Iron Cross
Iron Cross were an American Oi! and hardcore punk band from Washington, D.C., active primarily from 1980 to 1985, and closely connected to parts of the D.C. hardcore world.
They played a rough, street-level take on Oi! and have been described as an early U.S. band to pair that sound with a skinhead look. Their name and image also drew accusations of fascism, which the band and early D.C. skinheads involved denied, saying they were opposed to Nazi ideology.
Starting in 1980
Iron Cross formed in 1980 after Dante Ferrando met vocalist Sab Grey. Ferrando had previously played in Broken Cross with guitarist Mark Haggerty. When Grey and Ferrando started a new band, Grey suggested the name Iron Cross.
The first lineup was Grey on vocals, Haggerty on guitar, Ferrando on drums, and John Falls on bass. Falls left shortly after an early show at American University, and the band cycled through bass players before bringing in Wendel Blow, who had played in State of Alert.
Early Releases and Dischord Connections
The band’s fourth lineup lasted through the recording of their first EP, Skinhead Glory. That release included their best-known song, “Crucified,” which later became a common cover choice for Oi! and hardcore bands.
After Blow left, John Dunn took over on bass. Dunn left just before the second EP, Hated and Proud, came out. He was replaced by Paul Cleary, who had been involved with Trenchmouth and Black Market Baby.
The 1982 Dischord Records compilation Flex Your Head featured three Iron Cross songs and brought them to listeners beyond the East Coast. Grey also lived for a time in the Dischord House in Arlington, Virginia.
Breakup and What Members Did Next
By 1985, after more lineup turnover left Grey as the only original member, Iron Cross ended.
After the breakup, Ferrando formed Gray Matter with Haggerty. Haggerty later played with 3 and Severin. Ferrando also played in Ignition and later became the owner of the D.C. club The Black Cat. Falls later joined Egypt Central.
Reissues, Later Lineups, and Recordings
In 2001, the band’s EPs and previously unreleased recordings were collected on the full-length CD Live For Now.
A split release with Combat 84 was planned for 2002 but did not happen. In 2007, a mini-album titled Two Piece and a Biscuit paired four Iron Cross songs with three songs from Grey’s other band, The Royal Americans.
By 2009, the lineup included Sab Grey on vocals, Scotty Powers on drums, Dimitri Medevev on bass, and guitarists Mark Linskey and Shadwick Wilde. That group recorded two songs for a split EP released as Koi Records Split Vol. 5 with Keyside Strike.
In 2012, Skinflint Records released the EP Est. 1980.
About “Crucified”
In the mid 1980s, Agnostic Front began covering “Crucified.” They later recorded studio versions for Liberty and Justice For… and Something’s Gotta Give.
Grey’s lyrics frame the idea of being blamed, ridiculed, and judged based on labels and assumptions. Over time, the song connected with different groups of skinheads for different reasons, and some live crowds added chants that were not part of the original recording.
Discography
EPs:
- Skinhead Glory (1982, Dischord Records; later issued by Skinflint Records)
- Hated and Proud (1983, Skinflint Records)
- Koi Records Split Vol. 5 (2009, split with Keyside Strike, Koi Records)
- Est. 1980 (2012, Skinflint Records)
Members
- Sab Grey
- Dante Ferrando
- Mark Haggerty
- John Falls
- Wendel Blow
- John Dunn
- Paul Cleary
- Scotty Powers
- Dimitri Medevev
- Mark Linskey
- Shadwick Wilde
- Joey Nails
