Combat 84
History
1981 English London skinhead band led by the vocalist Chris “Chubby” Henderson who was doing security for The Damned and Madness at the time. The line up was Chris on vocals, Jim on guitar, Deptford John on bass and Jacko on drums. Jacko was eventually replaced by Brownie before their first gig.
Originally the band was formed as a skunk rock (skins and punks) band. But with their large skinhead following not many punks would dare go to the bands gigs and if they did they got a kicking for their bother!
The bands first gig was in supporting The Last Resort in Peckham’s Walmer Castle. They only had three songs and recorded their first demo around the same time of Combat 84 and Soldier with help from Roi Pearce (The Last Resort) working the recording equipment.
With more and more gigs coming in 1982 the band got a call from Secret Records about a possible recording deal. But Gary Bushell shit himself when he heard and put the deal under. Probably as Combat 84 was one of the few bands he didnt make by giving them his reporter coverage. And the fact rumours were also around that Chris was the leader of a gang of right-wing skinheads who liked to smash gigs up. However the band signed to Victory Records instead via Dave Long.
The 4-Skins helped give the band a real chance by adding them on their own mini tour in 1982. This was then followed by appearance as the London Skunx club.
Their first 1982 EP – Orders Of The Day was recorded in a Hoxton, East London studio and Brownie was replaced with John Fisher on drums who later went on the play briefly for The Business. With 10,000 copies made they sold over 5000 even getting a decent review in Melody Maker.
Soon the band were approached to take part in a BBC 40 Minutes documentary, they wanted four skinheads from a band. They did it with three band members and their roadie Scotch Eddie. Chris spoke openly about his right-wing political views and so did John’s who was moderate. The last ten minutes of the so-called documentary showed a brawl at Benny’s Bar in Harlow gig.
After airing the rumors about the band were flying all over the place and the media saw Combat 84 as outcasts from the music press and venues. This did lead to the band having trouble finding gigs in and around London. They still played as Combat 84 on tour with the 4-Skins in the North of England but played London gigs under the name The 7th Cavalry. Even then it was smaller out of town pubs. Later they played at the 100 Club which was one of the best gigs for the band and still packed out every place they played.
Their second release the 1983 Combat 84 EP was recorded in Alaska Studios, Waterloo, London. The track being Rapist. With strong and powerful right-wing lyrics at the time. Their other track Right To Choose, was very anti-CND and pro nuclear deterrents. Which had Brownie back on drums.
In September 1983 the band went to record their debut album, Send In The Marines. But by now the band was all but finished. No personal differences, but outside pressure because of the earlier documentary didn’t help. The media thought the band were political. But each member had their own views and were just a band. Also many people were threatening John at the time with serious harm and it wasn’t worth it carrying on. John and Jim also weren’t as right-wing as Chris and had a new band lined up.
Nevertheless the album got recorded on a 8-track studio in someone’s house, partly as the label wanted to save money now the band was splitting up. They sold the rights to Rock-O-Rama and it was never officially released in the UK. The album wasn’t even mixed and everyone had given up the effort, the live sections on the album were taken from playing in front of their mates. So after some 16 or so gigs, many which ended up in trouble the band called it day. The band dissolved after a tour with fellow Oi! band the 4-Skins in 1984. Later the bands songs were released by the German label Rock-O-Rama under the title Send In The Marines the same year.
Chris left the Oi! streetpunk scene a few years later and became known as a football hooligan with the Chelsea Headhunters. Deptford John and Jim went playing for the UK Subs and The Exploited. John Fisher played with former members of The Last Resort in The Warriors.
In 2000 Combat 84 reformed, but without Chris for the Tooled UP EP release via 7th Cavalry Records with Deptford John on vocals, Jim on guitar, FT on bass and Suds on drums. This return proved to be short lived without their front man Chris.
On the 21st October 2013 Chris “Chubby” Henderson died.
Discography
Official Productions
1981 – Demo – C84 Prodcutions – Demo MC
1982 – Order of the day – Victory Records – 7″ EP – UK
1983 – Rapist – Victory Records – 7″ Single – UK
1984 – Send in the Marines – Rock-O-Rama – LP – Germany
1994 – Send in the Marines – Rock-O-Rama – CD – Germany
1999 – Orders of the day – Step-1-Music – LP – UK
2000 – Tooled up – 7th Cavalry Records – CD
???? – Death or Glory – ??? – CD
Live Albums and Bootlegs
1993 – Charge of the 7th Cavalry – Step-1-Music – CD – UK (live)
1999 – Charge of the 7th Cavalry – Step-1-Music – LP – UK (live)
200? – Send in the Marines – Dim Records – CD
2008 – Orders of the day – Dim Records – LP
2008 – Orders of the Day – Victory – EP
Split
1987 – Combat 84 & The Last Resort – Death or Glory – Link Record – LP
Samplers
100% British Oi! (CD1: 13. Poseur)
A Breed Apart: On The Outside Looking In (04. Politically Incorrect)
Harte Zeiten, Harte Pflichten Vol. IV (04. Violence)
The best of Oi! Vol. 1 (14. Right To Choose)
The best of Oi! Vol. 2 (14. Rapist)
The best of Oi! Vol. 3 (16. Combat 84)
Track Lists
Demo
01. Soldier
02. Combat 84
Orders of the Day
01. Violence
02. Combat 84
03. Poseur
04. Skinhead
Rapist
01. Rapist
02. Right to choose
03. Barry Prudom
Send in the Marines
01. I´m alright (2:01)
02. 1982 (2:32)
03. Violence (remix) (1:54)
04. Trouble (1:52)
05. F82123 (1:17)
06. Barry Prudom (remix) (2:03)
07. Soldier (3:04)
08. Rapist (Live) (3:21)
09. World War (Live) (1:43)
10. Poseur (Live) (1:47)
11. Combat 84 (Live) (2:08)
12. Right To Choose (Live) (3:28)
13. Skinhead (Live) (2:23)
Charge of the 7th Cavalry
01. Rapist (2:58)
02. Violence (2:26)
03. Combat 84 (1:48)
04. Skinhead (2:06)
05. F82123 (1:43)
06. Poseur (1:48)
07. 1982 (2:05)
08. World War (1:57)
09. Trouble (2:06)
10. Soldier (2:08)
11. Rapist (Encore) (2:53)
12. Combat 84 (Encore) (2:00)
The line up was Chris Henderson on vocals, Jim on guitar, Deptford John on bass, and Brownie on drums. The songs for this album were taken from live bootlegs of Combat 84 at The George, Hammersmith and Islington Skunx Club.
Orders of the day
01. Violence (1:51)
02. Combat 84 (1:46)
03. Poseur (1:34)
04. Skinhead (1:56)
05. Rapist (2:47)
06. Barry Prudom (2:00)
07. Right to Choose (2:24)
08. I’m Alright (1:58)
09. 1982 (2:30)
10. Trouble (1:50)
11. F82123 (1:16)
12. Soldier (3:02)
13. Violence (remix) (1:52)
14. Barry Produm (remix) (2:01)
This album contained all the bands studio recordings.
Tooled up
01. We´re back
02. It´s kickin off
03. Politically incorrect
04. Whatever happened to my country?
05. Getting the fear
Combat 84 & The Last Resort – Death or Glory
01. Right To Choose (2:27)
02. Rapist (2:50)
03. Barry Prudom (2:02)
04. Violence (1:52)
05. Poseur (1:35)
06. Skinhead (1:57)
07. Combat 84 (1:48)
08. Soldier (2:10)
09. I’m Allright(1:59)
10. 1982 (2:31)
11. Trouble (1:53)
The line up was Chris Henderson on vocals, Jim on guitar, Deptford John on bass, tracks 1, 2, and 3 John Fisher, 4, 5, 6, and 7 Brownie and tracks 8, 9, 10, 11 were John Fisher on drums.