Formed: Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, UK
Band Bio / Lineups / Discography
Oi! band formed in Summer 1979, and popular in the UK during the genre's heyday in 1981 until 1983.
The self-financed Red Alert single is one of Oi!'s top rarities, seeing as only 250 copies were pressed. In Britain, their second single, was the first of four releases for No Future and is one of the best Oi! singles ever. Take No Prisoners is more of the same but slightly less exhilarating, and We've Got The Power was one of the best UK punk/Oi! albums of the period. After this, though, they fizzled a bit with the messy City Invasion 7" and the rather weak There's A Guitar Burning! 12". The group split in Summer 1984, with guitarist Tony (Van) Frater and drummer Matty Forster eventually joining Red London.
Red Alert reformed in 1990 and have released many records since.
In the late 1990s/early 2000s, Van Frater had the distinction is being in no less than three "name" punk bands: Red Alert, Cockney Rejects and Angelic Upstarts. He sadly died in in October 2015.
DISCOGRAPHY
Subsequent studio albums: Blood, Sweat 'N' Beers (1992), Beyond The Cut (1993), Super Yobs! Showdown Volume No. 1 (1994, split with The Templars), Breakin' All The Rules (1996), Wearside (1999), Excess All Areas (2005), Red Alert / Produzenten Der Froide (split, 2010). The 2005 compilation CD Blazin' Thru The Years (The Best Of...) contains stuff recorded after the band reformed in the 1990s.
Singles / Albums
| Red Alert (7", 1980) |
In Britain (7", 1982) |
Take No Prisoners (7", 1982) |
We've Got The Power (LP, 1983) |
City Invasion (7", 1983) |
| There's A Guitar Burning! (12", 1983) |
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Extraneous Releases |
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| Border Guards (7", reissue of Red Alert 7", 1994) |
The Oi! Singles Collection (CD, 1995) |
Rebels In Society (LP/CD, 1997) |
The Rarities (CD, 1999) |
The Best Of Red Alert (CD, 2000) |
| Border Guards (CD, 2001) |
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Various Artists
Compilation N.E.1 - Sunderland Musicians Collective UK LP 1981 (Guardian Records N' Tapes): In Britain
Carry On Oi! UK LP 1981 (Secret): SPG / [plus on reissue:] We've Got The Power
Punk And Disorderly UK LP 1982 (Abstract): In Britain
No Future Finland LP 1982 (Poko International): In Britain
Punk Revival New Zealand LP 1982 (Music World Ltd): Murder Missile / Sell Out
Angels With Dirty Faces UK LP 1984 (No Future): In Britain / Take No Prisoners
There Is No Future (The History Of No Future) UK LP 1984 (No Future): In Britain
Viva La Revolution! UK 2xLP 1985 (Cambra): Take No Prisoners
Maggie, Maggie, Maggie; Out! Out! Out! UK LP 1987 (Anagram): Crisis
The Best Of Oi! - 25 Brickwall Punk Classics UK CD 1991 (Link): SPG
The Bright Side Of Oi! - Oi Classics Vol. I Germany LP 1994 (Street Kid's): City Invasion
No Future: The Singles Collection UK CD 1993 (Anagram): In Britain / Take No Prisoners / City Invasion / There's A Guitar Burning
No Future: Punk Singles Collection Volume Two UK CD 1995 (Anagram): Screaming At The Nation / Empire Of Crime / Negative Reaction / All The Way To Glory
Oi! The Rarities Vol. 1 UK CD 1995 (Captain Oi!): Border Guards / Third And Final / Sell Out / District Boredom
Oi! The Singles Collection Vol 1 UK CD 1995 (Captain Oi!): In Britain / Screaming At The Nation / Murder Missile
100% British Oi! UK 2xCD 1997 (Captain Oi!): Take No Prisoners
Burning Britain - A Story Of Independent UK Punk 1980-1983 UK 4xCD 2018 (Cherry Red): Take No Prisoners
Links
RED ALERT FACEBOOK PAGE (where the group photo comes from)
