November is going to be a busy month if you’re a fan of the Medway Delta garage rock gangs. Hot on the heels of the upcoming long player by Thee Headcoats, it’s the return of Armitage Shanks, after a pause of over 20 years. They promise “14 tracks of ultimate punk, guaranteed to get even the most constipated listener charging to the crapper”. Strong words, enduring image.

Now, this might sound a bit Macc Lads, but fear not! Because Dick Scum and Rod Vomit are joined on bass and production duties by Kurt Von Schitter/Billy Childish. Bringing along his pal Wolf on drums, this is another album of beautifully rough garage rock, and, while they’re having fun, it’s no joke. ‘Thoughts Of Violence’ evokes the finest moments of Jesse Hector’s career, a fine way to kick off proceedings. ‘Banned From The Shops’ doesn’t let up the momentum, it has that wired energy of early Ants performances.

‘Deny Me’ has all the makings of a garage classic for future generations, very groovy indeed. ‘Sleep All Day’ is sharp and hypnotic, like The Sid Presley Experience and early Godfathers excelled at, and we can only hope that there will be some gigs announced soon; this is best appreciated in a sweaty club.  Songs like ‘Shy Bairns Get Nowt’ will inevitably sound like the mighty Buff Medways, which is no bad thing. ‘Uncontrollable Serge’ is darker stuff, while ‘Turkey Teeth’ brings some ska to the party, like Ian Dury corrupting The Specials. Very nice. 

‘Hard Cheese’ will have you singing along; “hard cheese, careful what you wish for!”, and ‘What About Brian?’ laments the blue plaque that omits Brian Jones from history. Fair point. The band understand the fine points of rock n roll. So, we have 13 new tunes, plus an enthusiastic cover of ‘What Do I Get?’, which I believe is sung by Atticus/Childish Jnr. This is really a very splendid platter, from start to finish. Don’t miss out, get your preorder in now. 

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Author: Martin Chamarette