| Sham 69 were quite simply one of
THE top punk bands
of the late seventies. Led by the charismatic and irrepressible Jimmy Pursey they produced a stream of catchy, populist, short and sweet punk
tunes including 'If The Kids Are United', 'Hurry Up Harry' and 'Angels
With Dirty Faces' that made the British charts.
What
makes Sham 69 even more interesting though is their arrival on the scene
when Punk began to move from the more elitist fashion driven art scene
to a rougher, more working class ethic. While some original faces on the
scene perceived this as a dumbing down, others saw it as a breath of fresh
air on a moribund scene. Add in a skinhead revival, frequent violence at
their gigs and the Sham 69 one is a fascinating story.
But above all Sham 69 were a fantastic, full on punk band with great tunes, a top
singer and a dynamic live act. |
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