Distorted Magazine 2006

| December 2006 | ISSUE 01 |

ALAN

PARKER

The voice of the voiceless

VICE SQUAD

The new album, electric guitars and knobs...

THE UNSEEN

In the shadows

LOWER CLASS BRATS Like the ticking clocks

>> EVOLUTION A look at punk rock history S

PLUS: STEVE DIGGLE, CASEY CHAO

REVIEWED:

Rancid, Dropkick Murphys, The Unseen, The Hope Conspiracy, Strike Anywhere, Me First & the Gimmes and more...

d some of my fonde g back at my life an so an me t tha rds I find myself lookin wo ectly related to two st memories are dir all over the world, s to so many people ng thi nt ere e the term, it is many diff fin de n eve t going to try elf and when urs punk rock. I’m no yo for t ed to figure ou n round and spi something you ne ll wi defined, I’ll bet it all it ve ha do be u yo the auty of punk o disarray, such is throw everything int way ess much like the rock. o everything? I gu us. int d fit un d aro rte on sto Di ing So where does ction to what is go , Distorted is a rea k’, but seriously rn bo roc s nk wa k ‘pu roc be to nk pu im publications that cla idea behind the magazine is to There are too many ing the mark? The off r the fur y an re about what is go be could they people to learn mo u yo ed nd ng mi bri e to lik pe for ho offer a platform ctronic pages, we scene. On these ele kes up the wild nk ma pu t r tha ate re gre mo the ch in mu current news and it to be - don’t some history, all the member, punk rock is what you want Re k. roc nk world of pu n mind. it, make up your ow d but inspired the take our work for t have not only helpe thank my wife, tha le op pe ng azi e am lik e uld som wo are I y, ere ntl Th rta First and most impo kick up the arse, my everything birth of Distorted. my , on ati pir , my ins the dream tomy partner in crime t have happened if we weren’t living , where-ever no ke uld ma wo - Nikola, this ones I’m yet to ends, old, new, the gether. To all my fri stortion, , thank you. r, Rancid, Social Di you are in the world Carnie, Alan Parke and Casey Chaos, thank ve Da n, rso ste Ma To Miles Motorhead k Pistols, Ramones, t I call my life. Than the Clash, the Sex the soundtrack tha been keen to help for s nk tha , me you for inspiring who have always re, thanks for le in the industry you to all the peop all the bands out the return the To rt. po sup ur yo can lue d va rte lly sto rea Di me out, I I only hope by rock dream alive Anus, Lola and Ru keeping the punk OldPunkGit, Slim to u yo k an Th . . favour in the future ur time and effort ork, I appreciate yo right - please saying, well you’re Rock for your hardw u yo ar he can I think. ech u spe yo at the wh th wi ow Enough d please let us kn an d, rte sto Di of e enjoy issue on Cerven Cotter /co-Publisher Editor/Art Director

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Contents Contents Contents Contents

FEATURES The Unseen........ 11

Alan Parker....... 15

Vice Squad........ 23 Lower Class Brats ..... 29 Evolution.......... 41

Distorted Magazine is published by Distorted Ltd. All content is copyright protected Š 2006. Distorted is a trademark of Distorted Ltd. Contact information: Distorted Magazine 9 Bridle Close, Surbiton Road, Kingston Upon Thames Surrey, KT1 2JW London, UK

REGULARS Editor Notes............. 01 Headlines.................. 03 PunkSpace............... 09 Reviews.................... 33 Close Up .................. 47

info@distortedmagazine.com www.distortedmagazine.com | December 2006 | page 02 |

H EADL INES News and other things you need to know

The Latest...

• Buzzcocks will release the third single from Flat-Pack Philosophy on December 4th in the UK via Cooking Vinyl.

The release will feature two previously unreleased b-sides, “See Through You” and “Holding Me Down.” A version of “See Through You” appeared on Steve Diggle’s solo record Serious Contender last year.

• Epitaph’s I Am Ghost’ have been added to the Kerrang 2007 tour.

Tickets available from www.aloud.com • Pennywise back on the road. Punk stalwarts Pennywise will be touring California and Vegas in early 2007. go to www. pennywisdom.com for more info.

• Rancid’s new album will be released in Spring 2007. Also drummer Brett Reed has left the band. Brandon Steinharkt is currently filling the empty chair.

• Strungout are in the process of writing a new album and have posted a new song called ‘downtown’ on their myspace page.

• Rumour has it that Agnostic Front will be touring the UK in late 2007.

• Long standing band T.S.O.L have broken up. The band were together from 1978 until the end of November this year.

| page 03 | December 2006 |

• Bad Religion are the first headline act to be confirmed for the Warped Tour 2007.

• Due to being constantly on the road since 2005, The Unseen will be taking a break and will not be playing any shows until at least May 2007. The time off will be used to work on their upcoming album.

GODFATHER OF SF PUNK SCENE DIES DIRK DIRKSEN, referred to by many as the godfather of the San Francisco punk scene died in his sleep on Monday 20th November, aged 69. During the years that he ran the Mabuhay Gardens club he regularly featured acts such as DEAD KENNEDYS, DEVO, RAMONES, MUTANTS, BLACK FLAG and THE GO-GOs.

OUTRAGOUSLY ROTTEN?

According to starpulse.com Johnny Rotten cancelled a cameo appearance in The Pick of Destiny, the Tenacious D movie, after his demand for a million dollars was denied. Star KYLE GASS claims Rotten - real name JOHN LYDON - made the demand just to be “outrageous”, but he and co-star JACK BLACK called his bluff.

Gass says, “We were using him in part of our movie and at the last second he pulled

out unless we gave him a million dollars or something stupid. “He’s just trying to be outrageous and he’s run out of outrageous.”

Johnny responded with the following on his site www.johnlydon.com : Outrageous! As fabrication goes this is outrageous. You never talked to me. You never attempted to talk to me. As of right now you’re still only talking to yourself. Outrageous. PS: I wouldn’t ask you for a penny for a piss. Outrageous?

...AND NOW PLAYING Distorted’s first cover star, Kid Vicious, shares his current playlist with us: Bodies - Sex Pistols Pssyche - Killing Joke London Calling - The Clash Masquarade - The Skids Don’t come Close - Ramones Here comes the summer - Undertones Belsen Was A Gas - Sex Pistols Kick Muck - Ozric Tentacles Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire PIL - PIL | December 2006 | page 04 |

H EADL INES News and other things you need to know

10 MINUTES WITH...

Casey Chaos

We caught up with Casey Chaos of Amen after The Damned 30 year Reunion show at the 100 Club in London to find out what it was like to sing the songs that influenced his own music. Also on the list of questions was the subject of his own band, Amen, and the anticipated release of the new album.

Distorted: Hey Casey, what was it like to be on stage with The Damned?

Casey: Surreal, very surreal... ridiculous, it was absolutely ridiculous taking a phone call from Rat Scabies and he goes, ‘Me and Brian want to do an 30 year anniversary show and do the first album and we want you to sing’. So ya, I don’t think anybody in the world can say no.

D: On the Amen side of things, how is the new album coming along?

C: I still need to finish it. But it is by far the most by far violent record, it is absolutely going to be impossible for it to be an a major record label, it is just way too hardcore... it is actually going to be the last record I’m going to do. I have another project I want to do but this record is going to out with a bang.

Amen have never comprised to a label and this one (new album) doesn’t have a label so it is just going to be an abso| page 05 | December 2006 |

lute blood bath. It’s just going to be on steriods, with a raging hard-on!

D: You have a reputation for being a madman on stage, how does this translate to you off stage? Are you the same person or more of a nice guy?

C: It depends who you are... as long as people are cool, I come off cool... the first person I saw live was Henry Rollins and I later became friends with him and I found he is the biggest Amen fan there is. It is such a surreal thing, these type of people changed my life and now they’re my friends.

D: Anything you want to say to the people in the UK? C: I love the UK and love meeting people here and I wish I could live here.

This place (the UK) and Norway are my two favourite places but it costs too much money to live here and I don’t make enough money to even fix my tooth!

WHAT HAPPENED THIS MONTH IN PUNK ROCK HISTORY DEC 1973 CBGB’s OMFUG opened in New York.

With owner Hilly Kristal having a criterion that only original music be played.

CBGB’s would become the launching pad for some of the biggest bands in history and continued to be a groundbreakign venue until it’s closure in October 2006.

Apparently a CBGB’s will be opened in Las Vegas by March 2007.

1 Dec 1976 The Sex Pistols appear on the today show with Bill Grundy. Two shits and a fuck later they would become the enemy of the nation aided by the following day’s tabloid headline ‘The filth and the fury’.

Such is the nation’s outrage that effigies would be burnt of the Sex Pistols and one gentleman would tell his story of how he kicked in his TV screen whilst watching the Today show.

2 DEC 1976 The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Damned, and Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers set off on the Anarchy Tour, a series of gigs throughout the UK. Many of the gigs were cancelled by venue owners, after tabloid newspapers and other media seized on sensational stories regarding the antics of both the bands and their fans.

10 DEC 1976 John Peel hosted a punk rock special on his famed Radio One show. The set list was as

follows: The Damned - So Messed Up (Peel Session), The Seeds - Pushing Too Hard, Iggy and the Stooges - Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell, Eddie and the Hotrods - Horseplay (Wearier of the Schmaltz), The Damned Neat Neat Neat (Peel Session), Richard Hell and the Voidoids - Blank Generation (E.P. version), Television - Little Johnny Jewel Pt. 1, Tuff Darts - Slash, Pere Ubu - Final Solution, The Damned - New Rose (Peel Session), Sex Pistols - Anarchy in the UK, The Fast Boys Will Be Boys, New York Dolls - Personality Crisis, The Saints - I’m Stranded, The Damned - Stab Your Back (Peel Session), Shadows of Knight - Light Bulb Blues, Ramones - California Sun, Ramones - I Don’t Want to Walk Around With You. 15 DEC 1979 Sid Sings is released in the UK and debuts at number 30 in the charts. Songs included were ‘C’mon Everybody’, ‘My Way’ and ‘Born to Lose’.

25 DEC 1977 The Sex Pistols final UK show was at Invanhoes in Huddersfield where the band played a matinee and evening show as part of a benefit for the families of striking firemen.

31 DEC 1977 The Ramones played a show at the Rainbow Theatre in London which would be recorded and later released as the ‘It’s Alive’ Album in 1979.

22 DEC 2002 Legendary Clash frontman, Joe Strummer died unexpectedly of cogenital heart disease. | December 2006 | page 06 |

PunkSpace

Bands you should check out on myspace.com

| page 07 | December 2006 |

1

3

2

4

1. Hot Rocket Trio 2. Les Putes de L’Autoroute 3. AFS 4. City Bowl Mizers

5. Threats 6. WallRide 7. ZSK Why not drop us a line and recommend a band?

5 6 7 | December 2006 | page 08 |

IN THE SHADOWS

Boston punk rockers, The Unseen returned yet again to the UK this time to tour with fellow label mates Rancid. I met up with vocalist, Mark, after they had finished their soundcheck. We made our way down the alley way where the crowds had gathered outside the Brixton Academy, everybody eager to get inside for the pending mayhem. It was in a little blue tour van parked at the back of the venue that this interview took place... But first Mark had to deal with a slightly ‘crazy’ girl who was clearly not all there...

Girl: Hello? I want to speak to Brett... I need to see him...

Mark: Oh the drummer of Rancid? I don’t know him that well, I’m not in Rancid.

Girl: But I’d like to have his number, I want to know if he is okay. I’m worried about him Mark: I have no idea, I don’t know what his number is... so um...

Girl: Can you ask somebody so I can have it?

Mark: Ah, I gotta do something right | page 09 | December 2006 |

now, so maybe in a little bit. Okay?

Girl: Oh okay, thank you very much.

Mark: You’re welcome.

Mark closes the door of the tour van and we start laughing at the events that had just unfolded. Now the interview can actually start.

Distorted: Is this the Unseen tour van?

Mark: Yes, for this tour, it is.

D: Cool. What should the average joe know about the Unseen?

M: We are a punk rock band and we’re from Boston, Massachusetts. We’ve playing together for about 11 or 12 years now.

We started playing together when we were really young back in school. And here we here some 11, 12 years later still doing it. We’re on Hellcat Records and we released our last record about a year and a half ago called ‘State of Discontent’ on Hellcat. We’re currently writing our new album and recording in January. We have toured all round the world...

D: And this is your third time back in the UK for 2006?

M: It is actually our fourth time back. We were here with Flogging Molly and Millencolin and then we came back with Sick of it All and then again with Anti-Flag and now we’re here with Rancid. So in 12 month span we’ve been here four times.

D: What do you guys get from the UK? A bigger fan base, maybe a better crowd?

M: Um... it depends where we are. I ex| December 2006 | page 10 |

pect tonight will be really really good.

Certain cities in England we do really well, and in certain cities we still kind of have to prove ourselves. We just need to keep playing to get more fans. Like this tour with Rancid, alot of the shows sold out so fast that it is like even if we do have fans in a certain city, for example Manchester, so maybe some people that wanted to see Rancid and The Unseen or just the Unseen couldn’t because there were no tickets left. We’re almost playing to a whole new crowd but that is what you gotta do and we’re more than happy to be here with Rancid, they are one of favourites bands.

D: Being fans of Rancid, what was it like when Hell Cat signed the Unseen? Did it fell like you had finally proved you were good enough?

M: Yeah, at the stage we had been at it for like years. We’re one of those bands that just never went away. We’ve always done everything on our own, sometimes we put out our own records, made our merch, funded our own tours. We don’t have people driving us around, nothing fancy.

We’re just living like a working class punk band. Sometimes bands like the Casualties and the Unseen don’t get elevated to the status where we can play the Warped Tour or ever get to open for bands like Bad Religion, Social Distortion or AntiFlag. Even though those bands came from the same places like the unseen, they’re so big they don’t get to play with bands from the same scene, bands that are like alternative and emo. So for us it was a great break for us to signed to a label like Hell Cat and start associating ourselves with people like Rancid, Brett from bad Religion, NOFX, the Bastards, Tiger Army, it was just really for us to help raise our | page 11 | December 2006 |

profile. So many of these people wanted to help us. Like Lars came and sang on our record, Tim put the record out and Brett mixed it. It was cool to get help from people that had been doing it twice as long as us.

D: Where does the Unseen go from here?

Major labels on the horizon? What do you think about the whole selling out aspect of punk bands and major labels?

M: it is really hard to say and to think about that ‘till you’re in that situation where it is offered to you but I don’t see any reason for us to go anywhere else besides to someone like Hell Cat. For some reason if they decided they didn’t want to put out our records any more then we’d have to figure something out but going to a major is a scary thing and I know many bands who have gone to them and nothing has happened for them. They’re giving a lot of money but then that’s it. Nothing happens, their records sits completed for like two years before it is even released and it is just like a disaster. Is a major really give a shit about you when they’re concerned with Green Day and Christina Aguilera?

You know what I mean? Not trying got slag off anybody but when they’re selling 20 million albums, do you really think they’re going to give us the time of day? I don’t see us going to a major label. I don’t think they would know what to do with a band like us, they wouldn’t know where to put us or market us, you know. I guess it would just be kind of pointless.

D: Moving away from the whole label issue but sticking with records, you guys are due to start working on your new album. Anything you can tell us about it yet?

M: It is hard to say till we’ve done it in the

studio but they way everything sounds to me right now I can hear a lot of similarities between the new one and our last record.

There is also some different stuff that is maybe a little bit slower. Every records we try stay the same but also try something different. We don’t want to make the same record every two years, some bands do that but to me it just gets boring. I mean like do you really need to buy the new ACDC album? It is going to sound like the one they put out in 1979. Hey it is a great record, don’t get me wrong! We try do something a little different, try to stay current and push ourselves. Yeah, so far we’ve got 11 songs but we’re still writing and we demo’d some of the stuff already.

D: Who is working you on the new album? Brett again?

M: We asked Brett to do it but was really really busy as Bad Religion are getting ready to record again and he always works with Rancid, that is his thing, he was there from day one for them so he is pretty busy. We’re confident with our songs, we’re going to the same studio that we’ve gone to for our last three records.

You can go check out our myspace page and hear a demo version of ‘No Direction’, if you’re interested.

D: I know you made a comment about how cool that kids’ “I hate emo” shirt was. I take it you’re over that whole scene then?

M: I try not pay attention to that scene, if somebody wants to play that music then let them do it but that fad will do soon.

Like in the late 90’s there was a huge ska fad and BOOM! every band decided they would write ska stuff which meant some of them got back but then they died... you know, music goes in cycles. This cycle will | December 2006 | page 12 |

do soon. I’m just waiting for a band like Nirvana to come back. Whether you like them or not - I remember when I was a kid the big music in America was Poison, Motley Crue, men dressing like woman.

And then all of a sudden Nirvana came along and just killed that. Here you have three people that look homeless and they made bands like the LA Guns look like assholes...

D: I take it you’re a big Nirvana fan then?

M: Honestly I’m not, I like some of their stuff but I’m not a huge fan. I admire them for being able to do what they did.

They looked like homeless drug addicts and here they came and BOOM! all those bands went from selling millions of albums to just like nothing. Finally teenagers were like ‘Hey, instead of looking like a girl, I can look like a guy - I can go to the thrift store by a pair of jeans and a shirt for five buck and not have to go out and buy expensive clothes or steel my mom’s high heals”, know what I mean?

D: What about the pioneers of punk rock from the 70s? Surely you guys draw some influence from that era?

M: I think so. I think we take a lot of influences from a lot of different bands from a lot of different genres and ages. Being a musician, what you’re currently listening to may have an affect on what you’re writing and playing... Like on our Explode record I was listening to a lot of hardcore music, like Minor Threat, Blood for Blood, Shear Terror and Agnostic Front.

Without even knowing it you’re able to compare what you’ve written to what you were listening to and I didn’t even mean to do that. No matter what you listen to, it has an opinion on you, obviously you like | page 13 | December 2006 |

it and that crafts what you write.

D: If you had to pick two or three old punk bands, who would have had the biggest impact on the Unseen?

M: I’m going to speak on behalf of the band... probably the Ramones, the Misfits, and the Sex Pistols... and the Clash as well. There are so many, I mean there was Iggy Pop even before the Ramones.... but I gotta make a comment on one record from 1981, ‘Nervous Breakdown’ by Black Flag, it is an EP - it is such an angry record when you listen to it but then when you think about it, this was released in 1981, name another band that was that pissed off and that sounded like that, you can’t. The Sex Pistols were amazing but they didn’t have the viciousness that Black Flag had. With Black Flag you can picture yourself smashing windows and stuff, it is just so powerful. It was so fast, I don’t even think there was punk rock, or even metal, that was that fast back then. Even bands like Slayer, only got started after that EP came out.

It is funny, that record became like a blueprint for hardcore and even metal in a way.

D: I know our time is getting a little short but one more ques-

tion before we finish up, what does punk rock mean to you?

M: To me, punk rock means doing what you want, when you want and looking how you want and not giving a fuck what anybody else says and living your life the way that will make you happy. When I say that to be a punk you don’t have to have a mohawk, to me you can be a punk and just wear baggy pants and a hoodie.

Dress the way you want, don’t dress the way everybody else does - if you’re going to dress like every other punk out there,

then what is making you an individual?

Just do what you want, when you want and how you want, be an individual.

D: I think that pretty much sums it up, thanks so much for your time Mark and wish best of luck for the show tonight.

M: Thanks, hope you enjoy the show. >The new album from The Unseen is due out Spring of 2007 on Hell Cat Records.

| December 2006 | page 14 |

ALAN PARKER: Voice of the voiceless

| page 15 | December 2006 |

Alan Parker is the world’s leading authority on the punk rock legend, Sid Vicious. Not only has Alan written two books about Sid’s infamous life that would become punks’ poster child, he has a third book due out in May next year.

Why the need for the third book? You will have to read it to find out.

We met up with Alan at his London flat, a playground for any old school punk rocker like a mini 70’s punk museum, his walls and shelves are lined with items one could only dream of owning including an original A&M Sex Pistols record. The framed A&M on Alan’s wall is in fact Sid’s very own personal copy - it was left to Alan when Anne Beverly (Sid’s mom) passed away. What drives a man to have a Sid Vicious tattoo on his arm and a Stiff Little Fingers tattoo on the other? Why would a man devote 21 years of his life to telling the story of somebody

who didn’t live passed 21? What secrets does Alan know about the infamous mystery surrounding Nancy Spungen’s death and Sid’s apparent suicide overdose?

Who is Alan Parker?

Alan Parker is a true punk rocker. He plays us some of his bands music and clearly the world could have done without Madness - then again, Alan probably wouldn’t have contributed to the world of punk like he has done as a writer. Either way the world would have lost something special.

We posed the question to Alan, where did this all start, you writing about Sid Vicious?

“I worked for a punk rock magazine called Spiral Scratch, it is long gone now, it only lasted 16 issues. I was out to an interview with Johnny and Dee Dee Ramone one day and when I got back into the office everybody was calling me ‘Mr Popular’. I had post-it notes all over my desk to call Vickie, but I didn’t know anybody called Vickie. So I rang her up and she asked me if I knew Anne Beverly and I was like yeah, she is Sid Vicious’ mum.

Vickie goes well, Anne Beverly wants to speak to you.

Now what does Anne Beverly want to talk to me about? At the time, the most I had written on anybody was stuff for a fanzine and that was only a couple of pages. Apparently Anne saw what I had written and was keen to speak to me. I ended up getting in touch with Anne, not sure exactly how the conversation went but I know at the end she asked, ‘Would you like to write a book on my son?’ I said no. I mean I had only written four pages on someone, I didn’t know how to write a book. For the | December 2006 | page 16 |

ALAN PARKER: Voice of the voiceless

next three weeks, everybody I knew said I should do it. They said every hurdle I’ve come across in my life I’ve had a go at it and now I’m backing down. I decided to go see Anne and chat with her. We got along very well and she asked if we were going to do the book.

Ironically at the time Omnibus Press were looking to do a book on Sid Vicious. They only wanted to do the book if they could | page 16 | December 2006 |

speak to Sid’s mum, and because they don’t know where Sid’s mum was or how to get in touch with her, the book wasn’t going to happen. Then I walk into their offices oblivious to everything and go ‘I want to do a book on Sid Vicious’. They weren’t too interested as everybody wanted to do a Sid book then, but I go ‘I’ve got Anne Beverly with me’ - ‘It is yours’, they say.

I had never asked for a publishing deal in my life and I got one in 15 seconds. If this is how difficult it was going to be, I carried on - I did all the interviews, got everything ready and then the minute it came to doing the book, Anne decided that after what she told me, she no longer wanted the book to go ahead.

Hence we put out ‘Sid’s Way’ which I’m not that proud of but it seems like an alright book. I knew all the good stuff was on tapes but Anne wouldn’t let me use the stuff in the book. We continued to be friends and stayed in touch.

It was in 1996, Anne killed herself. Before she died she sent out letters to a few people including one to me. In this letter she said if I wanted to do another book on Sid, I could use any of the material collected during our interviews and meetings. I thought well, okay, the crass thing to do would be to go and get a publishing deal now. I sat on the book idea. It wasn’t till 2003 - I do consultant work for EMI - and I went in and I said to my boss, ‘next year is the 25 year anniversary of Sid’s death, so lets do like an album or something?’

We settled on an idea and that was that.

That evening I was out drinking with one of the publishers, and I wasn’t touting for a publishing deal or anything - I mention

the album with EMI and Sid’s anniversary and he went, ‘Do the book, same title, same cover, the lot to tie in with the EMI album’. He ended up writing my contract out on a bar mat and said I must come see him in the morning to honour the contract.

I ended up doing ‘Vicious, To Fast to Live’.

To me this book was a little nearer the mark of what we should have done in the first place. The first book was very rushed, I had never been to the Chelsea Hotel or Bank street but by the time Vicious’ was being written I’d been to these places tenfold. I knew what it was all about. I finished that book in around nine weeks.

The proof reader even turned around and said, “This doesn’t happen very often... don’t change a thing” - he was amazed at the book, even commenting he didn’t even know about half the stuff I had put in it. I thought he was kidding.

As I went around the world doing signings and other promo stuff for the book, I had so many people tell that the book changed their lives, it is a book on Sid Vicious, how does that work? Later that year another guy, who was pal of mine, did a book on Sid Vicious, it was quite thick and could have been a hardback, certainly looked the part. My agent was like “You’re not having that are you?”, I was like what you mean? “That is your gig, you’re the only one that’s ever spoken to the family and now there is a book and it not even yours.” Well, these things happen. I let it try on me for a year and in that year on a trip out to Japan to do some talks and signings at some big Sex Pistols exhibition every Japanese fan I met with was like, “When’s the next Sid

book?” Well, I’ve written two books on one person and you think there is going to be a third one? I came home and told my agent about these people wanting to know when is the next Sid book. He just said, “Of course there has to be another Sid book and I have to write that one that people can’t carry, its that great” I kind of liked the idea.

Then late last year with all the trauma in my life with my dad passing away, my girlfriend and I split up, we lost the baby, my best friend hung himself and came out of this fog and I just needed to do something to get my mind off it all. I just needed to vanish. I spent some time in New York and tried to find something to work on.

It hit me, Sid Vicious, I’d been doing all this stuff on him in the past yet there was still so much to uncover. I told three people that I was doing the ‘Sid Vicious, 21st Century Icon’ book and they all laughed at me. ‘You doing a book on Sid Vicious?’

- my response was, well everybody in Japan thinks it is a good idea, I’ve met people in Leeds who think it is a good idea.

So we sat around and thrashed it out and it was agreed that I would do another Sid book. I got my team together and this time round we knew what we were doing, we’d done it twice so this time round we can do the book.

I gotta say, although it isn’t due out till next May, this is thee book. It has loads of new things in it... it is 167 000 words long.

It is a hardback book, looks like a Charles Dickens novel. If there is going to be a better book on Sid Vicious, then I want to see it. I mean so many people only have a few pages for Sid’s childhood, we want right back to the beginning, the first chapter | December 2006 | page 18 |

ALAN PARKER: Voice of the voiceless

| page 19 | December 2006 |

of the new book has 7000 words in it. We talked to everybody, school teachers, guys who were in the army with Sid’s dad, just everybody.“ Our conversation carried on as Alan explained how people are so taken back with the fact that he knew the family and how the publisher let him write the book in his own style but what about the Sid tattoo?

“I know so many people have a Sid Vicious tattoo, but how many people can say their Sid tattoo was paid for

by Sid’s mom? Sid’s mum only paid for one, and it is my one.

I’m happy with that.

I never expected it. It also won an award according to the judge it was the best tattoo he ever saw in his life - and then (lifting his shirt, he shows us his upper arm tattoo) the year after the same guy goes again, that is the best tattoo I’ve seen in my life, two years in a row I won and funnily enough, both tattoos were done by the same guy. I was flattered. You know if there was a master plan, it didn’t involve writing a book, nevermind 17 of them. If A, B , C, D and E didn’t work then I could write a book but when the chance come along for me to write a book, I didn’t know I could write a book, I mean everybody may have four pages in ‘em but

not everybody can write a book. That is it really, I ended up writing a book about a guy that I thought was brilliant when I was 14 purely by default. So many people want to know why Anne Beverly came to me, well she is dead now so nobody is going to know. I guess it just seemed right, if I had said no... well.”

We wanted to know how much a difference punk rock has made in Alan’s life, he happily to shares his story us .

“Let me tell you about the ‘kid’. I’m the oldest of two sons, I was diagnosed completely dyslexic by age 11. I taught myself to read and write with the help of my dad. I was also born with a disorder that means I have a double skull, my skull is bigger than the average person. Debbie Harry also has the same thing. Growing up, I developed an utter shell fairly quickly because I teased like you will never understand, I was called the elephant man, you name it. I was never into sports but just like most boys, I enjoyed my action figures till a certain age. When I got the age where the toys appealed less to me, I was watching Top of the Pops a lot. I watched a lot of TV, so many bands had their own programs like the Bay City Rollers. Where most 9-10year olds’ were | December 2006 | page 20 |

ALAN PARKER: Voice of the voiceless still asking for toys for Christmas my list was filled with records I wanted. I wanted escapism. Music made life easier for me.

Blackburn was a very small town and I had hardly any friends, thanks to the kids at school calling me those names, nobody wants come hang out with you. I built my own little world and what happened is that I amassed a record collection that most people would only have when they were 28 by the age of 13-14. I had a huge amount of singles and vinyls. Any money I could get my hands on, washing cars, dropping papers would be vinyl. It was I want that album and I would get that album. Thanks to the music I developed a small circle of friends.

Two things happened when I was about 16, my friend said we should do something about our love of music and not just buying records and the other was a girl, Amanda, she turned round to me one day and said, you’re actually quite cute No one had ever said that to me before. I was so taken back. Hardly anybody spoke to me, everybody thought I was a bit of weird guy and then this blonde hair, blue eye girls says I’m cute, I’ll take that. She was the one girl I had put on a pedestal, really thought she was amazing, and she called me cute. My friend was like, the rock ‘n roll thing is bringing you into it.

Everybody was starting to get into rock ‘n roll, but I’d been in for 6 years already. ‘He is Mr Rock ‘n Roll’ - I mean I did have a rather impressive record collection.

Then punk rock came along - what is this, they’re sing about being outsiders and the like, hey that’s me, I’ll have some of that.

Then I bought God Save the Queen and people were like what are they trying to | page 21 | December 2006 |

prove, for me, I just wanted some of it. I had already seen most of the bands everybody wanted to see, so I found myself going to go watch the Clash because I hadn’t seen them. I started going to see the bands I wanted to see, maybe because I’d seen everybody else.

Although Blackburn was small, there were a lot of bands and there were many fanzines. It was really easy to do a ‘zine, I mean, we had a big concert hall so the Damned came here, the Clash came here, all the bands came here. You could always get interviews with them because they’d talk to ‘zines all day long.

One day my mate, Woody, went and bought a guitar. Didn’t know what to say or do and he was like ‘I bought a guitar, this is it, we’re off!’ so I then went and got myself a bass. Then another friend got a drumkit and another friend also got a guitar although he didn’t have to buy it as he had it already. We told him he was going to play in our band and he could actually play, so it was a good thing.

We got some money from a label, although they never signed us, some other band got the nod instead of us and basically we kept doing what we did till it just wasn’t fun any more and yeah. that was it.

At least the writing has paid off for me.”

Chatting to Alan Parker is amazing, his ability to tell a great story is outstanding, this alone is is a reason to go pick up the books he has written and he will give you a true insight into punk history.

| December 2006 | page 22 |

| page 23 | December 2006 |

FAST FORWARD! FORWARD! FAST Hot off a successful tour of the USA and riding on the release of their latest album, Defiant, London’s Vice Squad are here to stay.

We caught up with frontwoman, Beki Bondage to talk about the tour, the new album, electric guitars and her knob(?!)...

Distorted: Hi Beki, how was the tour to the US this year? Any major parts of it stick out, either good or bad?

Beki: It was brilliant but very, very hard work! We seemed to spend all of our time in a van travelling to shows and only had one day off, but the audiences were fantastic so it was worth it. The bit that sticks out for me is the signing we did in a Hollywood record store.

We thought it was going to be another Spinal Tap moment, the one where no-one turns up and the promo man, Artie Fuffkin, is saying ‘Kick my ass’, but to our very pleasant surprise there was a line of kids outside waiting for us! Some of them were very young couples with new born babies, so it was good to see punk rock passing along the generations. After the signing we did a great (but very hot)

gig at Safari Sam’s. Philthy from Motorhead turned up, we used to drink with him and Girlschool many years ago so it was lovely to see him again. A biker girl called Laura took me for a ride on the back of her Harley, which was a good way to get dry after such a sweaty gig! We met loads of lovely people at all of the gigs, punk is definitely alive and thriving in the States.

D: Just glancing at your touring schedule, Vice Squad never sits still for very long do you?

B: Actually we do, it’s very hard getting gigs and there are a lot of flakes out there who offer shows and then pull out at the last minute, so we don’t gig as much as we’d like to. The more you play the better you become as a band, so that’s a major bonus. And of course you get to meet the people who are into your music, which

is always a good incentive to get out there and play.

Having said that, when we aren’t gigging we are writing songs or recording, so we’re always up to something.

D: Seen any good bands lately that more people should be listening too?

B: ‘So Unloved’ who supported us in the States are ace - three girls and one boy, they have balls! Their guitarist is about 4’6” and wears an Epiphone Les Paul round her knees (it’s only a foot off the ground!) and the singer roars as opposed to sings and plays an SG Gothic.

D: Lets talk a little bit about the new album, Defiant. Sorry to use this expression, but it has got some big balls thrown in. What was the writing process like for this album?

B: Most of the songs came | December 2006 | page 24 |

very easily, I decided to just let rip and sing what I felt rather than worrying about would it offend anyone etc. I thought it was time to stand up and be counted, and I definitely wanted a heavier sound than we got on ‘Rich and Famous’, and Lump’s production did us proud! I managed to write a couple of the songs in the middle

of doing vocals, like me and Lump would argue about something on the song we were recording and I’d go into the next room in a rage and write ‘Fast Forward’!

D: There is definite ‘anti’ stance in your lyrics, as a punk band do you feel it is important to ‘discuss’ issues through your music?

B: Yes I do, but I also like bands like AC/DC who are basically singing about their knobs! Sometimes you just want to be entertained, but that can get boring and then you want to hear a song about the real world. Personally I prefer to sing about something other than my knob, though it is fucking huge and worth singing about.

“ Personally I

prefer to sing about something other than my knob...

“

| page 25 | December 2006 |

D: What issues are main ones for Vice Squad and yourself personally?

B: Animal Rights is my main issue, though I don’t write blatantly pro-Animal Rights songs (except for Humane, Frankenstein, Infection and Breeders). I tend to slot in lines about it in other songs, for example, ‘You can’t Buy Back The Dead’, because

WHO ARE

VICE SQUA

D?

BEKI BON D Lead vocals AGE and guitar

PAUL ROO N Lead guitar EY an backing voca d ls

MICHAEL G Bass guitar IAQUINTO and backin g vocals

TONY PIPE R Drums and backing voca ls

| December 2006 | page 26 |

animal abuse is linked to human abuse so for me all injustices are linked. I’m not sure what the rest of the band stand for, I know Lumpy is into Animal Rights and is a veggie and is also pro unions etc.

D: So many punk bands never seem to take themselves seriously and it more than often reflected in their lyrics, what’s your take on that? Is silly good or a waste of time?

B: Yes it’s silly but silly can be fun and entertaining. Taking the piss out of things is quite subversive so is punk rock in it’s own way.

D: What has the response been like to Defiant? Are you winning over new fans with it?

B: We’re definitely winning new fans with ‘Defiant’, it was very gratifying seeing kids singing the words to the new songs in the States, and also when we played Wasted in Blackpool this year.

D: Being a woman of punk rock must be hard at times as it has always been seen as a ‘man’s’ music genre. I for one think that many women in punk rock have more ‘balls’ than most men on | page 27 | December 2006 |

the planet. Do you think being the front woman of Vice Squad you too work harder than other frontmen of bands?

B: I definitely work harder than most frontmen!

There are great guys out there but they tend to let other members of their band do half the vocal duties, whereas I seem to be singing non-stop and thrashing away on my guitar at the same time. Our songs are bastards to sing too (no breathing spaces!) but that’s my own fault as wrote most of them.

D: How did you get into punk rock? What has had the greatest influence on you both socially and musically?

B: I was always a “Rockist” and always loved the sound of electric guitars, right from the first time I heard the re-hashed Zeppelin riff theme tune of Top of the Pops. I got into punk via an older mate at school and because the other rock genres of the time were far too male-orientated and long winded.

Punk had girls like Poly Styrene and Siouxsie, so it was far more accessible to pubescent girls. When I heard the lyrics of Crass I realised I agreed with virtually all they were sing-

ing about, and of course musically and lyrically the Clash were brilliant.

So I suppose the sound of electric guitars has had the greatest influence on me socially and musically, as I am now a social outcast who makes a lot of noizs on an electric guitar!

D: What’s your view on the current state of punk rock? Is it getting bigger?

What do you think?

B: I think it is getting bigger, in fact it is taking over the world.

D: Do you have any advice to other new and upcoming punk bands?

B: Yes, don’t do it! But seriously, be prepared for a lot of rejection, heartache and hard work. Music is not an easy ride.

D: If you weren’t in Vice Squad, where would you be?

B: In a band with a different name.

D: Thanks so much for your time, hope to see Vice Squad on the road again soon, good luck.

B: Thank you!

See ‘Defiant’ in this issues album reviews section.

All live photos in this article of Vice Squad © Grilly

the piss out “ Taking of things is quite

subversive so is punk rock in it’s own way.

“ N

USEFUL INFORMATIO

• lastrockers.com co.uk • stutaylorpromotions. uad • myspace.com/vicesq esquadshop • stores.ebay.co.uk/vic (for merchandise)

• sosrecords.us

(to purchase the new

DEFIANT album)

| December 2006 | page 28 |

Like The

Ticking Clocks

The Lower Class Brats (LCB) are no strangers to the world of punk rock. They have been destroying stages all over the world with their patented brand of ‘Clockwork’ punk sound since early 1995.

With a new full length under their belt, The New Seditionaries, we chatted to their bassist, EVO, to see what they’re upto.

Distorted: I hear you guys are hitting the road with the Circle Jerks, pretty cool. Have you played shows or toured with them before? Do you know the guys?

EVO: Yes... the Jerks. No, the band has not toured with them before now. Don’t really know their secrets, yet. | page 29 | December 2006 |

EVO

| December 2006 | page 30 |

D: It is fair enough to say LCB are a ‘Clockwork’ punk band, right? Do you think skateboarding has had something to do with shaping your sound?

E: Yeah, kinda.

LCB still sports bowlers and things like that, but underneath all that lies a basic foundation in rock n roll. Skateboarding is not a crime so no one likes it!

Haha.. just kidding... Clay, Bones, and Marty have been cruising the streets for years. I’m content with BMX. As for the shape of the oursound? I would say that skating, personal issues, influences(both musically and mentally), and living in America (Austin, Texas) today has offered the fruit from which they eat. Evil, huh?

ger and joy. It’s all there.

D: Apparently the four of you started this band to destroy all the emo and garage type bands in Austin? How is that going? By looking at your touring schedule, looks like you’ve expanded your fighting ground.

E: It’s a global struggle for dominance. An epic battle for a voice.

Most importantly, LCB is having fun.

...underneath all that “lies a basic foundation

| page 31 | December 2006 |

whole Clock Work Orange look and feel come into everything with LCB? E: The “look” might have something to do with white platties, or clothes. It might have a bit to do with the old bowlers and occasional cane or a knife...

Or, it could all be an illusion. Maybe the lyrics and things I, DROOGSKULL, might gavoreet, or say. All this is but one of the many facets that have made the Brats what we are. Pure emotion and energy. An-

“

D: So where does the

of rock ‘n roll.

D: Touring seems to be a way of life for the LCB. Is it all it’s cracked up to be?

Surely there must have been some moments when you all wanted to kill each other and throw in the towel?

E: No towel throwing allowed in that van! Everyone has jobs. Sure, times are tough sometimes and I’ve been feeling so lonely.

After a tour is over the band has survived and realizes any petty mishaps have vanished. It ends up being great.

D: What have been some of your greatest moments on tour? I’m sure there are many but any recent events that stick out?

E: LCB almost died on some tiny backroad in the mountains of Austria. We toured Canada last year for the first time. Everyone was kind of nervous crossing that shit border.

Three things almost cost us everything... can’t go into detail on that.

D: Drugs, booze and mayhem, what is your view on it all?

E: Yes, the three things LCB seems to glide right into and through. It is always a good time living life on that razor edgeand making it back in one piece!

D: Now your band is known to put out new material whether it be 7inches, compilation tracks or albums – where does this come from? What inspires LCB to keep putting material out?

E: Life. Death. Everything in between. I know that sounds broad and vague,

but those are it.

D: What, if any, other than the sake of putting out another record, was the reason behind putting out the full length “The New Seditionaries”? It is a great punk album, let us in on some of the inspiration.

E: LCB had ideas. We had some songs. It had been three years since our last big release. Why not?

Looks like, or, sounds like, the entire band had alot of shit go down in those years and we decided to put it in song and present it to the public. What an awesome way to release all the frustration and anger!

Plus it makes us laugh to sing about those experiences.

D: Punk bands have always been known for the strong DIY spirit – do the LCB still live by this code of DIY? E: There are only one, two, or three people other than

the band members that have anything to do with the progression and decisions of the band. Everything is pretty much kept within the small group.

D: What other things to do you guys get upto when you’re not on the road or writing material?

E: Skating, riding, hanging out, having fun - you know, the usual.

D: Any bands people should beware of and should go check out that you like personally?

E: Too many to list.

D: What single album should any self proclaimed punk rocker own?

E: The Ramones.

D: Any thanks to anybody? Any middle fingers for people?

E: Thanks to you. Middle finger to everyone else.

The New Seditionaries is out now on TKO Records,

Lower Class Brats Discography: (full lengths only)

• Rather Be Hated Than Ignored • Plot Sickens • A Class of Our Own • Clockwork Singles Collection: Real Punk Is An Endadgered Species • The New Seditionnaires | December 2006 | page 32 |

REVIEWS

Don’t take our word for it, make up your own mind!

DEFIANT

BANNED

(SOS)

(Red Ambulance)

Vice Squad

Beki Bondage will not only kick your ass, her vocal abilities will issue a barrage of swift blows to your eardrums. With a vocal sound reminscent of early Gwen Stefani and with the rawness of L7 backed by bullet proof collection of riffs, Vice Squad is band you should take very seriously. Defiant is the latest offering from this female fronted punk rock four piece. Packed with fourteen songs, this album will keep you rocking out as it is one to set on repeat.

Standout tracks include ‘Britian is Burning’, title track ‘Defiant’, and ‘War of Attrition’.

| page 33 | December 2006 |

Half Price

Banned is the second full length from South African ‘drunk punks’ Half Price.

Although they label themselves as a ‘drunken’ outfit, they do write some great songs. Perhaps it is their carefree attitude to life makes them write such interesting music. Each song on this album has it’s own feel, it’s own sound but still retains a definite style that is unique to Half Price.

Filled in some interesting guitar licks, some downright hilarious lyrics, full speed ahead drumwork, Banned is a testament to how hard this band works both in the studio, on stage and on the road.

Make sure you give this one a listen.

DEATH KNOWS YOUR NAME

The Hope Conspiracy (Deathwish)

Every now and then a band comes along that makes you sit up and go ‘What the fuck was that?!’

- well, The Hope Conspiracy is one of those bands and they’re using Death Knows Your Name as their weapon. Perhaps not everybody’s cup of tea but this twelve track Hardcore album is sheer brutal brilliance. It is fast, it is ahbrasive but it will get your foot tapping in twisted kind of way. Buried underneath the brash vocals are some solid riffs that bring the message across. Again, The Hope Conspiracy are heavy but if you’re open minded, check it out.

> ALBUMS > EPs > BOOKS > GIGS

THE NEW SEDITIONARIES Lower Class Brats (TKO)

Starting an album with a song titled ‘Go Insane’ you know you’re in for a ride. The Lower Class Brats deliver a splendid sing-a-long punk rock ‘n roll album with The New Seditionaries. Big choruses and big hooks are the order of of the day on this album - it sure as hell will keep you coming back for more. ‘P.G.L’ has the catchiest little guitar riff backed with well placed “whooah hoah’s”. The Brats keep it simple, keep it quick and succeed in putting out thirteen track punk rock album which clocks in at just under 33 minutes in length.

TWELVE SMALL STEPS, ONE GIANT DISAPPOINTMENT Bad Astronaut (FatWreckChords)

You may not know that Bad Astronaut is the side project of Lagwagon’s frontman, Joey Cape, but if you did, good for you.

Originally this band was supposed to be a once off studio project, however things don’t always go according to plan with this being their third (and final) album. Bad Astronaut has given Joey room to explore his vocal abilities and song writing. His abilities are here for all to hear on Twelve Small Steps, One Giant Disappoinment. This maybe more indie than punk but listen to it, saviour every note, it is worth it.

Sincerely

End of aYear (Revelation)

Hailing from Albany in the USA, End of a Year are a band that has succeeded despite doing everything against ‘the book’. You can hear their influences on this album, their third release, most notably Fugazi and Embrace. There is an intense intelligence behind this music that will make you listen and most importantly, get you dancing. ‘Harrison’ is an awesome song that grabs you from the first beat and keeps you guessing for the remainder of it. Another song to look out for is ‘You Better Work’. Feel like some experimental but listenable music? Get Sincerely, it is a must for Fugazi fans. | December 2006 | page 34 |

RE V I E W S Don’t take our word for it, make up your own mind!

LOVE THEIR COUNTRY Me First and the Gimme Gimmes

(FatWrechChords)

The world would be such a boring place without Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. They’re back but this time have converted some classic country music into infectious, foot tapping melodic new school punk rock. You’ll find a feast of punk-a-fied songs originally done by the likes of Country artists such as the Dixie Chicks, Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. You may not know these people but when you hear the songs you’ll know them. Once again the Gimmes have put out another cracking cover album. So what is next guys? | page 35 | December 2006 |

SWANESANG

FOKOFPOLISIEKAR (Rhythm)

In a world dominated by American culture, this five piece outfit from South Africa took it upon themselves to resurrect the pride of their home language, Afrikaans - a form of Dutch. Swanesang is their second album. The twelve songs packed into this recording highlight the depth of their songwriting and much like the Clash, they have written ‘thinking man’ songs. Being in a foreign language it will make it tough for non Afrikaans people to understand what they’re saying but the music alone will have you fighting alongside them. They are true revolutionaries.

ONLY BEER CAN SAVE US NOW! AFS (Voltage)

Turn this up loud, grab a drink and get ready sing along because Only Beer Can Save Us Now! One has got to appreciate the straight up punk rock formula, you don’t need to sing like an angel, you just need a few riffs, the punk attitude and you’re set. AFS keep it simple and raw on this release. The first four songs are live versions with the remaining five songs are studio recorded numbers. ‘Don’t Fit’ has a very infectious chorus line that will have you rocking out with your beer raised above your head. Make sure you catch these guys at a pub near you, perfect music to drink to.

> ALBUMS > EPs > BOOKS > GIGS

WITNESS

DEAD FM

DISCONNECTING

(Deathwish)

(Fatwreckchords)

(Revelation)

Modern Life is War Hardcore has always had a way of truelly showcasing raw emotion through power. Witness is a prime example of an album by a band that is not scared to share it’s inner most feelings but not in a ‘emo’ kind of way but with a ‘punch you in the face’ sound. An intense lyrical rampage is propelled forward thanks to imaginative guitar riffs.

The songs are crafted like intricate tapestries that drill their way into your head. You’ll be ready to take on the world after giving this a listen. You have to listen to ‘Marshaltown’, ‘D.E.A.D.R.A.M.O.N.E.S’ and ‘Martin Atchet’.

Strike Anywhere From the first chord strummed you know this is a special album. Very remiscent of Rise Against but retains more hardcore hooks and raw punk sensibilities. Dead FM is everything a punk rocker could want from an album, be it a little more new school than some would like. But there are strong lyrics about social issues, huge sing-a-longs and some brilliant guitar hooks. From start till finish Strike Anywhere have stepped upto the plate and have made sure they’ve hit a home run with this album. Dead FM is one of the ‘must have’ albums of 2006.

Sinking Ships

Sinking Ships has an uncanny ability to produce some of the most sing-alongable songs. Not in the traditional ‘beer in your hand mumble along’ but in a rasied fist and chanting with conviction kind of way. Disconnecting is a fast paced hardcore album that is light enough to draw any street punker in.There enough pace changes to give you that break you’ll need while getting flung around the pit. If you enjoy your hardcore punk rock straight up, then pour yourself a drink of this.

| December 2006 | page 36 |

RE V I E W S Don’t take our word for it, make up your own mind!

Send us your gig reviews! info@distortedmagazine.com

Sex Pistols Experience / Rebel Truce 100 Club, London (7 October 2006)

Around 8pm, after a pre gig drink at the Spice, we head for the 100 Club, stopping to get my pic taken under the famous sign, and went downstairs into the club.

Been here a lot recently, even the bouncer knows me! Went straight to the bar, looking around for people to photograph, I want to record this 30th Punk Anniversary so been taking lots of pics at the gigs I have been going to. Imagine if Ray Stevenson, Bob Gruen and Don Letts hadn’t been around back in the day!

Rebel Truce © Tim Drunk

| page 37 | December 2006 |

Ron Watts the manager of the 100 Club from back in the day is signing his book in the club, so I head over there to get a copy. “Nancy” the birthday girl was by merchandise and I got her a drink. Then set off backstage and started chatting with Rebel Truce (Clash Tribute), they are a little nervous; understandable this is the fuck’n 100 Club. If they play half as good as the last time I saw them in Sheffield they are going to be excellent.

Rebel Truce took to the stage, full on Clash classic after Clash classic. All my favourites - Safe European Home, Deny, they even dedicated one to all the ‘OldPunkGit’s’ out there. Pogoing is a must, and OK I like to pose as well, so did you think I put this gear on just to look great! They finished their set with White Riot which went down a storm, I was not disappointed, see them next in Sheffield in December. A ‘Punk Rock’ Christmas ahead!

I know the Sex Pistols Experience are always great when I have seen them, and I have seen them a lot! They always have something to live up to when Rebel Truce supports them and they always find that extra gear. Back in the day, I saw the Clash and they were probably the best live band I have ever seen, but it has always been the Sex Pistols for me. With them it was the whole package, not just the music, they were the catalyst that started the whole thing, never equalled, never bettered. In 1976, I was 14, I never saw the Sex Pistols. The Sex Pistols Experience give me a chance to get an idea of what is must have been like back then, back in

> ALBUMS > EPs > BOOKS > GIGS the 100 club. They never disappoint, they are the real deal.

We get a group grapple / pogo going, and my mate Sixth is really giving it some. So much so that my arm is bruised like fuck after :) Well you got to show the youngsters what’s it all about don’t ya! They run through the Bollocks Album, and finish with an encore of No Fun, they only do one cause Johnny is ‘a lazy bastard!’. For some reason the lights are up, but who cares, punks are not into hiding in the dark anyway.

Tara, Simone and I end up in the Burger King around 2am, now is that punk rock or what? I think about the originals back in the day heading to Louise’s after a night at the 100 Club or the Vortex, I am certainly reliving my punk rock dream.

Making new friends, in fact good friends.

Punk, as I try to say to people, is so much more than the music, and tonight is proof of that. - OldPunkGit

Less Than Jake / Dropkick Murphies / The Living End / Billy No Mates Brixton Academy, London (11 November 2006)

The show at Brixton Academy featuring Less Than Jake, Dropkick Murphys, The Living End and Billy No Mates was an international punk rock spectacle.

Unfortunately the hometown boys, Bill No Mates didn’t look very comfortable onstage and never seemed to get started.

The Living End were up next and the level of musicianship, experience, showman-

ship and all round punk rock vibe went up about ten notches when they exploded onto the stage. The front man draws the crowd in, his actions reminiscent of Green Day’s Billy Joe. He just grips you buy the balls and drags you punk rock mayhem. Their set, although short was flamboyant.

Dropkick Murphys flew through their set like an Irishman hurtling through the centre of a crowded Dublin street trying to get to the pub on St. Paddy’s day. The highlight of their set, and the whole night in fact, was when they invited about fifty girls onto the stage towards the end . This was a truly honest punk rock moment.

Less Than Jake were the last band up and they didn’t disappoint, playing all the old favourites and some new ones that will undoubtedly become favourites over the next few years. Their energy and enthusiasm spread through the Academy as quickly as their infectious pop-punk-skametal sing-a-longs. The night had progressed forward like a punk rock freight train, culminating with Less Than Jake who deserved to headline. They really did kick everyone’s ass. - Slim Anus

Steve Diggle / The Priscillas 100 Club, London

(16 November 2006)

With such strong singles as All My Friends are Zombies and Gonna Rip Up Your Photograph already in the can, the Priscillas are already showing quality.

They look and sound great and are really enjoying themselves, they sure know

| December 2006 | page 38 |

RE V I E W S Don’t take our word for it, make up your own mind!

Send us your gig reviews! info@distortedmagazine.com

how to have fun. Jenny Drag their singer is one moment prowling the stage like a cat set on catching some unseen prey and the next goose stepping with intent giving me flashes of a 20 year old girl from Bromley back in the day! The one thing you can’t stop yourself doing is having a great time, these ladies are determined to enjoy themselves and that rubs off on the audience. They are a fun combo and well worth seeing.

Steve Diggle is one of the originals. Guitarist, Songwriter and a great bloke to have a beer with. He may well have grown way beyond his punk roots but has in no way forgot them, he still plays with all the energy he did right back to the Manchester Lesser Trade Hall 30 years ago. Tonight he played a blistering set which included my favouties Jet Fighter, Harmony in My Head, Terminal in fact not a weak tune anywhere. Steve was clearly enjoying himself, and worked the crowd like the professional he is. This was Steve Diggle at his best. Dont miss Steve with his mate Pete Shelly at the Forum on December 2nd for the 30th anniversary Buzzcocks show. See ya at the bar!

- OldPunkGit

| page 39 | December 2006 |

Steve Diggle © OPG

The Priscillas © OPG

Rancid / The Unseen / Argy Bargy Brixton Academy, London (16 November 2006)

I arrived a little late so missed the set from Argy bargy but heard they rocked hard, need to make a plan to see them.

The Unseen took the stage and went full tilt for their set playing loads of old classics including False Hope which almost turned the gathered masses inside out out.

Watching a Rancid show is a true music

> ALBUMS > EPs > BOOKS > GIGS spectacular, well, more of an explosive social event of life changing proportions. It was more inspirational than meeting Nelson Mandela, the Dali Lama and Mother Theresa all rolled into one. You can read as many reviews of a Rancid show as you like but you won’t understand it unless you experience it for yourself because it is real, raw, emotional, core showmanship that is pure punk rock.

During their set, Rancid went from classic to classic to classic including some special Operation Ivy renditions and some unplugged treats. When the last chord was strummed and the last cymbal was hit, I knew that it would be awhile till Rancid would return to our shores.

I made the best of the opportunity and was lucky enough to meet the guys after the show. They took about 45 minutes to walk the 30 metres from the stage door to their tour bus and they greeted, signed and posed for photographs for the 30 plus people that missed the last tube and braved the unforgiving London winter cold to just meet these guys.

They were humble, thankful guys that were super-appreciative of every word of praise that came their way but those words of praise were deserving because when they were on stage, these punkersa were Gods amongst men. - Slim Anus

Backyard Babies / Towers of London MeanFiddler, London (23 November 2006)

It was with great reluctance that I agreed

to go to the Backyard Babies show early to watch their support act for the evening, the Towers of London. Having listened to their album and sat through one abysmal episode of their reality show, I quite honestly thought they were the biggest load of rubbish I had ever subjected my ears and eyes to. However, after chatting with some friends who assured me that the live show would change my mind, I agreed to give them another chance. How I wish I had stuck to my guns and not gone. From the opening chord to last moment, the only thing that struck me of any significance was how completely unoriginal they were.

From their matching ‘bad boy punk rocker’ outfits and hairstyles, to their blatently stolen riffs (I heard at least three Sex Pistols riffs in amongst their songs including what could be misconstrued as a musical cover of ‘Bodies’.)

Their stage perfomance was so inneffectual that I found myself repeatedly going to the bar, just for the want of something interesting to do. Eight songs later and it was all over, and I was was left wondering just what the hell it was that the public find so compelling about this band. As a wise man recently said to me: ‘ I don’t listen to the majority of the bands of today as I would rather listen to the ‘originals’.

That sums up my feelings about the Towers of London. If they are indeed ‘ the saviours of punk rock’ as other publications have been touting them, then may my ears seal shut to spare me the pain.

A big thanks to the Backyard Babies for playing a blinder of a show and restoring my faith in music. - Ruby Rock

| December 2006 | page 40 |

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EVOLUTION

A look at the history of punk rock Written by Lola

The origin of punk is a highly debated conversation point depending on whom you are talking to and what their favourite ‘original’ punk band was. Likewise, many an hour is spent debating the punk ethos and whether modern bands fall into the punk rock genre.

When looking at the timeline of punk and the reasons for the genre being born, it is simple to deduce that true punk music should contain a thread of anger at the establishment. After all, punk was born out of a need to voice an opinion, a need to create a sound that was inherently different and to convey a message to those who chose to listen. In America it began as a reaction to the mainstream music of the day, in the UK, against the severe social problems that were in existence. Thanks to bands such as The Velvet Underground, MC5, Iggy and the Stooges and The New York Dolls, people were realising that you did not need to be a top-notch musician in order to be in a band. A desire to create and a passion for what you were doing were more than sufficient. The birth of punk was not so much about the musicianship as a change in musical stylings.

Taking the basic three-minute song and speeding it up was a new and exciting concept. Experimentation was the order of the day. No two bands sounded alike.

Each band drew on their influences and created something uniquely exciting. | page 41 | December 2006 |

MC5 In the late ‘60’s the future of punk was being shaped by The Velvet Underground in New York and Iggy and the Stooges and MC5 in Detroit. Lou Reed and John Cale formed the Velvet Underground in late ‘65 and by ‘66 had joined Andy Warhol’s travelling circus, ‘The Factory’. With the addition of Nico, a prominent fashion model, to the vocal line-up, the Velvet Underground was being hailed as a welcome alternative to the ‘safe’ sound of the 60’s. In Detroit, after hearing a Velvet Underground track, Iggy and the Stooges was formed. Citing boredom as their reason for outrageousness, their enigmatic front man and bizarre stage show soon attracted a cult following. They were signed

to Elektra records and soon produced the classic track ‘I wanna be your dog’, hailed by many as the first true punk song.

Likewise, MC5 began out of boredom with the current music scene and they chose to express their distaste in a more politicized vein. Members of the White Panthers, they played at numerous rally’s and demonstrations and soon achieved a cult status of their own. They too were signed by Elektra records and soon caused controversy with their lyric ‘Kick out the jams motherfuckers’. Stores refused to stock their album and MC5 responded by taking out declamatory ad’s in the local papers and by sticking ‘fuck you’ stickers on the offending shop fronts, both of which bore the Elektra logo. MC5 were soon dropped from the label but the birth of punk and it’s attitude had begun.

Back in New York the emergence of The New York Dolls was causing a stir. With their penchant for cross dressing and wearing make up, they were transcending all preciously established boundaries.

A raunchier and punchier version of the Rolling Stones, they fast became the band to be seen and the show to be seen at.

Whilst negotiating a contract with Mercury records, they were sent to England to open for Rod Stewart and enthralled a crowd of over 13,000 people, sparking the ‘punk’ scene. A bidding war started among the labels but when drummer Billy Murcia died of a drug overdose whilst in England, the labels withdrew their offers for fear of being associated with the drug scene. The band eventually signed with Mercury records and the ‘negative’ publicity received due to Murcia’s death elevated them to cult status. >>

THE PUNK ROCK TIMELINE

Bands formed ‘64 - ‘91 1964 • Motor City Five (MC5) 1965 • Velvet Underground 1967 • The Stooges 1971 • New York Dolls • Suicide 1972 • Electric Eels • The Saints • The Strand (later became the Sex Pistols) 1973 • Television • Devo 1974 • Blondie • The Dictators • The Ramones • The Stranglers • Talking Heads • Radio Birdman • The 101ers Albums 1975 • The Adicts • The Boomtown Rats • The Heartbreakers • Dead Boys • The Sex Pistols • The Undertones

| December 2006 | page 42 |

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EVOLUTION

Meanwhile bands such as Suicide and The Dictators were gaining notoriety and popularity. The music they were creating was faster and harder than anything previous heard and bands were being formed on a regular basis, drawing heavily on the influence of the new musical sound as well as the spoken word of poets such as Patti Smith. The Dictators would influence John Holstrom and Legs McNeil to start the fabled ‘Punk’ magazine whose legendary ‘Watch out punk is coming’ flyers and posters generated a frenzy of interest in the scene.

CBGB’s In December 1973 CBGB’s opened in New York with owner Hilly Krystal emphatically enforcing an ‘original music’ policy. The first band to gain residency was Television, consisting of Richard Hell and Tom Verlaine. With their torn tshirts and leather jackets a new look was born. Many a patron of CBGB’s would go on to create their own band, adopting the sound and look of Television.

1974 saw the birth of the Ramones, often cited as the first true original punk band.

Their debut show did not impress many | page 43 | December 2006 |

but in August of that year they made their CBGB’s debut and were kept on a retainer.

They attracted interest as their songs were a mere one and half minutes long due to the speed at which they were played. In 1976 the Ramones went to London and played at the Camden Roundhouse, cementing the punk interest that was growing in the UK. The Ramones would return to America never to obtain the same level of hero worship that they achieved in the UK. During ‘76 the punk scene blossomed in London, churning out bands such as The Damned, The Clash and the Sex Pistols.

Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood’s shop, Sex, on the Kings Road is credited with shaping the look of the punk scene in the 70’s, a look which McLaren brought back to England after visiting New York a few years earlier. The scene rapidly took off with virtually everyone involved starting a band. Punk was a secular entity confined to inner London until the infamous appearance of the Sex Pistols on the Today show in December 1976. Two ‘shits’ and a ‘fuck’ convinced the nation that punk was a genre to be reviled and vilified and the scheduled ‘Anarchy’ tour involving The Clash, The Damned, The Sex Pistols and Johnny and the Heartbreakers found their multi-date tour cut down to just eight dates with many townsfolk forcibly refusing entry to the bands. The Sex Pistols had become the enemy of the country overnight and found it increasingly difficult to play shows. After eighteen months together they would eventually break up whilst on tour in America. >>

1976 • The Adverts • The art attacks • The Buzzcocks • The Clash • The Cramps • The Damned • Eater • The Flowers of Romance • Generation X • The Jam • London • Sham 69 • Siouxsie and the Banshees • The Slits • Subway Sect • UK Subs • The Vibrators • Wire • X-Ray Spex 1977 • The Misfits • Alternative TV • Angelic Upstarts • Big in Japan •Black Flag • Crass • Desperate Bicycles • The Fall •The Germs • Ebba Grön • Nina Hagen Band • The Nipple Erectors • The Members • Rezillos • The Skids • Stiff Little Fingers • Warsaw (later to become Joy Division) 1978 • The Angry Samoans • The B-52’s • Bad Brains • Dead Kennedys • Descendents • D.O.A. • Fatal Microbes

• Hüsker Dü • Optics • Peter and the Test Tube Babies • The Plasmatics • Public Image Ltd (PiL) • Vice Squad 1979 • Cockney Rejects • MDC • The Big Boys • The Rebels • The Replacements • The Teen Idles • TSOL • Social Distortion 1980 • The Adolescents • Bad Religion • Circle Jerks • Ism • Minutemen • 7 Seconds • Terveet Kädet • Minor Threat 1981 • JFA • Crimpshrine (under previous name, “S.A.G.”) 1982 • Agnostic Front • Crucifucks • D.I. • Suicidal Tendencies • The Vandals • Proud 1983 • Samhain • Dead Milkmen 1984 • Lunchmeat • NOFX • Sick of it All • The Offspring | December 2006 | page 44 |

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EVOLUTION

By the end of the 70’s the original concept of punk was on the wane. The fashion of punk, especially in the UK, had become regimented by way of mohawks and piercings and individuality, the basis of punk, was fast disappearing. Bands were changing their musical styling to fit in with the changes in the scene, punk was evolving into new wave and the punk fans were not happy. Punk was being forced underground by the resurgence of popular music and as a result became more aggressive and faster than ever, giving birth to the hardcore movement. Bands such as Agnostic Front, Black Flag and Dead Kennedys emerged in America with GBH and The Exploited gaining popularity in the UK. Punk was becoming puritanical and secular with fans becoming increasingly territorial of ‘their music’ and anger at the bands of the 70’s who had ‘sold out’ abounded, a trait that continues to this day.

revolved around these two genre’s with the music industry’s indifference to punk keeping the scene underground. Modern day bands such as Bad Religion, NOFX, Green Day, and The Offspring began in the ‘80’s but it wasn’t until the early ‘90’s that they would find commercial fame and notoriety. It is thought that the sudden popularity of Nirvana in ‘94, with their controversial lyrics and non-commercial music, paved the way for punk to

From the hardcore scene grew a counter culture that would become known as ‘straightedge’, featuring bands such as Minor Threat and later, Fugazi. With their ‘no drinking, no smoking and no fucking’ motto they garnered a devout group of followers.

Much of the 80’s punk scene | page 45 | December 2006 |

Green Day

make a reappearance in the commercial music arena.

1994 saw The Offspring explode onto the music scene with their platinum selling album ‘Smash’ catapulting not only previously unknown independent punk label Epitaph onto the map but also opening the doors for other punk bands to become popular, coining the term ‘pop-punk’. Following in their footsteps were Green Day and to a lesser extent NOFX. Punk was once again on the rise although this time it was infinitely more commercial, sparking hardcore punk fans to be dismissive of this sub-genre and splitting the punk genre into it’s many sub-sections, which is where it remains today. Punk has been sectioned into old school, new school, hardcore, straightedge, pop-punk, emo punk and ska and so on. Punk fans are very much divided between the different sub-sections and indifferent to those that are not considered ‘punk’ enough.

As long as bands and individuals keep the spirit of punk alive, it will continue to evolve. The roads of this evolution may take punk further from it’s original roots but punk will always remain a deeply personal thing. Punk means so many things to so many people but there is a very common thread - it is about doing it your way and not letting somebody else tell you what do to or how to do it. Be yourself. > Want to add something to the ‘Evolution’? Why not drop as a message and share your thoughts with us. evolution@distortedmagazine.com

1984 continued...

• The Unknowns • Vennaskond 1986 • Felis Ultramarinus • Propagandhi • Soulside 1987 • Big Drill Car • Bouncing Souls • Fugazi • No Use for a Name • Public Nuisance • Rollins Band • Screeching Weasel • Operation Ivy 1988 • Anti-Flag • Sweet Children (later to become Green Day) • Jawbreaker • Pennywise • Public Nusiance • Samiam • Sublime • The Un Concern 1989 • Green Day 1990 • Ash • The Casualties • Bikini Kill • Lagwagon 1991 • AFI (A Fire Inside) • Glue Gun (as Glü Gun) • Rancid • Unwritten Law Disclaimer: Be no means is this list 100% accurate. So don’t be sending us hate mail about it.

| December 2006 | page 46 |

Up front The Photo Gallery

Bouncing Souls © Murphy/Epitaph | page 47 | December 2006 |

SEX PISTOL

E S EXPERENC k n ru D © TIm

HORRORPOPS Š PhotoBret | December 2006 | page 48 |