For I The Badger's “All Hail”: A Rowdy Punk Rebellion from Lincoln’s DIY Underground

For I The Badger is one of the most potent voices of protest built from the ground up in Lincoln, England with punk power and lyrical insight to the core. Autonomously in their practice room, this DIY punk anthem was born to be the voice of the driven youth, and it singles out 40 years of social and political decay. Even more than a track, “All Hail” is a statement, a weapon of punk confrontation in the direct lineage of the genre’s historic roots.

Composed of Stuart Whelan (vocals/guitar), Scott Mumby (bass/backing vocals), Ben Owen (drums), and Sam Atkin (recording, mixing, mastering, synths), the band is a model of artistic freedom and self-sufficiency. Every bit of the one-shot live instrumental performance and the unfiltered lyrical delivery screams authenticity. By situating themselves among the likes of Idles, Sleaford Mods, Fugazi, and Pigs x7, For I The Badger not only keep pace with the most politically engaged punk bands of the present era but also go on to develop their distinctively UK punk heritage.

The song “All Hail” is a strong denunciation of populism, double standards, and lying politicians. It levels the fire of its critique against the 40 years of history that saw Thatcher’s miner strikes, Blair’s Iraq lies, the constant Tory corruption, and the surge of right-wing nationalism, among other things. The line “There are more pigs than men, more dogs than both of them” is the one that most unequivocally reveals the twisted power structure. At the same time, the rather ominous image of “bitches drown” suggests how systemic inequality is an ongoing story of the vulnerable being trampled by the strong. This is protest poetry with a fist in your face, but also with the truth.

The live spirit is very much present, as the song was recorded in one take. The drum and bass section comes across as a riot; guitars cut through with a sense of urgency; and Stuart’s voice, a mixture of a snarl and a sermon, demands focus. There is no attempt to make the recording sound perfect; only an effort is made to bring out its strengths. The roughness of the recording is intentional, mirroring a world that is coming apart, yet from which the rulers still smile for the cameras.

For I The Badger is not just making talk with “All Hail, ” but giving it meaning. The band is outside the mainstream media, which, in their view, helps keep the system that punks have always been fighting against, rather than breaking it down. They are real, raw, and their existence is imperative.