[fabio]

http://www.bbc.co.uk...e_a_mini-b.html

Thought this might be interesting to some people. I haven't watched it myself yet but here is the description that Adam Curtis (very good documentary maker) writes for it:

Everyone goes on holiday in Britain. Even Hells Angels.

I've just found a wonderful, very funny documentary made in 1973 about a group of British Hells Angels.

It's about their daily life and culminates in them going on a weekend mini-break on a derelict barge in the pouring rain near Aylesbury.

Must get around to seeing it later...

[Kelpie]

"Half crazed Alsation" FFS.

Most of that documentary could apply to a quite a large proportion of the (non motorcycling) youth in the UK in the 70's. I know, I was there.

I think we should do a 2011 IBF remake.

"The Greek", closely followed by Joe Soap and Lowdownmofo, lead the pack through heavy traffic on their 600cc machines in all their ragged glory. I even know all the words to "I eat worms!"

Oh, and we could throw PCR1000 in the river again!

[Deragoth]

I seen that a while ago and was told at least one guy in the film is still in. Love the comment about it "never coming through" at the end, wonder what he thinks now?

[joe soap]

Weren't they not asked to leave the the six counties back around that time and politely oblidged, i think they're back now ,,i wounder would they come down south ? nah,
sure everyones trying to get out a here

This post has been edited by joe soap: 10 January 2011 - 06:29 PM

[Pablo]

Worth a watch all the same.

[chops1990]

Were they for real? They just looked like junkies who rode bikes....

Your man had kids and he was more interested in the dog.

[fabio]

Just watched it myself earlier on and it is a bit crazy. There's a comment that was left below the video by someone who drew parallels between the HA in this video and the sense of freedom and togetherment that the hippies on the West coast of the US had in the 1960s. An interesting connection albeit one that is definitely tempered by the frequent use of the Swastika by these lads in the video.

Interesting to see the old bikes too!

[chops1990]

I saw a documentary bout outlaw clubs on telly before. Supposedly the swastika is used for fear purposes, not anything political or racist about it. Lots of those clubs actually have Jews and blacks in them. The swastika is basically used for the fear factor, to frighten people and the like.

[Shinwacker]

chops1990, on 13 January 2011 - 01:39 PM, said:

I saw a documentary bout outlaw clubs on telly before. Supposedly the swastika is used for fear purposes, not anything political or racist about it. Lots of those clubs actually have Jews and blacks in them. The swastika is basically used for the fear factor, to frighten people and the like.

I read a history of the HA and other Outlaw clubs in the USA. The Swastika, maltease cross and the like were taken into the clubs by the young men who came home from the Second World War and used to display them as trophies or war and mementos of their part in the conflict. The Outlaw clubs came about with disatisfed young men home from war, no job, no future and probably post tramatic stress disorder, but it hadn't been discovered at that time in the 1940's and early 1950's. Chops is correct when he says that these emblems don't have the same meaning as the nazi's had in mind and aren't a symbol of hatred.

just a potted history for yous, jeez I loved the film, it really did show what it was like in 1970's britain and Northern Ireland, ha-ha watching Dr Who, with John Pertwee, the real Dr Who. Ha-ha my sister used to have carpets like Mad John's.

Shins

This post has been edited by Shinwacker: 13 January 2011 - 02:05 PM

[Kang]

[chops1990]

Somebody on the BBC site also said:

The thing that struck me about this film was the almost mild-mannered, even, dare I say, eloquent interviews the Hell-raisers gave. Certainly, they were not model citizens, but they didn't seem to have that air of menace that, say, the football fight-clubs of the era had. The way they so easily acquiesced to the police and decided not to go on the rampage at that local chippy made them seem quite quaint (for want of a better word). It was actually genuinely sad.

To me they didn't have the same image of the HAMC in America, is it because they weren't an official chapter or because they weren't as heavily into crime as they are today?

[fabio]

Apparently they were an official chapter...so they say in the film anyway. I was suprised by them not causing a riot with the police, they would have easily won round one with just two patrol cars I'd say. And as regards the restaurant...I wonder would that be allowed today as per discrimination issues?

Some great films on that blog that give a great insight into life back then...

[chops1990]

I was just thinking to myself there, maybe they didn't want trouble with the cops coz they had committed other crimes that they didn't want the cops to find out about or something. Plus they had drugs on them I think.