Why you can trust 12DOVE
Born into deprivation with claret and blue running through their veins, Canning Town punks the Cockney Rejects wrote angry, noisy anthems that chimed with West Ham’s hooligan contingent and, to their chagrin, far-right neo-Nazis.
Their brief career in the limelight, recounted with relish by sibling bandmates Jeff and Mick Geggus, involved drunken yobbery on Top Of The Pops , future Sun pariah Garry Bushell – their first manager – and an infamous 1980 gig dubbed “the battle of Birmingham”.
Older if not especially wiser, the brothers prove engaging guides through the “Oi!” subgenre. Their music, though, will leave some eardrums pleading for mercy.
Neil Smith is a freelance film critic who has written for several publications, including Total Film. His bylines can be found at the BBC, Film 4 Independent, Uncut Magazine, SFX, Heat Magazine, Popcorn, and more.

Emilia Pérez's Zoe Saldaña delivers a tearful speech after historic Best Supporting Actress win at the 2025 Oscars

Kieran Culkin wins Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars 2025 and makes a hilarious and heartfelt dedication to his wife: "Ye of little faith"

Oscars 2025 live coverage: All the winners, red carpet, and the 97th Academy Awards' biggest moments – as it happens