Scum Of Toytown

Scum Of Toytown

Scum Of Toytown are a ska-punk band from Stevenage, UK, formed by musicians rooted in the North London punk scene of the 1970s and 1980s. The main members meet and begin playing together in the late 1980s, drawing on the boredom and disaffection of London overspill life as a central theme in their music.

Style and scene

The band sit within alternative punk and ska-punk, and are also associated with punky reggae. They play in the context of the free festival and squat scenes, and they build a reputation for tuneful 1990s agit-pop. Their work connects with the wider UK punk circuit as well as continental squat culture.

Live activity and associations

Scum Of Toytown play numerous dates in the UK with bands including RDF, Back to the Planet, Citizen Fish, Senser, 25th of May, Blaggers ITA, Dub War, Bender, The Cowboy Killers and AOS3. They also complete three tours of the central European squat scene through the Kopi collective in Berlin.

Recordings and recognition

The band release tracks on several compilations and on a DIY 7-inch EP, and they also issue the album Strike, recorded at Southern Studios in Wood Green with help from the Newport-based Words of Warning label. Their recorded music receives favourable reviews in underground and mainstream music press, and several tracks gain national radio airplay. Jackboot Crusade is played by John Peel, and Tom Ravenscroft later plays Sink or Swim on BBC 6 Music in November 2010.

Later activity

Scum Of Toytown stop playing together around 1997, but events bring them back together in 2010. After that, the band works on new songs, with recording and selected live shows planned.