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{{Short description|English journalist, musician and activist}}
{{not verified|article|February 2007}}
{{More footnotes|date=January 2012}}
]
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
'''Garry Bushell''' (born ], ] in Woolwich, ]) is an ] ] ]ist, ] ], ] and ]. Bushell also runs his own business, plays in the ] band The Gonadsm, and manages the ] punk band Maninblack. He is a life-long fan of ].
{{Use British English|date=March 2012}}
{{Infobox writer
| image = Garry Bushell columnist.jpg
| caption = Bushell in 2014
| name = Garry Bushell
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1955|5|13}}
| birth_place = ], London, England
| occupation = Musician, music journalist, author, political activist, television presenter
| subject = {{hlist|Music|television}}
| years_active = 1973–present
| children = 5
}}


'''Garry Bushell''' (born 13 May 1955) is an English newspaper ], rock music journalist, television presenter, author, musician and political activist. Bushell also sings in the Cockney ] bands GBX and the Gonads. He managed the New York City Oi! band Maninblack until the death of the band frontman Andre Schlessinger.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maninblack.org|title=The Official Online Press Kit!|publisher=Maninblack|access-date=11 November 2009}}</ref> Bushell's recurring topical themes are comedy, country and ]. He has campaigned for an English Parliament, a ] statue<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/1096245.Hampshire_town_tipped_to_host_statue_for_Benny_Hill|title=Hampshire town tipped to host statue for Benny Hill|last=Eaton|first=Duncan|date=30 December 2006|work=]|access-date=5 May 2011}}</ref> and for variety and talent shows on TV. He has been a columnist for several newspapers, including '']'', '']'' and the '']'', and has worked as the review editor for the '']''.
==Early career==
Son of a fireman, Bushell attended Charlton Manor school and ] (which was then a grammar school). He worked for ] as a messager, and then the ] before attending the North East London Polytechnic and the ]. Bushell was an amateur ], and he was a ] before becoming a full-time ]. He first performed at ] in the group Pink Tent, which was heavily influenced by ]. They wrote songs and ] sketches; performing at parties and at each other's houses. Bushell was involved in The National Union of School Students and The Schools Action Union, a ] organisation that had a strong ] streak that led them to mix schoolboy hijinks with ]. Around this time, Bushell was regularly confronted by members of the ], who called him a ]. He was attacked and hospitalized by ] in 1981. The ] magazine ''Bulldog'' denounced him as "a race traitor" and published his home address. Years later, some ] accused him of being a ].


== Early life and music career ==
Pink Tent evolved into The Gonads, an ] and '']'' band that has continued to perform in the 2000s.<ref>http://www.the-gonads.co.uk/</ref> Many of their songs are comical party tunes, but they have occasionally written more serious material. Two examples of their songs that include social commentary are "Dying for a Pint" (which comments on ] ] ]) and "Jobs Not Jails" (a critique of the ] government's policies). One of their humorous songs was "I Lost My Love To A UK Sub", which is about the allegedly huge ] of ] singer ]. The Gonads have also played ] versions of old ] numbers such as Gus Elen's "Half A Pint Of Ale." Other Bushell musical projects have included the bands Prole, Orgasm Guerrillas, and Lord Waistrel & The Cosh Boys. Prole were a self-defined socialist punk band that also included Steve Kent, the original guitarist of the ] band ]. Bushell also managed ] and ], getting them their ] deal. He also discovered ] and got them signed in the UK to Secret Records.
The son of a fireman, Bushell attended Charlton Manor School and ] (which was then a grammar school). At secondary school, he first performed in the group Pink Tent, which was heavily influenced by ]. They wrote songs and comedy sketches; performed at parties and at each other's houses. Bushell was involved in the ] and the Schools Action Union, a ] organisation that had a strong ] streak that led them to mix schoolboy hijinks with ]. He worked for ] as a messenger, and then the ] before attending ] and the ] simultaneously.


Pink Tent evolved into 1977 punk band the Gonads, who have also described themselves ], ] and "Oi-Tone" because they play ] and ]. Many of their songs are comical party tunes, but they have occasionally written more serious material. Two examples of their songs that include social commentary are "Dying for a Pint" (which comments on ] ] ]) and "Jobs Not Jails" (a critique of the ] government's policies).{{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}
==Journalism and book writing==
], guitarist and vocalist for the punk rock band Rancid, with journalist Garry Bushell]]
In the mid-1970s, at the age of 18, Bushell became an active member of the ], writing for the ] newspaper '']''. He also wrote for ''Temporary Hoarding'', ''Rebel'', and his own punk fanzine, ''Napalm''.<ref>http://www.peom.co.uk/garrybushell.html</ref> From 1978 to 1985, he wrote for '']'' magazine, covering the ] genre and other street-level ]s such as ], the ] and the ]. Bushell was at the forefront of covering the ] genre, also known as ''real punk'' or ].<ref>http://www.garry-bushell.co.uk/oi/index.asp</ref> In 1981, Bushell wrote the book ''Dance Craze - the 2-Tone story'', and in 1984, he wrote the ] biography ''Running Free''.
Other Bushell musical projects have included the bands Prole, Orgasm Guerrillas, the Ska-Nads and Lord Waistrel & the Cosh Boys. Prole was a socialist punk band that also included Steve Kent, the original guitarist of the Oi! band ]. Bushell managed ] and ], getting them their ] deal. He also got ] signed in the UK to Secret Records.<ref>''Twisted Sister – The Official Story'' – authorized biography</ref> He compiled the first four Oi! compilation albums and contributed songs to later collections.


== Journalism and writing ==
Bushell moved to ] in 1985, working for '']'', The '']'' and '']''. He went back to ''The Sun'' to write its "Bizarre" column and to be the ] ]. This column was discontinued when Bushell mockingly pointed out the ambiguity in an ] lyric that read "This is how it feels to be small" . The track was penned by legendary ] hardman Clint Boon who was furious when he heard about Bushell's jibes. When Boon bumped into Bushell at an award ceremony in London all hell broke loose. Boon dragged Bushell into the cloakroom and held him in a headlock while trying to set his beard on fire with a gas lighter. Bushell was saved further embarassment when security dragged Boon away. The column was however not so lucky.
In 1973, at the age of 18, Bushell joined the ] and started writing for their newspaper '']''. He also wrote for ''Temporary Hoarding'', ''Rebel'', and his own punk fanzine ''Napalm'', and edited the North East London Polytechnic Student Union magazine ''NEPAM''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.peom.co.uk/garrybushell.html |title=Garry Bushell Interview |publisher=Peom.co.uk |access-date=11 November 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517105144/http://www.peom.co.uk/garrybushell.html |archive-date=17 May 2008 }}</ref> From 1978 to 1985, he wrote for '']'' magazine, covering punk and other street-level ]s, such as ], the ] and the ]. Bushell was at the forefront of covering the ] subgenre, also known as ''real punk'' or ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.garry-bushell.co.uk/oi/index.asp |title=Oi! – The Truth by Garry Bushell |publisher=www.garry-bushell.co.uk |access-date=11 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080731120915/http://www.garry-bushell.co.uk/oi/index.asp |archive-date=31 July 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1981, when ''Strength Thru Oi!'' was released, it was controversial because its title was a play on a Nazi slogan, "]", and the cover featured ], a ] activist who was serving a four-year sentence for racist violence. Garry Bushell, who was responsible for compiling the album, insists its title was a pun on ]' EP ''Strength Through Joy'' and that he had been unaware of the Nazi connotations. He also denied knowing the identity of the skinhead on the album's cover until it was exposed by the '']'' two months later. The original cover model had been Carlton Leach. The same year, Bushell wrote the book ''Dance Craze – the 2-Tone story'', and in 1984, he wrote the ] biography ''Running Free''.


His scathing reviews of the early punk incarnation of ] led to him being name-checked, along with veteran '']'' writer ], in the band's song "Press Darlings", containing the line "If passion ends in fashion, Bushell is the best dressed man in town."<ref name=darlings>{{cite web|url=http://www.antlady.nl/lyrics/PressDarlings.html |title=Press Darlings |publisher=Antlady.nl |access-date=11 November 2009}}</ref> On the studio version, immediately after this line, lead singer ] can be heard muttering "You can say that again, the scruffy sod!"<ref name=darlings /> Bushell also attracted the attentions of Crass who responded to his criticisms with the song "Hurry Up Garry" and the Notsensibles who released the song "Garry Bushell's Band Of The Week".
In 1991, he briefly became assistant editor of The '']''. In the mid-1990s, he hosted the ] programme ''Bushell On The Box'' (the same title as his ''Sun'' column from 1987 to 2001); commenting on the week's TV programmes. A regular feature of his newspaper column was "Garry's Goofs", in which he highlighted an unintended ]. In 2002, he published the book ''King of Telly: The Best of Bushell on the Box'', containing highlights of his column. In 2001, Bushell's ]''The Face'' was serialised in the '']'', leading to his dismissal from ''The Sun''; even though ''Sun'' publisher John Blake admitted that Bushell had no knowledge of the serialisation deal. At the time, ''Sun'' editor ] had decided that the book was "too filthy" to be published in ''The Sun'', breaking his promise to promote the book. Two years after Bushell was fired, a poll of ''Sun'' readers named him as their favourite columnist.


Bushell moved to ] in 1985, working for '']'', '']'' and the '']''. He went back to ''The Sun'' to write its "Bizarre" column and to be the showbusiness editor. In 1991, he briefly became assistant editor of the '']'', where he wrote a current affairs column called "Walk Tall With Bushell", as well as his TV column. Three months later, he quit and returned to ''The Sun''.
After ''The Sun'', Bushell wrote for '']'' and left that paper on February 18, 2007 to work on books and ]s. He announced his resignation as a TV critic, stating that he was becoming depressed at the state of British television.<ref>http://www.garry-bushell.co.uk/box/index.asp</ref> Bushell co-wrote the book ''Cockney Reject'' (about the punk band ]) and has written a film script for ''Join The Rejects - Get Yourself Killed''. In May 2007, Bushell's column returned to the ''Daily Star Sunday''. Bushell explained that he "missed the pressure of a weekly deadline."{{fact| date=May 2007}} As of 2007, he has been presenting a monthly punk and ] ] show on Total Rock, and a weekly ] on ].


In 1994, Bushell was named critic of the year at the UK Press Awards.<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070824035123/http://www.garry-bushell.co.uk/BIOGRAPHY/INDEX.ASP |date=24 August 2007 }}</ref> In the mid-1990s, Bushell hosted the TV programme ''Bushell on the Box'', commenting on the week's TV programmes. The show included rants, interviews, star guests and comedy sketches. It ran for 50 episodes and was number one on ITV's Night Network.{{clarify|date=August 2023}} The following year, Bushell became resident critic on ]'s ITV series ''The Big Big Talent Show''. He also hosted ''Garry Bushell Reveals All'' for Granada Men & Motors. He has appeared on a wide range of other shows, including ''Celebrity Squares'', ''Noel's House Party'', ''Drop! The Celebrity'', ''Newsnight'' and '']''.{{Citation needed|date=May 2007}} In 2001, he was resident TV critic of '']''.
In 1994, Bushell was named critic of the year at the UK Press Awards.{{fact|date=May 2007}} In 2000, Comic Heritage (formerly the Dead Comics Society, now the Heritage Foundation) gave him an award for "Services To Comedy."{{fact|date=May 2007}} In 2007 they named Bushell "Critic Of The Year."{{fact|date=May 2007}}


In 2001, Bushell's ] ''The Face'' about undercover detective Harry Tyler was serialised in the ''Daily Star'', leading to his dismissal from ''The Sun'', even though the book's publisher ] admitted Bushell had no knowledge of the serialisation deal. After he was dismissed, he started legal proceedings against ''The Sun'' who settled out of court.{{cn|date=February 2021}}
===Writing style===
Bushell's columns are notable for ]s and ]s that can be described as ], such as describing something as being "as fair as ]'s ]" or (in his May 1, 2005 column) "Today's TV is so obsessively ], it's a wonder the '']'' doesn't come with a pink ] wrap and a free glass of ]".{{fact|date=May 2007}} However, ] TV star ] is the godfather of Bushell's daughter Jenna.<ref>''The Independent'' (Deborah Ross) 25 June 2001 </ref> His humour has upset some ''Sun'' executives, such as ], but fans include ], ] and ], who has called him "the ] of the press."{{fact|date=May 2007}}


In 2002, Bushell published the book ''King of Telly: The Best of Bushell on the Box'', containing highlights of his column. He has since published two more Harry Tyler novels, ''Two-Faced'' and ''Facedown''. A fourth is due out in 2021.
==Politics==
Bushell started out as a ] and was a member of the ] International Socialists, which became the ]. However, in the 2000s, Bushell's main political focus has been ] and individual liberty. He sees his identity as ] rather than ]. He has campaigned to have ] recognised as a ] in ], in the same way ] is a holiday in ]. He is a vocal opponent of the ]. Amongst his heroes listed on his ] page are ] and ].


After ''The Sun'', Bushell wrote for '']'' until 18 February 2007 when he left to work on books and screenplays. He announced his resignation as a TV critic, stating that he was becoming depressed at the state of British television.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.garry-bushell.co.uk/box/index.asp |title=Bushell on the Box |publisher=www.garry-bushell.co.uk |date=3 September 1939 |access-date=11 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080716083210/http://www.garry-bushell.co.uk/box/index.asp |archive-date=16 July 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2005, Bushell co-wrote ''Cockney Reject'', the autobiography of Jeff "Stinky" Turner (née Geggus) of punk band ], and penned a film script for ''Join the Rejects – Get Yourself Killed'', an abortive feature film project on the band which was replaced by a documentary film, ''East End Babylon''.
In the ], he stood as a candidate for the ], who promote the establishment of an ], and want England to leave the European Union. Bushell got 1216 votes (3.4% share) in the ] constituency, finishing fifth out of seven in a race won by ] of the ]. The result represented the high point for the English Democrats in the election, and Bushell finished ahead of the ] candidate in that constituency. Bushell also represented the party in ], in the June 23 general election; winning 643 votes (2.51%) His campaign was supported by the ] and ]. It has been reported that he is considering standing as a candidate for ] against ] in 2008.<ref>http://www.garry-bushell.co.uk/</ref> His nomination was submitted to the English Democrats in June 2007, and his campaign slogan is to be "Serious About London".<ref>http://garryformayor.co.uk/</ref>
] ]]
Bushell has published his own autobiography, ''Bushell on the Rampage'', a book attacking the BBC soap opera '']'' called ''1001 Reasons EastEnders is Pony'', and a book on UK youth subcultures called ''Hoolies''. He has also co-written the autobiography of Cockney comic Jimmy Jones, ''Now This is a Very True Story'', published in 2011 and a new expanded version of Dance Craze, about 2-Tone, which is subtitled 'Rude Boys on the Road'. In May 2007, Bushell's column returned to the ''Daily Star Sunday''.


In August 2007, Bushell made a remark during a humorous exchange on the ] programme '']'' implying that homosexuality was a perversion, leading the regulator ] to find the segment in breach of standards for failing to justify offensive material by the context in which it was presented.<ref name="bbc6955065">{{cite news|title=Talksport rapped over gay jibes|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6955065.stm|work=BBC News|date=20 August 2007|access-date=4 July 2008}}</ref><ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930015033/http://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv/obb/prog_cb/obb91/issue91.pdf |date=30 September 2007 }}, 20 August 2007</ref>
==Family==
Bushell has five children; three with Carol Bushell (Julie, Danny, and Robert) and two with Tania Bushell (Jenna and Ciara). Tania Bushell performs as the ] singer Leah McCaffrey.<ref>http://www.garry-bushell.co.uk/autobiography/INDEX.ASP</ref> In November 2006, Bushell appeared on the ] programme '']'' and offered a sample of his ] for testing. The results suggested that he was 8% ]n, most likely the result of a single mating within the previous five generations.<ref>''The Herald'' (David Belcher)
14 November 2006 </ref> Bushell took the news with good humour and later wrote on his website "I’d be delighted if it were true." However, he questioned the science and the motivation of the programme makers, concluding:
<blockquote>
''Only Nazis, and it appears C4, think of national identity in terms of racial purity... Besides, you could apply the same tests to the French or Italians and get similar results, but no-one questions their right to nationhood.''
</blockquote>


Ofcom rejected talkSPORT's claims that the comments made had been "off the cuff", and talkSPORT issued a statement saying its staff had been "made aware" that what Bushell had said was "unacceptable".<ref name="bbc6955065" /><ref>, ''MediaGuardian.co.uk'', 20 August 2007</ref> Bushell later said that it was not homosexuality which he was referring to as a perversion, but the further lowering of the age of consent; and that his remarks were taken out of context. He has since left talkSPORT. In his 2009 book, ''The World According To...'', Bushell says he made the remark to wind up another broadcaster.
== Footnotes ==
<div class="references-small"><references/></div>


In 2007, Bushell started presenting a monthly punk and ] ] show on ], and the Heritage Foundation named Bushell "Critic of the Year". In 2009 he started an occasional punk and ska show called Rancid Sounds for Total Rock radio.<ref>''The Independent'' (Deborah Ross). , 25 June 2001</ref>
==External links==

*
In January 2024, Bushell retired from his ''Daily Star'' column, but brought the ''Bushell on the Box'' brand back to screens via ]'s ].<ref>https://ustreme.news/bushell-on-the-box-finds-new-home-at-ustreme/ {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref>

== Writing style ==
Bushell's columns are known for their ]s and ]s, such as describing something as being "as fair as ]'s ]" or (in his 1 May 2005 column) "Today's TV is so obsessively gay, it's a wonder the '']'' doesn't come with a pink ] wrap and a free glass of ]".{{Citation needed|date=May 2007}} His humour angered some ''Sun'' executives, such as ], but fans include ], ] and ], who has called him "the ] of the press."{{Citation needed|date=May 2007}} His tabloid column and writing style were once satirised in adult comic '']'', including a one-off comic strip titled ''Garry Bushell The Bear'', about a homophobic, xenophobic brown bear.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.viz.co.uk/strips.html |title=Viz Comic |publisher=Viz.co.uk |access-date=11 November 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090804181309/http://www.viz.co.uk/strips.html |archive-date=4 August 2009 }}</ref>

Responding to comments made by Bushell in the 25 November 1993 issue of ''The Sun'' ("Liberal permissiveness is eating the fabric of our society. You want ] peddling stomach-churning filth? You got 'em. Western values? Who needs 'em!"), John Martin's book ''Seduction of the Gullible: The Truth Behind the Video Nasty Scandal'' says: "hen Bushell isn't blustering about decency and Western values, he can be found gloating and cracking jokes in his column over such incidents as the death of several transvestites in a sex cinema fire."<ref>Martin, John. ''Seduction of the Gullible: The Truth Behind the Video Nasty Scandal''. p. 72. {{ISBN|0-9533261-8-7}}.</ref>

== Politics ==
Bushell started his political activism as a ] and was a member of the ] International Socialists (which became the ]). In 1986, in his '"On the Soap Box" column, Bushell raged against the middle classes, who he claimed had ruined the ]. He has opposed the ] and unfettered immigration, because he said it undercut working class wages. He has written articles supporting the ] meat porters who were fighting to preserve their market, and in favour of the ], working class comedians and ] girls.{{Citation needed|date=October 2007}} In the 2000s{{when|date=March 2024}}, his focus has been on patriotism and individual liberty. He has campaigned to have ] recognised as a public holiday in England, in the same way ] is a holiday in Ireland.{{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}

In the ], he stood as a candidate for the ], who promote the establishment of an ], and who wanted England to leave the European Union. Bushell got 1,216 votes (3.4% share) in the ] constituency, finishing fifth out of seven in a race won by ] of the ]. The result represented the high point for the English Democrats in the election, and Bushell finished ahead of the ] candidate in that constituency. Bushell also represented the party in ], in the delayed vote (due to the death of a candidate) on 23 June; winning 643 votes (2.51%). His campaign was supported by the ] and ]. He considered running for ] against ] in 2008,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.garry-bushell.co.uk|title=www.garry-bushell.co.uk|publisher=Garry-bushell.co.uk|access-date=11 November 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://garryformayor.co.uk |title=Garry for Mayor |publisher=Garryformayor.co.uk |access-date=11 November 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928044901/http://garryformayor.co.uk/ |archive-date=28 September 2007 }}</ref> but he pulled out of the race in January 2008 and stood aside for ]. Bushell announced on 7 December 2011 that he would join and support ].<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107053720/http://www.ukip.org/content/latest-news/2561-another-big-name-backs-ukip |date=7 January 2012 }}</ref> He is not now a member of any political party.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}}

=== Elections contested ===
'''UK General elections'''

{| class="wikitable"
! Date of election !! Constituency !! Party !! Votes !! %
|-
| ] || ] || ] || 1,216 || 3.4
|-
| ] || ] || English Democrats || 643 || 2.5
|-
|}

== Personal life ==
Bushell has five children – three with Carol Bushell (Julie, Danny and Rob) and two with Tania Bushell (Jenna and Ciara)– and lives in Sidcup, South East London.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}}

== Bibliography ==
;Novels
* ''The Face'' (2001)
* ''Two-Faced'' (2004)
* ''Face Down'' (2013)
* ''All or Nothing'' (2019)
* ''Hell Bent'' (2019)

;Non-fiction
* ''Running Free – The Authorised Biography of Iron Maiden'' (1984)
* ''Twister Sister – The First Official Book'' (1985)
* ''Diary of a Mad Man'' (with Mick Wall) (1985)
* ''The Best of Garry's Goofs'' (1992)
* ''Cockney Reject'' (with Jeff Turner) (2005)
* ''The World According to Garry Bushell'' (2008)
* ''Hoolies'' (2010)
* ''Now This Is a Very True Story'' (2010)
* ''Dance Craze – Rude Boys on the Road'' (2012)
* ''Time for Action'' (2012)
* ''1001 Reasons EastEnders Is 'Pony''' (2015)
* ''Sounds of Glory'' (2016)
* ''1979: The Ska Revival'' (2019)
* ''1979: Time For Action, The Mod Revival'' (2019)

== Discography ==
*''The Gonads: Live – The Official Bootleg'' (1984)
*''Live & Loud'' (1988)
*''Back and Barking'' (1999)
*''Schitz-Oi!-Phrenia'' (2001)
*''Old Boots, No Panties'' (2006)
*''Live Free, Die Free'' (2009)
*''Glorious Bastards'' (2010)
*''Greater Hits Volume One: Plums'' (2011)
*''Greater Hits Volume Two: The Mutt's Nuts'' (2012)
*''Built for Destruction'' (2013)
*''Greater Hits Volume Three: The Complete Cobblers'' (2015)
*''London Bawling'' (2016)
*''All the Loon Stompers'' (2017)
*''American Gonads'' (2018)

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commonscat}}
*
* {{IMDb name|0124240}}
* *
* *
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070401202229/http://www.totalrock.com/podcast/RancidSounds.xml |date=1 April 2007 }}
*
* *

*
{{Authority control}}


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Latest revision as of 12:09, 6 November 2024

English journalist, musician and activist
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (January 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Garry Bushell
Bushell in 2014Bushell in 2014
Born (1955-05-13) 13 May 1955 (age 69)
Woolwich, London, England
OccupationMusician, music journalist, author, political activist, television presenter
Subject
  • Music
  • television
Years active1973–present
Children5

Garry Bushell (born 13 May 1955) is an English newspaper columnist, rock music journalist, television presenter, author, musician and political activist. Bushell also sings in the Cockney Oi! bands GBX and the Gonads. He managed the New York City Oi! band Maninblack until the death of the band frontman Andre Schlessinger. Bushell's recurring topical themes are comedy, country and class. He has campaigned for an English Parliament, a Benny Hill statue and for variety and talent shows on TV. He has been a columnist for several newspapers, including The Sun, The People and the Daily Star Sunday, and has worked as the review editor for the Sunday Express.

Early life and music career

The son of a fireman, Bushell attended Charlton Manor School and Colfe's School (which was then a grammar school). At secondary school, he first performed in the group Pink Tent, which was heavily influenced by Monty Python. They wrote songs and comedy sketches; performed at parties and at each other's houses. Bushell was involved in the National Union of School Students and the Schools Action Union, a socialist organisation that had a strong situationist streak that led them to mix schoolboy hijinks with student activism. He worked for Shell as a messenger, and then the London Fire Brigade before attending North East London Polytechnic and the London College of Printing simultaneously.

Pink Tent evolved into 1977 punk band the Gonads, who have also described themselves Oi!, punk pathetique and "Oi-Tone" because they play ska and street punk. Many of their songs are comical party tunes, but they have occasionally written more serious material. Two examples of their songs that include social commentary are "Dying for a Pint" (which comments on nightclub bouncer brutality) and "Jobs Not Jails" (a critique of the Margaret Thatcher government's policies).

Lars Frederiksen, guitarist and vocalist for the punk rock band Rancid, with journalist Garry Bushell

Other Bushell musical projects have included the bands Prole, Orgasm Guerrillas, the Ska-Nads and Lord Waistrel & the Cosh Boys. Prole was a socialist punk band that also included Steve Kent, the original guitarist of the Oi! band the Business. Bushell managed the Blood and Cockney Rejects, getting them their EMI deal. He also got Twisted Sister signed in the UK to Secret Records. He compiled the first four Oi! compilation albums and contributed songs to later collections.

Journalism and writing

In 1973, at the age of 18, Bushell joined the International Socialists and started writing for their newspaper Socialist Worker. He also wrote for Temporary Hoarding, Rebel, and his own punk fanzine Napalm, and edited the North East London Polytechnic Student Union magazine NEPAM. From 1978 to 1985, he wrote for Sounds magazine, covering punk and other street-level music genres, such as 2 Tone, the new wave of British heavy metal and the mod revival. Bushell was at the forefront of covering the Oi! subgenre, also known as real punk or street punk. In 1981, when Strength Thru Oi! was released, it was controversial because its title was a play on a Nazi slogan, "Strength Through Joy", and the cover featured Nicky Crane, a British Movement activist who was serving a four-year sentence for racist violence. Garry Bushell, who was responsible for compiling the album, insists its title was a pun on The Skids' EP Strength Through Joy and that he had been unaware of the Nazi connotations. He also denied knowing the identity of the skinhead on the album's cover until it was exposed by the Daily Mail two months later. The original cover model had been Carlton Leach. The same year, Bushell wrote the book Dance Craze – the 2-Tone story, and in 1984, he wrote the Iron Maiden biography Running Free.

His scathing reviews of the early punk incarnation of Adam and the Ants led to him being name-checked, along with veteran NME writer Nick Kent, in the band's song "Press Darlings", containing the line "If passion ends in fashion, Bushell is the best dressed man in town." On the studio version, immediately after this line, lead singer Adam Ant can be heard muttering "You can say that again, the scruffy sod!" Bushell also attracted the attentions of Crass who responded to his criticisms with the song "Hurry Up Garry" and the Notsensibles who released the song "Garry Bushell's Band Of The Week".

Bushell moved to Fleet Street in 1985, working for The Sun, Evening Standard and the Daily Mirror. He went back to The Sun to write its "Bizarre" column and to be the showbusiness editor. In 1991, he briefly became assistant editor of the Daily Star, where he wrote a current affairs column called "Walk Tall With Bushell", as well as his TV column. Three months later, he quit and returned to The Sun.

In 1994, Bushell was named critic of the year at the UK Press Awards. In the mid-1990s, Bushell hosted the TV programme Bushell on the Box, commenting on the week's TV programmes. The show included rants, interviews, star guests and comedy sketches. It ran for 50 episodes and was number one on ITV's Night Network. The following year, Bushell became resident critic on Jonathan Ross's ITV series The Big Big Talent Show. He also hosted Garry Bushell Reveals All for Granada Men & Motors. He has appeared on a wide range of other shows, including Celebrity Squares, Noel's House Party, Drop! The Celebrity, Newsnight and This Morning. In 2001, he was resident TV critic of The Big Breakfast.

In 2001, Bushell's crime novel The Face about undercover detective Harry Tyler was serialised in the Daily Star, leading to his dismissal from The Sun, even though the book's publisher John Blake admitted Bushell had no knowledge of the serialisation deal. After he was dismissed, he started legal proceedings against The Sun who settled out of court.

In 2002, Bushell published the book King of Telly: The Best of Bushell on the Box, containing highlights of his column. He has since published two more Harry Tyler novels, Two-Faced and Facedown. A fourth is due out in 2021.

After The Sun, Bushell wrote for The People until 18 February 2007 when he left to work on books and screenplays. He announced his resignation as a TV critic, stating that he was becoming depressed at the state of British television. In 2005, Bushell co-wrote Cockney Reject, the autobiography of Jeff "Stinky" Turner (née Geggus) of punk band Cockney Rejects, and penned a film script for Join the Rejects – Get Yourself Killed, an abortive feature film project on the band which was replaced by a documentary film, East End Babylon.

Garry Bushell with singer and actress Patti Boulaye

Bushell has published his own autobiography, Bushell on the Rampage, a book attacking the BBC soap opera EastEnders called 1001 Reasons EastEnders is Pony, and a book on UK youth subcultures called Hoolies. He has also co-written the autobiography of Cockney comic Jimmy Jones, Now This is a Very True Story, published in 2011 and a new expanded version of Dance Craze, about 2-Tone, which is subtitled 'Rude Boys on the Road'. In May 2007, Bushell's column returned to the Daily Star Sunday.

In August 2007, Bushell made a remark during a humorous exchange on the Talksport programme Football First implying that homosexuality was a perversion, leading the regulator Ofcom to find the segment in breach of standards for failing to justify offensive material by the context in which it was presented.

Ofcom rejected talkSPORT's claims that the comments made had been "off the cuff", and talkSPORT issued a statement saying its staff had been "made aware" that what Bushell had said was "unacceptable". Bushell later said that it was not homosexuality which he was referring to as a perversion, but the further lowering of the age of consent; and that his remarks were taken out of context. He has since left talkSPORT. In his 2009 book, The World According To..., Bushell says he made the remark to wind up another broadcaster.

In 2007, Bushell started presenting a monthly punk and ska podcast show on TotalRock, and the Heritage Foundation named Bushell "Critic of the Year". In 2009 he started an occasional punk and ska show called Rancid Sounds for Total Rock radio.

In January 2024, Bushell retired from his Daily Star column, but brought the Bushell on the Box brand back to screens via Jim Davidson's Ustreme.

Writing style

Bushell's columns are known for their similes and metaphors, such as describing something as being "as fair as Frank Bruno's arse" or (in his 1 May 2005 column) "Today's TV is so obsessively gay, it's a wonder the Radio Times doesn't come with a pink Versace wrap and a free glass of Muscadet". His humour angered some Sun executives, such as Rebekah Wade, but fans include Barbara Windsor, Dom Joly and Roy Hudd, who has called him "the Max Miller of the press." His tabloid column and writing style were once satirised in adult comic Viz, including a one-off comic strip titled Garry Bushell The Bear, about a homophobic, xenophobic brown bear.

Responding to comments made by Bushell in the 25 November 1993 issue of The Sun ("Liberal permissiveness is eating the fabric of our society. You want video nasties peddling stomach-churning filth? You got 'em. Western values? Who needs 'em!"), John Martin's book Seduction of the Gullible: The Truth Behind the Video Nasty Scandal says: "hen Bushell isn't blustering about decency and Western values, he can be found gloating and cracking jokes in his column over such incidents as the death of several transvestites in a sex cinema fire."

Politics

Bushell started his political activism as a socialist and was a member of the Trotskyist International Socialists (which became the Socialist Workers Party). In 1986, in his '"On the Soap Box" column, Bushell raged against the middle classes, who he claimed had ruined the Labour Party. He has opposed the European Union and unfettered immigration, because he said it undercut working class wages. He has written articles supporting the Smithfield meat porters who were fighting to preserve their market, and in favour of the UDR Four, working class comedians and Page 3 girls. In the 2000s, his focus has been on patriotism and individual liberty. He has campaigned to have St George's Day recognised as a public holiday in England, in the same way St Patrick's Day is a holiday in Ireland.

In the 2005 General Election, he stood as a candidate for the English Democrats Party, who promote the establishment of an English Parliament, and who wanted England to leave the European Union. Bushell got 1,216 votes (3.4% share) in the Greenwich and Woolwich constituency, finishing fifth out of seven in a race won by Nick Raynsford of the Labour Party. The result represented the high point for the English Democrats in the election, and Bushell finished ahead of the UK Independence Party candidate in that constituency. Bushell also represented the party in South Staffordshire, in the delayed vote (due to the death of a candidate) on 23 June; winning 643 votes (2.51%). His campaign was supported by the Campaign for an English Parliament and Veritas. He considered running for Mayor of London against Ken Livingstone in 2008, but he pulled out of the race in January 2008 and stood aside for Matt O'Connor. Bushell announced on 7 December 2011 that he would join and support UKIP. He is not now a member of any political party.

Elections contested

UK General elections

Date of election Constituency Party Votes %
2005 Greenwich & Woolwich English Democrats 1,216 3.4
2005 Staffordshire South English Democrats 643 2.5

Personal life

Bushell has five children – three with Carol Bushell (Julie, Danny and Rob) and two with Tania Bushell (Jenna and Ciara)– and lives in Sidcup, South East London.

Bibliography

Novels
  • The Face (2001)
  • Two-Faced (2004)
  • Face Down (2013)
  • All or Nothing (2019)
  • Hell Bent (2019)
Non-fiction
  • Running Free – The Authorised Biography of Iron Maiden (1984)
  • Twister Sister – The First Official Book (1985)
  • Diary of a Mad Man (with Mick Wall) (1985)
  • The Best of Garry's Goofs (1992)
  • Cockney Reject (with Jeff Turner) (2005)
  • The World According to Garry Bushell (2008)
  • Hoolies (2010)
  • Now This Is a Very True Story (2010)
  • Dance Craze – Rude Boys on the Road (2012)
  • Time for Action (2012)
  • 1001 Reasons EastEnders Is 'Pony' (2015)
  • Sounds of Glory (2016)
  • 1979: The Ska Revival (2019)
  • 1979: Time For Action, The Mod Revival (2019)

Discography

  • The Gonads: Live – The Official Bootleg (1984)
  • Live & Loud (1988)
  • Back and Barking (1999)
  • Schitz-Oi!-Phrenia (2001)
  • Old Boots, No Panties (2006)
  • Live Free, Die Free (2009)
  • Glorious Bastards (2010)
  • Greater Hits Volume One: Plums (2011)
  • Greater Hits Volume Two: The Mutt's Nuts (2012)
  • Built for Destruction (2013)
  • Greater Hits Volume Three: The Complete Cobblers (2015)
  • London Bawling (2016)
  • All the Loon Stompers (2017)
  • American Gonads (2018)

References

  1. "The Official Online Press Kit!". Maninblack. Retrieved 11 November 2009.
  2. Eaton, Duncan (30 December 2006). "Hampshire town tipped to host statue for Benny Hill". Southern Daily Echo. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  3. Twisted Sister – The Official Story – authorized biography
  4. "Garry Bushell Interview". Peom.co.uk. Archived from the original on 17 May 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2009.
  5. "Oi! – The Truth by Garry Bushell". www.garry-bushell.co.uk. Archived from the original on 31 July 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2009.
  6. ^ "Press Darlings". Antlady.nl. Retrieved 11 November 2009.
  7. www.garry-bushell.co.uk – Garry Bushell by Garry Johnson Archived 24 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  8. "Bushell on the Box". www.garry-bushell.co.uk. 3 September 1939. Archived from the original on 16 July 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2009.
  9. ^ "Talksport rapped over gay jibes". BBC News. 20 August 2007. Retrieved 4 July 2008.
  10. Ofcom Broadcast Bulletin – Issue no. 91 Archived 30 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine, 20 August 2007
  11. TalkSport rapped for homophobia, MediaGuardian.co.uk, 20 August 2007
  12. The Independent (Deborah Ross). For Garry, England and St George: Interview – Garry Bushell, 25 June 2001
  13. https://ustreme.news/bushell-on-the-box-finds-new-home-at-ustreme/
  14. "Viz Comic". Viz.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 August 2009. Retrieved 11 November 2009.
  15. Martin, John. Seduction of the Gullible: The Truth Behind the Video Nasty Scandal. p. 72. ISBN 0-9533261-8-7.
  16. "www.garry-bushell.co.uk". Garry-bushell.co.uk. Retrieved 11 November 2009.
  17. "Garry for Mayor". Garryformayor.co.uk. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 11 November 2009.
  18. "Bushell joins UKIP party" Archived 7 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine

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