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The Tony Slug Experience – ‘Self Titled’ (Suburban Records/Wap Shoo Wap/Alternative Tentacles)

The Tony Slug Experience – ‘Self Titled’ (Suburban Records/Wap Shoo Wap/Alternative Tentacles)

Posthumously released records tend to be hit or miss affairs, especially when they are put out by a major label looking to cash in on some unfortunate musicians untimely passing. Thankfully with ‘The Tony Slug Experience’ what we have is a record very much in the “hit” camp, not only because it features a dozen new tracks assembled by Slug himself but also because he’s dragged in a plethora of his showbiz mates to help hammer home his message and blow me if it isn’t one of the best things the man has ever been a part of too.

This isn’t some fleeting comment you should take lightly either, especially when you consider that during his time on planet Earth, Slug had been a part of such bands as The Nitwitz, B.G.K, Loveslug and (the band with whom I first encountered his mighty bass thump) The Hyrdomatics.

Having started out in punk rock all the way back in 1978 delivering fast and furious missives with the first two of those bands Slug immediately got to share European stages playing on bills with bands like the Dead Kennedys, whilst a decade on and long before grunge was a household term, as part of Loveslug, he got to work in the US with the likes of Jack Endino helping forge a hybrid punk/garage rock sound and quite probably turning a few plaid shirt wearers’ heads in the process. Then at the tail end of the 90s Slug got to record with both Scott Morgan and Nicke Andersson in The Hydromatics, starting with the awesome ‘Parts Unknown’ record before more recently picking up with both The Spades and Cheetah Chrome and The Knobs.

The reason for this potted history lesson is to fully understand the true spirit of what The Tony Slug Experience is all about. Recorded across a 2-year period during various sessions in both Europe and the US. The biggest chunk being recorded in Tony’s hometown Amsterdam with producer/musician Steven van der Werff, this album assembles 30 of Slug’s other musician friends, including Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys), Jennifer Finch (L7), Nicke Andersson (Hellacopters), Jerry A. (Poison Idea) and Happy Tom (Turbonegro), to produce one of the most exciting swan song records of all time.

Blasting out the speakers with ‘Road Goat’ this is where the Slug story comes full circle with lead vocals provided by Jello Biafra (his first of two songs here). This song must surely have taken Slug all the way back to those early B.G.K days, whilst ‘If I Make The Gates’ which immediately follows (and featuring Nicke Andersson) is much more like the latter day garage punk music Slug would go on to be involved with. It’s Jeven De Groot (guitarist/singer with space rock outfit Temple Fang) who really shines on this tune though as he does on ‘Wreckerball’ a song that sounds like it’s just fallen out of The Hip Priests’ extensive back catalogue and is truly a world away from the singer’s day job. Exhilarating stuff indeed!

Elsewhere, Jerry A steps up to the microphone for a riotous ‘I’ll Never Forget’ and Jennifer Finch slips into ‘Someone to Blame’ with the utmost ease. The latter is a song that reminds me of US glam punks (and Dom Daley Rebellion faves) Glitter Trash which is kind of ironic as their ex-guitarist Paul Grace Smith (who also played with Slug in a host of bands) features on ‘Spy Satellite’ which immediately follows. Plus let’s not forget ‘Smile’ featuring Greta Brinkman on vocals that gives the record a full tilt rock n soul vibe at the midway point, she returns for the equally excellent ‘Dumb Things’ later too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6d89eOapI

You know, with so many different musicians and styles involved ‘The Tony Slug Experience’ could really have ended up sounding like a patchwork quilt of tunes, but it’s true strength is that it doesn’t, it plays out as one set of interconnected songs, and that’s because Slug is at the heart of them all. Slug Rock to the very end!

Set for release on May 5th 2024 ‘The Tony Slug Experience’ will be released via Suburban Records and Wap Shoo Wap in Europe and via Alternative Tentacles in the US, the vinyl coming in a gatefold sleeve with a foreword by Turbonegro’s Happy Tom, accompanied by a fanzine-sized biography.

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Author: Johnny Hayward

Steve Conte – ‘The Concrete Jangle’ (Wicked Cool Records)

Steve Conte – ‘The Concrete Jangle’ (Wicked Cool Records)

Now Steve Conte really caught my attention when he was drafted in to play guitar alongside Sylvain Sylvain in the Dolls and following that the solo career he was forging was all killer and no filler and even when he played in Michael Monroe band and wrote songs for someone as talented as Monroe to sing he couldn’t put a foot wrong it would seem. ‘Bronx Cheer’ was his last offering and to be fair I loved it I thought he had written some of his best material on that album and his vocals seemed to have been elevated to the next level as well. Fast forward a couple of years and after much social media jibber jabber about writing new material for another solo album I thought Conte can’t possibly top the last album but after running through this album for a couple of months I truly believe he’s mixed up his Rock album formula with a new found new wave pop seam and mined it to the maximum and taking a side step into some new territory works well and drafting in someone he really admires and holds in high regards a certain Andy Partridge from XTC is both interesting and unexpected but ultimately a fine move from the evidence of the co written tunes that make up the opening side of this album.

Clever clogs album title aside this might well prove to be Conte’s finest work to date which is no small feat for someone who has quite an impressive output over the last decade or so. Ian Hunter, Danko Jones, Steve Lillywhite, Nasty Suicide and Glen Matlock raise an eyebrow alongside several other impressive talents on show. The Melodies are constant and at every turn and the pop songs wear many outfits from bluesy rockers or more punky-edged songs Conte has covered all bases yet made a cohesive and truly wonderful album.

Ultimately Conte has evolved his repertoire and moved in another direction and quite possibly turned in his finest album thus far in an ever-impressive collection of mightily fine albums. Don’t just take my word for it check it out for yourself and immerse yourself in a fantastic album brimming with glorious songs where he goes from here, who knows, at this point, the world is his oyster and I’m happy to spend the next couple of years marvelling at ‘The Concrete Jangle’ my only complaint is it could have gone on and on, no should have gone on and on. Buy IT!

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Author: Dom Daley

Haust – ‘Negative Music’ (Fysisk Format)

Haust – ‘Negative Music’ (Fysisk Format)

Norway’s finest have concocted another pure sonic assault, getting back to their roots musically while also looking forward and developing new aspects to their sound. 

New album Negative Music has the ear splitting extreme metal tones you would expect but with a raw underlying punk rock energy and ethos. Thudding bass lines akin to west coast hardcore but with shrieking and tortured vocals reminiscent of 80s Deathrock while also sharing the band’s issues and social concerns relating to their upbringing and the musical scenes they have navigated. 

Unrelenting and with absolutely no compromise, the black metal meets punk sound helps lend to a fresher more analogue sound to the record, getting away from the synthetic heavy metal pitfalls and tropes that can plague the genre but still remaining brutal. 

Particular stand out tracks are ‘dead ringer’ and ‘the burning’, a throbbing assault to the senses with the potential to upset any next door neighbours. 

In an industry and subculture that trades on shock value and over the top rorschach logo typography, Haust are refreshing due to their stripped down approach with their image, artwork and their level headed approach to interviews and promotion and as a result they’re a hell of a lot more approachable in their “scene”.

Author: Dan Kasm

HAUST:
Facebook: https://www. facebook.com/haustmusic
Instagram: https://www. instagram.com/haustmusic
Bandcamp: https://haustno.bandcamp.com

Fysisk Format:
Web: http://www.fysiskformat. no
Facebook: https://www. facebook.com/fysiskformat

Ian Hunter – ‘Defiance’ Part Two ‘Fiction’ (Sun Records)

Ian Hunter – ‘Defiance’ Part Two ‘Fiction’ (Sun Records)

The second part of Defiance is here for RSD 2024 and sees a vibrant Hunter rolling away the years as he assembles an impressive array of superstar friends to help narrate and navigate their way through this ambitious project, and boy does he hit the bullseye yet again. Take the vibrant opener ‘People’ performed by members of Cheap Trick as they rock n roll their way through some choppy guitar riffs for an excellent opener. Hunter certainly doesn’t sound his age as he belts out this worthy opener.

Sure I get the need to sit back and on the countrified balladeering of ‘The 3rd Rail’ that features the deft twang of Jeff Beck on a song that seems perfectly fitting for a tribute to a unique talent that is no longer with us. Hunters’ hushed tones are perfect as his well-worn yet warm vocal delivers. It must be awesome for people like the Def Lep Boys to feature on tracks on a record by someone they call a friend but also a main inspiration for what it is they do for a job. ‘This Ain’t Rock n Roll’ has shades of Once Bitten in the twelve-bar dalliance and Phil Collen sounds like he enjoyed adding his guitar part.

Whilst the subject of passed musicians this record also has a performance from Taylor Hawkins on ‘Precious’ that features Brian May and Joe Elliott which is some big boys clanging right there. ‘Kettle Of Fish’ also features a hefty thump courtesy of Hawkins but it also has the cool groove from Hunter as he hushes his way through the verses ably supported again by some Cheap Trickers. I do love the laid-back coolness of ‘Weed’ and Hunter’s storytelling vocals that sound like the smoothest single malt 20-a-day delivery that sounds great sitting on top of some cool slide playing.

Benmont Tench lends his wonderful keys on ‘What Would I Do Without You’ which sees Hunter duet with the velvet tones of Lucinda Williams but the penultimate track has Keith Richards rockin partner Waddy Wachtel throwing shapes alongside Tench effortlessly throwing out a record highlight on ‘Everybody’s Crazy But Me’ that also has Hawkins tub-thumping in fine fashion.

The record is brought to a close with the beautiful ‘Hope’ which could be described as the quintessential Ian Hunter ballad with great lyrics that fittingly closes off a fine record. If you’ve ever liked Hunter be it solo or with Mott then there will be plenty in here to please you and give you a warm glow as you turn up the speakers and pour a nice big glass of vino to while away the hours. There is also a RSD edition with three bonus cuts that feature some Black Crowes and a few Pearl Jammers to pique your interest in getting the complete edition. Defiant and oozing class, keep on rocking Mr Hunter and it’s great to hear that this project has enthused him to write Part Three – Buy it!

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It’s A Revolution – Podcast 24

It’s A Revolution – Podcast 24

Episode 24 of the RPM Online Podcast is out in the wild and features plenty of Rock n roll old and new borrowed and blue to tide you over. The show begins with a track off the brand new Steve Conte album that’s released this Saturday on Wicked Cool Records entitled ‘The Concrete Jangle’. A great uptempo track from Steve. Following that up with a track off the forthcoming UK Subs album ‘The Last Will And Testament’ that is coming with a DVD of the show as well as audio.

It doesn’t stop there with new tracks as we play a RSD track by Keith Richards taken from the Tribute to Lou Reid album entitled ‘Power Of The Heart’ we also play Joan Jett’s contribution to that album later in the show.

Does anyone remember the blonde bombshells that were Birminghams Birdland from back in the late 80s? We ramp up the volume with ‘Hollow Heart’ before playing the new single from Killer Kin with the new single due out next week on Wap shoo Wap Records.

Carol Hodge also has a brand new single out entitled ‘Manoeuvres’ which we play and it’s quite the departure I’m sure you’ll agree and see Carol edge towards a harder guitar-based sound. Shes out on tour in a few months so check out the dates.

Next up we preview a track of the soon-to-be-released NOFX EP ‘Half Album’ five tracks due out this coming weekend.

There is a band from Liverpool called Yobs who have a record coming out of Fuzz Club, its self titled and coming out on May 3rd so we play the lead single ‘Head The Ball’ for all you noisy punks out there.

Hotshot takes to the decks for a hattrick of tunes from his favourite artists as he plays a classic Georgia Satellites track ‘Sheila’ before delving into the Lone Justice catalogue for ‘East OF Eden’ before closing off the handsome threesome with a classic Social Distortion track ‘When The Angels Sing’.

The Nomads are a band we love at RPMOnline HQ and their last studio album ‘Solna’ has just had a makeover courtesy of Bang Records so what better time to play ‘Hangmans Walk’ from the highly-rated album. it’s due for release in October but the CD is available now. the deluxe edition is expanded.

We also play a new track from Tommy Ray’s forthcoming album and a short blast of pure power pop-punk rock is the order of the day and a fine track on the playlist this week. Excited to hear what he delivers when the album drops.

L7 and Dispatch From MAr-A – Lago is up next from the I Came Back To Bitch EP and Hotshot got all excited to play an L7 track. the penultimate song this week is Michael Monroe and a Japanese bonus track from the ‘Sensory Overdrive’ album it was one of the 4 tracks added to the record when Svart did a re-release a short while back. check it out. We finish off this week’s Podcast with a new track from a band outta Texas called Generation Exit and their track ‘Let’s Go’. Like- Subscribe – Follow it makes us happy and keeps Hotshot off the streets.

The Meteors – ’40 Days A Rotting’ (Mutant Rock Records)

The Meteors – ’40 Days A Rotting’ (Mutant Rock Records)

THE METEORS were formed way back in 1980 post punk explosion and pre UK 82 to be more precise. They’ve released about a million albums both studio, live and compilation albums since then and its quite an achievement that in 2024 they are still enthusiastic and motivated to keep writing and recording original music and to be fair making music as good if not better than they were doing back in the 80s. To be fair doing this Rock N Roll lark for that many years they should be half decent by now.

Preferring their songs to contain topics about vampires, graveyards and radioactive kids, P. Paul Fenech, still the bands leader and six-string slinger and songwriter has vocals that are distinctively gravel chewing, whisky and cigarette-induced rasp and perfect for this style of Rock n stomp.

With fourteen tracks being wedged onto this latest offering it’s uncompromising and sounds like The MEteors doing it their own way as you’d expect. The surf Rock guitar and minimal tub thumping drumming and subdued salamander stick slapping of that stand-up Bass. They might have paved the way and inspired a whole scene along with a couple of other stalwarts of the scene but they do carve their own path through the scene. ‘The Swampy ‘Blood Moon’ has some sweet guitar licks and very rhythmic drumming taking centre stage.

The title track has a wandering almost folk rhythm going on through its heart with a great arrangement and use of instruments, excellent stuff. Fourteen songs is a lot to get through but there is quite a bit of variety on the theme and whilst its not variety for the sake of it songs like ‘Murder Party’, dare I say it there is a more mature feel to these songs or it might be the more restrained production but you wouldn’t say that on the lyrics which constantly made me chuckle. If you’re looking for a high point then look no further than ‘The Rage’, and ‘The Devil Take Me Highway’ truly majestic slices of the genre, no question about it.

There are the obvious rockabilly, country, surf and rock’n’roll aesthetics. A sound woven by Paul Fenech’s rockin’ guitar and bile-spitting Beelzebub-rousing lyrics. ‘40 Days a Rotting’ proves once again that form is temporary and class is permanent and The Meteors are indeed class. Buy It!

Pre-Order here 

Author: Dom Daley

Aerial Salad – ‘R.O.I.’ (Venn Records)

Aerial Salad – ‘R.O.I.’ (Venn Records)

When Manchester trio Aerial Salad set the date of late March 2020 for the release of their awesome ‘Dirt Mall’ album who could ever have predicted that their fierce barrage of spikey adolescent punk pop was about to run headlong into a metaphorical career brick wall known as a global pandemic. That record really should have seen the Salad boys (Jamie Munro on vocals and guitar, Mike ‘Wimbo’ Wimbleton on vocals and bass and Jake Marshall on drums) leapfrogging all comers on the global scene but as with anyone with musician as their job description back then they were largely forgotten overnight.

How any band reacts to such outside forces is always going to make or break them, and in the case of Aerial Salad having to seemingly “start over again” (for want of a better phrase) only seems to have further galvanised them as a musical tour de force. With time on their hands to further refine and define their songwriting formula, the band’s follow up record ‘R.O.I.’ is indeed a mighty fine return on investment for all the blood, sweat and tears shed in the intervening years.

Released on April 12th 2024 via Venn Records (the label run by Lags from Gallows and home to the likes of Bob Vylan, Clobber and Meryl Streek) ‘R.O.I.’ sees the post punk influences of the band’s early ‘Roach’ era tunes crashing headlong into the Seattle guitar rawk of ‘Dirt Mall’ whilst adding a whole new twist to the Aerial Salad sound, something the lads have been quick to dub Madchester Punk.

A quick listen to recent single ‘Tied To Pieces Of Paper’ will give you near perfect sounbite of the band’s angsty take on life in 2024, as it’s sounds not unlike Mark E Smith fronting The Jam before they are joined by Nirvana for the tune’s chorus crescendo, and it’s all over in 2 minutes and 40 seconds.  BOSH! ‘ave it!

The anger has certainly been dialled up on ‘R.O.I.’ and straight from the off with opener ‘Rottin’ n Shakin’ you can almost taste the frustration in Jamie’s vocal delivery thanks to a fantastically tight production from Dean Glover (who has also worked with The Membranes) as tunes like ‘MDRN LVN’, ‘As The World Eats Itself’ and ‘They All Lied To Me’ perfectly illustrate what it must be like to be young growing up in this post-Brexit disunited kingdom we call home. 

With a mission statement to appeal to everyone and anyone, from rave heads to indie kids, poets to rockers, you just need to give the album’s first single ‘Big Business’ a listen to fully understand how they are going to achieve this, and this tune is not alone in its genre-blending potential as tracks like ‘Do You Like Flowers Son’, ‘Same 24 Hours (As Beyoncé)’ and the almost psych pop of ‘Capo 2’ will have you stomping around your bedroom like a good ‘un.

There are times during ‘R.O.I.’ where I have to check that this is really is still the same band I once saw upstairs in a tiny Bristol boozer long before global pandemics were ever a reality, as this is a record that truly transcends the pub circuit, and the likes of Yard Act, IDLES and Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes best be looking over their shoulders because if Aerial Salad do take their ‘Chances’ (groans)  there’s nothing to say they won’t be stealing those band’s fanbases during the summer as the trio look to promote their finest record to date via a series of explosive live shows.

You can get your copy of ‘R.O.I.’ HERE!

Author:Johnny Hayward

The Middlenight Men – ‘Issue Number 2’ (Self Release)

The Middlenight Men – ‘Issue Number 2’ (Self Release)

When the first Midnight Men Album was released you could tell Nick had a vision for the band that was full of joy and fun. From the artwork to the music and finally to the stage. Here we find ourselves in 2024 and the release of Issue 2 is with us. I listened to this for the first time driving an articulated truck around southeast London during rush hour and whilst it definitely improved the experience it seemed quite apt from one juggernaut to another and I noticed my stress levels also decreased.

I was looking for more of the same catchy hooks and tunes and plenty of pop-punk fun. You get all that in abundance from the opening track ‘The Middlenight Men Theme’ into ‘Fighting Skylar’ and into track three ‘Bruno’ in the blink of an eye. this album certainly carries on where the first album left off catchier than a world-class keeper on a good day. The backing vocals are big and help lift the songs.

By the time ‘Living In the Heart Of Hell’ finishes you’re invested in the anthemic majesty of the album. The songs also show great maturity as well as killer hooks like what you get on ‘The Fear’ and really grips you…fantastic stuff.

As well as the pop-punk you get some AC/DC style riffing on ‘Sirens’ that seems to flow into something Kula Shaker would be proud of and it’s worked really well. The flavours of the album give you Britpop, Wildhearts, Pop, QOTSA and other influences like Chris Catalyst the diversity is wide but flows really well.

Whatever band Nick plays in be it Role Models, Terrorvision or Middlenight Men he always seems to enjoy himself and that is infectious and carries into his audience its great to have fun music that’s played with that in mind.

I know Nick doesn’t like to mention playing Wembley but I’d love to see it happen with Middlenight Men on the biggest of stages issue 2 is the perfect follow-up to issue 1 and the record delivers all you could hope for and more it keeps on brand and the vision Nick had for the band but he’s just made it bigger, better, bolder and added some more styles to the pot if this were a Rock n Roll cake issue 2 would be the icing.

you can also catch the band at The Underworld in Camden for the launch party I’ll see you down the front. Buy It now.

Author: Gordon Lancaster

Snuff – ‘Off On The Charabanc’ (Sbam)

Snuff – ‘Off On The Charabanc’ (Sbam)

Eight new tracks and seven acoustic versions from Snuff. A mixture of Punk that’s bright and punchy mixed with the finer parts of The Levellers Snuff have been doing this for long enough to know they’re pretty good at what they deliver and on this latest offering they’ve thrown the kitchen sink at it with what amounts to a modern-day “its got the lot” crammed into its fifteen tracks. No writers block here folks just value fo money.

Duncan Redmonds likes a story tends to put a lot of what he observes into his lyrics. It’s roots are equally in folk and punk rock.

Raucous songs with that earthy modern folk edge. Each story unfolds as you listen like the pages of a good book of short stories. It’s tough to define their sound because the band definitely do like to dabble in a few musical styles whilst keeping it all together with a cohesive style that is their own much like the men they couldn’t hang used to do. Guitar riffs, organs, horns and plenty of harmonies. ‘Go Easy’ gets proceedings underway in fine fashion with a good energy and plenty of upbeat punch. Thats carried through with the title track and then the band put their foot on the accelerator for ‘Booster’ Not much sign of the Folky edge on the first bunch of tunes but the melodies are strong especially on ‘Yellow Lights’. they give the Organ a good shoeing for the groovy for the ‘Purple PRisoner’ one I’m sure Deep Purple fans could get on board with here on this Snuff record. A little bit proggy for my ears but it did grab my attention that’s for sure.

‘Fireball’ shakes off any prog residue left on my speakers with a sprightly thrasher. That’s the first half done in a very loud fashion until the gentler acoustic ‘The Skip’ before we take our seats around the campfire for the acoustic offerings that work really well to be fair in fact quite a few are better than their Electric siblings.

‘Toxic’ is Acoustic but didn’t feature on the Electric half and makes way for one of the best tracks on the album ‘All Over Now’ has excellent vocals and massive harmonies but the strings add a really sombre mellow texture that works well. If you like the folk side of punk rock then this is for you defiantly a game of two contrasting halves from the fired-up punk rock to the acoustic mellow moments – it all makes for an interesting record that offers up weaving melodies and sounds that ebb and flow really well. That’s Snuff from me until the record is released and you can then decide for yourself.

Buy Here

Author: Dom Daley

Cock Sparrer – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London – 6th April 2024

Cock Sparrer – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London – 6<sup>th</sup> April 2024

I’d hazard a guess that there’s not many bands that can headline a venue the size of the Shepherd’s Bush Empire where you’d find band members in the neighbouring pubs before the show happy to chat and have selfies taken with their fans. Then again Cock Sparrer are not just any ole headline band, and as frontman Colin McFaull is quick to point out towards the end of their headline set here tonight “without you the fans we really wouldn’t be doing what we are doing right now”, so they appreciate our support, a hell of a lot. Especially as this, the first gig in support of the release of their latest album ‘Hand On Heart’, has also just happened to coincide with the latest round of rail strikes here in the UK.

For yours truly this means around 7 hours in total on a coach travelling up and back from south Wales for the gig, but that’s nothing compared to the time and money invested in today by those who have travelled from not only other parts of the UK but also Europe and the US, all eager to once again see everyone’s favourite Oi! streetpunk band performing live, and with this aim in common when we all do finally get together we are just like one big happy family.

Having been lucky enough to secure tickets for one of the fiftieth anniversary shows the band put together at The Roundhouse a couple of years back, I’ll admit that I really enjoyed the format of that gig with the band playing two sets instead of having a support act, and here tonight that is repeated, albeit here the first set is a mash up of deep cuts and new tracks and the second being the regular “hits(?)” package. What is really odd though is when the band (once again complete with the Cockettes – James Bragg on guitar and backing vocals and Jet Baker on keyboards and backing vocals) do take to the stage a little after 8pm tonight it’s almost like they are the support band as the crowd is not only initially quite sparse (keep this in mind for what is to follow) down the front but oddly a little subdued when the intro tape of ‘Last Orders’ blasts out of the PA segueing neatly into ‘Sunday Stripper’, a track I don’t think I’ve heard the band play live since the back to back Kentish Town Forum shows all the way back in March 2010. It’s the new songs I’ve been really looking forward to hearing live for the first time though and ‘With My Hand On My Heart’ quickly follows along with ‘Mind Your Own Business’ the opening 1-2 from the ‘Hand On Heart’ album and these two start to warm those of us down the front up very nicely indeed. Of the older tunes included ‘Roads To Freedom’ from the ‘Guilty As Charged’ album gets its live debut, whilst (possibly the only Oi! song to ever be written about Potsdam) ‘Bats Out’ from ‘Two Monkeys’ makes a welcome return after featuring in the Roundhouse set, and then there’s ‘Shock Troops’ deep cut ‘Secret Army’ and ‘Contender’ from 2018’s ‘Forever’ to prove there’s much more to those records than what is about to follow in the next hour. As for the rest of ‘Hand On Heart’ (which is out to buy right now folks, something Colin and guitarist Daryl Smith remind us many times over tonight – and why not) we also get ‘I Belong To You’, ‘Take It On The Chin’ (written with the mighty Spunk Volcano no less) and ‘Here We Stand’ before we return to ‘Guilty As Charged’ for first set closer ‘We Know How To Live’, a song that bassist Steve Burgess apparently wrote as the band’s answer to the Minder theme tune. Well, you live and learn, eh?

As the band heads off for some cheese sandwiches and a small Jack Daniels between sets we are left to partake of our own ablutions and libations, only we would do if we could actually get anywhere near the toilets and bars, as the stalls are now totally rammed. Dangerously so in the case of the stairs leading to the toilets, thankfully though in spite of the skinhead tough guy image egos really are checked in at the door when you go see Cock Sparrer and even when a mate of mine accidentally spills a bloke’s pint bashing into him it’s all okay and hands are shaken with nothing further to be said.

With this in mind, trying to return to our original vantage spot in time for set two is never going to be on the cards, but we are close enough to experience the energy surge as the ‘Overture’ intro tape goes up and the cooling alcoholic rain that falls during the nee-naw, nee-naw guitar intro of ‘Riot Squad’ is actually quite refreshing. Let’s just be thankful it’s not warm, especially given the toilet situation.

Set mainstays ‘Watch Your Back’ and ‘Working’ follow and these raise the temperature even higher, whilst it’s during a frantic ‘Teenage Heart’ that my fifty-something heart decides to play silly buggers with me, and this Droog does indeed have to run, all the way to the medical room for some much-needed fresh air. I have to say the stewards and medical team at the Empire were both superb in responding to my heart issues, and thankfully as I now know what I’m dealing with I only need to take a brief (7-song) sabbatical from the Sparrer party fully raging just a few feet away. My only hope is that the American lady who was entering the room as I was leaving was okay too as she didn’t seem in a good place at all.  

Relocating to the balcony just in time for ‘Because You’re Young’ (oh the irony eh) the first thing  I note is that guitarist Mick Beaufoy is now sitting down whilst playing (apparently he’s not been too well either) and behind the kit Steve Bruce whilst still hammering away like a piston engine has rather sensibly slowed the tempo down a touch for the finale of ‘England Belongs To Me’ and ‘We’re Coming Back’ to not only reflect the fact that the band aren’t exactly spring chickens anymore…but also that they have another double set show to play in Glasgow in a just a few days’ time.

 I said at the top of this review that there are not many bands like Cock Sparrer, and that’s why with ‘Hand On Heart’ in the shops and a series of live shows booked throughout the year to help promote the record we should truly value the time we have with the band more now than ever. That’s because hand on my (dodgy) heart punk rock music doesn’t get much better than this.  Long may it continue.

Author: Johnny Hayward

Buy the new album ‘Hand On Heart’ Here