Jeff Drake – interview exclusive

Jeff Drake – interview exclusive

A band that should need no introduction or rather in an ideal world a band that is a household name we all know and love – The Joneses! Bandleader, Vocalist and Guitarist Jeff Drake has written an autobiography. It’s not just any old run of the mill autobiography about a Rock Star who hit hard times then fought his way back up like a bazillion other this one is the work of a man who doesn’t mince his words and titled the reads ‘Guilty: My life as a member of the Joneses, A heroine addict, A bankrobber and a federal inmate’. Intrigued? You bloodywell should be. The Joneses paved the way for many of the band who hit the big time on Sunset Strip had it all, lost it all and a whole heap of shit besides. Fans of the site should be failiar with his sibling Scott ‘Deluxe’ Drake who now fronts Geurilla Teens and was also Jeffs bandmate on the Vice Principles album as wellas being one of The Humpers and a lovesore but this is Jeffs Story so RPM wanted to wet ones apetite for some proper destruction. Ladies and gentlemen I give you Jeff Drake...

Firstly I’d like to know what made you pick up a guitar?and way back as a kid was there a lot of music at home that inspired you?

I determined to be a guitar player after I saw Jimmy Page in the Song Remains The Same. I saw it in the theater several times when it first came out. There was a lot of music at home. Good stuff, too. My dad was a teenager in the 50s and we had his Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Bo Diddely and Coasters records. My mom liked the Beatles and CCR. Those are the records I listened to as a kid.

That’s cool having such greats filling the air at home. So can you remember your first guitar? and did you teach yourself to play?

Yes. My first electric guitar was a black Les Paul copy. All my friends were impressed cyz they thought it was a real Les Paul. But it was a cheap copy. The input jack kept falling out so I had to keep taping it up. It sounded good though. I pretty much taught myself to play. I would come home from school and play for hours. When my parents punished me they would take the guitar away.

How old were you when you first decided you needed to be in a band? and play guitar. What about vocals was that something you wanted to do as well rather than be just a guitarist in a band?

I was about 16 when I started learning to play guitar. I wanted to be in a band right away even though I couldn’t play. That was about 1977 so punk was breaking so that was okay. I never wanted to be a singer. I was only supposed to be the singer of the Joneses until we found a real one. I was the singer cuz I was writing the songs and I knew the words. I just wanted to play guitar, sing back up and write songs.

Were the Joneses the first band you were in writing original material?

No, in fact I started writing “songs” before I knew how to play guitar. ‘Pillbox’ & ‘Criminals’, two early Joneses songs, I wrote when I was 16.

I just wanted to get a bit of background before jumping in with the book for those who know nothing about the Joneses. As for record releases, (all the Joneses songs have been remastertered by a US label (Projectile Platters) and released on vinyl in three volumes) I didn’t know that was happening haha. New music?

No, nothing new, but this label, Projectile Platters, is releasing everything the Joneses ever recorded on three 12″ LPs. It’s called Jonesin’ the Discography Volumes 1,2 ,& 3. They just came out and are available now.

It’s always been a bit shit over here in the uk pre internet especially. Hearing about bands like The Joneses was so difficult. when we did get to hear we were well behind the curve. Then when we see you get mentioned as an influence on someone like Guns n Roses people like myself needed to know. Imports were expensive so when a record popped up that was as good as ‘Tits and Champagne’ or ‘Keeping Up With The Joneses’ I had to find out more until I had everything hahah

I understand. I didn’t even know people were crazy about the song ‘Pillbox’ until the internet happened and everyone loved ‘Pillbox’.

The song has aged fantastically, one of those timeless classics if you don’t mind me saying. Even seeing pictures of you guys live and since the internet, reading peoples recollections are fantastic, If tinged with a bit of regret that it happened so far away.

Thank you kindly. I hear that a lot. I think it’s kinda funny because I don’t really like that song, the Joneses stopped playing it for years and I wrote that song when I was 16. Was it all downhill from there? Long ago and far away…..

How did the new releases come about?

I was just sitting at home, had just made a deal with HoZac to publish my book and Nat from PNV contacted me through a friend about the idea he had to release the definitive Joneses releases. It was really fortuitous timing with me just finishing the book.

Are they remastered or did you have to search for the tapes?

They are all remastered and sound great. Nat did a great job with all that. They each have a bunch of photos and liner notes written by me. They sound and look great.

How long had it been since you listened to the tapes of the Joneses? Did they sound better than you remember?

Oh brother, I don’t really listen to the Joneses if I don’t have to. Probably since FBK put out that stuff. So, 13 years maybe?

Actually, yeah, they always sound better than I remember. Part of that I think is just getting used to hearing my voice again.

Man you do yourself an injustice. Those records were and still are fantastic and when I read quotes that get thrown up about your band being the “Originals”, “should have been huge” “LA’s most influential bands”, “Best kept secret in Rock n Roll” how does that make you feel? because I would agree. looking at the timeline of what came out of LA it is a mystery how you didn’t blow up (or is it).

Cool, thanks. Well, hearing that stuff is gratifying, but it’s also a bummer cuz it seems like we did start something and then got passed by. People have asked me what it’s like to be a cult figure, and I say it’s kinda like a consolation prize. Like, sorry there’s no fame and fortune, but people write about you! It is nice to hear people that appreciate the Joneses and how we were sort of influential. I’ve had people who are now Rockstars who told me that seeing me play when they were young made them wanna get up there and play rock n roll. Kinda like with me and Jimmy Page!

I get you, were you offered decent deals? foreign tours? Why do you think you got overlooked as you put it? Do you look back on the mid-eighties with regret? Of the LA bands who made it “Big” I can’t think of many who had a ‘Pillbox’, ‘Ms 714’, ‘Criminals’, ‘Tits & Champagne’, I could go on. I guess the landscape was pretty different when you started compared to when the band called it a day?

Well, the band never really did call it a day, just faded away. In 1984 we were on the brink of a major deal with Elektra Records. We were the biggest band in L.A., drawing big crowds, we had a celebrity manager, Danny Sugarman, and it didn’t happen. Part of it was Danny was a junkie like us and couldn’t really manage anything. He had an in at Elektra cuz he was managing the Doors’ affairs and the A&R guy there, Tom Zutaut loved us. But over Xmas holiday 1984 all the A&R people at the record companies played musical chairs. Zutaut went to Geffen and a guy named Peter Philbin took over at Ekektra. Philbin had been at CBS and didn’t like us. So Elektra was out. That was Danny’s ace in the hole and that was all he had. Zutaut went to Geffen and they had Elton John and Neil Diamond and didn’t want the Joneses. Zutaut was new so didn’t have enough juice there to sign us. Also, we were considered too dangerous cuz of the drugs and our general reputation. Which is crazy cuz Zutaut ended up signing GnR to Geffen a few years later. Then everybody, Poison, GnR, L.A. Guns, Faster Pussycat, other bands I can’t remember, all the “Joneses clones” started getting signed and we were left behind. We never could tour overseas cuz of our drugs and legal issues. I still can’t get a passport. I only look back at the mid-80s with regret cuz we didn’t get a big deal. Otherwise, those were great times. We were the biggest band in one of the musical capitals of the world. The Joneses started Xmas Eve 1981, so yes, things changed considerably over that time.

Were European tours ever an option before you weren’t able to travel? Here in the UK at the time we had like Hanoi Rocks, Lords Of The New Church and punk crossed over like the Damned and UK Subs. Had you guys played the Marquee over here it would have been the thing of legend.

Not really. We did a couple of tours of the States in 82 & 83, played with the Lords of the New Church, in fact, but 84 was spent in L.A. trying to get a deal and by 85 I was too strung out to go anywhere. That would’ve been really cool to go over there.

Looking at America from this side of the pond the coasts of America look different musically and had somebody played me your music without me knowing anything about where you came from I’d have said 100% East coast, how did you go down when you played the East coast? was there a buzz on the other side of the country considering you were at the top of the pile on the West coast.

It’s funny because on our tours we were more popular back East than we were at home. That’s why we did them. We had recorded two songs on THE BYO comp “Someone Got Their Head Kicked In” and people knew of us from that. “Pillbox” was on there. We were way more popular in New York than L.A. We were surprised anybody back there knew about us at all. By our second tour, they were treating us like Rockstars in NY. We didn’t start getting popular in L.A. until we got back from our second tour.

I just received a promo from a company and a band called the Cheats have covered ‘Pillbox’ as the second track on their new album haha

Wow, cool. Seems everyone loves that song.

I literally just got the email 10 minutes ago and when I opened it that got my attention

freaky (Jeff had to duck out for a while and I opened some emails I received whilst interviewing)

Why did you decide to write a book now, and was it something you have had on your mind for a while or was the seed sewn by someone else?

Someone else. I have a friend named Jeff Davis who has been bugging me to write a book for about 30 years. About 18 months ago my wife left me and Jeff said do it now. You’ve got time on your hands and you’re not getting any younger.

Was it something you found easy? Did your mind play tricks with you regarding dates places etc?

There was a little of that mind-playing tricks business, but not too much. I’ve got a really good memory. It wasn’t easy to get started. That’s why I didn’t do it for so long. I didn’t think I was disciplined enough. All I had ever written were songs and those take 20 minutes. I knew the book would take longer. When I started I would only write about an hour a week. I knew at that rate it would take forever. So I made myself write every day. After a while, I got into it and it went really fast after that.

Was there a ghostwriter involved at all?

No ghostwriter. All me.

Did you find it hard to revisit areas of the past? Judging by the title alone there must be some content from your past that most of us won’t begin to comprehend

I didn’t really find it hard that way at all. In fact, once I got going, I really enjoyed it.

I won’t dig into the bank Robbery and the federal inmate time I’ll save that for when I read the book. Saying that what goes through your mind when you got caught?

Well, to say I was disappointed would be an understatement. I thought I would either make off with a bunch of money and have a big party or I would go down in a hail of bullets in a blaze of glory. I wasn’t too particular which. Getting caught and going to prison wasn’t in my plans.

How did you manage to kick H?

After many years and many different attempts, I think I was finally just sick of it. You have to really want to stop. Life is so much simpler without it. I think heroin definitely contributed to a lot of really bad decisions, cost me fortunes, limited my ability to do many things, led to a tainted reputation, played a major role in not being more successful musically. Sometimes writing about stuff like that it almost seemed like I was writing about a different person because some of it was so long ago.

Do you have many cuttings or did you keep diaries to reflect on?

I’ve never kept diaries. Luckily, I usually gave clippings, etc to whoever was my girlfriend at the time and they sort of archived them. They really didn’t help with the writing of the book, but they came in handy for illustrations, etc.

The book will contain many pictures, articles, ads, listing, all sorts of ephemera.

Do you still see or speak to the other Joneses?

There have been so many Joneses over the years. I keep in touch with a few. Some are dead. One, who I won’t name, was fired from the band about 40 years ago and still threatens me on Facebook.

Oh wow, holding onto a grudge for 40 years? man, pfew. I guess some live shows are out of the question then? As a result of writing the book is there any unfinished business?

Live shows aren’t necessarily out of the question. The main problem is geography. I’m about 300 miles north of L.A., so it’s hard to put anything together. The guy holding the grudge is angry because I “get all the money & credit” and without him I’d be nothing. Crazy, right? I don’t understand the unfinished business?

Just with regards to putting anything to rights after writing your life story. Like recording more music or playing the songs live. that was what I meant. Are there unfinished songs you think need to be completed that sort of thing. and if there was anyone you’d love to have recorded or worked with?

I don’t really have any plans for anything like that. I’m just kinda taking things as they come. I’m not a young man any more.

I do have a handful of songs I’ve written and never recorded. I would need to write some more. I’ve been talking to my good friend Pleasant Gehman about doing a record of duets. I’d like to do that.

cool I think there would be a market of fans who’d love to hear it.

I hope so. I think it would be really good.

Finally, I appreciate your time and taking up a chunk of it this evening but I want to ask about The Vice Principles album. How come there was only the one record? I think that album has some of the best work both of you have done and it still sounds fantastic. Was it only ever meant to be the one album? (The Vice Principles was a band Jeff put together with his Brother Scott.)

Well yes and no. Originally that record was gonna be a solo album for me. Then my brother and I decided to make it a band. We laid the plans up to and including recording the album and everything worked like clockwork. Then my brother and I disagreed about what to do next and it kinda fell apart. I’m proud of that record and it’s a miracle we were able to do it. We’re both used to being the creative force in our respective bands and there was just too much genius for one band. Ha! I’m also really proud of the record I did with Amanda Jones. I think that’s some of the best writing and playing I’ve ever done.

Awesome I’ve just had an email about who is pushing the records in Europe so I’ll try there for shipping to the UK, fingers crossed. Fingers crossed The book should be fine getting hold of in the UK. HoZac is a name I know. I can’t wait to get stuck into it and find out the you full story and I hope many others dig in as well.

Yeah, so make sure you tell everyone about the records and the book. This has been a real pleasure.

I’ve been a fan of your music since the 80s and with the internet, the world has become a smaller place and it’s always a pleasure, never a chore to meet (even virtually) people I admire and whose music has soundtracked even a small part of my life. Thank you.

Like I said, it was my pleasure. Thanks for appreciating what I do and taking the time to talk to me. Good luck with all you do and maybe our paths will cross again.

HoZac Books – ‘Guilty: My Life As A Member Of The Joneses, A Heroin Addict, A Bank Robber and a Federal Inmate’ by Jeff Drake

Projectile Platters – Volume 1,2 and 3

The Chats – ‘Get Fucked’ (Bargain Bin Records)

The Chats – ‘Get Fucked’ (Bargain Bin Records)

Coming across like a down-under Devitto era Buzzcocks meets AC/DC old Skool the Chats do anything other than getting Fucked on this their second offering of Aussie punk rock.

‘GET FUCKED’ opens with ‘6L GTR’, a takedown of a speed-crazed status-symbol driver – a critique piqued when Eamon spotted the titular license plate in an airport carpark. It’s an album that shows the band’s maturity from the off on this here 13 high-velocity punk tracks. To be fair they’ve hardly matured and started writing prog whilst playing a flute one-legged on a toadstool. This bad boy rips from start to finish, as they’d say down under. Lyrically it covers topics from panic attacks, junkies, prison breaks, the price of smokes, surf mafia, and being drunk in every pub in Brisbane amongst other heady big ticket topics.

There’s a rumor that Opener ‘6L GTR’ saw Eamon Sandwith nick a bit of Dave Lee Roth which was taken out of the tune after management got a knockback from Diamond Dave but hey ho them is the breaks they should have just done it and send double D the V sign with a sue us if you want letter. The non-PC album title came from a brainstorming session (imagine that one folks?) where Matt Boggis said imagine how funny it would be if kids go to the record store and ask for Get Fucked from the salesperson. Yeah pretty funny slinging it on yer Christmas list from your nan to pick up. But hey this isn’t Roxy Music or Genesis or some high-brow prog This is working-class Aussie punk rock yer Fuckers!

Anyway, where were we? Oh yeah, thirteen songs. The first single and album opener down The Chats have got sharper and tighter that’s for sure and all that touring has paid off for sure. Most of the album is your usual Australian HC one and a half minutes of rage then boom! but there are a couple of tracks that tickle the four-minute mark which in itself is almost Maiden-esque pro in length rather than Ron Jeremy Length in the puns and goofiness stakes. so good on ’em for that.

‘Struck By Lightening’ is a warning to take cover in storms maybe go inside and put this on the earbuds – thundering along with a rapid verse with sloppy doo wap backing vocals and a cautionary tale. the solo is majestic to be fair as the song hammers along. ‘Boggo Breakout’ is punk as fuck from the vacant riff to the snotty vocals it’s another banger and benefits from volume and multiple plays. ‘Southport Superman’ is just a heads-down race to the finish line in true punk as fuck style. ‘Panic Attack’ is more restrained from the intro with a military slap on the snare and pluck on the bass before Josh joins in with his Shelly meets Diggle meets the Undertones wall of punk rock guitars lifts the song up.

The first of the long songs is the excellent ‘ The Price Of Smokes’ which is about the economic cost of living stuff where the band thrust the cost of living to the forefront. It’s a cool bass and drum intro where they lock in and take this baby to the bridge then drop her off gently. An excellent song that asks the important questions of the day. Sidestep from the heads down crank it up that had preceded it, (See I said The Chats had moved on and matured). Oh hang on ‘Dead On Site’ is a razor-sharp riff delivering exactly what The Chats fans are clamoring for. Punchy, full throttle, punk rock mixed with some fine Angus Young inspired old school solos – magical stuff!

‘Paid Late’ is a fine slice of Smash and Grab punk rock before the let’s go to the pub banger that is ‘I’ve Been Drunk In Every Pub In Brisbane’. If I’m honest this album has added elements of Rock and old-school hard rock, even when they speed up proceedings it’s a great crossover full of energy and street punk rock n roll. Their no longer on Smoko their running the gaff. There’s no acoustic ballad but there’s lots of loud guitars. I think one of my favourite tracks is ‘Emperor Of The Beach’ with its cock sure riff that tips the hat to the daddy of tone Steve Jones and is a thumper of a track. The band signs off this second album with the punky ‘Getting Better’ and so they are. God bless these noisy cunts from down under for they’ve taught this old dog a few tricks on this album and tightened up the loose ends of the debut and thrown in a few curve balls but above all delivered a fantastic record that I’m thoroughly enjoying

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Author: Dom Daley

Singles Club – August Second Leg

Singles Club – August Second Leg

What a week for tip top single dropping on the RPM HQ doormat. Check out this handy bunch of tasty treats. Pour a drink sit back and make a playlist of these. Your day will be a banger…

The Young Hasselhoffs – ‘Life Got In The Way’ (Rum Bar Records) Omaha, Nebraska’s punk rock romantics open another Singles Club and another offering from the Excellent Lovers of Rock n Roll that are Rum Bar Records. This time it’s sprightly pick-me-up punk rock of The Young HAsselhoffs with ‘Life Got In The Way’ sure it’s Big Time Green Day inspired and why not? It has a tonne of energy, great production and makes me smile. Job done! Lifted from their forthcoming, brand new full length release ‘Life Got In The Way’ due out this Rocktober Check it out Here

Jesse Malin & Bruce Springsteen – ‘Broken Radio’ (Wicked Cool Records) The re-releasing of Jesse Malin’s “lost album, ‘Glitter in the Gutter’, and ‘Broken Radio ‘22’ is the lead single for the campaign.  The track features Bruce Springsteen, along with Malin, on vocals, and is about Malin’s mom’s love for music.  It is the perfect kickoff to the album campaign.  Glitter in the Gutter was originally released in 2007 on Green Day’s Adeline Records, but has been out of print for years and has never appeared digitally.  The 2022 version of Broken Radio is revamped with Malin’s current band, giving it a more modern update. Glitter was a great record mixing up Malins influences and pushing boundaries of what people expected from the D Gen frontman. Getting Springsteen in was a great idea but really underplayed at the time so lets hope this fresh kickstart and new coat of pain give it the energy and push this fantastic album deserves. pick it up Here

The Speedways – ‘Shoulda Known’ (Snap!!/Hurrah Musica & Beluga Records) Two brand new tracks lifted from the forthcoming album from The Speedways Who serve up the song of the summer. If you’ve been following their career, you’ll be unsurprised by the quality of tunes on offer here. An instant classic, catchy as hell, complete with key change. You know how 1979 was a year of amazing tunes from The Jags, Elvis Costello, The Korgis? ‘Shoulda Known’ is up there with the very best power pop. Honestly, I don’t know how they do it, but it’s an ongoing master class.

‘A Drop In The Ocean’ starts like a Kinks riff, before the verse comes in, shimmering with a beautiful, melancholy melody. Like any amateur songwriter, I know how hard it is to come up with the goods, but The Speedways can be relied on to deliver every time. What can I say? Listen and buy. The album of the summer? I wouldn’t bet against it. Buy Here

Words: Martin Chamarette

More Kicks – ‘Animal’ (Dirtnap Records (USA) and Stardumb Records (EU)) Opening with a guitar lick that says Hell yeah we love the knack and My Sherona is boss but this bad boy rolls further down that freewheeling hill towards the solo that just burns baby! A smoldering rock-n-roll tune that just gets better and better. Suli writes great tunes – that’s a given and this is more kicks which is most appropriate when describing this retro-drenched banger. If you were looking for more proof then flip this bad boy and ‘The Wind Up’ crackles and snaps its scuffed Cuban heels to the whig-out tempo and again it’s different from the A side but just as good. Then the third and final track is a whistful road song with acoustic guitar and cool lyrics. ’10 Miles High’ is simple yet superb! from the Dylan-esque strum to the swirling organ and gang BV’s layered in the background and then it’s done. Buy this record! Here

Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts – ‘Ballad Of A Misspent Youth‘ (MRG through Virgin/Universal) Man it’s been two years since ‘What Kinda Love’ and twelve Months since ‘Same Old You’ well kids after releasing the news of the new label signing the single ‘Ballad Of A Misspent Youth’ is released. It’s got A big Early Kiss Riff borrowed and some rock n roll lyrics, of course, Tuk is back in the room after a lengthy lay-off this needs to be played loud and over and over. check it out Here

Kurt Baker – ‘Electric Fire’ (Wicked Cool Records) Kurt Baker’s latest single, ‘Electric Fire’, is out August 19 on Wicked Cool Records.  Baker wrote the track with his longtime collaborator and guitarist, Geoff Palmer.  The two were inspired by their influences, such as Oasis, Elvis Presley, The Supersuckers, and more.  With this release, Baker hopes to bring a little bit of light and levity to the intense and frustrating times we’ve been living.  He says, “Let’s face it, we’ve been through a lot and the best cure is a little rock n roll for our soul.”  We’ve been longtime admirers of Baker’s music and songwriting skills so seeing him sign to Wicked Cool seemed a great fit and the quality tunes keep coming thick and fast and ‘Electric Fire’ rolls off the conveyor belt of cool tunes. orcd.co/electricfire

Blodkvalt – ‘Decapitation’ (Fysisk Format Records) Its no secret that we have a love of Black Metal here at RPMHQ so when Fysisk Format turn in a new tune or when Fysisk Format have a new record coming out we have to check it out on reputation and so it turns out Blodkvart are bang on the money – Bleak, dark, Black as fuck. I only hope they are ok in this searing summer heat Europe is undergoing. Oslo isn’t exempt from the chaos of this heat so grab a blackpack and yomp to this motherfuckers.

Slyder Smith & The Oblivion Kids – ‘Pleasure Victim’ (Cargo / Ray Records) The second single lifted from the magnificent debut album from former Last Great Dreamer, Slyder and the boys bang out ‘Pleasure Victim’ an exciting rush of energy that harks back to Wardour Streets Marquee and the likes of Hanoi kicking out the jams this, is a thumper in that vein.

Great rolling lick before the chug leads the way on the verse before some cool stabs and a solo that’s like a gob full of space dust as the six-string slides by. Bang and then it’s done! Banger of a tune – trust me! Pre-save it here

Automatics – ‘Wild Ride Through Wonderland’ It’s a big sweeping acoustic-driven slice of Rock n Roll with a dreamy tempo. It’s a grower of a tune that if it were on the radio you’d turn the dial up and you’d be singing along with the roof down as you zip through the winding country lanes. It features Neil Frost and it is a 2022 reworking of the song which originally featured on the ‘Star Maps Of The Underworld’ album, check it out here

Slim Jim Phantom – ‘Speed Of Sound’ (Wicked Cool Records) Wow! Slim Jim Phantom of The Stray Cats has joined the Wicked Cool Records family.  ‘Speed of Sound’ is a digital single and what a banger it is.  The track packs a punch in under two minutes and doesn’t hang about – wham bang thank you man. I wasn’t expecting this and then when it hits you – man that was a rush. Rock n Roll royalty is in the house and this is excellent. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before we get an album and if it’s this strong then it’ll be a highlight make no mistake about that. Find it and turn It UP!!! Record of the week? Absolutely!!!

Ginger Wildheart & The Sinners – ‘Lately Always’ (Wicked Cool Records) A sidestep to the left for Ginger Wildheart but if his debut album for Wicked Cool was an indication of the quality we can expect and on the strength of this then the Sinners album promises to be a real contender come the end of the year. Check out the video below

Grand Theft Audio – ‘Pass Me The Conch’ (Technical Foul)

Grand Theft Audio – ‘Pass Me The Conch’ (Technical Foul)

The small consolation fans of The Wildhearts can take from their favourite band being such a volatile unit, is I suppose, the amount of fantastic music the resulting side projects have produced every time a member leaves or, as is the case right now, the band goes on an extended hiatus.

Honeycrack, The Yo-Yo’s, The Jellys, Jackdaw4, Mutation, Silver Ginger 5, Sorry & The Sinatras, the list of quality just goes on and on.

There is one band however, that rose from the ashes the first time The Wildhearts crashed and burned that completely passed me by at the time, and that band is Grand Theft Audio.

I’m not exactly sure why this was, as formed around the creative nucleus of Wildhearts drummer Ritch Battersby, producer Ralph Jezzard and Realtv and Vive Finito frontman Jay Butler, the band quickly signed to London Records for their debut album ‘Blame Everyone’ and then found themselves pretty much everywhere, touring the world whilst also featuring on various movie and video game soundtracks. Then, almost as quickly as they burst onto the scene they were gone, as their label dissolved and the band fell apart.

Its two decades on from that implosion with Ritch and Jay now back in the ring with their second album ‘Pass Me The Conch’ that I first get to hear them, and praise the Gods (of Rock) that I’ve finally discovered them.

Effortlessly merging elements of electronica with balls out arena rock Grand Theft Audio sound like a whirlwind of positivity in a world that once again seems to love wallowing in the negative. Inspiring tracks like the gothic ‘Ruin Your Youth’, the anthemic ’Bad Instinct’, and the monstrous ‘Bury The Day’ take the bottom end thrust of The Wildhearts and give it a 21st Century twist, full to bursting point with melody and catchier than Covid-19 in a world that is now seemingly devoid of any conscience for its continued spread.

Elsewhere, there’s the pop-tastic rock/rap lead single ‘The Gods of Rock’ that has me thinking of Manson at his finest (that’s Marilyn not Charlie) and album opener ‘Scrub Up’ could very easily have been a long-lost GUN track written at the height of their 90s MTV fame.

It’s the darker and more reflective electronic tracks like ‘Trevor’ and ‘The Load’ that are the flipside of the Grand Theft Audio dynamic, and for me, this is where they stand apart from being just another rock band.  It’s exhilarating and genre smashing stuff!  

‘Pass Me The Conch’ is Grand Theft Audio’s statement of intent, its them taking control of their musical destiny and throughout the record’s ten tracks it sounds like they are loving every second of it.

Released on the 2nd of September with a twelve date tour starting a week later to help promote the release of the record, Grand Theft Audio will be sharing stages across the UK with CJ Wildheart and Scott Sorry and some might even be so bold as to say that a world without The Wildhearts is actually a musically much richer place to live in. ‘Pass Me The Conch’ is a leader not a follower- check it out!

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Author: Johnny Hayward

BOUND FOR HELL: ON THE SUNSET STRIP BOX SET

BOUND FOR HELL: ON THE SUNSET STRIP BOX SET

PRE-ORDER THE OCTOBER 28 COLLECTION HERE; LISTEN TO MAX HAVOC’S “BOUND FOR HELL” NOW

“The Sunset Strip sang an irresistible siren song to young metalheads, the stretch from Tower Records west to Geffen Records headquarters. The Rainbow and Gazzarri’s were ground zero, both inside and on the sidewalks out front.” – Katherine Turman from Bound For Hell: On The Sunset Strip

Numero Group, the frequently GRAMMY-nominated,  Chicago-based label known for crafting expertly-researched collections featuring rarities, out-of-print and often forgotten musical sub-genres and artists, shine a spotlight on the halcyon days of early ‘80s Los Angeles glam metal with Bound For Hell: On The Sunset Strip.

A deep dive into the world of AquaNet and eyeliner, the 21-songs, spread across 2LPs, transport listeners, with music critic and co-author of Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of Metal, Katherine Turman, providing the road map via a 144-page, full color book. Amidst those pages, the story of how the scene unfurled, and eventually imploded, is told via first-hand testimonials, photos, and show flyers.

Artists featured include scene heavyweights Armored Saint, Black ‘N Blue and Lizzy Borden, alongside long lost tracks from Reddi Killowatt, Angeles, Max Havoc, SIN, and Romeo. Bound For Hell: On The Sunset Strip also pays particular attention to the female musicians who challenged the testosterone-laden world of the Strip, with entries and recollections from Lisa Baker, Jaded Lady, Leather Angel, Hellion, and Bitch. “We were not pop girls, we really loved the aggression and the passion of hard rock music,” explains Leather Angel and Jaded Lady’s Terry O’Leary. “As a band, and especially as an all-girl band, you know, we came to conquer.”

A stream of Max Havoc’s “Bound For Hell”, a local band formed in 1981 by Pat McKeon, and at one time included Quiet Riot’s Carlos Cavazo and W.A.S.P.’s Tony Richards, is streaming now. The track comes from the band’s long out-of-print, self-titled album.

“The infamous Sunset Strip glam metal scene of the ‘80s is one that’s been covered excessively, and for a good reason. But usually, the analysis goes too far past bands like Mötley Crüe, Poison, Quiet Riot, etc.,” explains Adam Luksetich, producer, and researcher behind the collection. “Our goal with Bound For Hell was to narrow in on the equally impressive independent or unsigned bands that thrived in that same scene but in most cases, never benefited from the major label feeding frenzy. With a bounty of unseen photos, pages and pages of flyers, and detailed liner notes, these bands get more time in the spotlight.”

The Numero Group will also be releasing several digital-only bonuses leading up to the physical release, dubbed the Bound For Hell digital series, the label previously released L.A. Rock’s single “Cocaine” and Stormer’s eight-song Claremont Village Demos in upcoming weeks.

Pre-orders, for both Bound For Hell: On The Sunset Strip box set (2LPs and the accompanying book), as well as the Sheer Savage edition featuring a CD wallet with 12-panel, double-sided poster, without the book, are available now: https://numerogroup.com/products/on-the-sunset-strip. The Numero Group website will have an exclusive color vinyl edition of the LP-based set, limited to 500 copies, which will include a bonus cassette featuring five additional tracks from Black ‘N Blue, Lisa Baker, Stormer, Odin and Leather Angel.

The Mission – The Crescent, York – Tuesday 2nd August 2022

The Mission – The Crescent, York – Tuesday 2nd August 2022

There was a moment during ‘Tower Of Strength’ tonight when I took the time to look around the packed room. Confetti stuck to my sweat-drenched skin, flanked by girls on guys shoulders, there was a sea of hands in the air, smiling and singing along to one of their favourite songs. Nobody had a mobile phone out and everyone was lost in the moment, and I thought to myself …this, this is what live music is all about. This is what I have loved my entire adult life. And this sort of energy, this camaraderie at a live gig is what keeps me coming back for more.

This is the first of 3 warm up shows by The Mission in preparation for their European tour, and it will be the last dates the band play in the UK for the foreseeable future. There is no support and The Mission will play 2 sets. To my knowledge, the band have never played York before, they probably won’t again. It has been sold out for months. This could be a night to remember.

It is hot in The Crescent before the band even take to the stage at 8pm, and by the time they finish the first set of deep cuts and curiosities, I can only describe it as being akin to having a sauna, fully clothed with 250 of your best friends!

Engulfed in a cloud of dry ice, the opening ‘Black Cat Bone’ from their 2013 opus ‘The Brightest Light’, is an atmospheric, slow-burner that builds nicely. Dressed head to foot in black, the band skulk the stage as you would expect. The tribal beats of new boy Alex Baum sound powerful and Wayne Hussey’s 12 string sounds loud, way loud! The live mix ain’t the greatest it has to be said, but that’s what you get for standing a few feet from the stage and the PA, I guess! Wayne is certainly struggling with the sound, but it seems to sort itself out after a few songs.

Some great and some may say, unexpected tunes follow. The Beatles ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ sounds ace and that riff to ‘Evangeline’ is pure joy that lights the place up, a set highlight for me. The enigmatic frontman takes center stage, gesticulating to his enraptured fanbase as they sing the chorus back to him.

They mix up the old and new nicely. ‘Tyranny Of Secrets’, ‘Swoon’ and ‘Grotesque’ follow in quick succession, followed by old classics ‘And The Dance Goes On’ and ‘Into The Blue’. ‘Swan Song’ ends an hour set that dare I say it, was a bit mid-paced and lacked any big ‘hits’. But there is more to come.

A half hour break and then the band return for Set 2. This is more of a greatest hits set, consisting of the songs they will be playing on the imminent European tour. Opening with ‘Beyond the Pale’ immediately sets the scene for how a gig should be. The energy levels are off the scale, in complete contrast to the first set, where it seemed the crowd were hesitant to go for it. No such problem now, as fists punch the air in unison to the anthemic chorus and a circle pit of sorts forms sending arms and legs flailing into the unsuspecting masses.

The ebb & flow of this set seems perfect. Classics such as ‘Serpent’s Kiss’, ‘Garden Of Delight’ and a magnificent ‘Severina’ keep the energy levels high, the crowd are in fine voice and the sweat is literally dripping from every pore.

The gentle ballad ‘Butterfly On A Wheel is a welcome respite from the goth-tinged anthems and gives the more energetic amongst us a breather and a chance to get a drink. Wayne sips from a bottle of red and gets us to sing the chorus to him as he surveys the scene and smiles.

And then there’s confetti in the air… boom! ‘Wasteland’, hello my old friend! A heartbeat of a bassline from Craig Adams, effect-ridden guitars from Hussey & Simon Hinkler and that anthemic chorus. The song is jammed out with harmonics and feedback, as the frontman takes us on an extended trip, before bringing the hook back in again for a crescendo. Magnificent stuff.

Reinvigorated with its recent re-recording and release as a charity single, I guess ‘Tower Of Strength’ still stands tall as one of Wayne Hussey’s finest moments. Certainly, in this live setting it has the power to unite and enthrall in equal measures. The message in the lyrics is something we can all relate to during recent events and it stands tall as a testament to that more than anything.

They end the second set with ‘Deliverance’. I mean, c’mon, what a tune! If you aren’t making shapes with your hands through that verse and punching the air for the chorus, then what sort of a music fan are you anyway? Wayne keeps the chorus refrain going as Alex beats that bass drum, the guitarist and bassist exit stage left, leaving all eyes and ears on their band leader ending the song.

Shit, I need a drink of water and a change of t shirt, but they ain’t done yet. An encore is in order, and Wayne removes his 12 string for the first time tonight, takes to the mic and apologises for any mistakes they may make as they haven’t played the quite fitting ‘Heat’ for a long time. ‘Hungry As The Hunter’ follows and sees the band gift one last hurrah for a 2-set treat that no other show will provide on this run.

Combining the energy and bombast of an arena show, the atmosphere and intimacy of a small club show and the heat of a thousand suns, The Mission delivered a one-off performance I will remember for years to come. My ears are ringing, my clothes are drenched and my faith in live music is fully restored. If you are still under the illusion that goth rock is dreary and miserable, go see The Mission live and prepare to get the cobwebs blown away for good.

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Author: Ben Hughes

Role Models Reunion Shows

Role Models Reunion Shows

Hitting the road with Role Models and the biggest crew of amazing bands and friends across three shows starting on Aug 19th in London… gonna celebrate the rock n roll family and raise a bit of cash for St. Judes in the name of our much loved and missed friend Roger Segal ❤️🖤

Every band on all 3 bills are wonderful loved friends… all had respect and love for Roger Segal… There are MANY people over here in the U.K. that do… It just felt good and right in the heart to get the band back together now… and share the stage with members of our rock n roll family.

All done with respect to his family and loved ones stateside. Proceeds are being given to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital… which it has been shared by those very close to him is a charity he felt strongly about… Now we added The Idol Dead in Huddersfield and PowderKeg in Edinburgh!!!

Come see the Role Models with…

AUGUST 19 LONDON – The Black Heart – Tickets Here Support from – The City Kids – The Empty Page – Billy Liar

August 20 HUDDERSFIELD – The Parish -Tickets Here Support from – The Idol Dead – Mr Shiraz – The Empty Page – Billy Liar

August 21 EDINBURGH – Bannernan’s – Tickets Here Support from – PowderKeg – Billy Liar – The Empty Page

Come AAAWWWN! See you all out there

Puzzle Tree – ‘Every Broken Floor’ (Self Released)

Puzzle Tree – ‘Every Broken Floor’ (Self Released)

One thing that comes from even just the first listen of this eagerly awaited debut album is that you really feel like you are listening to something special.

Hailing from the Rhondda valley, Puzzle Tree are a quintet specialising in a brand of rock that manages to mix a whole host of genres ranging from Prog, Symphonic and Alternative rock and metal that sounds familiar yet fresh all at the same time.

From the opening track ‘Embers’ and its stop start riffage to the angelic vocals of Rachel Thomas, the song opens the album in such a way that you can not help be drawn into the lush melodies followed by the ultimate riff and glorious fluid soloing.

As mentioned above the sound of the album is absolutely crystal clear and fantastic. The second track ‘Oceans’ opens yet again with another killer cutting riff and you honestly feel that you shouldn’t be listening to something great as this easily surpasses anything that each of the band have previously done before.

If you are fans of Welsh heavy rock, then the line-up should be of no surprise to you. Featuring the likes of Matthew Alexander Powell on vocals and guitar, Matt John on guitars, keys and vocals, Jamie Roberts on bass and the powerhouse drummer Rhys Jones.

The collective wealth each member brings to the band is evident from the first note. 

For example, in the third song ‘The Burning Lands’, one second the lush vocals of Rachel leads into a glorious guitar solo from the formidable duo of John and Powell.

Every Broken Floor is clearly the work of a band that knows exactly what they are doing and they do so in a fashion that isn’t bragging but confident of how good they really are as a unit.

For me, the stand out songs are ‘Hollow’ and the single ‘Fearless’.

With the album being self recorded and produced by Powell and Lee Howells and mixed by Howells – you know that it will sound the best it ever could be.

This is an album that begs to be played loud and one can only imagine what these songs sound like in a live setting and I for one can not wait to see and hear the full Puzzle Tree experience

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Author: Dave Prince

Reverend Beat-Man and the Underground – ‘it’s a matter of time, the complete PALP Session’ (Voodoo Rhythm Records)

Reverend Beat-Man and the Underground – ‘it’s a matter of time, the complete PALP Session’ (Voodoo Rhythm Records)

Beat-Man started his musical career in 1986 (Bern,Switzerland) with his band “The Monsters”, then founded “Lightning Beat- Man One Man Band” and changed his name to “Reverend Beat-Man” in 1999, he tours like a madman through the world – Europe , Australia, North and South America, Asia, Japan, Africa Israel etc, won several prizes for his work which brings us to the here and now.

REVEREND BEAT-MAN & THE UNDERGROUND is a collaboration work between the PALP Festival and Reverend Beat-Man, staying one week in Bruson (Valais, western Switzerland) with white wine and raclette and creating music, he then contacted his favourite musicians: Milan Slick on the keys, . Skinny Jim Tennessee’s Benjamin Glaus is one of Bern’s most underrated rockabilly performers, what we hear on this record is a process, a finding of music, among other things, a Doom Blues version of ‘Jesus Christ Twist’ or the amorous cuddly rock number ‘It’s a matter of time’. Most of the songs were written in lockdown where the Reverend and Benjamin Glaus played acoustic music ‘slave to the phone’ or ‘banned from the internet’ are 2 of them.


The poorly heated rehearsal room was above a sheep farm where they rehearsed all day and recorded everything, these are all 1 take recordings.. no overdubs.. everything is recorded live. and mixed a few weeks later by Matteo Bordin at Outside Inside Studio call it doom blues or no-wave rock ‘n’ roll from the Swiss mountains but take the time and give this musical head fuck your full attention because they payback is there scratching at your ear canal worming its way inside. Sure some of it is straight-up rock n roll rockabilly style but some of it will fuck you up like ‘Mongolian Talks To alien’ which is a blast and probably best not to get into what the fuck it is all about. Then to follow it up with the charming and quite beautiful It’s ‘A Matter Of Time’ is a wonderful thing.

You can cut loose and just enjoy ‘Banned From The Internet’ for exactly what it is. Traditional and thumping good fun. There is a lot of wonderful tones going on here and the dark ‘Back In Hell’ is exactly that. Then to close the project off with the reflective and joyous ‘You’re On Top’ is a beautiful thing. I can imagine off my tits late at night with a bottle of absinth for company and this record blasting out would be some experience but all in a good way. A wonderful accompanying album for the new Urban Voodoo Machine or god forbid a new Gallon Drunk album (imagine that?) if you fancy going deeper and darker than what Nick Cave dishes up these days this is for you a wonderful multi-layered experience that just wins every time the needle drops. Top album

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After School Specials – ‘ Lost Episodes’ (Something To Do Records)

After School Specials – ‘ Lost Episodes’ (Something To Do Records)

It’s that early Green Day punk Rock that’s fast, no make that rapid plenty of bounce a tonne of melody, and a whole bunch of goofing around. Pulled together from a bunch of demos, and an EP that never got released until now obviously. It’s been fermenting for over two decades but it doesn’t sound dated or left behind ‘The Screw’ being an absolutely thunderous tune. That is as tight as a drum and rapid as fuck. The punk kids will love ‘Janeane Hates Herself’ as it rattles along. NOFX rings out on ‘On Top’ but I do like the riff on ‘The Cut’ a great low-end rumble and a rigid middle digit.

The ten tracks on offer aren’t all crash bang wallop with the closing track being quite a laid-back tempo ‘City Of Lost Children’ maybe this genre has seen its zenith but there are still plenty of bands out there cutting the mustard and doing it well. Often it’s finding out who, where and when in the digital age there is so much music it’s often a full-time job trying to keep up with bands you’ve always loved without bands pulling up trees behind the first waves.

That’s the beauty of this here internet it’s made the world a whole lot smaller and easier to discover bands and albums from the other side of the spinning rock the only problem I get is there aren’t enough hours in the day or days in the week and this is a decent example of a solid record making a welcome debut many moons after the recordings were made. Punk as fuck! Pick it up here