Scanner Zine

Year-end recommendations - 2011

2012-01-02T19:52:00.000+13:00

Everyone else seems to do a year-end best of list, so here are mine. Have to say, the musical highlight for me (and many others it seems) was the Steve Ignorant Crass Songs tour that arrived here in New Zealand in back in July. It really was something I never expected to see - and I certainly didn’t expect it to be executed with such aplomb.

Here goes....

ALBUMS

1. FUCKED UP - David Comes To Life {Matador}

2. STEVE ADAMYK BAND - Forever Won’t Wait {Dirtnap}

3. VISIONS OF CHANGE/ THE DEPRAVED - s/t {Boss Tuneage}

4. CUTE LEPERS - Adventure Time {Damaged Goods}

5. NIGHT BIRDS - The Other Side Of Darkness {Grave Mistake}

6. SECTION 13 - Burning Bridges {Boss Tuneage}

7. GENERATORS - Last Of The Pariahs {DC-Jam}

8. CULTURE SHOCK - Everything {Blurrg!}

9. DWARVES - Are Born Again {MVD}

10. SCREECHING WEASEL - First World Manifesto {Fat Wreck}

Notable mentions: ZOUNDS - Redemption Of Zounds {Overground}, STANDOUT RIOT - Gentlemen Bandits {TNS}, TIM BARRY - 28th And Stonewall {Suburban Home}, MEASURE (SA) - Notes {No Idea}, DIRECT HIT! - Domesplitter {Kind Of Like}, FAITH - Subject To Change + First Demo {Dischord}, BANGERS - Small Pleasures (Kiss Of Death}, DOPAMINES - Expect The Worst {Paper And Plastick}, DEEP SLEEP - Turn Me Off {Grave Mistake}, HDQ - Hung, Drawn And Quartered + You Suck {Boss Tuneage}.

SINGLES/ EPS

1. THE SHIRKS - Cry Cry Cry {Grave Mistake}

2. THE MAGNIFICENT - 1981 {Drunken Sailor}

3. JELLO BIAFRA AND THE GUANTANAMO SCHOOL OF MEDICINE - Enhanced Methods Of Questioning {Alternative Tentacles}

4. JD AND THE FDCS - Burn This City Down {Delerict Records}

5. COBRA SKULLS - Bringing The War Home {Fat Wreck}

I should mention a couple of books that have impressed me this year also. The first was ALICE BAG’s autobiography ‘Violence Girl’ and the other was ‘Taking Punk To The Masses’. Both are well worth your time.

For further info on all of the above, check the appropriate reviews on the Scanner site.

Show Time!

2011-12-26T20:00:00.001+13:00

OFF! - CHAINSAW HOOKERS - PROJECT MAYHEM - Amplifier Bar, Perth, Australia - 3rd December 2011

I'd never been to Amplifier Bar before, but heard plenty of shitty things about it from other people. It seemed like a completely average venue-cum-club to me. Apparently it turns into a townie disco at the stroke of midnight, curtailing any gigs that inexplicably want to run on later than that. Personally, if the bands around here actually shared backlines (like a community) then changeovers would be 5-10 minutes instead of 25 minutes, and a four-band show could be done in under three hours instead of dragging on all bloody night. But I digress.. The stage was a sensible height, with no barrier (something a lot of these places seem to love sticking up) and kinda diagonal in a corner. Overall, the setting seemed good for a band like OFF! to get people moving.

OFF! came on shortly after we got there - having intentionally sat out the first two (rubbish, local) bands in the pub around the corner - but considering the pedigree of the main band, the venue seemed barely half-full - we were able to stand front and center without any problems. Keith Morris fitted the cliché of "seeming shorter in person", and compared to the majority of spare-tired early-Eighties hardcore dudes I've seen still playing in recent years, he looked in pretty great shape for a geezer of fifty-five.

From the live sound on two of their three "videos", and the 'Live At Generation Records' 7" I knew they'd be good, but as soon as they crashed into 'Black Thoughts' everyone went nuts. I can't remember the last time I saw/dodged quite so many stage-divers. The band barely stopped, aside from a brief explanation behind the eulogising song 'Jeffery Lee Peirce', (who was the singer of THE GUN CLUB, and one of Keith's closest friends), The set was something like 16 songs long, which simultaneously seemed to last forever while it was happening, and then seemed to end horribly quickly. The band were tight and energetic, and despite the vocals being a bit low, sounded altogether incredible. After the last notes rang out, the sweaty masses began demanding "ONE MORE SONG! ONE MORE SONG!" (I wanted at least a dozen!), before the band re-appeared. Keith explained that when BLACK FLAG were starting out and they didn't have enough songs for a full-set, they'd do what they were about to do tonight, and start over. So then we got the first two songs over again ('Black Thoughts' and 'Darkness'), I was half hoping they would do the entire lot - but even that pair made the room go mad. All in all, it was an awesome show and clearly they're a band doing it for the love of it, not to make a quick buck. (Their shirts and merch were cheaper than the local bands'.)
Alex Leech (Jerk Store zine)

Obituary - Kevin Mahoney

2011-10-21T19:59:00.006+13:00

On Friday 14th October, Kevin J Mahoney, former vocalist in American Hardcore band SIEGE, passed away. The cause of death is not clear, but his obituary states it was sudden while other sources suggests he passed away in his sleep.

Mahoney was born on 6th September 1965 and came to Punk Rock prominence in 1983 when - as vocalist and saxophonist - he joined Kurt Habelt, Henry McNamee and Rob Williams to complete the line-up of Weymouth, Massachusetts band, SIEGE. Although Mahoney was from Braintree, MA (closer to Boston and home to both JERRY'S KIDS and GANG GREEN), SIEGE was never truly accepted by Boston's XClaim scene.

In 1984, the band recorded it's hyper-speed, brutal Hardcore sound at Radiobeat Studios with Lou Giordano. The six track demo, 'Drop Dead', won SIEGE the support of Pushead who, in 1985, put three of the band's songs on his compilation, 'Cleanse The Bacteria'. These three tracks were the only 'official' release the band released, although a number of compilations have since come to the surface.

The same year, the band was set to play its first New York City show at the legendary CBGBS, supporting THE NECROS. Mahoney failed to show up and the band split-up soon after. They did reform briefly in the early 1990s, but this was without Mahoney's inclusion.

At the time of his passing, Kevin was working in the IT department at Children’s Hospital Boston, where he had served in many capacities in his several years there. Prior to Children’s, Kevin worked for many years - beginning in 1992 - in the IT department at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston.

Donations in memory of Kevin may be made to Juvenile Diabetes Reseach Foundation 60 Walnut Street #102, Wellesley,Ma 02581. To leave online condolences please go to the McDonald Funeral Home web site at www.McDonald-FuneralHomes.com

Show Time!

2011-07-05T19:41:00.000+12:00

STEVE IGNORANT PRESENTS: THE LAST SUPPER (CRASS SONGS 1977 - 1984) - THE BROOD, Kings Arms, Auckland, New Zealand - 19th June 2011

As much as I love life here in New Zealand, I recall that back in 2007 I was rather pissed off to be here instead in my country of birth, England. Y’see, I was just too young to see CRASS. They split when I was 15 and, if I am honest, back then they didn’t register too much on my musical horizon. I was in my mid-late teens when I bought ‘Feeding Of The 5000’ and I really failed to appreciate the music and the message at that stage. I kept returning to the record though, and over the years my love of CRASS, and the message the band conveyed, increased.

Thirty years on from that aforementioned (and now infamous) CRASS record came the news that inspired and ignited my discontent: Steve Ignorant was staging two shows to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the release of ‘Feeding...’ during which the record would be played in full “Yep,” I thought, “life in NZ can really suck.”

Spring forward a few years and more UK dates are announced. Neat. Then a US tour. Lucky Yanks. Then, low and behold, some Australian and New Zealand dates! Yep, thanks to the mercurial talents of Tim Edwards at Punk Rock Road Trips, STEVE IGNORANT was bringing the CRASS SONGS show to New Zealand. And yes, I was going.

Of course this was not CRASS, and those who believe they have ‘seen CRASS’ on the strength of these shows are woefully misguided, but it’s probably as close as I am ever likely to get. There has been the cries of ‘sellout’ of course, which I really could not give a fuck about. Those doing such finger pointing really need to get a grip on reality; there is no corporate promoter involved here, there is no ridiculous rider provided, tickets are priced much more reasonably than some of the more ‘right-on’ bands that come to NZ (the soon-due RISE AGAINST and SICK OF IT ALL shows at the same venue are over double what Ignorant was charging) and the band is not a bunch of jaded session musicians doing the tour for a salary.

My greater worry was the fact that Ignorant himself could be just a tired old man, reliving past glories in the most embarrassing of ways. That theory was partly dispelled on my arrival as there was Steve Ignorant in the bar, happily chatting to anyone and everyone who wanted to say, “Hello” and get their photo taken with him. I found him a very warm, personable and witty man - why should he be anything else? If CRASS stood for just one thing, it was sincerity. There was certainly no sense of egotism about him, which is further evidence against the hipster-elite claims of ‘selling out’.

I had to pity THE BROOD somewhat. The Kings Arms is not a massive venue. There is a stage of approx 3-4ft high, a bar, minimal seating and a capacity of, I’m guessing, 500. Essentially, the band can clearly see its audience - and any ambivalence it may display. The band started well, with tense bass-heavy riffs that brought to mind GANG OF FOUR meets FUGAZI-lite. Ultimately the inoffensive nature of the sound lead to distraction for those waiting for one of Punk’s most significant sons. Distraction could be read as evacuation as there seemed to be more amassed in the beer garden than the actual venue.

A familiar descending bass line followed by the even more familiar words, “Yes that’s right, Punk is Dead. It’s just another cheap product for the consumer’s head” signalled the arrival of Steve Ignorant and the exodus from the beer garden. Any thoughts that Ignorant was just a ‘tired old man’ were instantly dispelled. His vocal was still passionate and angry and he certainly wasn’t simply going through the motions. He spent the performance acting out song lyrics, contorting his body and delivering a full-on vocal. It was also clear that some of the most infamous CRASS songs were gonna be dealt with early when ‘Do They Owe Us A Living’ followed.

The band, consisting of Gizz Butt on guitar, Pete Wilson on bass, Spike T Smith on drums and Carol Hodge taking over the female vocals, played the songs faithfully but added a new dimension to them, especially from Spike’s bombastic drumming and the dazzling talents of Gizz on guitar.

As per CRASS days, images flashed on the screen at the back of the stage, most dramatically during ‘They’ve Got A Bomb’ which also signalled the first spine-tingling moment. Up to that point, there did seem to be something missing, a certain intensity maybe, but this song, particularly in nuclear-free New Zealand, certainly revived all the impending fears of imminent nuclear destruction that most UK citizens had in the Cold War days of the 80s.

From here, it was literally the best of CRASS: ‘Mother Earth’ was electrifying with Gizz taking on the opening news-reel vocal; ‘Bata Motel’ saw Carol take the spot light for the first time and do a stellar job; ‘What Next Columbus’ was attacked with a pace and intensity that was literally breath-taking and ‘Rival Tribal Revel Rebel’ and ‘I Ain’t Thick, It’s Just A Trick’ provided the evening’s pogo opportunities.

It was the encores though that really left me numb with a finale of ‘Shaved Women’ and the best track CRASS wrote in ‘Bloody Revolutions’. The former was a screaming, mechanical diatribe of frightening proportions while the sentiments and performance of the latter could feasibly be up there with the best live performances I have ever seen. Both tracks left me wondering what the effect would’ve been of seeing CRASS do them back in the 80s; I can only but wonder but these versions left me disorientated and in awe.

For the Auckland crowd, that sense of awe was apparent throughout. I understand why those in the UK who did see CRASS in their hey-day look upon these shows as Crass-on-45, but for those who never saw CRASS this proved to be no let down - just the opposite in fact. The songs played this evening have, for many, gone on to form the listener's identity, awaken them to the evils inherent in the system and those who support it unquestioningly. To have the vocalist on those songs resuscitate them in such a formidable way on a live platform and to do it all with dignity, commitment and in a spirit which certainly does not tarnish the CRASS name, really does make more of a mockery of those who view this as Crass Karaoke than it does of Steve Ignorant himself. An excellent night and one which fulfilled the hopes of many who attended. Still an inspirational figure.
More pics at www.facebook.com/steve.scanner

Obituary - Poly Styrene

2011-04-27T19:56:00.000+12:00

“Some people think little girls should be seen and not heard; But I think Oh Bondage Up Yours!”
Those were the first detonating words I ever heard from one Marianne Joan Elliott-Said, who is better known to all as Poly Styrene, vocalist in the band X-RAY SPEX. I was mid-teens and the song that followed, ‘Oh Bondage Up Yours’, sounded screeching and a tad annoying. But, the energy of the song captivated, inciting me to play it again... and again. The b-side, ‘I Am A Cliché’, had an equally abrasive almost unorthodox vocal and just as much jarring energy, but it was ‘Oh Bondage...’ that lured me into the day-glo world of X-RAY SPEX. Soon after I managed to hear another track, ‘Identity’. I was hooked.
Incredibly, that was 27 years ago and the memory is still extraordinarily vivid, as is the sleeve of that ‘Oh Bondage...’ 7” with Poly’s eyes staring out and that jagged, orange logo embedded over the black and white image.
I’ve been thinking a lot about that day when her raw but emotive vocal made my tender, 14-yr-old ears prick up. I started reading rumours just yesterday of the passing of Poly Styrene; there seemed little in the way of confirmation but today her passing, on 25 April 2011 due to advanced breast cancer, was confirmed.
Marianne Elliott-Said was born on 3 July 1957 in Bromley, Kent. She was the daughter of a dispossessed Somali aristocrat but raised by her mother who was a legal secretary. After a flirtation with the hippie culture, she cut her first record in 1976. Under the name of Mari Elliot, the single was a Reggae song titled ‘Silly Billy’. It was after seeing the SEX PISTOLS that she placed an ad requesting ‘young punx’ to form a band. It was also at this stage she re-christened herself as Poly Styrene.
The resulting band was, of course X-RAY SPEX. The band’s history is well documented elsewhere but clearly, they became one of the most instantly recognisable bands from that original wave of Punk. They played twice during the first 100 days of the infamous Roxy club with the band appearing on the ‘Live At The Roxy WC2’ album. The sound, as stated was a strident, energetic and slightly discordant rush, with Laura Logic’s saxophone and Poly's natural, untutored howl setting the sound apart from any other band on the fledgling Punk scene. And visually, Poly herself instantly stood out from the crowd with her mixed-race ethnicity, prominent thick braces (on her teeth that is!) and day-glo wardrobe. She also rebelled against the stereotypical notion of the female pin-up and championed the roll of female equality stating, “There's nothing wrong with beauty, but whether it's actually helping the female cause of being equal to men, you have to judge for yourself."
November 1978 saw the release of the classic ‘Germ Free Adolescents’ album – an album which has stood the test of time as well as any of the classic albums (and much better in many cases) of the era.
In 1979 Styrene left the band. A Jazz-influenced album, ‘Translucence’, followed the next year. In 1983 she became a follower of the Hare Krishna movement and was initiated as a devotee while living at the Bhaktivedanta Manor. During this time, she released the EP ‘God’s and Godesses’. She remained in the movement until 1988.
Less fortunate news occurred in 1991 when she was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder (this following a misdiagnosis of schizophrenia in the very late 70s). The same year, X-RAY SPEX reformed for a sell-out gig at the Brixton Academy with another reformation occurring in 1995 and the recording of the ‘Conscious Consumer’ album.
Another solo album, this time a set of soothing musical mantras – ‘Flower Aeroplane’ – was released in 2004.
In September 2008, to celebrate 30 years since the release of the ‘Germ Free Adolescents’ album, a gig at the Roundhouse saw Styrene and the band play the album in its entirety. The same year also saw Styrene hook with John Robb’s GOLDBLADE for a one-off Christmas single, the rather excellent ‘City Of Christmas Ghosts’.
As recently as March of this year with the single ‘Virtual Boyfriend’ and the succeeding, critically-acclaimed album, ‘Generation Indigo’, Styrene was back in the public eye and warmly received at that. "I just channel my songs like a medium," she said of the new material. "If my friends like them, then I'm quite happy that they're good songs." She had planned to take the new songs on tour.
The album was a particularly poignant and triumphant release due to the fact that, just one month earlier in an interview with the Sunday Times, Styrene had talked of her battle with breast cancer and of the fact that it had spread to her spine and lungs.
On Monday 25 April 2011, aged 53, bed-bound due to a fall that broke her back in two places, she passed away as a result of the cancer.
She is survived by her mother and daughter, Celeste Bell-Dos Santos.

Additional obituary here.

Obituary - Phil Vane

2011-03-20T10:35:00.001+13:00

As you may already be aware of at the time of writing, on 17th February 2011, Phil Vane - vocalist in EXTREME NOISE TERROR - passed away in his sleep at the age of just 46. No official cause has yet been stated.
I’ve abstained from writing anything prior to this because, unlike Ari Up or Jim Carroll who are also written about here, I came from the same town as Phil (Ipswich, England) and since my first involvement in the Ipswich Punk scene, Phil was usually present at many of the early events that I attended. I can’t claim to actually have known Phil; he probably knew me by sight (at least, prior to my move to NZ that was), but via many nights seeing ENT play face-meltingly intense sets at the Ipswich Caribbean Club (and a hazily remembered gig at Murrayside Youth Club before that among others), I certainly felt that I knew him.

I also wanted to wait until after Phil’s funeral... It just seemed to be more respectful to me than penning something hastily thrown together in the immediate wake of the tragic news.

As a frontman he had an imposing presence, especially in those early ENT days where, dreadlocked and animated, he shared the front of the stage with fellow vocalist Dean Jones as the band beat out what is still some of the most intense sounds ever heard. But Phil was no novice to the Punk Rock stage...

Before the formation of ENT in December 1984, Phil had already been in both FREESTATE and VICTIMS OF WAR along with ENT guitarist Pete Hurley. ENT (line-up completed by Dean Jones - vocals, Jerry Clay - bass and Dazz ‘Pigkiller’ Olley - drums) debuted as a band at Murrayside in October 1985 supporting CHAOS UK. The band also made its recording debut with CHAOS UK on the 1986 split, Manic Ears released, ‘Earslaughter’.

1987 saw the band record the first of four John Peel sessions before the visceral debut album, ‘A Holocaust In Your Head’ was released the following year. Through various line-up changes, ENT continued releasing more records and touring Europe and Japan.

In 1991, Phil - along with Roki (ex-SCREAMING HOLOCAUST) - formed OPTIMUM WOUND PROFILE, a band that mixed hi-tech sampling and programming technology with Punk and Metal influences to create an intense Industrial sound. The band recorded two albums with Phil, before he left in 1994 prior to the release of the band’s final album.

1991 also saw ENT collaborate with THE KLF, re-recording the latter's ‘3am Eternal’. The bands appeared on the Brit Awards in 1992 (not aided by sabotaged sound), causing controversy by firing blanks into the audience!

Phil left ENT for a brief spell in NAPALM DEATH before returning in 1997, only to leave again in 1999. After a spell in Switzerland, Phil re-joined ENT once again in 2006 in which he remained until his passing.

A funeral was held for Phil in Norwich on March 15th 2011 with a wake at the nearby York Tavern. A message on ENT’s website requested, “Please all Punks come in full force.”

It’s heartening to read writings from those who did know Phil personally, be it a number of associates’ Facebook postings or Andi Morris’s memories of the man on the Maximum Rocknroll blog, all of which say Phil was a charming and friendly fella. They make a fitting tribute for a genuinely inspirational man.

Phil is survived by his son, Sam, and partner, Jennie.

Obituary - Arianna 'Ari Up' Forster

2010-10-22T09:14:00.000+13:00

On 20th October 2010, Arianna Forster (aka Ari Up), vocalist and founder of pioneering Punk band, THE SLITS, passed away at the age of 48. The news was announced via John Lydon’s website, which stated:

John and Nora have asked us to let everyone know that Nora's daughter Arianna (aka Ari-Up) died today (Wednesday, October 20th) after a serious illness. She will be sadly missed. Rest In Peace.

Forster was born in Munich, Germany on 1st January 1962. Her mother, Nora, was known within the music industry via her promotion of Jimi Hendrix in the 60s and having dated Chris Spedding for a few years. It was through Nora’s relationship (and eventual marriage) with SEX PISTOLS frontman Johnny Rotten that lead to Arianna’s exposure and experimentation with Punk Rock, reputedly learning guitar from Joe Strummer of THE CLASH.

At the tender age of 14, along with drummer Palmolive, she formed THE SLITS. Joined by Viv Albertine and Tessa Pollitt, the band became one of the most notorious on the early London Punk scene with an unconventional, abrasive sound that mixed reggae dub rhythms with scratchy abrasive guitars creating something that was both angry and joyous. Of the band’s debut gig supporting THE CLASH in Harlseden on 11th March 1977, Forster said, “It was something I was born to do. It was like an explosion for me. Made that stage my living room. We were musically so fucked-up and untogether. And we were just so amazing in our time-bombing up there, we just went up there totally fucking up every single note, every single beat! And we were just great. We were brilliant at it.” A month later, Forster was nearly the victim of a stabbing as THE SLITS supported the SEX PISTOLS are the infamous Screen On The Green shows, as an anonymous punter declared, “So you’re the SLITS huh? Here’s a slit for you!”

Later in 1977, the band supported THE CLASH on the band’s White Riot Tour and again the following year on the Sort It Out Tour before dropping the classic debut album, ‘Cut’ in 1979. After the ever more experimental follow-up album, ‘Return Of The Giant Slits’, released in 1981, the band split up.

Following the band’s split, Forster moved with her husband and twin children to Indonesia and Belize, living among indigenous people in those areas, eventually settling in Kingston, Jamaica.

Her musical legacy continued, first with the NEW AGE STEPPERS followed by a solo career that resulted in the release of the 2005-album, ‘Dread More Dan Dead’. Later that same year, Forster along with Tessa Pollitt reformed the band for which she will always be remembered - THE SLITS.

An EP, ‘Revenger Of The Killer Slits’ was released the following year featuring former SEX PISTOL Paul Cook and ex- ADAM AND THE ANTS guitarist Marco Pirroni. The next two years saw the band tour USA, Europe, Australia and Japan, culminating with the release of the 2009 album, ‘Trapped Animal’.

Besides THE SLITS, Forster had played occasional solo concerts and toured with her band, THE TRUE WARRIORS and appeared on recordings with JAMMYLAND ALL STARS, German Technoheads TERRANOVA and LEE ‘SCRATCH’ PERRY.

In a tribute on THE SLITS' MySpace page, her manager Jeff Jacquin paid tribute to her, “unyielding passion for music and life. She influenced generations of women and created some of the most memorable music of our time, but Ari's true magic was how she affected people on the street, face to face, every day,” he said.

“She ate life up and spit it out.”

Show Time!

2010-08-27T11:16:00.000+12:00

RED FLAG 77 - DANGER’S CLOSE - SKA-PA, Royal Oak, Ipswich, UK - 23rd July 2010

After very nearly six months in Ipswich, and a departure date set to head back home to New Zealand rapidly approaching, it looked distinctly probable that I would not see erstwhile Ipswich Punks, RED FLAG 77, on this visit. That’s kinda ironic as on the three previous visits, I’d seen the band at least once during each - and those visits lasted little more than four weeks each! Thankfully, some flakey pub crud-rock band cancelled the lame effort it no doubt called ‘a gig’ at the last minute and into the fold stepped the FLAG, with a scrum-diddley-umptious supporting line-up to boot!! Choice!

I’d already seen SKA-PA once on this trip and, for such a new band, had been relatively impressed. It seems the band has been practicing though, as this was a notable step up. The band was less ragged, somewhat more focused (especially the bassist) and certainly more visual - even if Kyle didn’t have that impressive Mohawk on show - although that could be due to the larger stage at the Oak. Highlight of the set for me was still ‘Shattered Young Girl’, although ‘Pirate’s Quest’ sounded impressive also. Gotta say though, that cover of ‘Teenage Kicks’ is fucking awful. There is still something of ISOCRACY about the band, but on the strength of this, it’s now coupled with something much leaner with a harder dynamic.

Had a bit of a chat with some FLAGgers after SKA-PA’s impressive skanky blast and, mid-conversation with FLAG guitarist Mickey, realised that this could well be the last time I ever see RF77. I don’t plan on returning to the UK for sometime (as in years) and although the FLAG has been a constant on the UK Punk scene for the best part of 20 years (and even more relevant to that of Ipswich), it can’t go on forever. That was kind of a sobering thought and one that got in my way of fully enjoying DANGER’S CLOSE.

I had been hugely impressed with DANGER’S CLOSE when the band played with the ADICTS last year, but for some reason they didn’t quite hit me tonight. I do remember ripping versions of ‘Apathy’, ‘Denial’ and a scathing ‘What’s Your Problem’ but a lot more passed me by. Sure, the band was good but I think I had been expecting a bit too much. How a band that has a vocalist like Abby - someone who can sing with power and has a stage presence that is both explosive and natural - can pass me by I am not sure but unfortunately for me it did. The band got a great reception from the assorted local Punks - guess it just was not my night.

And so came the FLAG. In one form or another, and in many different places, I’ve probably written more about this band of reprobates than any other. This show though, as suggested above, had a greater sense of gravitas than any I had previously witnessed at the hands of the FLAG. The more I thought about things (and too often through the DANGER’S CLOSE set), the more I realised that this could very well be the last time I see the band live; it felt like kissing away a great part of my history. As per usual, the band played a blazing set, culled from all three albums.

Undoubted highlight was, as always, ‘As I Fall’ (personal dedication aside - thanks for that Rik!!). It’s a song that I first recall hearing back at the Earl Roberts many years ago, sat next to Jim Kocher, and after RF77 had played the song, we both looked at each other and kinda went, “Fuck me - that’s in a different league!!” To me, it’s still a song that resides in the Top Three All-Time Ipswich Punk Songs and, on a personal level, probably stands at #1. Other highlights included opener (I think!) ‘Insane People’, the excellent ‘Time Has Been Called’, ‘Backs To The Wall’ and the too-catchy-for-words ‘Stormy Weather’ while ‘You Won’t Get Me’ saw vocalist Rikki prowling the crowd for some audience participation. When it came to requests, I called out for THE DRONES’ classic ‘Lookalikes’ which resulted in a chuckle but no performance. Tut tut!!

As always though, covers are still an integral part of the FLAG live. Besides the obligatory ‘Football Crazy’ and CLASH tunes, I was treated to ‘People Who Died’ - the old JIM CARROLL classic. I half expected Pete Hurley to come lurching back from musical obscurity, brushing the cobwebs outta his bleached barnet, to reclaim his FLAG place for the song; instead we got another ex-FLAGger, Jonny Learjet, who gave the track a neat ragged, raucous vibe before falling over a monitor and ending up on his back on the beer-drenched floor - but still playing!

A sobering walk home surely helped dispose of the Guinness-induced damage I should have felt the next day. ‘Drunk Again’? You can betcha bondage pants and brothel creepers I was!!

Another great night at the hands of RED FLAG 77; I sincerely hope it was not the final one.

Show Time!

2010-08-15T09:54:00.002+12:00

THE LOVE TRIANGLE, Hayward Gallery, London, UK - 17th July 2010

Now this was not what I imagined at all!! The Hayward Gallery is situated on London’s South Bank - not too far from the National Theatre. The original plan was for the excellent SHITTY LIMITS to headline an afternoon’s worth of entertainment - and that, besides a long overdue catch-up, was the main draw for both Peter Zonked from Brighton and myself to head to the capital on a balmy Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, SHITTY LIMITS had to cancel and in the band’s place we got a LIMITS-splinter group, THE LOVE TRIANGLE that features SHITTY LIMITS vocalist Louis and drummer Tim.

The whole afternoon was organised by http://www.bigtakeover.co.uk/ (this being the collective’s ninth event) and staged outside on a balcony above the Gallery’s main floor. Space only allowed for about 30 people besides the bands, but the excellent July weather meant many more could assemble below or on Waterloo Bridge adjacent to the gallery that spans the Thames. Inside was an excellent record/ zine fair kinda deal and below was a restaurant that provided some over-priced but very tasty, thirst-quenching bottled beers!

By the time Pete and I had finished catching up in a nearby boozer, we returned to find a duo doing its thing. One half of the pair was a drummer while the other fella spent his time bent over some kinda mixing thing that generated various distorted noises and waves of static sound. It was interesting for a few minutes, but the absence of any defined structure ultimately bored.

The bottled beer was flowing nicely by the time LOVE TRIANGLE fired up. The balcony had become a little more packed also, lending a vaguely bohemian feel to proceedings, although the twisted, raucous stomp of the band shattered any hippie metaphor that may have existed. From the off, Louis (attired in a very neat GERMS ‘GI’ shirt) appeared to be the only person who actually performed to and acknowledged those who weren’t on the balcony. A good-sized crowd had formed below and even those on the bridge stopped to watch and groove on the fuzzed chords and sneered vocals of LOVE TRIANGLE.

The band’s sound is not too far removed from that of SHITTY LIMITS, although LOVE TRIANGLE’s probably has more of a direct Rock ‘n’ Roll bent about it. There seemed to be a distinct Aussie Garage Rock feel about them too, best typified by the band’s cover of THE BABEEZ, ‘I Hate School’. I can’t tell ya anymore song titles as this was all new stuff to me, but the tunes were decidedly more raucous than the band’s rather 60s styled name suggests.

Bigtakeover.co.uk seem to hold similar shows on a monthly basis at non-traditional venues, with a minimum of four bands per show and a proportion of the entry funds being donated to charity. It’s reassuring to see such ideals still exist in the capital’s Punk scene; especially in this day and age where Punk is, seemingly, as much about getting sponsored by Vans as it is about making a social/ political statement and inciting change.

Show Time!

2010-07-29T09:12:00.002+12:00

I.C.H. - TAGNUTS, Steamboat Tavern, Ipswich, UK - 16th July 2010
Third time lucky for me!! Since hearing, and being blown away by, the debut I.C.H. album, I’ve been in Ipswich twice previously when the band has played. The first time, in August last year, was the night after my Mum’s place got burgled; needless to say I couldn‘t leave the poor old dear alone in an unlocked house (the scum stole the house keys too) while I went boozing and schmoozing. The second was around about March this year. I’d left what was gearing up to be a rather good New Zealand Summer but weeks previous and, arriving in the UK during the second flurry of snow, I was struggling just too damn much with the cold. My knuckles had cracked open and the prospect of waiting for a bus, then the walk to the Steamboat was just too much. Man - the Kiwi climate has certainly made me soft! Haha!!!
Thankfully, this show appeared on the Steamboat’s calendar. Even a day of being frustrated, annoyed and ultimately insulted by the fuck-wit ’company policies’ of the Abbey National (or Santander as they are now) could not deter me this time - although I did forget my camera - so ‘boat bound I headed!
A disappointingly small crowd greeted Cambridge Ska-Punk act, THE TAGNUTS. The first thing that was really noticeable was a stunningly thin guitar sound which seemed to hamper the thrust of the thrashier numbers. Comparisons are unavoidably drawn with CAPDOWN but minus the brass and plus an additional guitar, giving the band an UNSEEN-esque bite. Lyrically, the songs were rife with socio-political comment and, although all the songs were new to me, a number stood out with ‘Motivate Me’ in particular lodging itself in my memory.
Come I.C.H. time, the Guinness had started to work its magic and a few more punters had turned up. After a bit of the renowned cheeky Essex banter from Ed, the band kicked in with a blur of flying dreads and a set that was faster, tighter and much more aurally assaulting than I had imagined. Much of the aforementioned debut album was played, but highlights would include ‘Not Indestructable’, a belligerent ‘Cunts’, ‘Oi Tune’, a sneering, bitter set-stealing ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ and the excellent tale of passive suburban rebellion/ apathy that is ‘Smells Like Community Spirit’. What I.C.H. has that sets the band apart from other contemporaries is a natural charm that eminates from each and every band member, but vocalist Ed in particular is a forthright and commanding figure centre stage, with just the right amount of arrogance that the vocalist of any Punk band requires.
Next time this band of be-dreaded, cantankerous ragamuffins assault a stage near you, it comes with a good recommendation from me.

I.C.H Scanner interview - hit here.

Obituary - Todd Sampson

2010-07-28T06:56:00.000+12:00

In the early hours of Sunday 25th July 2010, Todd Sampson, the original vocalist of M.I.A., passed away after virtually collapsing during an M.I.A. performance at the Black Door in his hometown of Las Vegas. He was aged 46. At the time of writing, the cause of death is unknown.

Sampson had always been a prominent figure in the Las Vegas Punk scene. In 1980, aged 16 and still a student at Clark High, he joined local band THE SWELL that, following a New Year’s Eve performance, changed its name to M.I.A. Unfortunately for Sampson, the newly-christened M.I.A. soon left town for the vibrant scene then blossoming in California. Sampson, who was still 16 when the move occurred was prevented from going with the band by his parents.

A year later, Sampson was back on the local scene with the band SELF ABUSE where he teamed up with schoolmate and ex-SPLIFFZ bassist Matt Dudenake, who took up the role of guitarist. The band played a mix of classic USHC covers and originals including the 45-second thrash ‘Locked Up For 90 Days’. The band played on and off, reforming for shows in 2001 and 2009.

In 1984, Sampson formed SAMSONS ARMY which battled through to the early 90s and, as above, reformed for occasional shows in the 2000s.

In 2008, M.I.A. vocalist, Mike Conley passed away. (Obituary here). Sampson rejoined the band which continued playing through to Sampson’s eventual collapse.

“He just started going down during the show,” said musician and close friend Rob Ruckus. “Backstage afterwards, he was totally burning up, kinda going out of it. We tried putting ice on his head, cooling him down with water ... we loaded him into the truck and got his breathing slowed down; he actually walked into his house on his own. But he started heating up again, and then he started hyperventilating, so we raced him to the hospital as fast as we could, but he stopped breathing on the way. When we got to the hospital there was no heartbeat.”

Sampson is survived by his son, Daz, and his girlfriend.

Show Time!

2010-06-02T06:41:00.001+12:00

THE DAMNED - TREXTASY, Corn Exchange, Ipswich, UK - 26th May 2010

The irony of the bill did not escape me. The fact that THE DAMNED, one of the bands that lead the charge for the new beat that was Punk Rock, is now be playing over 30 years since its first record came out with a fully fledged tribute band as support suggests they have become what they set out to destroy. Yet, if any of the original wave could get away with this particular support, I guess it is Vanian and the boys as they did support Marc Bolan way back in the 70s.

I arrived 10 minutes after the doors opened and TREXTASY was already on. I don’t have much time for tribute bands, but at least this lot has the decency of doing a tribute to someone who is no longer alive. Gotta say also, this was a really convincing performance. Even from a moderately close distance, the resemblance between the singer and the real Marc Bolan was uncanny. He had the moves too, exuding Bolan's vaguely androgynous appeal in every way. All the obvious tracks were there - ‘Get It On’, ‘Children Of The Revolution’, ‘Jeepster’, an excellent ‘Solid Gold Easy Action’, my favourite ‘Metal Guru’ and ‘20th Century Boy’. The negative was ‘Telegram Sam’ that lacked that broad, orchestral sound and came over a little pedestrian. Never heard ‘Ride A White Swan’ either. After a couple of bottles of Newcastle Brown, I found myself grooving to the Bolan beat and had simply forgotten just how many truly great songs the man wrote. I even applauded at the end - can’t recall any other tribute band that I have ever given such plaudits to before!

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen THE DAMNED. I’ve seen highs (1988’s reunion shows at Town and Country Club being a particular high, along with a full performance of ‘Curtain Call’ at an Ipswich gig in the early ‘90s) and dismal, embarrassing lows (‘Neat Neat Neat’ being drawn out to over seven minutes in some sterile fucking Prog Rock muso experiment being the most unforgivable). This, the first time I’ve seen THE DAMNED without the legendary and incendiary drummer Rat Scabies, was never going to live up to the heady heights of seeing the Vanian-James-Scabies-Sensible line-up, but it was going to be interesting - especially in the wake of a new, half-decent album to promote in ‘So, Who’s Paranoid?’

Predictably the show kicked off with ‘Wait For The Blackout’ - still one of my favourite DAMNED songs. The sound was OK (considering the Corn Exchange usually sounds worse than a crap bootleg played with a knitting needle while an Alsatian shits all over the stereo speakers), a decent crowd had appeared (especially at £21.50 a head) and the band seemed to hold its own on such a classic. Vanian, I hate to say, looked fantastic. I’ve never seen him look anything less in fact but, given the fact he must be 50+, I had hoped to see a bit of middle-aged spread! Alas no - and vocally he still sounds commanding.

Unfortunately, as the show progressed, it became evident that the drummer just really wasn’t up to Scabies. Sure, he was a good drummer (very good in fact) but let’s be honest - Rat was/ is the best drummer in UK Punk. Period. ‘Love Song’, the song I so vividly recall from Top Of The Pops in 1979 that kick-started me onto this whole Punk Rock thing, was the biggest disappointment of all. The bassist, rather than attacking the strings, just played them; it was lacklustre. And of course there was no Rat to power it along.

The set list was impressive and surprising. Besides obvious squad members - ‘New Rose’, ‘Neat Neat Neat’ (which was drawn out a little - but not to an offensive ELP length), ‘Smash It Up’, ‘I Just Can’t Be Happy Today’ - there were a few surprises. ‘Bad Time For Bonzo’ and ‘Gun Fury’ from the ‘Strawberries’ album, the excellent ‘Disco Man’ followed ‘...Blackout’ and ‘Thanks For The Night’ all stood out. The big surprise was the post-Sensible tracks ‘Eloise’ and ‘Shadow Of Love’. Decent executions of them too. The highlight was an inflammable take on ‘Stretcher Case’.

Vanian threw a bit of a moody fit also, throwing his microphone toward the back of the stage and stomping off. I’m guessing it was a bit of staged anarchy - I’ve seen that before - although I would like to think the mic was directed at the drummer. Hahaa!! Had it been a genuine display of disgust toward Ipswich, I doubt he would have reappeared to do a 20 minute encore - unless it was the chorus of “Sensible’s a wanker,” that Storkey, Boondog and I initiated. Heckling and general abuse directed toward the Captain was notably absent from this gig. Surely, Ipswich is not that conservative - or I that old??!!

It was all over by about 10.40pm - meaning I could get the last bus! How did this stack up in a long list of DAMNED shows? Not bad actually; it was better than I expected and, had Rat been sat behind that kit, it could’ve been an impressive if not killer DAMNED gig.

See what I mean?

Obituary - Steve New

2010-05-31T06:41:00.001+12:00

On 24 May 2010, guitarist, singer and songwriter, Steve New (aka Stella Nova), passed away due to terminal cancer. New may not have been one of the most immediately infamous names of London Punk Rock, but he did have a few key roles in some very notable bands.

New was born in London on 16 May 1960 and attended school in St. John's Wood. At the age of 14 he began playing with the London Jazz Orchestra. A mere year later he was initiated into the then infant London Punk scene when he was asked to audition for the band that would spearhead the movement and become the figurehead for a generation - the SEX PISTOLS. His audition was for the role of second guitarist to Steve Jones - obviously history states he did not get the post.

When PISTOLS bassist Glen Matlock was exited from the band, he asked New to join his new band, the RICH KIDS, along with Rusty Egan and Midge Ure. The debut single, 'Rich Kids', was a hit but the following album, 'Ghosts Of Princes In Towers' and successive singles failed to maintain the momentum. The band split in 1979 although a live performance can be witnessed in the 1980 film, D.O.A.

New and Matlock then toured with IGGY POP before New moved to the USA, where he did some work with JOHNNY THUNDERS while battling a reputed Heroin addiction. 1980 also saw New, via his friendship with Keith Levene, enter the world of PUBLIC IMAGE LTD when Jah Wobble left the band. Besides the obscure 'Pied Piper' track, New never recorded with the band.

New has also played with the likes of SID VICIOUS, Chrissie Hynde, Kim Fowley and GLEN MATLOCK's solo work.

New reappeared in 2006 under the name of Stella Nova in the band BEASTELLABEAST with Beatrice Brown, releasing the 'Beastiality' album in 2009.

With the prospect of the fatal terminal cancer looming, the RICH KIDS reformed with New for a benefit concert for New's family in January 2010. The sold-out show also included MICK JONES, TV SMITH and various members of THE SLITS on the bill.

New is survived by his children Diva Atlanta New and Frank James Lightning Hopkins-New.

Show Time!

2010-05-24T06:40:00.002+12:00

THESE ARE END TIMES - DANIEL MERRILL - LIFE AND TIMES OF, Blue Room, McGinty’s, Ipswich, UK - 14th May 2010
Since I have been in New Zealand, McGinty’s seems to have become one of the most popular live music venues in Ipswich. It’s easy to see why too; separate room from the bar, a central Ipswich location, good booze served in the bar and, on evidence of this, excellent acoustics too. This was a show to celebrate the launch of the debut album from newish local band, THESE ARE END TIMES, which has been released on the band’s own Antigen Records. But before the main event...

...I had to sit (well, stand) through the Indie, wannabe-RIDE convulsions of LIFE AND TIMES OF. I’m sure the band is very good at what it does but, in a bid to escape its droning Indie tones, all it inspired me to do was head into the beer garden to breathe in second hand cigarette smoke. Maximum rock ’n’ roll?? Not even partial!

After some wonderful Guinness refreshment, I went back to the Blue Room to witness DANIEL MERRILL. Now, this was interesting. MERRILL plays violin to a pre-recorded (and, at times, bombastic) backing track. It was well thought out stuff with MERRILL adding a visual side to the performance that went beyond ‘a bloke with a fiddle’ also. For 15 or 20 minutes, it was quite a captivating and even hypnotic performance. By minute 21 though, my attention began to wander; my glass had run dry also. He seemed to play for some time, and received a deservedly good response, but there wasn’t quite enough to hold me present.

And so, running nearly 30 minutes late, came THESE ARE END TIMES. The band is a veritable who’s who of the netherworld of Ipswich’s music scene. The band has been put together by guitarist/ vocalist Martyn Peck (aka Roki) who has had stints in notables such as OPTIMUM WOUND PROFILE, RAW NOISE, SCREAMING HOLOCAUST and most recently THE BALLISTICS. Joining Roki is Simon Finbow, also on guitar/ vocals who fronted CHOCOLATE and was also in OWP; bassist Andrew Laws (better known as Andrew Culture) of JUNK CULTURE, ZEEB and Beat Motel zine fame; drummer Dom Cattermole (ex-NEMO and ZEEB); Gareth Patch is responsible for keyboards, samples, digital noise and vocals (ex-LOVE LIES BLEEDING and DELIRIOUS) and finally, centre stage is Mark Schorah blowing his trumpet (ex-BALLISTICS).

Knowing Roki’s eclectic taste in tunes, I had little idea what to expect from this self-proclaimed ‘Post Rock’ band. What I actually got was a very clever, decidedly interesting and occasionally disconcerting 50 minute slab of sound. Comparisons are not obvious but ‘White Light From The Mouth Of Infinity’-era SWANS certainly came to mind, mixed with some of the orchestral punches of CARDIACS on downers (and most definitely not said band’s quirky side). Vocals penetrated the sound sparsely, which was a shame when you consider Simon numbers in the band’s line-up. ‘End Times (We Are All Condemned)’ probably proved to be the most accessible song of the set, although the unexpected highlight was the 15 minute ‘There Should Be A Crowd Of Spectators At My Execution’, which spliced samples from a film about people jumping off San Fran’s Golden Gate Bridge with an ominous, reverberating background panorama accentuated by punishing slices of scorching sonic attack. While the closing ‘Now I Realise How Helpless We Are’ (you get the impression these songs are of a slightly, um, downbeat, depressing nature?) continued the unique atmospheric drama of the set with Roki playing an accordian, it did end the set on a vaguely disconnected, ambiguous note.

By 11.30 it was all over. ...ENDS TIMES had impressed me greatly; my ears were suitably fried; the Guinness was as Guinness is: sublime!

Show Time!

2010-05-18T07:19:00.002+12:00

THE GODFATHERS - LOWDOWNS, Arts Centre, Colchester, UK - 9th May 2010
It could so easily have been a catastrophically wrong trip down memory lane. For starters it’s Sunday night and a bloody cold one at that. Twelve quid a head seemed a bit steep also for a band that, much as I rate it, has only ever remained a cult name. The sparsely populated Arts Centre suggested Colchester thought much the same also.
The LOWDOWNS was a quartet that looked a bit like your typical Brit Pop thing but with more balls and a bass sound that, at times, boarded the bowel-moving depth charge tones of one Mike Watt. I vaguely remember a fast rocker of a track called ‘Switch’ and the singer looked something like a cross between Rodney from Only Fools And Horses and the singer-dude outta Oasis. To his, and the band’s credit, they did put on a show to the assorted, mainly disinterested, punters; pulling several of the recognised ‘rock moves’ albeit with a degree of inhibition.

The between band choice of tunes was exceptional - dunno if it was the request of THE GODFATHERS or just good taste on the behalf of the PA man, but we got MC5, NEW YORK DOLLS, ELECTRIC PRUNES and some bizarre instrumental-but-blazing version of THE WHO’s ‘I Can See For Miles’. The good tunes sure accompanied the Guinness well. So well in fact, I managed to bang two cans back! Good work!!

The familiar strains of a surf-guitar-led take on ‘Goldfinger’ rattled out of the speakers; I felt a sense of expectancy in the air - even if it was only to see whether brothers Coyne would now be fat old men playing spiritless versions of once-biting songs.

As it happened, both vocalist Peter and his bassist brother Chris, looked anything but fat. Sure, they have aged a bit but considering this tour celebrates the band’s 25th Anniversary that can only be expected. What has not changed is the menace of old. Peter Coyne still glares at the crowd from his position on stage with a look that fuses defiance with self-confidence, while the remaining band members fail to share a single smile throughout. For those who don’t know the band, this could suggest apathy or it could provoke a sense of intimidation. I know it’s not the former, and I am sure the Coyne brothers would be happy with the latter!

‘I Want Everything’ opened the set, followed by, if I recall, ‘She Gives Me Love’. Whether it was the sparse crowd or the frosty May evening, but the band didn’t find its stride instantly. ‘She Gives Me Love’ in particular sounded a little lacklustre. Having always employed a twin-guitar attack, this reformed single-guitar version of the band seemed to lack the sonic depth of old.

Five songs into the set a fiery new song was played and the band seemed to move up a gear. The inclusion of a couple of old SID PRESLEY EXPERIENCE tracks (with which the Coyne brothers played before the GODFATHERS) in the shape of ‘Public Enemy #1’ and the classic ‘Hup Two Three Four’ (which I recall SPE doing live on the The Tube back in the early 80s!) was an unexpected highlight. That said, Del Bartle, the former SPE guitarist replaced original GODFATHERS guitarist Kris Dollimore in 2009, so not strictly unexpected.

Peter Coyne’s barbed antagonism was evident a few times, in particular pointing out a guy in the audience who hadn’t bought any beers for his mates. “I’ll have a whisky and coke when you do - and make it a double,” sneered Coyne. Did the job though - Coyne got his drink!

Other highlights of the main set included ‘This Is War’, the debut ‘Lonely Man’ single (the band is currently pushing a very nice double CD reissue of the formative retrospective ‘Hit By Hit’) and an excellent new track called ‘Back Into The Future’. By the time of the set’s climax - a stunning blitz through ‘How Low Is Low’, ‘This Damn Nation’ and the threatening, imperious declaration that was ‘Cause I Said So’ - the band was firing with a force that any American Mafioso could only dream of.

It appeared there was going to be no encore as Chris Coyne turned off his bass amp and seemed to show a sense of disgust toward his brother. Not sure what he expected from a Colchester crowd on a Sunday night who had paid £12 a head. Thankfully Peter coerced him back for a finale of ‘Birth School Work Death’ and a psychedelic burn through Lennon’s ‘Cold Turkey’. I would’ve rather heard another original (‘Unreal World’ or ‘Those Days Are Over’ would’ve been great), but at least we got those in light of Chris’ huffy protest.

I did smile to myself during ‘Birth School Work Death’. At the time of the gig, Britain wallowed in a state of no officially-elected Prime Minister. It seemed slightly ironic to me that, throughout THE GODFATERS’ original existence, there was a back drop of oppressive Tory rule - be it Thatcher’s dictatorship or the grey John Major. Twenty-five years on, the band is back and so is the Conservative Party. How’s the song go? “I’ve been abused and I’ve been confused, and I’ve kissed Margaret Thatcher’s shoes.” We’ve now got Clegg kissing Cameron’s arse!

Welcome back Brothers Coyne - Britain may just need your brand of Punk infused Rock ‘n’ Roll once again!

Show Time!

2010-05-05T07:02:00.001+12:00

THE GRIT - SKA-PA, The Swan, Ipswich, UK - 25th March 2010

I only found out about this the very day of the gig and, I have to say, questioned whether THE GRIT concerned was indeed the rockin’ band of Geordies that released the ‘Straight Out The Alley’ album on People Like You Records a year or two ago. The Swan isn’t somewhere that has ever been high on the list of venues for seeing Punk bands, let alone out-of-town travelling Punk bands. On arrival, the huge double bass, assorted tattoos and Newcastle accents did - thankfully - confirm that this was the Rock ‘n’ Roll machine known as THE GRIT. Free entry too - good work fellas! “Pint of Guinness please barman!”

A large crowd had gathered by the time Ipswich locals SKA-PA arrived on stage. Given the band’s name, you don’t have to be a Mensa member to work out its sound! All three band members were new faces to me - but that’s not surprising after being in New Zealand for the last six plus years. Vocalist/ guitarist Kyle sported the most impressive mohawk I can remember seeing in Ipswich for many years and, after a slightly shakey start, the band’s brand of Ska-infused Punk mixed with wit got the audience bopping. The set consisted of mainly original songs, besides an odd and rather hit-and-miss version of THE UNDERTONES’ classic, ‘Teenage Kicks’. Highlight of the set was probably the up-tempo Ska beat of ‘Shattered Young Girl’. There was definitely a hint of CULTURE SHOCK about the band’s sound, but mixed with the raw sound of ISOCRACY. After the performance, Kyle was walking round giving out CD demos too.

A few more “tasty, tasty very very tasty” pints of Guinness were put away before THE GRIT arrived in a flurry of quiffs and tattoos. On record, he band’s mix of Punk, Rockabilly and Roots Ska isn’t 100% my thing - although I did rate the aforementioned album. Live though, the band is a rip-snorting carnival of all that live music should be - energetic, tight, demonstrative and, best of all, fun!! Many of the songs sounded familiar, but my favourite, ‘This World’, appeared early on in the set with ‘12th Floor’ making an appearance also.

Given there is a double bass, three guitarists, drummer and full backline, I’m not sure how the band made the show quite so visual, but there was a lot of movement on the stage. Something that really set THE GRIT apart from the many bands that do this kinda thing is the use of an acoustic guitar quite high in the mix. It certainly adds a crisper dynamic to the slower parts while contributing an almost percussive crack to the many rocking parts. The TIGER ARMY comparison is still well evident but I kept hearing comparisons with that great, underrated British band, THE MEN THEY COULDN’T HANG, both in composition and energy.

According to vocalist Lou, this was the band’s first show of the year which could suggest the band attacked it with additional, show-starved vigour. It could also suggest the band was not as tight as it might have been had the show been part of a tour. Either way, they blew the roof off The Swan, got the punters dancing and left me with some seriously ringing ears for the next couple of days. On the strength of this hootenanny of a knees-up, I’m going to have to check out that ‘....Alley’ album again - maybe after a few pints of Guinness at that!

Show Time!

2010-05-02T03:05:00.004+12:00

SUBHUMANS - THE DEAD BATTERIES - THE FANNY PADS - TOE, Royal Oak, Ipswich, UK 30th August 2009
When I was at high school there were three bands that mattered: CRASS, who changed everything; DISCHARGE, who sounded the best loud; and SUBHUMANS, who were a more approachable Anarcho band, not as scary or clandestine as the crew from Dial House. I never saw CRASS live, due mainly to the fact that I’m too young, and I’ve come to terms with the fact that I never will. A couple of years ago a few of us travelled to see DISCHARGE, who were massively, though predictably disappointing. When rumours started circulating that SUBHUMANS, who I’d never seen, were playing at the Royal Oak, my local pub on and off since I was 15, the received wisdom among most people I know was to take these rumours with a pinch of salt. As the date fast approached, however, it looked more and more likely that this might actually happen. Approaching the pub on the night and being greeted by a murder of punks smoking in fitful anticipation outside the front door, confirmed that there was substance to the stories after all.
First up were TOE, an Ipswich three-piece drawn from the more avant end of the DIY scene. Between them they make quite a retro din, something akin to SCRATCH ACID or RAPEMAN with vocals manipulated electronically into something akin to what you might hear on a WHITEHOUSE album. Cool stuff, I thought, and I’m looking forward to catching them again. The FANNY PADS were up next but suffered badly with sound, their guitarist turning up way louder than everything else could compensate for. We made for outside to grab a breath of fresh air. The PADS were followed by The DEAD BATTERIES, who were largely responsible for organising the night. I’d seen this lot before, a year or two ago, and they’ve improved a lot, getting tighter and faster, and clearly having a blast when the audience responded.

After a short set-up the SUBHUMANS came on and immediately the Oak erupted into a flailing mass of people. And, out of nowhere, came the old-schoolers, people I hadn’t seen for years, singing all the words and taking their place in the pit. The set was largely drawn from 'The Day The Country Died', 'World’s Apart' and 'EP-LP', with a couple of new songs and the odd 'From The Cradle To The Grave' track making an appearance. And they were brilliant! By the time ‘Mickey Mouse Is Dead’ made an appearance I was in the pit, too, arm round my brother, singing my little heart out. ‘Religious Wars’ ended the night in fine style, another classic that I couldn’t resist getting stuck in for. And that was it, all over, an amazing night where the Oak really came alive. Afterwards I’d lost my voice, which was a bonus for most of the people who know me. Now, if we could just get CRASS down there . . .
Roki

Show Time!

2010-04-30T21:50:00.010+12:00

THE ADICTS - SUSPECT DEVICE - DANGER’S CLOSE, Regent Theatre Bar, Ipswich, UK 13th August 2009
I’m sitting here typing this some six months after the actual show. Not only that, but making this ever more surreal is the fact that I’m typing this while back in the UK on an unexpected visit. Furthermore, the show was staged in Ipswich on the very day of my 40th birthday. THE ADICTS was the first live Punk band that many of my era witnessed and, being an Ipswich band itself, one with which we felt a certain kinship; I certainly remember Murrayside Youth Club in my early teens and the more pivotal Ipswich Corn Exchange show when I was 15. Never, ever did it cross my mind during the intervening 25 years that my 40th would be spent seeing THE ADICTS on home soil drinking the still over-priced slop that Ipswich Borough Council venues consider to be ‘beer’. Surreal becomes an understatement.
Due to pre-show Guinness sustainability, I have to confess to missing the start of DANGER’S CLOSE. Having been out of Ipswich for near-on six years, this was a new band to me and one made up of fresh faces. Good stuff too, if a little tentative looking on this stage. The female vocalist certainly exuded confidence and had a great voice in a vague Pauline Murray (PENETRATION) gone LUNACHICKS/ BLITZ BABIES kinda way. I can’t recall any track titles, but I do remember some well-observed lyrics and a few disaffected social/ political comments.
SUSPECT DEVICE followed. Fronted by ex- RUE DE LA MORT frontman, Johnny Learjet (who also had a stint in RED FLAG 77), SUSPECT DEVICE is a pretty throwaway cover band. There are no ‘cult’ classics, just your run of the mill ‘Sound Of The Suburbs’ Punks on 45 stuff. Oddly, the set consisted of only three bands’ material too - SEX PISTOLS, CLASH and STIFF LITTLE FINGERS. Punk covers maybe fun, but it’s also cabaret and should be left to pubs full of pub rockers.
The last time I saw THE ADICTS was in the back room of a pub during which a minor Punk vs Skin battle kicked off. That was 15 years ago so I got told (cheers for making me feel even older Matt!!). That was also during the time that bassist Mel had left - which makes the band’s claim of being the ‘longest running Punk band with its original line-up’ a bit of a misnomer. If a band splits up in the interim, or replaces members before ‘reuniting’ as THE ADICTS have, surely each reformation of SEX PISTOLS can claim that same crown? Minor gripe yes, but one that kinda irks.
Anyway, from the opening chords of ‘Joker In The Pack’, this was a much different proposition to the band witnessed in the maelstrom of violence of the show above. There was a distinct sense of theatrics throughout with vocalist Monkey going through various costume changes and props. Songwise, it was very much the ‘greatest hits’ with nothing (at least that I recognised) from the abortions that were the ‘Rise and Shine’ and ‘Fifth Overture’ albums. So we got classics like ‘Viva La Revolution’, ‘Easy Way Out’, ‘Just Like Me’ a ‘Chinese Takeaway’ that had an intro so bad I thought it was gonna be little more than a chip-shop takeaway version and a cracking closer of ‘Songs Of Praise’. There were a good few surprises in the set too; I hadn’t considered the likes of ‘Numbers’ and ‘Sensitive’ would be played, nor two of my favourites from the ‘Smart Alex’ album (‘Troubadour’ and ‘You’re All Fools’). It was good to hear the underrated ‘27’ album represented with ‘Fuck It Up’ too.
There were a few new numbers I didn’t recognise as well as the odious ‘Falling In Love Again’ which rankled even more than before given the classic ‘Straight Jacket’ was omitted entirely.
Encores saw glitter fall and huge beach-balls kicked out into the crowd as ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ rang out in memory of the recent passing of ex-Ipswich Town manager, Bobby Robson. Finally, ‘Bad Boy’ rounded off a totally enjoyable night.
I’ve been a fierce critic of THE ADICTS in the past but for pure fun and entertainment, there are few bands I can think of that could pull off such a Punk Rock Party vibe so effectively - even with the swill served from the bar!!
Think you’ll still be at it when I hit 50, fellas??? On this evidence, I no longer rule it out!!

Obituary - Jay Reatard

2010-01-14T19:39:00.003+13:00

On Wednesday 13th January 2010, Jimmy Lee Lindsey Jr, better known to readers as Jay Reatard, was found dead in bed at his home in Midtown, Memphis at around 3.30am. He was aged 29. A statement from Goner Records says Lindsey had died in his sleep. Those close to him state that recently he had been complaining of flu-like symptoms. Although the actual cause of death is unknown at the time of writing, the Memphis police is believed to have opened a death investigation.
Lindsey was born on 1st May 1980 in Memphis, Tennessee. He began his recording career at the age of 15 via a home-made demo tape. This was sent to Goner Records where it caught the attention of Eric Friedl, Goner’s owner and then member of the OBLIVIANS. This was to prove a valuable contact as, when Lindsey formed his first project, THE REATARDS, it was Goner Records that released the band’s debut 7”, ‘Get Real Stupid’, in 1998.
In 2001, Lindsey - by this time using the Reatard moniker - started what was initially a side project named THE LOST SOUNDS. Employing a dual male/ female vocal and synthesizers, LOST SOUNDS was more experimental than the souped-up garage snot rock of REATARDS and, ultimately, took over from REATARDS as Lindsey’s main concern until a bitter split in 2005.
In between both bands, and after their respective splits, the ever-prolific Reatard continued making music in projects such as BAD TIMES, THE FINAL SOLUTIONS, NERVOUS PATTERNS, ANGRY ANGLES, TERROR VISIONS and DESTRUCTION UNIT.
2006 saw him start a solo career with what many consider to be his definitive work, the ‘Blood Visions’ album. Over the next three years, a succession of solo singles followed before his second - and ultimately final - album, ‘Watch Me Fall’. This was part of a 2008-signed, exclusive multi-album deal with New York label, Matador Records, which released a compilation of his 2008 singles (reviewed here).
He also contributed a track to the ‘Stroke - Songs For Chris Knox’ album. Chris Knox, an infamous New Zealand musician who was in formative Punk bands THE ENEMY and TOY LOVE, suffered a stroke in June 2009 and was due to collaborate with Reatard.
This solo career was deluged with problems over the last year. In October 2009, his backing band (The Barbaras) quit mid-tour. Reatard was scathing; in a Twitter post he stated, “Band quit! Fuck them! They are boring rich kids who can't play for [shit] anyways... Say hello to your ugly and boring [wives]. So who wants to see just how terrible it is to play in my band. I mean it's so so hard I promise it's the worst :)” In December the same year, he was attacked on stage in an Austin, Texas club by two audience members. Jay fought back with his mic stand.
A statement from Matador reads, "Jay was as full of life as anyone we've ever met, and responsible for so many memorable moments as a person and artist. We’re honored to have known and worked with him, and we will miss him terribly."

Obituary - Roland s. Howard

2009-12-31T12:45:00.003+13:00

On Wednesday 30th December 2009, Roland S. Howard, guitarist of iconic Australian band, THE BIRTHDAY PARTY, died in a Melbourne Hospital. His death was the result of an on-going battle with liver cancer. He was aged 50.

Howard had been awaiting a liver transplant for some time, and due to his illness, had to cancel several shows including one in Melbourne the day before he died with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Earlier in December, he had to cancel a show after being admitted to hospital. His last public performance was back in October at St Kilda’s Prince Bandroom. According to reports, he struggled through the show, coughing and spitting up blood.

Born on 24th October 1959, Howard’s musical career began in the late 70s with the band The Obsessions, although his first band of note was early Aussie Punks BOYS NEXT DOOR which also included Nick Cave in its line-up. In 1979 he wrote the band’s cult hit ‘Shivers’. BOYS NEXT DOOR eventually mutated into what became the legend that is BIRTHDAY PARTY. Nick Cave fronted the band throughout its tempestuous lifetime, while Howard provided a six-string sonic attack that welded feedback-laced blues riffs with some startling, reverb-drenched, slashing Punk stylings.

Following the band’s split in 1983, Howard went onto play in bands like CRIME AND THE CITY SOLUTION and THESE IMMORTAL SOULS, and collaborate with the likes of HENRY ROLLINS, NIKKI SUDDEN, JEFFREY LEE PIERCE and LYDIA LUNCH.

This year, he released what was his second solo album, the critically acclaimed ‘Pop Crimes’. On the album's title track he prophetically sang, ''I guess that I won't see you tomorrow. On this, our planet of perpetual sorrows''.

Along with music, Howard appeared in several feature-length films, such as Wim Wenders’ 1987 movie ‘Wings of Desire’, 1990’s ‘In Too Deep’ and the 2002 vampire film ‘The Queen of the Damned’ in which he cameod as a musician in a vampire club band. His role in the Australian Punk movement has also been captured in Richard Lowenstein’s documentary, ‘We’re Living On Dog Food’.

Howard's father, brother and sister all live in Melbourne.

Show Time!

2009-12-19T19:42:00.006+13:00

REBELLION FESTIVAL, Blackpool UK, 6th-9th August 2009

Every year you hear the same thing – “It’s like one of those old teddy boy conventions”. Really? Did the teddy boys have 40 or 50 new bands (many of them good) at a festival to choose from? Or maybe the whingers and moaners themselves are the jaded old cunts. One of the worst days in my life was the day of Xmas On Earth in 1981 – an all dayer (a new concept back then) in Leeds that I’d saved up for for months. I didn’t even get three miles before the bus got stuck in a snowdrift. Imagine if I knew then that one day there’d be four whole days of Punk Rock with bands from all over the world on three or four stages! I can understand those on the dole or a low wage giving it a miss – the various costs soon mount up – but many of the biggest critics have good jobs, and will be sitting in their rocking chairs in 20 years time saying “I wished I….”
THURSDAY
A four hour bus journey later it was check in at the B&B and straight off to the venue where GEOFFREY OICOTT were setting up in The Arena. You probably know the script by now – Yorkshire Oi band who sing about cricket, with plenty of double entendres thrown in – for example 'Bouncers', a reference to awkward bowling practice or a dig at our friends in security? Then there’s 'LBW' which, turns out, is short for 'Lager Before Women' (I got a LBW bottle opener when they played the toon, Dawn wasn’t impressed!) Musically they are basic (but powerful) Oi with CONDEMNED 84 style vocals (no comparisons politically though!) and they put on a good show, playing most of the songs from 'The Good The Bad And The Googly' LP and also a couple off the new 7”, 'I Was Monty’s Double' (including the PARTISANS cover, now christened '17 Pints of Ale'!).
It was all change this year as the main bar became the home of acoustic acts which made for difficult conversations over a pint (which incidently was £2.80 or £3 depending on if you got the dodgy barman. Good pint of snakey as long as you avoided the gig rooms cos they had fucking Strongbow Extra Cold, which is just plain wrong.). Meanwhile the Pavillion was turned over to an art show for most of the time which didn’t amuse the stallholders as it meant less prospective punters passing through.
The rest of the night was spent mainly socialising, although we did catch the CUTE LEPERS in The Empress (2500 capacity yet somehow with a decent sound). Almost didn’t recognise them as Steve E Nix’s blond barnet is now a more conservative colour (did you see that? I used the word ‘conservative’ without also using the word ‘cunt’!). Anyway just about all their album on display plus one of their best songs 'Young Hearts' from the new split 7” with the DISCO LEPERS - basically THE BRIEFS with a bit 60’s melody thrown in. Dawn says the bird from THE NIPPLE ERECTORS made a guest appearance for one song, yet I was watching and didn’t even know (some reviewer!).
The hectic proceedings meant an early night for us (this became a bit of a theme, especially when toothache set in; sleep not helped by soft pillows, knobheads shouting in the streets till 5am and the loudest seagulls I’ve ever heard)
FRIDAY
Must go down in history as the most badly managed attempt at a review in history, for today we saw a whole TWO bands fully!! Socialising, drinking, afternoon kip, anything but what a reviewer shoulda been doing. I returned from my slumber to catch the PORK DUKES at 6.20pm. The Olympia now has two stages. The main stage from previous years (a complete waste of both the bands’ and the punters’ time), and another one at the side which sounds good if you’re in front of it. Luckily PORK DUKES were on the side stage. Not pretty, but a tight, powerful performance that had far more oomph than the original records. Songs from the heyday ('Telephone Masturbator', 'Big Tits' etc) to the 2nd LP ('…Gun For Xmas') to the comeback stuff. Some cracking tunes over the years and music that is made for drinking. The sight of two fat, bald 50-yr-olds enjoying themselves will probably piss off the PC hypocrites even more (sexism = bad ; sizeism/ageism = perfectly acceptable).
It was good to see Bison back in the fold, manning the stall in the Olympia, selling zines like hotcakes and saving me ending up with arms like Lurch from the Addams Family. This is another good thing about Rebellion – there is always a huge selection of stalls, most of which have an ever changing selection of goodies throughout the weekend.
Dawn joined me for the new line up of DEMOB who played much the same set as the last time I seen em a few years ago. 'Teenage Adolescence', 'Anti Police' and 'Think Fast' still sounded mighty fine and 'No Room For You' of course brought the house down with no shortage of volunteers on backing vocals.
Off we went to see ARGY BARGY who these days play with the confidence of a band whose last album put them in the big league (I stole that description from Nigel from Derby, but nothing else sums em up better). They properly went for it… unfortunately the sound was fucking appalling. A swimming bath has better acoustics than the Olympia.
So pub, and another early night.
SATURDAY
By far the best line up, and what better start than LOS FASTIDIOS (pictured <) in the Empress. Good sound, lively performance, and all their best stuff including the ones about football, the Housemartins tribute, and a couple of more from their excellent new CD. Singalong Italian Oi/Ska/Punk (some of it in English) and making no bones where they stand politically (anti-fascist/vivisection/homophobia). 'Stay Rude Stay Rebel' seemed to have half the 500+ crowd skanking which ain’t bad for 2PM in the afternoon. Had to choose chilling time wisely today so off back to the B&B and back to venue for NEWTOWN NEUROTICS (which meant two of Dawn’s all-time faves within two hours, I really can’t understand the moaners). A new line up but virtually the same set – plenty of 'Beggars' LP ('The Mess' , 'Agony' etc), most of the singles including 'Kick Out The Tories' (which probably isn’t quite out of date yet unfortunately) and thankfully very little from the lacklustre 'Bolsheviks' LP. Had a quick chat with Mr Drewett who was chilling with his family in the bar later and I think he said Colin can’t gig anymore for health reasons (bad back or something).
Took Dawn to a fancy restaurant (Harry Ramsdens) then I went back to see THE FREEZE. Clif Hanger must be pushing 50 but still jumped around like a lunatic. From the back the tunes were hard to make out, and they didn’t seem to be doing owt from their best CD ('Freak Show'), preferring instead to cater for the HC clientele, so I buggered off to see MAJOR ACCIDENT. Last time I saw em at Morecambe, they were great. Tonight they were lumbered with the Olympia stage and it was, quite honestly, painful to watch a good band destroyed by the acoustics of the Grand Canyon. 'Respectable' – never their finest moment – sounded especially out of tune (even though it probably wasn’t!) and I reluctantly departed for Scruffy Murphys (one of the few boozers with a decent pint, as long as ya stick to snakey).
Dawn left for the B&B but the AMEBIX slot had been given to LAST RESORT, which is like swapping a lifeboat for a tea bag, but who am I to complain? The last time I saw LAST RESORT was five years ago in Morecambe around about the time their comeback CD 'Resurrection' was released - pretty forgettable heavy Oi that seemed to be trying to be USHC like MADBALL (even the old songs/4-SKINS covers sounded metally that night). But what a difference five years makes. The new CD really is worthy of the subtitle 'Skinhead Anthems 2'. So we got the best songs off that ('Beyond The Promised Land', 'War Widow', 'Cockleshell Heroes' etc) mixed with the early classics, with a leaner meaner Roi Pearce leading the charge like a fully tattooed psychotic extra from Lock Stock. This was proper drinking music and 2000 strong crowd loved it.
SUNDAY
Having as much sleep as a Guantanamo detainee is not the best way to start the final day, but thankfully GIMP FIST (pictured <) can liven anyone up. Most of the classics from the first two CDs plus songs from their next album (to be recorded in November) like 'Heart & Soul' and 'Skinhead Not Bonehead' were played to a very respectable (for 1pm) crowd of about 700. Michael (drummer) drew the short straw and was absolutely besieged on the merch table afterwards. Two years ago I despaired at seeing a band so great play to 15 people in the Fish Tank (Durham) but now they are finally getting the recognition they deserve. If you want tunes that stay in your head, sussed lyrics and choruses bigger than a mighty elephant, look no further. A couple of jars with John from Wigan then off to see LAST ROUGH CAUSE who were Pop-Punk long before it meant out of tune American accents and rock school guitars. LRC’s now very sought after 7” was a cracking EP and the tracks accompanying it on 'Skins & Punks' split LP weren’t bad either, so I was really looking forward to seeing em. Sure enough the Olympia did not disappoint - or rather it did. You could put mattresses all over the walls of this place and it would still sound shit, and the turnout here was nothing short of disgraceful (about 40 people). Still good to hear 'Violent Few' etc again and lets hope they keep it going and play the toon sometime. Bumped em in the street later and they’re really good blokes; the drummer remembered me from years ago. It involved his record collection. Time to scarper! I had almost forgotten but, whilst waiting for LRC, we took in a band from Herts, CHARRED HEARTS, who gave a powerful, confident performance. I have no idea if this is a new band or an obscure KBD act who’ve just reformed but despite being my age or more (except the drummer who I think is the singer’s son, though you wouldn’t be able to tell as he clattered them like a pro) they were obviously here to entertain, the singer jumping over the barrier and handing the mic to a rather bored/confused looking YTS security type! Musically if you imagine old KBD bands like BLEACH BOYS with modern day heavy production. Had to square up with Tony (top man!) from the stalls which meant I missed most of KUNT & THE GANG but he went down a storm anyway. If you’ve seen him you’ll know exactly what to expect – depraved lyrics set to innocent sounding 80’s chart music. His videos are legendary (you MUST check out his My Space site). Songs include 'Fred and Rose' (“I’d murder a lodger for you”), 'Men With Beards' (“…what are they hiding, have they buried a body next to a railway siding”) and the very topical 'Michael Jackson Tribute' (“he was born black, he died white, and in the middle he fiddled with kids”) – the latter caused absolute riots on You Tube because genuine fans of the Paedo of Pop have been searching for their hero only to find THAT!! THE STUPIDS sounded the same as ever – powerful early 80s US influenced HC (but not nearly tuneful enough to hold yer attention for long) lost in the Olympia wall of echo. THE THREATS were thankfully playing the side stage at the Olympia. Like the PORK DUKES, they’re not pretty but they’re another kick in the teeth for the jaded absentees who moan that it’s all washed up heroes of yesteryear playing sluggish versions of their old stuff. Since coming back a decade ago or so, they have knocked out two powerful albums and are more powerful today than ever. Tracks from '12 Punk Moves' and 'God Is Not With Us Today' were mixed with the old classics like 'Writing On The Wall', 'Politicians And Ministers' and '1980s' and they played like a band out to make their very first impression on the world. A quick hiatus back at the B&B then I think it was back to a rescheduled CRAVATS. I loved 'Precinct' when I was a young un – in them days entertainment was walking round with a tape recorder usually blasting offensive tunes – so, as the song wasn’t peppered with expletives it musta been good – though I remember being disappointed by their LP ('XMP' excepted). I couldn’t, however, remember their most famous moment – 'Rub Me Out' (Crass Recs). No wonder. This is the song they kicked off with – an intolerable, arty jazz number. No tune or direction, it’s only purpose to irritate, although the band deserve kudos for suffering for their art, the sax player wearing an old East German army coat (that probably hadn’t seen the light of day since 1980) in the excruciating heat. That’s about as much as I could bear so it was off to my natural habitat, the bar. By now depression was setting in. The bar was half empty, and I ended up in a debate about USHC with Hebby (t-shirt magnate) and Shaun from VOORHEES. I still ended up none the wiser as to what constitutes good HC or bad HC (to me “It’s all a noise Alan”) and I thought I’d better check out KILLING JOKE in the Empress. Most of the remaining punters obviously had the same idea. I only ever liked about three songs by em ('Wardance', 'Psyche', and 'Complications') but I’d heard they were some act live. Well stood at the back, it just seemed like a wall of echo with a deranged Michael Jackson lookalike walking back and forwards shouting “Change!”. That will probably knark diehards like ebay Lee, but unless a band has lots of good tunes that is probably as far as I delve at this stage of proceedings, so back to the bar and they’re still on about bands who go “shout shout shout”… and we’re just about the only ones left in there. Doom, gloom. I had promised to help load out for John (Overground) after the gig, but being the only person left in the stalls area I was no doubt suspected of being a wrong un and ushered out of the building, leaving a less than amused John when the gig finished. Mondays in Blackpool are always suitably bleak. It pisses down, you’re kicked out of the B&B at 10am and the bus doesn’t come till 3pm. But we will be back next year with a vengeance (and hopefully not toothache). It remains the greatest holiday on earth. Next year tips – scrap the big stage in the Olympia (keep the small one), and turn it over to the art show, and possibly a Punk Rock market/car boot sale where ordinary Punkers can pay a small amount for a small stall for a day to sell their cast offs, records, CDs etc. Use the Pavillion for bands instead.

Trev Howarth (Myspace)

Show Time!

2009-12-05T15:29:00.008+13:00

THE FREEZE - SHORTBUS WINDOW LICKERS - DEFCON ZERO - THE RUINED, Camden Underworld, London, UK 4th August 2009
As I sat in the World’s End pub in Camden sipping my first pint of Guinness on British soil for a year, I had chance to reflect on what brought me here.
Y’see, I’d been back in the UK for about 36 hours when I made the trip to London. My journey from my New Zealand home to my Mum’s place had taken longer than that. I was heavily jet-lagged and struggling with the humidity of London after the relative open (and harsh) New Zealand winter that I had left behind. I still had two hours before the doors opened and just hoped that I would not have to leave the venue half-way through THE FREEZE’s set to catch the last train home.
As I found a second wind with a second pint of Guinness, I got to thinking about how I discovered THE FREEZE. My thoughts went back to the flat Rikki of Red Flag 77 had on Wherstead Road in Ipswich some 20 years previous. We’d been on one of our then frequent lunchtime drinking sessions before crashing at Rik’s for a blitz of Punk Rock tuneage. As I sat there nursing another can of Export-strength beer, Rikki put on a record called ‘Land Of The Lost’ by some band I had never heard of. These wild harmonic notes made me pause my drinking before the band burst in with a fury that was jaw-dropping. And so began ‘American Town’, the opening track on the album.
Since that day, I’ve become an avid FREEZE addict. I’ve interviewed Clif Hanger twice and spent many hours with the stereo cranked listening to the band’s output. So, with a wait of 20 years, I finally found myself a few hours away from seeing the band. Suddenly a 36-hour trip and all the jetlag seemed trivial.
Unfortunately, I still believed the Underworld worked on the time-schedule that it adhered to before I left - ie: first band on at 8pm. By the time I wandered down, it appeared that THE RUINED (who I had spoken to in the bar and were decent blokes all round) had already played. That was a real pisser as I really enjoyed the band’s stuff on its split EP with Destructors 666.
DEFCON ZERO had only just started when I arrived. The band played a fast, tough Hardcore Punk sound, decidedly UK82 influenced, a bit rough around the edges and totally in your face. I kept thinking of a mix of CHAOS UK and the VARUKERS. Song titles are lost already but I remember a damning condemnation of the British National Party’s Nick Griffin and one about Rats. The band would probably have been more effective had it played a pub’s back room or a squat rather than the barely ¼ full Underworld.
The oddly named SHORTBUS WINDOW LICKERS was next up, keeping things entrenched in a UK82 British feel but with a hard-hitting Hardcore bite, somewhere between POISON IDEA and MOTORHEAD. They too had a song about the slime that is the BNP - possibly tied up with the word cunt!! Haha!! Can’t recall much more about them bar the fact that the singer had a fascination with blow jobs and, I think, there was a song about zombies!! The whole band was tight, powerful and equally in your face as DEFCON ZERO. Have to say though, both bands seemed rather odd choices for FREEZE support slots.
Just as I first heard ‘American Town’ at Rikki’s flat all those years ago, so it was the same song that opened THE FREEZE’s set. It was quite a cathartic moment no doubt amplified by my still slightly otherworldly state! Besides Clif on vocals, the band featured two guitarists, one of which I am sure WAS Bill Close. The set was a virtual all you wanna hear of the band’s back catalogue with a surprising amount lifted from the ‘One False Move’ album. Highlights? So many but those that stand out include ‘Warped Confessional’, ‘Mental Defective’, ‘Freakshow’ ‘Trouble If You Hide’, ‘False Messiah’ and a show-stealing blaze through ‘Terminal’. I was surprised to hear ‘This Is Boston... Not LA’ but man, it was welcome and seemingly faster than the recorded version. The band itself was tight, commanding the front of the stage and certainly seemed to know each other musically. Clif was very visual in a theatrical sense - more so than I expected in fact. More than once he brought to mind Biafra’s deranged stage antics during his DEAD KENNEDYS peak. Not sure if it was Clif’s hearing that was playing tricks, but more than once he walked over to one of the guitar cabinets and stuck his head right in front of it. A set that lasted an hour finished with the obligatory ‘Broken Bones’ the intensity of which actually sent a shiver down my spine. The last band to do that? IGGY AND THE STOOGES in Sydney.
The turn out was quite disappointing though. I thought the place would be at least 75% full. It actually appeared to be less than half.
And so I made my way back to Liverpool St to face my final task: staying awake on the train after four pints of Guinness was piled onto my already jaded state! The last thing I wanted was to fall asleep on the train and end up in Norwich. Mercifully, those ringing chords of ‘American Town’ kept reverberating in my ears. A Contract High indeed.

Obituary - Brendan Mullen

2009-10-15T09:30:00.004+13:00

On Monday 12th October 2009, Brendan Mullen, founder of the legendary Hollywood Punk club The Masque, died at Ventura County Medical Centre. His death was the result of a massive stroke he suffered two days earlier. He was with his partner of 16 years, Kateri Butler, with whom he was travelling through Santa Barbara and Ventura in celebration of his 60th birthday. In a statement from Butler, Mullen is said to have shown no indication that he was a likely stroke victim.
The importance of The Masque in terms of Punk’s own history cannot be understated. It acted as the lynchpin for the early Los Angeles Punk scene and Mullen himself is often credited as being the first promoter of Punk Rock in Hollywood.
Mullen was born in Paisley, Scotland on 9th October 1949 and grew up in Manchester, England prior to his move to America. In his photo book, Live at the Masque: Nightmare in Punk Alley, he describes himself as a, "dirty, hapless schmuck from Scotland" who was looking for a place to live and bang his drums (Mullen played drums in his own Punk-lounge act, the SATINTONES.). In June 1977 he, "tumbled into the basement of the Hollywood Center Building." This space became The Masque.
The Masque was a 10,000-foot space located behind the Pussycat adult theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. Initially, Mullen rented out the space he didn’t use as a rehearsal room, “at such rock-bottom monthly prices, even Punk bands could afford them. Within a month or so, the basement morphed into a performance space.” On 18th August 1977, The Masque staged its first show hosting both THE SKULLS and THE CONTROLLERS.
From there, the club became a haven for those alienated from the mainstream, frustrated by regularity and addicted to the pulsating and assaultive sounds of the new beat that we know as Punk Rock. Regularly bands as infamous as THE GERMS, THE WEIRDOS, THE DILS and THE SCREAMERS would perform their earliest shows at the club. The club became the pantheon of Los Angeles Punk as X, THE DICKIES, THE GO-GOS, THE BAGS, THE FLESHEATERS and more all made the club their spiritual home. Mullen usually hosted the events (which went onto include San Fran Punks DEAD KENNEDYS and AVENGERS and fledgling performances by USHC legends BLACK FLAG) and is often described as both charming and acerbic.
As with every club since, The Masque soon came to the attention of police, fire and licensing officials while also facing hostilities from local businesses. Such scrutiny lead the club to closing and reopening on several occasions. It even moved to another space on Santa Monica Boulevard before closing its doors for good in 1979.
After the closure of The Masque, Mullen fell on hard times finding himself broke and homeless after a spell as an independent Punk Rock promoter. This spell of inactivity was to end in 1981 with a residency at the Club Lingerie.
Situated on Sunset Boulevard, Club Lingerie provided an outlet for Mullen’s skills for over a decade. He was the club’s in-house booker arranging eclectic shows ranging from R&B, Punk, Pop, Jazz and, most significantly, Hip-Hop.
While Mullen will first and foremost be credited with ties to Punk Rock, it should also be noted that he lays claim to have staged Southern California’s, “first full-spectrum, New York-style Hip-Hop event including MCs, DJs, graffiti writers, and b-boy breakers, all of ‘em flown out specifically from the South Bronx.” The bill included Grandmixer D.ST, Afrika Islam, Crazy Legs and others. In attendance was 17-year-old Andre Williams who had slipped past security. Today, Williams is more widely known as one Dr. Dre.
While booking at Club Lingerie, Mullen simultaneously booked at the Variety Arts Center during the late 80s and aided Johnny Depp and his partners in opening the Viper Room in 1993.
In recent years, Mullen has vigorously chronicled the history of L.A. Punk, which in turn documented his own role in the scene. These books, which include We Got the Neutron Bomb: The Untold Story of L.A. Punk (2001, with Marc Spitz), Lexicon Devil: The Fast Times and Short Life of Darby Crash and the Germs (2002, with Don Bolles and Adam Parfrey), and the previously mentioned photo history Live at the Masque: Nightmare in Punk Alley (2007), have brought Mullen to the attention of a whole new generation of Punks eager for first-hand knowledge on this influential and pivotal era. He also authored the JANE’S ADDICTION oral history Whores (2005). For the last year prior to his passing, he had been working with Red Hot Chili Peppers on a book about the band’s career, according to the band’s bassist, Flea.
In addition to Butler, Mullen is survived by three sisters: Pauline Mullen, Una Earley and Nuala Rainford.

Obituary - Jim Carroll

2009-09-14T20:52:00.006+12:00

On Friday 11th September 2009, Jim Carroll, died aged 60. His ex-wife Rosemary states the cause of death was a heart attack suffered at his Manhattan home. According to Carroll’s website, Catholicboy.com, he was at his desk working at the time of death. Carroll was famed for his Basketball Diaries that chronicle his wild youth, and for fronting THE JIM CARROLL BAND that was made famous by the classic ‘People Who Died’.
Born on 1st August 1949 as the son of a bar owner, James Dennis Carroll spent his childhood in Manhattan’s Lower East Side attending Roman Catholic Schools (something he would touch on with future lyrics). It was following a move to Inwood at the northern end of Manhattan that Carroll won a basketball scholarship at Trinity - an elite private school on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
It was at Trinity that his love affair with writing began as he spent time at St. Mark’s Poetry Project in the East Village, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs, while simultaneously acquiring the status of teenage basketball star. It was here that he started writing his diaries, the diaries that became the infamous Basketball Diaries.
His life at this stage mixed sport with poetry and an (un)healthy appetite for drugs. The diaries begin laden with innocence and hope as Carroll writes of feeling enthused via his first day in an organized basketball league. They culminate with the degrading, downbeat confession of being, “Totally zonked, and all the dope scraped or sniffed clean from the tiny cellophane bags. I can see the Cloisters with its million in medieval art out the bedroom window. I got to go in and puke. I just want to be pure,” as Carroll has been reduced to a Times Square hustling junkie.
The diaries were not published until 1978 by which time his writing had already won Carroll cult status, including a 1967 self-published pamphlet of poems entitled Organic Trains and a successor 4 Ups And 1 Down from 1970. 1973’s Living At The Movies was issued by a mainstream publisher, won critical acclaim and a wider audience. The diaries were reissued in 1980 followed by a film in 1995 with Leonardo DeCaprio playing Carroll’s part.
During the early 70s, Carroll continued with his diaries, eventually seeing the light as The Basketball Diaries’ follow-up, Forced Entries: The Downtown Diaries, 1971-1973. This was an equally frenetic period for Carroll. He had become a regular on the Downtown Poetry Scene with the likes of Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac hailing him as “the new voice”. He contributed dialogue to some of Andy Warhol’s films after finding his way into Warhol’s Factory after a brief stint at Columbia University. It was during this period that he lived with both Patti Smith and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe; the former proving pivotal to his musical future.
To escape the drugs, Carroll had to escape New York and fled to Bolinas, a small artistic community north of San Francisco where he met his future wife - Rosemary Klemfuss in 1978. The marriage would end in divorce.
It was in the late 70s that Carroll’s musical legacy ignited in a spontaneous fireball as Patti Smith brought him on-stage to deliver some of his poetry as the Patti Smith Band provided the backing soundtrack. Encouraged by the response Carroll formed his own band, The Jim Carroll Band. In even more fortuitous circumstances, the band caught the attention of one Keith Richards (yep, he of the Rolling Stones) who arranged a three-album deal with Atlantic Records.
The debut album, 1980’s ‘Catholic Boy’ is widely considered a classic while the track, ‘People Who Died’ - a rollicking, energised litany of Carroll’s previous friends and acquaintances who have passed on in varying circumstances - enjoyed radio success and even appeared on the soundtrack of Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster, ‘E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial’, appearing in the film’s opening scene. The following albums - ‘Dry Dreams’ (1982) and ‘I Write Your Name’ (1984) - while being solid failed to match the Punk Rock ‘n’ Roll cool of the debut.
Although Carroll took a break from being actively involved in music until the release of ‘Pools Of Mercury’ some 14 years later in 1998, he remained a cult industry figure. You could find his lyrics on Blue Oyster Cult and Boz Scaggs albums and find him performing live with Ray Manzarek (formerly of The Doors) as part of a spoken word act. More recently his influence can be seen in the likes of Pearl Jam that recorded a version of ‘Catholic Boy’ with Carroll. More significantly, Rancid used his lyrics on ‘Junky Man’ and had Carroll recite the spoken word section of the song. Furthering his legacy has been Marilyn Manson and Drive By Truckers which have both recorded versions of his songs.
Carroll also published several further poetry collections: The Book of Nods (1986), Fear of Dreaming (1993) and Void of Course: Poems 1994-1997 (1998) and has released several spoken-word albums. Although having been out of the public eye for several years, it is reported that he had been working on a new novel for sometime - presumably the work he was pursuing at the time of the heart attack.
Carroll is survived by his brother Tom.

Personally, Carroll’s legacy has been primarily through music and his diaries. All three original albums deserve a listen but the debut album, ‘Catholic Boy’, stands testament to near-perfect Punk-tinged rock ‘n’ roll; it’s sneering, arrogant, confident and has a natural fluidity that only the best can match. Both The Basketball Diaries and The Downtown Diaries make rivetting reading, so much so that for a latter issue of Scanner, I made serious attempts at contacting Carroll for an interview. I got close but not quite close enough.

Show Time!

2009-07-05T14:13:00.004+12:00

FLIPPER - MOUNTAINEATER
San Francisco Bath House, Wellington, New Zealand, 18th June 2009
While waiting for the first band to start playing, I was talking to a long-time FLIPPER fan who expressed surprise that the audience being made up of many in their twenties and possibly younger rather than the over thirties. I'm not sure what I make of that myself. It's been quite some time since the days when Kurt Cobain donned a FLIPPER T-shirt. Perhaps FLIPPER is a prime example of a band gaining a live audience miles from their home country due to the mp3 buying/downloading crowd.
First up were Dunedin trio MOUNTAINEATER who made me ponder what early GORDONS shows were like. MOUNTAINEATER had a HUGE wall of noise bringing the previously mentioned band and SPACEMEN 3 to mind. The sparsely used vocals were not unlike THE CURE's Robert Smith in his prime. They played about six songs.
FLIPPER came out and Bruce Loose started talking about his band not being serious rock unlike the previous group and finding himself trapped in a cage again. Ted Falconi stood pretty much in the same place all night while strumming his guitar. The bass player and frontman moved around a lot but it's like contrasting ADD kid on speed and caffiene with a turtle. Bruce had to check his bass player's glossary (set list) a few times. Into the band's second song he states, "Fuck all those heavy stoner bands (a reference to support band Mountaineater's sound perhaps?). Acid Punk is where it's at. We're the original Acid Punk band." Songs like personal favourite ‘Life’ are played as are newer less engaging tracks. It's difficult to tell if Bruce is genuinely annoyed at the kid knocking the monitor orwhether it's part of the band's confrontational approach. I find myself thinking about live footage of THE BIRTHDAY PARTY I saw a good many years back as there's a similar dramatic aspect. Bruce claims to have lost his voice and asks for a couple of audience members to sing ‘Sex Bomb Baby’ as he straps on a bass. Two young guys are happy to oblige. No encore is played.
Chris (Small Takeover)

The New Blog

2009-07-05T13:07:00.001+12:00

So I've decided to go with a seperate Blog. The one on the main Scanner site was basically crap. I had hassles uploading photos, formatting text and using sub-catagories. Is this gonna be any different?? Time will tell

For older posts including Obituaries, Show Time reviews and more, hit HERE

Enjoy
Steve S