Blitz

Blitz was an English punk rock group formed in New Mills, Derbyshire in 1980, fronted by vocalist Carl Fisher, percussionist Charlie Howe, guitarist Nidge Miller, and bassist Neil “Mackie” McLennan. Their first breakthrough came with the 7‑inch EP All Out Attack in 1981, which attracted the attention of Sounds writer Garry Bushell who later placed the tracks "Nation On Fire" and "Youth" on the Carry On Oi compilation. Blitz signed to the No Future label and released their debut album Voice Of A Generation in 1982, reaching number 2 on the UK Indie Chart. In 1983 the band issued Second Empire Justice, a shift toward post‑punk that failed to resonate with the original fan base and contributed to the label’s collapse. After internal disputes, Carl Fisher departed for Australia and the remaining members continued under the Blitz name, releasing The Killing Dream in 1989, with Nidge Miller performing all instruments and vocalist Gary Basnett. The group saw a brief revival in the early 2000s with new members, issuing a best‑of compilation in 2005 that included six previously unreleased tracks. Nidge Miller was killed in a traffic accident on 10 February 2007 at age 48. Posthumous releases followed, including The Final Blitz (2016) and a live album from CBGBs (2019), cementing Blitz’s place in the UK Oi! and punk canon.