
- Rock'N'Roll Patriots - 1991
White Diamond
- The Reaper - 1991
- The Power and The Glory - 1993
[edit] See also
| Nationalist music index | ||
|---|---|---|
|
List of Nationalist Bands and Musicians - Nationalist Music Portal - List of Nationalist Record Labels - List of Nationalist Music Websites | ||
| Prominent Bands | Prominent Musicians | Styles |
|
Skrewdriver - Battlecry - Prussian Blue - Brigada de Asalt - No Remorse - Sturmwehr - Macht und Ehre - Landser - Kolovrat - Brutal Attack - H.E.R.R. - Bound for Glory - Angry Aryans - Skullhead - Nokturnal Mortum - Graveland - Absurd |
Ian Stuart Donaldson - Saga - Francesca Ortolani - Frank Rennicke - Richard Wagner - Troy Southgate - Varg Vikernes - Rob Darken |
Rock Against Communism - Oi! - Black Metal - National Socialist Black Metal - Heavy Metal |
