The Worldwide Tribute to the Real Oi

(I Scream/Triple Crown)
by Tim Den

It doesn’t matter if you’re a fan or not, cuz bands like Cock Sparrer, Sham 69, and The Business represent the “genuine thing” to millions of working class punks/skins around the world. They serve as the voices of entire social movements; identities for those too poor to have the mainstream pay attention to them. In Sick Of It All‘s own words: “Real problems, real frustration. Real rock music stripped so bare, the message is sent by the emotion alone… the working class experience put to music, not meant to appeal to those who can’t identify with the ugly street.” It’s no surprise, then, that the hardcore scene they so heavily influenced (both musically and mentality-wise) wants to pay tribute to them. The Worldwide Tribute to the Real Oi, if anything, is a window into the important role Oi plays in the history of punk and hardcore. Imagine: Oi inspired bands like Agnostic Front, Sick Of It All, and Madball, who all went on to become inspirations for others. What if these anthems of the street weren’t around to plant the seeds? So here are 13 bands spewing out the old faves (along with one of the originals, The Business, doing the Iron Cross classic, “Crucified”), making sure generations of kids-from-the-streets-to-come feel the same loyalty, love, respect, and camaraderie that Oi has given their older brothers. Other warriors: Awkward Thought, Blood For Blood, Discipline, Dropkick Murphys, Kill Your Idols, Oxymoron, Ryker’s, Stampin’ Ground, Stigmata, Tech-9.
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