AntiSocial is one of my favourite Oi! bands from the "golden age" of Oi!, the early '80s, so i was glad to be able to do this interview with Daz, bassist of Blackpool's finest. Hope you like the interview
What was the scene like in the UK when AntiSocial first formed?
AntiSocial formed in August 1981. The Oi! scene was in full swing with the likes of the Business, 4-Skins and the Last Resort.
What lead to the forming of the band?
In the summer of '81 there were over two million unemployed people in the U.K., we were four of them so we formed the band.
What was the first punk you heard, and what attracted you to the music? What made you think, "this is something I want to be a part of"?
The first punk I heard was the Stranglers, followed by the Damned and the Clash. The attraction to the music was the raw energy and the passion in the lyrics.
Was there as much of a stigma attached to skinheads in the early '80s as there is now? Were you seen as a right-wing band because of it?
I don't feel as if there is as much of a stigma attached to skins now as in the early '80s, mainly because there aren't as many skins around. The main problem we had was that everyone thought that we were right-wing NF [National Front] skins and most pubs wouldn't let us in.
Were there any problems with political organizations, either right-wing or left, trying to recruit the band for their own purposes?
No!! We did a number of gigs in London with the reformed Skrewdriver. The reason we did the gigs was that a) it got us on in London and b) Ian Stuart (Skrewdriver vocalist) used to live in Blackpool, so we knew him well. Most of the skins were just there to see the bands and had no interest in the politics.
There are many stories of British gigs being overrun with violence and riots... was this a problem when AntiSocial played?
A few times, mainly with the football scene and North vs South, but there were no major problems whilst actually playing, the violence came after.
At the time, did you consider the British Oi! and Punk scenes to be two seperate things, or was it all the same to you? Did you feel that AntiSocial had much in common with, say, Discharge or GBH?
It was all the same scene
How come today AntiSocial isn't as well-known as the Business or the 4-Skins? Did it have anything to do with your record label?
Our main problem was that we split before we could record our planned album and it was really difficult to get gigs without a decent manager-- which we didn't have. I can't complain about the record label because they gave us the chance to do it in the first place and they had a good distribution company behind them, so our record sold quite well in Europe and the USA.
Is there one memory that stands out more than any other when you were with the band? A high (or low) point?
Yes-- when the first single was released it was reviewed by Gene October (Chelsea vocalist) who stated that we were the best thing since the UK Subs
What caused the break-up of the band?
It was July '84. By this time we all had jobs, the scene was dying, and we all got arrested after a gig on a Tuesday night. By the time we were released and got home it was time to get to work, so I think that night pissed everyone off.
Do you still keep up with the Oi! scene today? Any favorite bands?
No, I don't keep up with the Oi! scene nowadays, I still listen to the old stuff most of the time. Mark Brennan from the Business is currently re-releasing a lot of old Oi! stuff on CD-- AntiSocial was released last year. If you can recommend any new bands to me I will give them a listen.
Any last words
Great to see that Oi! is not dead-- and remember, Skinhead is not a fashion, it's a way of life!
AntiSocial Discography
NEW PUNKS cassette
Tracks: 1)Bollocks 2)You Can't Even Dream 3)Anti-War 4)New Punks 5)Union Jack 6)Live and Let Live 7)Brickwall
Released Febuary 1982 on Lightbeat Records
MADE IN ENGLAND ep
Tracks: 1)Backstreet Boys 2)Your Choice 3)New Punks 4)Screw U
Released June 1982 on Beat the System!! Records
TOO MANY PEOPLE/LET'S HAVE SOME FUN 45
Released September 1982 on Beat the System!! Records
OFFICIAL HOOLIGAN ep
Tracks: 1)Battle Scarred Skinheads 2)Official Hooligan 3)Sewer Rat
Released Febuary 1983 on Beat the System!! Records
BATTLE SCARRED SKINHEADS cd/lp
Contains all above tracks plus "What Have We Got"
Released August 1995 on Captain Oi! Records
