Hands Off Gretel/As Sirens Fall – York, The Crescent – 1st September 2021

Hands Off Gretel/As Sirens Fall – York, The Crescent – 1st September 2021

 

It’s been 18 months since bands have been able to tour. Now is the time to shake off those cobwebs, as Barnsley’s finest exponents of 90s influenced grunge punk continue their quest for world domination and take their postponed ‘Angry Tour’ (now dubbed the ‘Still Angry Tour’) on the road.

Yes, an actual tour folks! One that will see the band travel the length and breadth of the country for the next couple of months, remember when bands did that?

This tour will be bookended by a couple of festival dates and a hometown show in December at The Birdwell Venue in Barnsley. Not only will it be the band’s first tour in 18 months, but it will be most fans first gig in 18 months as well.

Joining the band on this first date in York is local lads As Sirens Fall. The last time I saw this emo bunch live they were dressed in drag, tonight they hit the stage as men…ok, so the drummer is wearing a kilt and has more New Wave inspired make up going on than Adam Ant circa 1982, but why the hell not? This is rock n’ roll after all!

I barely know their songs, but they sound and look magnificent. Recent single ‘Dynamite’ is an obvious highlight. Full of anthemic gang vocals and fat riffage, it’s a stadium-sized chunk of modern rock in the vein of My Chemical Romance and 30 Seconds To Mars, which sure ain’t a bad place to be.

Resplendent in black and yellow striped mohair jumper, singer Mikey Lord is all over the stage, knows how to work a crowd and make the girls weak at the knees, while drummer Bailey has all the best Tommy Lee moves off to a tee.

An energetic set, choc-a-bloc with anthemic emo hits to be, the world awaits quite possibly York’s finest current rock band. Is there an album in the works? We wait in hope and look forward to watch them rise.

Lauren Tate has been busy during the pandemic. Not content with just writing a few songs or playing a few online acoustic shows, she only went and created a whole new alter ego named Delilah Bon, released a bunch of singles with pro shot, homemade videos, and released a killer album full of hip-hop/brat punk hits. She will take Delilah on the road next year, but now it’s back to business with her main band Hands Off Gretel.

2 albums and an EP into their career, Hands Off Gretel now have an arsenal of angry anthems to pick from, and based on tonight’s performance you never would have guessed they have been hibernating for 18 months.

Lauren of course has the full package. She looks the part, sounds the part and she prowls the stage like she owns the thing. Don’t be fooled by the pretty green dress and the pink/red hair combo she sports tonight, this grrl can riot with the best of ‘em. But it’s all made possible by the more than competent band she has behind her.

It’s been good to watch their evolution as a live band, and the addition of Becky Baldwin on bass has been the icing on the cake. Along with drummer Sam, she holds the whole thing together, leaving space for livewire guitarist Sean Bon to bash out grungy riffs, while Lauren has the job of keeping the attention of everyone in the room. And she succeeds on that front with ease. Full of confidence, energy and charisma, she delivers her self-penned grunge anthems with the gusto and angst of her heroes.

‘Milk’ channels Hole massively, she croons the opening line before delivering the guttural wail of a banshee, ‘SASS’ and the following ‘I Want The World’ incite the girls down the front to bounce and sing every word back to the poster girl of 2021.

More recent tunes from the ‘Angry EP’ have been live favourites for a while, ‘Don’t Touch’ and the excellent set highlight ‘She Thinks Shes Punk Rock n Roll’ are schizophrenic bursts of proper punk power that prove this artist is more than just a pretty face and truly has something to say that can relate to her fanbase.

Nice to hear the inclusion of ‘Rot’ which Lauren says they have never played live before, and a killer encore of Nirvana’s ‘Territorial Pissings’. Highlight of the night is a dead tie between main set closer ‘Kiss Me Girl’ and the Pink inspired balladry of ‘Freaks Like Us’. Both are anthems in their own way and both go down a storm.

The pandemic may have delayed the taking of the world, but Hands Off Gretel are back and Lauren Tate is still after her crown. And on tonight’s performance and the reaction from the crowd, she just might pull it off.

It’s been a long time coming and suddenly it’s like gigs have never been away. A glorious welcome back to live music in the town where I live. In these uncertain times we take nothing for granted, so I suggest you see this band while you still have the chance, you will not regret it.

 

Author: Ben Hughes

 

 

 

 

Grippers – ‘Black Tears’ (Potencial Hardcore)

Grippers – ‘Black Tears’ (Potencial Hardcore)

Spanish punk rock four-piece with a penchant for Rancid style heads down, let’s go, punk rock has released a seven-track CD of well-played great-sounding punk rock. Call it an extended EP or a mini-album either way you get seven tracks of uncompromising punk rock for your Euros that’s very well delivered and played with love and respect for a style they clearly love.

Rachel handles bass and vocals but the band muck in with gang vocals throughout this release and from the get-go of ‘Never Surrender’ they show their hand with a metallic riff a rama courtesy of the twin-headed guitar assault and the solid rhythm section go for the throat with a suitably covered subject matter.

 

Hold onto your hat because ‘The Flame’ turns things up a notch whilst it might not be groundbreaking they more than adequately turn in a decent noise. I like the attitude and the delivery and production is spot on.  The title track ‘Black Tears’ with some piraty backing vocals. I think the band excels when they turn things up a notch and go for the jugular as on ‘The Void’, it’s uncompromising and direct bullshit-free punk rock.

 

They do turn up the Rock and Roll aspect for the next one ‘Carry One’ and the arm-in-arm camaraderie shines through in a Distillers kind of way that is carried on through the ‘Squad’. It’s clear they aren’t about to reinvent punk rock and are happy to play what it is they clearly love listening to and that is cool with us here at RPM because every now and then bands like Grippers turn in a really top-notch tune and will always deliver live where they can perhaps display more individuality and that spark that keeps us all listening and watching.

 

to wrap up the record they strap on their ‘Broken Boots’ for a once round the block with a snappy tune and some bouncy Cock Sparrer meets The Adverts mash up and enjoyable it is too.  Love the solo as well.  Punk Rockers doing punk rock and doing it well who’d have thought it eh?  Good on em.

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Author: Dom Daley

 

Hipbone Slim And The Kneetremblers – ‘Tremblin’- 40 Knee Knockin’ Greats’ (Dirty Water Records)

Hipbone Slim And The Kneetremblers – ‘Tremblin’- 40 Knee Knockin’ Greats’ (Dirty Water Records)

If you are familiar with Dirty Water Records, it’s probably due to the mighty King Salami And The Cumberland Three. If so, walk this way, because Hipbone Slim is cut from a similar cloth. He and his Kneetremblers present here a mere 40 tunes of “authentic raw and primitive rock n roll”, which, for once, is pretty damn accurate.

 

With an average length of 2 and a half minutes, each song is primo, no frills stuff. My promo stream doesn’t feature song titles, so forgive me if I guess wrong. From the Bo Diddley beats of opener ‘Ain’t Got A Leg To To Stand On’ to the closing instrumental, they rock, boogie and bop in a style to please fans of Chuck Berry, The Cramps, Hillbilly Moon Explosion and The Broadway Twisters.

 

Songs like ‘Make Your Blood Boil’ and ‘Rub The Lamp’ transport the listener to a sweaty backroom in 1958, they certainly have a flair for Lo-fi authenticity. ‘Voodoo Love’ has a taste of the Hillbilly Moon Explosion, while ‘Scattergun’ wouldn’t be out of place next to The Broadway Twisters. I assume this is a compilation album, and the quality remains high throughout. If rockabilly, bop and primal rock n roll are your thing (if not, seek medical help), then this will put a smile on your chops.

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Author: Martin Chamarette

Warfare – ‘Songbook of Filth’ (HNE Recordings/Cherry Red Records)

Warfare – ‘Songbook of Filth’ (HNE Recordings/Cherry Red Records)

Aah Warfare! The band that for the briefest of moments back in the mid-80s was out-thrashing even the mighty Venom, and doing it all with zero fucks given. They are to this very day the only band I’ve ever seen play a proper guerrilla gig, their legendary protest performance outside Metallica’s debut headline show at Hammersmith Odeon back in 1985 still ranks as one of the most “what the fuck” moments of total chaos I’ve ever had the “pleasure?” of experiencing in all of my 40 odd years of gig going.

 

Formed by drummer/singer Evo after he’d left Angelic Upstarts, his fine musical pedigree also included stints with Oi! stalwarts Major Accident and legendary shock rockers The Blood. Warfare might very well be considered the bastard sons of all those bands, albeit with a hint of metal shot through their sound due to the guitar histrionics of Gunner and thunderous bass rumble of Falken.

 

Warfare’s rather appropriately titled debut album, ‘Pure Filth’, was produced by one Algy Ward, and for me it’s still stands as one of the best albums Neat Records ever released, being right up there with ‘Black Metal’ in the noisy bastard stakes.

 

Subsequent Neat albums were produced by the likes of Lemmy (1985’s ‘Metal Anarchy’) and Cronos (1986’s ‘Mayhem Fuckin’ Mayhem’) but they never really topped the out and out musical carnage of their debut album and 1988’s ‘A Conflict Of Hatred’ aside by the time the ill-fated ‘Hammer Horror’ album finally crept out via FM Revolver in 1990 Warfare had somehow become a shadow of their former selves, sonically at least, with Evo retiring from the music business in 1992.

 

Returning some 20 odd years later for a trio of “demos” releases via German label High Roller Records. Albums that saw Evo reliving the magic of the band’s early days. The renewed interest in his band sparked Evo into re-joining the musical world once again, with him vowing to record the angriest Warfare record yet whilst drafting in the likes of Fast Eddie Clarke and Pete Way to help him make this dream come true. ‘Songbook of Filth’ then is the chance for us all to finally hear this material, something I couldn’t wait to get on the CD player.

 

Playing out in a non-chronological order, the 31 tracks spread out across three CDs (there’s also a twelve-track “highlights” vinyl LP available) and featuring some cracking demos, radio sessions, rare rehearsals/outtakes and live recordings, the set it meticulously curated by Evo via extensive track by track sleeve notes.

Highlights include new tracks ‘Black’ (featuring Fred Purser), ‘Cemetery Dirt’ (featuring Fast Eddie and Tom Angelripper) and ‘Misanthropy’ (featuring Fast Eddie and Pete Way). There’s also a brutal run through of ‘Burn Down The Kings Road’ recorded for Tommy Vance’s Radio 1 Rock Show, plus the ‘Metal City’ versions of ‘Metal Anarchy’ and ‘Rape’ which were previously only available on the dodgy as hell Neat Records compilation VHS of the same name. There’s a brutal version of GBH’s ‘Sick Boy’, a hilarious take on Robert Palmer’s Addicted To Love’ retitled as ‘Addicted To Drugs’, whilst the three-track tribute to Evo’s previous bands that bring the second disc to a close is topped off by an immensely trashy rehearsal version of ‘Degenerate’ by The Blood, a band who at the time of their legendary debut album (‘False Gestures For A Devious Public’) were writing better Damned songs than The Damned themselves.

 

So much more than just another compilation, or “best of” set, ‘Songbook of Filth’ offers even the most hardcore Warfare fan plenty of new listening material to get excited about. This most certainly is not just a re-hash of those old well-worn Warfare LPs from the ‘80s, and if you are quick enough you can even bag yourself a signed copy from the Cherry Red website (via the link below).

 

Get this bad boy on your “MUST BUY” list, because this is proper fucking Metal Anarchy.

 

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Author: Johnny Hayward

 

 

 

Glenn Danzig’s “Death Rider In The House Of Vampires”

Glenn Danzig’s “Death Rider In The House Of Vampires”
Following 2 successful advance screenings in Los Angeles, CA and Las Vegas, NV this past weekend, Glenn Danzig’s 2nd Feature Film – the Vampire Spaghetti-Western “Death Rider in the House of Vampires” – will open across the U.S. at 200+ screens in select Theaters from August 27th.
In “Death Rider in the House of Vampires”, the mysterious “Death Rider” – clad all in black – travels thru the desert on horseback. His destination…Vampire Sanctuary. The entrance fee…one Female Virgin. Once inside he encounters Count Holliday, Vampire Lord of Sanctuary who warns him against any transgressions. Blood & Guns action follow as Death Rider tangles with some of the Vampires of Sanctuary like the smouldering Carmilla Joe with her sidekick Mina Belle and Vampire Gunslingers Drac Cassidy, Bad Bathory, Kid Vlad & Duke VonWayne.
“Death Rider in the House of Vampires” stars Danny Trejo (MACHETE, FROM DUSK TILL DAWN), Julian Sands (THE KILLING FIELDS, BOXING HELENA, WARLOCK), Devon Sawa (FINAL DESTINATION, IDLE HANDS), Kim Director (THE DEUCE, BLAIR WITCH 2) and Eli Roth (INGLORIUS BASTERDS, CABIN FEVER) & Writer/Director Glenn Danzig in a Supporting Role as Vampire Gunslinger Bad Bathory.

 

Opening across 200+ select US theaters from August

The Wildhearts – ’21st Century Love Songs (Graphite Records)

The Wildhearts – ’21st Century Love Songs (Graphite Records)

Another day another Wildhearts album to review (it seems like only a few months since the last album and subsequent follow-up EP, even though it wasn’t) Along with a UK tour that actually tours the UK, imagine that folks. Anyway, where was I?  Oh yeah, The Wildhearts.  A great British institution in their own right, never mind if Motorhead moved next door and killed your lawn imagine what your lawn would look like with these likely lads rocking up and sonically blasting this bad boy out – every blade of grass on your garden and any other surrounding properties would be gary gonners.   It’s time for them to mellow out and do an album of ’21st Century Love Songs’ or something like that (Not!) One look at the superb artwork might be a glimpse into whats coming.

’21st Century Love Songs’ is opened by the title track and like a pack of rabid dogs, they’re all over you, barking and straining at the leash – kicking the living crap out of your ears before you have time to get comfortable and settle into the bloody record. Sonically speaking, it’s a full-frontal assault but the melodies herein are lush and totally at odds with the aural barrage you’re getting from the thunderous rhythm section and dart attacks off Ginger and CJ who, let’s be honest, are on fuckin’ fire!  I’m not kidding its like hearing an album in one song – like a rollercoaster of riffs and melodies that feel like your head is going to explode you wonder where the hell this is heading and can it be sustained.  A fantastic opener and a real statement of intent – Ladies and Gentlemen you are now experiencing the new Wildhearts record, and its intense, beautiful, wonderfully loud and fuking exciting. Welcome!

 

Now get ready for some serious Wildhearts Bop with some fine bass runs that make your feet move on ‘Remember These Days’ with some great harmonies and gang vocals which the band does so well. The song twists and turns throughout filling every corner with music like an explosion of colour.

Take a sharp breath folk because the grunt on ‘Splitter’ is off the scale.  The mix is nuts with the lead vocals way down and competing like battling tops for space which adds to the controlled chaos that’s burrowing into your head.  fan-fucking-tastic tune and one that will go down well live as the slide guitar spins round and dive bombs through the mix and this is only a few songs deep.

If you thought the band touched on heavy on ‘Renaissance Men’ then hold on to your knickers because ‘Institutional Submission’ hacks and slashes like a frenzied killer. It’s like early Mayhem but done by big boys who aren’t wet behind the ears as it goes in for the kill with an underlying melody that Ginger does so so well as it drops and takes a breather.  I think it was Wayne who said intensity intensified he must have been onto something because that’s what this is.  Wildhearts disciples will love it and as the song meanders back up to speed.

We’ve all seen the video for ‘Sleepaway’ right?  now I went to boil the kettle at the start and even though the neighbours closed their curtains I thought it sounded like a Who track with a swinging pair of bollocks and plenty of clout but that might just be me but it has a bit of boogie in it as well, great track.

It would be fair to say that ‘You Do You’ is the closest the record gets to what one might consider a Wildherts album track.  Nothing wrong with it at all and I’m sure it will grow and melodies and lyrics will jump out on me but its sandwiched between the two tracks that I’d already heart dozens of times so I might revisit it in due course but ‘Sort Your Fucking Shit Out’ is a belter and a song I loved the first time I heard it.  Big chug on the riff-o-la and some terrific vocals to be fair.  As far away from the grunt and rowdiness elsewhere perfected on the album but here is what one might describe as a toe-tapper.

 

With three tracks left the band crank it up with some filthy guitars cranking out the riffs on ‘Directions’ it’s like showing off the way the band goes from heavy as a breeze block to the head to lush melody and back again with a change in tempo and direction like twisting the top off a pop bottle and then the fizz gushes – well, that ‘Directions’ that is.  Calling the penultimate track ‘A Physical Exorcism’ it’s pretty much what you’ve just experienced my friends an exhausting, mentally draining, emotionally uplifting, life-affirming, joyous listening experience courtesy of these four Wildhearts bastards.  Rock and Roll can be all things to all men and women but it’s fantastic that we still have functioning bands like The Wildhearts who just keep rolling with the punches and churning out albums that challenge and bring happiness and something to look forward to in tough times.  A cheeky smile here, a wink there and some heads down go for it loud Rock and Roll bringing it all together.  Thank the lord for the Wildhearts and another most excellent album.

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Author: Dom Daley

Chubby & The Gang – ‘The Mutt’s Nuts’ (Partisan Records)

Chubby & The Gang – ‘The Mutt’s Nuts’ (Partisan Records)

Well, First things first Chubby ain’t Chubby no more! Nope, that’s one thing since the debut album came out.  Frontman has become a lean mean frontman machine and he looks the picture of health as a result and tie that in with the super vibrant sleeve artwork you just know you’ve done something right picking up this bad boy.

 

Seeing as you asked nicely I got the gatefold album with the lyric book and the 3D artwork n glasses – and very nice they are as well. I trust Speed didn’t kill you after all? At least some haven’t been twiddling their thumbs during the lockdowns Chubbys got match fit and brought a bag full of tools, sorry tunes to do this job properly.

Now the main course is fifteen varied tunes from the real world of Charlie ‘Chubby’ Manning and his band of merry men and woman.  The Mutt’s Fuckin Nuts (what it should have been called) gets underway with a throbbing pulsating barnstorming title track ‘The Mutt’s Nut’.  Sure it takes off exactly where ‘Speed Kills’ took us and that 100 miles an hour stories of the streets walked by Chubby and The Gang.  ‘It’s Me Who’ll Pay’ is a supercharged boogie-woogie with plenty of tasty guitar licks for good measure.  But hang on kids it’s not all NWOBHC because ‘Coming Up Tough’ has a Malcolm Young riff nailed to a Powerage backbeat and bass throb and what an excellent slab of hobnailed pub Rock it is too. The subtle melody and backing vocals are a joy that shows these yobs have depth as well as talent.

 

I don’t think Charlie and co give a flying fuck for pigeon holes and have indeed expanded their sound and are dancing behind the beat if it so needs it and they show restraint and plenty of style on this big second album.  You get a sense that Charlie knows who he is and what his band are about and will dance to his own tune and by adding songs like ‘Take Me Home To London’ and the closing ‘I Hate The Radio’ shows there are many strings to the Chubby Bow and the passion is loud and clear especially on the heartfelt ‘Take Me Home’ like a barroom modern-day Billy Bragg with attitude.  These slower (dare I say It) mature numbers sit really well amongst the more familiar swift kick to the coin purse tunes you might expect. Especially the slow grinding blues of ‘White Rags’ that’s lashed to the wild n reckless ‘Overachiever’.

The excitement is amped up on the harmonica honking rocket ride of ‘Someone’s Gunna Die’ and the equally out of control thumper ‘Getting Beat Again’ but as we head into the home straight we go on a jazzy little ditty of ‘Lifes Lemons’ that commits to the rollercoaster feel of the record as it climbs up then gently drops before heading for the biggun or so you think but the organ just rolls on and the guitars pick their way to the end through the shimmering crash cymbals to ‘Lightning Don’t Strike Twice’ and after its false opening it’s slide guitars galore as we slam on to the final hurrah and album highlight and fine backbeat bedfellow to the Libertines best work through a Ray Davies style pop song and then we’re done.  fifteen songs that fly by in a brave yet safe space.  Chubby & The Gang have the world at their feet,  It’s theirs if they want it and as long as they keep writing records packed with top tunes then I’m in and I’ll enjoy this one for the next twelve months and then we can all get together and do this again. Fuckin’ top record get it!

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Author: Dom Daley