ME TOO // SINGLE & VIDEO – CHOOSE THE BEAR TOUR // SPRING 2025

MILLIE MANDERS AND THE SHUTUP have released their new single Me Too, taken from their acclaimed second album Wake Up, Shut Up, Work. The single is the fourth and final to be taken from the album and comes with an acoustic version on the B-side and an intensely powerful and emotional video directed by Ell Bobin. The release comes ahead of the band’s Choose The Bear Tour in the spring, which includes their biggest headline London show to date at Camden Dingwalls and will raise money for Sexual and Domestic Abuse charities along with a new Angry Ted Plushie bear. The bear will be strictly limited to 500 with £6 from each one being donated to The Survivors Trust, Refuge UK and Beyond The Streets with the aim of raising £1000 for each charity.

Pic: Tina K

The video features members of Ramona’s Tea Party, who supported Millie Manders and The Shutup on their headline UK tour in the autumn of last year, and members of the audience on those shows.

Speaking about the video, Millie says:

“Thank you to Ramona’s Tea Party for the excellent acting and for spending hours on set with us, and especially to Ramona for deeply immersing herself in the moment, making us all emotional. And thank you to the literally hundreds of people across our shows who chose to be filmed for this video. We are so sorry we couldn’t fit more in. It was staggering the number of you who wanted to be involved with this. Thank you so much for watching and for your support.”

Wake Up, Shut Up Work reached #2 in the UK Rock & Metal album chart and #6 in the UK Independent album chart upon its release in August, and is the follow up to their Telling Truths, Breaking Ties debut. The album is available on CD and vinyl from https://linktr.ee/milliemanders and a host of independent record stores alongside all major streaming and download platforms.

CHOOSE THE BEAR TOUR

FEBRUARY

Thu 13 LONDON Camden Dingwalls

Sat 22 LEEDS A Fistful Of Ska

MARCH

Thu 27 BLACKPOOL Bootleg Social

Fri 28 GLASGOW Audio

Sat 29 SCARBOROUGH Punk Festival

Sun 30 YORK Crescent

APRIL

Fri 18 MANCHESTER Punk Festival

Wed 23 MILTON KEYNES Craufurd Arms

Thu 24 ALDERSHOT West End Centre

Fri 25 HITCHIN Club 85

Sat 26 SWANSEA Sin City

MAY

Thu 01 HUDDERSFIELD Parish

Fri 02 BIRKENHEAD Future Yard

Sat 03 LEICESTER Musician

Sun 04 DERBY Hairy Dog

Tickets from www.millie-manders.com and the venues.

‘Satanic Rites of The Wildhearts’ 

       +

Headline UK Tour, March 2025

TheWildhearts.lnk.to/SROTW

The Wildhearts release new single / video, ‘Troubadour Moon’, from their forthcoming studio album, ‘Satanic Rites of The Wildhearts’, out on March 7thvia Snakefarm. 

“I was reading an interview with a well-known musician recently, and he was talking about how there aren’t any troubadours anymore – people who play music purely for the love of it. I thought it was an interesting observation, so I’ve addressed it here, along with the idea of being yourself and not being swayed by trend or fashion, by the latest thing. If you allow that to happen, there’s the danger that you’ll always be one step behind or in someone else’s shadow…” – Ginger Wildheart 

“With the new ‘Satanic Rites…’ album reflecting both the spirit and the energy of the classic ‘Earth vs…’ debut, both musically and visually, it made sense for the video for ‘Troubadour Moon’ to contain a host of references – some very subtle and obscure – to the glorious early days of the band. Plus, acknowledging the past in this way will hopefully put a smile on the faces of longstanding fans, and underline the fact that those creating the videos, the artwork and the photos, all of the imagery, are true fans of the band with a passion for detail. And if anyone knows why there’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it nod to former Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan in the clip, then you really are a serious fan! Please take a bow!” – Dante Bonutto, Snakefarm

To purchase / stream ‘Troubadour Moon’ go to: https://thewildhearts.lnk.to/TroubadourMoon

The creatively brilliant Ginger Wildheart is arguably amongst the UK’s best and most prolific songwriters, and his band, The Wildhearts, recently signed a worldwide deal with Snakefarm / Integral. 

“The songs on ‘Satanic Rites…’ were written during a period of transition, from extremely negative to positive,” reflects Ginger. “I realised how much control I have over my mental health, and the songs came from that understanding. There’s everything here – catchy choruses, proper fuck-off riffs, anger, frustration, acceptance and revelation, with plenty of insane detours. The album starts pessimistic then ends up like ‘Ah, so I CAN turn my life around?’ It’s a hard rock album for people who love hard rock!” 

‘Satanic Rites of The Wildhearts’, their 11th studio album, was produced by Jim Pinder (Bring Me The Horizon, While She Sleeps, Bullet For My Valentine) and mixed by Jim Pinder & Carl Bown (Trivium, Machine Head, Bring Me The Horizon, While She Sleeps, Bullet For My Valentine), and the record is conceived as a belated follow-up to their classic debut, ‘Earth vs The Wildhearts’ (1993).

Along with the singles, ‘Failure Is The Mother Of Success’ and ‘Troubadour Moon’, the album features a further eight tracks, including glam stomper ‘I’ll Be Your Monster’ (featuring Shining / Emperor member Jørgen Munkeby on guest saxophone).

To pre-order / pre save ‘Satanic Rites of The Wildhearts’ go to: TheWildhearts.lnk.to/SROTW 

‘Satanic Rites of The Wildhearts’ will be available on coloured vinyl LP, CD (with exclusive bonus track) and cassette. The LP & CD formats contain lyrics hand-written by Ginger, a painting by Ginger, plus other Ginger-related graphics.

To celebrate this release, The Wildhearts will be undertaking four in stores and playing eight headline UK shows in March, starting on March 7that the Leadmill in Sheffield and concluding on March 16th at the 1865 in Southampton. 

“We’ll be taking a full evening’s entertainment on tour, kicking off with party-punks Dirt Box Disco, going to rock ‘n’ roll church with Jim Jones, then being flayed alive with The Wildhearts. The party starts when the doors open, so get a buzz on and get down early. Come join the Wildhearts’ community gathering. We guarantee you’ll leave with the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll firmly restored” – Ginger Wildheart

For three decades, The Wildhearts have remained at the forefront of the UK rock scene, and their incendiary live shows have cemented their reputation and legacy as one of the best band’s their homeland has produced, so miss these shows at your peril.

The Wildhearts dates in full 

March in stores 

8th Relevant Records – Cambridge – Live acoustic performance and signing

9th HMV Manchester – Live Acoustic Performance and signing

10th Liverpool – Jacaranda – Acoustic performance and signing

12th HMV Newcastle – Signing

The Wildhearts UK Tour, March 2025

07thLeadmill, Sheffield

08th  Junction, Cambridge

09th  O2 Ritz, Manchester

11th  Epic, Norwich

13th  Garage, Glasgow

14th  KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

15th  Rock City, Nottingham

16th  1865, Southampton

May

04th Bonfest, Kirriemuir, Scotland 

07th  Wolf, Barcelona, Spain

08th Loco Club, Valencia, Spain

09th Nazca, Madrid, Spain

10th Psilocybenea, Hondarribia, Spain

24th The Big Yard Party, Old Woollen, Leeds

July 

07th Time To Rock Festival, Knislinge, Sweden

25th Steelhouse Festival, Ebbw Vale, Wales

Tickets for the UK tour (7th March – 16th March)  can be ordered here: https://www.gigantic.com/enter-code?c=9BC111E6-FDCB-4B8C-AAE3-94BA07CF575D

http://www.thewildhearts.com/

https://www.facebook.com/TheWildhearts

Do you remember a time when music fans adorned their bedroom walls with posters of their heroes? Larger-than-life rock stars who seemed untouchable to a wide-eyed teen? Gyasi does. The West Virginia born and raised singer channelled those very same idols: Bowie, Bolan and Zep to the max on his debut album ‘Pronounced Jah-See’ back in 2022, unapologetically wearing his influences on his satin sleeves for all to see. We here at RPM fell for him, hook, line and sinker.

Now he follows up last year’s killer live opus ‘Rock n’ Roll Sword Fight’ with his sophomore studio album ‘Here Comes The Good Part. So, let’s dip right in and see if Gyasi hits the spot second time around.

Opener ‘Sweet Thing’ sets the scene with a Ziggy stomp and a laid back, bluesy Black Keys like groove. The instant hook of a chorus makes a b-line for your brain and Gyasi is well and truly back in business with a sure-fire anthem of self-expression.

The thing I dig about Gyasi is his ability to mix up the sound of his influences to great effect. 70’s glam rock is the order of the day, add to that a smattering of west coast 60’s psychedelia and a shot of Brit Pop for good measure, and we’ve got a good thing going. This is evident on the swaggering ‘Lightening’ and the more bluesy, high-energy stomp of ‘She Says’.

‘Snake City’ has cool dynamics and a stomper of a chorus, ‘Cheap High’ is high octane rock n’ roll done just right. A sleazy, low-slung Aerosmith riff and a cocksure demeanor makes it an early album standout. As is previous single ‘Baby Blue, a shameless T Rex stomp with a chorus to die for. Yes, you know exactly where he’s pilfered it from as much as I do, but fuck me, what a tune!

Some might say there’s blatant Bowie plagiarism going on here. Yes, that arpeggiated riff to ‘Sweet Thing’ certainly carries a passing resemblance to ‘Ziggy Stardust’, ‘American Dream’ with its regimental snare beat, acoustic guitar and sexy sax has a ‘Lady Stardust’ feel to it and stunning CD only bonus cut ‘Apple Tree’ is Gyasi’s ‘Oh! You Pretty Things’. But surely, he’s just embracing his influences, and it never hurt Noel Gallagher, right?

The piano led ‘23’ sees our sequin-suited hero banging to the beat of a different drum. With its laid-back, sexy sax accompaniment and dreamy vibes, its veering towards 80’s new age pop in a good way, hints of Roxy Music come to find here. And then album closer ‘Grand Finale’ comes on like some glam rock musical reprise. Picked acoustic chords, soaring strings and a self-assured vocal performance build with cleverly produced drums to give that authentic 70’s analogue feel.

With just the right amount of sleazy riffs & power chords, a good dose of lipstick & glitter and enough dirt under the fingernails, ‘Here Comes The Good Part’ straddles Bowie in his Hunky Dory/Ziggy Stardust years, it embraces Marc Bolan between ‘Electric Warrior’ and ‘The Slider’ and brings us right up to date for the kids by digging the sounds of Jack White and The Black Keys. It would all be so laughable and throwaway if the songs weren’t up to scratch, but guess what? The songs are good, they are very good.

I’ll tell you one thing for sure, if I was a wide-eyed teen discovering rock n’ roll right now, I’d proudly have Gyasi’s poster on my bedroom wall and this sophomore-long player would be blasting from the speakers day and night.

An eagerly anticipated album from a rising star, and an essential purchase for 2025. Get it on, pre-ordered and demand a UK tour quick sharpish.

Buy Here

Author: Ben Hughes

THIN LIZZY RETURNS WITH FIRST NEW ALBUM IN OVER 40 YEARS: ACOUSTIC REWORKS OF THEIR CLASSICS

‘ACOUSTIC SESSIONS’ OUT NOW VIA DECCA

BUY PHYSICAL CD/LP HERE:

FULL ALBUM TO BE RELEASED DIGITALLY MAY 9TH 

“This material brings new clarity and intimacy to Lynott’s vocals.” Mojo 

“This unique collection showcases the other side of West Bromwich-born Irish rocker Lynott – the romantic and idealistic folk poet. The results are majestic.” Daily Mirror

“A die-hard’s delight.” Record Collector  

Thin Lizzy is back with a fresh take on some of their most iconic tracks, marking their first new release in over four decades. This unique acoustic album reimagines beloved songs, offering a stripped-back sound that exposes the core of their songwriting. Original vocals from Phil Lynott are paired with brand-new guitar parts from founding member Eric Bell, creating an entirely new listening experience for fans. ‘Acoustic Sessions’ is out today on CD and vinyl and will be released digitally on May 9th.

Producer and mixer Richard Whittaker, working alongside Eric Bell, went to huge lengths to use the original tapes, vocals and instrumentation with the only new addition being Eric’s fresh acoustic guitar parts which were recorded with him in Belfast at the Oh Yeah! Centre Studios, a unique celebration of Irish artists and their craft.

Each track on the album is a freshly created version of songs featured on either the 50th-anniversary super deluxe editions of ‘Vagabonds Of The Western World’, considered Thin Lizzy’s breakthrough, alongside their self-titled debut and ‘Shades of a Blue Orphanage’.

Today we celebrate the album’s release with a sublime new lyric video for the 1971 song ‘Dublin’. These new visuals compliment this beautiful song perfectly, bringing to life Lynott’s achingly sentimental lyrics for the city he grew up in.

This album marks the first time since Bell’s exit that he has recorded under the Thin Lizzy name. Fans can now experience what might have been their “MTV Unplugged” moment—a chance to hear the band’s timeless music in its most intimate form.

For dedicated fans, a D2C edition includes an exclusive bonus track, “Slow Blues G.M,” a tribute to Gary Moore, alongside acoustic versions of these classic tracks:

The album is available in both CD and limited-edition marble vinyl formats, along with an ultra-limited vinyl edition featuring an exclusive bonus track. Don’t miss out on this once-in-a-generation release from one of rock’s most beloved bands.

Order here:

Swedish hardcore outfit First In Line celebrates their 30th anniversary with the new album “Connect the Dots” with 19 frantic, raw, and energetic tracks showcasing the finest of the Linköping HC scene. First In Line has been flying the flag of fast, melodic hardcore since 1994, so maybe now is as good a time as any to catch up and admit this is my first – an introduction if you like and in time-honoured scandi hardcore the guys kicked my backside. Like Zugly before them, they remain true to the roots of the sound and scene and deliver an album that captures the spirit of Harcore and also delivers some exceptional playing and to be fair some great songs.

If you want loud in-your-face, gritty unrelenting energy then First In Line bang em out.

“Connect the Dots” kicks off in style with the brutal ‘What’ that sets the tone with a full frontal assault on your senses. They do mix it up but dive straight into the pit for ‘Cookies And Cream’ thrashing like motherfuckers.

F.I.L are so pissed off at all injustice and stupidity, we have to get it out of their heads and into the songs that they hope will hit right in the heart of you the listener, who can turn up the will to fight and maybe also be a tiny cog in a machinery that can change the world.” which is an admirable stance indeed.

Nineteen track of Hardcore is a lot to absorb in one take but this is the stuff that makes your day go by quicker and puts a spring in your step. It’s not a long album by any means and of course some of the songs are sub one minute so not exactly taxing. Songs like ‘Inbred’ is the sound of the walls collapsing in on you whilst your listening but you’d rather get through the song than worry about your house caving in.

I love it when an album comes out of the blue and asks you to review it and you just put it on in the background but soon enough you find yourself leaning in and paying attention well, First In Line just did that and this stands shoulder to shoulder with any Hardcore released in a decade and I’ll take that all day long. By the time you get to the uncompromising ‘Black And White’ and ‘Good Friends’ you will be nodding in approval these guys have a fire burning in their collective bellies and who doesn’t like that? It’s fast, furious and on fuckin fire. Get involved, you can thank me later Hardcore as fuck!

Connect with First In Line:
https://firstinline-fil.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/fil_lkpg
https://www.facebook.com/fillkpg
https://x.com/fil_lkpg

Author: Dom Daley

Whilst purging the late runners and riders of 2024 several EPs landed on the RPM desk that were enjoyed over the festive period and even played on the podcast and one of these EPs happened to be from Scandinavia who’ve been around for ages but has recently gone through plenty of changes and a freshen up so they decided to reintroduce themselves with a bite-size EP where they perform three old tunes and a brand new one as an introduction to the new members and shake off the cobwebs on some old hidden gems.

Joining Miqu, Eco and Kupe are Junza formerly of fishface on guitar and Samer on Bass duties formerly from Lordi so on with the show and opening track ‘Motorhome’ which was originally done in 98 and sounds like it could have been written yesterday. With its carefree guitar lick and happy-go-lucky tempo is a great slice of sleazy Rock n Roll helped with a great production. ‘Bad Ballerina’ is a new song with some bad boy boogie and a fair sprinkling of piano for good measure to add some timeless Rock n Roll to proceedings.

‘Subway’ has a quicker tempo and was originally from Miqus band Indian Giver with plenty of swagger and a bad attitude it has groove and a killer chorus. the EP is closed off with ‘St Babylon’ that’s more Glam Rock than the others with a big hook and was written thirty years ago (Yikes) the breakdown would have seen this a chart bothering tune in the late 80s but we live in very different times in 2025. So there you have it, a new, old EP from Plastic Tears and a process that the band hints at possibly repeating in the future when old songs get a dusting down and reworked for the modern age.

I like Plastic Tears and hopefully, this new lineup can deliver a new LP and who knows some shows in this neck of the woods.

Buy Plastic Tears Here

Author: Dom Daley

Sweden’s finest exponents of action rock The Imperial State Electrocopters are back and they are firing on all cylinders. Nicke Andersson’s 70’s drenched tribute to The Stooges/Kiss/Thin Lizzy/Motorhead (delete as applicable) follows up their 2022 comeback album ‘Eyes Of Oblivion’ with a new 11-track banger of an album in ‘Overdriver’, and there is not a Dregen to be seen or heard on this, the 9th long player from The Hellacopters. Which sort of makes it an Imperial State Electric sort of thing, doesn’t it?

Confused? Well don’t be. The livewire Backyard Babies guitarist may well have been instrumental in the sound of The Hellacopters classic ‘Supershitty To The Max!’ garage rock era, but that was a different band in a different century ladies and gents. Nicke and his gang progressed over the years, and while the gang members have come and gone, the song remains the same in 2025.

Seems as they are a four piece in the videos, we are to assume out illustrious leader handles guitar duties as well as vocals here. All is well and good and opener ‘Token Apologies’ delivers the Kiss/UFO influences to the max, and if you have, like me been rediscovering the ‘Head Off’ covers re-issue recently, then that is a good reference for where we are heading sound-wise.

‘Don’t Let Me Bring You Down’ is classic Nicke, and could’ve been a single from any of the early Imperial State Electric long players, or any 70’s Quo album come to think of it. A great memorable hook, and an early highlight for sure.

But then things get really tasty with the magnificent power pop single ‘I Don’t Wanna Be Just A Memory’. Methinks Ginger Wildheart would give his left bollock to have a hook that good for The Wildhearts in 2025. With its urgent beats and rousing chorus, it sounds like Benny & Bjorn penned it back in ‘78, Iggy stole the beat from the Lord and traded it to Nicke’s old man for a bag of blow and a bottle of Jack. Yes, it’s that good!

3 songs in and were flying in the right direction. The groovy punk n’ roll of ‘Wrong Face’ follows, the rousing and uplifting ‘Soldier On’, and the overly familiar ‘Doomsday Daydreams’ wrap up a very strong side 1.

Flipping the virtual disc and the high energy ‘Faraway Looks’ has riffs and a chorus to die for, latest single ‘Do You Feel Normal’ is classic 70’s rock at its finest and closer ‘Leave A Mark’, does exactly that with its throbbing bass line, driving rhythms and Starchild vocal delivery. It rocks you like a hurricane until the final note rings out.

For me, ‘Overdriver’ is a stronger album than its predecessor. It’s an album of two halves, side 1 pisses all over side 2, but it’s worth flipping the disc for the opener and closer alone. There’s a lot of familiarity of ‘Overdriver’, riffs you will have heard before…somewhere, and you’ll be wracking your brain to recall where the hell you have heard certain melodies before, but that’s half the fun of the listening experience. Who was it that said, “There’s nothing original in rock n’ roll these days”? That may well be true, but if it’s good and it makes you feel something, then who the fuck gives a fuck?!

The Hellacopters may not sounds as raw and exciting as they did in 1996, but they’ve mellowed like a fine red wine over the years and ‘Overdriver’ is a great return to form and one of the essential listens for 2025.

Buy Here

Author: Ben Hughes

An EP always slips through the cracks, and goes undetected on the RPM radar and The Electric Shakes certainly falls into that category so the time has come to put it right. Released in 2024 the ‘Ten Years In Overdrive’ EP is here to testify that the UK can shake its shit up there with the best garage rock available anywhere on the planet.

From the off, your groove is on mofos ‘Breaking Me Loose’ is a sub-five-minute exhibition that what the mighty Thee Hypnotics didn’t fall on deaf ears with its strutting riff giving it large in time-honoured fashion is a smart and precise opener that sets the tone for some pretty impressive ROCK!

Riding on a groove that swings like billy big bollocks ‘Make It Last’ demands you turn up the stereo then when it’s loud enough to hear the windows rattle you’re good to go. With a spot-on production that embraces the old but also sounds modern and fresh it’s a toe-tapper for sure. Clocking in at a smudge over seven minutes won’t put you off once the guitars lock in and we have take off the mid-song breakdown with sing a long made for the live shows vocal is the signal to build into a whig ou frenzy that you can feel brooding. It reminds me in places of the early Datsuns records it’s certainly got elements of that in its DNA which is never a bad thing. ‘White Wine Psychosis’ is the real high point of the EP with an intro to rival some Bon era DC with the lick on that fuzzed-out geetah but it veers off with a psychedelic melody that is far removed from DC and into some pretty wicked MC5 territory and that’s always a good place to be. It’s got an attitude that compliments the music on offer and that’s what should raise it above other contenders.

The EP finishes with another bruising six-minute plus romp, ‘Take The Lid Off My Darkness,’ a song that doesn’t feel almost seven minutes long. I do like the split of the guitars, with one hypnotizing the listener while the other constantly jabs at your eardrums. Get your groove on, kids, and let some Electric Shakes into your collection. I can promise you won’t regret it—buy It!

Buy Here

Author: Dom Daley

PUP SHARE FIRST SINGLE IN TWO YEARS

“PARANOID” OUT NOW

ANNOUNCE UK & EU HEADLINE TOUR FOR MAY

Toronto punk heroes PUP – comprised of Stefan Babcock, Nestor Chumak, Zack Mykula, and Steve Sladkowski – released their fourth album, THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND, in 2022.


The album earned PUP universal acclaim, countless Top 10 Billboard chart positions including #1 Heatseekers, Top New Artists Albums and Alternative New Artist Albums, and a slew of sold-out shows across the globe. They’re keeping it going with an arena tour on home turf in support of Sum 41 that kicks off tomorrow night, so to celebrate they return today with a new single. The explosive, John Congleton-produced track “Paranoid” is out now, and marks PUP’s first new release in two years. 

Stefan Babcock says of the new single: “My favourite part of this song is the breakdown 1:45 in. Whenever we try and do a heavy breakdown with catchy vocals we end up sounding like the world’s worst melodic hardcore band. But somehow it worked on this song. I think because it’s so intense in that moment that it’s actually kind of funny and a bit hard to take seriously. There’s some humour in that and how it plays against what I’m yelling about in a way I really like. Plus Nestor plays the melody from ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ on the bass at the heaviest moment in the song which really cracks me up every time I hear it.”

“Paranoid” is accompanied by an ingenious, whipsmart music video by long-time PUP collaborator Jeremy Schaulin-Rioux, who said: “What started out as a way to keep the bruising and heartbreaking lyrics to ‘Paranoid’ front and centre turned into a little love letter for rock band merchandise and the unsung heroes who run the merch table. Special thanks to co-director Clem Hoeney and all the real PUP fans who came out and went so hard for a hundred takes!”


The band are also launching their MORE BAD STUFF – A PUPTHEBAND Substack. A reincarnation of the band’s zine series PUPTHEZINE, this Substack will be an ongoing digital version or, as they like to call it, “PUPTHEBAND’S brand new digital hellscape.” They will use it to post unreleased songs, discuss the writing process, play-through tracks, and to share comics, old photos, live recordings, tour stories and more. The first two posts, featuring the original 4-song EP of pre-PUP band Topanga and some Built To Spill covers by Stefan, are out now.

SIGN UP FOR “MORE BAD STUFF – APUPTHEBAND SUBSTACK” HERE 



And to follow on from their sold-out dates with Jimmy Eat World here at the tail-end of last year, PUP also announce their return to UK and EU shores for a headline tour in May with full dates listed below.

For the EU/UK dates, the band will take Illuminati Hotties along as their main support (all shows excluding Spain) and Goo will additionally join for the UK run.

Go to www.puptheband.com for all on sale and ticketing information.

Canada:

10/01/2025 – Victoria, BC @ Save On Foods Memorial Centre
11/01/2025 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
13/01/2025 – Kelowna, BC @ Prospera Place
16/01/2025 – Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome
17/01/2025 – Edmonton, AB @ Rogers Place
18/01/2025 – Saskatoon, SK @ Sasktel Centre
20/01/2025 – Winnipeg, MB @ Canada Life Place
23/01/2025 – St. Catharines, ON @ Meridian Centre
24/01/2025 – Ottawa, ON @ Canadian Tire Centre
25/01/2025 – Laval, QC @ Place Bell
27/01/2025 – London, ON @ Budweiser Gardens
28/01/2025 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
30/01/2025 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena

UK and EU:

07/05/2025 – Birmingham, UK @ XOYO Birmingham
08/05/2025 – Leeds, UK @ Project House
10/05/2025 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Ritz
11/05/2025 – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 (TV Studio)
12/05/2025 – Newcastle, UK @ Newcastle University
13/05/2025 – Bristol, UK @ Marble Factory
15/05/2025 – Southampton, UK @ Engine Rooms
16/05/2025 – London, UK @ O2 Forum Kentish Town
18/05/2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Melkweg
20/05/2025 – Cologne, Germany @ Club Volta
21/05/2025 – Hamburg, Germany @ Logo
22/05/2025 – Berlin, Germany @ Hole44
23/05/2025 – Munich, Germany @ Strom
25/05/2025 – Paris, France @ Bellevilloise
27/05/2025 – Madrid, Spain @ Sala Mon
28/05/2025 – Barcelona, Spain @ Upload
29/05/2025 – València, Spain @ Loco Club
30/05/2025 – San Sebastian, Spain @ Dabadaba​​​​​​

You might well be sitting there wondering why is he getting his knickers in a twist over this Midlife Crisis album well, let me take you back to the previous website I wrote for where I did the singles club round-ups, when a certain 45 landed featuring members from iconic bands such as The Hellacopters, Maryslim, Backyard Babies, Crimson Shadows, and Mike Monroe Band, offering a unique blend of punk rock n roll outta Sweden I got very interested. When the needle dropped I got a little bit more excited at what I heard. The bands complete output was a smattering of limited edition 7″ vinyl EPs, making this a highly anticipated album indeed fo anyone who indulges in some dark underground punk rock n roll like Moir.

It also Includes guest backing vocals by Danny Furious from the legendary punk band The Avengers and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, adding further punk credibility. Theres even time for a UK Subs classic ‘Same Thing’, titled ‘Samma Sak’. Oh now you’re interested. The album kicks off in style with the anthemic ‘Sick Of You’ which had me thinking was it really twenty years ago they recorded this? My God how time flies.

The band went on to release three more EPs (the latest one in 2018). Now, everything is being released on a most welcome long-playing 12″ via Wild Kingdom Records. ‘The American In Me’ lashes its flag to the mast of Turbonegro and MC5 and thunders along but then so does ‘Cranked Up Really High’ What a fuckin barn burner.

The album flows really well and considering its twenty twenty-plus years old you’d never tell, it sounds like it could have been written and recorded yesterday, simply the energy they capture is awesome. I’d love to think we’d get the chance to see a live show over here on shit island UK but I won’t hold my breath. Covering the Subs in their native tongue is cool and fits right in. It’s all pretty uptempo and sleazy none more so than the groovy ‘Here I Go And Here I Am’ complete with handclaps. The band absolutely nails the sound on the guitars it’s the perfect Steve Jones crunch with the Keith swagger while the production leans towards the classic MC5 production, especially in the vocals, which is never a bad thing.

‘Shitty Shitty Bang Bang’ is the penultimate whig out with that warm fuzz on the guitar waiting for the chorus to throw some beers around and sing along with more than a hint toward Ron Ashton and his TV Eye on you. Leaving only ‘Bye Bye Hey Hey Hey’ to kick this mother home in style. Every ones a banger with the energy of the national grid Midlife Crisis has finally delivered the album they always promised. Don’t hesitate, don’t sleep on this one get out there and pre-order with your nans Christmas record tokens if you buy one album in 2025 already then make it ’45 to 33′ you simply have to. Buy It!

PRE-ORDER links (feel free to spread):
 https://orcd.co/midlife-crisis-album

Author: Dom Daley