The third episode of Season 2 of the Beats & Boots podcast is now live. This series digs into the roots, sounds, and spirit of skinheads, rude boys, skin girls, and punks – with a focus on music, culture, and unity, while cutting through the media noise and pushing back against prejudice.

Symond’s journey into the skinhead subculture began in the late 1970s in London, right as the movement was evolving into its second wave. In this episode, he brings a sharp insider’s view as we dive into the history, politics, and spirit of the scene – both past and present.

We explore how the early days of skinhead culture were shaped by a unique blend of Jamaican rude boy energy and British working-class grit, forming something raw, fresh, and full of swagger. What did it feel like to be there when it all kicked off? What was the sound, the look, the attitude?

Symond also doesn’t shy away from the harder questions: the misrepresentation of skinheads in the media, the political pressures of the time, and how the movement was hijacked and misunderstood. He offers grounded insight into how the scene endured, adapted, and survived.

To round it off, we turn to Brighton, home of the annual Great Skinhead Reunion. Symond shares what keeps the event alive after all these years, and why it still matters today to skinheads across the globe.