Cockney Rejects

A concert by Cockney Rejects, the Oi! and punk rock band from London's East End, at La Belle Angele in Scotland. The group traces its roots to the late 1970s.

Cockney Rejects are a British band formed in 1979 in London's East End, with activity dating back to 1978. Working between Oi! and punk rock, they began as a reaction to the art school strand of punk that had dominated the scene, and wrote about working-class life: police harassment, street fights and football. Their debut album, The Power & the Glory, appeared on EMI in 1981 and reached the charts.

EMI signed the group after a handful of local gigs, and they went on to play sell-out tours across the UK. Their support for West Ham United led to clashes at concerts, and a violent incident in Birmingham brought criminal charges that halted their work as a touring unit for a period. US bands Rancid and Green Day later championed them, introducing their terrace-style singalong anthems to a new generation of listeners.

The band returned to live performance in 2000 and have since played to audiences internationally. La Belle Angele hosts concerts and shows in Scotland, and this evening suits listeners who follow punk and Oi! music.