Blaggers ITA - Stresss [UKCDS]

Blaggers ITA (formerly The Blaggers) were a British Oi!/punk and agitpop band founded in 1988 and active until the mid 1990s.[1] Vocalist Matty 'Blagg' Roberts had previously fronted Oi! band Complete Control who released an LP on Oi! Records. Blaggers ITA were noted for their strong anti-fascist and left wing lyrics and activism.
Although the band initially played in a generic Oi! style, they later added a trumpet player and incorporated influences from hip hop and electronic dance music, including sampling, and added the letters ITA to their name ("In The Area".)
The band had close links with Anti Fascist Action (AFA), donating money to the organisation and promoting its ideology.[2] The band's support for revolutionary politics and AFA, along with their earlier association with the Oi! scene, meant that in the early 1990s they became a target of neo-Nazi groups such as Combat 18.
In 1993 they signed a record deal with EMI[3] and enjoyed some commercial success with three minor hit singles.[4] Stress and Oxygen benefitted from promotional videos, while Abandon Ship saw an appearance on The Word.
The record deal resulted in criticism from some individuals in the independent music scene due to EMI's former links with the arms trade and because EMI was seen as a large corporation dominating the music industry. In a debate strongly echoed four years later in the case of Chumbawamba, the band justified the move with the argument that it is pointless having a political message that can only reach a small number of people; they also argued that the deal gave the band more money to spend on political causes.
In the summer of 1993, the group embarked on a high-profile UK tour supporting Manic Street Preachers. In July 1993, frontman Matty Blagg allegedly punched Melody Maker writer Dave Simpson, resulting in a court case which was dismissed on legal technicalities.[5][unreliable source?] The incident led to the cancellation of many of the band's biggest supporting tours and festival slots, an effective boycott by the music press, and the consequent cancellation of their EMI contract.
Shortly afterwards Matty Blagg left the band, which for a short time continued without him. Blagg died in February 2000.[6]
A new version of the band Blaggers AKA formed in 2002. This line up has played gigs and festivals across Europe, including benefits for the Independent Working Class Association[7][8] and Antifa groups, but has not released any records.