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Skrewdriver

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Skrewdriver, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 29 November 2025
Skrewdriver
Company typePunk rock band
IndustryMusic
Founded1976 in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, England
FounderIan Stuart Donaldson
Defunct1993
FateDisbanded following founder's death in car accident
Headquarters
Poulton-le-Fylde
,
England
Area served
United Kingdom, Europe
ProductsMusic albums, singles, live performances
Websiteskrewdriver.com

Skrewdriver was a punk rock group originating from Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, England, established by Ian Stuart Donaldson in 1976. Beginning as a punk ensemble, the band later transformed into a white power skinhead rock outfit during their 1980s reformation. The initial formation disbanded in 1979, after which Donaldson reassembled the band with new personnel in 1982. This version became influential within the Rock Against Communism movement.

The band ceased to exist following Donaldson's fatal car accident in 1993.

Career

Ian Stuart Donaldson, who had previously performed with the cover band Tumbling Dice, founded Skrewdriver as a punk rock act in 1976. Originally embracing a punk aesthetic, the group eventually adopted a skinhead style. In 1978, after relocating to Manchester, Donaldson enlisted guitarist Glenn Jones and drummer Martin Smith; along with bassist Kevin MacKay, this lineup toured extensively. Despite some venues refusing to book them due to their association with violent skinhead culture, they developed a dedicated fan base. During this period, they released one album and two singles through Chiswick Records. Around the time of the EP Built Up Knocked Down (1979), Skrewdriver briefly shifted towards a rocker and biker-inspired image.

In 1982, Donaldson reactivated Skrewdriver with an entirely new lineup that openly embraced nationalist themes, later openly supporting white nationalist organizations after initially denying such affiliations. The band issued the single "White Power" in 1983 and followed with the album Hail the New Dawn in 1984. Unlike Sham 69, which distanced itself from racist ideologies, Skrewdriver aligned itself with neo-Nazi beliefs; Donaldson identified as a British National Socialist. The group maintained connections with the National Front and the British National Party, raising funds via the White Noise label and distributing records through Rock-O-Rama, a label recognized for its National Socialist sympathies. Skrewdriver was instrumental in founding Blood & Honour, a neo-Nazi music promotion network.

Their track "Smash the IRA" became popular among Northern Irish Loyalist circles and was covered by Belfast’s Offensive Weapon.

Several original members expressed opposition to Donaldson’s ideological shift; Roger Armstrong of Chiswick Records noted that early members were disturbed by the band's move toward fascism. Nonetheless, drummer John "Grinny" Grinton later voiced his support for the reformed Skrewdriver and joined the National Front alongside Donaldson.

Donaldson passed away in a car crash on 24 September 1993; fellow Neo-Nazi Stephen Lee Flint succumbed to injuries sustained in the same incident the following day. This tragedy marked the end of Skrewdriver and had a profound effect on the white power rock community. Grinton died from cancer in June 2005.

1977–1979

  • Ian Stuart Donaldson – vocals, guitar
  • Kevin "Kev" McKay – bass (1976–1978, 1978)
  • John Grinton – drums (1976–1978, 1979)
  • Phil Walmsley – bass, guitar (1976–1977, 1978)
  • Ron Hartley – guitar (1977–1978)
  • Mark Radcliffe – drums (1978–1979)
  • Gary "Gaz" Chammings – guitar (1978)
  • Pete Corley – guitar (1978)
  • Chris Cummings – guitar (1978–1979)
  • Glen Jones – guitar (1979)
  • Martin Smith – drums (1979)

1982–1993

  • Ian Stuart Donaldson – vocals, guitar
  • Mark French – bass guitar (1982–1984)
  • Mark Meeson – guitar (1982–1983)
  • Geoff Williams – drums (1982–1983)
  • Mark Sutherland – drums (1984–1987)
  • Scotty – drums (1984–1987)
  • Adam Douglas – guitar (1984–1986)
  • Murray Holmes – bass (1984)
  • Paul Swain – guitar (1984–1987)
  • Steve "Stiv / Iena / A." Roda – bass guitar (1985–1986)
  • Mervyn "Big Merv" Shields – bass guitar (1986–1989)
  • Martin Cross – guitar (1987–1988)
  • Ross McGarry – guitar (?)
  • John Burnley – drums (1987–1991)
  • Steve "Stigger" Calladine – piano, guitar (1990–1993)
  • Jon "Smiley / Icky" Hickson – bass guitar (1990–1993)
  • Paul "Mushy" Marshall – drums (1991–1993)
  • Other contributors: Mark French, Geoff Williams, Mark Neeson, Joseph Smith, Murray Holmes, Dave Wane, Colin Smith, Mike French, Andrew Skinner, Ford Freemantle

Studio albums

12" EPs

  • Back with a Bang / I Don't Like You (1982) (SKREW1 label)
  • Boots & Braces (1987; compilation of previous releases) (Rock-O-Rama)
  • Voice of Britain (1987; compilation of earlier tracks) (Rock-O-Rama)

Singles

  • "You're So Dumb" / "Better Off Crazy" (1977) (Chiswick)
  • "Antisocial" / "Breakdown" (1977) (Chiswick)
  • "Street Fight" / "Unbeliever" (1977; recorded but unreleased)(Chiswick)
  • "Built Up, Knocked Down" / "Case of Pride" / "Breakout" (1979)(TJM label)
  • "White Power" / "Smash the IRA" / "Shove the Dove" (1983)(White Noise)
  • "Voice of Britain" / "Sick Society" (1984)(White Noise)
  • "Invasion" / "On the Streets" (1984)(Rock-O-Rama)
  • "After the Fire" / cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama"(1988)(Street Rock'n'Roll)
  • "Land of Ice" / "Retaliate"(1988)(Street Rock'n'Roll)
  • "Their Kingdom Will Fall" / "Simple Man"(1989)(Street Rock'n'Roll)
  • "The Evil Crept In" / "Glory"(1989)(Street Rock'n'Roll)
  • "The Showdown" / "Deep Inside"(1990)(White Pride Records)
  • "You're So Dumb" / "The Only One"(1990)(Street Rock'n'Roll)
  • "Streetfight" / "Where's It Gonna End"(1990)(Street Rock'n'Roll)
  • "Stand Proud" / "Backstabber"(1991)(Street Rock'n'Roll)
  • "Warzone" / "Shining Down"(1991)(Street Rock'n'Roll)

Compilations

  • Undercover (2007) (a collection featuring cover versions)

Live albums

  • Live Marquee (1977)
  • We've Got the Power (Viking, 1987; live recording reissued on CD with bonus material)
  • Live and Kicking (double album, 1991; Rock-O-Rama)
  • Live at Waterloo (recorded 12 September 1992; released 1995 by ISD/White Terror)
  • This One's for the Skinheads (live recording from 23 April 1987)
  • The Last Gig in Germany (released 1996)

Radio

Compilation appearances

  • "Government Action" included on Catch a Wave (1978) – 10-inch double LP released by NICE
  • "You're So Dumb" featured on Long Shots, Dead Certs and Odds On Favorites (Chiswick Chartbusters Vol.2) (1978) – Chiswick LP
  • "When the Boat Comes In" appearing on This Is White Noise (1983) – 7-inch EP alongside three additional bands
  • "Boots & Braces" and "Antisocial" present on United Skins (1982) – LP issued by The Last Resort shop
  • "Don't Let Them" and "Tearing Down the Wall" included in No Surrender (1985) – Rock-O-Rama LP
  • "Land of Ice," "Free Men," and "The New Boss" featured on Gods of War 1 (1987) – LP from Street Rock & Roll
  • "Rising" and "We Can't Be Beaten" included in Gods of War 2 (1989) – Street Rock & Roll LP
  • "Antisocial" featured on The Ugly Truth About Blackpool (2005) – CD released by Just Say No to Government Music
  • "Night Trains" included on Ballads of Blood and Honor – CD by Unknown Grito sudaka

See also

Further reading

  • White Noise: Inside the International Nazi Skinhead Scene. Edited by Nick Lowles and Steve Silver, London 1998.
  • Skrewdriver: The First Ten Years – The Way It's Got to Be! by Joe Pearce. Skrewdriver Services, London 1987.
  • Ian Stuart – His Message Across to You. Everlasting Songs. Excalibur Services, Antwerp 1995.
  • Diamond in the Dust – The Ian Stuart Biography. Blood and Honour England, London 2002.
  • Nazi Rock Star – Ian Stuart-Skrewdriver Biography by Paul London. Midgård, Gothenburg 2002.
  • Ian Stuart Donaldson – Memories by Mark Green. PC Records, Chemnitz 2007.
  • Ian Stuart Donaldson – Rock'n Roll Patriot (Memories II) by Mark Green. Mark Green, 2012.

External links

Related profiles

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