The new video follows a somewhat tragicomic musician whose relationship is on the rocks. In addition to the band members, actress Suvi Kosela also appears in the video.
‘Motorhome’ is one of the tracks from Plastic Tears’ upcoming EP ‘Old Treasures & Lost Pleasures’, which aims to showcase both new and older material performed by the band’s renewed lineup.
Hook up with Plastic Tears: Here
It’s been quite the run for the Hip Priests what with their final live shows on the back of their final vinyl record being the ten-inch EP Swan song. Still, it doesn’t end there my friends because frontman Nathan Von Cruz has only gone and put pen to paper and taken notes of the final run as a Hip Priest and documented it all in this easy-to-read and thoroughly enjoyable book made of paper. However, I’d happily buy the audiobook on cassette for the crack where Nathan says it as it is in hushed tones.
I will say right here right now it’s a light book nothing too heavy or out of control and Nathan doesn’t really tell tales nor divulge tour secrets and While it is a tour journal he does stick to the time-honoured premise of what goes on tour stays on tour apart from having beer belly and the perils of only taking one pair of strides for a whole tour (schoolboy error by anyone standards).
It’s an easy reader but in a good way Nathan’s style is personable and uncluttered – you get the picture of touring in a van with a few other hairy dudes but it doesn’t gloss over what can effectively be chaotic and whirlwind time. Now the Hip Priests aren’t immune from tour mishaps like hospital visits and such like but this final shindig across Europe paints a fair picture of the frustrations of being a DIY band and how narrow the margins are and the fact they made it to the end without killing one another is a testament to the people you read about in the book. They were on the right side of history that’s a fact and there might be obvious reasons why they couldn’t break through the glass ceiling of rock n roll and move to bigger better more lucrative companies but that’s for directing another day This is about rejoicing in the good times and the fact that half a dozen music enthusiasts kicked ass on stage and in the studio for almost two decades should be regaled and rejoiced and most importantly because they did it their way which might also be part of the reason it had to be the way it gets described in the book.
It’s not war and peace nor is it ‘Get in the Van’ or ‘Sin After Sin’ from Alvin Gibbs but it is a different beast altogether and the modest Von Cruz should be enthused by the fall out of his written work because I certainly enjoyed it immensely even with my single criticism that there aren’t any accompanying photographs to go with this book so casual readers could put faces to the names. That aside it’s only a minor gripe what is important is the fact he got to document the final tours of such a great band.
‘Haus Blues’ is an insight into the scattergun mind of a rock n roll frontman and his weird and wonderful world as two very different worlds collide that of the rock n roll one and the other of the family man who has chores and everyday things to do like you and I. If you ever wondered what his favourite films were or his top 20 albums then Haus is where you’ll be enlightened. Again it is an easy read nothing too heavy apart from some of the content but it dovetails with some of the flip side book ‘Road Kill Blues’. Nathan is good at this and I feel that the purpose of a journal/diary book is to engage with the reader and he certainly does that.
In conclusion, I’d suggest if you are a fan of his beat combo or music writing in general this is a no-brainer and if you’ve never heard of his band and want a general insight then this is perfect. Top marks Von Cruz your book/books were a thoroughly good read now get to work on a follow up and whatever you do next I wish you every success. Buy It
Author: Dom Daley
No not the seasonal cheer quite yet but those German Hardcore punk noisemakers, that Christmas. They have a new album out the first week in December and We recently had Max on the phone to talk briefly about the new LP and his band.
‘FEAR OF ROMANCE’ CHRISTMAS, once again, show off all the different facets of their self-created ‘Satanic Rock’ sound. The album is like a nihilistic Schwarzenegger movie: bursting with speed, action, power and humiliation. The protagonist is always the one who laughs last! ‘FEAR OF ROMANCE’ will be released on December 16th as an LP/MC. The album was recorded between February and April 2024 at “Tonstudio 45”. Production, recording, mixing and mastering was done by Michel Wern.
On The Podcast we talk about the new album and the band’s history. Hit the link and give it a play and if you’d be so kind why not share, like and follow the podcast and help us grow.
You can Pre-order the new album Here
REBELLION FESTIVAL 2025 SET TO RETURN 7th – 10th OF AUGUST
AT THE WINTER GARDENS IN BLACKPOOL
PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED CONFIRMED FOR HEADLINE SLOT ON SATURDAY AUGUST 9TH
THE POST PUNK LEGENDS RETURN TO THE FESTIVAL FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2018
MORE INFO AND TICKETS AT REBELLIONFESTIVALS.COM
Rebellion Festival are excited to announce that post punk icons Public Image Limited will return to the event at its annual home at the Blackpool Winter Gardens in 2025. Having previously played the festival in 2012 and 2018, PiL are confirmed to headline on Saturday August 9th as part of their ‘This Is Not The Last Tour’ tour.
Led by former Sex Pistols frontman and punk originator John Lydon, PiL’s tour dates for 2025 come after Lydon thought the band might not tour again. His lifelong friend and manager, John Rambo Stevens passed away suddenly following the last PiL tour, in December 2023, soon after the death of Lydon’s wife, Nora, in April 2023. Lydon thought that might be the end of his touring days. However, he was overwhelmed by the love and support of fans when he undertook a spoken word tour of the UK in spring this year.
Lydon said: “I thought that might be it. After losing Nora, and Rambo, I couldn’t see a way through. I’d already committed to the spoken word tour, this spring, and I never let anyone down – I always stick to my word – so I had to do those dates.
“The thing is, people were so overwhelmingly positive, and they asked me to tour PiL again. With so many people asking and with the band meaning so much to them, I couldn’t just stay on my sofa and not tour – tempting though that obviously is.”
PiL are sure to treat Rebellion Festival to yet another captivating set from their vast back catalogue of classics and join an already stellar line up of punk and alternative icons and rising new talent at the fabled punk festival, set to return to the Blackpool Winter Gardens, August 7th – 10th 2025.
Bands and artists already confirmed include Peter Hook & The Light, Hugh Cornwell, The Selecter, Bad Manners, Ferocious Dog, Neville Staple From The Specials, HR from Bad Brains, Anti Nowhere League, DOA, Los Fastidios, Crux, Buster Shuffle, Down By Law, The Undertones, MDC, UK Subs, Snuff, The Exploited, Riskee & The Ridicule, Voodoo Glow Skulls, 999, Millencolin, Pegboy, Toxic Reasons and many more.
Rebellion Festival 2025 is already hotting up to be one not to miss!
Head to www.rebellionfestivals.com for more information and updates.
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Not my favourite venue in this thriving musically diverse city and tonight it looks to have been massively oversold to the point of it being quite uncomfortable and the fact the drunkest knob always manages to stand in my personal space but its been five years since I last saw Amyl And The Sniffers that time was in a pub just up the road where about 100 people witnessed a band on the rise, destined for great things with an infectious way about them that was both innocent and ruthless and to be fair they had the chops then and a pocketful of tunes in Amys Daisy dukes. Fast forward five years and a couple of albums as well as about a bazillion live shows Amyl And The Sniffers are well deserving of the fever pitch that greets them when the lights drop and they bounce on stage and being seventy minutes of no-nonsense punk rock that’s infectious and they now have even more worthy tunes to put out there.
‘Doing In Me Head’ opens the set and the pit which pretty much is the whole of the floor in the O2 goes ape shit. There is very little time for small talk and the band kicks straight into most of their excellent new album ‘Cartoon Darkness’ as well as some of their fine back catalogue. ‘Some Mutts’ is a killer tune and the band who are clearly in sync from all the live shows they’ve played since the pandemic. Amy Talor is a ball of energy not standing still for a second patrolling every inch of the stage and beaming with ‘pinch me’ childlike enthusiasm that says fuck you to the haters and join me for those on board. I get that they’re not for everyone but their force is undeniable and I did think to myself that they won’t be playing these sized venues next time it’ll be the arenas of the circuit no doubt about it and they’re putting in the graft to make that happen as well.
Songs like ‘Security’ and ‘Knifey’ (which was a welcome change of pace) sit really well in the set alongside the tracks off the new album which they pretty much play in its entirety which is a bold move for any band and as headliners they have to play longer than forty-five minutes or do they?
I love their attitude but it does overshadow the songs and in Declan, they have a guy who seems to be of the school of Malcolm Young where it’s about the song and not the player. In Bryce Wilson and Kevin Romer, they have a rock-solid rhythm section that is tight and is driving this juggernaut onward and upwards. Standout tracks for me from the new record were ‘Pigs’ and by the time they hit ‘U Should Not Be Doing That’ and ‘Jerkin’, they were on fire and had the crowd eating out of the palm of their hands. they briefly left the stage before being returning with an olden yet golden ‘GFY’ which was charming before signing off with an impressive ‘Big Attraction’ finale of ‘Balaclava Boogie’ and they were gone.
All in all an impressive night’s work from Australia’s hottest property who are heading right for the top and there isn’t anything that is going to stop them. It’s been a pleasure seeing them go from strength to strength and hope they don’t change or lose that attitude and joie de vivre that has brought them this far. Good on ya you crazy potty-mouthed kids.
Author: Dom Daley
If Spotify is good for anything, it’s that, just occasionally, the logarithm recommends an artist that you’ve never heard of but suits your tastes almost perfectly. Et voila, this is how I first heard of Fleur.
If you also love garage rock, 60s pop of the French variety, Françoise Hardy and the more recent likes of The Courettes and Fabienne Del Sol, you’re in for a treat.
With two albums of laid-back 60s-influenced pop under her belt, this time round Fleur has set free her inner ‘Yé-Yé’ girl and the results are magnificent. All ten songs were written by Mark ten Hoor, of The Kryng, who certainly has an ear for the genre. However, Fleur is more than “une poupée” (puppet/doll). She inhabits these songs, making them her own, along with her image. You have heard it before, but rarely done this well.
I’d already heard ‘Tu Es Un Être Parfait’, on repeat, which is the perfect introduction for the album as a whole. It’s irresistible. The title track has more of The Troggs about it, suitably savage and abrupt.
Don’t worry if you don’t understand a word, just immerse yourself in the tunes and your world will become immeasurably more groovy.
In fact, I was a little surprised to realise that Fleur hails from the Netherlands, so perfect is her approach to the French language and culture. ‘L’amour!’ is sultry in a way that evokes the wonderful Emanuela and The Hillbilly Moon Explosion, which will give you some idea of the standard being set.
‘T’as Tort’ could easily be a rare Françoise Hardy song from 1965, while ‘Ta Faute’ ups the tempo and the fuzz to get the place swinging. There really is nothing to fault, the playing and production are exactly what the songs need to make them shine. ‘Tu N’es Rien’ adds the Stooges one-finger piano motif.
‘Je T’en Prie’ harks back to her previous, mellower albums, but also sits naturally amongst the harder edged tunes. A dreamy number. ‘Nous Continuerons À Marcher Ensemble’ lets rip, and your hips should follow. Consult your doctor if this is not the case. I’m running out of superlatives. This album has been lovingly created, the quality never drops. As a francophone, I also love the way she pronounces the lyrics clearly, so that I can understand everything.
‘J’en Perds La Tête’ would please Jacques Dutronc, sans doute. Another one to swing your pants to.
And with ‘Je Sais Ce Que Tu Veux’, it’s over too soon. After one listen, I ordered the vinyl, a rare thing for me. Available on LP, CD and cassette via Harry Records/Soundflat, get on over to Fleur’s Bandcamp page. It’s nearly Christmas, et tu le mérites.
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Author: Martin Chamarette
![Dolium – ‘The Products Of Our Own Demands And Commands [4 CD Set]’ (Sister 9 Recordings)](https://rpmonline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/a2868002345_10-750x350.jpg)
To mark the 20th ANNIVERSARY of the label this year, SISTER 9 are proud to present a special LTD Edition 4 CD Set, which tells the story of Rhys Bloodjoy’s first band — lo-fi/post-punk/scuzz-rock label-founders, DOLIUM. Now take a deep breath and settle down comfortably because this is a mammoth journey in time with a whopping seventy-plus tracks on offer.
In their early days, Dolium caused quite a buzz on the UK underground music scene; first in 1999/2000 with their sonic assault on the city of Sheffield – and then some years later, when their 2004 DIY debut single (and the label’s first ever release under the name of Parlour 9) quickly caught the attention of BBC radio legend, John Peel.
The rest, as they say, is history…
To be fair this is a pretty epic collection and the style and production varies throughout the mammoth seventy plus tracks. from singles and BBC Sessions to unreleased albums worth of material the journey and discover is fascinating and rewarding. To have the band’s entire discography (all newly remastered by Rhys Bloodjoy in the S9 Studio), plus many unheard recordings, including their long-lost, unreleased third album, Brother Transistor is a real winner.
The story is presented in a striking full colour booklet, featuring art and photography, as well as extensive sleeve notes by the band and their management, plus one or two surprises! This is a real labour of love and a massive pat on the back for whoever did this painstaking research – excellent job.
To say they are a well kept secret is something of an understatement so I urge you to not let this pass you by. Get involved and jump on board there is something in here for everyone as the band had their own style but also touched upon many others in the process. The gothic undertones of the unreleased album also comes wrapped in a big glossy sheen that could have cut through and the Joy Division with a smile comparisons chime through as well on tracks like ‘VD On The Radio’ more in the vocal than the music.
The ‘Future In Hands’ is like a goth dark ‘My Sherona’ and I’m scratching my head as to how I’d never heard of them. Maybe I should expect the punk police to give me the five o’clock knock and reprimand me for not having my ear to the ground wide enough. I’m making up time for that now officer.
The early demos show how a band grew and were raging with creativity whilst they found their feet and niche. ‘Anaesthetic To Numb The Pain’ is a great study point. Theres a real charm to the demos compared to the studio suss of the album material. The underground crass like crossover of ‘Tattooed on it’.
Seventy six songs is some product and playing catch up is a well of musical depths that I’m more than happy to drop my bucket in. Join me and discover Dolium its pretty bloody good.
INFO: CD1: “Kisses Fractures” (2005 Debut Album) + Bonus Tracks & “Teenagers EP” (2006) | CD2: “Hellhounds On The Prowl” (2008 Second Album) + Bonus Tracks & “El Vampiro Attack! EP” (2008) | CD3: “Brother Transistor” (Unreleased Third Album) + Bonus Tracks | CD4: “66.6 Miles And The F-Machine” (Early 4-Track Demos) + Rarities (1998-2003)
*** NOTE: A FREE SECRET BONUS ALBUM (20 TRACKS!) featuring a selection of demos, out-takes, rehearsal room recordings, live tracks and other rarities not included in the Box Set will also be accessible from within the sleeve notes of every CD purchase!
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On November 15th The Silverlites proudly release their self-titled debut album on Sunyata Records distributed by Sony Music.
You might think so what who are these new kids on the block? Well, They might be a new band but wet behind the ears they most certainly are not. In the great traditions of a supergroup, This quartet includes Peter Buck (R.E.M.), Rich Robinson (The Black Crowes), Barrett Martin (Screaming Trees and Mad Season) and Joseph Arthur, a singer-songwriter who was first discovered by Peter Gabriel.
You’re gently eased into the world of Silverlites with ‘Still Don’t Know You’ which in a predominantly acoustic affair before the cool tones of an electric guitar fall in like rainfall on a misty evening. Sitting comfortably? ‘Forever And A Day’ has a dreamy Bowie-esk feel to it as it drifts in on a cool shuffle courtesy of Barrett Martin. Putting the supreme relaxed structure of the music as the interplay of the electric and acoustic guitars takes hold of the earworm that’s settling in nicely maybe its Arthurs vocals that are soothing and sounding like a hushed Scott Weiland to my ears.
The gentle laid back mood continues until the first single chimes in with a cool swagger, ‘Don’t Go Don’t Stay’ is the work of a band comfortable in their own skin who need to prove nothing and can therefore concentrate on making the best music they can together as a band. Excellent single and song that showcases their individual talents and their collective cool.
The Silverlites initial spark happened in 2015, when Barrett and Rich played together in the backing band for a tribute to Led Zeppelin guitarist, Jimmy Page. 4 years later, in 2019, Rich called Barrett to see if he was interested in assembling a new band that could create equally adventurous music. That’s when Barrett called Peter Buck, a long-time friend and collaborator, and Peter called Joseph Arthur, whom Peter had also worked with. The Silverlites debut album was recorded during the pandemic years between 2019-2021 in a series of recording stages.
It began with Barrett recording Rich and Peter in a hotel room in Nashville when they took out their acoustic guitars to write the initial songs. Barrett literally ran down to the local music store, bought a portable recording rig, set it up in the hotel room, and started recording these initial basic tracks. The following year, in 2020, the band recorded overdubs and vocal arrangements from the Nashville sessions, and they also recorded a few more new songs at Jack Endino’s studio in Seattle, WA. Barrett then collected, organized, and edited all the final overdubs and prepared 18 songs for mixing.
Final mixing happened in New York City in the summer of 2021 with Barrett, Joe, and mixing engineer Daniel Sanint. When it came time to sequence this huge initial offering, the band had differing opinions, so Barrett sent the mixes to his former bandmate, Mark Lanegan, singer of the Screaming Trees. Mark loved the songs so much that he offered to create the sequence you now hear, which includes the 12 song album, and a 6 song EP.
The album was delayed for release because of everyone’s incredibly busy touring schedules post-pandemic, but now the album is ready to be heard by everyone. The band has decided to release 2 singles in early October and early November, and then the full album will be released on November 15th, followed by the additional 6 song EP in March of 2025.
You can see why they broke the flow of the songs into the EP and the 12-track LP. It’s a lot of music to get through and the beauty of these supergroup projects is to create something that is outside of their wheelhouse I guess and that is certainly achieved here. There are times I’m thinking of Neil Young with the keys and acoustic combinations but the laid-back restrained percussive drums take it somewhere different, especially on the excellent ‘No Time’ and the countrified ‘Dark And Magic Skies’. The production is massive and adds a grande and confident feel to the songs and songs like ‘Looking For A Friend’ it’s easy to see how Mark Lanigan was so impressed and wanted to be involved in some capacity.
The penultimate track on the LP is ‘No More’ which is the loudest track on offer and a nice contrast to the more laid back acoustic stuff. This will have intrigue and appeal to fans of their day job bands for sure and some will love it whilst others not so much but isn’t that the beauty of creating music? Me, I find it really impressive and very enjoyable now where did I leave those Josticks and my paisley rug? Catch you later you crazy kids, peace out!
The CD will be released with six more songs on January 10th.
The third and final volume of the fascinating and exquisitely well-written life and times of Alvin Gibbs and what a trilogy it has been. With a Foreword by Gaye Black of The Adverts, it contains 37 Chapters, In excess of 130,000 words over 352 pages. It also has a comprehensive updated Alvin Gibbs discography and bibliography, furnished with photos and memorabilia from Alvin’s personal archive. Anyone who has read the previous two volumes will be well up to date with how this pans out and probably (like me) has read the book from cover to cover in as quick a turnaround as possible.
If you’re curious and new to this trilogy then keep with me you’re in for a fascinating journey told by the man himself in a thoroughly engaging and superbly written style. Alvin isn’t just one of the best bass players out there, nor a pretty decent songwriter to boot but he’s well educated and knows how to engage people with his fine use of the English language. I’d love to have the man’s style, swagger and Bass skills, Are you still with me? Good.
The downside to all of this is this is the third and final offering, (or so we’re told) maybe, who knows life is for living and Alvin is certainly doing that at a rate to put musicians more than half his age to shame. This story of Alvin Gibbs and (mostly) the UK Subs isn’t over by a long chalk they might have gone part-time or entered the period of retiring the band on the touring front but shit, they’re still one of the best punk rock bands out there treading the boards and releasing records.
I’m fascinated to read the passages about the social chaos tour of the USA and how Chas and Garratt do their own merch and don’t share with Gibbs and Gizz and how shambolic touring sometimes is and wonder how people like Gibbs puts himself through this time after time for the love of the music and it being a way of life. It’s often a shambolic process and the amount of times I found myself asking why go through it again just for the music. The subsequent tour of Europe and the occasional admission that Elton…sorry OG Chas is not a businessman or a very well-organised tour manager (who knew eh?).
The darker sad passage regaling the Marquee show with Roberts back in the fold is captivating and sad and such a shame. But I did chuckle at Alvin’s CBGB story about losing his rag with Wylie and finances raising their ugly head over a smallish amount of greenback. some people eh? Who needs enemies when your bandmates are happy to take money out of your pocket? I’m giggling thinking about Chas the backseat driver and picturing them almost having to thumb it to a show. Pure Spinal Tap stuff and a scenario you can see our Subs doing.
The Misfits stories are great and warming to read I also know of my own Jerry Only tales where he’s gone beyond for fans. Whilst the Subs merry go round of players makes me sad to read and I think attending Rebellion over the last decade or so and seeing how the more stable lineups and more professionally run act the band were Or at least appeared to be who would have known eh? However, how highly they are regarded is heartwarming and I would imagine a lot of that is down to Gibbs and his constant pursuit for the Subs to seem more professional and be taken seriously. It might be alarming to see the paltry amounts the band were paid for touring and if it weren’t for the love of the music they probably would be a mere footnote in the pantheon of punk rather than over the last two decades proving that they deserve to be remembered for being a great live band and also their last four albums particularly a top-notch recording band as well. Alvin’s flea clang made me laugh out loud but to be honest, Alvin was 100% right.
The passages about him obtaining his degree from OU is impressive and inspiring and so un-punk rock to the point of it being the most punk rock thing possible and something that will make the punk rock police’s heads collectively spin and explode.
I know the saying is what goes on tour stays on tour but we all must have wondered what it might be really like behind the scenes and nobody has done the job of telling tales out of school better than this trilogy of books. A life dedicated to the pursuits of Rock n Roll and getting to do that with some of the best and having three volumes of stories to tell is brilliant and the fact it’s so well written is a bonus. it’s like sitting in a pub and letting your mate Alvin tell his truth whilst you supply him with quality red wine. There have clearly been some huge highs as well as plenty of lows but life is for living and Alvin Gibbs has certainly done it and bought the T-shirt (probably off Charlie) as they say. What a fascinating read – Just in time for Christmas. Buy It!
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Well, the night finally arrived half hoping it was a twisted joke and a massive prank but alas it wasn’t to be and true to their word The Hip Priests were about to pull the plug on their Ten Legged Rock Machine and sign off with a doubleheader in London and Nottingham. A sold-out Black Heart was the venue hosting the slow death of garage punk rock as we’ve known it for the last eighteen years and thankfully it was a sell-out as the faithful gathered to witness was to be a bitter night as we said goodbye in style to shit Islands finest most uncompromising exponents of loud zero fucks given, bastards sons and torch bearers of Lemmy, Ron Ashton and the MC5s just louder snivelling limey misfits.
I can’t remember how many times I’ve seen them over the years and all the lineups I’ve witnessed from Garry in his vest with Lee Love and his pork pie hat to skintight Tim, Lee and Austin playing slugfest without Von Cruz to another Slugfest which might well have been Von Cruz first gig or near enough where they potentially were never to be seen again after joining Ketamine Jesus’ cult to the ill fated Rebellion booking then covid to tonight and the farewell to the believers and zero fucks given to the haters or those who chose to not invest time or effort in the music..those who know know and we are the ones better off for giving a shit about this travelling circus of outsiders who just so happened to play some fucking awesome Garage punk rock n roll loudly.
Anyway on with the show. First up tonight were the former Bitch Queens Mel and Harry now fronting the hybrid rock n tecno Eurotrash by the name of the New Saints who played an impressive hardcore set of intense digital beats n techno tweaks mixed with Mels less Paul and Harry on vocals. Now it’s early days and I’d not heard many songs yet but this was half of Bitch Queens who rocked like fuck so whilst getting acquainted with the new direction I’m sure there will be more RPM column inches dedicated to these cut-off-wearing reprobates. If you’re looking for a reference point maybe a distorted hybrid of classic Alice Cooper meets Depeche Mode playing Turbonegro on Creaming Jesus’ stereo in between some Leather nun offcuts (imagine that whilst tripping your tits off) you might be heading in the right direction ‘No Hope’ is a banger.
They were followed by long-time stage sharers who happen to have some new music in the off but didn’t bring any to flog (the lazy sods). Flash House play an uncompromising brand of Motorhead meets Zeke meets The Hip Priests meets a dozen other noisy motherfuckers with a hard-rockin’ Roy Wood on lead guitar and vocals which is fantastic if you get it and I do. As the place got busy and the temperature got higher their wall of noise got more intense and it was great to hear the band after several years off the scene in fact the last time I might have been in the same venue as them was the pipeline supporting The Hip Priests at Deathtime Assembly and they haven’t changed a bit and nor should they. The world needs more Flash House. ‘Three Wise Monkeys’ is still a fuckin brutal killer track any day of the week.
Thankfully I found the air con and didn’t feel like I was about to crash and burn and turn into a puddle of sweat just in time for Sweden’s Scumbag Millionaire to take the compact confines of The Black Heart stage. The audience squeezed closer as the Swedes turned in a really impressive hard rockin’ piano tonkin set of killer high voltage rock n roll. I even took some real cash money (remember that?) to pick up some wax goodies from the merch booth but alas they also forgot to put copies of their records in with their y fronts n snakeskin boots ho hum it’s import taxes and high postage then because they’ve released some killer records over the years and this was a first time tonight for me and popping my Scumbag virginity was a sweet thing and they were every bit as impressive as I’d hoped they’d be.
With a sweaty packed out room they hammered out the keys and rocked like a beast and I only hope it’s not the last time I get to see them hit these shores. With a catalogue almost as impressive as tonight’s headliners There was so much to choose from and their set flew by as the band played faster and harder knowing that time was of the essence but if you’re going to have top-notch support bands then this line-up tonight was truly spectacular and very much appreciated and the audience was totally into Swedens finest. So until next time that’ll do very nicely it was like going back to when ‘Supershitty’ and ‘Total 13′ were forces to be reckoned with and the added keyboards were excellent. A top headline rockin’ band is Scumbag Millionaire you should check them out!
Right the time has come and some are emotional and some are playing it down but everyone will admit to being a little excited as to how this is going to unfold and how this machine will be terminated and the life support switched off. As I mentioned in my introduction I’ve been fortunate enough to have witnessed the band quite early in their journey and through many changes, especially the spinal tap like drummer situation and the amount of time we thought this is it the ladder has been dropped and the ascension to fame and fortune is around the next bend, as the fairly decent people of shit island catch up but alas, its all taken its toll and the latest EP, ‘We Become Nothing’ pressed on 10″ wax is to be the final nail in a bulging coffin of zero fuck given.
I wasn’t really bothered what tonight’s set consisted of or if any former members would get up n play I just wanted to have a good time and see the band kick ass and go out on top form still giving zero fucks but leaving a good-looking corpse. From the early songs dished out from ‘The Best Revenge’ through ‘Sha Na Nihilist’ followed by a breakneck version of ‘Gang Of One’ they weren’t messing about and tonight was already shaping up to be something special.
It was ironic that Von Cruz had trouble with the mic for ‘Zero Fucks Given’ but it didn’t matter at all it sounded great and the Spasm Gang were in fine voice anyway. I have to admit by the time they broke into ‘No Time’ they seemed to step it up a gear and this was one of those special moments you get from time to time and the full ten-minute marathon was more like a sprint with the minutes flying by and another memorable moment watching the Hip Priest was just locked in. Truly spectacular I’m glad I spent three figures on train fares and an overnight stay in a shitty over priced London Hotel I wouldn’t want to miss this for anything.
By the time we reached ‘Young Savage’ and Austin and Lee had said their goodbyes it did get a little emotional and there was still time to take it back and give it one last shot I know a room in Camden where the entire audience would be delighted with that choice.
We were done the band shuffled off the compact stage only to return and knock out ‘Sonic Reproducer’ and finally they went nuclear one last time for me on ‘Juiced’ and that was it Ronnie Spector filled the PA with her and Joey Ramones cover of ‘Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory’ and it was done we filed out of the sweaty upstairs room one last time and all disappeared into the smokey Camden Night air knowing we’d seen shit Islands mother fucker superiors one last time. They came they saw and they fuckin delivered time after time. It’s been emotional gentlemen now all please fuck off and make more music with other people and never ever darken our venues again with The Black Denim Blitz.
Eighteen years is a fuckin life sentence, there have been Spasm Gang members who didn’t make it and they were remembered with some fitting words, this little gang grew into a much larger gang it wasn’t of one but many but we were all united by one, one great underappreciated, noisy, fast, obnoxious, uncompromising, DIY, punk rock band Rest In Peace You Hip Priests – you beautiful bastards. Long Live The Mother fuckin’ Hip Priests! It was emotional and we shared some great times that can never be taken away but we still have the music. Play it loud and play it often brothers and sisters we were the lucky ones just remember that.
Author: Spasm Gang Member #3 signing out.
Some Pics courtesy of King Thomas Spasm Gang #100
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