I found my favorite song by The Wretched Ones on Youtube today, it got me thinking of my 2008 vacation. I’m going to admit that I’ve always had a bit of an edge. In 2007 I started hanging out with a group of skinheads, not the racist kind but the subculture kind http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinhead . I had grew up and hung out with cholos, bikers, punks and rockabillies before but these guys were something else. They live a theme of working class pride, Ska, Oi, drinking Guinness, soccer, fighting, wearing Fred Perrys, playing in bands and going to shows. They run in a pack and are extremely loyal to each other. The guys I was hanging with were all in their mid to late thirties to I was lucky to get the “chilled” out version. For the most part they have mellowed out and now are all about their local soccer support group called Brickwall. They even did a benefit Chili Cook-off for a veterans group called "Wounded Warriors".
I was charmed by the camaraderie of these guys and amazed by how much Guinness they could drink. It was a wild ride for about 3 years. In 2008 I joined them on a trip to Pennsylvania for the East Coast Oi Fest. Our first stop was Philly were I met the entire crew. All different races, all tatted up and all with shaved heads. These were the guys Dad’s warn their daughters about. The women including myself were all hardy dominant types. We all strolled down South Street, the boys puffing on cigars and each bar we went into panicked. One of them would look at the bartender and say “line up twenty Guinness and keep it coming” throwing down a couple of hundred bucks.
The show was in AllentownPennsylvania. Allentown seemed like a mostly working class town, lots of Dominican immigrants. The hotel closest to the “festival” was packed with skins from all over the United States and the world. The big draw to the show was a band called 4skin who apparently had never been to the U.S. or if they did wasn’t since the 80’s. It seemed to me that our “Texas Crew” was the most organized. The first night the entire hotel was tore up with punks and skins running drunkenly all over the halls. Then there was some big drama because some skin from a New York band got shot. The two skinny security guards were not match for the chaos. I felt like a journalist for National Geographic on a safari with wild animals. Some really scary chick was trying to hand me over to an East End British skin who looked hardened by prison; he was one of the 4skin’s entourage. I weaseled out of that one quick.
The following day was the first day of the festival. The boys all went out and bought as much Guinness as they could get. We all walked to the show and waited in line. All around me were t-shirts with the initials A.C.A.B.I asked my friend what that meant, “All cops are bastards”. When we got into the venue my friend turned around to me and said “I feel like I’m going to get stabbed in here”. I told her to shut up because I already felt overwhelmed. We traveled through all the floors of the venue checking out the different bands. Finally we returned to the spot the boys had reserved by the bar. They set us all on the bar stools and stood in front of us like a barricade to protect us should a fight happened. It felt safe behind them so me and girls started drinking and enjoying the show.
Of all the bands the only ones I really liked that day were “The Wretched Ones” and “Hubcity Stompers” both bands from New Jersey. Suddenly a fight broke out and beer bottles where flying every where. I stood up on the bar to get a better look and my friend Dwayne turned around shouting “Get down!”; as soon as I did a bottle flew over my head and crashed in the alcohol set up behind the bartender. Then the swat team showed up equipped in full riot gear, shields, masks and batons. Me and my friend were ready to go! We got out of there ASAP and found out later that some racist skinheads got in and pissed everyone off. The show was cut short after the mini riot and everyone was bummed. So a party ensued at the hotel. The hotel got wise and opened up all the banquet halls to keep the partying centralized. The Texas Crew I was with wheeled in giant coolers of Guinness on the luggage carts and festivities began. We had a blast and of course got smashed.
The Festival continued just long enough for the main act, “the 4skins” to show. This time me and the girls went upstairs to watch from a safe distance. The highlight of the show was the song “Evil”, the place went nuts! After that we all went to eat and play pool before heading up to New York City were I developed a secret crush on one of the band members from "The Templars". He's a married foot doctor by day and a black skinhead by night. The whole thing was a crazy little adventure that I’ll never forget. I go to a show every now and then or a BBQ or to watch some soccer but I’m not officially one of the crew. They are all loyal fun hardy guys and I’ll always be happy to see them. Below is the theme song I chose for that trip “Welcome to the East Coast” by the “Wretched Ones”, A clip of 4skins play “Evil” at the actual event, the other is a song that always makes me smile “Skinhead Boi” by “the Hubcity Stompers” and a clip show of Houston skins supporting their Dynamo soccer team. Also my favorite song from my favorite skinhead band of all time "Cock Sparrer" and a song from "The Templars". Lastly a song for all the Guinness lovers all over the world!
