The 4-Skins

The 4-Skins
The classic 4-Skins line-up, McCourt, Pear, Jacobs and Hodges, outside Tower Hill tube station, 1980
Background information
Also known as	Gary Hodges' 4-Skins
Origin	East End of London, England
Genres	Oi!
Years active	1979 – 1984 2007 – present
Labels	Clockwork Fun Secret Records Syndicate Records G&R London Randale Records Clockwork Firm
Website	www.the4-skins.co.uk
Members	As Gary Hodges' 4-Skins Gary Hodges Graham Bacon Tom Brennan Sedge Swatton
Past members	Hoxton Tom McCourt Roi Pearce Paul Swain Ian Bramson Gary Hitchcock Steve 'Rockabilly' Pear John Jacobs Tony 'Panther' Cummins Pete Abbot Steve 'H' Hamer Mick Geggus Andy Russell

The 4-Skins are an English working class Oi! band from the East End of London, England. Originally composed of Gary Hodges (vocals), 'Hoxton' Tom McCourt (guitar), Steve 'H' Hamer (bass) and Gary Hitchcock (drums), they formed in 1979 and disbanded in 1984 – although new line-ups formed in 2007 and 2008. Many of their songs dealt with violent topics, but the band has claimed they were discussing the realities of inner city life, not promoting violence. Other 4-Skins song topics include police harassment, political corruption, war and unemployment.

Initially the band members had known each other from football, or from following bands such as Sham 69 and Menace. Most of the original four band members were or had been skinheads, thus the double meaning of the band's name. However, Steve Pear had a rockabilly style, and Hoxton Tom McCourt — who was a suedehead — was one of the leading participants of the mod revival. Prior to the release of the band's debut single, "One Law For Them", The 4-Skins contributed songs to the first three Oi! compilation albums, alongside bands such as Cockney Rejects, Cock Sparrer, The Business and Angelic Upstarts. The 4-Skins went through many personnel changes during their five-year existence, with only bassist/songwriter 'Hoxton' Tom McCourt being present in every line-up of the band. Other former members include Roi Pearce, who was also the frontman of The Last Resort, and Paul Swain, a guitarist who later joined the white power rock band Skrewdriver.

In 2007, the band reformed with two original members  — lead singer Gary Hodges and bassist Steve 'H' Harmer, plus guitarist Mick Geggus and drummer Andy Russell of Cockney Rejects. This line-up recorded two songs, "Chaos 2007" and "Glory Days" for the compilation album Kings of Streetpunk, released by the independent record label G&R London.