Ten Steps to Make Your Life CRUSTIER Starting Today (step 2): Oi Polloi "Outrage" Ep, 1988

Oi Polloi. 

A name synonymous with respect, integrity, resilience and invigorating raucous singalongs for punks all around the world since 1981. Of course, the band has had more members than I have had showers so far this year, however the dedication and positive energy that the singer Deek demonstrates on stage and on records is truly remarkable and, indeed, inspiring. Throughout their almost four decades of activity, Oi Polloi have released a lot of records so that one may feel understandably a bit lost looking at their discography. Because they have always been a staunch DIY punk band with anarcho politics, Oi Polloi remained in the DIY circuit and kept playing and sharing records with younger punk bands and releasing materials for DIY labels, while many self-proclaimed "bigger" bands proved to be nowhere as hard-working or honest in their approach. As time passed, and contrary to many old punk bands who were disconnected with the real DIY punk scene, Oi Polloi's sound has consistently evolved along global contemporary punk trends. As a result, you can say that most of their works reflect and capture the sonic moods of specific time periods while still retaining that distinct "Oi Polloi touch". And since this Scottish lot were very much alive and kicking (hard, it has to be stated) when the original UK crust wave started, it is little wonder that their late 80's output encapsulates some of the defining features of the old-school crust sound.

OP are a rare band in that everybody kinda likes them, maybe not love them, but at least show some sort of respectful appreciation for what the band stands for and for giving punks the cathartic opportunity to shout "Punk picnic oi oi oi!" once a year (sometimes twice if you're lucky). I first heard OP in my teenage years, that confusing time when "streetpunk" and oi meant the world to me, a romantic era when lyrics about "punx and skins getting drunk together on the street because they were on the dole and rejected by the system that they had to fight to survive" symbolised the essence of "real punk" and had a gospel-like quality. Admittedly the words were mostly abstract since still being a high-school kid I was neither technically unemployed nor "on the street" and was neither even that sociable nor a heavy drinker. It was more of a teenage fantasy than anything I guess. But anyway, my best mate had taped an album of a mysterious band called "Oi Polloi" which I remember he described as a great oi band (but then, with not one but two "oi" in the moniker, the opposite would have been nothing shirt insulting) with a singer sounding like he'd swallowed a whole box of rusty nails. It was Unite and Win!,  of course, OP's first album, quite possibly a tape of the Step-1 reissue of 2001 but I never owned it so it is just an overeducated guess. I really enjoyed the tape and thought the massive terrace-styled chorus were ace but as I was getting more and more into Crass and official anarchopunk bands at that time, I also appreciated that some songs, judging from their titles, seemed more serious. The extraordinary realization that there was a whole anarchopunk scene in the 80's coexisting with the so-called UK82 wave was one of biblical proportions and I dove headfirst into that black and white world adorned with doves, circled E's and slogans written in the crass font. In fact, you could say that I am still happily swimming. The year 2002 proved to be crucial in my relationship with OP as it was marked with two important events. First, I obtained the Outraged By the System cd that compiled 1988's Outrage Ep and their 1987 split Lp with Toxik Ephex and should therefore have been called The Crust Collection (but I doubt Step-1 would have been up for it as it would have deterred the baldies from getting it). This cd was a right kick up the arse as it blew away what I had heard previously from OP. It was heavier, harsher and faster, more intense but still very groovy indeed. It was crust but bleary-eyed me did not know it at the time. Also in 2002, I got to see OP in action, live at an antifa festival in Geneva, Switzerland, and they were absolutely amazing, with a serious political message but also a lot of positivity and fun and I remember singing along hard on "The only release". This live experience was a second, well-deserved kick up my sorry arse and I felt silly for originally misconstruing OP as an "oi band with alright lyrics". I came home safe in the satisfactory knowledge that OP had been an anarchopunk band all along and have since only revisited their oi repertoire with great moderation (there are some enjoyable numbers if I'm being honest that do speak to the 16 year old fan of the Rejects, Blitz and the Upstarts that secretly lives inside me and only gets out when someone plays "East End" after 1am).

To accurately present all the evolutions of OP would be a tedious task so let's stick to one of the the band's major works, the Outrage Ep, released in 1988 on the famous Bristol-based label Words of Warning whose very first record was a 1986 compilation Ep entitled You are not Alone that already included OP with the song "Nuclear waste" (as well as Stalag 17, Hex and Symbol of Freedom, you can read my thoughts on it here). OP had already demonstrated rather aptly that they were more than able to deliver intense Discharge-inspired anarchopunk on their previous releases, and the very direct Resist the Atomic Menace 1986 Ep, on Endangered Musik, and the Unlimited Genocide split Lp with the magnificent AOA, released the same year on Children of the Revolution, featured raw, aggressive and quite convincing instances of that fast brand of anarcho music popularised by  the mighty Antisect, Anti-System or Icons of Filth, the latter being a major influence on OP's songwriting, especially regarding the combinations between the heavy mid-paced moments and the all out trashing ones, a delicate art if there ever was one. The band further increased the intensity on their two next releases that coincided with the arrival of guitar player Arthur who was admittedly rather fond of the then booming thrash metal sound (hence the numerous guitar solos, the man would join The Exploited later on). I am not going to delve too much on the 1987 split Lp with the insanely catchy and tuneful Toxik Ephex, but suffice it to say that the infusion of a more metallic guitar sound conferred a generous crusty crunch to OP's music. This development was perfectly logical as not only were many early 80's anarcho hardcore bands "going metal" by the mid/late 80's but a whole new generation of bands were pioneering a new sound, playing faster, darker and heavier punk music. Because OP have been around forever, their production is nowadays rarely approached from a global diachronic perspective which is a shame since the band's progression enlightens and illustrates that of anarchopunk and as the crust wave properly kicked in in 1987, it makes sense that the band's sound reflected that new development (although such processes are almost never the outcome of a conscious decision, they just happen during practice).

Outrage was recorded in 1988 with the same lineup as the Toxik Ephex split but the production is clearly more powerful and balanced and I don't think OP ever sounded as ferocious as on these four songs. The title song "Outrage" is a crushing metallic discharge-y number like Antisect and AOA at their most intense with a thrash influence reminiscent of Final Conflict or Legion of Parasites and probably too many solos (but then that's also what makes such records so charming). The next one is the anthemic "Thugs in uniform", a song that has been medically proven to coerce punks into raising their fist and sing along (still one of Nature's greatest mysteries). While written and recorded as an oi song in its early version, on this Ep "Thugs in uniforms" sounds like Hellbastard teaming up with Icons of Filth to cover the Cockney Rejects. It retains the yobbo punky snottiness of the original but with a crustified moshing power complete with wanton "huh". Just perfect. I absolutely love this song. The opening scorcher on side B might be my favourite though as this rerecording of "Resist the atomic menace" blows away the original. Starting in utmost epic fashion with a heavy mid-tempo beat and a galloping thrash riff, the song then explodes into an uncontrollable cavemen crust storm with classic OP singalongs for good measure. The level of intensity is through the roof here and I particularly appreciate how the song goes back to the early stenchcore metal part with added anarcho spoken words over it. Genuinely classic song that reminds me of Pro Patria Mori in terms of anarcho crusty metal punk power with hints of Concrete Sox and "Out from the void"-era Antisect. Phew. The last numebr "Death by night" is once again a direct, heavy and thrashing fast Discharge-inspired tune with massive chorus, crazy soloing and mean spoken parts. It is undeniably a great one taking cues from aforementioned scruffy bands and I am also hearing a Swedish influence, like Anti-Cimex or Crude SS maybe, which would make sense of course. The sound on Outrage is heavy and intense with the appropriate rawness, highlighting the band's ferociousness as the drum pummels, the guitar thrashes, the bass thunders and Deek alternately vociferates with his distinctive gruff tone or vehemently recites political speeches. This is uplifting, energetic and powerful old-school anarcho-crust and unquestionably a classic Ep of the genre although it is seldom hailed as such, as if the band's longevity and different incarnations somehow prevented one to look at some of their works individually and contextually. Thanks fuck I'm here.          

 

Lyrically, OP hit hard as usual with straight-forward, in your face protest words about the dangers of nuclear power plants (in particular Dounreay in northern Scotland), police brutality, mad scientists and governments and multinationals plundering the Earth and its people. Pretty typical tropes but each song is accompanied by a short explanatory text providing some insight about the context as well as useful contacts to get involved in the struggle. The band even included a short and devastating review emanating from the evil "music press" likening their sound to "a breath of fresh ordure, way surpassing all expectations of dreadfulness" which made me giggle. It would have made a great title for a record. My only issue with Outrage is that the cover looks bland and very unappealing, which, for such an intense record, is a real shame and arguably any other piece of artwork from the insert would have been a better choice. I would even argue that, had Outrage been graced with a cover meaningly conveying its crusty anarcho power (especially in the light of some subsequent OP's artworks), it might be held in higher regards nowadays. Following the Ep, the band would release their utterly classic - and ace-looking - album In Defence of Our Earth in 1990, also for Words of Warning, this one clearly a well-known and appreciated work reflecting OP's songwriting flair as well as a certain diversity. Still, it does not beat Outrage in terms of sheer power. But then, few records do.  

     

Oitrage