| SEPTEMBER 2008 | ISSUE 21 | ISSN 1754-3746 |
PUNKS UNITED
rebELLION FEStival 2008
CIVET .KILLING THE DREAM
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GUNS ON THE ROOF
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POISON HEARTS .STATIC THOUGHT
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JIMMY THE SQUIRREL, FIRST TIME RIOT REVIEWED: Cock Sparrer, GoldFinger, Suicide Bid,
Jaya the Cat, The Toasters, Wardogs, Throw Rag + more...
Let the good times roll EDITOR/Co PUBLISHER_ Cerven Cotter editor@distortedmagazine.com
ADVERTISING/Co PUBLISHER_ Nikola Cotter nikola@distortedmagazine.com ART/WEB/LAYOUT_ www.pixeldeath.com
SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR_ Steve ‘I’ll get you a job’ Noble steve@distortedmagazine.com CONTRIBUTORS_ John Robb, Tim Drunk, Curvball, Fungal Punk/OMD, LibraSnake, SKAra, Suzy Ska, Henry Raby, our awesome readers (thank you!).. Contact information_ Distorted Magazine 9 Bridle Close, Surbiton Road, Kingston Upon Thames Surrey, KT1 2JW, UK info@distortedmagazine.com www.distortedmagazine.com Distorted Magazine is published by Distorted Ltd. ISSN 1754-3746 All content is copyright protected © 2006 - 2008. Distorted is a trademark of Distorted Ltd. Views expressed in the magazine’s content belong to the contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the publishers. The contents are believed to be correct at the time of publishing. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for any errors, ommissions or for changes in the details given, © 2006 - 2008 Distorted Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in a whole or in part of this magazine is strictly forbidden without prior written consent of the publishers.
A
ugust has been a great month for punk rock - especially with the recent Rebellion fest (to everybody that attended, I’m very jealous...). From all the reports and photos it looked like everybody had an awesome time. I’m sure I’ll be seeing many of you down at the Rebellion London show, looks set to be a great day. Speaking of good shows, coming up is the huge XraySpex show at the Roundhouse - this will be a blast! See ya there. While we discuss upcoming good times, I urge you to pen the 2nd of October in your diary and head South of the river for BURN LONDON, a club night that will feature a performance by Jimmy the Squirrel (yes, it’s a band!) and after that I’ll be playing all your favourite punk, ska, rockabilly and hardcore songs on the ‘Distorted’ dancefloor. Bring your friends (bring 5 people with ya, and you get in free!). And, we’ll have freebies to hand out in the form of some CDs... Hope you enjoy the new issue - it’s filled with some glorious photos! And be sure to leave your comments below. See ya next month. ~ Cerven Cotter Distorted Editor
Features Guns on the Roof... 14
Punks Unite
(Rebellion)... 20
Civet... 44
Poison Hearts ...52
REGULARS
Editor Notes...... 03 JOHN’S COLUMN... 06 Distorted Girl ... 08 Will you be there?.... 10
Under the Radar....... 40 Reviews...... 58 Favourites......80
Mutiny! The John Robb Column
Hello hombres! Just running around in the last days of the summer and the last days of George Bush’s regime, getting ready for winter and a lot of touring! So hopefully we should be meeting each other at some far-flung outpost of noise action.
Just got back from Henry Rollins spoken word in Liverpool, as ever full on, funny and thought provoking- some really good laughs in there and some powerful pertinent points and its amazing how he doesn’t drop a beat in two hours of talking. The big event this September is the X Ray Spex gig at the Roundhouse, on Saturday 6th. The gig is close to sell out and Goldblade are honoured to be opening up for Poly Styrene’s fantastic band. X Ray Spex may have only released one album but their Day-Glo punk with its witty and cutting lyrics (she is one of the
best lyricist ina period of great wordsmiths) about consumerism and plastic society made for four hit singles and Poly was/is one of the premier icons of the original punk movement. Her whole personae, the way she dressed and the way she did her own thing defying the pop cliches to avoid become the boring dolly bird singer of seventies pop made her special. Her smartness, her hipness and her originality make her a true gem and a constant inspiration form all manner of modern bands, I meet so many female singers and musicians that count Poly as their number one inspiration that I lose track of them all. Its going to be a great night- see you all down there. Poly was fired up to play again by going to last years Concrete Jungle festival where she was moved by the punk rockers coming over and shaking her hand and having their picture taken with her, she had genuinely thought that everyone had forgotten her! The Concrete Jungle people, who are promoting this show, have also
landed a 24-hour punk rock TV channel that should start broadcasting later this year. I’ve been doing some filming with them and there aplenty of cool ideas for progammes, when the channel comes closer to fruition they will be asking all the bands out there to send them stuff. (Check out http://www.cjpunktv.com/) At last we get our own channel instead of having to grovel to all the cowards that run the mainstream media and blank us out all the time because our music is ‘too noisy’ or our bands don’t fit in with their dull idea of what rock n roll is all about. Not that this sort of subtle censorship is a real problem, we know how to get by on word of moth and the internet and as well all know the punk scene is a bit more hairy in other countries- Cuban punk rocker Gorki Aguila faces possible prison for lyrics on some of his bands songs. He was arrested last week and the situation is confusing. C’mon Fidel or brother Roeul Castro! your regime can take criticism from the floor, you may think that the music is ‘decadent’ but you will find the very people in the punk bands who criticise certain aspects of your regime probably generally agree in principle with your original
revolution and hope that you do as well. We can’t be doing with one of our punk rock brothers getting banged up for speaking out. I’m looking forward to checking out ‘What We Do Is Secret’ the faux documentary about late seventies LA punk band The Germs. The band fronted by the late Derby Crash- a fame fixated car crash of a singer who took his own life the day before John Lennon’s assassination and was thus removed from history and proved the old maxim that if you want true fame then pick your death date very, very carefully!- wrote some great chaotic early punk anthems. This is punk from a different era, tinged by glam and with a New York Dolls strut and sneer, it’s also messy, drug infested and decadent and stands the test of time with its bratty insolence. Crash was a charismatic mess and is brilliantly portrayed in the bits of the film I’ve seen. Not that known in the UK the Germs could become the next punk band to have its legend dusted down and with a back catalogue this good are well worth checking out. John Robb is the author of Punk Rock: An Oral History and is the frontman of Goldblade.
Distorted
Girls! Maxine Johnston
Age: 18 Height: 5’6” Hometown: Newcastle, UK Occupation: Student Favourite punk bands: Sick of it all, The Clash, The Distillers, The Rezillos, Sex Pistols.
‘‘
‘‘
I’m just a little girl with big dreams and a hell of a lot of ambition to achieve them. I’m interested in all things creative; bright hair and tattoos make me smile - I want to be a walking piece of art. I’ve only been modelling for a year, but I’ve enjoyed every moment of it & it’s given me the chance to meet some amazing and talented people. My life has changed so much in the past few years, but I’ve never been happier; I’m growing up and enjoying every second of it. Website: www.myspace.com/moospice
PHOTO: Phil Winterbourne
NOTE: Competition only open to SOUTH AFRICAN’s - no flights included, tickets only | MARCH 2008 | page 07 |
A R E YO U GOING? 4th INTERNATIONAL London Tattoo Convention 26 - 28 September 2008 Tobacco Dock, London
The London International Tattoo Convention has now become THE Number One Alternative Event Of The Year in London, having attracted HUGE amounts of media coverage worldwide over the last three years, with each event becoming even more crammed with visitors, artists and events, making it one of the most crowded and important conventions in Europe. The Inaugural London International Tattoo Convention in 2005 attracted over 15,000 visitors, the second saw over 18,000 people through the doors, while last year over 20,000 fans of body art packed the Old Truman Brewery to the rafters and hundreds had to be turned away. As a result the 4th London International Tattoo Convention has moved to a much bigger venue at Tobacco Dock in Wapping, a completely renovated hidden treasure of beautiful Victorian architecture, built in 1812 to store and market tobacco imported from the East, just a few minutes from Tower Bridge. The ground floor of Tobacco Dock, where the main Tattoo Convention will be situated, has a huge purpose built bar and restaurant and acres of space for the hundreds of stalls, studios, exotic esoteric dances, shows, exhibits and art events taking place.
Traditional East End themed nourishment will be on offer, including pie and mash stalls and a huge real ale bar stocked with beers chosen by members of Camra, including various London micro-breweries’ latest offerings. The massive, spectacular underground vault floor, with extensive sprawling nooks and crannies, will contain a fetish market, a varied and vibrant alternative market place, coffee shops and other chill out zones and bars licensed until 1.00am. The ‘Vince Ray Rock’n’Roll Voodoo Crypt’, hosted by the man himself (currently touring with The Stray Cats) will have a nightclub vibe created by none other than Torture Garden, who promise numerous dark, alternative sideshows and entertainment. The fourth London International Tattoo Convention will once again be packed with top tattoo artists flying in from as far away as Japan, China, Thailand and Singapore, let alone from all over Europe, America, and the UK. Over 190 top artists, chosen from over 1,000 applications from all around the world, will be in London to demonstrate their extraordinary abilities. Elite artists such as Boog, who specialises in the Chicano style from East Los Angeles, Miami Ink’s Tim Hendrix, Japan’s Horitaka, (a member of the Horiyoshi family who has written over ten books on the history and art of Japanese tattooing), Samoa’s Sua Loli Keli, (a university teacher who is an expert in the Samoan hand style), France’s Tin Tin, (a favourite of the fashion world who works with the likes of Jean Paul Gaultier, Givenchy, Galliano etc) and Phil Kyle and Nicole Lowe of London Ink will be practising their art in public. The 2008 Convention will once again feature a host of diverse related attractions, including an Anthropological Exhibition (created by Lionel Titchener of the British Tattoo History Museum), Tribal belly dancers (Les Soeurs Tribale), an Art Fusion Camp plus various Art Exhibitions, Extreme Performance Artists (Lucky Diamond Rich), The Suicide Girls, celebrity book and calendar launches and much, much more. There really will be more things to do than you can shake a stick at! For more info and tickets (priced at £20 per day or £50 for a three day pass) visit the official website: www.thelondontattooconvention.com | MARCH 2008 | page 07 |
SUPPORT SLOT
with...
Jimmy the squirrel Ska bands always provide you with a fun show... Jimmy the Squirrel are no different. We got in touch with them to find out a little more about their name, live show and which nuts they like...
Hey guys, what kind of nuts do you prefer? Hazelnuts maybe? Mike: Donuts!! Sam: Peanuts, but salty, none of that dry roasted bollocks Liam. I’m a Cashew man myself
All jokes aside, why did you call this band Jimmy the Squirrel?
S: We get asked this a lot and I never know what to say, It’s never as interesting as people want it to be. It wasn’t supposed to be a gimmick, it started out as a joke when we were really young and stupid and just stuck, people remember it and we really like it. That and you get to enjoy a range of funny looks from people when you tell them the name of your band. M: When it was originally suggested, I did like it but I thought I might end up hating it. Turns out I like it more and more
every day.
Do you think squirrels prefer skanking over pogoing?
Jody: Squirrels can’t dance, they just gather, eat and sleep L: I think I saw one water skiing on TV once.
Where do you hail from? How did the band come together?
M: Sam, Liam and myself originally formed the band with our friends Ed and Laurence in South London. We started out playing ska punk covers of old classics - me first and the jimmy jimmy’s! We acquired Stef and Jody after a couple of us moved to Nottingham, Stef played the trombone at first but moved on to the drums later when Ed left. J. When I saw the boys play a couple of
years ago in Nottingham I wasn’t all that fussed, (I sound like a right bastard!) but afterwards they were about in the bar handing out free CDs, and I ended going back to Liam’s to hang out and became friends with them pretty quickly... It wasn’t until I listened to the demo that they’d been handing out that I realised I thought they were brilliant and practically forced them to take me on as a keyboard player S: The band is based in Nottingham now although I live in London. There’s been a few people who have contributed massively to the band over the years but couldn’t carry on due to other things.
You recently released an EP on Do the Dog a few months back - what has the response been like to this.
J. One of the best things someone said is that it was too short. But the best response we’ve had yet has been from Kevin, who decided he was going to put it out in the first place! S: Its been really good, all the reviews have been great and we’re really happy with it. We’re just happy to have something out and be playing music, everything else is a bonus. M: Splendid. L. I find it exciting when people I’ve been listening to for years tell us they like our music, that feels a bit crazy.
What can people expect from a ‘Jimmy the Squirrel’ live show? Why should people and watch you?
S: For us it’s all about the live show, it’s the most important thing so we always do our best to put all our energy into it. We’ve had some absolutely fantastic gigs recently and we’re hoping to keep making it better. We’ve got some great shows coming up as
well with some superb bands, it’s always worth coming to one of our gigs. M: For a long time the band has been split between London and Nottingham, so gigs were not only an excuse to meet up and practice. Our shows have always been about having fun together and consequently we’re all very comfortable with each other on stage so we always have a laugh at gigs. J. Although we have a really good time onstage I don’t think we could ever just be a party band or a band of jokers- the music is what we are there to do and hopefully people can tell that that is where the energy goes. But obviously we play ska, so we love it when people feel like they want to dance, tap their feet, nod their heads.
Anything else you’d like to say?
J. I’ve said enough. S: Just a big thanks to everybody who’s helped us out recently, Kev at Do The Dog, Tony, Tony and Ash at Ska Monkey, Stevie at Lionheart Radio to name a few, there’s been so many. Also always like to give a mention to bands who can never be mentioned too much, Dirty Revolution ,Babar Luck, The Steady Boys, Bottlenex, New Town Kings, Orakai, Royal Gala, Big Topp and all everyone we played with on the tour. M: I’d like to thank anyone who’s supported or been in the band over the years, especially Ed, Laurence, Ashley, Shell, Jake, Mel, Mark, Harry, Ben and Benny G. L. If you two are going off likes it’s the Oscars I’ll thank me mum. And cheers for the interview. Catch Jimmy the Squirrel at BURN LONDON, 2 October. The Watershed, 267 Broadway, Wimbledon, SW19 1SD, London.
Words by Tim Drunk
READY.AIM.
FIRE!
For a few years now this quartet have been turning heads at every venue they’ve graced and after much hard work they’ve completed their debut album, New Frustration. We caught up with the band while they were filming the video for the 2nd single, On the Brink.
GUNS ON THE ROOF
Your album is now finally out, how does it feel to put out ‘New Frustration’?
It feels great to have it finally printed. What’s more exciting is waiting to see what the fans think, it will be available to download on itunes and on our website www.gunsontheroof.com from 6th October so get yourselves a copy and let us know what you think.
This record has been a long time coming, I remember speaking to you guys about it almost a year back. Any reason for the delay?
Where do we start... ? Well when we spoke to you we were just in the middle of recording, and then we have had to finance the full album ourselves which is not cheap. We also went back into the studio to add more tracks, A main reason for the delay is we felt like we hadn’t promoted ‘New Frustration’ enough But it also worked quiet well with the fact you have to have an album ready so many months in advance before release.
“I like to play What has the general in newbeen places reaction like to the album? regardless of how much we Tell us a little more willthebe paid” about nature of the album? What is it
From what we have heard people love it, we have had some great reviews and it’s starting to get a lot of airplay.
all about? Any specific
songs you’d like to talk about and explain?
Well for a start the title ‘New Frustration’ came from all the problems we had getting the album printed with financial problems and also when we were recording the album we ran out of money haha. We have had some pretty tough times just before we started writing this album, But we also have had some unbelievable times and memories as we got the chance to support Rancid and the Dead Kennedy’s and also many other great bands. The album is basically written about the good times and the bad times and how it has made us stronger than we have ever been as a band. We are 4 best mates doing it how it should be done! A track on our album titled, Road of our live’s, is written about when we supported Rancid so that was a pretty influential time!
Your first single, Last Orders, seems to be doing very well. Heard the video got picked up for MTV2. How did that all happen? Tell us more about the video?
The video for ‘Last Orders’ was filmed in Leeds city centre. The band scenes were shot in brettys car park at his flat and the the night club scene was shot in a bar called Religion in Leeds! Our director is a close friend called James youd and his team. Great guys, they are also shooting our next video, they are really good at what they do and to say they are in the middle of a university course they have done a real job to be proud of.
GUNS ON THE ROOF Where do you come from? What is your background? How did the band form and how long have you been going?
Guns on the roof have been gigging for around 3 years now, since the release of ‘Pure Punk Rock Therapy’ Our first album. We formed when we was in school around 4 years ago but it was just a weekly jamming thing and when we met our manager Dave Ryan we decided to get serious. We are all from Leeds and bretty is from a town called Batley just on the outskirts. We have all been brought up listening to our parents music such as the clash, the jam, Stiff Little Fingers, The Dickies, Mainly all things punk/rock. Individually we are all into different kinds of music for the Beatles to Rancid, and all these influences make us who we are.
You appeared at Rebellion again this year, how was the whole festival? What other big shows
have you gys played this year? Any big ones coming up that you’re looking forward to?
Rebellion was ace! There were about 1500 people in the arena stage when we were playing, so like to say a big thanks to all you guys who stuck around to see us. We also took the new CD for sale for the first time and sold out which was a great feeling! This year one of our highlights has to be supporting the dead Kennedy’s on there UK tour. They were fantastic guys and really took care of us and to be playing with your idols, there’s
not a lot more you can ask for. We also did a tour with the UK Subs and anti nowhere league which was cool. We have our own tour coming up Sept/October to promote the release of new frustration, all the dates our on our website, with more to be added, so check them out and get yourselves down. Hopefully the next stop after that is Europe.
I read somewhere that you’ve been compared to Stiff Little Fingers - how does that make you feel?
Well one of our first big gigs was supporting Stiff Little Fingers at Leeds uni. It was a great experience. When we get compared to our idols it makes us feel proud, also we feel like we are giving something what you don’t see a lot of anymore, our music is a cross between the 1970s punk and modern punk/rock so we give something new and also when we play live we like to entertain and put on a good show with loads of energy and not just good music.
Speaking of the old school, what are some of your favourite bands from the 77 era?
Well as we said we basically grew up listening to our parents stuff such as the Clash the Dead Kennedy’s and the Jam. These are big influences on us and bands like the Sex Pistols, Dickies, The Ruts, Generation X etc...
The whole punk scene seems to be fairly healthy these days, what do you think? What is the best thing about the punk scene for GOTR?
To be honest I think the punk scene has gone a bit quiet at the moment but it will be coming back over the next few months, You have the release of the new rancid, Offspring, Pluss 44 albums coming up to name a few so I reckon this will give the scene a big boost.
GUNS ON THE ROOF Now that the album is out, where to next for GOTR?
The next plan is to tour the album as much as we can and spread the music, America and Japan is our target and hopefully Europe before Christmas, keep tuning in to our website for news on the tours.
Anything ELSE you’d
like to add?
Come and download our new single “On the Brink” FREE from our website from the 1st October. Buy the album and love it... Also who thinks our drummer looks Spanish? Put a comment on his myspace photos! www.gunsontheroof.com www.myspace.com/gunsontheroofuk
All photos by LibraSnake unless otherwise noted
PU
Hailed as the end of pure p es of what ha
REBELLION (BLACKPOOL)
UNKS UNITE
e largest punk festival in the world, Rebellion (Blackpool) is a weekpunk rock madness. Over the next few pages we’ll show you glimpsappened at this year’s event...
Voodoo GlowSkulls. © T Bevington
© B Winters
REBELLION (BLACKPOOL)
Total Chaos
Goldblade
REBELLION (BLACKPOOL)
The Grit
REBELLION (BLACKPOOL)
The Dickies. Š T Bevington
I was at Rebellion reader photos...
The King Blues
REBELLION (BLACKPOOL)
Agnostic Front. © T Bevington
Random Hand. Š T Bevington
East End Badoes with Milky (Indecent Exposure)
REBELLION (BLACKPOOL)
Renegade Burlesque. Š T Bevington
I was at Rebellion reader photos...
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Neville Staples. Š T Bevington
The Duel
REBELLION (BLACKPOOL)
Section 5
Dangers Close
REBELLION (BLACKPOOL)
Babar Luck. © T Bevington
Splodge ‘Bingo’
REBELLION (BLACKPOOL)
© T Bevington
Under the radar with FungalPunk OMD.
FIRST TIME RIOT
First Time Riot are a punk band, no one can deny that! They’ve been around for a couple of years now and suffered losses and misfortune, and as a result haven’t put themselves about as much as possible. This is 100% cultured punk rock – no hidden agenda, no sub-genre sucking intent – just natural music played with fun.
How has the band progressed so far in this sometimes, overbearing scene?
bashing out new songs all the time. We hope to be recording again soon and putting in more gigging hours.
Tommy: As I say, I’m fairly new but all seems to be going well,
Matt : We’re doing alright, we’ve had a few line-up changes so that
has slowed progress. But it’s early days & we’re looking forward. Grant: Take the knocks. Appreciate the compliments. It’s all going very well musically and we get great reviews but we need to support some bigger bands to push on. Big Tom: I think we’ve done really well. Our trump card is the fact that we appeal to the older lot (even the fucking sad acts who are CONVINCED it’s still ‘78 and only ever go to Subs or Pistols gigs once every 5 years) and “Da kidz”. Because of our collective time in other bands, we’ve got a lot of contacts around the country so we can play in scenes that don’t usually like outsiders. People say cracking America’s hard; have you ever tried making small talk with a band from Leicester? Fook me!
What are the main difficulties you have encountered so far when trying to peddle your noise to the unknowing punters? Grant: Feedback, the sweetest pain. Big Tom: Cheap beer offers, football on in the other bar and no punters turning up.
Matt: Being a lesser known band, that’s the real issue. Do people want to take a chance on an unknown band? We do what we can to get our name about, we’ve been well received when we play live plus we’ve had some great reviews for our four-track demo. Tommy: I have only played one gig with the band but was well received.
How do you rate the current scene and what areas have you come across where the punk environment is thriving? Tommy: In our local area there isn’t really a scene at all. It’s a bit of a nightmare getting gigs locally, so we are branching out further afield. The scene Up North (Bolton, Manchester & Stockport) is healthier and the band has played up that neck of the woods a couple of times. Big Tom: The scene is ok, people moan about it but at the end of the day it’s everyone’s respon-
“COME ON! COME ON! COME & JOIN THE RIOT!!”
Under the radar with FungalPunk OMD. sibility to get out there and do something about it. The north seems to be pulling its weight at the minute, you keep hearing of venues and all dayers all over the place up there. Grant: So many good bands. So difficult to find an audience. Matt: The scene in general seems massive, just take a look at all the bands, zines & people on myspace. The reality for us unfortunately is sometimes different. In real space the scene seems to be lacking the old dynamics it used to have, unless I’m just older and jaded. Don’t get me wrong we go out, play and have a great time no matter if it’s to a crowded venue or just the other bands on the bill. Where the punk environment is thriving? From what I’ve seen recently, I’d say Birmingham is still going strong, we’ve also played around Manchester & Bolton area where there seems to be a lot going on.
played so far. Big Tom: Probably a night in Brum called Rehab. A girl called Donna runs it and everyone seemed to be enjoying all the bands and there’s no posing about. Matt: Our first in Leicester was a good one, it was great to finally get out of the rehearsal room and up on stage! But the ones that stand out for me are the SAS weekender last year in Stockport and our most recent gig for Rehab in Birmingham. Met some great people & bands/contacts in both places.
Any more releases in the offering from FTR and where do the band draw their influences from?
Grant: Playing at Fungal Dave’s (you) gigs are a laugh. Rehab in Brum always has a story to tell.
Matt: We are aiming to record some new material later this year for another DIY release, that is unless we get a great big money injection or a decent enough offer from a label (yeah right). As for influences, musically it would be every band we’ve ever listened to (too many to mention). Lyrically, whatever takes our/my interest, anything that’s topical that we feel needs to be said & communicated in our own way.
Tommy: At the only one that I’ve
Big Tom: We’re recording in the
What is the best gig FTR have played on and where have you found the most welcoming location?
autumn, I think, another e.p. We all draw our influences from different things. Personally, I love comedy music like the Macc Lads, Kunt and the Gang, Toy Dolls and all that. Grant likes Eastenders. Grant: Fingers crossed in the studio soon. I would never have picked up a guitar if it wasn’t for Steve Jones. I play a white Gibson and that’s no coincidence!!! Tommy: In the studio soon, plus one of our songs is coming out on the Deadlamb Records Lambination 3 comp. This should be out soon, for more info check our myspace out or visit www.deadlambrecords.com
How are sales going with the last CD release and what other merchandise do you have or are going to have available? Grant: Very positive. We must get some T-Shirts sorted! Matt: We’ve sold out of CD’s and I doubt we will be printing anymore, since only two original members are on that recording (me & Grant). As answered in the previous question we want to record our new material that was written by F.T.R. as we are now. We would like to get some stickers
& branch out into t-shirts. It’s really a lack of funds that is stopping us at the minute. Big Tom: I can’t remember the last time we sold one, Matt’s been giving them away left right & centre. Don’t worry though, FTR cock-warmers will be in the shops by Christmas!!!
If the band had a mission statement what would it be? Matt: COME ON! COME ON! COME & JOIN THE RIOT!!
Finally any contact details, gigs etc. that we should know about? Matt: Yeah, you can contact & listen to First Time Riot via our myspace page, www.myspace.com/ firsttimeriot Or email us at first_time_riot@ yahoo.co.uk We have some gigs lined up for 2009, but nothing set in stone yet. If anyone would like to book us please get in touch. Don’t be shy, we’re nice geezers
Punk Sirens Words by Steve Noble
“Civets are small, lithe-bodied, mostly arboreal mammals native to the tropics of Africa and Asia. Civet may also refer to the distinctive musk produced by the animal.” So what that has to do with four goo looking, rocking, femme rising punksters from California? I don’t kno But Miss Liza Graves filled us in on the band, their hopes and debut Hellcat record, as well as working with one Tim Armstrong.
So we have been hearing this side of the pond you are the hottest thing to come out of California for a while, any truth to these rumours? Miss Liza Grave: Ha ha yes! We are for sure stirring up the scene a little bit over here. We’ve been on tour a lot and we are getting a reputation for being a ballsy rock n’ roll girl band. We’ll be over there soon so you can see for yourself!
band and the “femme fatale” tag? Civet has always been a girl band. We’re totally not ashamed of it. I think in the beginning we were a bit discouraged by some of our peers who insisted on being seen as “just a band” not a band of girls. We decided we wanted to kinda take our own stand. “Femme fatale punk rock” is a term we coined for our brand of rock n roll that is tough, yet sexy and kinda showy, while still being punk fucking rock.
Looking forward to it. Tell us a bit about the
Nicely done. So how did the signing with
s
CIVET
od ow.
“We’re fucking totally real.”
Civiet Stats
Danni Harrowyn (Drums) Fav Band: Led Zeppelin Fav Civet Song: Hell Hath No Fury Tattoos and Piercings: 3 Piercings in each ear, Tattoos: 1-Anchor with flowers on arm, matches Liza’s foot and Suzi’s butt. 2-Heart with halo and wings on wrist that is in memory of friend’s baby that passed away. 3-Half sleeve of beaten woman surrounded by roses holding an hour glass with banner reading “Hell Hath No Fury” Instrument and Equipment: Drums Babe!! I play a Gretsch Catalina, Paiste Symbols, Vader
Sticks Dream Co-Tour Band: We ju tour ever with The Dropkick M Mighty Bosstones. I loved it have kept going for another t
Jacqui Valentine (Bas
Fav band: The Misfits Fav Civet Song: Gin n Tonic Tattoos and Piercings: Tats- m Japanese lucky cats, flaming
ust came off the best Murphy’s and Mighty so much I could two weeks!
ss)
mermaid 1/2 sleeve, go, True Until Death,
CIVET
Hellcat come about? Hellcat had definitely had their eye on us for a while (Steve-can’t blame them) we had been paying our dues on a smaller punk label (Disaster Records) for a few years. Tim (Armstrong) came out to a show and the rest was history! I’m sure it didn’t hurt that Tim and Suzi were both left handed guitarists as well! Your debut Hellcat album “Hell Hath No Fury”, is due for release shortly. How proud are you of this record? We are soooooo proud that our drummer (Danni) and I both got the record title tattooed on our arms. We have that much faith in it! Haha. So who is responsible for the songs and the lyrics? I do a majority of the song writing, but we also have a lot of fun just bringing songs in to practice and letting everyone contribute their ideas. We are a band after all! What are the stand out songs on the record for you? That’s tough! Like having to pick your favourite child! I love our single “Son Of A Bitch”, “Hell Hath No Fury”, “Bad Luck” & “You Got It”. All these songs are best listened to LOUD, at 11! Duly noted. “All I Want” was cowritten with Tim Armstrong. Tell us about that process and what your reaction to the opportunity.
Clash tribute, chrysanthemums, black widow, broken heart, hibiscus Instrument and equipment: Fender JBass, Ampeg svt-350, 6x10 cab Dream Co-tour band: Motorhead
Suzi Homewrecker (Guitar) Fav band: The Ramones, The Beatles, The Clash Fav Civet Song: “1989” & “You Got It” Tattoos and Piercings: No piercings! Just about 9 or so tattoos scattered! Instrument and equipment: 1970’s Silverface bassman w/ Marshall 1960 lead cab. Lefty fenders, Ibanez and Gibsons!!! Dream co-tour band: Murder City Devils! (r.i.p.) & The Strangers
Miss Liza Graves (Vocals & Guitar) Fav band: Murder City Devils Fav Civet Song: “hell hath no fury” Tattoos and Piercings: lots! Love my stretched ears and new medusa tattoo Instrument and equipment: Gibson standard guitar & Marshall 900 w/ matching cab! Dream co-tour band: Sahara Hotnights or Backyard Babies, oh and Pink!
We were so lucky to get to do a song with Tim, I’ve seen him work and he’s a genius (Tranplants! Op ivy! Co-writing one of Pink’s albums!) We hammered out some lyrics and changed around some keys in order to get the pop/punk hit that became “All I Want”. The whole experience pushed us to do things differently, which is always a good thing right? Of course. So talking of different, being Californian and all, are your inspirations homegrown in OC, or where have they come from? We take our inspirations from everywhere; fashion, other bands, TV, people we meet. There’s just so much cool stuff out there that pushes you to create and be a better person /musician. So give us one word to describe each member? Liza: bosslady, Suzi: creator,
CIVET
Jacq: business, Danni: mediator Is all it wine and roses on tour, or is there an element of cattiness too? Tour is the best. I actually feel like we function at our peak and are closer as a band when we are travelling around the country in our little rock bubble. It’s like a never-ending sleepover with my best friends (except there’s lots of loud music and booze involved, no parents etc!) I’d say we all kinda do a little bit of everything on tour; no one is really taking on a certain role.
on Agnostic Front, who wins and how? It’s no secret that Vinnie Stigma shreds on guitar, but I look better in a dress (Steve- Not what I’ve heard). It’s a draw. So is it an irritation to overcome stereotypes and demands for flesh from the drunks in the crowd? It’s not as bad as everyone thinks! We’ve actually got this
We take our inspirations from everywhere; fashion, other bands, TV, people we meet.
What are the ultimate ambitions of the band? We’d like to expose our music to as many people as possible! We want to make little girls start rock bands and inspire the boys to start pumping some iron, ha ha. We want to have a good time and help our fans do the same. Ok so it’s a street fight and Civet take
theory that people just don’t fuck with us because we are scary. I can’t remember the last time we’ve been cat called at one of our shows? Doing what you love is all the motivation you need.
Aren’t you worried or concerned about the good looks propaganda (Not saying that you are not!) overshadowing the music of the band? Nope, not at all. We are proud of what we are. We are a real band who have done some real time in the scene, we just happen to look ok and dress a certain way (for ourselves!) You should never be worried about people judging
you for who you are. We’re fucking totally real. You have w i t h g r e at
toured some
CIVET
bands- which tours have been stand outs and who is on the wish list for the future? We just got back from an awesome tour with the Dropkick Murphys! It was amazing to play their home town at huge baseball arenas etc. They are a great band to watch every night. We’d love to tour with Motorhead, Backyard Babies, Horrorpops,
Rancid, The Unseen. We love streetpunk, but we love a little bit of everything too. Finally, any European or outside US trips planned? Hell yeah! We should be over in Europe before the end of this year supporting the album. We’re coming, get ready! Xo
Words by Tim Drunk.
ISlandFusion What!? There is a punk scene in the Isle of Man? Don’t worry, we thought the exact same thing... Poison Hearts call this island home and the band was put together by Charlie Harper... With their album ready to be unleashed we spoke with guitarist Paul Confused to get an insight to island living...
You play guitar, who else is in the band?
I provide lead guitar. The rest of the guys are Mark E Moon – vocals, Polly Le Rock – bass, “Compliment” Steve – rhythm guitar and Johnny P on drums.
bands who do it best and try to write tunes to party to! In terms of specific sound, we try not to limit ourselves with a “uniform” sound, so one track might sound like a sleazy rock n roll number, and the next more like a Pistols or Ramones track.
For those that have never heard of Poison Hearts, how would you describe your sound? It’s unadulterated Punk Rock N Roll. We all respect the groundbreaking acts like the Stooges, The Dolls, Heartbreakers etc, so we wanted to try and pay homage to that uncomplicated time when rock n roll was rock n roll. There are so many subgenres of Punk nowadays with hardcore, crust, pop-punk, oi and all that, that we just wanted to create a sound that people could have a good time to. We leave the politics to the
The band is based on the Isle of Man, are you guys the only punk band out there? The scene must be fairly small too... and what about venues? The IOM has a great music scene and a lot of very very talented musicians. In fact, I’d say for it’s size it probably has more talented musicians per square mile than a lot of big cities in England or Europe There have been quite a few punk bands over here of different styles, including Colon back in the 80’s who had a Peel Session and they
POISON HEARTS
got a letter from Jello Biafra raving about their EP at one point. Sadly, they are no more. The main thing about the IOM scene is it’s diversity, So, in essence you have death metal bands collaborating in true Punk spirit with bands outside their genre. It can lead to some interesting lineups at gigs though, haha. The Island only has one major venue, so most of the underground music is held in pubs and small clubs. Charlie Harper remarked on their first visit here (they like to come every year) that it reminded him of ’76, all back to the roots. Sadly, like all things, venues come and go, as breweries cash in on “mainstream” ideas
and sell out to developers and the like. However, there are still people who put on independent events, like the annual Willstock weekend, which is held in a huge marquee every August with all types of bands from all over the UK playing. This month (September) sees you putting out a new album - give us the complete run down of the release. Title, how many tracks, what the songs are about etc Yes, the album is entitled TRUE NECROMANCE. It’s a cross section of the last 2 years of Poison Heart’s work,
POISON HEARTS
ranging from some of the first songs we ever wrote to ones we only wrote while recording. There are 13 tracks with a couple of hidden bonus tracks which are demo takes of older songs and for a laugh, a karaoke version of one track. Most of our songs are just about classic rock n roll subjects, the old live fast die fast, party on type stuff. So, you have tracks like Switchblade Kiss, Petrolhead, Kick for kicks, Party and Nuclear Rock, which are the soundtrack to a wild sleazy punk rock n roll party, you can imagine cruising at 100mph in your flamed hotrod with The Cramps blasting out. “Keo” is a tongue in cheek little number about a guy singing of his love affair with a case of beer, While “Generations”, on a rare serious note, asks the listener to think about whether punk and indeed themselves are still valid. “Toothless Aggression” is an ode to the real troopers of punk, people like Charlie Harper who never give in, constantly touring and living the punk rock dream, “because I realize, age is no excuse to die” “Riot” is just a good old singalong street punk song, and “More Than a Handful”? well, we better let you work that one out yourselves. “The Scene” sees mark croon a little ditty about the “scene kids”..it was only while recording this track that I actually listened fully to what he was singing..be afraid be very afraid, haha. And so we finish the album with “Poison Heart”, the good old Dee Dee Ramone penned number, and our respectful tip of the hat to a legend, followed by “So
Savage”, a pistols-esque number, and finally, “Nuclear Rock” which is a true (Poison) hearts on your sleeve singalong.. the chorus “punk rock!..punk rock!!” just sums it all up I guess. The album will feature artwork by Vince Ray - how did this come about? I’m a huge fan of Vince’s art, and his imagery really sums up rock n roll to me. How it came about? Well, there was a bit of detective work involved. I couldn’t get hold of Vince through the website, so I rang Johnny Skullknuckles from Goldblade who told me that Vince had a shop on Denmark Street, London, but it wasn’t listed in the phone book…soooo…I cheekily rang the 12 Bar on Denmark St and asked them to pass on a message. The owner told me that Vince had closed his shop, but would try pass my details on. 30 minutes later! Vince calls me back and the rest as they say is history!! Phew. Vince was an awesome guy to deal with, very humble and eager to help out. All the members of the band are no strangers to the scene, what other bands has everybody been involved in? Phew, that’s a hard one, we’ve all been around in various bits and bobs for a combined 120 years give or take. Mark was in Circusworld, Bikini Conflict Rumour, Black River Falls. Polly was in Millroad and The problem, Steve was in Circusworld, Nanaki, BCR. Johnny has been in every band ever thought of, haha, but recently Stonechase, and I amongst
others have been in The Confused, AstroZombies and if a very drunk , but persistant Mark Shaw had had his way I’d be in a reformed Then Jericho (lucky escape number 1002!). You’ve shared stages with numerous bands in the past including The Damned and Goldblade. Any memorable moments that you’d like to recall? Every gig is memorable for one reason or another, but, it’s been an honour to share the stage with such awesome bands and become buddies! At the Vive Le Rock all day Festival that we organized in 2007, we had the show stopped and threats of closure if Goldblade didn’t stop letting girls dance on the stage(all 3 of em.. hardly a danger to the public order!), so brother John said, “ok, if they can’t get on the stage, we’re coming down there” and they played the next song in the audience. UK Subs are always a pleasure to play with, although it’s usually the shenanigans aftershow that land us in more hot water. We’re supporting The Stranglers on 28th October, so that’s gonna be a great show and we’re pulling out all the stops on that one to get the crowd firing on all cylinders for when the Stranglers hit the stage. We’re currently negotiating a set of USA dates, so hopefully we can regail you with some tales of highjinx on our return from our Colonial cousins! One incident that’s pretty important happened a few years ago. I was supporting the Subs in The Confused, and Mark was in Circusworld back then, Polly and I
had already spoken about doing a band, and then Charlie pointed to Mark and I and said “You two should be in a band together”. Voila, the Poison hearts were formed! Polly adds… Last year we played several dates on the Island with the Subs and Goldblade one such gig sticks out like a sore thumb. We played a date with with the Subs….the same night the Stranglers and Madness were playing at the Peel Bay Festival, it had been a hard week gigging,drinking etc, I had cleared off for a walk prior to the gig and bumped into Brian from the Subs, we ended up sat outside the chip shop scoffin our faces and neckin some tins both of the opinion that we would prefer to have gone with Goldblade to watch the Stranglers… we tossed a coin to see if we would go back to our gig or fuck off to the see The Stranglers….guess we lost…that night things changed for me with the Poison Hearts we took to the stage to a full house and let rip into the best gig we had ever done…later I realised we had pulled something off when people wanted photos taken with us and I was asked to autograph someone’s tee-shirt. Charlie Harper was stayin at my house for a week and had headed back before me. When I walked in the house Charlie was sat eating his traditional Cheese on Toast, cup of tea in hand watchin his fav fishing programme, “ I thought shit now where in trouble Charlie just looked up as I sat down and said “ Well Polly you guys were fuckin ace tonight much better than the Subs…..well done” That’s a moment I’ll never forget, needless to say the
POISON HEARTS
cheese on toast tasted fantastic for the rest of the week, and I knew that we had something special with PH. Any big shows coming up for you? As mentioned, the Stranglers on the 28th Oct, that should be a sold out show, and of course the USA dates including shows at the Whiskey a Go Go in LA. Other than that, we just wanna tour this album as much as possible and do some festivals so as many people as possible can join our PARTY! The meaning of punk is something that will always be debated - what do you think is the meaning? Paul… Well, I can’t answer this one for the band as people have their own views as you say, but I can tell you what it means to me. Punk to me as a kid was the freedom of expression, the freedom to say “this isn’t right”, but at the same time it was the soundtrack to good times. Punk was and is so many things to so many different people, from a political soapbox to a moral messageboard to simple rock n roll and good times. None of those are right or wrong or more valid than the other, and that to me is the beauty of Punk. Polly… Being the age I am (Cough) I was 13 when ’77 happened and it hit me like a hammer, I guess the whole punk thing changed my life but it wasn’t until a few years afterwards that I realised how much. To me Punk works like a
religious belief, I live with a set of home grown punk values that still to this day get me into trouble but at the same time show people that I won’t take any crap. I’m not anti-establishment anymore but I will kick the establishment hard when I believe its cheating or lying, which happens quite a lot as we all know, I have no problem with confrontation when its justified. Punk is so sub-cultured now I sometimes wonder if it’s a fashion thing (no offence). People seem too frightened to stand up for what they know to be right government suppression is still the greatest threat, kids these days aren’t allowed freedom of expression but they seem unable to kick back in a collective voice?. Mark... Do what you want when you want for whatever reason you want. That is punk. Anything else you’d like say? Thank you’s? Well, firstly, thanks for the opportunity to talk about ourselves in this interview. We’d also like to thank John Robb and the Goldblade boys for their help, Charlie Harper for helping us create the band, Edie Lustie of the Lusties and Lissy from Muen magazine for pushing our music in the USA, and of course our loyal fans who give us a reason to continue the party! ROCK N FUCKIN ROLL!
REVIEWS Hell Hath No Fury Civet
(Hellcat)
Raw and rock n roll debut from California’s femme quartet. There are some great songs on this debut, and with the helpful input of Tim Armstrong, on “All I Want” a star appeal too. It’s punchy and ferocious at times but I’m not sure if it has met the cross –Atlantic hype. Having said that, Civet do pack a thankful stripped down brash sound on a record that is uncompromising, smart and a great companion soundtrack to top down road trips across torn up badlands. - Steve
Spread the Disease Wardogs
(AsianMan/Solidarity)
Every so often one stumbles across a band that just hits you, hits you right in that ‘Oh my fuck, I love this band!’ spot. Sometimes this is a tough act to follow when you’re listening to 3-4 new bands everyday. It really takes something special to standout, and the Wardogs do
just this. Spread the Disease is only a 7” release that contains 4 tracks but you’re only going to need one of the four to get you into this band. Be sure to check out “Wake Up”. Perhaps you’re wondering what it sounds like - well, it’s brash, it’s catchy, it’s raw but most important, it’s pure fun ballsy punk rock. Worst aspect of this release is that it is way too short - when can we get a full length guys? - Tim Drunk
True Necromance Poison Hearts (Monochrome)
Listening to a new band is always exciting, especially when after the first listen you’re amped to give the disc another go. This release from the Poison Hearts got four full loops on my iTunes. Perhaps it is the diversity of styles on this album that makes it so easy to listen to, and to enjoy. From rock ‘n roll styles, rockabilly edging and some great pop hooks. It’s rough enough for the diehards and polished just right to appeal
to the masses. If you want something that is a great mix of punk rock, I’d urge you to check out the Poison Hearts. - Tim Drunk
More Late Night Tr a n s m i s s i o n s With… Jaya The Cat (I Scream)
Superb mix of punk rock ska/reggae from the now Amsterdam based Bostonians. Albums like this light up a day, recalling memories from Sublime, but with their own distinctive sound, although not dismissing influences like The Clash or the audio offerings of Manu Chao. Its soul filled, energetic, intelligent and heart brightening, mind filling, pleasure for the senses. - Steve
The Bowery Collection The Toasters (MVD)
If you want a taste of one of the longest running and popular ska bands out there, this memory ridden live recording from the home of underground music, CBGB’s in 2002 is
> ALBUMS > EPs > BOOKS > GIGS
as fine a example as you will find. With some band and crowd favourites, good quality sounds (for a live record) and Rob Hingleys banter and receptive crowd cheers, close your eyes and imagine yourself in the beautiful ugly confines of Punks Mecca. - Steve
Off The Leash
The Real Mckenzies (FatWreck)
Canadian Scottish punk rock, bagpipes, drunken revelries and full of great songs! Pull on your kilts, grab a beer and a partner and swing around to this belting record. Abundant energy, driving guitars and folksy traditional instruments put through their punk rock ’n roll paces. A fine record. - Steve
Have Another Ball
Me First and The Gimme Gimmes (FatWreck)
This 10th year anniversary to their debut release is the second instalment of recordings from their original sessions. So more of the same really, and
if you liked it all the first time round, this will place a smile firmly on your face. Still focusing on 70s greats, covered in the way only the Gimmes can muster. Personal highlights are ”You’ve Got A Friend” and “The Harder They Come”. - Steve
Rocket To Riot City Bankrupt (Piar)
Hungarian punkabilly three piece delivering some fine melodic punk rock on this five track EP. It’s not best EP I have heard all year, but it’s the finest Hungarian punk I’ve heard. Some licking guitars and sweet vocals pack a get- on- the- dancing- shoes punch. - Steve
Send Flowers Black Lungs (Hassle)
Dubbed folk and punk, The Black Lungs is a side project of Alexisonfire guitarist, Wade MacNeil. So with elements of post hardcore screamo drenched in piano and guitars, this is not for everyone. It is a heartfelt
and well produced record however and for fans of the genre it is a nice addition to a collection. - Steve
Time Decays
The Resignators (TRR Quality)
Australian rock reggae ska band that play a poppy brand of 3rd wave with some hard edged vocals. It’s not ska’s saviour, but I’m glad things way down south are sounding healthy. Big brass and an eclectic mix of serious and party songs on this album demonstrate great potential. - Steve
Everything On Red (Cash For Pigs)
This debut EP does reveal a band full of creativity and ideas, with good use of vocals and harmonies and excessive synths! However the electro emo punk mix will straights away bring in comparison to bands (personally I really don’t like]) like Panic At the Disco etc. - Steve
The Carry Ons (Stik Man)
Enjoyable
record
from
REVIEWS start to finish, and one of the albums that stood out above a big pile this month! Hard and gritty but anthemic and rarely dipping in high energy stakes. A great transition of hardcore and melody with ska rhythm. This is the bands second release, so why haven’t I heard of them before? - Steve
“tee-tot”
Throw Rag (Acetate)
Perhaps this is an old release, but it arrived on our desk and if you know anything, you’ll know Throw Rag write some of the best songs to party too. This would be the perfect pop band if the world was a different place. Taking country styles, stitching together some ‘billy elements and adding an ernoumous amount of ‘fuck you, we’ll make you smile’ punk rock attitude, Throw Rag are just a classic. One of my favourite songs off this album has to be ‘Days that end in Y’... I only drink on days that end in Y... yip, figure that one out. - Tim Drunk
The Human Targets (Back In The Day)
Some screaming, average recording quality and sadly nothing on the evidence on this record that will make me run out the door to catch them live, yet. - Steve
Music For Dancers
Lap
The Fighting Cocks (FGZ Music)
Weird gypsy dance rock? From Essex. Maybe it’s avante garde, maybe its rubbish, maybe it’s only meant to be seen live, but I know I have a headache. If you like it let me know why. - Steve
Happy Days With...
The Babylon Whackers (Rebel Alliance)
An excellent debut from a fine collective of musicians. The Filaments are joined by Majah Tunder and Babar Luck as well as other guest vocals to delve into your sense and memory banks, pulling back the decades to place you slap bang in the middle of 60s 2 tone and club reggae scene. Vibrant, posi-
tive, full of funk, dub and heavy sounds, these rude boys have helped keep the British ska flag flying high. - Steve
Something In My Blindspot Vic Ruggiero
(Household Name)
Complete gem of a record, from the Slackers legend. Carrying his distinct Bronx accent through this solo output (albeit ably assisted with a full backing band and vocals from Lisa Muller), Vic takes on a musical journey through multiple themes but relentlessly placing us under his spell. It’s raw and seemingly uncomplicated but a stunning record. It’s a life record, ups and downs, genre jumping, genuine and a testament to Sir Ruggieros ability as master song writer and performer and artist. - Steve
Childish Behaviour The Duel (Ffruck)
The Duel return with a new album, and a double disc release at that. Their previous album, Lets fin-
REVIEWS ish what we started, was a great foray into female led punk ‘n roll with many of the songs becoming instant live favourites. Since that release the band has struggled with line up issues and I think it shows in this release. The band has lost some of it’s confidence and have perhaps replaced this with more experimentation. There is less punk in the overall sound. It is not a bad record - it might just disappoint fans who are expecting a follow up to Lets finish what we started. However, with it’s different sound, the album will surely win the band a whole host of new fans. Check it out for yourself and make up you own mind. - Tim Drunk
TRACKS OF CHOICE GIMP FIST
AMEN
‘The Real World ’ Taken from the album ‘Your Time Has Come’ this track really sums up everything that is good about this marvellous band. The album is one of OI’s finest treats.
‘Californias Bleeding’ Most people will say Amen are a metal band but with thier attitude and style, I say they’re a punk band. This track off Death Before Musick is furious but oh so melodic.
Prairie Dugz
Trashed Idols
‘This Is My Country ’ a stunning song by a band who are both prolific and professional. Yet again a quality outfit fails to get true recognition for efforts far outshining the top dog wankers.
‘Alexa Artiste’ First time I caught these guys live they were nice enough to dedicate this track to me - cheers for that. This isnt the reason why I’m listing this as a song to check out - it’s just a great enjoable punk rock song with a rad chorus for you to sing a long to. It appears on their debut EP with the same title.
Riot Squad ‘Speed Camera ’ From the remarkable Angry Scenes compilation Vol 3 this raging burst of full tilt aggression backs up my theory of Riot Squad being one of the best bands on the currect circuit. Truly mind blowing..
PENNYWISE ‘Bro Hymn’ Not much to say about this classic new school anthemn. If you haven’t heard it - do yourself a favour and check it out..
- compiled by FungalPunk OMD - compiled by Tim Drunk
R EV IEWS Don’t take our word for it, make up your own mind!
SHOWS & GIGS COCK SPARRER / EasTend badoes The BridgeHouse 2, London 2nd August 2008
Its 8pm, outside is busier than Waterloo Station at rush hour. There’s 150 people all waiting for a show already guaranteed to top Alicia Keyes at The O2, Foo Fighters at Wembley or Bon Jovi at Twickenham; its Cock Sparrer, playing the smallest venue they have played for years, as a warm up for the Rebellion Festival and to raise money for a sick friend close to their hearts. After an energetic opening by Eastend Badoes, Cock Sparrer took to the stage only to shock the audience with a set change to keep things fresh. ‘Running Riot’ replaced ‘Riot Squad’ as the opening song but all expectations were quickly lived up to as the crowd quickly re-adjusted their senses and started jumping around in a frenzy of drink-fuelled street punk mayhem. And this was to be the setting for the rest of the night. ‘Gotta Get Out’ soon followed and even though there was a mixture of people present, some from Cock Sparrer’s early days and others witnessing the band in all their glory for their 1st time, the reaction was much the same. Everyone was happy to be there. It soon became apparent that this gig would be the best show of 2008 for many people. Even the band seemed to be enjoying it more than recent shows.
Throughout the entire gig, the look on all faces was one of excitement; Steve Burgees and Micky Beaufoy calmly rocking out in one corner, Colin McFaull repeated thumping his own hand in time to new and aged old Sparrer tunes, Daryl Smith generally looking pleased to be out, let alone on stage with one of the UK’s biggest street punk bands, and Steve Bruce, who, after only one song showed the audience why his wife took his hand in marriage. 45 minuets into the set the guys really found out ‘What’s it like to be old?’ as they took a break to catch their breath and draw the raffle and auction off some rare memorabilia. CDs and records were amongst the raffle items, and a special framed Cock Sparrer poster over 20 years old, with an original un-played 7” of ‘We Love You’, was one of 3 items up for auction. Bidding was tough and a total of £225 was made for these 3 items alone. Once the raffle finished the boys got back to their positions and kicked back into the set with a deafening version of ‘Chip On My Shoulder’. It was as if there hadn’t been a break in the set as the band settled back into playing and the audience continued singing along. The second set seemed to go a lot more quickly and before you knew it the ear-piercing intro to ‘Riot Squad’ was ringing around the room from Micky’s guitar, and the place exploded with beers flying and fists thumping the air.
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With the set starting to wind down ‘England Belongs To Me’ was to be the penultimate song, ensuring everyone left the room feeling proud to be British. Closing the show with ‘We’re Coming Back’, it was instantly felt around the room that the night was a success. Of all the punk bands still playing after 30 years, its Cock Sparrer that can still pull thousands in at festivals, but are still able to put on the small shows with the closeness to the audience that would have been felt at the Roxy all those years ago. Few bands over the years have been able to write tuneful yet thought-provoking songs, catchy enough to keep you interested for 3 decades, and continue to release fresh and new material that still has the same raw aggression that was felt when the band first came onto the scene. These guys have managed to, and it simply goes to show they were, and still are one of the best bands, not just in the punk rock scene, but also in the music industry
as a whole. Those of you that have seen Cock Sparrer recently are lucky, those of you that haven’t; the best is yet to come!
- Nick Quinn
Cock Sparrer © LibraSnake
R EV IEWS Don’t take our word for it, make up your own mind!
Photo Review... THE QUAKES
The Underworld, London 4th August 2008
> ALBUMS > EPs > BOOKS > GIGS
The Quakes © LibraSnake
RE V IEW S Don’t take our word for it, make up your own mind!
Send us your gig reviews! info@distortedmagazine.com
Freefall Felix/ Over And Out / Make It Better Later The Cockpit, Leeds 12th August 2008
I love Make It Better Later. They always put a smile on my face. Some bands might be fazed their bassist running late. Some bands might drop out or just wait by the stage sheepishly. MiBL audition for a new bassist and Over And Out’s Sam comes to the rescue and the band play a couple of great tunes with Sam guessing his way through Make It Better Later’s up-tempo pop-punk. Bassist Phil turns up and MiBL prove what a fun live band they can be with great, well-crafted songs. Lead singer Aaron fusses about with his guitar so it’s up to violinist Amy to tell him off and hurry him up as time slips away. There’s the Reel Big Fish-esque gimmicky numbers that have the instant hook, like aptly named The Gypsy Song and The Pirate Song, but MiBL show an insightful side with a song on their upcoming EP ‘All you need is time’ with lovely tuneful little lyrics which (I think) go a little something like: “Writing this song all my life, got no words but I think it’s alright”. With bass and time problems a more serious band would throw in the towel or play a terrible set but MiBL just go for it, tell the odd joke, interrupt their own song with a little chat and start the gig with great energy. I feel privileged to witness a new band was formed between MiBL and Over And Out’s bassist known
FreeFall Felix © SuzySka as... Subliminal Cucumber. Over And Out also experience technical difficulties as they’ve lost a lot of kit and their synth player Stevie is forced to learn all his stuff on guitar. But it really doesn’t show, as this band blaze out well-crafted highenergy American-tinted punk echoing Green Day and Blink-182 in their prime. Unashamedly holding onto a pop nature, this is watchable, listenable and accessible but not in the least bit shallow or intentionally commercial like many pop-punk bands have become. This is Freefall Felix’s final tour, and they decided to return to cities that were good to them as closure. There’s a great turnout in the tiny upstairs room of the Cockpit and FFF seem too tight for the small stage. They have this
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strange symmetrical set-up, guitarists on the flanks and brass on either side of focused singer Charlie. They’ve got plenty of energy, each one of them constantly on the move and handling their instruments like weapons of sonic warfare. Their style is quite unique, a hardcore sharp-edged punk rock with the occasional slicing ska tempo, the highlight being the fan-favourite Meltdown. FFF seemingly play a short set with what seems like few songs, but each song is individually strong enough. They disappear off the stage as quick as they can without milking their finale. They’ve done their bit and played a decent set on their last night in Leeds as Freefall Felix. R.I.P. - Henry Raby
Suicide Bid/ Intro5pect/ Random Hand/ Babylon Whackers/ Dirty Revolution / Suicide Allstars Islingtin Bar Academy, London 16th August 2008
For a ska-punk all dayer and Suicide Bid’s only gig of the year it’s an interesting choice of venue; the Bar Academy Islington (aka the intimate sweatbox). Not long after doors open and it’s already nearly sold-out, the atmosphere is buzzing and everyone’s on a high. I missed some of the acoustic acts that make up the Suicide Allstars but got there in time to see Babar Luck. This is the biggest crowd I’ve seen Babar play to and he definately deserves it. Every time he plays his songs are dif-
ferent, anecdotal freestyling depending on where he is and how he feels, with engaging political messages. He has the whole room drawn in to listen to his set and the enormous cheers at the end says it all. We head to the neighbouring pub to get some cheap drinks and return to discover the line-up’s been shifted around and we’ve missed Dirty Revolution. Babyboom (Sonic Boom Six’s acoustic side project) have been moved up the bill and given a longer set time but I’m a little disappointed with what they have to offer. They play a few tracks off of their EP and then play...SB6 songs. I don’t get it, I want to hear more of Babyboom. But fair play to them, the crowd love it and have the whole room skanking with some upbeat happy ska tunes. In the break between bands everyone heads to the doors but the bouncer isn’t letting anyone out, something about the venue not having the correct license to allow people to smoke outiside. A room full of punks being told their freedom is restricted by a figure of ‘authority’. Hmmm, what could happen next? The bouncer did well to open this door as the near-rioting crowd surged forward. Babylon Whackers are a fairly new band and I didn’t really know what to expect but they are truly amazing. Blending ska, funk, dub, soul and so many other genres to create an energetic rocksteady sound with a punk personality. Fronted by Majah Tunder and Babar Luck, and featuring members from SB6, King Blues and The
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Filaments, this is the start of something big. A change of pace as Random Hand mix it up with a bit of skacore - from moshing to skanking and a chaotic circle pit, the whole place goes crazy. With a few new songs thrown into their set, they just seem to keep on getting better. I take a pass on seeing Intro5pect as they’re not to my liking and to get some much needed ventilation. By the time Suicide Bid start to play the whole venue is skanking, dancing, moving, moshing; just loving the music. Strong political anti-goverment lyrics over heavy dub punk filled beats, with perfectly fitting alternating vocals. The band members seem to take the best elements from their respective bands to create the ultimate supergroup and play a blinding set that’s over too soon. I hope we don’t have to wait another year for a line-up as good as this. - SKAra
Gaslight Anthem ULU, London 25th August
The pre show hype was electric, with the press embracing the bands heartfelt songs and warm approach, and the energy had transcended through the hopeful crowd that squeezed into the ULU Hall to see if the band could rise to their expectations. With some pre-headline warm up easing the crowd into the evening and fuelling the buzz. Finally by the time Gaslight came on stage, and started their foray into their first London show, it was
quick to see why they are so well liked. With smiles slapped across the frontman Brian’s face from the massive response lyrically to every song they played from the fans, to the genuine sincerity in their apprecation of the response and the reciprocal reaction from the band to give it their all. It was like a mass gathering of lost friends, as the bands visibly played with excitement and were enjoying the occasion, knowing surely their next trip back to the UK, would not be so intimate. Larger venues, sadly for the fans, are looming. As the security battled to control the stage tackling fans, the band eventually overruled them to invite them up and join in on the occasion. The set seemed to flow by timelessly. This is a band on the verge of massive things, but if they can maintain their utterly sincere manner, they will sweep all before them through terrific songs, stage presence and a genuine affection that can be so sadly lacking in the music scene. The torch is firmly, blindingly lit for Gaslight. - Steve
Be Your Own Pet Dingwalls, London 26th August
The farewell, see –you- sometime in the future show- from the Nashville upstarts had long been anticipated in London and hence the sell out crowd. After their festival circuit appearances this was a more raucously intimate time for the band to depart the music scene. Leading up, there was some pretty mediocre support
> ALBUMS > EPs > BOOKS > GIGS UK Subs © LibraSnake from a Wheatus-Weezerish band, with the frontman claiming the coolest people in London were in the room that nighthead up his arse maybe? Once BYOP did hit the stage, the place had become jam packed, and fine fine front singer Jemina Pearl lead the sweaty chaotic way with her screeching fronted vocals. The band tore through the songs, loud unrelentless. This was until the over eager fans wanted to be more involved, several times invading the stage, and eventually causing the slightly annoying bassist Nathan Vasquez to lose his cool and try get his message across which Jemina did more succinctly, give them the space to play the songs the best way they could, it had taken them years to perfect their three chords she quipped. Stage invasion aside, the banter, fury and fun rose to the occasion. The 75 minute final show ended with a unanimous crowd invasion encircling the band, who played”Supersoaked” very calm and cool. Goodbye band. - Steve
Goldfinger
Islington Academy, London 29th August
It’s been a while since John Feldmann has bought his Californian ska punkers to the UK. Before the air conditioned (yeah that’s right) venue and crowd were treated to the headline we had to endure some painful support acts (mainly the second band!). Less said the better. So after enduring the wait and beers soothing the
pain, Goldfinger came on, including long missed guitarist Charlie Paulson, and attacked nostalgic memory banks, with “counting The Days”, “Superman”, “Sam Simeon” etc and including a healthy dose from their new record “Hello Destiny”. The pit was a bit frail and meek for a veteran like myself (um, yeah), but there was a huge amount of energy. After following the set list for a while, Feldman took requests for most of the night, spanning the 14 year career of the band. With half time entertainment coming from the band’s drummer asking for a volunteer to eat a twinkie from his arse. Goldfinger, despite some early poor sound issues, stormed through the night, ending of course with “99 Balloons”, to large chorus sing-alongs, with the surreal shooter girls in the crowd with Hawaiian flower necklaces adding to the evening’s surreal nature. - Steve
KILLING THE DREAM
Words by Curvball
Killing with kindness Dubbed as an inspirational contempary hardcore act, California’s Killing the Dream put out the 2nd full length release a few months back. They’re known to be slack with interviews but we managed to track them down and pull a few words of out of vocalist, Elijah, about the album and bands that have influenced him...
You have recently put out your 2nd full length, Fractures. How would you compare it to the 1st album?
I’ve always thought this was a tough question... I mean, we’re the same band with new songs, you know? I guess Fractures is a little less metal influenced than In Place Apart was, but overall it’s just a new record. It’s a progression, it’s different, but it’s still Killing the Dream. I’m definitely very proud of it.
Where do you draw your musical influences from? And the subject matter in your songs - what is it all about.
Musically I think we all have a ton of different influences. We all like so many different bands, there’s really only a few we could all absolutely agree on. American nightmare/Give up the Ghost, Stay gold, Converge... man, I’m really drawing a blank on others right now. Outside of a few bands, you’d get a very different response depending on who in the band you asked. As for subject matter, it’s pretty much just everyday stuff... growing up, moving on, relationships, songs about good people, songs about not so good people, songs about making mistakes and messing up, feeling alone- hopefully people who listen can find something to relate to.
Do you think many hardcore bands are loosing their identity as the metal/hardcore crossover has become so prominent? What do you think it is about metal that makes hardcore bands adopt that style?
I don’t know, I think it’s really hard to judge any given band’s motivation behind what they do. I can’t pretend to know what a band is thinking or why they’re going about certain things they do. But I do think with any kind of music, you have to keep striving to innovate and be creative, and combining different influences/genres is definitely a part of that. ultimately, though, we all want our bands to be suc-
KILLING THE DREAM cessful, there’s just different ways of going about it. And the babez, too... definitely the babez. Nothing is better than a sweet sweet metal queen. Just ask Daniel Porter.
What has the history of the band been like? How did you all come together.
Me, Isaac, and Chris have known each other forever... Isaac and Chris especially are arch-enemies from way back. We always wanted to do a band together, and our homie Josh Puga hooked us up with metal god Joel Adams, who had been listening to a lot of Carry On and Built to Last at the time during a break from his regular band Embrace the End. We started practicing in 2003 in a rent by the hour practice room in Sacramento, California. Apparently No Use For a Name used to practice there too. NUFAN rules. Anyways, a couple of diet beverages and packs of sweet tarts later, the jams began to flow like wine, and we had enough songs for a demo. Unfortunately, I am a pansyass wiener and lost my voice for six months. Fortunately those problems healed up, and we were able to continue with the rock. A few mcnuggets and lies later, we made a few records and played a few shows. All in all, we’ve been pretty damn lucky.
What makes hardcore one of the expressionist genre’s of music? Is
it the intensity? Perhaps the honesty?
I don’t know, I guess hardcore bands’ perception of ‘making it big’ is a lot different than other types of music, so they don’t feel the need to follow certain formats. To most hardcore bands, I think making it big would be putting out a record or two and going on a couple tours... I know that’s all we hoped to accomplish when we started Killing the Dream. So basically anything after that is just a bonus, you know? At the same time, there’s definitely a type of format that even hardcore bands follow... we’re not immune to trends or cliches and things of that nature. I don’t know.
Do you think many bands ‘fake’ what they are about it and just follow trends more so than being true to themselves?
Man, I really couldn’t tell you. I think some bands probably have a bit of an act behind them, and some bands don’t. I can’t really worry about it... I can just worry about what I’m doing and what my band is doing. There are definitely a shitload of honest and sincere bands out there- one of the best parts of going on tour is getting to see new ones every night. But I’m sure there’s at least a few bands that are just going through the motions and riding hype waves and saying ridiculous and fake shit on their records and on stage. In the end though, it’s like I said- we all want our bands to be successful, and
some bands take different paths to that end than others. My perception of what’s real and what’s not isn’t any more valid than anyone else’s. In the words of my good pal Zachary Harlan, aka young h-a...’just do you.’
Looking back, which 5 hardcore records do you think has made the biggest impact on the scene?
ohhh boy, I’m going to give you my PERSONAL list of bands that influenced my life instead of trying to do a list of bands that influenced hardcore... if I tried to do that I’d just end up forgetting something and people would hate me forever. So, here’s that list, in no particular order. STAY GOLD- pills and advice + caught up in the moment. Stay Gold is my favorite hardcore band of all time... I can’t begin to tell you how much this band has meant to me. They are probably the biggest reason I wanted to sing in a band AMERICAN NIGHTMARE- self-titled + background music. American Nightmare changed the entire game. They were the first band I can remember to be playing traditional hardcore in an ‘artistic’ (I hate that term, but it’s really all I can think of right now) way... they just didn’t give a fuck, from their lyrics to their music to their shows and their artwork. Yeah. 7 SECONDS- the crew. Probably the first actual hardcore record I ever heard. Great record. PLUS Kevin Seconds lives in sacramento now and is a sweet dude. GORILLA BISCUITS - start today. when I first heard this record I remember being amazed at how well it held up after 10+ years. I guess it’s been almost 20 years now and it still holds up. That says A LOT about a record. The last two are a tie- I can’t decide, so I’m listing both. COUNT ME OUT- permanent. SUCH an underrated
KILLING THE DREAM record. I guess kids just weren’t really ready for this, or it came at a bad time, but it’s a shame this record doesn’t get more shine. I don’t know if it’s a landmark album or anything, but it is definitely creative and different, and it’s up at the top of my list for sure. REACH THE SKY- open roads and broken dreams. I list this one because it was probably the record that got me into hardcore. I remember hearing this band on one of the victory style samplers and just being blown away. I got this record and read the thanks list at the end, and I got into bands like Bane and Floorpunch and whatever else. It’s been all downhill after that.
How your touring plans looking Any chance we could find you in the UK or in Europe soon?
Nothing definite right now, but we’d really like to come back! We had an amazing time in the UK and mainland Europe last year... plus, we definitely owe kids more than 9 songs. We’re trying to work it out... hopefully we’ll be able to come up with something.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Thanks for the interview! Please peep these bands- VANGUARD, ERAS, THE LEGACY, THIS IS HELL, GRAVEMAKER, RUINER, CLEAVE, SILENCE KILLS THE REVOLUTION, BASTARDS OF YOUNG, BLIND THE THIEF, VERSE, THE CARRIER, BRAIN DEAD, REIGN SUPREME, MZ. KITTY+THA ICE CREAM MAN, EVERY SECOND COUNTS, ALL YOUR MIGHT, and any band on Deathwish Inc... the rippinest dudes and the rippinest label. Do something nice for someone today! You won’t be sorry you did. www.myspace.com/killingthedream www.killingthedream.com
A few of my favourite things...
Eric Urbach STATIC THOUGHT
1. Band: The Clash. I feel that this band embodies the spirit and ideals that I most associate with. Their ideas about music’s role in society and how it should be a tool to help and inform people is what makes them great to me. 2. ‘77 punk band: The Clash 3. Drink: Definitely lemonade 4. Food: Super Carne Asada burrito 5. Book: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thomson. Amazing book. 6. Album: right now? London Calling by The Clash 7. Movie: V for Vendetta 8. Gadget: My Laptop 9. Pet: My Chicken, Trixie. 10. Things to do aside from band stuff: I have a deep passion for record collecting and skateboarding. I try and do both as much as possible. Static Thought’s new album, A Motive for Movement, is due out in September 2008