The streets are still, the final battle has ended. Flushed with the fight, we proudly hail the dawn. See over the streets, the White man's emblem is waving. Triumphant standards of a race reborn.
Hail the New Dawn
European unity, the North Teutonic dream. To scoop to save humanity, leave Europe with the cream. But now our once proud Europe, looks like a melting pot. But melting pots boil over, and it's getting pretty hot.
Before the Night Falls
Tomorrow is always too late. We should never sit around and wait. Tomorrow is always too late. Get out there and do something today.
Tomorrow is Always Too Late
It's a time when our old people cannot walk the streets alone. Fought for this nation is this all they get back? Risked their lives for Britain, but now Britain belongs to aliens. 'Bout time that the British went and took their Britain back.
Voice of Britain
European dream, there's things that should be said. European dream, better dead than Red. European dream, for freedom and for bread. European dream, better dead than Red.
European Dream
Category:Musicians
Skrewdriver was an
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
punk rockPunk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band formed by
Ian Stuart DonaldsonIan Stuart Donaldson was a British Neo-Nazi singer, musician and songwriter, most known as the frontman of Skrewdriver, a British punk rock band that later became a white power rock band...
in
Poulton-le-FyldePoulton-le-Fylde is a market town in Lancashire, England, situated on the coastal plain called the Fylde. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 18,264. There is evidence of human habitation in the area from 12,000 years ago and several archaeological finds from Roman...
in 1976. They later evolved into one of the first
neo-NaziNeo-Nazism consists of post-World War II social or political movements seeking to revive Nazism or some variant thereof.The term neo-Nazism can also refer to the ideology of these movements....
rock bands, playing a leading role in the
Rock Against CommunismRock Against Communism started out as series of white power rock concerts in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s, and is also a name for the subsequent music genre. Despite its name, RAC song lyrics rarely focus on the specific topic of anti-communism...
movement and becoming known as the most prominent white power skinhead band.
Career
Ian Stuart Donaldson, formerly of the
cover bandA cover band , is a band that plays mostly or exclusively cover songs. New or unknown bands often find the cover band format marketable for smaller gigs, and these bands may be known as a wedding band, party band and function band. A band whose covers consist mainly of songs that were chart hits is...
Tumbling Dice, formed Skrewdriver after seeing the
Sex PistolsThe Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
in
ManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. Skrewdriver at first sported a
punk appearancePunk fashion is the clothing, hairstyles, cosmetics, jewelry, and body modifications of the punk subculture. Punk fashion varies widely, ranging from Vivienne Westwood designs to styles modeled on bands like The Exploited. The distinct social dress of other subcultures and art movements, including...
, but they changed their image to a
skinheadA 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,...
look. They also temporarily flirted with a
rockerRockers, leather boys or ton-up boys are a biker subculture that originated in the United Kingdom during the 1950s. It was mainly centered around British cafe racer motorcycles and rock and roll music....
/
bikerA motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
look, around the time they released the EP
Built Up Knocked Down. In 1978, Donaldson moved to Manchester, where he recruited guitarist Glenn Jones and drummer Martin Smith. This lineup toured extensively, 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 RecordsChiswick Records was a British record company. Chiswick was the "first true 'indie' label" to be established in Britain for nearly a decade". The label has been described as "significant" in the "punk era"...
. This version of the band split in January 1979, but Donaldson resurrected the name Skrewdriver in 1982 using new musicians in a different format.
Although the original band had a minor reputation for attracting violence at their concerts (Boomtown Rats frontman
Bob GeldofRobert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...
was reportedly knocked unconscious by a friend of Donaldson who, at a concert, felt Skrewdriver's sound had been sabotaged as the backing band), they did not openly support any political party. The reformed Skrewdriver eventually became openly supportive of
far rightFar-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
white nationalistWhite nationalism is a political ideology which advocates a racial definition of national identity for white people. White separatism and white supremacism are subgroups within white nationalism. The former seek a separate white nation state, while the latter add ideas from social Darwinism and...
groups, after a lengthy period of denying such claims. Although both Skrewdriver and the band
Sham 69Sham 69 is an English punk band that formed in Hersham in 1976.Although not as commercially successful as many of their contemporaries, albeit with a greater number of chart entries, Sham 69 has been a huge musical and lyrical influence on the Oi! and streetpunk genres. The band allegedly derived...
had skinhead followings and
racistRacism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
fans early in their careers, Sham 69 denounced racism and performed at
Rock Against RacismRock Against Racism was a campaign set up in the United Kingdom in 1976 as a response to an increase in racial conflict and the growth of white nationalist groups such as the National Front. The campaign involved pop, rock and reggae musicians staging concerts with an anti-racist theme, in order...
concerts. Donaldson eventually aligned himself with
neo-NazismNeo-Nazism consists of post-World War II social or political movements seeking to revive Nazism or some variant thereof.The term neo-Nazism can also refer to the ideology of these movements....
, saying: "I would describe myself as a British
National SocialistNazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
, not a German one, and so don't think I'm at odds with British
patriotsPatriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...
."
The band became associated with white nationalist groups such as the
National FrontThe National Front is a far right, white-only political party whose major political activities took place during the 1970s and 1980s. Its popularity peaked in the 1979 general election, when it received 191,719 votes ....
and
British National PartyThe British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
, raising funds for them (and affiliated organizations) through the White Noise record label. They also released records on Rock-O-Rama, a label that became known for far-right sympathies. Skrewdriver was instrumental in setting up
Blood and HonourBlood & Honour is a neo-Nazi music promotion network and political group founded in 1987 with links to Combat 18 and composed of white power skinheads and other white nationalists....
, a neo-Nazi music promotion network.
Some members of the original Skrewdriver 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 socialistSocialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
stock... When they made records for us Ian Stuart showed no signs of fascismFascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
. 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.
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.
Donaldson died on 24 September 1993 following a car crash. His death catalyzed the demise of Skrewdriver, and had a strong impact in the white power rock scene.
Original line up
- Ian Stuart Donaldson
Ian Stuart Donaldson was a British Neo-Nazi singer, musician and songwriter, most known as the frontman of Skrewdriver, a British punk rock band that later became a white power rock band...
- VocalsSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, GuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Phil Walmsley - Guitar
- Ron Hartley - Guitar
- Kev McKay - Bass
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- John "Grinny" Grinton - drums
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Other members
- Glen Jones
- Martin Cross
- Mark French
- Geoff Williams
- Mark Neeson
- Joseph Smith
- Adam Douglas
- Merv Shields
- Murray Holmes
- Dave Wane
- Paul Swain
- Stiv "Iena" Roda
- Stigger
- John Burnley
- Colin Smith
- Mushy
- Mike French
- Mark Radcliffe
Mark Radcliffe is an English broadcaster who has worked in various roles for the BBC since the 1980s and remains one of Britain's most recognised DJs. He is currently a presenter on BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6 Music, where he hosts an afternoon show five times a week alongside Stuart Maconie, called...
- Andrew Skinner
- Ford Freemantle
- Scott Sullivan
- John Sharkey III
- Ian Plummer
Studio albums
- All Skrewed Up
All Skrewed Up is a 1977 album by British punk rock band Skrewdriver. It was issued with four different sleeve colours - green, orange, yellow, and pale purple...
(1977) (Chiswick) (later re-issued as The Early Years w. extra tracks)
- Hail the New Dawn
Hail the New Dawn is a 1984 album by the British white power skinhead band Skrewdriver. It was released by German label Rock-O-Rama Records. All of the songs were written by Ian Stuart except "Tomorrow Belongs to Me", a cover version from the musical and film Cabaret...
(1984) (Rock-O-Rama)
- Blood & Honour
Blood & Honour is a 1985 album by British white power skinhead band Skrewdriver. It was released by German record label Rock-O-Rama. All of the songs were written by Ian Stuart Donaldson.-Track listing:# "Blood and Honour" - 4:17# "Mr...
(1985) (Rock-O-Rama)
- White Rider
White Rider is a 1987 album by British white power skinhead band Skrewdriver. All of the songs were written by Ian Stuart Donaldson.-Track listing:# "White Rider" - 3:19# "Where Has Justice Gone" - 2:50# "Strikeforce" - 2:51# "Behind the Bars" - 3:27...
(1987) (Rock-O-Rama)
- After the Fire
After the Fire is the fifth studio album by British white power skinhead band Skrewdriver and was the first to feature John Burnley, brother of Paul Burnley , on drums...
(1988) (Rock-O-Rama)
- Warlord
Warlord is Skrewdriver's sixth full length album, released on Rock-O-Rama Records.-Track listing:# "Warlord# "One in a Million II# "Out in the Cold # "Their Kingdom will Fall"# "The Evil Crept In"# "Simple Man"...
(1989) (Rock-O-Rama)
- The Strong Survive
The Strong Survive is the seventh album from the white power skinhead band Skrewdriver.-Track listing:# "The Strong Survive"# "Voice of Evil"# "From the Land"# "In the Wasteland"# "Stand Proud"# "Paranoid" # "Hail and Thunder"...
(1990) (Rock-O-Rama)
- Freedom What Freedom
-Track listing:# "Mother Europe's Sons"# "What Price Freedom"# "This Little Piggy"# "This Feeling"# "Blood of the Kings"# "One Land "# "Stolz"# "Return to Camelot"# " Here Comes a Commie"# "When the North Wind Blows"# "God of Thunder"...
(1992) (Rock-O-Rama)
- Hail Victory
Hail Victory is the ninth and final album by white power skinhead band Skrewdriver. It was the final project Ian Stuart Donaldson was involved in before his death...
(1994) (Asgard Records - A division of Rock-O-Rama)
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" (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 w. bonus live & demo tracks)
- Live and Kicking (1991) (Rock-O-Rama) (double album)
- Live at Waterloo
Live At Waterloo is a live album by the white power skinhead band Skrewdriver-Track listing:# "Back with a Bang"# "Tomorrow Belongs to Me"# "Europe Awake"# "Street Fight"# "The Showdown"# "Paranoid"# "United"# "Our Pride Is Our Loyalty"...
(1995) (ISD/White Terror) (recorded 12 Sept. 1992)
- This One's For The Skinheads (live, recorded 23 April 1987)
- The Last Gig in Germany (1996)
Songs on compilations
- "When The Boat Comes In" on This Is White Noise (1983) - 7" EP faturing 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 Honour' (?) - CD by Unknown
Further reading
- White Noise: Inside the International Nazi Skinhead Scene. Edited by Nick Lowles and Steve Silver, London 1998. ISBN 0-9522038-3-9
- Skrewdriver The first ten years - The way it's got to be! by Joe Pearce. Skrewdriver Services, London 1987.
- Ian Stuart - His message across to you. Everlasting songs. Excalibur Services, Antwerp 1995.
- Diamond in the Dust - The Ian Stuart Biography. Blood and Honour England, London 2002.
- Nazi Rock Star - Ian Stuart-Skrewdriver Biography by Paul London (a.k.a. Paul Burnley of No Remorse). Midgård, Gothenburg 2002.
- Ian Stuart Donaldson - Memories by Mark Green. PC Records, Chemnitz 2007.
External links