But in those days, they were distributing Angelic Upstarts, 4 Skins, and they produced Matchoc, a ska band which soon supported SHARP. We made many mistakes, like giving CI INCONTREREMO ANCORA UN GIORNO (our first album) to the French label Rebelles Europeens for distribution. We were the first to promote things such as Oppressed and Redskins while the others seemed to be attracted by Skrewdriver and Brutal Attack. In the Italian Skinhead scene and with Kriminal Class 'zine, everybody knew I was strictly antifascist. I tried to fight the nazis in a stronger way, but things were pretty hard and confusing. Those days, I organized an Angelic Upstarts gig in Italy, the only antifascist band that had the guts to get on stage and say theirs, even if nazis tried to fuck them up. I tried to get closer and closer to the enemy, communicating with kids and trying to get them to understand that we had an alternative and that OI! and Skinhead had its roots in bands like SHAM 69, THE SPECIALS, THE CLASH, RUTS, and not in racism. Those days, the movement was totally polluted by Nazis.Saying NO POLITICS would have meant being against the only politics existing, the fascist politics. When I decided to put together a band in '85, it was to communicate with others thinking like me and to try to take Oi! back to the '80s its best times. Today Klasse Kriminale are: Marco (vocals), Matteo "Martini" (guitars), Emanuele (bass), Mauro (drums). Forty years later, the Hersham boys continue to polarize."Klasse Kriminale have always been a real punk band or an Oi! or street punk band - call it what the hell you want - in the line up there have always been skinheads, punks, herberts, boot boys, ordinary kids. It is the latter of these two versions that will be performing at Propaganda on September 28 alongside Die Trying, The Attack and Menudo Death Squad.
“Now we see them talking about us, whispering lies all around us, not wanting us to know the truth.” (“ Tell Us the Truth” 1978). In 2011, Parsons disbanded his Sham and Harris took up the Sham mantle, not long after, Parsons and Pursey made nice and reconnected with Whitewood to tour as Sham 69 – The Original 1977 Lineup while Harris’ incarnation is known as Sham 69 – Tim V.
When Pursey was sacked in 2006, Parsons forged on as Sham 69 and released two albums. Angels with dirty faces, angels from nowhere places… kids like me and you!” (“ Angels with Dirty Faces” 1978). “We’re the people you don’t wanna know, we come from places you don’t wanna go. This sets up an interesting quandary for longtime fans concerning Sham 69 in 2015, one akin to the recent troubles surrounding Black Flag with two squads actively performing under the moniker. As if this wasn’t enough to cause stress within the band, Sham 69 has suffered since inception from lineup changes though oftentimes the revolving door kept the changing within a finite number of players with Pursey, Parsons and drummer Ian Whitewood being the longest constants. “But then somebody tells you that you’re owned by someone else, so what’s it all about? It’s money, work it out.” (“ Money“ 1979). With the rise of the National Front in populist British politics in the 70’s, Sham 69 would inadvertently draw support from the skinhead and neo-Nazi ranks of the movement causing increasingly violent conflicts during their live performances. Noted for topical lyrics that often invited dialogue for unity within the scene and a sense of solidarity for the common man in the turbulent days of James Callaghan’s ministry which set up the better-known economic environment of Margaret Thatcher’s 80’s, Sham’s history would be shaped by the politics of their time. “Now I’ve got the chance I don’t care about what I do, when I done them things I done them just for you and now I’m getting out coming back for you” (“ Borstal Breakout” 1978). Early pioneers of Oi!, Sham 69’s musical style has taken its cues from hard rock and pub rock built on a steady and well-gelled rhythm section punctuated early on by the guitars of Harris and Dave Parsons’ since ’77. Formed in 1975 by singer Jimmy Pursey and guitarist Neil Harris in the Surrey village of Hersham in southeast England, Sham 69 has long been a polarizing figure in punk rock history for its influence, success, inner conflicts and its fanatical attraction to skinhead culture regardless of political affiliation.
“You’re telling me to grow up, but Harry don’t you see? If I tried to act my age I wouldn’t be me” (“ Hurry Up Harry” 1978).
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