Trouble / violence at gigs.

[Pretty pink fairy]

not sure to be honest, i like the bottom one of the skins walking past the hippies....

They look terrified, trying not to make eye contact with the skins.... It's funny, but they did instill fear like no other sub culture. I remember crossing the road every time i saw them, they used to cut our quiffs off. I even took a lump of wood to my head and still have the scar from those cheeky little sausages.

brighton skins outside the railway bell
regards
DR

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

brighton skins outside the railway bell
regards
DR

Nope it 'twas Skins in Catford that played with me like a cat plays with a mouse. Just glad they saw someone else to chase and torture.

 

[BN9 BHA]

Not sure to be honest, I like the bottom one of the skins walking past the hippies....

They look terrified, trying not to make eye contact with the skins.... It's funny, but they did instill fear like no other sub culture. I remember crossing the road every time I saw them, they used to cut our quiffs off. I even took a lump of wood to my head and still have the scar from those cheeky little sausages.

The Teds used to frighten the life out of me when I was a young punk and a skinhead for a while, the Teds in Brighton were all blokes not kids, I remember one nicking a Sham 69 badge off my jacket in Lewes Road, I was about 14 he looked about 30.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

The Teds used to frighten the life out of me when I was a young punk and a skinhead for a while, the Teds in Brighton were all blokes not kids, I remember one nicking a Sham 69 badge off my jacket in Lewes Road, I was about 14 he looked about 30.

Teds hated us young upstart rockabillies and even more so Psychobilly. I have been in a few scrapes with teddy boys back in the day, but they were not as hard as the rockabillies in London some of them were wild, I even recall a pub was attacked frequented by teds by rockabillies with swords in lewisham and they chopped some teds arm off. Wild days, dangerous but fun.

 

[BN9 BHA]

Teds hated us young upstart rockabillies and even more so Psychobilly. I have been in a few scrapes with teddy boys back in the day, but they were not as hard as the rockabillies in London some of them were wild, I even recall a pub was attacked frequented by teds by rockabillies with swords in lewisham and they chopped some teds arm off. Wild days, dangerous but fun.

Armless fun in Lewisham

 

[Juan Albion]

I saw the Jam 17 times and I really don't remember much trouble at their gigs. Mind you, at one gig at the Rainbow about 1000 chairs got significantly rearranged but surprisingly were back in place for the next two nights.

And I was sitting on the edge of the stage at one Jam gig waiting for them to come on stage when it was announced that someone had been stabbed in the crowd not far from me. When the band came on, Weller said that the victim had died. Not nice. I can't be sure where that gig was as it was a long time ago but maybe it was one at Wembley arena when they headlined a show that included Generation X, Slade and either the Pirates or the Count Bishops (memory isn't what it used to be). Whoever lined up those bands with their different groups of fans was irresponsible in my opinion. It was like arranging a social event for the worst fans of Leeds, Millwall, Chelsea and Cardiff and expecting them all to get along.

 

[Oleg_McNoleg]

The Klub Foot night at the Clarendon (?) in Hammersmith were always lively affairs and I was just glad to get out unscathed.. To be fair, most of the rowdiness was good-natured but there was always one or two blokes looking to take it further. The King Kurt gigs especially were just pant-wettingly scary and that was on a quiet night. I didn't go many times. I think the first gig where I saw a fight might have been at the Brighton Centre back in 1986? With Jungle Brothers, Run DMC and (I think) Beastie Boys. Horrible atmosphere, horrible venue.I stopped going to Drum and Bass nights in Brighton venues and always avoided the R&B ones too - guaranteed aggro especially at that place by the Market Diner. Bad vibes. Very bad vibes.

I've seen a fair few fights over the years but most have been handbags sort of stuff. What sticks in my mind is the incongruity of the band and there being fights. Nick Cave gig at the Brighton Centre in about 2007 or 2008 was one. I think he was doing one of his ballads too. The Damned doing their disastrous reunion at the Concorde in about 2002. Capt. Sensible in fetish leather urging the crowd to have pops at Dave Vanian and sure enough, someone lobbed a bottle and he storms off. Gig finished.

The funniest was at the Komedia back in about 2005 at the Comedy Club night. Two gay blokes were having a quickie in the ladies' loos and a girl had taken offence at this. And then another girl took offence at the girl taking offence. And then the boyfriends/husbands got involved. Only in Brighton.....

My brother went to the Public Enemy gig at Brixton in 91(?) and tells me that's the benchmark for him for most fights in one night. Thankfully he got out unscathed.

I was at several of those gigs (though not the bottoming at the Komedia!)! Don't remember seeing any fights at the '86 Run DMC/Beastie Boys gig at the Brighton Centre but there was a a pretty tense atmosphere. Plenty of little shits hunting in packs. Public Enemy at the Academy was similar: threatening atmosphere for a white boy up from the south coast but mostly a case of keeping my head down.
The Klub Foot mostly took boisterous to ridiculous levels and most weren't out to give somebody a proper kicking. But I saw a show down between a couple of groups at a Meteors gig there (one the Long Tall Texans' first appearances there. Maybe the first) where somebody got a fairly serious stamping on and got their leg broken.
Worst I've seen was a festival appearance by The Pogues around 88 where a few jolly craicsters in Celtic shirts climbed a small scaffolding tower which had the sound and lighting engineers' desks on it. When they were told to get down they beat the engineers completely unconscious. Was pretty horrific.
Only had two episodes myself: one psychobilly gig (can't remember which) where somebody said I'd pushed his girlfriend over (I hadn't, only tried to pick her up when she fell at my feet but that's what happens up at the front at gigs) though I suspect he was just a tosser with a few pints of brave down him looking to punch somebody smaller than him (I'd just turned 16. Kept an eye out for him at those sorts of gigs in Brighton when I was a bit older and bigger but mostly drifted away from the scene by then) and some strange kid who head butted me several times on the back of my head at a Soup Dragons gig. I was older and bigger than him so always wondered what possessed him. Wasn't left with much choice but to belt him and he looked like he was going to cry. Felt quite bad about it but what the hell was he expecting?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Anyone remember Suicide being absolutely PELTED with missiles at Crawley Leisure Centre by people who only wanted to see The Clash? Well-named band!

 

[readingstockport]

Skrewdriver, not screwdriver. And to be fair most of the skins I used to drink with, at gigs like Splodge up in Faringdon, were fine. Not all skins are, or were, fash.

 

[Billy Bilo]

I was at that gig its been mention a few times on this thread

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Skrewdriver, not screwdriver. And to be fair most of the skins I used to drink with, at gigs like Splodge up in Faringdon, were fine. Not all skins are, or were, fash.

To be fairer, they were thick shits who derived great pleasure out of beating up scrawny punk kids. Individually they may have been nice kids. But collectively they were scum.

 

[readingstockport]

To be fairer, they were thick shits who derived great pleasure out of beating up scrawny punk kids. Individually they may have been nice kids. But collectively they were scum.

As a fairly scrawny punk in London at the time and spending a lot of time going to Flux, Conflict, Omega Tribe, Newtown Neurotics etc gigs. I never had any trouble from the skins. An Upstarts gig at the Robey one time was slightly different but then we all know it was going to be and were prepared. As someone else has mentioned in this thread I had far more trouble from billies, Guana Batz and Kurt fans in general, than skins.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

As a fairly scrawny punk in London at the time and spending a lot of time going to Flux, Conflict, Omega Tribe, Newtown Neurotics etc gigs. I never had any trouble from the skins. An Upstarts gig at the Robey one time was slightly different but then we all know it was going to be and were prepared. As someone else has mentioned in this thread I had far more trouble from billies, Guana Batz and Kurt fans in general, than skins.

Sorry, was immersed up to me neck in the genuine punk era and don't recognise a single one of the bands of which you speak

 

[Billy Bilo]

I was there too with my mates Ken and Sid, but Piranhas weren't great the Vandells were the best and were resident for a while, I remember the ted, pub we used to use the cut through round the back of the lanes to get to the Alhambra.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

An Upstarts gig at the Robey one time was slightly different but then we all know it was going to be and were prepared. As someone else has mentioned in this thread I had far more trouble from billies, Guana Batz and Kurt fans in general, than skins.

Is that the George Robey in Finsbury Park, it's gone now. I saw the meteors there and Fenech the lead singer got stabbed another scary night.

 

[readingstockport]

Is that the George Robey in Finsbury Park, it's gone now. I saw the meteors there and Fenech the lead singer got stabbed another scary night.

Yep, that was it. Could be quite a scary place.

 

[readingstockport]

Sorry, was immersed up to me neck in the genuine punk era and don't recognise a single one of the bands of which you speak

Ask Attila who the Nuerotics were.

 

[Bob!]

Were you at the Buzzcocks gig at the Top Rank in 78?/79?

Steve Diggle got a full beer can in his groin, the band went off.

Then it kicked off. I remember walking up to the Clock Tower and a massive (about 7ft?) speaker was being liberated up the road.




The there was the Clash at Crawley Leisure Centre in '78, Suicide supporting, Coventry Automatics (later to become The Specials) 3rd on the bill. For some reason Jimmy Pursey was there amd did the vocals on White Riot during the encore.

Suicide lasted about 2 numbers before the skins got on stage and proceed to wrap the singers microphone lead round his neck!

Talking about The Clash gig, just came across this recording:

penultimate post, http://www.clashcity.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=7313&start=30

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Sorry, was immersed up to me neck in the genuine punk era and don't recognise a single one of the bands of which you speak

Presumably Flux of Pink Indians. Well worth a listen.
‘Strive to Survive Causing Least Suffering Possible.’
Very much at odds with the sentiments of this thread.

 

[Questions]

A fight started at The Centre one night at a UB40 gig in the 80’s. They stopped playing.

I can still remember Astro telling one guy to feck off saying we don’t need your sort here.