East End Babylon

This is a rousing portrait of East End punks the Cockney Rejects and the Canning Town that spawned them. Despite being bombed by the Luftwaffe and betrayed by successive governments, London's dockland communities never lost their pride, and this sense of belonging was key to the music written by teenage brothers Jeff and Mick Geggus. The siblings talked their way into a recording contract even though they scarcely had a band and, with bassist Vince Riordan as the only other constant during the hectic years of the late 1970s and early 80s, the Rejects had hits with angry anthems like The Greatest Cockney Rip Off and I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles, which reflected their die-hard loyalty to West Ham United. However, the claret connection prompted riotous gigs like 1980's "Battle of Birmingham" (described as the "the most violent gig in British history"), while the right-wing associations of the "Oi!" subculture undeservingly damaged their critical reputation. However, the siblings recollect their heyday here with the same wit and realism that underpinned their dynamic and lastingly influential music.