Nottingham pub, Ye Olde Salutation, recently hosted two gigs by Belgian record label Pure Impact. Both the label and some of the bands involved (Skinfull, Citizen Keyne) have supported Nazi bands.

Pure Impact gig at Ye Olde Salutation featuring Skinfull

Pure Impact is a Belgian record label which has a dedicated Rock Against Communism (RAC) section featuring openly Nazi bands. As they say “anything that might interest you, we don\’t discriminate.” RAC is a pseudo music genre set up by people like Ian Stuart Donaldson of Nazi band Screwdriver and BNP leader Nick Griffin, in order to showcase white power music and as a reaction against Rock Against Racism. It was the precursor of other Nazi “cultural” movements like Blood & Honour, whose name is derived from the motto of the Hitler Youth.

Skinfull, one of the bands who played at Ye Olde Salutation, is considered a RAC band. They have been banned from events such as the Streetpunk Christmas Festival, because they’ve played alongside openly fascist bands such as Germans, Endstufe, at the far right festival Live and Loud. Endstufe have also released recordings on the Pure Impact label. They have also publicised what look suspiciously like secret neo-Nazi Blood & Honour gigs on their Facebook page. Skinfull’s lyrics are authoritarian, far right and anti-migrant. For example, Love it or Leave it, is a rant against immigrants claiming that they “Take, take, take and no fucking give / Make a contribution to the country where you live” concluding “Britain love it or leave it”.

Skinfull promoted this secret gig on their Facebook page which has all the hallmarks of Blood & Honour

Citizen Keyne, a band that played at Ye Olde Salutation in May, features a singer with an 18 tattoo. 18 stands for the 1st and 8th letter of the alphabet, AH = Adolf Hitler. Both Citizen Keyne and Skinfull have played with Pressure 28, a British Nazi band whose singer is Kevin Gough. Gough has a conviction for distributing anti-semitic and anti-immigrant material likely to incite racial hatred. In 1999 he joined a mob of Combat 18 supporters in attempting to attack the Bloody Sunday demonstration in London. Panorama claim that Gough has links to the BNP and the fascist group The International Third Position. The numbers 28 in Pressure 28’s name (BH) refer to Blood & Honour.

Citizen Keyne singer’s 18 tattoo

Both Skinfull and Citizen Keyne are examples of what German anti-fascists have labelled “Grey Zone” bands – they don’t have the guts to openly admit their fascist leanings but don’t have a problem with supporting Nazis. Anti-fascists need to oppose them and make sure their Nazi links cost them dearly.