=>Beginning History
Ian Stuart Donaldson, formerly of The Rolling Stones cover band Tumbling Dice, formed Skrewdriver after seeing the Sex Pistols in Manchester. Skrewdriver at first had a punk appearance, but they changed their image into a skinhead look in 1977. They also temporarily had a rocker/biker look, around the time they released the EP Built Up Knocked Down. In 1978, Donaldson moved to Salford, where he recruited guitarist Glenn Jones and drummer Martin Smith. This lineup toured extensively, but many venues were reluctant to book the band because of their reputation as a violent skinhead band attracting audience fights.
Performing largely for a skinhead fan-base, the first versions of the band released one album and two singles on the Chiswick label. This version of the band split up in January 1979 after a concert in Warrington, but Donaldson resurrected the name Skrewdriver in 1982 using new musicians. Several past individuals associated with the group, many of them politically left-wing or centrist, have condemned the latter third position incarnation.
=>Band Musicians And More History
As mentioned, Skrewdriver inherited its first line-up from it’s predecessor, the band Tumbling Dice, which Donaldson had formed in 1975. They felt influenced by contemporary hard rock as well as seminal punk contemporaries such as the Ramones and The Clash. They were Ian Stuart Donaldson, Kev McKay, John Grinton and Phil Walmsley. When the band changed from punk to skinhead, Walmsley bowed out and was substituted with skinhead Ron Hartley. The 1977 release All Skrewed Up managed to give the group considerable underground success, and it's been regarded since as an early punk classic. However, by 1978, the band disbanded.
Both moving to Salford’s Cheetham Hill, McKay and Donaldson reformed the band in 1979 with local Manchester talents Glenn Jones and Martin Smith. Skrewdriver became a regular act at the Mayflower club in Belle Vue and toured local gig venues around Greater Manchester. The version of the band was to be short-lived and, after an ill-fated concert in Warrington in 1980, the band fell apart again.
This time, Donaldson left all the others behind and moved on his own down to London. By 1981, Skrewdriver had reformed for the 3rd time, still with Ian Stuart Donaldson of course. The new additions were Mark Neeson, Mark French and Geoff Williams. French and Williams had previously played with The Elite.
It was this line-up that released the 12” EP 'Back With A Bang' on Last Resort Records in 1982. External pressure on the band took its toll, and, by 1984, all three had left the band. Donaldson recruited Mark Sutherland, Adam Douglas, and Murray Holmes. Holmes, an Australian, had previously played with the band Quick And The Dead. Skrewdriver soon released their LP Invasion on the newly-signed West German label Rock-o-Rama Records, which would stay faithful to the band until the tragic end. The line-up was strengthened with Steve Roda coming in the following year.
Touring extensively once again, by 1987 the line-up is described on artwork as Ian Stuart (Donaldson), Mark Sutherland, Martin Cross, Ross McGarry, Merv Shields, and John Burnley who was the brother of No Remorse’s Paul Burnley. Steve Calladine, better known as Stigger, joined Skrewdriver in late 1987. Donaldson also launched a solo career as Ian Stuart with the release of solo material backed by a group known as 'Strikeforce', which essentially was the remaining band. Skrewdriver as a band continued, however, in parallel with Donaldson’s solo career.
In 1990, the sprawling line-up was added to with John Hickson. Over the 80s, the group released a variety of albums, many of them striking a chord with disillusioned British youths unhappy with both Thatcherism and the Labour alternative, much to the alarm of the mainstream press. Skrewdriver concerts were, although planned in advance, highly secretive, and Donaldson faced many attempts on his life. Releases at this time prominently included the albums Boots & Braces, Blood & Honour, and Hail The New Dawn.
On the 24th of September 1993, Ian Stuart Donaldson died from the injuries sustained in a car-crash the previous evening and with him the band Skrewdriver ceased. Although subject to a large variety of conspiracy theories, most fans have agreed that the death was a surprising, sudden accident. Since then, countless benefit and remembrance gigs has been played in his and the band’s honour, with virtually every rock against communism band worth their salt, producing a Skrewdriver cover.
=>Labels
During their 17-year career, Skrewdriver were signed by five labels:
1977 - Chiswick Records
1979 - TJM Manchester
1982 - Last Resort Sounds
1982 - White Noise Records
1984 - Rock-O-Rama Records
(This list does not include compilations and spin-off work)
=>Members List
(Initial Band)
Ian Stuart Donaldson - Vocals & Guitar
Phil Walmsley - Guitar
Ron Hartley - Guitar
Kev McKay - Bass
John "Grinny" Grinton - Drums
(Other Members)
Glenn Jones
Martin Cross
Dave Cording
Bradley Napier
Mark French
Geoff Williams
Mark Neeson
Joseph Smith
Adam Douglas
Merv Shields
Murray Holmes
Dave Wane
Paul Swain
Stiv "Iena" Roda
Stigger
John Burnley
Colin Smith
Mushy
Mike French
Mark Radcliffe
Andrew Skinner
Ford Freemantle
Vampire
Skrewdriver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They say he passed on, and now your money's gone
It was all show, and now we all know
Yeah, nothing was the truth, lies mirrored his views
(chorus)
He was a vampire, living on another man
He was a vampire, living on the blood of our land
European empire, built on lies
We don't even know yet, if he acted as a spy
He took away the dues, of the pensioners he mocked
He took away their life's blood, and now they're all in hock
(chorus)
instrumental break
(chorus)
And now they say he's dead, but I am not too sure
Buried on a mountain, the land must be impure
If justice had been done, he'd be buried in the trash
'Stead of living it up, on other people's cash
(chorus) x2
Living on the blood of our land
Living on the blood of our land
Living on the blood of our land
The song "Vampire" by Skrewdriver seems to be a scathing criticism of a person who is referred to as a "vampire" who lived off of the blood of the land, taking advantage of others for his own gain. The lyrics suggest the person had a reputation for lying, and even after death, there are questions about their true motives and loyalties. The chorus repeats the phrase "living on the blood of our land" as a way to emphasize how much this person took from the community and how little they gave in return.
As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the "vampire" is a metaphor for a larger issue, namely the way certain people build empires on lies and deceit, taking away from the rightful inheritors of the land. The song implies that this person took away the livelihoods of pensioners, leaving them in debt and impoverished. The instrumental break between verses serves to emphasize the intensity of these accusations, as if the band is taking a moment to let the full weight of their words sink in.
Overall, "Vampire" is a powerful condemnation of greed, corruption, and exploitation. The use of the term "vampire" conjures images of a predatory creature that feeds off of others, which gives the song a somewhat sinister quality. The lyrics suggest that this individual was able to mask their true intentions with lies and deceit, and that they were not held accountable for their actions. The song paints a bleak picture of a system that allows such individuals to thrive, even as they drain the lifeblood from their communities.
Line by Line Meaning
So many lies, until the day he died
He told many lies throughout his life until he died
They say he passed on, and now your money's gone
They claim he died and as a result, your money is gone
It was all show, and now we all know
It was all a facade, and now we know the truth
Yeah, nothing was the truth, lies mirrored his views
Nothing was ever true, his views were reflected in his lies
He was a vampire, living on another man
He was like a vampire, living off of the work of others
He was a vampire, living on the blood of our land
He was like a vampire, living off of the resources of our land
European empire, built on lies
The European empire was established based on lies
We don't even know yet, if he acted as a spy
It's unclear if he was acting as a spy or not
He took away the dues, of the pensioners he mocked
He stole the money that was owed to the pensioners he made fun of
He took away their life's blood, and now they're all in hock
He stole their livelihood, and now they are in debt
And now they say he's dead, but I am not too sure
They claim he's dead, but I'm skeptical
Buried on a mountain, the land must be impure
He was buried on a mountain, which must be a contaminated area
If justice had been done, he'd be buried in the trash
If justice was served, he would have been buried as if he was garbage
'Stead of living it up, on other people's cash
Instead of enjoying life with the stolen money of others
Living on the blood of our land
Living off of the resources of our land
Living on the blood of our land
Living off of the resources of our land
Living on the blood of our land
Living off of the resources of our land
Contributed by Blake D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@slayskool1964
⚡⚡✊🏻⚡⚡
@victotyorvalhalla
🤘
@usek756
Dude what happened to the song smash the reds from no remorse why u take it down?
@victorcampbell1868
Maybe was youtube , not him