… Read Full Bio ↴Special Duties are a British punk rock band from Colchester, Essex.
Special Duties was created in October 1977 by friends Steve Green (Aka Arrogant), Steve Norris (Aka Duty) and Nigel Baker. They were punks at school, but the idea of forming their own band came when they saw The Adverts in Colchester. The fact that the three schoolboys couldn't play and didn't own any instruments didn't discourage them. They decided to put Arrogant on vocals, Duty on guitar and Baker on Bass. The band was originally going to be named X-pelled, but they switched to Special Duties when a box of around 200 badges with "Special Duties" printed on them which had been stolen from a school in Colchester came into their possession, the band deciding that they could save money on getting badges made by simply changing their name to match the stolen ones.[1] For their debut live show, the band spread the word through the underground punk grapevine that they would performing a free gig underneath the shopping precinct in Colchester. Hundreds of people turned up to see them play a fifteen-minute version of the only song they knew, "There'll Be No Tomorrow", performed in the Marks & Spencer loading bay.[1] In 1980, Bart Povah joined the band and they recorded their first demo, which got them a record deal with Charnel House Records. The band moved to Rondelet Records soon after and recruited drummer Stuart Bray. Their second EP for the label, "Police State" spent two months in the indie chart, prompting Rondelet to get the band into the studio to record their debut album, 77 in 82.[1]
In 1982 Arrogant decided to declare war on the anarcho-punk band Crass. Their debut LP was followed by their biggest selling single "Bullshit Crass", an attack on a band that they saw as destroying the traditional punk scene. It came with a Crass-style sleeve and the lead track began with chants of "Fight Crass, not punk", parodying one of Crass's songs. Green explained: "It was the fact that they said 'Punk was dead', and they played this really tuneless music. I saw them as almost a religious cult".[1] However, after that, their music's leading distributors, Rough Trade and Small Wonder, refused to stock their material. This censorship made life a burden for the band. In 1983 they released the single "Punk Rocker" which was not well distributed. In the same year, the group broke up.
Twelve years later, Captain Oi! Records reissued 77 in 82, and encouraged by the response to it the band got back together, playing at 1995's Fuck Reading at the Brixton Academy. After that the group didn't split again.
In 1997 the band released "Wembley Wembley! (Wembley here we come)" to commemorate Colchester United reaching the final of that year's AutoWindscreens Shield at Wembley. Also on the CD was a version of "Up the U's!" a song written about the football club and still sung there today. The third track contained brief interviews with players, such as Garrett Caldwell, Joe Dunne and former club captain Karl Duguid.
In July 1998, the band travelled to New York for a gig at CBGB's, releasing the performance on the Live at CBGB's 1998 album.[1]
In 2007 the band re-recorded the "Up the U's!" with local band Koopa with a song entitled "Stand Up For Col U" by Koopa and with the vocals of Colchester United players Jamie Cureton, Chris Iwelumo, Wayne Brown, Karl Duguid, Kevin Watson, Pat Baldwin, Kevin McLeod and Dean Gerken. The single was released to raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust.
In 2012, Steve Arrogant left the band and Steve Duty took over from his friend on vocals and Dave Sadler took over on Bass.
In 2014 they signed to the Jailhouse Records label.[2] which produced two discography releases. They began regularly gigging and recording, with multiple festival appearances, shows, and a U.S tour in 2016 and US festivals headlines since.
In 2020 the band recorded their new 14 track album “Seven Days A Week. The band are in discussions with Record Labels about the release date...
Violent Youth
Special Duties Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You just ain't happy till you've been in a fight
You have too many, get out of your head
You don't know why but you wanna see red
VI..I..I..OLENT YOUTH
Who you looking at that's my bird
How many times has that been heard
Happens all the time, every night
The lyrics of Special Duties' song "Violent Youth" speak to the reckless and confrontational behavior of young people who are searching for a sense of identity and purpose in their lives. The singer describes these youths as going into town on a Saturday night with the specific intention of getting into fights. They drink too much and lose control of their emotions, eager to engage in violent behavior for no apparent reason.
The chorus of the song is a direct address to the "violent youth" themselves, with the repetition of the phrase "violent youth" driving home the message that their behavior is not only harmful but also foolish. The lyrics suggest that the violence is often provoked by small slights or perceived threats, such as someone looking at another person's girlfriend or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Overall, the lyrics of "Violent Youth" offer a commentary on the nihilistic tendencies of youth culture and the dangers that come with seeking validation through aggression and violence. The song captures the sense of anger and frustration that can lead to senseless acts of violence, while also acknowledging the underlying pain and confusion that often drives these behaviors.
Line by Line Meaning
You go town on a Saturday night
You head out into the city on a Saturday night
You just ain't happy till you've been in a fight
You feel unsatisfied until you've engaged in physical altercations
You have too many, get out of your head
You consume too much alcohol or drugs and need to sober up
You don't know why but you wanna see red
You have an urge to become extremely angry and aggressive for no apparent reason
VI..I..I..OLENT YOUTH
Emphasizing the theme of the song, which concerns violent behavior in young people
Who you looking at that's my bird
Who are you staring at? That person is my partner
How many times has that been heard
This situation has happened repeatedly
Excuse for trouble, excuse for a fight
You use any excuse or provocation to start trouble or engage in fighting
Happens all the time, every night
This type of behavior occurs frequently and regularly, every night
Contributed by Zoe L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Miguel Vidal
FUCKING GOOD