The Arrogants – ‘Brainwash’ (Dirty Water Records)

The Arrogants – ‘Brainwash’ (Dirty Water Records)

The Arrogants deliver the sounds of ´60s Mod, Garage Rock, Psychedelic, Blues, and R&B. 

“Brainwash” is their 2nd full-length album, after extensively touring England, Spain, Germany, France…not to mention major gigs in Paris at the Bus Palladium (invited by Patrick Eudeline Rock & Folk, Best), at the Main Square Festival Arras, and many venues such as the Cavern Club in Liverpool, the Beat Bespoke Festival in London, and the Bassy Club in Berlin The Arrogants have emersed themselves in the sounds they play and deliver an authentic sound. 

With a change of line-up around the leader singer-guitarist Thomas Babczynski, The band have pretty impressive endorsements from the likes of Pete Townsend so they’re heading in the right direction. The album opens with a dreamy effect laden guitar before the rhythm section enter the frey with a groovy vibe being the MO of ‘Show Me How’ with th ebass walking all over the track its time to light up and drop out baby. It’s easy to see how Townsend is on board and why he personally invited them to play with The Who in Paris later this month. I’m sure the Parisians will dig this big time. From the gang vocals on ‘No Plan’.

The plan is a simple one, head back to the sixties and get digging all the groovers and shakers and start writing with those influences in mind. The record is groove-heavy and has everything from the wandering bass lines to the shimmering guitars and big phat grooving rhythms. The fact they have tracks entitled ‘Stoned Blues’ and ‘I’m Tripping’ tells you what you need to know about their influnences.

I do like the rapid paced ‘Look At Your Baby’ that sounds like it was written in a heartbeat and recorded on the move. great energy and thunderous bassline. Retro Rock is alive and well and these cats are tapping their cuban heels whilst kicking out th ejams motherfuckers and doing it really well. You certainly get value for money with fourteen tunes on offer. ‘So Blue’ is a snotty rumble that’ll get your floorboards bouncing.

‘Frankie Says’ is a sting in the tail where the band shake their shit before signing off with the gentle ‘She Smiles’. Job one – top recordwith a lot of music crammed onto one album and several shades of groovy to suit every taste. Check it out!

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Author: Dom Daley

Slip-ons – Heavy Machinery EP (Self Release)

Slip-ons – Heavy Machinery EP (Self Release)

I do love it when a confident band rocks up claiming to sound somewhere between Exile era Stones and The Afghan Whigs thats some goal to live up to right there and why not.

SLIP~ons are an aggressive punchy power-pop band from Vancouver, BC. for sure I get the Afghan Whigs tag and Husker du no question, and for me thats good enough right there whilst I’d also add some earlyish Goo Goo Dools is in there. This four-piece was formed in 2012 by Brian Minato (Sarah Maclachlan) and Brock Pytel, “half of the singing/songwriting force behind Montreal’s Doughboys”, they also include Rob “Shockk” Matharu (Spitfires) on guitar, and Shane Wilson on drums. 

This here EP is packed with wild solos and plenty of punch in the rhythm and big dreams and big sound. It starts with a jangly intro on the title track as the drums roll in on some early 90s alt-rock riffing on a more rocky Springsteen if I’m looking for a tag to hang this sound on. Sure alt rock Husker Du is prominent in the melody and some J Mascis on the riffs that always going to peak my attention. there are six tracks on offer and the songwriting and performance are of a high standard and with enough grit and sonic fuzz in there to get any kid off their backside and at least swaying to the beat especially ‘Soldier, Don’t Say Goodbye’ a song with a whole heap of energy rattling down the line.

‘Nothing Is Good Enough’ has shades of early Foo Fighters doing punk rock and possibly the EP’s best riff. ‘Mosquito’ is up next and curiously it features twice back to back with an explicit version and then followed by a clean take on the same track, not something I was expecting, and would have preferred another track if I’m being honest but I do like the solo when it catches fire and collides with the main lick – good stuff.

Finishing off the EP with ‘Undivided’ clocking in at over five and a half minutes its got a lengthy intro before breaking out the song ebbs and flows nicely and is a decent closer showing another side of the bands songwriting. If you ever wanted to know who was listening properly when Bob Mould was kicking up a shit storm heres your chance and these guys were clearly taking note and using their influences well. Nice tunes.

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Author: Dom Daley

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/sliponsband

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Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0GB7L9xhFn0Lb5Jh8BVk5A?si=LaP_sSuaTc625B9E7cN1SA

Various Artists – ‘Never Turn Your Back On A Friend – 50 Years Later’ (Pale Wizard Records)

Various Artists – ‘Never Turn Your Back On A Friend – 50 Years Later’ (Pale Wizard Records)

Those lovely people at Pale Wizard records have added another fantastic album to their ’50 Years Later’ collection. After the success of the tributes to Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust and Alice Cooper’s Killer that featured some of the best underground heavy rock bands putting their spin on them, the latest release is a tribute to Welsh wizards Budgie, with a reimagining of their seminal 1973 album ‘Never Turn Your Back On A Friend’.

Budgie were one of those bands that can easily be put into the ‘they should have been huge’ bracket. At one stage in the early Seventies, they were on par with their luminaries Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, and Uriah Heep. They even shared the same producer as Sabbath; Rodger Bain was responsible for those early Sabbath and Budgie records and inadvertently, they invented a genre of music. Unfortunately, even though Budgie achieved a certain level of success, they never reached the dizzy heights of the other bands.

 ‘Never Turn Your Back On A Friend’ was a turning point for Budgie, this would be the last album featuring the original line up of Burke Shelly, Tony Bourge and Ray Phillips. It would also be their most successful in terms of record sales, this was undoubtedly helped by Metallica recording a cover of Breadfan in 1989. The amazing artwork by Roger Dean was also a highlight. Other bands such as Van Halen and Iron Maiden have covered Budgie tunes and Budgie are often cited by people such as Dave Mustaine from Megadeth and of course Lars Ulrich from Metallica as being huge influences.  Budgie are one of my favourite bands, and I’m lucky enough to live near to two of their former drummers: Ray Phillips and Steve Williams. I have to say that the debut album is my favourite, but NTYBOAF is a very close second.

This tribute is just that, it has been meticulously put together. Each band has put love and attention into every track. The album is wonderfully recorded and put together in a lovely package with beautiful artwork from Sara – Jane Swettenham.

First up we have Alunah’s take on possibly the hardest track to cover on the album, the opener Breadfan. They have given us a different slant on the song, obviously moving away from the brutality of the world-famous Metallica version. Alunah have gone for a more proggy/bluesy approach while still retaining the heaviness. Fantastic vocals and use of the flute (yes it works!) by Sian Greenaway make it an interesting listen.

Firegarden give us a true to the Budgie version of the cover of the Them classic ‘Baby Please Don’t Go’. Wonderful musicianship and solid production give this a modern edge to a great tune.

Next up we have a typically wild and wonderful performance from Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell with their version of one of the albums more reflective and quiet moments ‘You Know I’ll Always Love You’. There’s not much of the original here but it’s a fantastic version, brilliant!

Budgie are renowned for their strange songs titles, and here we have Regulus bashing out a great version of ‘You’re The Biggest Thing Since Powdered Milk’. The riffs are big and meaty, and Regulus have a ball with the with the solo sections, jamming but not moving too far away from the original parts.

More song title ridiculousness with ‘In the Grip Of A Tyre Fitter’s Hand’. This is given the full treatment by Syncolima who blast through it with ease. They have really put their stamp on the track while retaining their identity.

‘Riding My Nightmare’ is another highlight here. Brilliantly done by Great Electric Quest, you can tell they had great fun recording this, it shines through every note.

My favourite track from NTYBOAF has always been the epic ‘Parents’. I was very pleased to see that the superb Sergeant Thunderhoof had stepped up to put their stamp on it. What can I say? I had goosebumps while listening. The soaring vocals of Dan Flitcroft are just otherworldly. I really couldn’t believe how good this is. Mark Sayer’s guitar work highlights how good Tony Bourge’s wonderful playing is on the original track. Superb production values too. Sublime.

The CD version also gets a few bonus tracks, we have ‘Guts’ from the debut album done superbly by La Chinga, possibly Budgie’s heaviest tune sounds brilliant with a modern twist. We also get a barnstorming version of ‘Forearm Smash’ from the ‘Power Supply’ album done by Low Voltage in a balls out headbanging fury.  Finally, we get ‘Melt the Ice Away’ from the ‘Impeckable’ album given the Solar Sons treatment.

A superb tribute to a superb album. As I said earlier, all the bands involved have put their love and dedication into replicating this classic album. It really is a wonderful package. It’s available on Bandcamp on vinyl, CD, and digitally. What are you waiting for? Get it NOW!!

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Author: Kenny Kendrick

Midnight/Devastator – The Exchange, Bristol 09.07.23

Midnight/Devastator – The Exchange, Bristol 09.07.23

Twenty Years of Hell, Speed & Sleaze Fuck Yeah! I’ll have some of that. As we gather in the live room of The Exchange it looks like the green room of the walking dead as old-school Thrashers congregate with full corpse-painted kids waiting for some Black Thrash punk courtesy of Devastatoooooooor and the mighty Midnight.

First up are four guys from Oop Norf called Devastator who ply their satanic Black Thrash from I believe the East Midlands. Sounding like proper early Slayer ‘Live Undead’ meets Kill em All with a healthy dose of Mantas licks, they do a sterling job of warming up tonight’s audience with songs such as ‘Worship The Goat’ and ‘Night Of The Witches’ simply because every Black Thrash combo should have either a challenge, fire, tombstones or of course a fuckin Goat! these mofos have the latter stuck to the mic stand as it goes. They also had time to throw out a splendid cover of the Motorhead classic ‘Iron Fist’ as the solos falling from Mr. R Batemans fretboard were mesmerising as his Alien-like fingers became a blur of fretboard fuckery (which I think if I’m not mistaken did burst into flames at one point such was the speed at which he maneuvered across the neck of his instrument) songs like ‘Baptised In Blasphemy’ and ‘Death Slut’ or ‘Hail Death’ went down a treat and before you know it their work was done. The audience was suitably warmed up and sweat began to fall down the collective brow. The live room was now a steaming heaving mass waiting for what was to follow, as if this shit couldn’t get any more bonkers – Hold onto your camo shorts kids this might get a little rough.

The last time Midnight played the Exchange it was a fantastic set of memorable black thrash punk but tonight there was a packed room expectant for the trio of noise bringers and boy did they bring the noise. I might be forgiven for thinking this was one of if not the loudest show I’ve seen for many many years not since Saxon on the Crusader tour back in the day, Biff would have been proud of the volume Athenar and his boys were playing at. This wasn’t just loud this was loosening the screws on your pacemaker volume. Every beat of the bass drum was like a gots hoof kicking you in the bollock’s two-footed, real nosebleed volume. Once you get the picture we shall begin. With Sisters of Mercy volumes of dry ice billowing across the dimly lit stage it was time for Midnight to spend the next hour kicking the living shit out of a sweaty heaving mess of metalhead who quite simply couldn’t get enough of this ridiculous Black Thrash assault.

It’s been twenty years of Hell, Speed, Sleaze, Goats, Fire, Dogs, Tombstones, Whips, Chains, Violators, Masks, and loud as fuck Black n’ Roll music. It’s a fact that you won’t this Metal/Punk hybrid beast done better anywhere else on the planet or in the firey pits of Hell. With only a degree of separation from the likes of Zeke or prime-time DKs, this metal take on Punk Thrash is an absolute joy to behold when it’s done as well as this. Athenar and Commandor Vanik cross the stage from mic to mic like a pair of demonic Hell hounds guarding the opening of Hades, throwing out shapes and headbutting their instruments with enough force to wake the dead. Did I mention that the volume they were playing at was filling rattling and could probably be heard in Helldom. No not probably, it absolutely could be, it was that loud. The frenzied pit was also exceptional considering how fuckin hot and busy it was in The Exchange bodies bouncing off eachother like oiled up battle tops it was a joy to behold.

‘Funeral Bell’, ‘All Hail Hell’, ‘Szex Witchery’, and ‘Fucking Speed And Darkness’ are all despatched early doors and with such aplomb Midnight are a well oiled machine and Much like other speed metal bands or the likes of The Dwarves and Zeke they absolutely go for it no holds barred. As the pace and ferocity in which these tunes are delivered is breathtakingly exceptional (as well as incredibly loud) By the time we reach ‘Satanic Royalty’ there isn’t even time to vomit due to the heat and volume inside The Exchange (did I mention it was loud?), ‘Lust Filth And Sleaze’ and ‘Evil Like A Knife’ are dished up with a ferocity that no other bands I’ve witnessed in a long long time could keep pace with. Midnight isn’t taking any prisoners tonight, I find my mind drifting, wondering how they are celebrating twenty years of Hell, Speed, And Sleaze in the back room of a Bristol club and not selling out huge venues all over this spinning rock. Is the metal and punk communities too afraid of Midnight? Are kids worried they wouldn’t handle the intensity of a live show like this? There aren’t enough bands willing to take it to the next level.

Athenar asks if the crowd are getting tired after about fifty minutes of unrelenting power and ferocity and then says he doesn’t care because he could go on for hours, something I don’t doubt for a second. Even the wall behind me is perspiring it’s that hot in here, and at any moment the floor could rip open and Satan himself could appear and beg the band to turn it down a few thousand decibels before his head explodes.

Before the band is done they take requests from the floor and proceed to play ‘Endless Slut’ before ‘Can’t Stop The Steel’ is brutally executed. Quite simply Midnight are the real deal, and taking the spirit of prime Venom and the likes of Motorhead and the speed punks ethos on board they are in a league of their own as well as being in league with Satan (obviously). If they ever make it to a venue near you – quite simply you have to make it to a show, you will not be disappointed or leave unimpressed. When they ask ‘Who Gives A Fuck?’ you will be compelled to reply – I do. Midnight rule and that my friends is a fact – no it’s the law! Now where is the merch table I want one of those well-priced T-Shirts with the flames, goats, nuns, and Chains on, please. What a wonderful night in the company of the kings of Blackened Rock and Fuckin’ Roll! Hail Midnight.

Author: Dom Daley

Young Francis Hi Fi – ‘The Young Generation’ (Dirty Water Records)

Young Francis Hi Fi – ‘The Young Generation’ (Dirty Water Records)

Young Francis Hi-Fi plays Bubblegum Punk – Two-minute songs about girls, getting high, and hanging out we here at RPM HQ fully endorse that, and by the sounds of it it’s a wham bang thank you mam experience. Full-throttle lo-fi garage fuzz thrashing away at every opportunity is definitely something we can get behind. Some of these songs have been around for a while in demo form but they’ve been given an adrenaline shot and a rough house fucking up to toughen them up thanks to some fine additions to the cause from the Rough Gutts, Rotten Foxes gang.

As one song smashes into the next with little variation in the pace or the lyrical content its small fractions of separation and when done by professionals such as Young Francis Hi-Fi that’s a plus point and songs like ‘Short Hair Girl’ hit the lyrical genius spot that sends the pleasure endorphins flying around the body and brain. Great lyrics like Having short hair means you use less shampoo show that a genius is at work here it’s not a simple pleasure. With a sound somewhere between the Hip Priests covering Toilet Boys while reading a secret stash of Bunty magazine. You only need to look at the artwork on the jacket. It should come with a health warning and impressionable teens should approach with caution, these gents could ruin a teenager’s mind with this Rock n’ Roll they peddle, but they do look like fine specimens of what a rock n roll gang should look like in 2023.

They claim to have something to say so we’re all ears. We might have seen it all before but it’s been a long time coming and besides we are total suckers when it sounds this good. ‘Don’t Break My Heart’ is a thrashing banger and sets the tone for the best display of this genre in a long while in the shape of the banger that is ‘Jenny Jenny’ What a whopper of a tune it is.

When you read the band’s mantra and lifestyle philosophy goes something like living by the beach and loving the sunshine, and bubblegum and falling in love. They also love punk, denim, and getting fucked up. Growing up wanting to be in a gang, like all their favourite bands you can’t help but want to get involved. They dress in the Hi-Fi uniform, but we’re all different. Young Francis is the leader of the pack, Jimi is the sun who shines on us all, Danny Joe has a heart of gold and Bobby binds us together.

You can sing along to the trashy ‘Do You Like Good Music’. Of Course, we do which is why we’re head over heels for The Young Generation. The breakdown is delightful as is the tambourine and handclaps fucking with some Hanoi Rocks melodies and singalongs – bloody great stuff.

The smash-and-grab riff-a-rama of ‘Dance If You Wanna’ is electric and a real statement of intent. It’s pop music that’s getting nasty with some nasty punk rockers and the floor tom rattle is brilliant old-school glam snotty punk.

13 songs in 27 minutes tell you these cats aren’t mucking about here, they’re drinking fast, playing fast, and moving fast. Get involved before it’s too late and they’ve gone up in flames either on a one-way ticket to hell in a scandalous tale of rock n roll infamy or straight to the top.

‘Girls Like You’ is the best song I’ve heard in a while and if you dont like it then I’m afraid we can’t be friends and I’m gonna et everyone know you don’t have any good taste in music. I love they have a bad attitude its part of what makes them so attractive as a propersition – well that and the rock n roll and deliberate double denim. Settle down ladies and gents there’s plenty of them to go around and they have the finest soundtrack for making out but be careful, ‘Gimme A Kiss’ is a racey ditty that could cause injury if not danced to properly thrusting can put your hip out or cause irreparable damage but the soundtrack will make it fine. To bring this barnstormer to a close they fire off ‘101’ and promptly fuck off as quickly as they came. Wear denim, fascial hair, high tops, and a shit-kicking grin it’s all you need – oh, and a copy of this record. Now be gone and turn it up high as fuck, it’s worth it because you are worth it, Young Francis Hi-Fi should be your new squeeze because their album is the dog’s bollocks and packed full of essential tunes.

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Author: Dom Daley

Flyscreen/Deathtraps – Le Pub, Newport – 9th July 2023

Flyscreen/Deathtraps – Le Pub, Newport – 9<sup>th</sup> July 2023

It may well be 13 years since Flyscreen last played Newport (rock city) but it’s got to be nearly three decades since I last saw the band live, and back then, not only was I sharing a transit van with the boys in the band playing shows up and down the UK, but their line up also featured one Fraser Munro. Yup that’s the same chap you probably now know best (well if you’re reading this anyway) for co/fronting and playing bass in maximum velocity garage punk rockers Deathtraps.

Although tonight he’s no longer doing that.

No, he’s not left the band, it just that Veej, Matty and Fraser have gone and acquired themselves a bass player – step forward Namaan. Which means that Munro has gained two strings and is now co/fronting and playing guitar, with the resulting racket they now create sounding like it could level not just tall buildings. but whole cities, Newport being the first…. of many, I hope.

So, for the second time in a week I’m witnessing the Le Pub sound system dealing out some critical noise levels, with the needles well and truly in the err… red for ‘Red Eyes & Black Kisses’ and to some here tonight, perhaps witnessing the band for the first time, this must have come as something of a sonic shock to the system, as it was for those of us who have seen them many times, with the early inclusion of ‘Hell Of A Girl’ from Matty and Veej’s old band The Sick Livers. I thought this tune might have been just a one-off set list inclusion for their recent blast at Slugfest (where they were still a trio and also played a rollicking cover of Judas Priest’s ‘Breaking The Law’), but no, here it is loud and proud, for a whole new generation of gig goers to lose their shit to. Tidy darts!

Elsewhere the band’s sub thirty-minute aural rip ride flew by in the blink of an eye with the likes of ‘She Said’ and ‘Rip Em Off’, from their exceptional last record ‘Appetite For Prescription’, giving us all bloody noses, whilst the ever present oldie ‘Fuck The Cool Kids’ once again helped shatter the venue’s swear jar in just under three minutes flat.

It’s fast, its furious and its totally fucked-up rock ‘n’ roll, what more could you want on a Saturday night?

I always find it kind of irritating when a venue suddenly fills up for a headliner, but then Flyscreen are a what you might call a “more commercial” sounding musical proposition than the band that has just blown the bloody doors off Le Pub’s live room. It’s most probably why they were snapped up by MCA during the mid ‘90s and why they still have enough of a diehard following in da Port to sell out tonight’s gig, well in advance of showtime. It also doesn’t hurt their popularity one bit that their song ‘Carl Zeiss Jena’ (which was also a top three hit in Germany pop pickers) is also an anthem dedicated to this very city’s football team, and when it’s played here tonight mid-set you can almost taste the passion in the room. But wait, I’m getting ahead of myself here, because there’s much more to Flyscreen than just that one song, as opener ‘You Sons Of Bitches Shut-up’ quickly proves. Taken from the band’s 2005 album, ‘Only Dirty People Wash’, an album of ten songs I’d somehow totally missed at the time of release, this tune just like ‘Popsong Singalong’ the minor hit single from the album, which also (ouch!!!) pops up mid-set, are both post-New Seattle beauties of the highest order.

There’s of course always going to be the slightest whiff of nineties nostalgia in the air when most of your back catalogue was written in that decade, but when you have songs as strong as ‘Chopperquad’, ‘Ugly Freak Of Nature’ (not the version where singer/bassist Paul suddenly sang the words to ‘Homo’ over it), the always amazing ‘Biffbamaboomalamababe’ and ‘Snowbunny’ in your set list…who cares? That’s because, even whilst Tony, the band’s powerhouse drummer, is normally residing in San Francisco these days, the quartet (completed by guitarists Dave and Marc) have somehow managed to shoehorn recording an all-new record, into the time he’s briefly been back in the UK for tonight’s gig, and after hearing the first fruits of this session ‘I Love Everybody’ tonight, it sounds like it’s going to be an absolute banger.

Flyscreen’s forty odd minute set here tonight once again illustrated to everyone present just why they really should have been up there with the likes of Manic Street Preachers and Feeder in the popularity stakes. But that’s the UK music industry for you eh folks. It’s a shit business…

Author: Johnny Hayward

Yaki Dah – ‘You Me And Lee’ Video

Yaki Dah – ‘You Me And Lee’ Video

Exciting South Wales alt-rockers, YAKI DAH, continue their swift climb with the release of their ultra-magnetic new single and video, You, Me, and Lee, out now.

The band were only formed in 2022, the irrepressible quartet have already made a prominent mark on Wales’s vibrant alt-rock scene. Their boundless commitment has also propelled the band to play shows throughout the country, with a recent standout performance taking place in the heart of Camden, London. Many are now labelling YAKI DAH as a must-see act, and upon seeing the band live, it’s easy to see why. Their live show is a full-blown attack of the senses that leaves audiences craving more of their electrifying sound.

YAKI DAH are now poised to go further as they set loose their much anticipated new single, You, Me and Lee. This engrossing track showcases the band’s signature intensity and captivating songwriting, serving as a testament to their undeniable talent and artistic growth. Loaded with You, Me and Lee, YAKI DAH will thrust themselves into the limelight and cement their position as one of the most exciting breakthrough acts on the alternative rock scene. YAKI DAH are on a trajectory towards greatness, and their journey has only just begun.

https://www.facebook.com/yakidahofficial

https://www.instagram.com/yakidahwales/

Guns N’ Roses /The Pretenders/ The Darkness / Bad Nerves – Hyde Park -London 30.06.23

Guns N’ Roses /The Pretenders/ The Darkness / Bad Nerves – Hyde Park -London 30.06.23

The weather may be a bit of let down this Friday afternoon in Mayfair, but I can’t help but feel how unusually pleasant these surroundings are for once. Normally on the streets down this way you’re surrounded by flag shaggers, Northfacers and the Cliff Richard brigade brandishing their royal crockery at every corner. Right now if you cast your gaze in any direction you’ll see some variation of an Appetite for Destruction t shirt, and that suits me fine. 

I arrive in the Park just in time to witness the Darkness. I feel like I may have to make a witness statement of sorts. They’re a mixture of grateful to be here and their classic 2004 arrogance rolled up into a generally unappealing package. Treading through the hits, making pleasantries with the festival crowd(when not bickering the odd punter), but as always frontman Justin has a jumbo jet sized chip on his shoulder and will never change. Talent moat? Fuck off! Happy Friday everyone.

Branching out to one of the smaller stages at British Summer Time, all present are treated to rock gods in waiting, Bad Nerves. These Replacements tinged power poppers absolutely slay all those lucky enough to be in the locale. Stand out tracks have to be ‘punk radio’ and ‘can’t be mine’. This young band are flawless, effortless and explosive all rolled into one. The shot in arm that was most certainly needed to propel me through the evening. 

Bit of a plodding set from Chrissie and the boys. Accomplished but never quite getting out of third gear. I was hoping today would be the day things finally click with me and the Pretenders but alas I think I will be staying in my groove of being respectful but never quite admiring them. A crowd pleasing set littered with hits such as ‘don’t get me wrong’, ‘I’ll stand by you’ and ‘tattooed love boys’. Special note though has to go to the guitar work of James Walbourne. Check out his own project His Lordship and sonically submerge yourself into the Garage Rock depths. 

Prompt and ready to go as scheduled but much like Rock’n’Roll, the Axl Rose time keeping jokes will never die. He kept me waiting two hours once when I was 17, worth the wait though. Kicking off with ‘it’s so easy’, it’s like witnessing a force of nature. Still managing to hit all those teenage memories that pang with blissful nostalgia. Still prefer the Izzy Stradlin vocal though.

The band keeps this party going with Illusion era deep cut, ‘bad obsession’. Not even a tumble off the floor monitors could halt his stride. Sadly this is where we hit more of a metaphorical bump in the road. Next up we are delivered the package deal of album title track ‘Chinese democracy’ and Velvet Revolver single ‘slither’. It’s nice in a way that Axl, Duff and Slash have come so far that this is standard fare since the reunion began, but it has all the Rock’n’Roll gravitas of letting step parents sit on the top table at a wedding to “make everyone happy”. I digress.

The set rolls on with nice Illusion era additions (‘pretty tied up’, ‘double talkin’ jive’, ‘coma’), some of which might not be everyone’s first choice, but definitely a great reminder to revisit those diamonds in the double album rough. We’re even treated to nobody’s favourite Appetite song, ‘anything goes’ which is definitely a turnup for the books for this reviewer. 

You can’t help but wonder if apart from the songs that are integral to their set, are they picking bits from their back catalog that are more manageable for the vocal range Axl posses these days. Which is definitely not a negative thing, he’s in his sixties, he can’t hit all the high notes all the time. Going forward though, the band need to have a good long think about what they can provide as a touring act and if it’s worth £100 a ticket.

We’re treated good and proper to all the bells and whistles for the remainder of the evening. Gratuitous guitar solos? Check. Power ballads? Check. Riotous punk classics from Duff McKagan? Check. 8 minute plus opuses? Check. Dylan and Bond epic covers? Check. Night train? Motha fuckin’ check. 

It has to be said that British Summer Time use Hyde Park very well and put on a cracking show with excellent facilities. I actually can’t remember a better event I have been to in last twenty years for bars, toilets etc. The only critism would be food queues, the non veggie/vegan stalls took a pounding. Also it was nice to be at a big event in London and not be surrounded by junior PR staff on comp’d tickets, chatting away throughout the performance that don’t give a shit. Yowza. 

All in all after initial trepidation from having a bad time seeing them in 2017 and some of the online trolling Axl has received in the lead up, I’m very much glad I made the journey down. Thankfully the PA at Hyde Park is much better than the inadequate ones that get carted out for stadium tours and I was able to enjoy myself. Take that one to heart!

Author: Dan Kasm

PJ Harey-‘I Inside The Old Year Dying’ (Partisan Records)

PJ Harey-‘I Inside The Old Year Dying’ (Partisan Records)

‘I Inside the Old Year Dying’ is PJ Harvey’s tenth album, and her first in seven years. Throughout her career, she has always ensured that each phase of her progress has taken her somewhere new, but her latest music is audacious and original even by her own standards. Full of a sense  of a cyclical return to new beginnings, it combines its creative daring with a sense of being open and inviting, inthe most fascinating way. The new songs, Harvey says, offer “a resting space, a solace, a comfort, a balm-which feels timely for the times we’re in.”

And that intro from the press release is as good a place to start as any, I started listening to Polly Jean back in the time of 5OFT Queenie coming out, stocking Dry when I first opened my own record shop, have moved with her through virtually every stage of her career and watched and listened as every LP has unravelled each with their own personality each echoing a time in Polly Jean’s life making a statement from a snaphot, but always moving forward, the music itself constantly changing and adapting and very much as with people like Bowie and Nick Cave fans will be drawn to a specific era, a genre and sometimes not move forward with the artist happy in the now, unwilling to Embrace change, not something that can be levelled at artists such as Polly Jean.

So what does the LP give us again drawing on Polly Jeans words from the press release

” In the album’s liminal world, scattered with biblical imagery and references to Shakespeare, all these distinctions dissolve. “I’m somewhere where I’ve not been before,” Harvey says. “What’s above,what’s below, what’s old, what’s new, what’s night, what’s day? It’s all the same, really–and you can enter it and get lost. And that’s what I wanted to do with the record, with the songs, with the sound, with everything”.

Opening up with “Prayer at the gate” your instantly drawn into that world of Aural soundscapes faved by Warren Ellis and the Producer flood’s work really draws you in, this is a very different PJ Harvey, the voice an instrument in the whole rather than a lead. Next up “Autum leaves” has quite a Soulful almost funk feel in the backdrop, but the vocals push the song forward in a very different way almost sitting outside the music dipping into and weaving through the Sound. “Lonesome tonight” again has a very different feel a song that stops you dead and you just have to listen, the story unfolding takes me to a parallel with the Orianthi Poem written in old Cornish, this is probably my fave on the LP, it twists and turns and is I think one of the strongest PJ Vocal performances I’ve heard.

“Seen and I “ hints at past sounds but again the vocals move in a very different direction, the John Parish influence I think coming to the fore. “The Nether edge” weaves a very different soundscape almost industrial in its reverb and repetition, but again the vocals sit outside moving in and out, The acoustic guitar that introduces “I inside the old year dying” drifts away as that industrial soundscape takes over, the music changing and adapting to the story being told. “All Souls” enters almost hesitantly the piano and vocals overtaken as the distortion and reverb comes in. At this point you realise how strong the Vocals are throughout this LP I would definitely say this is one Of PJ’s strongest ever vocal performances,

Moving through the rest of the LP “A child’s question July” “I inside the old I dying” with its stop start animation led video, “August” with its initial Piano led soundscape, flows seamlessly into “a Child’s question July”which has an almost mystical feel weaving a fairytail picture, “A noiseless noise” finishes things up with again one of my faves of the LP tearing you back with power and intensity to earlier PJ Harvey works.

This is a powerful LP but in a number of ways, it holds your attention and is very definitely one to listen to all the way through, for someone new to PJ Harvey I’m not sure that it’ll set things up for you to explore the artists earlier work this Isn’t ‘Stories from the City’, ‘Is this Desire’, ‘Dry’ or ‘Pure’, its also a long way from ‘The Hope Six Demolition Project’ and ‘Let England shake’, but if you sit and listen you can pick up pieces from them all just re-interpreted. It might not hit you first listen, but stick with it I think it’ll creep on to my LP of the year list come December!!

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Author: Nev Brooks

The Hip Priests hit the road – Sept/Oct

The Hip Priests hit the road – Sept/Oct

The Hip Priests announce UK Tour in support of new album ‘Roden House Blues’.

Continuing what has been another very busy year and hot on the heels of their recent storming shows supporting Zeke, the band have just announced a string of UK headline dates in Sept/Oct. Returning to venues they’ve previously played on tours with Supersuckers and Dwarves, as well as hitting some new towns they’ve never visited, they’ll be preaching their sermon of nihilistic Rock N’ Roll on the following dates –

Weds 27th Sept – The Parish, Huddersfield
Thurs 28th Sept – Trillians, Newcastle
Fri 29th Sept – Bannermans, Edinburgh
Sat 30th Sept – The Waterloo, Blackpool
Fri 6th Oct – The Black Heart, London
Sat 7th Oct – The Hope And Ruin, Brighton
Sun 8th Oct – Tough Love Records, Hastings (Lunchtime Show)

Sun 8th Oct – Lady Luck, Canterbury

In addition, they have also been asked to support Wolfsbane at their Nottingham and London shows at the end of the year. 

Following these shows the band will begin work on their next album, meaning that this will be the last chance to catch them live in the UK for some time. So grab your tickets as soon as possible from venue websites or check links on Facebook events.