HRH Punk II, Anarchy in Sheffield 2020 just went live with the first 18 bands and a 30 quid killer deal!

This is just the first bang – there are plenty more bands to come very shortly!

HRH PUNK I sold out in record time and looks to be an absolute belter, next years will go up a gear and to make it all work we have some incredible early bird deals for the next 4 days.

The first tranche of bands next year include UK Subs – one of the pioneers of UK punk – formed in London in 1976 as UK Subversives.  They had hit singles such as “Stranglehold” including a classic performance on Top of the Pops featuring the ever-present frontman Charlie Harper.

Also confirmed for HRH Punk II are Ruts DC – perhaps best known for their 1979 hit “Babylon’s Burning”, they bring their reggae-infused punk to Sheffield’s O2 Academy next September.  Since their reformation in 2007 Ruts DC have kept busy with gigs alongside Alabama 3, Rancid, Buzzcocks, Public Image Ltd and many more.

Another alumn of the original UK punk scene, The Boys bring us their power-pop-punk which has influenced the likes of Die Toten Hosen and The Exploding Hearts. The Boys also enjoyed a new-found spike in popularity in Japan thanks to Japanese garage rock band Thee Michelle Gun Elephant covering their song Soda Pressing.

Here’s the deal : For 4 days only, all standard weekend passes will be 30 GBP no booking fee and Royalty passes 50 GBP no booking fee as they last.

Now listen up because this is really Killer… The HRH Hotels (gotta love ’em) have provided a real Killer Early Bird Incentive too. There are only 50 rooms per hotel that never last long, but for 4 days only (or until they sell out – as this will fly) this is how it rolls…

Standard HRH Hotel with breakfast & standard weekend ticket will be 95 GBP a person & Royalty HRH Hotel with breakfast & weekend Royalty ticket will 120 GBP per person.

Remember 2 minimum sharing, but what a friggin’ deal! This is only available until the end of the event, but please remember there are only 50 rooms per hotel which won’t last long, especially at this price!

HRH PUNK 2 goes on sale Thursday 3rd October @ 11.00am UK time, but only lasts until the end of the event 4 days later (midnight Sunday 6th October to be exact). Link to the online store here: http://www.hrhpunk.com/product-category/punk-ii/

Everything is subject to availability and as you’ve seen HRH PUNK is one of the hottest, fastest-selling city events HRH put on. It will be a scream as usual, so get on board. Attendees have early picking until Friday 4th October then it’s on general sale over the weekend.

Book online @ www.hrhpunk.com – if you need any assistance, grab the Live Chat service on the website.

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Rock photographer Bill O’Leary has a book Featuring over 175 full color concert images from the ’70s through ’90s of icons like Van Halen, Rush, Judas Priest, Kiss, Ozzy Osbourne, Queen, Pink Floyd, Zappa, and more Available Here
During his career, photographer Bill O’Leary took pictures of some of rock’s biggest names at the peak of their powers – Van Halen, Rush, Judas Priest, Kiss, Ozzy Osbourne, Queen, Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, etc. And now, he has opened his archives for the first time ever – assembling a collection of not only his best images, but also, offering stories and recollections behind concerts he shot over the years. Indeed, this book is comprised of over 175 full color, live concert images photographed primarily from the late 1970’s through the 1990’s.

Artists include…AC/DC, Albert King, The Allman Brothers Band, Anthrax, Blues Traveler, Bob Seger, Cheap Trick, Def Leppard, Dixie Dregs, Foreigner, Frank Zappa, Grateful Dead, Hot Tuna, Jeff Beck, Jethro Tull, Joan Jett, Judas Priest, Kiss, Marillion, Mercyful Fate, Michael Schenker Group, Molly Hatchet, Mötley Crüe, Motörhead, Outlaws, Overkill, Ozzy Osbourne, Pat Travers, Phish, Pink Floyd (The Wall), The Police, Queen, Rainbow, Reo Speedwagon, The Romantics, Rossington Collins Band, Rush, Scorpions, Slayer, Styx, Ted Nugent, Todd Rundgren’s Utopia, Triumph, UFO, Van Halen, White Zombie, XTC, Yes, Yngwie Malmsteen with Alcatrazz, and ZZ Top.

O’Leary says:
“Hard to believe that I have been shooting concerts for 4 decades now, beginning in the mid 70’s when I went to my first concert at the world famous Madison Square Garden in New York City. I felt at home among the walls of speakers and the towering lighting rigs, I also immediately knew that leaving the show with a ticket stub, program and maybe a t-shirt would not be enough, so I had to capture the memory permanently. Within’ weeks I had traded my Sony home stereo system for a black leather jacket and my first Minolta SLR camera. After a brief learning period experimenting with the constantly changing lighting and vast array of colors, film speeds and the quick movements of the artists, I was told by many people that I was a “natural”. I have always felt that “knowing” the music deeply and being passionate about it as well, really was the “secret” to capturing the “moment”. With that confidence, I was soon shooting many concerts, 46 in 1980 alone. By then I was also being published in many major magazines as well. In the early days, I practiced “gorilla type tactics” to get my equipment into the venue’s. Later, I was forced to play the game of securing credentials in order to shoot shows. All too soon, promoter and band management rules and demands on photographers began to take the excitement out of shooting shows. Then the ” first 3 song” rule became common, NO more pictures after the third song. Pro concert photographers know that the “best” part of a shows production comes later in the event. In the end, I’m glad to have been a part of the glory days of concert photography.”

FOREWARD by Freddie Salem of The Outlaws:
“Bill O’Leary has played an extremely important part in the rock n’ roll world, as the consummate live performance photographer for over 40 years. As a professional musician, rock photographers are a part of the music scene – whether it be shooting promotional shoots, live concerts, or simply capturing life on tour. Bill first photographed us back in 1979 – a couple years after I joined the Outlaws, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. We were touring in support of our latest album, In the Eye of the Storm. Madison Square Garden is a big show for any touring band – as well as me personally, as a musician. A landmark venue. The following year, 1980, Bill again photographed me onstage – twice. Once at a Pat Travers Band show at the Palladium in Lower Manhattan in April, then again later that fall in November, as the Outlaws were touring in support of our latest album, Ghost Riders. This time, we were playing a smaller venue in Passaic, New Jersey, called the Capitol Theatre. Hundreds upon hundreds of marquis performers from all over the world have been captured on film by Bill – with the help of his trusty camera. I am surely anticipating the release of Bill O’Leary’s book, featuring his life’s passion and his iconic photography work. Looking at the thousands of live photos Bill has shot over the years one thing is very clear – he knows when to “pull the trigger.”

The Hangmen release records when they want to release records. The Hangmen don’t seem to have a mapped out plan to their rock and Roll and it would seem have a more organic approach, a natural approach to what they do.  The one thing that shines like a beacon is when they do decide its time to put out a record its always quality and well worth the wait.

‘Cactusville’ is the group’s new record their first since 2012 and builds on ‘East Of Western’ with subtle string and harmonies in their arrangements. It still has their hallmark country-infused punk style and attitude, The Hangmen have penned a record that singer and guitarist Bryan Small describes as “A fully realized effort.”

It’s dark at times but, its also glorious technicolour,  Small’s songwriting stands in contrast from his Los Angeles peers, choosing to chronicle outlaw folklore and broken romances, The Hangmen are in the house and whilst keeping their identity and the style that fans love they have finally returned with newly found urgency.

Being unhappy with aspects of the last studio album Smalls was determined to wright what he saw as the previous records wrongs and then The Hangmen went on what Small called a ‘forced hiatus’, prompting longtime bassist Angelique Congleton to ask if the band existed or would even resume.

Small felt sufficient time had passed and began writing but with no plan in mind, who knows how long it might take him to follow it up. Thankfully Smalls must have been inspired and the music began to flow. Congleton kept active with her chef position while Small continued spending time with his family.

‘Cactusville’ might be slightly darker and the songs more measured than ‘East Of Western’ it might be partly due to the revolving door of band members this time new drummer Jorge E. Disguster takes the stool along with Smalls and longtime six string companion Jimmy James.

“I know we’ve had a lot of lineups since that first record back in ’86 but I believe in the songs, still play some of those tracks. Looking back to when I first saw Jimmy James play, I loved how simple yet powerful he was. I knew he was the right guitarist for me. Angelique has been with me since ‘Metallic I.O.U.’ came out and I’m grateful because playing in a band is never really easy, and I wouldn’t say The Hangmen are what people would consider a full-time thing. We don’t really have the infrastructure that other groups do. Social media is dominating and of course every band uses it but for me, it’s like pulling teeth to use. Jorge is interested in doing that and Acetate has done more for us than Capitol Records ever did back in the day, that experience ended up being such a joke,”.

Here and now the record starts with the title track and with a laid back groove it’s a sonic masterclass sounding like Smalls has indeed put previous production foibles to bed and moved on with a bright and roomy opener.  With a lead guitar that sits on top of the mix giving it a real air of quality and you’ll stop what you’re doing to check out who and what your hearing. ‘Looking For Blood’ is more upbeat with a swagger in the rhythm and its got handclaps so I’m all in.

Some of the guitar work on this record is exceptional.  Not in the fact they’re doing anything groundbreaking but they sound like a pair of guitarists who just click and feed off each other.  ‘Man In Blacks Hand’ has got a cool as guitar lick and its the sound of a writer who knows what he’s after and what he’s steeped in and should rightfully be proud of these songs marrying a great lick to a recognisable sound isn’t an easy thing in 2019 but this is 100% Hangmen but it does sound fresh at the same time.  Those country-tinged phrasings come to the fore on ‘Nobody’s Girl’ and the subtle strings fill the sound making it sound huge but Smalls snarl trading off the guitar lick is great and by the time you hit the chorus you should be nodding like a dog.

Never wanting to overstay their welcome The Hangmen keep it to a super solid nine tracks on ‘Cactusville’ with ‘Cold Memory Blues’ is the lap steel countrified inner city blues that Smalls writes so well. It’s widescreen Rock and Roll alright and is the cover artwork in music. ‘Don’t Count Me Out’ is a beautiful song with some fantastic harmonies and exceptional arrangments.  A record that just keeps on giving play after play it goes through the gears but remains totally The Hangmen old fans will be delighted with the songwriting quality and new fans will be wondering how they’ve been so late to the party.  Take a trip on the dark side of the Hollywood tracks where the Hangmen dwell just out of sight from the glitz and fake glamour this is where the real beauty lies. The album closer is the acoustic-driven ‘Don’t Look Back’ thats heartbreaking in delivery as Smalls croons with his trusty acoustic before being joined by the rest of the band. Who then weave and meander through over six minutes of what it’s fair to describe as an epic journey with some stunning guitar breaks.

‘Cactusville’ is pretty much exactly what I wanted to hear on a new Hangmen record and they bloody well nailed it. Hopefully, this will light a fire under Smalls songwriting timeline and we won’t have to wait so long between records and it would be awesome if the band would come to the UK.  I’d be there, would you? Stunning new album buy it!

Buy Cactusville Here

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Author: Dom Daley

Ska-punk titans Reel Big Fish will be touring the UK this November with support from Lightyear and Spunge.

Dates run from November 5-21.

General admission tickets for all shows are on sale now.

As one of the key mid-90’s ska-punk bands to emerge out of Southern California’s third wave ska scene, along with acts like No Doubt and Sublime, Reel Big Fish’s popularity hasn’t faltered over the years. Distinguished by their hyperkinetic stage shows, sarcastic humor, ironic covers of new wave pop songs, and metallic shards of ska, the group continues to tour the world playing shows to a hardcore fanbase that’s as devoted as ever. The band’s 9th studio LP, ‘Life Sucks…Let’s Dance’ was released in late- 2018 and has garnered some of the best reviews of their lengthy career.

Stream Reel Big Fish’s latest LP ‘Life Sucks…Let’s Dance’ on  ITunes and Spotify.

Tickets Here

The EFG London Jazz Festival is thrilled to welcome the legendary Iggy Pop to Barbican this November, in a UK exclusive performance of his critically acclaimed new album, Free.

‘Iggy Pop has delivered one of the most singular and interesting records of his long career.’(Consequence of Sound)

From breaking new grounds in punk rock with The Stooges to his radio show at BBC 6 Music, Iggy Pop has always challenged norms, defied expectations and has been a major influence on countless musicians from a wide range of genres.

Building on years of jazz collaborations with the likes of Medeski Martin and Wood, as well as on Jamie Saft, Steve Swallow and Bobby Previte’s Loneliness Road, and his jazz, chanson and literature influenced 2009 album Préliminaires, Pop takes the lead role in Free, described as ‘irresistible, loose, thoughtful and free-wheeling – a dreamy and sparse soundscape‘ (★★★★ by The Independent.)

‘Free is a liberating collection that unshackles the star from his past and his insecurities, and slowly cracks open a door to version of the future that will inevitably arrive when he’s ready. Wherever that journey takes him in this phase of his career, it’ll be an honour to witness.’  (★★★★ NME)

Ladies & Gentlemen!

Bitch Queens can take a break when they’re old! For now, here’s the second Single with video off they’re still steaming hot and brand new Album – It’s “Süperböy”!
A beautifully ironic Clip with pictures larger than life, a stadium-sized hookline and a completely new facet for the the death-punk bitches from Basel. The lyrics are as usual on point, reckoning with all the bullshit artists surrounding us day in and day out.
Enjoy the video

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2m2pPon
Website: http://www.bitchqueens.com
Shop: http://bitchqueens.bandcamp.com/merch

The embers of 70’s rock ‘n’ roll are still simmering away and one band ready to torch the world and bring it all back screaming are LA darlings Starcrawler. Their brand of weirdo art punk encapsulates everything I love about 70’s rock and the 90’s alternative movement into one melting pot of LA styled cool.

Their notorious live shows combine the theatre of Alice Cooper with the raw, unbridled punk of Iggy & The Stooges. They release singles that don’t appear on albums, make the coolest promo videos since the MTV heyday of David Lee Roth and Poison and they have a wild and wonderful singer named Arrow de Wilde who could be the bastard offspring of Iggy Pop and KatieJane Garside.

It’s only been 18 months since their Ryan Adams produced debut album was released on an unsuspecting world, and now they return with their sophomore long player ‘Devour You’.

 

If you are a fan then you will have heard several of the songs on ‘Devour You’ already. Four singles have been released, with accompanying videos that will make you want to cruise the streets of LA in the summer sunshine.

So, following the tribal beats and familiar de Wilde drawl on album opener ‘Lizzy’, we get the first of those singles ‘Bet My Brains’. A cool Stooges vibe is omnipresent as it builds on a smoky vocal and a trippy groove to a cool as you like chorus refrain. The messy guitars of Henri Cash collide with the great hooks that Arrow delivers and Starcrawler creates the most exciting noise since the mid 90’s heyday of alternative rock.

The latest single ‘No More Pennies’ sees the band take their brand of garage punk to radio-friendly levels that were merely hinted at on previous releases. With a Joe Perry like introduction riff, it builds to an uber cool summery chorus with a nice little country lick going on. The definite Pretenders/Sheryl Crowe feel could alienate the punk rock audience but should be wholly embraced, as this is a band showing great maturity at this early point in their career. Great, lazy vocals and one of the album highlights.

You could say this band is showing their diversity and their songwriting prowess on album number two. I mean, imagine if Susannah Hoffs joined L7 and was seen swinging her used tampon over her shoulder into a festival crowd…well, ’Rich Taste’ could soundtrack that very moment.

From the funky, post-punk feel of ‘You Dig Yours’ to the frantic noise of ‘Toy Teenager’ they deliver the goods. Elsewhere ‘Hollywood Ending’ and ‘Born Asleep’ remind this listener of Hole at their late 90’s commercial peak. And ‘She Gets Around’ is possibly the best song Veruca Salt never released.

Album closer ‘Call Me A Baby’ sees Arrow channel her inner Patsy Cline. As Henri picks a countrified guitar refrain, she drawls a lament with a delicate vocal as sweet as honey. A children’s choir and brass instruments join in on the building chorus to the climax. The biggest compliment I can give is that it sounds like a song from a time gone by.

 

‘Devour’ is an album that showcases the diversity and maturity of a band who have spent time on the road, yet are barely out of their teens. There is a strength to the songwriting that lesser bands would kill to possess. Starcrawler have come a long way in such a short time, only time will tell how far they can truly go, but I for one will be watching every step of the way.

Author: Ben Hughes

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“It is with extreme sadness we announce the passing of the legendary Barrie Masters.
As you can expect, this sudden news is a huge shock to the band and family.
We welcome tributes posted to our Facebook and Twitter sites which will be passed on to Barrie’s family.” – Twitter

Rock and Roll has lost another good un.  RIP Barrie.  Barrie’s cause of death is unknown at this time of writing. Frontman of Eddie and the Hot Rods who broke through in the late ’70s, and released four albums, including their 1977 LP ‘Life on the Line’, which contained the classic hit, “Do Anything You Wanna Do.” They first came to my notice when they were wrongly pictured on the back of the first press of the classic ‘Damned Damned Damned’ album who they no doubt influenced.  After breaking up they reformed a few times with Barrie as the sole constant member. In recent years, they toured ‘35 Years of Teenage Depression’, a 35th anniversary re-recording of their classic 1976 debut ‘Teenage Depression’.

 

There’s a case to be made that Redd Kross is the seminal Los Angeles band of the last 40 years. And ‘BORN INNOCENT’ is gonna make it.

 

Formed in 1978 by brothers Jeff and Steve McDonald, and still actively playing and recording today, Redd Kross are the ultimate rock and roll lifers. They have influenced independent music in ways that beg to be acknowledged. From helping invent Beach Punk to influencing the Grunge and Glam Metal movements, Redd Kross have maintained the highest level of musical integrity, originality and quality for over forty years.

Born Innocent will introduce a wider audience to two of the coolest people alive. The McDonald Brothers embody Southern California, rock and roll, and what it means to be an artist.

 

In 1978, in the Southern California beach suburb of Hawthorne – home of The Beach Boys – two brothers, Jeff McDonald, age 15, and Steven McDonald, age 11, started a band called The Tourists. They wrote a set of songs including “Annette’s Got the Hits” and “Clorox Girls” that would become classics and define the genre known as “Beach Punk”. The first time The Tourists played in front of anyone was at Black Flag’s legendary rehearsal space, The Church in Hermosa Beach. They got the older band’s seal of approval, along with a new name – Red Cross. They were so young that their first studio recordings were financed with money from Steve’s paper route.

 

But when Jeff saw hardcore being codified into a set of musical and fashion rules, he rebelled. Red Cross was the first band from the hardcore scene to grow their hair long, and their second record, Born Innocent, was unlike anything that had come out of the underground. It’s a record drenched in 70’s pop culture references: Linda Blair, Tatum O’Neal, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls… even a cover of a Charles Manson song. Steven Malkmus of Pavement listed it as one of his top five biggest influences, and Mark Arm of Mudhoney has said that it was the record that got all the Seattle grunge bands started.

Red Cross fought back against hardcore’s anti-rock star stance, dressing in outlandish thrift-store-glam stage costumes like their idols, The New York Dolls.

The high school-age McDonalds received a letter from the International Red Cross threatening legal action if they continued to use the name “Red Cross”. Jeff’s response was to change their name to “Redd Kross” in an homage to comedian Redd Foxx. With their new name, Redd Kross continued to evolve their sound. Their Neurotica record would prove to be one of the crucial influences on the Grunge scene in Seattle that changed music in the 1990’s.

When pop music caught up to what they were doing and grunge was on the rise, Redd Kross pivoted again, making a sugary bubblegum record for their major label debut, Third Eye, which sported a nude Sofia Coppola on the cover. And while they had previously starred in the cult classics Desperate Teenage Lovedolls and Lovedolls Superstar, the 90’s saw them star in their first studio movie. Before there was The Brady Bunch Movie, there was The Spirit of 76, a 70’s nostalgia movie that saw Jeff and Steve starring alongside David CassidyLeif Garrett and Devo.

 

Their next evolution had them perfecting a beefy power pop sound, with their records Phaseshifter and Show World. This was the phase that garnered them fans from Robert Plant to Joe Elliott of Def Leppard to Dave Davies of The Kinks.

While chart-topping success in America eluded them, they have toured the world to massive acclaim, treated like rock gods in the UK, Spain and Japan. Steve has played with Beck, Hole, Sparks, and Tenacious D. He currently plays in both The Melvins and Off! Redd Kross have always followed their artistic muse, wherever it led. Forty years later, they are still going strong, heading out on tour in support of their seventh studio album, Beyond the Door.

 

Redd Kross has long been a cult band, a band’s band, a secret code word among music fans that signifies taste and cool. But unlike many cult bands, their music is eminently accessible. If you like The Beatles or The Ramones or Cheap Trick, basically if you’re a rock and roll fan, you’ll like Redd Kross.

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Wow-what a fantastic record.  That’s it I could leave the review right there that’s all you need to know.  It’s nothing new – they’re not reinventing the wheel – just cruising around with the hood down supping on a few beers with the best eight-track sitting in their retro rocket-fueled hot rod.  Dead Furies just play Rock and Roll and play it loud and loose and that’s all you need to know. Oh Yeah, incase you need it spelling out they write Great Songs!

 

Ok, so its not really all you need to know but you get the picture.  I’m not really up on what’s hot and what’s not in in Tallinn, Estonia but I do know that it has one of Europes finest Rock and Roller bands out there making Solid Gold Rock and Roll right here right now. They mix up some classic ’70s rock n Roll and stand it next to some Classic Rock n Roll from the likes of Iggy or the Stones and the whole Scandi scene and let it all melt into one. What’s not to like on the blistering ‘Good God Damn’ it’s like Bolan Jammin with Iggy – everybody on your feet because this pre-chorus needs a standing ovation its that good.  If I had to reward a tune ‘Tune of the month’ then this is it. Then, to follow it up with a slab of Motorhead inspired heads down Action Rock of ‘Holy Nothing’ these boys are having it and strutting their stuff like a Rock and Roll peacock and looking good doing it as well.

From the Stooges piano on the title track its feel-good Rock and Roll and seeing as Rockin is their business then I should declare right here right now that business is not just good its awesome.  With more than their fair share of excellent songs, this record should, in a just world, see the band kick open plenty of doors and hear ‘Stay Gold’ blasting out of bedroom all over this globe.  But they’ll have to work hard for it and tour the guts out of this record just to make a tiny dent I guess.  It deserves to be heard because they don’t just have one or two good ideas they have a record bursting with very good songs.

‘Death Of A Comedian’ is coolness personified cruising along towards the understated chorus and we go again. There are fourteen tracks on this album so they’ve shoed in plenty of bang for your bucks. ‘A couple OF Winos’ could be about a few people I know and from the heavy lick it cools down into a good groove for the verse this should appeal to classic old school rockers for its arrangement but its got style and is nestled in well in the middle of the record next to the MC5 hip shake of ‘Sweet Lovin’ Body’ with a great chorus and maybe candidate for my favourite track on the album.

Oh, wait, ‘The More things Change’ howls in on a cool as fuck saxophone honk wearing an old Bowie jacket and a little heavy eye makeup.  Such a good song.  ‘(I’m Not Gonna) Go Down’ is straight out of the early Hellacopters and Total 13 handbook and why the fuck not?  ‘Same Same But Different’ reminds me of The Heartbreakers ‘I Wanna Be Loved’ but it’s same same but different- you’ll get it.  As we head into the homestraight the boys just cut loose with rockers ‘Cowboys And Indians’ before taking you up a side street for the closer ‘I Get A  Kick From You’.  I get akick from hearing records this good and would happily endorse this bad boy there is a lot of music and it has variety yet keeps its identity and they’re not afraid to tread outside their comfort zone now and again either.

try it!

 

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Author: Dom Daley