A year on from reforming the Rejects after his three comrades decided to call it quits, Jeff ‘Stinky’ Turner has announced he’ll be starting a podcast soon ‘Stinky Turner’s Rough & Ready’, interviewing punk rockers and boxers. The revived Rejects seem to be doing well – indeed, Jeff says in this interesting interview (in the comments) that they’re ‘more in demand than ever’.
Is it time for a reappraisal?
The current / revived line-up in action:
I’ve reappraised – still crap.
I apologise: mean-spirited and unworthy even though almost certainly true. Don’t criticise what you don’t understand….
tbh I haven’t finished formulating my first appraisal yet.
I’m all for this sort of thing. Power chords and a onetwofreefour beat are for all ages.
Having said that and touching on the re-appraisal motif, no it isn’t.
When the DVD documentary was becoming a “thing” – just after Julien Temple’s Oil City Confidential, Cockney Rejects got there very own film treatment.
I bought it … don’t know if many others did
Most of their songs can be played with an E chord sliding up and down the fretboard – this is s good thing, because it suits my hamfisted abilities, making me sound vaguely competent.
And props to any band who have got 4 Greatest Hits albums in their discography
(even if their biggest hit rose to number 21)
I’ve got a copy of that DVD…it’s actually not as bad as might be expected. I got it because I was a teenage West Ham fan and the band’s peak years of 79-81 were probably my peak as an Irons fan too. (Much more of a non-league fan these days.) In 1980 I had copies of their “Bubbles” (I went to that year’s Cup Final) and “Greatest Cockney Rip Off” singles and yep, I played them a lot at the time. I don’t think I’ll be going to see them though…
One of Stinky’s other recent social media video posts (along with the podcast announcement) has been a message about West Ham supporters signing a petition to get rid of some people.
Calm down lads, it’s only a game…
(Possibly) unpopular opinion: could the fact that’s it’s only a game, and not War or Life, be the reason that West Ham fans want to get rid of some people?
Who knows? I’m completely uninvolved in and uninterested in team sports – I never understand why people get so life-and-death about it. I was in a pub last night with friends, towards the end of a soccer match on TV, and was reminded again how bizarre and pointless all that OOOOH! AAAAAAH! YEEEEEEEOOOOWWWWW!!!! yelling from groups of people at a TV screen is.
What do The Cockney Rejects and Taylor Swift have in common?
I’ve never knowingly heard a song by either so either of them could be good or the opposite
I didn’t much care for them at the time and nothings changed. The singer looks like an excitable bloke from a rough pub. I suspect that is their prime demographic as well.
There is one particular video on YouTube where at a gig (Bridge House maybe?) the singer calls out some racist behaviour in the crowd. Very admirable obviously but my goodness you wouldn’t want to argue with him.
Then he seems a decent sort. Possibly better at calling out anti-racist behaviour than he is at singing though. But more of this kind of thing would make the world a better place.
I think my main problem with this type of music was the whole Oi! scene. It seemed to attract an NF and nationlist contingent to some of the bands (clearly not all) but it seemed so out of touch even then.
The fact that Garry Bushell acted like the godfather of the movement made it even easier to ignore.
It’s a compelling point – if Gazza Bushell is your cheerleader, it saves times listening.
Yes. Music for me is really a live thing, rather than a recorded thing, depsite the hi-fi and the record collection. I’m sure the Rejects are great live.
Would I go to an Oi gig full of Garry Bushell readers, though? No, I would not. I’m a delicate flower…
As requested, I have reappeared the Rejects. I retain my original view that Sham were far better. I encourage others to spend their time watching the footage of Sham with Steve Hillage at the 1978 Reading Festival
That’s Life by Sham 69 is a great album.
They were going dahhhn-a-pub, as I recall.
C’mon. C’mon. ‘Urey up Colin, carm on.
Here they are with one of their hits – Stinky admitting he doesn’t really know what it’s about.
That’ll be Olga from The Toy Dolls on guitar, punching below and above his weight, so to speak.
It was the Greatest Geordie Rip-Off!
I doubt if he’s getting many opportunities to sneak progressive rock into the Rejects performances:
…or hillbilly music:
or Swedish Hair Metal performed on a kazoo
I once was on a residential work course. One of the other attendees was a bloke who had roadied for The Toy Dolls some years previously.
Lovely fella. Completely forgotten his name but he looked just like a young Harry Secombe. We didn’t keep in touch unfortunately.. I think one night off he ran to Hindustan and was never seen again.
Don’t we have this thread at least once every year? 13th October is National No Hoper’s Day. Must be..?
Hi, first time post here. Got to say Bad Manhas one of the most exciting intro’s ever and is an all ‘round great track.