The Boys – ‘Odds & Sods’ (Voraus Records)

The Boys – ‘Odds & Sods’ (Voraus Records)

Oh, not another one said some old lady about an election. I’m sure she’d say the same if she knew there was another Boys ‘Odds And Sods’, but wait, this one comes on red vinyl and has two new tracks and a wonderful booklet.

Found under Matt Dangerfield’s bed!, Matts’s bed must be huge if he keeps finding tapes under it of never before heard material and if it’s half as good as this then keep em coming I say. This album features an eight-page booklet with rare photos, a full lyric sheet, updated sleevenotes from Matt Dangerfield and two previously unreleased Boys demos. ‘You Better Move On’ The Boy’s first demo recording of their 1980 single, and ‘Love Song’ – Recorded by The Boys in November 1978. Written by Casino Steel & Matt Dangerfield in an attempt to make the Eurovision Song Contest.

Also to wrap up this must-have record there is also an additional 1978 Capital Radio Ad (not used on the original release) for “Alternative Chartbusters”. Recorded by Matt Dangerfield, Honest John Plain & Jack Black. Apart from the count-ins and demo nature of the recording you do wonder how some of these never made it onto a record sooner or how the hell they were left on the cutting room floor so to speak. the Synth stabs on ‘Mummy’ are proper new wave just as the new wave was becoming a thing. Interestingly it’s a John Plain composition whilst the lyrics make sense the synth stabs I’d have had them as a casino idea or even a Matt song but there you go.

I do love ‘We’re All Crazy’ from the buzz saw riff to the gang vocals on the chorus it’s pure Boys and if you know you know from the once round the kit that was unmistakably Jack I love it. ‘Pick Me Up’ is pure Python from the intro to the Kinks-like tempo and cheeky swagger. ‘Jimmy Brown’ is a belter always was and always will be this version is sleazy and cool and hands down beats Michael Monroe’s version but he knows a belter when he hears it which is why he covered this.

When you look at who wrote what on here Matt was making hay and in a rich vein of form, there’s a Beatles quality to ‘Flash’ and ‘Dressed To Kill’ is a great number from Duncan’s bass line through the Rock n Roll riff on the verse it’s certainly one of the best kinda songs that Andy McCoy must have etched into his DNA when he was looking for inspiration for Hanoi Rocks.

If you didn’t pick it up when ‘Odds & Sods’ first became available then this is a must-have. The songs are quality (obviously) and it’s a great addition to any Boys collection and with the extra tracks and booklet I can’t believe you’re still reading those cheeky radio fills are a blast from the past and a copy should be in a time capsule for how bloody good some bands were. Hit that link and fill yer boots before they’re all gone.

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Author: Dom Daley

Hanoi Rocks – ‘The Days We Spent Underground 81-84’ (Cherry Red Records)

Hanoi Rocks – ‘The Days We Spent Underground 81-84’ (Cherry Red Records)

Completists and people who have never heard of Hanoi Rocks keep reading. Everyone else not curious please look away and yes I know there are complete vinyl box sets out there as well as several one-stop box sets but there’s always room for another Hanoi Rocks catch-all set.

What we have here is a very neat and tidy summary of the world’s bestust band and all their hard work in one clamshell box spread over five CD’s. For those well rounded individuals who always knew Hanoi Rocks were the greatst band to emerge from the beautiful 1980s their musical output might well have been flawed and it moght well have been scatterguned over the early to mid eighties but they never dipped below better than anything else you were listening to and they alway did things differently to other bands and they were such an underated bunch of reprobates to ever lay down music.

It always makes me laugh when people say it’s music for fans of Guns N Roses or they were a glam band because your average supermarket music-buying Guns fan or your die-hard glam fan wouldn’t have a clue. Call me a music snob but Hanoi was far more than a glam band and it was they who influenced Guns n Roses and a whole bunch of tripe that was to follow in the decade of decadence. Hanoi was a rock n roll band who were more influenced by punk and what went before them in the 70s – a perfect mix of The Clash and T Rex as well as adding equal measures of early Japan with Chuck Berry they had Jaggers swagger and the elegance of Bowie and weren’t afraid to mix it up from disc on and the magnificent bass drum count in of ‘Tragedy’ with the familiar Yaffa rumble it has never ever lost its flavour. A youthful Monroe leads this bunch of renegades through a magnificent album with all its imperfections and charming backing vocals it’s still the beating heart of a magnificent journey and an album I’ve never tired of.

The skank of ‘Village Girl’ to the teary ‘Don’t You Ever Leave Me’. The Harmonica honk of ‘Lost In The City’ is still a magnificent blast of youthful energy – the levels are everywhere the mix is chaotic but that was the appeal, too fast too young too fuckin beautiful. McCoy’s vocals howling over the top is brilliant and the energy that drives on this record. Who else was doing songs like ‘Cheyanne’? it’s beautiful from the bv’s to the drum pound and runs down of the Yaffa bassline to the strain on Monroe’s vocals its still one of the greatest debut albums ever. I’ll fight anyone who disagrees.

The recent Svart real mix of ‘Oriental Beat’ this one brings on mixed feelings for me now and I wish and hope the others get the same treatment if it’s available. ‘Motorvatin’ is still a banger which is why it’s still prominent in today’s Monroe set. ‘No Law Or Order’ is still one of the best songs Strummer never wrote. Ending with ‘Falling Star’ was and is a tear-jerker of the finest order.

I’m trying to imagine what it must be like to take the plunge and hear these albums as one package for the first time and not have to wait in real time over half a decade for them to unfold. My memory is foggy due to the fact it’s 40 years ago (holy shit, but I’m still here) ‘Self Destruction Blues’ was or shouldn’t have ever been but thank god it did. A million miles away from the debut production-wise and songwriting wise but hell, it still gives me chills playing these songs loudly and whilst I might not have played some of these songs for years when I do I still get that feeling of “hell, what a band, what a record” how weren’t these one of the biggest bands on the planet?

Disc four is obviously ‘Back To Mystery City’ and where they truly hit their stride – every one a banger from ‘Malibu Beach’ through ‘Tooting Bec Wreck’ to the beautiful ‘Until I Get You’ one of the finest soft songs for tough guys ever written. Razzles’ touch and understanding of what was needed on the loud ballad is exceptional. ‘Lick Summer Love’ is awesome and sets the tone for the spectacular ‘Beating Gets Faster’ deep dive classics I think the kids would call these album tracks that don’t get the oxygen they deserve.

This box set might be a time capsule and something awesome to discover but to hear ‘Mystery City again for the first time whilst pawing over the artwork would be priceless and some kid is going to discover that when they pick this up in a record store or online. Imagine hearing ‘All Those Wasted Years’ for the first time and wishing you were forty years older haha! what a beautiful thought ‘Taxi Driver’ Boom heads gone!

Maybe if this had had a sixth disc full of unheard demos or lost tracks it would sell like hotcakes to the Hanoi (de)generation looking for a fix. If you know a kid whos just discovering music and looking for a collection that will blow their mind then this might just be the clamshell all encompassing boxset you need. If for no other reason other than being a completist sucker I applaud Cherry Red for keeping the Hanoi heart beating – God bless em and God bless all those who sailed in the good ship Hanoi Rocks you truly were game changes for some of us punks looking for our band. Buy It!

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Author: Dom Daley

Bruise Control – ‘Useless For Something’ (TNS Records)

Bruise Control – ‘Useless For Something’ (TNS Records)

I was sat eagerly flicking through one of my lists I like to compile of what to look out for with regards to new albums being released over the coming weeks/months and Bruise Control was in bold capital letters and highlighter (old school pen and paper see) so I looked them up and saw it was TNS that was releasing it so I knew it was going to be good because they put out awesome records by Wonk Unit and Pizzatramp and they are a not for profit operation so any band aligning themselves to such a label must have a moral compass and be moving in the right direction.

Place my order and press play. Bruise Control hail from Manchester for those who don’t know it’s a Northern cosmopolitan hub where the arts thrive and creative people crawl out of every alleyway and high rise and Bruise Control is the latest deserving of your ears and time. Causing a stir on the live scene this debut long player is where we’re jumping in seeing as we missed their recent show closest to us. ‘Useless’ begins with a vibrant track entitled ‘Useless’ and as it thrashes along nicely its just lulls you into a UK Hardcore kinda sound where clean guitars thrash away over a gentle distortion as the rhythm section kicks the shit out of the instruments its a great sound as it twists and turns wrapped around a throbbing bass line and vocalist Jim Taylor carries the melody and ranging from proper hardcore shouting to real singing its got every emotion possible creating a fresh sound that is engaging and inspiring.

My only complaint is there are only nine songs on offer – I’m greedy and when a record is this good I want more and then some. ‘Bottom Feeder’ turns up the heat as it thrashes to the finish line in double quick time.

The band genre jumps from hardcore to some 80s/90s indie inspired by the likes of Pavement I’d imagine ‘Taxman’ is a dancefloor filler and one the pit can throw their arms aloft on the gang vocal repeats. A lot of this has been released previously on eps and singles it’s superbly organised and ebbs and flowswell. ‘Dead On Arrival’ is hypnotic in its vocals and I love the call and sing back on the chorus (of sorts) then the drum rolls and skank of that guitar as the song heads into the distance, great stuff.

In these tough times here on Shit Island with an awful government taking the piss and morons everywhere falling for the bullshit I was left wondering where the youth are to kick us up the arse and rebel and ask if we can have a better alternative to lies, greed, cheating, conniving, self-serving it’s not much to ask maybe I could tolerate it if there was a movement and loads of bands filling the void kicking against the pricks and Bruise Control have certainly stepped forward with their six and four string weapons in hand and a microphone shouting from the rooftops to save us all from the Tories – their garage punk hardcore indie hybrid is refreshing not because it’s anything new but because their songs are bloody excellent and deserve to be heard.

Now get down to some ‘Disco Fury’ tops, waving them around your head while tooting your whistle with denim cut-offs and high tops are tearing it up. This is the soundtrack and it’s banging!

Bruise Control have released one of the best alternative vibrant exciting records of the year make no mistake. Lets have it!

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Author: Dom Daley

Rancid – ‘Tomorrow Never Comes’ (Epitaph Records)

Rancid – ‘Tomorrow Never Comes’ (Epitaph Records)

Been living the dream for over a quarter of a century these Californians have been away for a while doing their own things from the Charger offerings from Matt to the various Lars projects as well as filling in on six-string duty at Oi! firms Last Resort and Tim has been doing everything from releasing a plethora of songs under his own steam to producing and everything in between it was heading into the territory of will they won’t they and had it been the latter that would have been a shame because Rancid has always been at their best when working as a collective be it the MTV big hits of ‘Wolves’ or the ska-influenced albums of ‘Life won’t Wait’ or the street punk anthems throughout their career Rancid as a band are an indomitable force and a top tier band absolutely no question about that. they’ve influenced a bazzillion bands along the way and always managed to turn in top records.

Signing with Epitaph Records, the band released their first album, “Rancid,” in 1993. Shortly thereafter, Lars Frederiksen (vocals, guitar) joined the band, The result, in 1994, was “Let’s Go.” maybe not the game changer quite yet but they were on their way and the seeds were sewn.

In 1995, Rancid released the classic platinum-selling “…And Out Come The Wolves.” You still remember when you first heard it or saw one of the videos on MTV. Some punks said it was selling out but what do they know. Its still a classic.

They followed it up with the unbelievably good and more ambitious “Life Won’t Wait” in 1998, and in 2000, Rancid released another album entitled “Rancid,” a step to the left and a ski to the right it was pure Rancid yet different from its predecessors.

After “Indestructible” in 2003, Branden Steineckert (drums) joined to solidify Rancid’s current line-up. They subsequently released the albums “Let The Dominos Fall” (2009), “Honor Is All We Know” (2014), and “Trouble Maker” (2017). Thats some CV right? Right!

Fast forward to 2023 and Rancid has matured into exactly what they’ve always been, trading vocals on the opening title track is a blast. Bristling with energy and thundering along with all the Rancid elements present and correct. Its like Motorhead on the solos thundering along with pace and energy a plenty welcome home Rancid we’ve missed you.

There isn’t any sitting back and coasting as ‘Mud, Blood and Gold’ is picking up the batton and galloping off into the sunset. All the songs are short, sharp and packing from the galloping ‘New American’ where Tim sounds like Shane McGowan on cheap amphetamins and even cheaper guitars licking the melody around the speakers.

There are sixteen bangers on offer here and pulling all their collective talents together must be quite the task but having had time away from the mothership has made them leaner and more focussed as ‘Don’t Mak Me Do It’ thunders along. ‘Live Forever’ is tapping into the Ramones part of the brain that genuine punks have at their disposal and Rancid do it very well thank you.

‘Magnificent Rogue’ has a little more of that Lemmy full pelt going on from the Bass rumble to the guitar lick. The fact there is no room at this particular inn for the band to change gears with a little reggae or some skanking ska is fine by me except to say that throughout sixteen songs it is relentless with no quarter given nor taking their collective foot off the gas for 99.9% of this record. Hopefully the next Rancid record wont be a decade away and they will unleash the full diversity of their songwriting there but until then the here and now is full tilt Rancid and that call for a toast – turn it up and play it loud this is Rancid putting on their shit kickers and kicking some shit. Bosh! Rancid are in the house and taking no prisoners.

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Jeff Dahl – Interview Exclusive

Jeff Dahl – Interview Exclusive

One of the coolest guys in punk rock, he’s been there done it and worn the shirt. Jeff Dahl makes essential punk rock records always has and always will. Just when you think he’s made a career-best he goes and tops it and with his latest offering ‘All My Friends Are Crows’ he’s raised the bar even further with a record that is vital, contemporary and sharp as a razor.

We had to reach out to Jeff and find out what makes the man tick and as always he was kind enough to respond, so sit back put your feet up and check out this exchange. Ladies and Gents, we give you the one and only Jeff Dahl…

You’ve hit a real rich vein of form over the last few albums. Not long ago you said that might just be it. What inspired you to keep recording?

Thank you, sir! I appreciate your kind words. Yeah, I had not planned on releasing another record after ‘ELECTRIC JUNK’ but then the pandemic hit and, as with everything else, things changed. And I love recording. I’m happiest in the studio like some mad scientist. Pulling something out of thin air is magical. So I was drawn back in. 

I think the last few releases from the collaboration with “Demons” something special has been building and the latest album sound as good if not better than anything you’ve ever recorded. Does it feel like that for you as the writer and player?

I appreciate you saying that. Being out here in the relative isolation of a small town on one of Hawaii’s outer islands changes perspective. In a way it kind of focuses what I want to do. Maybe it has to do with less distractions? Also, these are the first albums that I’ve recorded onto computer which can definitely give you enough rope to hang yourself with if you don’t watch your ass. So it’s been an interesting learning process. Like having infinite recording choices is so unnatural to me. But I’m starting to understand how this works. 

Tell us a bit about the process of this album. Did you decide you needed to make a record then start writing or were you writing then realized you had enough for an album?

I saw that I had too many song so it was time to record. I write all the time. I never stop and I have a huge backlog of material to fall into. During the shutdown I built a pile of songs, lyrics, riffs, licks, ideas that just kept growing. It was either take it all outside and set it on fire or record a new record. Having songs has never, ever been a problem for me. My problem is that I always have too much material. So I started off with about 40 possible songs, ready to go, and whittled it down to 10. 

The sound of the record is so vibrant a real live feel to it. Was that something you were aiming for and were there many rehearsals with a live band.

Yes, absolutely. I needed a more wide-open sound for these tunes. That’s what the songs told me. Just plug in and let ‘er rip. Nope, there was no band and there were no rehearsals. Just me playing everything except the drums which my co-producer, Sam Bradley, played. My instructions to him was to just let loose and play aggressively. The trick was to have that full band vibe, which is not easy. Almost everything on this record a first take. If I played everything perfectly, note for note, over and over, I knew that I’d lose that spontaneous feeling. So I kept it loose and raw.

I still get excited when I hear a really strong record, did you get a feeling that these songs were so strong when you were laying the tracks down? 

Honestly, I knew, in my head, how I wanted these songs to sound and how I needed to approach recording. But once I start recording and putting the songs together I have tunnel vision. I couldn’t tell you if they were good or bad until they were finished. I was more focused on the tasks at hand. I had to keep moving forward. If I sat back and looked at the big, overall picture I would lose that energy. Just grab my guitar and lay it down.

Are there any bands making records you’ve heard recently that give you hope that rock n roll is in safe hands? Do you miss playing live at all? What would it take to get you on any sort of tour?

God, yes! There are so many fantastic bands out there. I don’t mean the big, major label acts. Underground rock n roll. That’s where it’s at for me. This last year had ace releases from Gregg Turner, Paul B Cutler, Lorne Behrman, Mike Campbell, Richard Duguay, Eric Gales and The Hangmen that have all knocked me out. Lovers Left Alive and Plastic tears from Finland, Johnny Suicide in Spain, the Maharajas, the Chuck Norris Experiment and Demons! from Sweden are all kicking out the jams. The Poison Boys have been blowing me away big time! Really, there is so much good music out there but you have to dig for it. As I said, I’m in Hawaii so I’m isolated from a lot that is going on and, sadly, there are no records stores where I live so I get music from online and mailorder.

I absolutely do miss playing. I had a 2020 tour scheduled for Germany when everything ground to a halt so that was cancelled. We set it back up for 2021, hoping that, by then, things would open back up but, again, it had to be cancelled. With Hawaii, when the pandemic started, entry and exit from the island was stopped. You could not go in or out for a long time. So as things started to ease open again we set up the same tour for April and May of 2022. Then I got hit with cancer. Again, the tour was cancelled. I guess it just was not meant to be, huh? 

I’d like to address my cancer and straight off, I’m doing really well and there is no need for anyone to worry about me. While recording the new album I was having some throat problems and they found some polyps and nodes in my throat. After treatment it’s not gone but it’s stable and being monitored. While this was going on, they found some spots on my legs that were a different type of cancer and these were cut out. Again, it went well and I’ve had no problems since but this is the type of cancer that is going come back at some point. So we have a monitoring schedule and, I can’t emphasize this enough, the key with cancer is early detection. If you catch this stuff early enough most types can be very treatable. So if you’ve got some weird new feeling or pain in your body or an odd, new blemish, please, have it checked out! Hopefully it’s nothing but you should just get it looked at. I can’t stress this enough. 

Because of this my immune system is not as strong as it was so I’m one of those people still walking around wearing a mask when I’m out in public. Doctor’s orders and I’m fine with it. I look better with a mask covering my face anyway. Being in a crowded club with no ventilation is not in the cards for me. 

I also have a bad chronic pain problem from a nerve issue that has been going on for 13 years, 24/7. So driving around from 3 to 8+ hours a day in a van while on tour is just not going to happen. But then, you should never say never, right? So who knows. Maybe I can to go to a festival or a city and play a show or two but that is very expensive and a logistical nightmare. If I ever do play again anywhere in your area and you have ever wanted to see me, pull the damn trigger. I wanna see you too! So yeah, I would sure like to play again. Fingers crossed. 

Sorry about the long health report but I wanted to come out about my cancer because I want people to watch their own health, especially as we get older. 

Getting old sucks! Its a trap, don’t do it!

The landscape has changed over the last decade possibly more than in the previous few decades recording techniques and ways of getting music to people. Is it still important to have physical products? 

You’re totally right about this avalanche of changes confronting just about everything in life. The thing that trips me out the most, and not in a good way, is AI. This is going to change, and in many respects ruin, the arts. Music, acting, painting, writing, etc… 10 years from now I wonder what is going to be left untouched? If you’re okay with AI or not concerned, more power to you. I hope you’re right.

I’m a tactile person, I grew up with vinyl and I love that feeling of ripping open a brand new album for the first time and dropping that tone arm on the first song of that record. That’s what it’s all about. For me, it’s absolutely important to have vinyl and/or CDs. I need something I can hold in my hand and interact with. 

Is there much music in the archive that you might be tempted in releasing?

There is nothing. Maybe a couple songs and a there have been a couple very limited edition singles that have been sold out for decades. If I recorded something, I released it. 

What about collaborating with other musicians. Any you’d love to work with if the opportunity was to arise? Writers and players you admire.

I’m actually in the middle of writing a couple songs with Deniz Tek and that’s really fun. He lives on the other side of the island that I live on so it’s an easy, natural opportunity to do something together. There are loads of other bands and musicians I’d love to do something with but I will not do anymore virtual projects. I want to, I need to be in the room with another human being if I’m making music. I’ve done a few online collaborations but I didn’t enjoy the process the way I should. So no more of those. Gotta keep things natural. 

Going back to the new album some of the riffs are fantastic and the energy you capture in the recordings is immense on songs like we must destroy and the title track. What comes first? A riff, melody or a lyric. Do the songs write themselves quite quickly after the germ starts to form?

The secret to my songwriting is that there is no template. An idea, some words or melody can come from anywhere, at anytime and I just need to be open and ready when that muse strolls into town. Some come easy and some are like pulling teeth. I’ve gotten up in the middle of the night when a chord progression popped into my head while I was just dozing off. And I manically write all of it down and stockpile all these bits. I’ve had an entire full song manifest itself in less than 5 minutes. I’ve also had some little riff wrote down decades ago that suddenly fits into something new I’m working on. I don’t limit myself to just one method. I try different things to see what works and I go from there. I believe that if you play music, then you are capable of writing a song. It might not be the greatest song, but it probably won’t be the worst one either. After that write another one. Writing with Deniz, I’d never written a song with anyone else before and this is awesome! So I’m still trying new things. 

All My Friends Are Crows is ten of the best please tell me there’s more to come? If this is where you bow out of recording records you’ve certainly saved the best til last this is without doubt some of if not the best most complete record you’ve made have you nailed the process of recording with yourself and Sam clearly a partnership that works so well.

Man, that is high praise indeed! Thank you. Working with Sam is great fun and we have an easy way we go about recording. We’ve got a very quick, natural and creative mojo happening. Most of the time we work with ESP. He knows what I want to do  and I know what he’s going to do. 

As far as what’s next, right now I’m working with Deniz and having fun. And I’ve also got a pile of acoustic blues style songs that have been begging for recording, so that’s in the works. And in September I’ll be in Arizona and I will record a couple songs for a very special single with some of my old Phoenix buddies. 

2024? Who knows? All My Friends Are Crows has really hit the mark with a lot of people and the response has been overwhelming to me. Really, I’ve had amazing feedback. That definitely builds up energy and gets the creative juices flowing. Not to mention the high I get from that electric connection I feel with the people who follow my music… that’s why I play this stuff. 

Buy ‘All My Friends Are Crows’ on vinyl from Ghost Highway Records outta Madrid, Spain Here or Beluga Records out of Sweden they have copies Here or contact Jeff in the States where he has CD’s and Vinyl Records

The Godfathers set to release new EP & expanded ‘Alpha Beta Gamma Delta’

The Godfathers set to release new EP & expanded ‘Alpha Beta Gamma Delta’

The Godfathers will release a brand new ‘I Hate The 21st Century’ EP & also an expanded 2 CD version of their critically acclaimed ‘Alpha Beta Gamma Delta’ album that includes a cornucopia of previously unreleased bonus material. 

The ‘I Hate The 21st Century’ EP (released 9th June) features the title track & ‘You Gotta Wait’ from ‘Alpha Beta Gamma Delta’ & previously unreleased, alternative acoustic versions of ‘Straight Down The Line’ & ‘Tonight’.

The 26 track, new double album entitled ‘Alpha Beta Gamma Delta PLUS’ (released 16th June) contains the original album on CD 1 & a wealth of unreleased material on CD 2 – studio numbers recorded at the album sessions, previously unreleased alternative acoustic versions of key songs & ‘Alpha Beta Gamma Delta’ related live tracks from the band’s celebrated Rockpalast TV special performance in Germany in 2020,  including an electrifying cover of The Stooges ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’. Full track listing for ‘Alpha Beta Gamma Delta PLUS’ will be announced soon.

The ‘I Hate The 21st Century’

EP & the ‘Alpha Beta Gamma Delta PLUS’ double album can both be pre-ordered NOW via 

http://www.thegodfathers.bigcartel.com/

The Godfathers will also play 4 UK gigs in June – Edinburgh, Wigan, London & Hull.

15/6/23 – Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh 

With very special guests Twisted Nerve

https://www.seetickets.com/event/the-godfathers/the-voodoo-rooms/2552212

16/6/23 – The Old Courts, Wigan

https://www.theoldcourts.com/shows/the-godfathers/

17/6/23 – O2 Academy Islington, London 

With Very Special Guests The Urban Voodoo Machine 

https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/the-godfathers-london-17-06-2023/event/1F005E44EA391824

18/6/23 – The New Adelphi, Hull

https://www.see tickets .com/tour/the-godfathers

The Chats/The Chisel/Guantanamo Baywatch – Cardiff Tramshed 22.05.23

The Chats/The Chisel/Guantanamo Baywatch – Cardiff Tramshed 22.05.23

What a time to be alive, it’s a school night and the Tramshed is packed to the rafters for some hot, sweaty, punk rock. First up tonight is the trio with the most amusing band name Guantanamo Baywatch with their take on Surf Rock. With a swift half hour to impress they get straight down to business with. Not a lot of singing throughout the set but they did turn in an impressive rendition of ‘Diana’ by Paul Anka the last time I heard a band do that was The Misfits and it was an altogether different experience and version. Anyway not being at all familiar with the band and their set it tended to pass in a bit of a blur they sounded tight and looked like they were having a great time as a lot of people were in the room for the opening band which was great to see and they went down well.

Next up was the full-throttle zero fucks given The Chisel. Right from the off it was ‘Unlawful Execution’ that set the tone for the next thirty minutes. Some incendiary hardcore as Cal prowls the stage like a caged tiger. Song after song it’s uncompromising, uncomfortable and brutal and if you let it get inside your head it can be an explosive yet joyous experience. The adrenalin of frontman Cal is mainlined through the audience as he prowls the stage drawing every sinew of rage, energy and speed out of his band and pouring it over the packed-out audience who are in early to catch some Chisel. They didn’t disappoint that has to be said and after my last experience of seeing them was at Rebellion Festival where the sound let the band down and simply couldn’t cope with their sound however, tonight The Tramshed more than coped and was right on the money, The Chisel deserved a crisp clear sound and got it and it only added to the ferocity of the songs from the epic ‘Retaliation’ album.

From Charlie and Luke the noise was immense it was an avalanche of sharp-in-your-face punk rock as most of ‘Retaliation’ was blasted out they also had time for a new one that was pure rage and a great peek into whats to come. The Chisel came, saw and conquered. It might be time for a headline tour to come back to South Wales and bring a new album and song with them the Chisel did not disappoint.

What can you say about The Chats that hasn’t already been said? They play faster and faster with every tour they do and for that hour they are on stage they give every last drop of blood sweat and tears no doubt about it they leave everything on stage. Like the delinquent bastard kids of the dysfunctional Ramones that they left down under The Chats take the Ramones work ethic of playing the songs, playing them faster, saying very little, playing a bit harder, drinking some beer then getting the fuck outta dodge.

The madness began as the band steamrollered through ‘Nambored’ into ‘Billy Backwash’s Day’ and they were burnign through songs with a feroscious apetite and the packed room were well up for it as bodies were flying over the barrier at a rapid pace.

It wasn’t until the epic ‘Emperor Of The Beach’ was played that you could even call it a breather. the band’s finest song was done and dusted and it was back through the gears and away to go. ‘Stinker’ and ‘Panic Attack’ were also standouts and the sharp riffs flying off Josh’s fretboard have taken the band to the next level they are tighter and the songs sound beefed up to fuck. In this kind of form, the Chats are a match for anyone on the punk circuit. ‘Ticket Inspector’ sounds like they were paying attention when Da Bruddas played ‘Warthog’. These boys are a product of where they come from and sing about it keeping it real. So what if it’s goofy, puerile, and childish these kids are keeping it real. Sure, at times (well, all the time) they look like they’ve been dragged through the bins out the back of a jumble sale, it’s what makes them sell out venues the other side of the world from where they’ve come, and they will have a fit if they didn’t bring their own smokes to shit island because if they think they are expensive down under wait til you see the UK prices! ‘The Price Of Smokes’ is indeed going up again five times the speed. The hour has just flown by and we’ve reached the end of a furious yet epic set that was thoroughly enjoyable and tight as a part of soaking Rizlas in the back pocket of your cut-off denim. So a writhing, heaving, mess of bodies leaves the Tramshed with beaming smiles and ringing ears.

Long may the Chats grow and grow. They play fast as fuck everything is turbocharged so a ninety-minute set is condensed into fifty-five minutes of pure unadulterated punk as fuck noise. They have tightened up and that’s a lot to do with the awesome guitar work that has taken The Chats to the next level. next year they can come back and play some more speed punk but I think we’re gonna need a bigger venue. More people out on a school night watching some superb punk rock is the best, most life affirming activity out there and the soundtrack is fantastic, now do what they say and Get Fucked! Loved it, absolutely loved it!

Before I do sign off I can’t help but think in this day and age where everything is on hand in an instant a thousand people pack out a great venue yet so few of these kids here tonight would go and see bands like The Chats, like the Chisel all over the country in smaller venues with cheaper merch and lighter ticket prices (often free) It was a joy to be in a packed venue on a school night but in order to see more nights like this people need to get out there and see what else is also on – support live music and support punk rock, thank you!

Author: Dom Daley

Ming City Rockers Interview Exclusive

Ming City Rockers Interview Exclusive

I think its fair to say that a band from Oop Norf over on the East Coast to be more precise have just delivered their finest body of work to date in the shape of the fantastic ‘Lime’, and when looking at who we could interview Ming City Rockers were right at the top of our list. they’ve always delivered fantastic tunes and they’re a band we’ve followed and reviewed from their inseption wayyy back in the old Uber Rock days so it was a no brainer for us here at RPM Online and when we reached out to the Mingers we were delighted when they said yeah!

So, sit out in the sunshine, pour yourself a glass of fizz put on your shades for here is our exchange with the wonderful Ming City Rockers.

Do you have a thing for fruity titles to albums? How come?

We sure do. What we do is secret.

You’ve slimmed the band down to a three-piece, was this a decision out of necessity or did it just happen that way?

Kinda both, during the plague of 2020, our bass player lived in Manchester so he couldn’t really get together with us to write anything. So, we started working on the album as a 3 piece and kinda just kept it that way. 

We play really well together right now, so we’re probs gonna keep it this way, we’re better than we’ve ever been. It’s harder to sound good with just 3 of us so we had to get better. It’s made our song writing better too. 

I thought that ‘Lime’ is the band’s finest piece to date, can you tell us how the album came together?

Yours is a question with many answers. Most of it was written during lockdown, and we recorded most of it in our living room. 

The overall mental health of the band was questionable to say the least, and we had no idea what we were doing. The album had a budget of about £75. Still can’t believe the album actually got finished. 

We recorded it over the course of last year. We used Cornerstone Studio in Grimsby to record the drums and we had to do it in bits coz we were absolutely skint. We recorded everything else in our flat and Clancey mixed and produced it. It was really challenging and way harder than we thought it was gonna be, but it worked out really well. We’re gonna do the next one ourselves too. 

A lot of people have told us they think it’s our best album, that means so much to us.

Is it fair to say there were big plans for ‘Lemon’ that for one reason or another didn’t quite pan out (using a big producer) length of time to get it made etc How do you look back on that time?

We actually wrote and recorded it like 5 months after our first album came out, it was the record label that waited ages to put it out, you’d have to ask them as to why. 

Fondley, good times. 

You’ve played some sporadic dates since ‘Lime’ was released, are there any plans for a UK tour or further afield maybe Europe?

Yeah, we’re kinda concentrating on writing and recording our next album now though, so they’ll probs be with the release of that. We really want to play in Europe again, but it’s really complicated these days with Brexit and whatnot. We used to do like 30 date tours there a few years ago, but it’s scary to book that now, knowing we might get turned away at the border.  

What about pressing the new album on vinyl?  What with the resurgence in record collectors is it something you plan to do?  what with the cost and time it takes can we expect a press on lime wax?

We really want to, yeah at some point. Don’t hold your breath though. 

What are your immediate plans for the rest of 2023?

We’ve pretty much finished writing the next album, we’re gonna record it this summer and then release it later this year, hopefully. We learned a lot from recording LIME ourselves, so really looking forward to the next album. It is also fruit themed. 

Buy Ming City Rockers Here

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Rancid – ‘Devil In Disguise’ Video

Rancid – ‘Devil In Disguise’ Video

Rancid deliver a warning to us all with new single and accompanying music video, “Devil In

Disguise.” Ahead of their new album ‘Tomorrow Never Comes’ out on June 2nd, they pair melodic riffs and a galloping rhythm with gruff sing-along vocals that carry a message of self-preservation.

At a whopping 850 million catalog streams to date, fans and critics alike seem to agree that Rancid’s brand of high-impact, no-frills punk still flows abundantly in their blood, while easily translating to a modern audience. Now embarking on their tenth full-length effort, this is evident throughout ‘Tomorrow Never Comes’. Produced by longtime collaborator, Brett Gurewitz, its sixteen blistering tracks barely make the two-and-a-half-minute mark, boasting the same gritty, straightforward punk-with-a-purpose that the world just can’t get enough of.

Rancid Tour Dates

6/2 – Rimini, Italy – Slam Dunk

6/3 – Ljubljana, Slovenia – Media Center Cvetlicarna *

6/4 – Linz, Austria – SBAM Festival

6/6 – Warsaw, Poland – Letnia Scena Progresji *

6/8 – Hyvinkaa, Finland – Rockfest

6/9 – Solvesborg, Sweden – Sweden Rock Festival

6/10 – Stockholm, Sweden – Annexet *

6/12 – Berlin, Germany- Columbiahalle *

6/13 – Wiesbaden, Germany – Schlachthof *

6/15 – Vitoria, Spain – Azkena Rock

6/16 – Clisson, France – Hellfest

6/17 – Dessel, Belgium – Graspop

6/20 – London, UK – OVO Arena Wembley**

6/21 – Manchester, UK – O2 Victoria Warehouse *

6/23 – Ysselsteyn, Netherlands – Jera On Air Festival

6/24 – Munster, Germany – Vainstream Rockfest

6/25 – Tabor, Czech Republic – Mighty Sounds Festival

* w/ The Bronx, Grade 2
** w/The Bronx, Grade 2 & The Skints

FOR MORE INFO ON RANCID VISIT:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK

Johnny Thunders: In Cold Blood Updated & Revised Biography

Johnny Thunders: In Cold Blood Updated & Revised Biography

Johnny Thunders: In Cold Blood

The Official Biography: Revised & Updated Edition

A brand-new edition of a classic of rock’n’roll literature—the official biography of legendary New York Dolls and Heartbreakers guitarist Johnny Thunders. Revised, updated, and republished to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Dolls’ landmark debut album, in the week of what would have been Johnny’s 71st birthday.

‘A cautionary tale about creating a myth and living it out on behalf of others. All the glory and sadness of Johnny Thunders’ short life is in this book. God bless him.’ BOBBY GILLESPIE

‘In Cold Blood. The title says it all. Johnny Thunders inspired us in many ways—not all good, as any band member with junkie business at hand can attest—but his carefully attended elegance of dress, the way he commanded the stage, his sensitive songwriting, and most of all his reckless guitar playing (in defiance of his gentle personality) lives on in the heart of every guitar hero and rock fan.’ CHRISSIE HYNDE

‘Nina knew Johnny and has observed his life with fandom, understanding, compassion, and detachment. She is more than qualified to capture its dynamics in her well-chosen words and a series of illuminating interviews.’ MIKE SCOTT, from his foreword to this book

Johnny Thunders: In Cold Blood is the definitive portrait of the condemned man of rock’n’roll, from the baptism of fire and tragedy that was The New York Dolls, through the junkie punk years of The Heartbreakers, to his sudden and mysterious death in 1991. It is an unflinching account of a unique guitarist whose drug problems often overshadowed his considerable style and talent, but whose unquestionable influence on glam, punk, and more still resonates today.

Nina Antonia discovered Johnny Thunders and The New York Dolls as a teenager and spent her formative years as a dedicated fan before starting work on this book in her twenties. Then, when Johnny and his manager read her early drafts, they decided she should make it an authorised biography, granting her unique access to Johnny’s life. As such, it begins by painting a historical portrait of Thunders and his early life and work before shifting into the present tense as Nina vividly describes her own experiences with Johnny and his associates.

First published in 1987, Johnny Thunders: In Cold Blood has been kept alive over the years by an audience that isn’t always catered for. Johnny is the voice of the disenfranchised; he is every gifted son or daughter who went off the rails. Like Jesse James or James Dean, he couldn’t come in from the badlands of rock’n’roll; he wouldn’t kowtow to the establishment. This revised and updated edition adds a new closing chapter, bringing Thunders’ legacy up to date, as well as new photographs and a foreword by Mike Scott of The Waterboys.

In conjunction with the book’s publication, Jungle Records will releaseThe L.A.M.F. Demo Sessions digitally together for the first time on July 14th. The album brings together four sets of studio demo sessions for The Heartbreakers’ classic 1977 album – two from 1976 in New York, two from 1977 in London. For more information, visit www.jungle-records.net.

Nina Antonia is an author and journalist who has contributed to Uncut, Mojo, Classic Rock, and Record Collector. Since Johnny Thunders: In Cold Blood was first published in 1987, she has written biographies of The New York Dolls and Peter Perrett of The Only Ones and edited the diaries of The Libertines’ Pete Doherty. She has appeared on BBC Radio One and 6 Music, performed at spoken-word events, held a retrospective at the Barbican, and lectured on glam at the Tate Liverpool. She has also featured in various documentaries, including Danny Garcia’s poignant film Looking For Johnny. Johnny himself called her ‘the smartest chick I ever met’.

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