When Sheffield rock heroes Black Spiders announced their hiatus in 2017, no one in their right minds would have predicted that when the good times, big balls n’ riffs rockers did return, it would be in the middle of a global pandemic. But that is, of course, exactly what happened and in March of this year, Black Spiders unleashed their highly anticipated brand new self-titled album upon an eager, locked down, rock hungry audience. Yet, despite the album’s thirteen new kicking jams having been recorded in complete isolation, and with new drummer (Planet Rock DJ Wyatt Wendel) having never been in the same room as the rest of the band, it’s testament to the true majesty of their rock powers that ‘Black Spiders’ still manages to sound like five men in a hot and sweaty rehearsal room, tight and upfront and in each other’s faces, rocking the f**k out.
The only piece missing from the jigsaw, and it was a big piece, was the chance to take these new songs onto the stages they belonged and play them loud and direct to a rock music starved audience and thankfully, that time is finally here. Black Spiders have announced five UK shows to get back to doing what it is they do best, and to celebrate the special Record Store Day vinyl release of the album, due July 17th via Dark Riders Records.
On top of this, Black Spiders will also release a new single ‘Give Em What They Want’, taken from the album and launched into the stratosphere with a stomping, hook-laden infectious groove.
“You’d think that after almost 2 years of what we’ve all been through, there was a chance to start again at a year zero for the human race, but no, same s**t, different year, an aptly titled song for the times,” states singer/guitarist Pete Spiby. “However, we’ve been waiting SO long to do a gig and can’t wait to play the new album live and melt some faces…. thank f**k!”
Catch Black Spiders live at the following dates in July 2021
Wednesday 21st July 2021 – Chester Live Rooms
Thursday 22nd July 2021 – Leeds Key Club
Friday 23rd July 2021 – Southampton Joiners
Saturday 24th July 2021 – Milton Keynes Craufurd Arms
Sunday 25th July 2021 – Steelhouse Festival Ebbw Vale
For his July release, Ryan Hamilton expands the collaborative theme of his 1221 project with a Chuck Prophet original song that has not previously seen the light of day. As promised at the time of releasing last month’s rocking ‘Shots Fired’, Hamilton serves us up more pounding drums, driving guitars and a big BIG chorus with this anthemic, no doubt soon to be live favourite.
Ryan Hamilton releases previously unheard Chuck Prophet song as his July 1221 offering
So, how did you & Chuck Prophet first come to know each other?
Chuck and I have a lot of mutual friends, but the truth is… we became friends on Twitter. How lame is that? Haha. We started tweeting each other, and that led to emailing each other, exchanging phone numbers etc… What a world we live in now.
Are we likely to see you collaborating with Chuck again in the future, or maybe even touring together with live shows definitely back on the cards for 2022?
I would LOVE to collaborate with Chuck more. “Big Man” turned out amazing, and I think it may be the beginning of something more. Who knows. I think a tour together would be wonderful. It’s been discussed a little bit, and I think it should happen. I actually just signed with a new, big, awesome Agency here, AMG (Atomic Music Group) and it appears I will be touring A LOT next year. Gotta do something with Chuck!
With 1221 now in the home stretch, how have you found the public’s reaction to the project and has it surprised you which songs have been received the best?
The reaction and support for this 1221 album/project has been amazing. I’m terrible at guessing which songs people are going to love the most. Haha. So far it’s “Deja Vu I Love You” and “Shots Fired”. If people like those, they’re gonna LOVE the rest
Hamilton has been heralded by Spin magazine as one of the ‘Best Lesser-Known Artists of the Last 35 Years’.
RYAN HAMILTON RELEASES “BIG MAN” 12 JULY 2021, VIA WICKED COOL
All-gay, Muslim punk band who unapologetically use music as a vessel to call out racism, the American political landscape, and white supremacy. The signing news is being launched with a new video/song called “Fuck These Fuckin Fascists”
Epitaph Records is an artist-first indie label founded in Los Angeles by Bad Religion guitarist, Brett Gurewitz. Early releases from a variety of punk heavyweights helped launch the 90s punk explosion. Along the way, Epitaph has grown and evolved creatively while sticking to its mission of helping real artists make great recordings on their own terms. So here are The Muslims – Enjoy
G.G. Sleaze and Johnny King originally came together in Texas to perform cover songs live in 2020, but, during the lockdown, they decided they wanted to start writing some original material. I recently captured an invigorating live show (my first in over a freaking year) by the band where they helped take the crowd’s mind off everything that is going on in the world. I was partially singing along to songs by the end of them and experiencing a great rush of adrenaline in the process. Pulling influences from Hanoi Rocks, Johnny Thunders, 80’s sleaze, and rock n roll, they have unleashed their debut EP or mini LP depending on your preference as it contains five originals and one acoustic cover to close out the proceedings.
‘Singapore Sling City’ gets things started with a cool guitar riff that sets the stage for the album. The Hanoi Rocks influence musically is present, but King’s vocals recall more the likes of early Phil Lewis L.A. Guns sleaziness. The recording is down and dirty which really works to the benefit of the song here. ‘The Road’ opens with a catchy chorus and a mid tempo feel. King really gets to demonstrate some range here, and this song was awesome live. It is one of those songs that can totally lose its feel if it is overproduced and layered with effects. The gutter glam feel of the mix adds to its charm here.
One of my favorites from the live show comes next in ‘The Fringe.’ The guitar work by Sleaze grabs the listener’s attention as the song erupts into a hard rocking treasure. The amalgamation of influences really come into play here as different bands come to mind, but it never really feels like one certain band. There is some GN’R/ Faster Pussycat street 80’s glam at play, but it feels like it is because Shotgun Sally is drinking from the same well as those bands. The band changes gear again with the 70’s style nostalgia rocker ‘Crimson Avenue’ recalling the days of foolish youth where consequences didn’t seem to exist. The chorus is super catchy which is something the band does very well across the board. As I mentioned at the beginning, I was singing along at the live show by the end of these songs, and it is not because they repeat the title ad nauseum. The hooks have teeth and stick with the listener.
‘Hounds of Hell’ rocks hard with Sleaze taking over the lead vocals. When I heard it live, I really liked it despite some technical issues at that time. It has a mix of Thunders, Hanoi Rocks, some snotty 77 punk, and reminds me of something that could have been perfectly at home on American Heartbreak’s first release. The band bring us to a close with an acoustic cover of ‘Life Loves a Tragedy’ by Poison which works very well. If the first five songs serve as the main course, this is more what you might expect after the show when Sleaze and King decide to grab a guitar and knock out some acoustic covers before hitting the road for their next show.
The band added some more songs to the live show which will hopefully find their way onto the next release. In the meantime, they have released a debut that keeps finding its way onto my playlist. I purposely waited a bit after the live show to review this as I didn’t want to be thinking about or influenced by the live versions while writing this. I may or may not have been successful in that regard. These are the kind of releases that throw my year end results all out of whack as I have to decide for myself if I put it in with the EPs or albums. I have not had many releases this year really grab me, but this has been one of them. The music is down and dirty, gritty, and filled with hooks.
Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes’ opening night headline set at Download Pilot unleashed a ferocious release of pent-up energy and pure emotion that will live long in the memory of everyone present. The band proved that they offer something quite unlike anyone else right now: a much needed burst of anarchic spirit as the shackles are removed, but also the articulation and wry wit to rally against injustice; plus a raw, eviscerating live show without the tropes of toxic masculinity. As lockdown eases, who better to soundtrack our new-found freedom?
Seizing on their moment in the spotlight, Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes share their new single ‘Sticky’, which has just received its first play courtesy of Daniel P Carter at Radio 1. The single launches their eagerly anticipated new album, also titled ‘Sticky’, which will be released on October 15th. It builds on the momentum generated by their recent single,‘My Town’ featuring Joe Talbot of IDLES, which is the biggest of their career to date and was B-listed at Radio 1.
Punching out of the speakers with a new directness and immediacy, the single ‘Sticky’ provides a flavour of what to expect from the album. It’s a shark-sharp-shock of visceral punk fury, as the snarling soul of Carter’s vehement voice transports us to the sweltering, closing time madness of a city after dark. He paints a scene of growing paranoia, desperately looking to delve into any vice to counteract the existential despair of feeling “midnight blue.” But there’s a sardonic, horrorshow humour at play too as he spits, “I’m no vampire but I want your blood.”
Carter commented, “‘Sticky’ is about that moment where you’re drunk at a bus stop at 3AM. You know there are no more buses, but you sit there anyway because you’re too fucked to figure out your options. Your kebab is on the floor, there’s a Stella in your pocket, and you’re woken up by a dirty little fox eating your shoes.”
It’s the perfect introduction to a record that breaks out of lockdown. Produced by guitarist Dean Richardson for the first time, it solidifies the pair as one of the most exciting partnerships in British punk rock. Carter sounds like an untamed force of nature, embodying the impish menace of Keith Flint one minute and Sid Vicious the next. Alongside Richardson, they’ve crafted a record which wastes no time in hitting hard: not a single song hits the four-minute barrier, and few even hit three.
‘Sticky’ is the sonic eruption of a year-plus of suppressed energy. While it’s an escapist experience, recent reality is never too far away. It’s there in ‘Go Get A Tattoo’, which was inspired by Carter’s experience of having to shut his first London based tattoo parlour, Rose of Mercy, almost immediately after it opened. It’s just as present in ‘My Town’, a suburban vignette of society’s collective mental health quickly unravelling.
Carter and Richardson’s vision is augmented by the mob of underdogs and outsiders who join them. As well as Joe Talbot, queer, underground electro-punk sensation Lynks complements Carter’s attack with a double-dose of surreal savagery on ‘Bang Bang’ and ‘Get A Tattoo’, while Cassyette brings a provocative punch to the sleazy rock ‘n’ roll of ‘Off With His Head’. By the time Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie emerges on the closing ‘Original Sin’, his breathy voice feels like salvation for the transgressions that preceded it.
Carter sums it up succinctly: “Someone described it to me as ‘they felt their youth’ when they were listening to the record. When you make albums, those are the ones you want to make. Nostalgic, but classic. Timeless, and also modern.”
The album is now available to pre-order on a range of exclusive formats here. All pre-orders are rewarded with instant download of the title track and ‘My Town’.
Having closed their 2020 tour ‘The End of Suffering’ with a sold-out 10,000 capacity show at London’s cavernous Alexandra Palace, Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes announce details of their first tour in support of ‘Sticky’. They will follow an extensive run of UK dates in November with two O2 Academy Brixton shows in January 2022, and then a European tour which spans thirteen countries.
Tickets: Fans who pre-order the album from the band’s official store will receive early access to tickets from Wednesday 14th July @ 10 am local time. General on-sale is Friday 10 am local time.
TOUR DATES:
SEPTEMBER 2021
9th – Glasgow Green (special guests to Biffy Clyro)
16th – Cardiff Bay (special guests to Biffy Clyro)
OCTOBER 2021
16th – Live At Leeds (HEADLINERS)
NOVEMBER 2021
10th – Dublin, Academy
11th – Nottingham, Rock City
13th – Norwich, UEA
15th – Southampton, Guildhall
16th – Bristol, O2 Academy
17th – Lincoln, Engine Shed
19th – Birmingham, O2 Academy
20th – Newcastle, O2 Academy
22nd – Glasgow, Barrowland
23rd – Edinburgh, Corn Exchange
24th – Liverpool, O2 Academy
25th – Manchester, Academy
JANUARY 2022
21st – London, O2 Academy Brixton
22nd – London, O2 Academy Brixton
25th – Netherlands, Utrecht, Tivoli Vredenburg
26th – Germany, Cologne, Live Music Hall
28th – Sweden, Stockholm, Slaktkyrkan
29th – Norway, Oslo, Rockefeller Music Hall
30th – Denmark, Copenhagen, Store Vega
FEBRUARY 2022
1st – Germany, Berlin, Astra
2nd – Czech Republic, Prague, Meet Factory
3rd – Poland, Warsaw, Niebo
5th – Switzerland, Zurich, Dynamo Saal
6th – Italy, Milan, Magazzini Generali
8th – Spain, Barcelona, Razzmatazz 2
10th – Portugal, Lisbon, Lav – Lisboa Ao Vivo
11th – Spain, Santiago de Compostela, Sala Capitol
After hearing their contribution to the most excellent New Bom Turks tribute album I just had to reach out to some of the bands involved and one of the bands who impressed me the most was Tongue Action. Call em what you like Action Rock, Punk N Roll, the new wave of garage rockers, it matters not because to us its just loud Rock n Roll and they live it like they love it and embrace the spirit of Rock and Roll so we caught up with Pablo Ono (Lead Vocals and Guitars) & the occasional chime from (JW) Capt Goddamn: (Lead Guitarist) recently to find out who the hell are Tongue Action and please introduce us so here goes…
Firstly, When did the band begin?
The vision and sound of Tongue Action has always been with me and probably always will be pretty much – I don’t know if it a subconscious thing that has become aware but I know you can hear it and see it in pretty much everything I do. However, The Tongue Action that’s alive and loud today being seen and heard as of right now has been around since Feb. 2019
Who decided that the world needed Tongue Action?
Whoever created women decided that the world needed Tongue Action and we’re grateful to be able to provide it to those women who want it or need it. We are here to ensure the very act of performing Tongue Action has the killer soundtrack it deserves performed by Tongue Action! It’s us giving it back to the world by allowing ourselves to be the mouthpiece on your wives – wait, I mean…of your life – Let us be the sound of giving it and getting it and because we’re Tongue Action 60% of the time you can hear us around the world…all the time.
You guys are based in New Orleans right?
Yes, and though we may live amongst the witches & ghouls, the vamps and werewolves…everyone knows that we’re the only things that ever go bump in the night. So don’t fear the tongue fear the reaper.
introduce us to the band if you will please?
Pablo Ono – Lead Vox, Guitar Blastin’, 100% Satisfaction Givin’ That Tongue Action & Mustache Rides of Passion. (JW) Capt Goddamn: Lead Guitar Captain like a Fool, Vox Backin’, Fast actin’ Ham slammin’ & Psychotic Reactin’ Grody Jody Stallone – Drums, Vox, Skin like Satan, Buccee’s Thievin ’ Beer Stealin’ & Beaver Eatin’ Eric Westerberg– Bass Slappin’ Synth Havin’ Ass Tappin’ King of no Fashion
“Loud, Sleazy and dangerous” is the first words I read about the band (always a good place to start) who influenced the sound and style?
When you listen to a Tongue Action song and you think to yourself “this kinda sounds like what heaven must feel like or maybe it just reminds me of so and so” you can probably reside to it most likely being influenced by so and so, and definitely what’s her name. But our playing style whether it’s how me play our instruments or your women or how we act on and off the stage is all us and by our own doing when left to our own devices. You can bet that even if it has been stolen and we stole it – it’s all ours and done in a way only we can, but really anyone can probably do it.
JW (Capt GD!) – I’m from the Chuck berry school of guitar (as it should be) but I figured it was finally time to learn 2 more scales for Tongue Action. Jody (TA’s Drummer) and I actually were in regional punk bands in high school and TA has brought us full circle into actually playing in the same project. I tell that everywhere I go …cuz it’s fucking amazing….Goddammit!
The band’s recordings are few and far between when can we expect an album?
We are actually putting the finishing touches on our full length LP and looking at a release date early 2029 to line up with the meteor that’s headed to earth. We figured if something’s gonna fuck the world it should at least have its own soundtrack. But, until then we do have a full length slated to be released right after the new year holiday going into early Spring of ‘22 on Heavy Medication Records.
How do you approach songwriting as a band is there a main contributor or is it more collaborative?
Pablo – I have an extensive catalog of completed songs, riffs and melody parts, lyrics, and ideas I haven’t even touched yet but knew a pretty good chunk of it would end up as TA songs and I’m pretty sure JW can tell you what he’s got but there are times when the two of us get together and just hash out brand new ideas that eventually become songs and that has been really cool as well.
JW (Captain Goddamn!) – I’ve only been lead axe man in a few projects. Usually the vox guy but when I first joined up our styles immediately complimented each others… like crawfish and garlic farts. Wild Rose and Raunch City Romp are early yet prime examples of that and way less stanky, ya heard?
With a global pandemic the Rock and roll world has certainly been on standstill with live shows being mothballed until we can all get back out there. Any plans?
Here in the States, things have been slowly but surely opening back up and our shows as well as shows in general are getting booked fast. We’ve already played about 36 shows to date, recorded new songs including the track we contributed to the New Bomb Turks LP all of which, we’ve done since this past Oct.
Now of course when we first started getting asked to play these shows everyone from the promoters to the venues including ourselves were making sure we all stayed within the guidelines of the CDC and doing so, we haven’t had any reports of one single incident or case of COVID at any show we performed.
So now that things have started to really kick into high gear we’ve been pretty much non-stop playing in and out of town having been consistently booked up to about three months out for quite some time now.
What has the band been occupying their time with this past year?
Pablo – Yeah, as I mentioned before, we recorded 3 new tracks to complete our upcoming album and the NBTs song Telephone Numbrrr for the Defiled! LP by Heavy Medication Records. Aside from that? Well…We made some really good and some horribly bad decisions, said yes and no to sex, drugs and rock n roll depending on how the ladies looked, but then back to yes, drank a lot of booze, nearly lost ourselves, one of us nearly died from a brain aneurysm only to miraculously be back on stage just two weeks later.
Tongue Action is like that one kid who’s a bad influence that entices you to do anything and everything you know is wrong but baby it feels so right.
What about videos and using the downtime any video recordings or plans?
With us ideas are like salads and we toss them around pretty much everyday and while we did have some pretty good treatments early on in the works, even our down time proved to be a scheduling problem if not challenge amidst a pandemic.
You got involved in the New Bomb Turks tribute album. How did that come about?
Derrick from Heavy Medication Records and I had been discussing Tongue Action’s songs that we had recorded up to that point and the possibility of doing either a few singles, or an EP but keeping all of our sights on a full length at some point. Ironically I had messaged him about some new songs that I thought could be what we needed to complete our LP – he had messaged me asking if Tongue Action would be interested in doing the New Bomb Turks tribute LP and naturally I saw an opportunity open up for us to record not only the NBT track but also the songs we needed to finish our album. Of course now In doing so meant time was something we didn’t have much of if we wanted to tackle it all and all at the same time but thanks to our friends Don “Demonboy” Cilurso and Stephen Finley down in Texas we were able to head out to Sugarhill Studios in HTX and attempt to do what we set out to do and that’s exactly what we did.
If you could record a split who would it be with and what song would you do and the other band had to play one of your tunes what would it be?
According to my son Killian or Little Hands – he just informed me that Tongue Action should do a split with Hank Von Hell who’s his favorite artist next to me of course (I got jokes like that) and if we were to do one of his songs it’d have to be his favorite song “Disco” and if he were to play one of ours it’d have to be “Shake, Rattle & Die!”
All of which would be out of this world man…
Anything I’ve missed? what would you like to add?
Pablo – Tongue Action is a late night party, the band that women want and men want to be in…and yes, we tend to take things a little too far but we do so all in the name of good times & rock ‘n’ roll and sure – we are a little sarcastic, very loud (except for me, I’m the quiet one), sometimes raunchy, always degenerates, hardly if that but okay mostly assholes that might seem to be a bunch of self-centered egomaniacs on the prowl but everyone of you would be wrong no matter how right you really are. We have come to see that everyone of you are out here enjoying yourselves and having fun once again now that we all finally can…well, except for Carl – he’s not allowed to have any fun until he washes his hands.
So where was I going with this? Oh, and…If you’ve completely missed the joke in what we do and why we do so little to upset you so much then we’re obviously not the band nor the awesomest sound of sounds, nor the devilishly handsome rock ‘n’ rollers nor the older-ish but younger looking men you really want even though we absolutely really are all of that and what’s more, the ones that you want.
Remember We here in Tongue Action love all of you…but mainly those that kind of are or almost are Super Models and most Strippers but probably not really…ok, maybe all strippers.
No secret that Mr. Skullknuckles share a love of Rock and Roll along similar lines to many of us who remember the 80’s with fondness. No doubt about where Johny comes from musically and from his impeccable take of The Coops ‘Under My Wheels’ he clearly finds the gift of being able to convey that through the medium of Rock and Roll. It’s one cover amongst a blistering set of original choons that Mr. Skullknuckles has lovingly assembled here for our listening pleasure. IT’s Punk n Roll along the lines of the Soho Roses and there’s some Stiv, Heartbreakers in there for sure but it would be unfair to say that this is in any way limited because it’s not. Rest assured it’s not fuckin’ Coldplay but there’s a lot going on here from some cool lyrics that’ll make you smile n giggle to some that will touch your heart.
Let’s be fair here, since covid restrictions and not being able to mix the Rock and Roll wheels have ground to a halt as far as live goes but studio time has meant that some have (Skull) knuckled down and laid down some rather stunning tunes. ‘A Voice Made For Silent Movies’ is a barnstorming collection that is choc-o-bloc full to the brim of loud Rock and Roll that you can play whilst painting on yer guyliner and polishing yer nails whilst you’re wondering what drinks to mix before settling down to press play on the old stereo and have a lonesome socially distanced listening party.
What we have here is Mr. Skullknuckles best-sounding collection of songs and to be fair he’s never far from bullseye when aiming his musical earworms ‘Gender Fluid’ is a cheeky saucy little number as it glam slams through your ear hole and into your noggin’ and as you blush you’re noddin’ in approval and wanting more. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, the tone is set with the opener ‘Still A Little In Love With You’ is that castanets I hear? Well done sir a much-underused punk rock instrument. Cool guitar licks, punchy rhythms, lyrics we can all get down with, scuffing rhythms and an uptempo rush of blood. Love it. Not enough bands are writing ‘Too Many Guys’ kinda songs with some lush harmonies and a bounce that just warms the heart.
He nails that Lure guitar tone on the punchy ‘Suicide And Smiles’ with its melancholic melody its clear Johny was paying attention in the early 80s and absorbing all the magic left in the air when the likes of Stiv Bator played or Hanoi Rocks left a trail of glitter and magic behind them. ‘Wired’ is like a runaway train thundering down the tracks with some tasty licks and a thumping bass line. In fact, after constant rotation on the death decks at RPM towers I’m loving this more and more. Who else is writing punk n roll as fine as this? I need to hear them if there is someone else knocking out so many songs of such a high standard if it’s dramatic acoustic songs like the closing snippet or the cover of classic Coop. ‘A Voice Made For Silent Movies’ is well worth the price of a warm pint in anyone’s money Christ this should be snapped up by any self-respecting Rocker and then we can all appreciate the talent OF JSK.
Absolute stone-cold bangers, easily one of the best bunch of tunes I’ve heard all year, no all pandemic, and if you disagree then Up Yer Bum! Get in touch with JSK on Facebook and get a hold of this CD – you absolutely won’t regret it! Oh and theres more. As lionel Ritchie once sang “Let the music play on” because there are more treats nailed onto the end of this CD it simply is the gift that keeps on giving!
Coming to Blu-ray, DVD, and digital platforms on August 6th
“A touching portrait of fandom done right… Proof that bands can still change your life” ★★★★ – NME
Don’t Go Gentle: A film about IDLES is a 75 minute feature film about finding strength in vulnerability. It journeys through the critically acclaimed Bristol band’s determination, friendship and adversity as they fight for a place in a divided socio-political environment, unexpectedly inspiring and unifying an international community along the way.
The film, which was directed by Mark Archer and received 4 star reviews in NME and Time Out London, will be screening across the UK and Ireland starting July 2nd. It will then be widely available on Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD on August 6th.
Don’t Go Gentle captures the 10 year journey of IDLES’ struggle, grief and resolve. Exploring their vulnerabilities through their experience, lyrics and sound, we learn the reasons why these five individuals have connected with legions of people across the world. We see just how that relationship unfolds in the most courageous and positive of human ways.
In a time when the ground is shifting beneath our feet, where open communication and truthful reflection are more vital than ever, we journey with lead singer Joe Talbot and the band as they tear across stages, knocking down stereotypes, empowering fans to talk about mental health and the realities we may not feel comfortable to speak about.
This feature documentary was originally born out of Mark’s interest in the journey behind IDLES’ music. In March 2017 he wrote to IDLES manager Mark Bent expressing his desire to make a short film highlighting their inspired 8 year journey culminating in the band’s biggest show to date – supporting The Maccabees at Alexander Palace. There was no idea at this stage the film would turn into what it became. In the same month, Sara Archer came on board to support the passion project by sourcing crew/equipment, budgeting, hosting interviews and beginning talks with potential distributors. Mark then met music photographer Lindsay Melbourne with an eye to include her photographs in the film, but Lindsay was to become much more involved, becoming one of the producers on the film and paved the path to an even bigger project.
During production IDLES found new success, breaking down walls with their first album Brutalism. Lindsay told Mark of the growing IDLES fan community ‘AF GANG’. As a result of Joe’s lyrics and his honesty on stage and in interviews, the AF GANG became a place where people would open up without judgement, quickly becoming an online support group to those that didn’t have one. It was a domino effect with IDLES leading the way publicly discussing mental health. The potential of IDLES’ growth, along with their community of fans excited the team and they committed to turning this short film into a feature with IDLES and now the AF GANG at the centre of the story.
Throughout the production the film took many forms with multiple re-edits necessary, being the team’s first feature no stone was left unturned. Finally, the film was completed during quarantine in May 2020 – a story in itself.
Rocking the music scene for over three decades, SPEAR OF DESTINY are not stopping. Today, they announce their ‘Worldservice@35’ tour, following their acclaimed lockdown album released last year. TICKETS HEREHard to believe we know but it is true, Kirk Brandon has now been leading SPEAR OF DESTINY for over 38 years.Spear of Destiny were formed in 1983 after the demise of Kirk Brandon’s post punk iconic rockers THEATRE OF HATE. (Brandon had also, before TOH, been the main man in every punk rockers favourite band of that era The Pack)
The current line up of Spear is the longest serving to date and features Adrian Portas (New Model Army / Sex Gang Children), Craig Adams (Sisters of Mercy / The Cult / The Mission) and Phil Martini (Jim Jones and the Righteous Mind) on drums. During 2019 the line up was boasted by Saxophonist Clive Osborne who will be staying in the line up for 2021.
On April 6th 2018 SPEAR OF DESTINY released their 14th studio album “Tontine” The album was been fully funded from a private fan pre-sale. The album is officially released for Brandon’s own Eastersnow Recording Company label imprint and is available on CD, Vinyl and Download across Europe. US label Cleopatra Records will be handling the North American release.
Just before the lockdown of 2020/1 the band went into the studio and re-recorded perhaps their best known album, 1985’s WorldService. Eventually releasing the album to much critical acclaim in November 2020. The upcoming ‘WorldService @35’ UK Tour set will feature the album + b-sides in full and the show will be finished with a career spanning extended SOD encore.
Three imaginative boyos, TRAMPOLENE, release a new single ‘Shoot The Lights,’
Jack Joneson ‘Shoot The Lights’ “ for me it’s about when you’re scared and trapped indoors together with someone you love, for what feels like forever, it’s touch you need, life you want, and shoot the lights when you dare.”
A band who are always welcome on RPM is CNE and as they release the video for the excellent ‘Let The Wheels Roll’. Here it is for your viewing pleasure. Visit savagemagicrecords.com for more info or email info@savagemagicrecords.com to order now!
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