Hardcore skinhead
Encyclopedia
Hardcore skinheads are skinhead
s who mainly associate with hardcore
instead of Oi!
, ska
, soul
or other music genre
s associated with the skinhead subculture
.
Starting in the early 1980s, there were many skinheads in the New York hardcore
scene, although Detroit, Chicago, Seattle and Boston also had strong scenes. Skinheads became prevalent towards the end of the first wave of hardcore, and this continued through the youth crew
era of hardcore. Many of the key New York skinhead hardcore bands were influenced by the burgeoning crossover thrash
scene. In the early 1990s, there was a steep decline in the involvement of skinheads in the hardcore scene as more of them moved on to the American Oi! scene. However, these American Oi! bands were distinct from their British forerunners because they were influenced by the American hardcore sound. The hardcore skinhead scene did not completely fade away in New York City, with several bands coming from the DMS crew (Doc Marten Skinheads), such as Madball
, Agnostic Front
, and Murphy's Law
. In addition to this, Hatecore has become increasingly popular amongst white power skinheads.
shirts, Fred Perry
shirts, rolled up jeans, braces, and combat boots or Dr. Martens
boots), hardcore skinhead dress is considerably less strict than traditional skinhead
style. Items that have been popular in the hardcore skinhead subculture include: leather jackets, army jackets, windbreaker jackets, hooded sweatshirts, bandanas, white "wifebeater" shirts, looser jeans (perhaps torn at the knee), heavy chains worn as belts, and construction or rigger's gloves. Trainer sneakers, in particular Adidas Samba
s, have been popular.
Skinhead
A skinhead is a member of a subculture that originated among working class youths in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, and then spread to other parts of the world. Named for their close-cropped or shaven heads, the first skinheads were greatly influenced by West Indian rude boys and British mods,...
s who mainly associate with hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
instead of Oi!
Oi!
Oi! is a working class subgenre of punk rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The music and its associated subculture had the goal of bringing together punks, skinheads and other working-class youths ....
, ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
or other music genre
Music genre
A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music...
s associated with the skinhead subculture
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
.
Starting in the early 1980s, there were many skinheads in the New York hardcore
New York hardcore
New York hardcore refers to hardcore punk and metalcore music created in New York City and to the subculture associated with that music. New York hardcore grew out of the hardcore scene established in Washington, D.C., by bands such as Bad Brains and Minor Threat. Hardcore '81 is an album by the...
scene, although Detroit, Chicago, Seattle and Boston also had strong scenes. Skinheads became prevalent towards the end of the first wave of hardcore, and this continued through the youth crew
Youth crew
Youth crew is a music subgenre of hardcore punk attributed to the band Youth of Today who were primarily active during the early to mid-1980s particularly during the New York hardcore scene of 1988...
era of hardcore. Many of the key New York skinhead hardcore bands were influenced by the burgeoning crossover thrash
Crossover thrash
__FORCETOC__Crossover thrash, often abbreviated to crossover, is a form of thrash metal that contains more hardcore punk elements than standard thrash. The genre lies on a continuum between heavy metal and punk rock...
scene. In the early 1990s, there was a steep decline in the involvement of skinheads in the hardcore scene as more of them moved on to the American Oi! scene. However, these American Oi! bands were distinct from their British forerunners because they were influenced by the American hardcore sound. The hardcore skinhead scene did not completely fade away in New York City, with several bands coming from the DMS crew (Doc Marten Skinheads), such as Madball
Madball
Madball is a New York-based hardcore band that originated in the late 1980s, as a side-project of Agnostic Front .- History :Madball was founded in 1988 and featured most of Agnostic Front's members...
, Agnostic Front
Agnostic Front
Agnostic Front is an American hardcore band. The band began playing hardcore similar to their contemporaries, and were thrust to the forefront of the burgeoning New York hardcore scene in the mid-1980s with their widely regarded 1984 classic Victim in Pain before evolving to incorporate thrash...
, and Murphy's Law
Murphy's Law (band)
Murphy's Law is an American hardcore band from New York City, New York, formed in 1982. While vocalist Jimmy Gestapo remains the only founding member of the band, the line-up has consisted of former members of bands such as Skinnerbox, Danzig, The Bouncing Souls, Mucky Pup, Dog Eat Dog, Hanoi...
. In addition to this, Hatecore has become increasingly popular amongst white power skinheads.
Style and clothing
Although characterised by some of the same items as British skinhead fashion (flight jackets, Ben ShermanBen Sherman
Ben Sherman is a British based clothing company, designing shirts, suits, shoes, accessories and other items that are, in common with many British brands, now made overseas, largely in the Far East. Their designs sometimes feature the Royal Air Force roundel which is often called the mod target...
shirts, Fred Perry
Fred Perry
Frederick John Perry was a championship-winning English tennis and table tennis player who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slams and two Pro Slams. Perry won three consecutive Wimbledon Championships between 1934 and 1936 and was World No. 1 four years in a row...
shirts, rolled up jeans, braces, and combat boots or Dr. Martens
Dr. Martens
Dr. Martens is a traditional British footwear brand, which also makes a range of accessories – shoe care products, clothing, luggage, etc. In addition to Dr. Martens, they are known as Doctor Martens, Doc Martens, Docs or DMs...
boots), hardcore skinhead dress is considerably less strict than traditional skinhead
Trojan skinhead
Trojan skinheads are individuals who identify with the original British skinhead subculture of the late 1960s, when ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul music were popular, and there was a heavy emphasis on mod-influenced clothing styles...
style. Items that have been popular in the hardcore skinhead subculture include: leather jackets, army jackets, windbreaker jackets, hooded sweatshirts, bandanas, white "wifebeater" shirts, looser jeans (perhaps torn at the knee), heavy chains worn as belts, and construction or rigger's gloves. Trainer sneakers, in particular Adidas Samba
Adidas Samba
The Adidas Samba is an indoor soccer training shoe. It has been among Adidas' most popular, best selling shoes in recent times, the second best sold Adidas shoe ever with over 35 million sold pairs worldwide, behind the legendary Adidas Stan Smith. It is produced in a variety of color schemes, yet...
s, have been popular.
Bands associated with the scene
- 7 Seconds
- Agnostic FrontAgnostic FrontAgnostic Front is an American hardcore band. The band began playing hardcore similar to their contemporaries, and were thrust to the forefront of the burgeoning New York hardcore scene in the mid-1980s with their widely regarded 1984 classic Victim in Pain before evolving to incorporate thrash...
- BreakdownBreakdown (band)Breakdown was started in 1986, during the resurgence of the hardcore scene. Despite being a NYHC band, being based in Yonkers Breakdown didn't have the Lower East Side Crew-mentality of Warzone and Agnostic Front. By a similar token, unlike some of their other contemporaries like Gorilla Biscuits...
- Cro-MagsCro-MagsCro-Mags are a hardcore punk turned crossover thrash band from New York City. The band, which had a strong cult following, released many records, their first two considered the most influential...
- The EffigiesThe EffigiesThe Effigies is an early post-hardcore group from Chicago. The band, first formed in 1980, was active for approximately a decade, undergoing multiple personnel changes, with frontman John Kezdy the only constant, before disbanding in 1990 . The band released 5 LPs and several EPs, most on...
- Gorilla BiscuitsGorilla BiscuitsGorilla Biscuits are a New York City-based vegan straight edge hardcore band consisting of Anthony "Civ" Civarelli, Walter Schreifels, Arthur Smilios, Alex Brown and Luke Abbey. The band is currently signed to Revelation Records.-Early career:...
- H2OH2O (American band)-Prologue:Prior to the formation of H2O, in the early-mid-1980s, Todd Morse and Rusty Pistachio were part of the speed punk band "Roadside Petz". This band featured Wayne Williams on drums...
- Iron CrossIron Cross (band)Iron Cross is a hardcore/Oi! band from Baltimore, Maryland and Washington D.C..They play a rough form of streetpunk, and is the first band in the United States to adopt the skinhead look and the Oi! musical style...
- Life's BloodLife's BloodLife's Blood was a hardcore punk band formed by four first year college students in New York City in 1987. It consisted of Adam Nathanson on guitars, Neil Burke on bass, John Kriksciun on drums, and on vocals, Combined Effort promoter and fanzine editor Jason O'Toole...
- LockjawLockjaw-Medical conditions and diseases:* trismus, a pathological condition in which the mouth is held shut by sustained spasm of the masseter muscle, often observed in cases of tetanus.* tetanus, an infectious disease of the central nervous system.-In music:...
- MadballMadballMadball is a New York-based hardcore band that originated in the late 1980s, as a side-project of Agnostic Front .- History :Madball was founded in 1988 and featured most of Agnostic Front's members...
- Murphy's LawMurphy's Law (band)Murphy's Law is an American hardcore band from New York City, New York, formed in 1982. While vocalist Jimmy Gestapo remains the only founding member of the band, the line-up has consisted of former members of bands such as Skinnerbox, Danzig, The Bouncing Souls, Mucky Pup, Dog Eat Dog, Hanoi...
- MerauderMerauder-History:The group formed in 1990, establishing itself on the eastern U.S. hardcore/metal scene through frequent touring and a few demo releases. In 1995, the band released an EP after vocalist Jorge joined, and toured with Biohazard...
- M.O.D.M.O.D.M.O.D. was a crossover thrash band from New York City, fronted by former Anthrax roadie and Stormtroopers of Death vocalist Billy Milano. The band existed from 1986 to 1997, and again from 2001 to 2008...
- Negative ApproachNegative ApproachNegative Approach is an American hardcore punk band, formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1981. The band is considered among of the pioneers of hardcore punk, particularly in the Midwest region. Like most hardcore bands, Negative Approach was little known in its day outside of its hometown...
- NeglectNeglectNeglect is a passive form of abuse in which a perpetrator is responsible to provide care for a victim who is unable to care for himself or herself, but fails to provide adequate care....
- One Life CrewOne Life CrewOne Life Crew was a straight-edge hardcore band. They originally formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1994. Though the band has had numerous members, the most notable line-up consisted of "Mean" Steve Murad , Blaze Tishko , John "Lockjaw" Tole , and Anthony "Chubby Fresh" Pines...
- Sheer TerrorSheer TerrorSheer Terror was an American hardcore punk band from New York City. The band was one of the first to combine elements of heavy metal with a hardcore punk base, pioneering a heavier style of hardcore that would become popular in the following decades. Formed in late 1984, the band, stayed together...
- Sick Of It AllSick of It AllSick of It All is an American hardcore punk band from Queens, New York. Formed in 1986, the band consisted of brothers Lou Koller on vocals and Pete Koller on lead guitar, Rich Cipriano on bass, and Armand Majidi on drums. There have been only two member changes since their inception, with Max...
- Vietnom
- Youth BrigadeYouth Brigade (band)Youth Brigade is a Southern California punk music trio formed in 1980 by brothers Mark Stern, Adam Stern, and Shawn Stern. The band subsequently founded BYO , which served both as their record label and as a statement of their attitude toward the young people involved in the punk subculture, which...
- Youth Defense LeagueYouth Defense LeagueYouth Defense League was an Oi!/New York Hardcore band formed in 1986. The band was featured in the Revelation Records compilation album New York City Hardcore, which featured several NYHC bands, including Sick Of It All and Gorilla Biscuits...
- Youth Of TodayYouth of TodayYouth of Today is an American hardcore punk straight edge band, formed in 1985 and still in activity. The band played a major role in establishing the Youth Crew subculture of hardcore, both espousing and evolving the philosophies of the straight edge and vegetarian lifestyles.-History:Youth Of...
- WarzoneWarzone (band)Warzone was an American hardcore punk band formed on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in 1982. The band helped develop the New York hardcore sound, the hardcore skinhead style and the youth crew subgenre...