Last Resort
History
The Last Resort is a British Oi! band formed in early 1980 in Herne Bay, Kent, England. The band took its name from the well‑known East London skinhead shop, and the bleak state of Herne Bay itself—once a thriving seaside town, now a place people visited only when they couldn’t afford anywhere else. In this environment, one of Oi!’s most influential bands was born.
The band began when Roi Pearce, newly inspired after seeing the local punk band The Rivals, decided to form a group despite having only recently started learning bass. He teamed up with guitarist Charlie Duggan, and through Arthur “Kay” Kitchener they met vocalist Graham Saxby. A chance encounter on the way to a Rivals gig introduced them to drummer Andy Benfield, completing the original lineup Graham Saxby on vocals, Charlie Duggan on guitar, Roi Pearce on bass, Andy Benfield on the drums.
Their first gig was with The Originals, a ska band fronted by Arthur Kay. The show didn’t go well, but it pushed them to practice harder. By mid‑1980 they recorded a demo tape, sold through The Last Resort shop. It performed well, though it wasn’t released on vinyl until 1998.
In early 1981, Saxby left the band for personal reasons—reportedly involving a girl. Roi moved from bass to vocals, and Arthur Kay joined on bass, forming the classic early lineup of – Roi Pearce now on vocals, Charlie Duggan on guitar, Arthur “Kay” Kitchener on bass and Andy Benfield still on the drums.
This lineup recorded three tracks that appeared on the influential compilations “Strength Thru Oi!” and “Carry On Oi!” in 1981. They then entered the studio to record their debut album, “A Way of Life (Skinhead Anthems)”, released in early 1982. By the time the album came out, the band had already changed its name to The Warriors, with John Fisher replacing Benfield on drums.
The Last Resort quickly became one of the most prominent Oi! bands, often compared to the 4‑Skins and Cock Sparrer. They helped put Herne Bay on the Oi! map. But their momentum was disrupted by the infamous Southall gig with the 4‑Skins and The Business, where they watched the pub burn. Gigs dried up, violence at shows increased, and the band split.
Six years later, Arthur and Andy approached Roi about reforming The Last Resort. Charlie couldn’t join, so Andy brought in Mark Edwards of The Rivals—the band that had originally inspired Roi. When Arthur and Andy dropped out, Roi rebuilt the group with new musicians: drummer Dean Wilkinson and guitarist Mick Melville. Under the name The Resort, they released the album “The Resort 1989.” They later added guitarist Keith Hillier, but the lineup was short‑lived, ending with a final gig at Christmas 1990.
Roi later spent time in the USA, played in a heavy metal band, and even reunited the group for a one‑off secret gig in Margate before laying the band to rest again.
The Last Resort reformed once more in 2005, with Roi as the only original member. As of 2021, they continue to record and tour. The 2021 lineup was Roi Pearce on vocals, Lars Frederiksen on guitar, John “JJ Kaos” Pearce on bass, Mick Gaffney on drums.
Today, The Last Resort and The Warriors exist as two completely separate and independent bands, led by Roi Pearce and Graham Saxby, respectively.
Despite recording relatively few tracks and having few live recordings, The Last Resort’s influence on the Oi! movement has been enormous. Their legacy is summed up in the phrase: No Mess, No Fuss, Just Pure Impact.
Discography
Official Productions
1982 – A Way of Life: Skinhead Anthems – Last Resort Records – LP
???? – King of the Jungle – ??? – ??
???? – Resurrection – ??? – ??
2000 – The Best Of – ??? – CD
2009 – You’ll Never Take Us-Skinhead Anthems II – I Scream Records – CD
Live Albums and Bootlegs
1993 – A Way of Life: Skinhead Anthems – Link Records – CD
Split
1987 – The Last Resort & Combat 84 – Death or Glory – Link Record – LP
1993 – The Last Resort & Combat 84 – Death or Glory – Link Record / Step 1 Music – CD
Samplers
100% British Oi! (CD2: 05. Resort Bootboys)
Carry on Oi!! (09. King of the Jungle)
Strength Thru Oi! (06. Working Class Kids, 17. Johnny Barden)
The best of Oi! – Vol. 1 (08. King Of The Jungle, 15. Working Class Kids)
The best of Oi! – Vol. 2 (04. Johnny Barden, 21. Violence In Our Minds)
The best of Oi! – Vol. 3 (09. Soul Boy)
Worldwide Tribute to the Real Oi! – Vol. 2 (27. She’s a Skinhead Girl Warrior)
Track Lists
A Way of Life: Skinhead Anthems
01. Freedom
02. Skinheads Are In Sta-Press
03. Rebels With A Cause
04. King Of The Jungle
05. We Rule O.K.
06. Changing
07. Lionheart
08. Rose Of England
09. Violence In Our Minds
10. Resort Boot Boys
11. Red, White And Blue
King of the Jungle
01. King Of The Jungle
02. Working Class Kids
03. Johnny Barden
04. Freedom
05. Red White & Blue
06. Violence In Our Minds
07. Skinheads In Stapress
08. Rose Of England
09. Changing
10. Resort Boot Boys
11. Rebels With A Cause
12. We Rule Ok
13. Waiting For A Friend
14. Horror Show
15. Rubber Jenny
16. Right To Remain Silent
Resurrection
01. Right to Riot
02. Bolthole
03. No Lazy Sunday Afternoon
04. Fear No Foe
05. Acab
06. Violence in Our Minds
07. Rebels With a Cause
08. Held Hostage
09. We’re Gonna get you
10. Wonderful World
11. Evil
12. Skinhead Girl Warrior
13. Gotta Go
The Best Of
01. Violence In Our Minds (3:03)
02. Held Hostage (3:05)
03. Soul Boys (2:50)
04. Stormtroopers In Sta-Press (4:24)
05. Jonny Barden (3:50)
06. Working Class Kids (2:53)
07. King Of The Jungle (4:05)
08. Freedom (4:48)
09. Rebels With A Cause (3:36)
10. Rose Of England (2:40)
11. Resort Boot Boys (1:52)
12. Red White And Blue (2:33)
13. Rubber Jenny (3:01)
14. Right To Remain Silent (4:07)
15. Horror Show (3:42)
16. Seven Days Seven Nights (4:00)
17. Waiting For A Friend (2:55)
18. Rock’n’Roll (3:26)
You’ll Never Take Us – Skinhead Anthems II
01. My Retribution
02. Beyond the Promised Land
03. Cockleshell Heroes
04. Crucified Nation
05. Changing Of The Guard
06. Running Man
07. Skinhead Baby
08. Do You Know Who The Fuck…
09. War Widow
10. A Land Fit For Heroes
11. String em´ All Up
12. Stand Your Ground
13. You’ll Never Take Us
14. Better Life
A Way of Life: Skinhead Anthems (CD Version)
01. Freedom
02. Skinheads are in Sta-Press
03. Rebels with a Cause
04. King of the Jungle
05. We rule O.K.
06. Changing
07. Lionheart
08. Rose of England
09. Violence in our Minds
10. Resort Boot Boys
11. Red, White and Blue
12. Stormtroopers in Stapress
13. King of the Jungle
14. Resort Boot Boys
15. Oi! Oi! Skinhead
Tracks 12 to 15 are bonus songs that are not on the 1993 CD version.
The Last Resort & Combat 84 – Death or Glory
01. Violence In Our Minds
02. Held Hostage
03. Soul Boys
04. Eight Pounds A Week
05. Stormtroopers In Sta-press
06. Resort Boot Boys
07. King of The Jungle
08. Oi! Oi! Skinhead
The line up for tracks 1 to 4 was Saxby on vocals, Roi Pearce on bass, Charlie Duggan on guitar, and Andy Benfield on drums.
The line up for tracks 5 to 8 was Roi Pearce on vocals, Arthur Kitchener on bass, Charlie Duggan on guitar and Andy Benfield on drums.
Live 1981
01. Held Hostage
02. Resort Boot Boys
03. Elvis Is Dead
04. £8 A Week
05. Working Class Kids
06. Soul Boys
07. Stormtroopers in Sta-press
08. Johnny Barden
09. Violence in our Minds
10. The Crowd
11. Soul Boys (Encore)
12. Resort Boot Boys (Encore)