Angelic Upstarts

Formed in 1977 in South Shields, north-east England, Angelic Upstarts are a British punk rock and oi! band. Founding members Thomas "Mensi" Mensforth, Brian Hayes, Decca Wade, and Mond were inspired to form a group after seeing The Clash's 1977 summer concert and wanted to express their socialist political beliefs through music. Angelic Upstarts initially gained attention with their first single "The Murder of Liddle Towers", a controversial song about police brutality that sparked legal threats and local bans. Despite this, their self-released single caught the attention of Small Wonder Records, leading to wider distribution. Jimmy Pursey of Sham 69 invited them on tour, resulting in a contract with Warner Brothers and the release of their debut album Teenage Warning in 1979, which peaked at number 29 on the UK charts. Subsequent albums included We Gotta Get Out Of This Place (1980) and Reason Why? (1983). The group's political stance, anti-fascist views, and support for the working class established them as pioneers of the oi! genre. Angelic Upstarts continued to release albums sporadically, including Who Killed Liddle? (1999) and their first new album in over 10 years, Bullingdon Bastards (2016).