Skrewdriver

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Not to be confused with screwdriver, Screwdriver (musician), or Swervedriver.

Skrewdriver
Rock-O-Rama
  • White Noise
    • Past membersIan Stuart Donaldson
    Martin Cross
    Merv Shields
    Phil Walmsley
    Ron Hartley
    Kevin McKay
    John "Grinny" Grinton
    Jim "Sturmfuhrer" Rice
    Mark Radcliffe[1][2][3][4]
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    Skrewdriver were an English punk rock band formed by Ian Stuart Donaldson in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, in 1976. Originally a punk band,[5] Skrewdriver changed into a white power skinhead rock band after reuniting in the 1980s.[6] Their original line-up split in January 1979 and Donaldson reformed the band with different musicians in 1982.[7] This new version of the band played a leading role in the Rock Against Communism movement.[8]

    The band fell apart after Donaldson died in a car crash in 1993.

    Career

    Ian Stuart Donaldson, formerly of the

    Manchester, where he recruited guitarist Glenn Jones and drummer Martin Smith. With Kevin MacKay on bass, this lineup toured extensively and built a strong following, but certain venues were reluctant to book the band because of their reputation as a violent skinhead band. Performing largely for a skinhead audience, the first versions of the band released one album and two singles on Chiswick Records. Skrewdriver briefly adopted a rocker/biker-influenced look around the time they released the EP Built Up Knocked Down (1979).[10][11]

    Donaldson resurrected the band name Skrewdriver in 1982 with a new band line-up. Although the original band had a minor reputation for attracting violence at their concerts -

    Boomtown Rats frontman Bob Geldof was reportedly knocked unconscious by a friend of Donaldson who believed that Skrewdriver's sound had been sabotaged[12] - they did not openly support any political ideology or organisation.[13]

    The re-formed Skrewdriver eventually became openly supportive of

    Rock-O-Rama, a label that became known for National Socialist sympathies. Skrewdriver was instrumental in setting up Blood & Honour
    , a neo-Nazi music promotion network.

    Their song Smash the IRA became popular amongst Loyalists in Northern Ireland. It was one of a number of Skrewdriver songs covered by a Belfast band called Offensive Weapon, who also covered songs by Black artists such as Chuck Berry.[18]

    Some members of the original Skrewdriver line-up objected strongly to the new direction in which Donaldson took the band. Roger Armstrong of Chiswick Records said:

    It is a shame that the name was dragged through the gutter like that. The other three guys in the band were really pissed off too. Grinny the drummer came from solid northern socialist stock... When they made records for us Ian Stuart showed no signs of fascism. The skinhead image was a — maybe in hindsight misconceived — fashion thing. It was cooked up by a bunch of us, including the band's then-management and the photographer Peter Kodik.[19]

    However, John "Grinny" Grinton later stated in an interview that he had no problem with the new Skrewdriver, and that he became a member of the National Front along with Donaldson.[1]

    Donaldson died in a car crash on 24 September 1993. A friend and fellow Neo-Nazi, Stephen Lee Flint, died from injuries sustained in the crash the following day.

    white power rock scene.[21] John "Grinny" Grinton died from cancer in June 2005.[22][unreliable fringe source?
    ]

    Merv Shields died on 1 January 2022 due to COVID-19 complications.[23]

    Members

    Line-up

    • Ian Stuart Donaldson - guitar, vocals (1976-1979, 1982-1993)
    • Steve Calladine - guitar, piano (1990-1993)
    • Jon Hickson - bass (1990-1993)
    • Paul Marshall - drums (1991-1993)

    Past members

    • Kev McKay - bass (1976-1978, 1978)
    • John Grinton - drums (1976-1978, 1979)
    • Phil Walmsley - bass, guitar (1976-1977, 1978)
    • Ron Hartley - guitar (1977-1978)
    • Mark Radcliffe - drums (1978-1979)
    • Chris Cummings - guitar (1978-1979)
    • Glen Jones - guitar (1979)
    • Martin Smith - drums (1979)
    • Mark French - bass (1982-1984)
    • Mark Meeson - guitar (1982-1983)
    • Geoff Williams - drums (1982-1983)
    • Mark Sutherland - drums (1984-1987)
    • Adam Douglas - guitar (1984-1986)
    • Murray Holmes - bass (1984)
    • Paul Swain - guitar (1984-1987)
    • Steve A. - bass (1985-1986)
    • Merv Shields - bass (1986-1989)
    • Martin Cross - guitar (1987-1988)
    • Ross McGarry - guitar (?)
    • John Burnley - drums (1987-1991)

    Discography

    Studio albums

    "Hail Victory" redirects here. For the Nazi chant, see
    Sieg Heil
    .
    • All Skrewed Up (1977) (Chiswick) (later re-issued as The Early Years with extra tracks)
    • Hail the New Dawn (1984) (
      Rock-O-Rama
      )
    • Blood & Honour (1985) (Rock-O-Rama)
    • White Rider (1987) (Rock-O-Rama)
    • After the Fire (1988) (Rock-O-Rama)
    • Warlord (1989) (Rock-O-Rama)
    • The Strong Survive (1990) (Rock-O-Rama)
    • Freedom What Freedom (1992) (Rock-O-Rama)
    • Hail Victory (1994) (Asgard Records – A division of Rock-O-Rama)
    • Undercover (2007) (collection of cover songs) [24]

    12" EPs

    • Back with a Bang / I Don't Like You (1982) (SKREW1 label)
    • Boots & Braces (1987) (previously released tracks) (Rock-O-Rama)
    • Voice of Britain (1987) (previously released tracks) (Rock-O-Rama)

    Singles

    • "You're So Dumb" / "Better Off Crazy" (1977) (Chiswick)
    • "Antisocial" / "Breakdown" (1977) (Chiswick)
    • "Street Fight" / "Unbeliever" (1977) (Chiswick – recorded but not released)
    • "Built Up, Knocked Down" / "Case of Pride" / "Breakout" (1979) (TJM label)
    • "White Power" / "Smash the IRA" / "Shove the Dove" (1983) (White Noise)
    • "Voice of Britain" / "Sick Society" (1984) (White Noise)
    • "Invasion" / "On the Streets" (1984) (Rock-O-Rama)
    • "After the Fire" / "Sweet Home Alabama (cover version of Lynyrd Skynyrd)" (1988) (Street Rock'n'Roll)
    • "Land of Ice" / "Retaliate" (1988) (Street Rock'n'Roll)
    • "Their Kingdom Will Fall" / "Simple Man" (1989) (Street Rock'n'Roll)
    • "The Evil Crept In" / "Glory" (1989) (Street Rock'n'Roll)
    • "The Showdown" / "Deep Inside" (1990) (White Pride Records)
    • "You're So Dumb" / "The Only One" (1990) (Street Rock'n'Roll)
    • "Streetfight" / "Where's It Gonna End" (1990) (Street Rock'n'Roll)
    • "Stand Proud" / "Backstabber" (1991) (Street Rock'n'Roll)
    • "Warzone" / "Shining Down" (1991) (Street Rock'n'Roll)

    Live albums

    • Live Marquee (1977)
    • We've Got the Power (1987) (Viking) (live) (reissued on CD with bonus live & demo tracks)
    • Live and Kicking (1991) (Rock-O-Rama) (double album)
    • Live at Waterloo (1995) (ISD/White Terror) (recorded 12 September 1992)
    • This One's for the Skinheads (live, recorded 23 April 1987)
    • The Last Gig in Germany (1996)

    Radio

    Songs on compilations

    • "Government Action" on Catch a Wave (1978) – 10-inch 2×LP by NICE
    • "You're So Dumb" on Long Shots, Dead Certs and Odds On Favorites (Chiswick Chartbusters Vol.2) (1978) – LP by Chiswick
    • "When the Boat Comes In" on This Is White Noise (1983) – 7-inch EP featuring three other bands
    • "Boots & Braces" and "Antisocial" on United Skins (1982) – LP by The Last Resort shop
    • "Don't Let Them" and "Tearing Down the Wall" on No Surrender (1985) – LP by Rock-O-Rama
    • "Land of Ice", "Free Men" and "The New Boss" on Gods of War 1 (1987) – LP by Street Rock & Roll
    • "Rising" and "We Can't Be Beaten" on Gods of War 2 (1989) – LP by Street Rock & Roll
    • "Antisocial" on The Ugly Truth About Blackpool (2005) – CD by Just Say No to Government Music
    • "Night Trains" on Ballads of Blood and Honor (?) – CD by Unknown Grito sudaka

    See also

    References

    1. ^ a b "An Interview with Grinny from Skrewdriver". Punk77.co.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
    2. ISBN 978-0-340-71567-3
      .
    3. ^ "Waptrick". Criticsmob.com. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
    4. ^ "Useless Mark Radcliffe & Lard Facts". Scrawnandlard.co.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
    5. AllMusic
    6. ^ "Skrewdriver – Raw early punk and oi on Chiswick Records. A Punk Rock History and Pictures". Punk77.co.uk. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
    7. ^ Brown, Timothy S. (2004). "Subcultures, pop music and politics: skinheads and 'Nazi rock' in England and Germany". Journal of Social History.
    8. ^ "Rock Against Communism | ADL". www.adl.org. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
    9. S2CID 144461518
      .
    10. ^ "Skrewdriver Discography". Punk77.co.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
    11. ^ "Skrewdriver Information and Photos". Punk77.co.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
    12. ^ "Boomtown Rats vs Skrewdriver". Punk77.co.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
    13. ^ "Skrewdriver Interview". Punk77.co.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
    14. ^ "Skrewdriver Press Cuttings". Punk77.co.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
    15. ^ "Skrewdriver Interview". AinaSkin.com. Archived from the original on 6 February 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
    16. ^ "Punk and the Swastika". Punk77.co.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
    17. ^ "Diamond in the Dust – The Ian Stuart Biography". Skrewdriver.org. Archived from the original on 27 November 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
    18. ISBN 978-1-5272-2047-8
      .
    19. ^ "Skrewdriver – Roger Armstrong Interview". Punk77.co.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
    20. ^ "Ian Stuart Donaldson and a legacy of hate". Channel4.com. 24 September 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
    21. ^ "Skrewdriver". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
    22. ^ "Skrewdriver Timeline". NS Revolt. 10 August 2009. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
    23. ^ "Infamous neo-Nazi skinhead band member dies of 'Covid complications' in Co Antrim hospital". Sunday World. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
    24. ^ "Skrewdriver – Undercover". Discogs.
    25. ^ "BBC – Radio 1 – Keeping It Peel – 19/10/1977 Skrewdriver". BBC.co.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2012.

    Further reading

    External links

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