What ever happened to Oi!? I was listening to the "Voice of a Generation" LP by legendary Oi! veterans Blitz the other day and pondered that very same question myself. A once vibrant and relevant subculture of punk, Oi! seems to have disappeared in recent years, particularly in the United States. Despite the income disparity in the United States being the widest it's been since the Gilded Age of the late nineteenth century, this music genre typically associated with a "working class" ascetic has not seen a resurgence in popularity. While once notable groups such as the Angelic Upstarts, Blitz, Cockney Rejects, and Combat 84 participated in reunions and continued to record during this past decade, a relevant new band in the genre has yet to emerge. What accounts for this musical style not being played or listened to by America's youth these days? Perhaps the genre's association with either right wing or racist ideology has stigmatized it enough to make it something to be avoided in our present "PC" era, despite the long history of the genre (and skinheads in general) that predates the infiltration of said ideologies. Or is it that this genre is believed to be imported similarly as hockey or rugby are in sports? While many have heard of the English bands in the genre, little is known about the American bands such as Iron Cross (the Baltimore band whose song "Crucified" has become a legendary and much covered hardcore anthem), The Bruisers, or Anti-Heroes. It appears that, at least for now, Oi!'s legacy in the United States remains its influence on hardcore and punk bands such as Agnostic Front, Dropkick Murphy's, and Death Before Dishonor. While the influence is apparent to those who are familiar with the genre, I still yearn for a new Oi! band with a "classical" sound to come out in the United States, release an album full of lyrics that reek of class-consciousness, and breathe life into this seemingly dead (yet still inspiring) genre. Oi! Oi! Oi!
- Joe