SKREWDRIVER: Hail Victory

Skrewdriver

Hail Victory

© 1994 Rock-O-Rama Records (634479679698)

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Rock & roll and metal.

tracks

1 Hail Victory
2 Vampire
3 White Noise
4 House of Treason
5 Mother Europe
6 Old Albion
7 European Battle Song
8 We March to Glory
9 Renegade
10 Fools No More
11 Time to Die
12 Night Trains

notes

This is the last project Ian Stuart was involved in. His death occurred before the completion of Hail Victory.

Ian Stuart Donaldson, formerly of the Rolling Stones cover band Tumbling Dice, formed Skrewdriver after seeing the Sex Pistols in Manchester. Skrewdriver at first had a punk appearance, but they changed their image into a skinhead look. They also temporarily had a rocker/biker look, around the time they released the EP Built Up Knocked Down.[2][3] In 1978, Donaldson moved to Manchester, where he recruited guitarist Glenn Jones and drummer Martin Smith. This lineup toured extensively, but certain venues were reluctant to book the band because of their reputation as a skinhead band. Performing largely for a skinhead audience, the first versions of the band released one album and two singles on the Chiswick label. This version of the band split up in January 1979 after a concert in Warrington, but Donaldson resurrected the name Skrewdriver in 1982 using new musicians.

Although the original band had a reputation for attracting violence at their concerts (Bob Geldof was reportedly knocked unconscious by a friend of Donaldson at one concert), they did not openly support any political party.[4] The reformed Skrewdriver eventually became openly supportive of far right wing groups, after a period of denying such claims.[5] Donaldson eventually described himself as a neo-Nazi, saying: "I would describe myself as a British National Socialist, not a German one, and so don't think I'm at odds with British patriots."[6]

The band became associated with groups such as the National Front and British National Party, and raised funds for them (and affiliated organizations) through the White Noise record label. They released records on Rock-O-Rama Records, a record label that became known for far right sympathies. Skrewdriver was instrumental in setting up Blood and Honour, a network of bands promoting militant neo-Nazi ideas through music and concerts.

Some members of the original Skrewdriver did not like the new direction in which Donaldson took the band. Roger Armstrong of Chiswick Records stated:

It is a shame that the name was dragged through the gutter like that. The other three guys in the band were really pissed off too. Grinny the drummer came from solid northern socialist stock. ... When they made records for us Ian Stuart showed no signs of fascism. The skinhead image was a — maybe in hindsight misconceived — fashion thing. It was cooked up by a bunch of us, including the band's then management and the photographer Peter Kodik.[7]

However, John "Grinny" Grinton later stated in an interview that he had no problem with the new Skrewdriver, and that he became a member of the National Front along with Donaldson.[8][9]

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