S.W.A

Rudolf Hess
Born- April 26, 1894 Died -17th July 1987
We will never forget




Ian Stuart Donaldson

Born in the summer of '57 at Poulton-le-Fylde in Lancashire, England, Ian Stuart Donaldson was to become the godfather of Racialist music the world over.

Growing up in nearby Blackpool Ian felt the urge to do something other than conform to the boring and mundane lifestyles that surrounded him. In the early seventies he was drawn to the style and culture of the Skinhead. When he watched his good friend Grinny (John Grinton) play in a local band his heart set on forming his own.

His first group was called Tumbling Dice which played mainly cover versions of the Rolling Stones and The Who. An offer came from a London record label but the rest of the band refused to move to the capital and they disbanded.

It wasn't long before Ian formed another band, but this time he had the added influence of Punk. He had seen the Sex Pistols play their first gig in Manchester and was struck by their attitude and aggression. In early '77 Skrewdriver was formed and Ian, Grinny, Kev McKay and Phil Walmsley ventured to London to set up base near their record label, Chiswick Records. They went about promoting their band by playing regular gigs and with their debut single 'You're So Dumb.' At one gig a fight broke out involving one of the Skrewdriver crew which resulted in Bob Geldof being knocked out on stage. Skrewdriver acquired a reputation for violence and it spelled commercial disaster when a riot erupted at another London venue, this time with influential music business people present, and Skrewdriver lost various big deals and earned themselves a London gig ban at the same time.

From then on it was to be an uphill struggle and although their debut LP was given fair reviews, their Skinhead appearance was not welcomed by the music press and promotion became almost impossible. The band moved to Manchester on the recommendation of Chiswick Records and acquired a strong local following there but, due to their reputation and their change in musical direction, they found themselves dropped by Chiswick. They continued alone, and even produced a classic single 'Built Up, Knocked Down' for local Manchester label TJM, but by the end of '79 Skrewdriver was no more.

Back in Blackpool Ian became a major figure on the Skinhead scene which saw his involvement with the National Front and later the British Movement become a real focus for him.


Skrewdriver Re-forms
He wanted to re-form the band for the NF but he never got the commitment from them that he so dearly needed. So it was in the summer of '82, while back in London, that he was persuaded to re-start the group. He recruited two South London Skinheads on bass and drums and placed an ad. in the music press for a guitarist. It wasn't long before they were rehearsing, and recording was under way with two tracks for the United Skins compilation and two more for the very popular 'Back with a Bang' maxi-single.

The single was well-received but the chattering classes were gossiping that Skrewdriver were a racist band. The press had to wait no longer than the end of the year to have the rumours confirmed. Skrewdriver played regularly at the 100 Club and on stage late in '82 Ian raised his right arm and proclaimed "This one's called 'Tomorrow Belongs To Me.'" The crowd roared and thus began the true legacy of Skrewdriver.

Ian was working closely with the National Front who were keen to exploit the band's popularity, seeing it as a great way to recruit members. A record label was set up producing the band's first political tracks. 'White Power' sent a shock wave throughout the music industry - one paper claimed the single was "The most evil record of all time." All Skrewdriver's gig adverts were banned and pressure was placed on any venue with the courage to host them. For the NF, 'White Power' was a great success and they increased their coverage of the scene, with more bands emerging of the Rock Against Communism genre. This was real-life Rock 'n' Roll rebellion, an underground movement that was thriving right under the noses of all who had tried to destroy it. Skrewdriver struck a deal with German-based label Rock-o-Rama and despite bomb threats, government action and music business pressure, the partnership remained strong until Ian's last days.

Skrewdriver produced their second LP Hail the New Dawn in 1984 and while their line-up went through various changes, their popularity grew, not only in Britain but internationally. The NF decided that their coverage in Bulldog magazine was not enough and launched White Noise magazine and an organization to run it.

In 1992 it was thought that Blood and Honour's profile needed boosting, so a massive concert was planned. Posters advertising the Waterloo redirection point went up in every major British city, there was newspaper coverage and Ian was given a radio interview which concluded with him being wished well. The night before the gig Ian was glassed in face by a Negro saying "That's your gig over then Nazi" and he lost two teeth in the attack.

The Communists were out in force on the day of the gig but no-one could have forecast how far the police would allow them to go. Around 1,000 Reds gathered to cause trouble, although most Skins had heard by word of mouth that the actual venue was in Eltham and made their way directly there. Thus the Reds massively outnumbered about 200 Skinhead stragglers, mostly Europeans who had come from abroad specially for the gig; several hundred more had been turned back at the ports. The clash was dubbed in the following day's press as "The Battle of Waterloo." But despite all this the concert still took place. In between songs Ian said:

The following year Ian and the band recorded his and Skrewdriver's last LP, Hail Victory. It was their best offering since Warlord five years before but tragically Ian would not live to see it released. On the night of 23 September 1993 Ian was involved in a car crash that would result in his death the following day, as well as that of friend of the band Boo (Stephen Flint) who died at the crash scene. It was Ian's car but Robert Sherlock was driving, and at the inquest he described how it had felt as if the steering wheel "was 'snapped' from his hand."
Derby Coroner Peter Ashworth concluded:

The suggestion is that Ian's car had been tampered with, and although we cannot prove it in our hearts we know Ian was murdered by the State security services. Whatever the origins of his death, it was a tragedy that the Blood and Honour movement has yet to recover from.

Ours and Ian's movement is still alive though - across the White world Blood & Honour survives:

Everyone who ever knew Ian, saw him play live, or has heard his music on tenth generation tapes in every far-flung corner of the globe, will appreciate the contribution he made to the cause of White pride. He sacrificed his life, untempted by money, undaunted by prison and intrepid in the face of violent opposition, because he knew that what he held inside was something more precious than anything on this planet. He held a fire in his heart that burned for the pride and convictions of his race and nation.

What was Ian like as a person? This seems to be something that is seldom addressed in the many tributes to him that have appeared in the years after his death.

Those of us who had the honour to know him can say that he was a genuinely kind and loyal person, often quietly spoken, highly intelligent with a real sense of humour.

Ian never displayed any egotism or arrogance - often he would turn his humour on himself. He always had time for the people around him and would never fail to greet a comrade or say some words to a fan of the band.

As we remember Ian the Political Soldier we should also remember Ian the man.


http://www.skrewdriver.net