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Formed in South Shields, England in 1977, the Angelic Upstarts was one of the period's most politically charged and thought-provoking groups; though technically a skinhead band, their records attacked the racism and fascism so prevalent throughout the skinhead community, and while also technically a punk unit, their music quickly evolved beyond the movement's limited scope. The Angelic Upstarts were led by the rather nasal vocalist Mensi (born Thomas Mensforth), whose impoverished childhood became a frequent lyrical touchstone. Along with a highly fluid lineup which initially comprised guitarist Mond, bassist Ronnie Wooden, and drummer Sticks, the group debuted with the 1979 single "Murder of Liddle Towers," a scabrous attack on police brutality. The record caught the attention of Sham 69's Jimmy Pursey, who produced their debut album Teenage Warning, which, like its 1980 follow-up, We Gotta Get Out of This Place, roundly ridiculed the oppressive policies of Margaret Thatcher while offering an outpouring of sympathy for the working class. As the Upstarts' popularity surged, so did the levels of violence at their live shows; they became mortal enemies of National Front fascist supporters, who railed against the band after first misinterpreting their leftist songs as supportive of their cause. At the same time, the band's music was becoming more complex and accomplished; by 1983's Reason Why?, the strongest Angelic Upstarts record, Mensi's songwriting skills had become tighter and more melodic, even branching out into reggae and folk, while the group's base broadened with the addition of keyboards and saxophones. After issuing the inflammatory single "Brighton Bomb," a celebration of the IRA's attempt to assassinate the Conservative cabinet, the band released the LP The Power of the Press; lackluster sales triggered their breakup not long after. In 1988, the Angelic Upstarts briefly re-formed; in 1992, they reunited again, this time long enough to cut an album, Bombed Out. Mensi subsequently arose as a leader of the Anti-Fascist Action group. They managed to reunite occasionally, cutting a live album for Mordam Records (2001's Live from the Justice League), and even revisiting the United States for their first live show in almost 20 years.
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Tracks:
| Title | Album |
| 2,000,000 Voices |
2,000,000 Voices
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| 2,000,000 Voices |
Kids On The Street: The Best Of The Angelic Upstarts
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| 2,000,000 Voices (Live) |
Live In Yugoslavia
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| 42nd Street |
Spiked: 20 Punk Classics
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| A Real Rain |
Bombed Out
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| Albert's Got A Gun |
Bombed Out
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| Anti-Nazi |
This Is Rash U.K. And Ireland Part 1
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| Blood On The Terraces |
Blood On The Terraces
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| Brighton Bomb |
Oi! This Is England
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| Built A House On Sand |
Bullingdon Bastards
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| Can't Kill A Legend |
We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
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| Capital City |
We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
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| Do Anything |
Teenage Warning
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| Don't Give An Inch |
Bullingdon Bastards
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| Empty Street |
Power Of The Press
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| England |
2,000,000 Voices
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| Everyday |
Blood On The Terraces
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| Four Grey Walls |
Blood On The Terraces
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| Ghost Town |
2,000,000 Voices
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| Give The Fox A Gun |
Bullingdon Bastards
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| Gonna Be A Star |
Kids On The Street: The Best Of The Angelic Upstarts
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| Greenfields Of France |
Power Of The Press
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| Guns For The Afghan Rebels |
Kids On The Street: The Best Of The Angelic Upstarts
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| Guns For The Afghan Rebels |
2,000,000 Voices
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| Guns For The Afghan Rebels |
Oi! The Album
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| Guns For The Afghan Rebels (Live) |
Live In Yugoslavia
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| Heart Attack In Pass |
Blood On The Terraces
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| Heath's Lament |
2,000,000 Voices
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| Here I Come |
Power Of The Press
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| Heroin Is Good For You |
Blood On The Terraces
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| I Don't Wanna Fight The Soviet |
Blood On The Terraces
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| I Stand Accused |
Power Of The Press
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| I Think It Should Be Free |
Kids On The Street: The Best Of The Angelic Upstarts
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| I Understand |
2,000,000 Voices
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| I Understand (Live) |
Son Of Oi!
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| I Wanna Knighthood |
Blood On The Terraces
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| I Wish |
2,000,000 Voices
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| I Won't Pay For Liberty |
Oi! This Is England
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| I Won't Pay For Liberty |
Punk City Rockers
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| I.D.S.S. |
Bullingdon Bastards
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| I'd Kill Her For Sixpence |
Power Of The Press
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| I'm An Upstart |
Teenage Warning
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| I'm An Upstart (Live) |
Punk And Nasty
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| I'm An Upstart (Live) |
101 Punk And New Wave Anthems
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| It's Our Life |
Blood On The Terraces
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| Jimmy |
2,000,000 Voices
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| Joe Where Are You Now? |
Power Of The Press
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| Kids On The Street |
Kids On The Street: The Best Of The Angelic Upstarts
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| Kids On The Street (Live) |
Live In Yugoslavia
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| Kids On The Streets |
2,000,000 Voices
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| Killing Machine |
The Dirty Dozen
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| Killing Machine |
Bullingdon Bastards
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| King Coal |
We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
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| King Of The Rats |
Bullingdon Bastards
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| King Of The Rats |
The Dirty Dozen
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| Last Night Another Soldier |
2,000,000 Voices
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| Last Night Another Soldier |
Kids On The Street: The Best Of The Angelic Upstarts
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| Last Night Another Soldier |
Oi! The Album
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| Last Night Another Soldier |
The Greatest Punk Album Of All Time
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| Last Night Another Soldier (Live) |
Live In Yugoslavia
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| Last Night Another Soldier (Live) |
Punk And Nasty
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| Leave Me Alone |
Kids On The Street: The Best Of The Angelic Upstarts
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| Leave Me Alone |
Oi! This Is England
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| Leave Me Alone |
Teenage Warning
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| Leave Me Alone (Live) |
Live In Yugoslavia
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| Let's Build A Bomb |
Bombed Out
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| Let's Speed |
Teenage Warning
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| Like Father, Like Son |
Bullingdon Bastards
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| Listen To The Steps |
We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
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| Lonely Man Of Spandau |
We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
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| Loud And Proud |
Bombed Out
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| Lust For Glory |
Burning Ambitions: A History Of Punk
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| Machine Gun Kelly |
Kids On The Street: The Best Of The Angelic Upstarts
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| Machine Gun Kelly (Live) |
Live In Yugoslavia
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| Man Of Straw |
Bullingdon Bastards
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| Mensi's Marauders |
2,000,000 Voices
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| Mr. Politician |
2,000,000 Voices
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| Nazi B.N.P. |
Bullingdon Bastards
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| Nazi B.N.P. |
The Dirty Dozen
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| Never 'Ad Nothing |
Punk City Rockers
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| Never 'Ad Nothing |
We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
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| Never Again |
Teenage Warning
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| Never Had Nothing (Live) |
Live In Yugoslavia
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| Never Return To Hell |
Oi! This Is England
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| Never Return To Hell |
Punk City Rockers
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| Not Like It Said In The Song Frank |
Bullingdon Bastards
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| Not Like It Said In The Song Frank |
The Dirty Dozen
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| Nottingham Slag |
Power Of The Press
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| Obscenity |
Bullingdon Bastards
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| One More Day (Live) |
Live In Yugoslavia
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| Open Your Eyes |
Bombed Out
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| Our Day Will Come |
Blood On The Terraces
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| Out Of Control |
We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
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| Police Oppression |
We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
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| Police Oppression |
Kids On The Street: The Best Of The Angelic Upstarts
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| Police Oppression |
The Greatest Punk Album Of All Time
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| Police Oppression |
Cops Make Good Targets
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| Police Oppression (Live) |
Live In Yugoslavia
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| Power Of The Press |
Power Of The Press
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| Pride Of Our Passion |
Blood On The Terraces
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| Red Flag |
The Dirty Dozen
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| Red Flag |
Bullingdon Bastards
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| Red Till Death |
Bombed Out
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| Reptile Rule |
Bullingdon Bastards
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| Ronnie Is A Rocker |
We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
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| Ruby |
Blood On The Terraces
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| Shotgun Solution |
We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
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| Small Town, Small Mind |
Teenage Warning
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| Soldier |
Power Of The Press
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| Solidarity |
Agitprop: The Politics Of Punk
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| Solidarity |
Kids On The Street: The Best Of The Angelic Upstarts
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| Solidarity (Live) |
Live In Yugoslavia
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| Stab In The Back |
Power Of The Press
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| Still Fighting |
Bombed Out
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| Stone Faced Killer |
Bombed Out
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| Streets Of St. Pauli |
Bullingdon Bastards
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| Student Power |
Teenage Warning
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| Take It Apart |
Bullingdon Bastards
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| Take Me To Cuba |
Bullingdon Bastards
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| Take Me To Cuba |
The Dirty Dozen
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| Teenage Warning |
Free Punk For The Punx Volume 4
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| Teenage Warning |
Teenage Warning
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| Teenage Warning |
Kids On The Street: The Best Of The Angelic Upstarts
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| Teenage Warning (Live) |
Live In Yugoslavia
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| The Burgular |
Spiked: 20 Punk Classics
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| The Murder Of Liddle Towers |
Agitprop: The Politics Of Punk
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| The Murder Of Liddle Towers |
Teenage Warning
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| The Murder Of Liddle Towers |
Action Time Vision: A Story Of U.K. Independent Punk
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| The Murder Of Liddle Towers |
1-2-3-4: Punk And New Wave 1976-1979
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| The Murder Of Liddle Towers |
Oi! This Is England
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| The Murder Of Liddle Towers (Live) |
The Greatest Punk Album Of All Time
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| The Writing On The Wall |
Bombed Out
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| Their Destiny Is Coming |
We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
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| Thin Red Line |
Power Of The Press
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| Tommy |
Kids On The Street: The Best Of The Angelic Upstarts
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| Tories, Tories, Tories (Out, Out, Out) |
Bullingdon Bastards
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| Until Palestine Is Free |
Bullingdon Bastards
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| Upstart |
Kids On The Street: The Best Of The Angelic Upstarts
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| Upstart (Live) |
Live In Yugoslavia
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| Victim Of Deceit |
Bombed Out
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| Victory For Poland |
Wargasm
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| Victory In Poland |
100% British Oi!
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| We Are The People |
Teenage Warning
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| We Gotta Get Out Of This Place |
We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
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| We're Gonna Take The World |
2,000,000 Voices
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| When Will They Learn |
Oi! This Is England
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| White Riot (Live) |
Live In Yugoslavia
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| Who Killed Liddle Towers? |
Kids On The Street: The Best Of The Angelic Upstarts
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| Who Killed Liddle Towers? (Live) |
Live In Yugoslavia
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| Woman In Disguise |
Indie Punk Classics
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| Women In Disguise (Live) |
Live In Yugoslavia
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| Young Ones |
Teenage Warning
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| You're Nicked |
2,000,000 Voices
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| Youth Leader |
Teenage Warning
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