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The Oppressed: SHARP AS A RAZOR.
THE OPPRESSED: SHARP AS A RAZOR.
Do we still need to present The Oppressed? Author of the mythical "Oi! Oi! Music" in 1984, this band was the spearhead of the SHARP (SkinHeads Against Racial Prejudice) movement in the Skinhead culture. Income on the front of the stage for some shows, it was an opportunity for us to talk with his leader Roddy Moreno! And remember: "FUCK FASCISM BEFORE IT FUCK YOU!"
When you started, what were your musical influences?
All the old streetpunk bands like Sham 69, The 4 Skins, Cockney rejects etc, etc.
We just wanted to play loud punk music.
The band split after releasing your first album, then you have come back in 1996 and early 2000 and then you just repeat some shows. How do you explain all these separations and these returns?
We never wanted to be a serious working band. We only wanted to play for a laugh and not to tour.
The first split was because there was too much fightiong at our gigs and it became tiresome.
We reformed in the 90s to make some AntiFascist statements.
We reformed again in 2005 Because we was offered good money to play a big festival and enjoyed it so kept gigging for a year till it became tiresome again.
Now it’s 2010 and we’re back for some more gigs until we become bored again.
One of your most famous songs is "Joe Hawkins". But who really is he?
He is an fictional skinhead in a pulp novel. The song is just a few stories from the book.
(1)
On the album "Music For Hooligans' your sound had changed and we can clearly hear a lot of punk influences. Was it a voluntary or is it something that came naturally?
Nothing we do is planned we just go with the flow.
On the band's albums there are always some covers. Why?
Because I can’t be bothered to much writing songs and it’s easier to rip off other people.
Who is the little boy on the cover of "We Can Do Anything"?
That’s my son Paul. My pride and joy.
During the 80's you have created two labels Oi! Records and Ska records. How you chose the artists with whom you worked?
Bands would send me tapes and if I liked what I heard I would work with them.
On Oi! Records you had signed Condemned 84 and Section 5. Would you say that these two bands were clean when they began and they have gradually diverted into fascist ideas?
All the bands on Oi! Were unknown and told me they were against racism. Some went on to play with dodgy bands and at dodgy venues but when they were with me they had no track record and I took them at their word.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to create a label?
Don’t bother because it’s so easy to download stuff for free.
And to the band that started?
Keep on keeping on until it becomes tiresome then retire.
What do you think about the skinhead music scene today and what are the new groups that you appreciate?
The Nazis have been pushed out of the mainstream scene but there is danger of a re emergence with so many ‘non political bands around. Best bands for me are Los Fastidios, Stage Bottles, Klass Kriminale etc etc.
One thing is often criticized in the early skinheads, the Paki-bashing: How could you explain this phenomenon?
The little that did happen was by cowards to afraid to fight at the football against other hooligans so they chose easy targets.
Towards the late 8o, you have actively contributed to the emergence of the SHARP movement. So, at least within the first SHARP skinheads many of them were close to the far-left ideas?
Most SHARP skins were neither left or right. They we’re/are just working class kids who hate what racists were doing to the scene and decided to fight back. We would stand with anyone against the racists so left wing people were naturaly on our side of the divide.
Now what difference (s) are you doing between SHARP and RASH?
Like I said SHARP are just anti racist but RASH are more political but we share a common goal in defeating racism.
What kind of relationship maintain these two groups in your country, because in France it is rather tense?
There is no scene in this country and I know of no SHARP or RASH groups in the UK.
What would you answer those who think you're too closely related music and politics to be a SHARP?
Fuck off!!!!!!! I am SHARP because I am a skinhead who hates racism and life is political so get used to it.
What do you think free downloading?
Great. Why pay when you can get for free?
What are your future plans?
Right now none. We got a few gigs lined up for 2011 but that’s it.
(1) The novels were written in the 70s, by Richard Allen, an author specializing in novels for teens. A publisher it in an order that would have as a young skinhead hero: it will be Joe Hawkins has 16 years in the first volume. Commercial success is such that 16 others will follow in the same universe.
(2) In the late '60s, in fairly confined areas, some skinheads decided to attack the Pakistani immigrants. This "practice" will result in self-defense reactions of young people involved who set up their own groups in response, before some of these groups also degenerate into racist groups against other communities. The press will operate in both cases the minority racist violence in the youth movements to stigmatize rebel subcultures.
