Far right skins attack Scritti Politti at Rock Against Racism gig in Hitchin, 1979

In July 1979 Scritti Politti played a benefit for Stevenage Rock Against Racism at Hitchin College, supported by Acme Sewage Company (a punk band from Welwyn Garden City)

Advert for the gig, from NME, 7 July 1979

As reported in the local paper, the Stevenage Comet, a gang of skindeads 'attacked members of the crowd, charged the band and tried to smash up their equipment'. The trouble apparently started during Scritti's second number and the paper reports that 'lead singer Tom was cut on the head when he appealed to the skinheads to behave'. I assume this refers to Scritti drummer Tom Morley, rather than the singer Green Gartside. Not a great night for the band as their transit van was in an accident on the way home.  The report also mentions that jazz saxophonist Lol Coxhill was playing with the band.

'Skinheads attack crowd at rock dance' - report from the Stevenage Comet, 11 July 1979 and follow up letter. From Hertfordshire Archives.

Gareth Dent from Stevenage RAR wrote to complain about the paper's coverage, not denying what had happened but stating that it only involved 5 or 6 skinheads, and not all the skinheads present joined in. I assume Gareth also wrote the article in local zine Tooth and Nail which makes similar points and mentions  that 'a fight took place between members of the band, Stevenage RAR, the person handling the PA and about five skinheads', after which Scritti completed their set.

Tooth and Nail, 1979

Further background on Stevenage RAR, which included legendary Hertfordshire underground figure Mark Astronaut,  is given in Marcus Blakeston's excellent book 'Survivors: 45 year of the Astronauts': 

'The Stevenage branch of Rock Against Racism was formed by husband and wife David and Janice Tittle, who began by handing out flyers around the town inviting people to attend a meeting at the Red Lion, a pub on the High Street. From this they recruited Jeremy Wiltshire, Shaun and Christine Manning, and Gareth Dent. Gareth worked for The Guardian in London, so he became the local branch's main contact with RAR head office, while Jeremy had some accounting experience so he was a natural choice as treasurer. Despite having no formal training in graphic design, Gareth also created all their promotional material and, with help from Shaun and Christine, liaised with venues and booked bands to play at their events.

Stevenage's main live music venue at the time was the council-run youth club at Bowes Lyon House, but due to a media-induced fear of 'punk riots' they refused to allow the newly established Stevenage Rock Against Racism to host any gigs there. Instead, they were forced to turn to Hitchin College seven miles away. This was a venue Mark Astronaut frequented on a regular basis, and during the inaugural RAR event there a mutual friend introduced him to Gareth and Christine. Sharing their antiracist views and keen to help out in any way he could, Mark then started attending RAR branch meetings in Stevenage and got to know the other committee members.

While most of the gigs held at Hitchin College went smoothly, playing under a Rock Against Racism banner inevitably attracted attention from the far-right from time to time. When they booked the unashamedly Marxist band Scritti Politti one night the venue was invaded by racist skinheads who gave Nazi salutes while the band played. "There was loads of them at the front," Mark remembers, "going 'Sieg heil, Sieg heil,' and the singer said something like 'All you skinheads think you're so hard, we can have you any time!' -which I thought probably wasn't the best thing to say under the circumstances, considering how many of them were there. Then of course it all erupted and there was a big fight."'

[I have to say that Mark's recollection many years after the event may not be completely accurate - the Tooth and Nail report states that a member of Scritti appealed for the skinheads to stop rather than inviting them for a fight. The band were more inclined to the intellectual side of Marxism than to streetfighting, but I stand to be corrected.

Mark Astronaut later contributed to a track on a Stevenage Rock Against Racism EP.

See previously:

Hitchin demonstration against the National Front 1971

Far right skinheads attack Redskins at GLC gig 1984.