Hardcore skinhead

Hardcore skinheads are skinheads who mainly associate with hardcore instead of Oi!, ska, soul or other genres associated with the skinhead subculture.

It is debatable exactly where and when the American hardcore skinhead subculture originated. However, in 1984 the biggest hardcore skinhead scene surfaced in NYHC, primarily in New York City, although Detroit, Chicago, Seattle and Boston Also had strong scenes. Skinheads became prevalent towards the end of the first wave of hardcore, and continued to be through the youth crew era of hardcore. Many of the key New York skinhead hardcore bands were influenced by the burgeoning crossover thrash scene. In the early 1990s, there was a steep decline in the involvement of skinheads in the hardcore scene as more of them moved on to the growing American Oi! scene. However, these American Oi! bands were distinct from their British forerunners because they were influenced by the American hardcore sound. The hardcore skinhead scene did not completely fade away in New York City, with several bands coming from the DMS crew (Doc Martin Skinheads), such as Madball, Vietnom and Bulldoze.

Fashion

Although characterised by the same items as British skinhead fashion (Bomber jackets, Ben Sherman shirts, Fred Perry shirts, rolled up jeans, suspenders, and combat boots or Dr. Martens boots), hardcore skinheads dress is considerably less strict than their British equivalents. They are distinguishable by such items as: leather jackets, army jackets, windbreaker jackets, hooded sweatshirts, string vests, white "wifebeater" shirts, looser jeans (perhaps torn at the knee), heavy chains worn as belts and construction or rigger's gloves. Adidas Samba and Dragon trainer sneakers have been becoming more popular in hardcore skinhead culture, primarily on the east coast of the United States.

It should be noted that shaven heads have been, and continue to be, popular amongst individuals in the hardcore scene who do not identify themselves as skinheads.

Bands associated with the scene

• 7 Seconds
• Agnostic Front
• Breakdown
• Cro-Mags
• The Effigies
• Iron Cross
• Life's Blood
• Lockjaw
• Korova (US band)
• Madball
• Murphy's Law
• Merauder
• Negative Approach
• One Life Crew
• Sheer Terror
• Vietnom
• Youth Defense League
• Warzone

Bibliography

Blush, Steven and Petros, George; American hardcore : a tribal history; Los Angeles, CA : Feral House : Distributed by Publishers Group West, 2001. OCLC 48658495