Cockney Rejects
The band that gave oi! its name and its football-terrace singalong instincts — East End punk that never pretended to be anything else.
Cockney Rejects formed in Custom House, East London, in 1978, built around brothers Jeff Turner on vocals and Mick Geggus on guitar. Vince Riordan joined on bass the following year, and the band was signed by EMI after just four gigs.
Their early singles and the Greatest Hits albums released in 1980 helped define oi!, a strain of punk stripped of art-school pretension and aimed at working-class audiences, and the band is widely credited with popularising the term, taken from their song 'Oi, Oi, Oi'.
A chart-topping debut album and sold-out UK tours followed quickly, alongside a reputation for rowdy behaviour that got them banned from Top of the Pops. Their version of 'I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles', recorded in 1980 to mark West Ham United's FA Cup final appearance, tied them closely to football culture, and terrace-style gang vocals run through much of their material.
In January 2024, Geggus, Riordan and drummer Joe Sansome left the band. Turner carried on with a new lineup: Olga, formerly of the Toy Dolls, on guitar, JJ Kaos, formerly of the Last Resort and Anti-Nowhere League, on bass, and Ray Dust, formerly of the Business and Argy Bargy, on drums.
Mick Geggus went on to form Punch Drunk Saints, releasing a self-titled debut album in 2025. Turner published a second volume of his autobiography, Cockney Reject II: I Love Being Me, written with journalist Guy Shankland, the following year.
Cockney Rejects at a glance
Where is Cockney Rejects from?
Cockney Rejects is from East London, UK.
What kind of music does Cockney Rejects play?
Cockney Rejects is tagged oi! and punk.
What festivals has Cockney Rejects played before?
Cockney Rejects has played Rebellion 2026.
Also on these bills
Sham 69Cock SparrerGimp FistThe BusinessMenaceForeign LegionSpecial DutiesThe StranglersSlaughter & The DogsUK SubsBar Stool PreachersThe Good, The Bad and The Zugly
More oi! acts
Cock SparrerForeign LegionGimp FistHome FrontLos FastidiosMenaceSham 69Special DutiesThe Business
More artists from East London, UK
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