The Oi of Sex

Review from New Youth ‘zine, issue 5, 1984

What can I say about this that Swells hasn’t already said in the NME. There again most of New Youths readers probably aren’t “NME people” which is largely read by middle class – trying to be young and hip lefties – called Trendy Wendy & Right on John. Anyway I like the NME (!) and as Swells outlined the idiosyncrasies’ of Oi are still apparent .. torn between their working class ISM and the sick, stupid, dense Sun-reading patriotism of some of their Neo-Nazi followers. Oi continues to appear mixed up. Especially when you read the ridiculous list on the cover entitled “Oi is..”
It’s sad that the thick Neolithic type skinheads latch onto Oi as there are so many intelligent skins around (see this fanzine) not least the ones on the album, Burial, from Scarborough, are excellent and don’t have shits for brains. These lads are sussed and the album’s worth buying for their two tracks alone. Prole’s ‘Never say Die’ also stands out as true socialism in music. As is usual of Nick Toczek, the Bradford poet, his contribution is hard-hitting, thoughtful and easy to understand. ‘Stiff With a Quiff’ is a portrait of the stereotypical slobbish husband, ruining the life of a woman, who he keeps chained to household chores by a label of “wife” while he pisses his own life against a wall.
probably the most important piece on this album (that’s why we reviewed it!) is by Hull’s very own ranter Swift Nick. How he had the audacity to contribute such a caustic, hard-hitting, honest rant as ‘The Sun’ on an Oi album invariably listened to by the very people he is attacking is both admirable and amusing. He completely rips the piss out of blinkered, macho, nationalism of some young thugs, tears into the “royal” family and in general ridicules the whole mentality of the Sun newspaper type population.
These tracks mentioned are the only reasons valid to buy this album (you may like some of the other tracks) but better still write to New Youth for a live recording of a Swift Nick performance, only £1 – good quality and great thought-provoking entertainment, EXCELLENT RANTS!
The accepted idea of right-wing, racist, thuggish Skins is being smashed by the excellent Skins with sense all over the country (like Burial) but Oi doesn’t do its best to help the cause, especially when the disgusting band named A.B.H. are given vinyl space.

New Youth was written by Swift Nick and was a popular ‘zine of the time. I didn’t think the album was that bad, and there are plenty of ranters on it: Little Dave as well as Jimmy Mack. Teething Wells, no less, co-wrote Jimmy Mack’s rant. There are some good songs from Cock Sparrer, who also attacked The Sun, and Dogsbody. All the Oi albums had a good showing from ranters on them. It’s funny now to see how such a vilified music subculture had so much poetry.
ABH were a band associated with the National Front. It pissed off a lot of people that they were on the album.