WORKING CLASS & TRASHED
Upon my daily computron routines, I just happened to run into this flickr page full of awesome pictures of skinheads in England circa 1980’s. Before anyone out there gets the wrong impression, the skinheads I’m talking about here are S.H.A.R.P.S. (Skin Heads Against Racial Prejudice) or traditional skins and NOT boneheads or nazi punks. As a kid growing up in the 2nd/3rd wave of this culture in the 80’s, I was familiar with boot boys and Chelseas since a lot my friends growing up had older brothers, sisters and/or cousins who were/associated with skins. These pics here are apparently memoirs of an amateur photographer who was a Chelsea growing up in England in that era. The pictures are pretty awesome and really capture the aesthetics and youthful energy of the time.
Special mention to the attractive Chelsea chicks up in these photos, such awesome style! No props to the fat Chelsea chicks who are stragglers and tag-alongs. Every subculture has ‘em! Anyways… take a peek at this rad photo documentation of a long gone era HERE.
March 14th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
“This Is England” (2006) is a good flick on dvd, captures some of the style, music and attitudes of the 80s skins.
Q: Hottest skinhead girl of ’80s?
i vote for Liz O’Rourke (Cathy Keenan) from Degrassi High (Canadian PBS!). She was Spike’s best friend until she stole Spike’s boyfriend at a *Pogues concert*. For some reason, Caitlin was considered the “pretty girl” on the show.
March 14th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
This Is Engalnd was a wicked movie, I like how they didn’t glamourize the nazi skins, and how the movie was more of a coming of age story. It’s pretty cool how they showed the social turmoil at the time too, with the Falklands war and all.
I’ve seen Liz in my adult years, just at bars and stuff. She was all the rage. Her and Spike were the perfect medley of punx and skins
March 14th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
I was debating renting “This Is England” but then it also looked like one of those movies that may be good, but may also suck real bad. My fear of it sucking forced me to go with “About a Son” which beyond sucked.