Criminal Class

Criminal Class

Criminal Class are a punk group from Coventry, England, formed in 1979 and active until 1984. The group is one of the early Oi!/skinhead bands to emerge in the UK. Their recorded line-up includes Bernard Cunningham and Craig St. Leon.

Recordings and releases

The band makes its debut on the 1981 compilation Strength Thru Oi! on Decca Records. The following year it releases its only single, Fighting The System, on Tempest Records. Across demos, singles and unreleased material, the band records fourteen songs in total. A compilation titled 25 to Life appears in 2010 on Data Records, collecting those tracks.

Style and themes

Criminal Class are known for slow-tempo songs with direct lyrics. Their themes include corruption in England, the Falklands War, police brutality, and black and white unity.

Later history

The band splits in the mid-1980s and reforms in 2000 after the release of Blood on the Streets: The Criminal Class Oi! Collection on Captain Oi! Records, a release that gathers material from the EP, Strength Thru Oi!, demos and previously unreleased tracks.