Hostile Youth

Hostile Youth were formed from the ashes of the "Decayed" late 1978. Kev Barnes, the original drummer, left. Paul Simmons joined from another local band. Various singers came and went. Dave Fane eventually made the job his.

We were all friends with the same ideals, so we formed the band as a way of keeping off the streets. A bit of a laugh to start with, Neil wrote most of the words, and Neil and Dave Fane worked the riffs out.

Most of our words came from Maggie Thatcher's Britain. High unemployment, race riots, getting picked on by soul boys and greasers, and learning to FIGHT BACK against everyone and everything.

We sent a demo tape off to No Future records. It contained three tracks: "Leslie Whittle", "Good Ole' England", and "Fight Back". They chose the latter for "A Country Fit for Heroes, Vol. 1". Garry Bushell, one of the founders of oi, reviewed it for Sounds music paper and said that it sounded like it was recorded in a phone box. We actually done it at Rocksnake studios in Rushden.

We graduated from playing youth clubs and mates garages to pubs and clubs, building up a following in Norhamptonshire with skins and punx. Most gigs ended in chaos and violence.

The early gigs were very local, as we were too young to drive. A local band helped out, the Zippps - very good local lads, and they had a transit van which helped.

A second demo tape was made again at Rocksnake containing: "4 Wall Life", "Too Many Chiefs", and "Boot Boys". Alas, Cherry Red records, who had bought No Future out (and our contract), were not big on street punk, so no other Hostile Youth trax were released.

"Fight Back" did make it onto a Finnish (Finland) only release: a compilation of the best of No Future.

Band members: Neil Bowers (guitar), Martin Morris (bass), Paul Simmons (drums), Dave Fane (vocals).

Songs: "Fight Back", "Boot Boys", "Southall's Burning", "4 Wall Life", "Too Many Chiefs", "Leslie Whittle", "Love and Hate", "Bleeding and Brawling".

Covers included: "Borstal Breakout" (Sham), "Crashed Out" (Exploited), "These Boots Were Made for Stomping" (a take on Nancy Sinatra's classic) - a short detailed account of a slice of life.