Oi Polloi

This article is about the Scottish punk band. For the Greek expression see hoi polloi.

Oi Polloi
Oi Polloi playing at Augustibuller in Sweden, 6 August 2005
Background information
Origin	Edinburgh, Scotland
Genres	Anarcho-punk, hardcore punk, crossover thrash, Scottish Gaelic punk
Years active	1981–present
Labels	Campary records, Ruptured Ambitions, Words of Warning, Oi! Records, Green Vomit
Associated acts	Aberfeldy Disorder The Exploited Kansalaistottelemattomuus Kling Klang Bus Station Loonies Gin Goblins Newtown Grunts Divide & Conquer Moniack In Decades Decline Rocka Ragnarok
Website	Official site
Members
Deek Allen Cameron Tongs Oigridh Olsen
Past members
Murray Briggs Stu "Doccy" Dunn Calum Mackenzie Muz Riley Briggs David "Rat" Connolly Chris "Felcher" Wheelie/Chris Willsher Calum Nicholson The Love Doctor Neil Bateman Sned Ethan Buck Davoi Martin ozzy Roland "Roland Wagstaff" Wagstaff Gillie Euan Mckenzie Bulbheid Keith Chugwin Brian "Red" Tipa Peggy Chris Morag Dreamin' Dan Goz Yagga Dave Beards Arthur

Oi Polloi are an anarcho-punk band from Scotland that formed around 1981. Starting as an Oi! band, they are generally associated more with the anarcho-punk genre. More recently the band have become notable for their contributions to the Scottish Gaelic punk subgenre. Their name is a pun on the English loan of the Greek phrase hoi polloi (Greek: Οἱ πολλοί) which literally means "the many", but is extended to mean "the masses" or "the common people".

The band has gone through about 50 members since their formation, and their only permanent member has been vocalist Deek Allen who has also been involved in Gaelic television and has appeared as Moses on a Gaelic comedy programme. The band has included punks and skinheads. The members have been supporters of Anti-Fascist Action and Earth First!, and they use the motto "No Compromise in Defence of Our Earth," which is an adaptation of Earth First!'s motto. They support direct action in defence of the environment, hunt sabotage, and resistance against racism, sexism, homophobia, fascism and imperialism.

Career

Attacking world leaders and multi-national companies with humour and anger in different languages

After numerous gigs in the Edinburgh area and the recording of the group's self-recorded first cassette demo, Last of the Mohicans, drummer Stu "Doccy" Dunn left to become a karate instructor and was replaced by Muz, who later recorded with the Apostles. Oi Polloi's first studio recording was the demo Destroi the System, which was released in 1984 or 1985. After Sounds magazine gave their previous home-recorded demo a favourable review, demand increased for gigs. A second studio demo, Green Anarchoi followed before the release of the first vinyl EP, Resist the Atomic Menace.

Ex Members

Apostles and Political Asylum original drummer Chris Low also did a stint for a time while various other one members went on to play in such varied bands as British Standard, Disorder, The Exploited, Kling Klang, Aberfeldy, Bus Station Loonies, Gin Goblins, Newtown Grunts, Divide & Conquer, Moniack, In Decades Decline, Rocka Ragnarok, Firestone: Legend of the Hawk and Austin Lucas's band The Pressmen. Drummer Murray Briggs, who played on several of the band's 7" records, as well as the Fuaim Catha LP, now plays in Scottish indie pop band Aberfeldy along with brother Riley, who had a brief spell as Oi Polloi's guitarist in the 1990s. Brian Tipa was instrumental in writing a great deal of material for the band in the mid 1990s including the FUAIM CATHA L.P. which was co written with CALUM MACKENZIE two weeks before it was recorded.. He was a member of some small unnoteable american bands, and now plays in Robotnicka. David 'Rat' Connolly was the guitarist through much of the early years, playing his last gig and album in 1991. Connolly wrote the music for songs such as "Pigs for Slaughter" and "Boot Down The Door", and he went on to become an archaeologist and Middle Eastern adventurer. Former bass player Calum Mackenzie (1992–99) relocated to the United States and now plays in the New York City-based thrash/punk band Death Mold,KRAUT,FINAL CONFLICT and PHOBIA.. On the "Omnicide" 7", bass and some vocals were by Morag Cruickshank from the Aberdeen grindcore band Grunge. Guitarist Ricky Olsen first appeared on 1999's THC 7", having replaced Matt "Keith Chugwin" Finch in 1997. Olsen was replaced in 1999 by Ethan Buck (later of Dread 101, Guided Cradle & Hellshock, and then by Yaga who left to join Disorder with now husband The Love Doctor.
Olsen later rejoined the band & a stable line-up has existed since 2001, with the exception of Calum Nicolson's replacement on bass in 2006 - Deek "Ruairidh" Allan on vocals, Cameron Tongs on drums, Oigridh on Basses & Olsen on guitars.

Gaelic

Oi Polloi started singing in Scottish Gaelic in 1996, recording the Carson? EP, (released 2003), then recording & releasing the full length LP "Ar Ceòl Ar Cànan Ar-A-Mach" in 2006. They use the language in day-to-day communications. They see the use of Gaelic and other endangered languages as important to maintaining the biocultural diversity of life. They toured Europe with Seattle-based punk band Mill a h-Uile Rud, who sing only in Scottish Gaelic, and Les Ramoneurs de menhirs, who mostly sing in Breton. The band are currently in the process of finishing their second full-length Gaelic LP Duisg!, set to be released on Mayday 2012.

Discography

Oi Polloi live in 2006

7" EPs

• Resist the Atomic Menace 1986 (re-released 1994)
• Outrage 1988
• Omnicide 1991 (Words of Warning Records)
• Guilty (Ruptured Ambitions Records) 1993
• Oi Polloi / Blownapart Bastards (Split) 1994
• Oi Polloi - s/t (Nikt Nic Nie Wie)
• Bare Faced Hypocrisy Sells Records The Anti-Chumbawamba EP w/Riot/Clone, The Bus Station Loonies, Anxiety Society, The Chineapple Punks, Love Chips and Peas, and Wat Tyler 1998 (Ruptured Ambitions Records)
• THC (Campary Rec.) 1998
• Let the Boots Do the Talking (Ruptured Ambitions Records) 1999
• Carson? (Nikt Nic Nie Wie) 2003
• Ceòl Gàidhlig mar Sgian nad Amhaich (compilation with Mill a h-uile rud, Atomgevitter and Nad Aislingean) (Problem Records) 2005
• Mind the Bollocks (Kämäset Levyt Records) 2007
• Cyklopen split EP with Kansalaistottelemattomuus 2010
• Split EP with Appalachian Terror Unit [[Profane Existence (US)/NNNW (Europe)] 2011

12" LPs

• Skins 'N' Punks Volume Two (Split w Betrayed) 1986
• Unlimited Genocide (Split w A.O.A.) 1986
• Mad As... (Split w Toxik Ephex) 1987
• Unite And Win (Oi! Records) 1987
• In Defence Of Our Earth (Words Of Warning Records) 1990
• You've Heard It All Before Track on The Crass Covers Compilation album (Ruptured Ambitions Records) 1993
• Fight Back! (Re-Release Of Old Split Material) 1994
• Total Anarchoi (Live/Studio Collection - CD/LP) 1996
• Fuaim Catha (Skuld Records) 1999
• Outraged By The System (Step-1 Music) 2002
• Heavenly Peace (Split 12" EP w Nikmat Olalim, Campari Records) 2006
• Ar Ceòl Ar Cànan Ar-A-Mach(Nikt Nic Nie Wie) 2006
• Gaidhlig na Lasair' (compilation of underground gaelic punk and techno)(Problem? Records) 2006
• Total Resistance to the Fucking System (Plastic Bomb) 2008
• SS Politician (Chaosrurale Records/Active Rebellion) 2010
• Duisg! (scheduled for release on Mayday 2012)

DVD

• [Oi Polloi - Documentary 2 hours of footage and much more ] (scheduled for release 2011) http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Oi-Polloi-The-Movie/144648902243448

External links

• Official website
• Live review by John Robb, Manchester July 2011
• Article on Gaelic punk in The Scotsman newspaper (Scottish Gaelic)
• Article in the Scotsman's Gaelic page on Oi Polloi and their Ar Cànan, Ar Ceòl, Ar-a-mach LP
• BBC Radio nan Gaidheal Rapal session February 2008 with 3 Gaelic tracks