Straw Dogs
History
A London skinhead band from the 1990’s from the UK. They never considered themselves an Oi! band but that is what they became known as. The band thought they had to do something to stop the then scene being hi-jacked by people of questionable skinhead background that decided waiving a Union Jack flag was wrong and should be countered by political correctness via fake traditional skinhead identity. Straw Dogs thought bollocks to that and made what skinhead street music was all about, listen to Cheap Imitation for example.
The line up throughout was a mix of Rob and Antonella on guitars, Tony and Pat on vocals, Pat and Antonella on bass and Mark, Chris, Danny and Pat on drums.
The band had only been together for a few months before releasing their first 7″ single Dead On Arrival and sold it mostly at their gigs. The band created their own record label via Pat to release and promote their work. These were recorded in a basement studio in Wapping, East London via an old 8-track.
The band eventually ran out of steam and Tony also wanted to concentrate on his boxing career and actually went on to challenge for the commonwealth title.
The band played some gigs together with Oi! and R.A.C bands like English Rose and Battle Zone. Pat after the split up of the band, played drums for Super Yob, Aceface together with Antonella and Rob (they played also in Straw Dogs) and today in a Anglo-centric mod band called Concrete Gods.
Discography
Official Productions
1991 – Dead on arrival – Hammer Records – 7″ EP – UK
1991 – Alright boy – Hammer Records – 7″ EP – UK
1994 – Another World – Krowbar Records – 7″ EP – UK
1997 – ’91 – ’97 – Hammer Records – CD
Live Albums and Bootlegs
2008 – ’91 -’97 – ??? – CD
Samplers
British Oi! Working Class Anthems (07. Justice, 14. You’re gonna die)
Skinhead Revolt (01. Keeping the Faith Alive)
The only spirit is… Unity! (03. Pride of our eyes)
White Power Skins Vol. 1 (05. Dead or arrival)
Track Lists
Dead on Arrival
01. Dead on Arrival
02. Rock and Roll Disgrace
Another World
01. Another World
02. Millions like You
Alright Boy
01. Alright Boy
02. Hope And Glory
’91 -’97
01. Dead on arrival
02. Rock’n’Roll disgrace
03. Little boys in blue
04. You’re gonna die
05. Another world
06. Millions like you
07. Britain’s burning
08. Wasted life
09. Easy life
10. Cheap imitations
11. Alright boy
12. Hope and glory
13. Don’t let us down
14. Skinheads are back
15. Hate and fear
This was the CD release of all the bands records, including the first three singles. Some songs also feature vocals from Pat and some tracks from compilations. There are also some alternative versions of Pillar Of Society which was never released and Search Or Destroy which was taken off a cheap tape recorder and is the only copy of the song made.
91 – ’97 (reissue)
01. Dead on arrival
02. Rock’n’Roll disgrace
03. Little boys in blue
04. You’re gonna die
05. Another world
06. Millions like you
07. Britain’s burning
08. Wasted life
09. Easy life
10. Cheap imitations
11. Alright boy
12. Hope and glory
13. Don’t let us down
14. Skinheads are back
15. Hate and fear
16. Keeping the faith alive (’93 French comp track)
17. Pride in your eyes (’93 French comp track)
18. Millions like you (Alt Version ’92)
19. Search and destroy (’93 Practice)
20. Pillars of society (’92 Demo)
21. Alright boy (’92 Demo version)
22. You’re gonna die (’92 Demo alt. version)
23. Justice (’93 “Anthems” comp track)
This is a bootleg of the previos CD with an additional 8 songs not released on the first issue.