Special Duties - Bullshit Crass

SPECIAL DUTIES - BULLSHIT CRASS

Packaged in the usual giant wraparound sleeve, the front cover picture on Bullshit Detector 2 was a depiction of the Royal Family waving from the balcony of Buckingham Palace, their faces replaced by death skulls. In stencilled letters around the edge of the picture was the wording: 'Right! Hands up who can smell bullshit?'. In a neat twist, their waving had been turned into them answering the posited question in the affirmative. As well as the Royal Family, it was obvious there were quite a few people around who had no problem at all in smelling bullshit, none more so than Special Duties, from Colchester; though the bullshit they could smell was rather different to everybody else’s.

Special Duties were an absolutely formidable Punk group who already had two singles to their name released on the Rondolet label, home to Anti-Pasti, Dead Man's Shadow, Threats, Riot Squad and (later to be Crass-affiliated) The Fits. Both releases were fine, rabid bursts of viciousness, lashing out at society, Colchester Council, the police and politicians. Singer Steve Arrogant's vocals were suitably snarly and the music hard and urgent. Special Duties were a good band. Their third single release, though again a fine piece of Punk Rock was probably, however, a bit of a misjudgement.

Special Duties, it seemed, had a problem with Crass.

Entitled Bullshit Crass, and arriving in a sleeve adorned with a mock 'Crass cover' design, Special Duties third single was nothing less than an outright attack upon everybody's favourite Anarcho Punk heroes. Starting with a chant of "Fight Crass, not Punk", the song hurtled into a short, sharp blast of spite with Steve Arrogant deriding the idea that Crass might not be rich - "Got no money? Ha, ha, ha!" - before asserting "What they preach, there is no way - Bullshit Crass you've been detected."

There was nothing new in groups attacking other groups in song and in print, even Crass themselves had done so with The Clash so in a way, Special Duties were just continuing a tradition. Nothing could have prepared them, however, for the storm of controversy they were whipping up and the backlash they would suffer from the many supporters of Crass, ranging from the Crass fans themselves, major independent record distributors such as Rough Trade and Small Wonder, and major-league Punkers such as the Dead Kennedys.

When it came to tackling rampaging skinheads at Crass gigs there were very few contenders but when it came to jumping on a Punk band who were urging their listeners to fight a fellow Punk band - especially when that Punk band was Crass - then there were plenty who were willing and able to leap into action. And rightly so. It wasn't as if Crass didn't have enough enemies to deal with without Punk bands from Colchester lining up against them also. And as if there wasn't more important things to aim fire at besides top Anarchist Punk bands who were endlessly giving to all kinds of good causes and bands without asking for anything back.

No way could Special Duties have anticipated just how controversial their attack upon Crass would be and though it raised their profile enormously it was for all the wrong reasons, leading to them being ostracised from the very people who might once have been their supporters, losing them a support slot on a US tour with the Dead Kennedys, and then due to promoters not wishing to put them on eventually causing them to split up.