The band fell apart after Donaldson died in a car crash in 1993.
Career
Ian Stuart Donaldson, formerly of the cover band Tumbling Dice, formed Skrewdriver as a punk rock band in Poulton-le-Fylde in 1976.[9] At first, Skrewdriver sported a punk appearance, but they later changed their image to a skinhead look. In 1978, Donaldson moved to Manchester, where he recruited guitarist Glenn Jones and drummer Martin Smith. With Kevin MacKay on bass, this lineup toured extensively and built a strong following, but certain venues were reluctant to book the band because of their reputation as a violent skinhead band. Performing largely for a skinhead audience, the first versions of the band released one album and two singles on Chiswick Records. Skrewdriver briefly adopted a rocker/biker-influenced look around the time they released the EP Built Up Knocked Down (1979).[10][11]
Donaldson resurrected the band name Skrewdriver in 1982 with a new band line-up. Although the original band had a minor reputation for attracting violence at their concerts—Boomtown Rats frontman Bob Geldof was reportedly knocked unconscious by a friend of Donaldson who believed that Skrewdriver's sound had been sabotaged[12]—they did not openly support any political ideology or organisation.[13]
The re-formed Skrewdriver eventually became openly supportive of white nationalist groups, after a lengthy period of publicly denying such support.[14] The band released the single "White Power" in 1983 and their second album, Hail the New Dawn, in 1984. Although both Skrewdriver and the band Sham 69 had skinhead followings and racist fans early in their careers, Sham 69 denounced racism and performed at Rock Against Racism concerts.[15][16] Donaldson eventually aligned himself with neo-Nazism, saying: "I would describe myself as a British National Socialist, not a German one, and so don't think I'm at odds with British patriots."[17] The band became associated with the National Front and British National Party, raising funds for them (and affiliated organisations) through the White Noise record label. They released records on Rock-O-Rama, a label that became known for National Socialist sympathies. Skrewdriver was instrumental in setting up Blood & Honour, a neo-Nazi music promotion network.
Their song Smash the IRA became popular amongst Loyalists in Northern Ireland. It was one of a number of Skrewdriver songs covered by a Belfast band called Offensive Weapon, who also covered songs by Black artists such as Chuck Berry.[18]
Some members of the original Skrewdriver line-up objected strongly to the new direction in which Donaldson took the band. Roger Armstrong of Chiswick Records said:
It is a shame that the name was dragged through the gutter like that. The other three guys in the band were really pissed off too. Grinny the drummer came from solid Northern socialist stock. When they made records for us Ian Stuart showed no signs of fascism. The skinhead image was a—maybe in hindsight misconceived—fashion thing. It was cooked up by a bunch of us, including the band's then-management and the photographer Peter Kodik.[19]
However, John "Grinny" Grinton later stated in an interview that he had no problem with the new Skrewdriver, and that he became a member of the National Front along with Donaldson.[1]
Donaldson died in a car crash on 24 September 1993. A friend and fellow Neo-Nazi, Stephen Lee Flint, died from injuries sustained in the crash the following day.[20] Donaldson's death catalyzed the demise of Skrewdriver, and had a strong impact in the white power rock scene.[21] John "Grinny" Grinton died from cancer in June 2005.[22][unreliable fringe source?]
Merv Shields died on 1 January 2022 due to COVID-19 complications.[23]
^Shaffer, Ryan (2013). "The soundtrack of neo-fascism: youth and music in the National Front". Patterns of Prejudice. 47 (4–5): 458–482. doi:10.1080/0031322X.2013.842289. S2CID144461518.
