Kicking off in the 70s I’m already smirking and then ‘Sex And Drugs’ kicks in and my gums hurt from knawing at them in time with the kick drum and the lick on Johnys guitar. The opening headfuck of ‘Sex And Drugs’ is part Hanoi part Buzzcocks and part Motorhead and if that isn’t a good place to be then you’ve opened the wrong page. This is an adrenaline rush high octane trip and I always look forward to what Johny is releasing be it Kopek Millionaires or whatever guise it’s always right up my Strasse but this one hits the bullseye.
the songs hit hard n fast and are always wrapped in a great big hook n melody wrapped in some suitably sandpaper n whisky vocals but there are handclaps and a swagger that punk n roll needs to pull it off and Johny gets that and it pours out of the speakers like a pint of red Thunderbird with a Watneys chaser.
With a cheeky wink ‘Suck It And See’ is in your face whereas ‘Animal Attraction’ could have been the best track on the Yo Yos album. The production is crisp and in your face which suits the music it sounds vital and exciting but the one thing that stands out is it’s all about the art of songwriting and delivering an authentic slice of punk n roll and on that subject, its mission accomplished no doubt about it. There’s even a fitting run through the Subs classic ‘Limo Life’ that Johny takes ownership of giving it a twist and showing the guy bleeds rock n roll. if that’s not enough punk rock for you then get in the pit for ‘Masturbation Sensation’ in all its premature sub-40 seconds wham bang thank you mam. The album gets his head down and revs its engine for the closing songs as we get a cheeky run through ‘Talk Dirty To Me’ no we do and why the fuck not? Subs and Poison on the same record it all makes perfect sense in 2024.
I am not sure of the need for speed but I am adamant about the need for Johny And The Dead Girls in your life. It’s loud, it’s fast, it’s rock n roll baby and I fuckin like it! so will you. Long live the Dead Girls they rock like fuck! Buy IT!
Chubby is back with album number three and easily the bands most diverse and rewarding offering yet. Sure there’s a fair sprinkling of what got the band on the radar in the first place and that’s the buzz saw UK Hardcore punk rock but they’ve morphed slowly but confidently into something all together more than wham bang thank you mam. ‘And Then There Was…’ is a fourteen song strong album with twists and turns throughout with an emphasis on melody and the song rather than satisfying an image or a scene which is both brave and rewarding for them no doubt and us the listener. If you just want heads down in your face hardcore then I suggest The Chisel who will certainly satisfy that need if you are looking for something altogether more adventurous then stick with me because Chubby has a record full of rewards.
The most noticeably thing about album number three is its not so much Chubby anymore both physically and personnel wise because Charlie Manning takes on the role of “The Gang” as well as being Chubby. yup he plays and sings everything making it a proper solo effort.
You get a bit of country geetar picking on the single ‘Devil In The Jukebox’ and a couple of soppy love songs and a closing ‘Cocaine Sunday’ that’s a simple piano ballad (didn’t expect me to say that did you? but there you go its all here. Don’t worry Charlie hasn’t gone soft he’s not about to tour with Taylor Swift or anything and there is plenty of crash-bang wallop for all you punk rockers. The album kicks off with some radio static and some broadcast messaging before the music kicks in and when it does it absolutely does. Get the circle pit going we’re off. Chubbs familiar slurred style of vocals is evident throughout the record and even when we’re in familiar territory like ‘To Be Young’ the melody is strong and the gang vocals are juxtaposed to the thrashing guitars which works really well. ‘The Bonnie Banks’ is a roaring jig of a song with a much gentler tempo and something of an anthemic melody. The next few songs are comfortable Hardcore fair and solid before ‘To Fade Away’ and its haunting echo on the guitar and vocals building throughout but never breaking out, nice.
Love the keys on ‘Company I Don’t Want To Keep’ and the solid melody and tempo reminds me of Tim Armstrong and there’s nothing wrong with that. A really good song then to follow it with the sharp riffs of ‘Love Song’ with its solid beat and arrangement. Then the curveball of ‘Since You Said Goodbye’ which will make this record a more sustainable and longer listen than the previous offerings. Obviously that’s on early impressions but there’s so much going on here and I like it a lot. When these songs have bedded in and the variety no longer raises an eyebrow Chubby and the gang’s stock will rise to the top and that seems like a fair trade off to me. songs like ‘Trepanning’ are what we know then you get hit by the rock of ‘A Lust For More’ followed by ‘Two Hearts’ and before you can unlace your docs you’re blubbing to ‘Cocaine Sunday’ and you head back in to play it all again. A fine album that will get better and better as the months roll by. Chubby and the Gang of One hit the spot and this train keeps a rollin’. Excellent stuff – Buy it!
West Coast-based glam rockers, Prophets Of Addiction, have released a new video and single, “Superhero”, via BraveWords Records. stream/buy “Superhero” here.
Superhero” is the first single and video from the forthcoming Prophets Of Addiction album, ‘Face The Music’, which the band tracked with longtime producer Phil Soussan (bassist for Ozzy Osbourne, Beggars and Thieves, Billy Idol, Vince Neil, Rod Stewart and others) at Blue Cat Studios in Las Vegas, NV.
Prophets Of Addiction’s fourth album sees Sanders and company (guitarists G.G Sleaze, Tchad Drats, Terry Bratsch and drummer Wayne “The Stoke” Stokley going back towards the glam, punk and roots the band is most closely associated with. “I’ve always wanted to do a dark powerful acoustic record with a message and I think we achieved that with our last record. And now with a very strong lineup that is ready to move forward, it’s time to get back to rocking,” remarks Sanders.
Prophets Of Addiction frontman Lesli Sanders as a lifelong rocker, dating back to the mid-80s and his underground success with bands such as Talks Cheap and Queeny Blast Pop, he’s had a passion for BMX racing even longer than that.
Sanders reflects on that passion for BMX bikes: “My passion for BMX began in the 1980s, where I quickly found success as a young racer, earning a #2 district plate before shifting my focus to a successful music career. After stepping away from music to care for my ailing stepfather and mother, I turned back to BMX racing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite initial injuries, my determination led me to collect numerous accolades, including Gold Cup Plates, State Plates, and a district #1 plate. Now, I rank in the National Age Group top 10 for both the 56-60 cruiser class and 56+ expert category, thriving once again in the sport I loved as a teenager.”
Album number 13 for the Minneapolis rockers who were a household name in the 80s and 90s and went from raucous punks kicking out the jams alongside The Replacements they emerged from the indie scene with the likes of Goo Goo Dolls to have some absolute Iconic smash hits. Frontman Dave Pirner continued the band’s impressive legacy way beyond the formative years and the stylistic change through the hit parade years and into the 21st century to the present day and continued to carry the band’s name making some really impressive records along the way to where we are now in 2024 and the eve of this latest impressive record. Joining Pirner are Michael Bland on drums, Ryan Smith on lead guitar, and Jeremy Tappero on bass and together they turn in a really consistent and impressive record. The album was preceded by the single ‘Freak Accident’ that had all the hallmarks of the classic more commercial writings of the band and on repeated playing it became something of an earworm that you couldn’t shake and I admit to keeping going back to play it over and over and found myself singing the chorus and then the full album dropped and I was sold, all in right from the get-go.
This album runs the full repertoire of what you’d want to hear from Soul Asylum in 2024. From the uptempo Rock n Rolla of an opener, ‘The Only Thing I’m Missing’ the band leans on a swaggering rock n roll sound aided by the production skills of Steve Jordan who gives a little spit and polish to the punkier attitude and some of that Stones sheen for sure which only enhances these songs.
The ebb and flow of the record is as good as the heyday albums ‘Grave Dancers Union’ and ‘Dim Light Shine’ era but this also has the attitude from those earlier records like ‘Horse They Rode In On’ and ‘Hang Time’. ‘High Road’ kicks up some dust and brushes away any cobwebs. Then they ease back into the collage radio’s slower song, ‘You Don’t Know Me. ‘ It’s got that black-and-white video sound that builds for the chorus and Pirner sounds great like he hasn’t aged a day.
They get their funk on for ‘Tryin Man’ but with some hard knocks lyrics and vocals mixing it up fo sure but it works alongside this album. To be fair The more I play this record the more I like it. Songs from the middle of the record jump out as real highlight contenders with strong melodies and really well-constructed songs ‘Trial By Fire’, and the timeless ‘Making Plans’ sounds like its been here before and is laid back with well placed keys adding to the mix of songs. ‘Sucker Maker’ is more of that funky shit before finally finishing off with the excellent ‘High And Dry’ with some excellent lyrics as Pirner tells his story he hooks you and reels you in before delivering a really cool full stop on album number thirteen for Soul Asylum. I’m always happy to hear the band making new music and fingers crossed they head over the pond for some live shows again. The world is always a better place with Soul Asylum active and delivering new music of this quality. If you were ever a fan then I can only urge you to check this out. It’s all killer and no filler and to champion that for the thirteenth time is some achievement. Buy It!
The release of the star-studded tribute album ‘Silver Patron Saints : The Songs Of Jesse Malin’ on 20th September was accompanied by tickets going on sale for a special benefit concert in London at Islington Assembly Hall on 1st May 2025. With that show selling out almost immediately, an additional date has been announced for the following evening at The Garage venue close by, with tickets available from 11am on 4th October HERE. Both shows will feature a variety of guests.
“I have a really special connection to London, as it was the first place that truly embraced me when my first album came out and it is always very meaningful to play there,” says Malin. “I am blown away by the response to the first show, so we decided to add a second night. It will be a bit difficult to get there and get around this time, but I miss London so am excited to play two shows in May. I am also very grateful for all the support through the years.”
The New York City-based rock singer-songwriter suffered a rare spinal stroke in May 2023 that left him paralysed from the waist down. Both a tribute and benefit album, ‘Silver Patron Saints: The Songs Of Jesse Malin’ contains 27 choice cover versions of songs written by Malin from across his career, with all proceeds from it going to his Sweet Relief Musicians Fund and helping pay for his ongoing rehabilitation.
Formed in the mid ‘80s in London, the Quireboys quickly established themselves on the thriving rock’n’roll scene of Soho, Camden and beyond. Always a great live band, they perfected their style and sold out the legendary Marquee Club and many other venues around the country, long before they made their first record.
When Parlophone/EMI Records released their debut album ‘A Bit Of What You Fancy’ on January 29th 1990 it went on to climb to the dizzy heights of number 2 on the UK National chart. The album featured many of the songs they had been performing live for some time. ‘A Bit Of What You Fancy’ is revered to this day. The second album ‘Bitter, Sweet And Twisted’ followed in 1993, after which the band entered a hiatus.
Now in 2024, the Quireboys the band have come full circle with their highly anticipated new album ‘Wardour Street’ and original members Spike, Nigel, Chris and Rudy (augmented by old friend and multi-instrumentalist Willie Dowling) have kept true to their promise of making new Quireboys music after the sad passing of their best mate Guy Bailey.
Stepping in on guitar is another of their oldest friends, the legendary Luke Morley from Thunder. Luke also produced the album.
The album consists of 11 new original songs that hark back to that famous Quireboys rock’n’roll sound. The album features the singles ‘Jeeze Louise’, ‘Raining Whiskey’ featuring Frankie Miller and the brand new single ‘I Think I Got It Wrong Again’, which is set for release on September 27th.
“The new single ‘I Think I Got It Wrong Again’ is Quireboys at their very best with our classic backing vocals, rock ‘n roll guitar and honky tonk piano. Just wait for it to kick in!” says singer Spike.
This is indeed timeless Quireboys getting back to their sing-along, rock ‘n roll best.
A message from Spike; “To our friends and fans, old and new, thanks for your amazing support. See you on tour and at the bar in a town near you!”
‘Wardour Street’ will be released October 11th via Cadiz Music. Pre-order HERE:
With this being my second time in this magnificent city in the last eighteen months and my second time in club Razzmatazz and by coincidence my second time seeing The Mission here anyone would have thought I’d planned it.
As part of this year’s D-Tour tour, the club is less crowded than last time (thankfully I might add today it was 29 degrees and we all know Wayne isn’t keen on AC) but maybe Barcelona playing at home and kicking off roughly the same time has something to do with that as well as two other bands headlining different rooms in this complex on a Wednesday night always warms my heart but can be a bit chaotic. The last few years have turned up some pretty amazing Mission performances post Simon, Wayne, Craig and Alex being The Mission. I think the first I saw was a warm-up in Cardiff which set the bar pretty high and then they just got better and better. Hoping tonight will be another in this glorious run. There are songs I wish they’d still have in the set from the first time I saw them when they played the New Ocean Club in Cardiff right up to the post covid reset but regardless of what’s in the setlist, I’m always a happy chappy when I see them.
Taking the stage and kicking off with a full on ‘Wastelands’ is a majestic thing and one of those goosebumps moments for me and looking back I’m so lucky to still feel like that all these decades after that first time. As the ticker tape fills the air it’s an opening salvo of ‘Wasteland’, ‘Beyond The Pale’ and ‘Into The Blue’, the band sounds tight and right on it despite Wayne on the tea and full of cold, the venue is cooking and the crowd is in fine voice. The band peeling back the years, Alex has given them a most welcome injection of power and a finesse on the lighter moments as well as kicking their collective backsides when needed.
We we treated to a new song that was really well received, ‘Kindness Is A Weapon’ which is hopefully the sign of a new record for the not-to-distant future. They weave their magic as ‘Raisin Cain’, ‘Dance On Glass’ and ‘Hungry as the Hunter’ touch with the early albums but the atmosphere is once again raising the bar and my decision to once again return to Catalonia to see The Mission looks like being a fantastic choice.
Tonight’s main set is drawn to a close with ‘Afterglow’, ‘Kingdom Come’ and a brilliant ‘Deliverance’. Tonight’s set flew by as the band eased through the gears sounding like a well oiled machine and looking like they were having the best of times as well and enjoying tonights crowd interaction.
We reached the encore beginning with ‘Wake’ followed by the Neil Young cover ‘Like A Hurricane’ which was stonking and a song I always forget how well the band deliver it. I always thought it was one of the best covers they did along with ‘Dancing Barefoot’ especially from the early days the encore was brought to an end with the brooding ‘Swan Song’ that enabled everyone to get even more energy into themselves for the inevitable second encore.
With just enough time for a much-deserved second encore, it’s ‘Butterfly On A Wheel’ and the audience was bloody loud before they threw in a very impressive ‘Never Let Me Down Again’ from the Depeche Mode songbook and Wayne declaring that we weren’t expecting that, well, he was right but it sounded superb. The curtain was finally brought down with a memorable and powerful ‘Tower Of Strength’ complete with Craig giving the security a piece of his mind when they intervened with the human tower, Thankfully it was all sorted and didn’t sour the evening and we all left with shit eating grins having witnessed another unbelievably good Mission performance Did I mention it was a balmy night outside with almost thirty-degree temperatures God knows how hot it was in Razzmataz but I do know I’d like to do this again next year please if that’s ok seeing as the UK weather is so…Well, shit this made a great break and a new tour and album would be just the medicine, Gods Own Medicine if you like. Gracias amegos same time same place next year if you please.
A band I first became aware of when I worked in London in the ’90s I heard a single that mixed up some abrasive flavours full of easter rhythms and much heavier Western rock, these East London upstarts were making music on their own terms and were forging a brave and interesting path all of their own and with lyrics that made you take notice of what they had to say. The last I heard was via their ‘Tank’ album and they were still kicking up a Shit storm being unpredictable and powerful.
Fast forward a couple of decades and once again they appear on my radar and to be fair they’ve lost none of the youthful energy perhaps stinging it with a more mature and measured accents. They’ve most notably roped in some big hitters here to help achieve a wide-ranging melting pot of alternative music most notably Iggy for a full-on take of ‘No Fun’, this isn’t the only helping hand but for me, it’s the most enjoyable but not the most diverse. That goes to Stewart Lee whose spoken words get chopped for yet more heavy content, Sinéad O’Connor singing on ‘1000 Mirrors’ its a heavy dub tinged with a sense of sadness but played with volume its a powerful tune.
You also get Radiohead, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Primal Scream playing with your senses, and Chuck D and his public enemy chop shop of ‘Black Steel’, a tune I’ve not played for a while. Although it might not hit as hard as the original, it’s still an awesome version.
It all fits perfectly well in true ADF style not playing by anyone else’s rules besides their own, decades on they’re still going strong and mixing it up into the 21st century. Sure there are artists outside my comfort zone and who I’ve never heard of contributing but that’s the beauty of records like this from one track to the next you won’t have a clue and if a song doesn’t float your boat the next will.
Expand your mind and dive into some alternative, subversive mash-ups musically, but remember to always play ADF loud. You have been warned.
Hands up who’s ever seen Terrorvision do a bad show? Didn’t think so, but can anyone tell me the last time they gave less than 100% live? I’m waiting….
Bradford’s finest export are the only band I’ve seen share a stage with The Wildhearts and come off the better band on the night, and I’m a big Wildhearts fan. Well, the Brit Rock survivors are back with their first album in a decade, it’s called ‘We Are Not Robots’, and it’s a bit of a banger. The band are rolling into Leeds for a (sort of) hometown show in celebration. Did I fancy it? Well, it’s certainly worth braving the shitty Leeds traffic on a damp and dreary Tuesday evening that’s for sure.
I’ve never been to Project House before. Run by the guys of The Brudenell apparently, it’s a bigger venue to cater for bigger bands, I guess. A 1000-capacity venue that has the feel of a warehouse gig. It’s spacious and has a cool vibe, perfect for RPM faves The Bar Stool Preachers to warm things up. Opening with a killer one-two of ‘Call Me On The Way Home’ and ‘All Turned Blue’ from last year’s ‘Above The Static’ album is a masterstroke, and frontman Tom McFaul has the Terrorvision crowd eating out of the palm of his hand from the off. The whole band are energetic from the first note until the last chord rings out. Tim especially, makes full use of the stage space and gets the crowd involved as much as possible. The room is pretty full by the time they hit ‘Flatlined’, and getting the crowd to chant the “woah woah” refrain is the perfect way to win over those who are not yet converted.
An exceptional live band flying the flag high and defiantly for British live rock music, proving that there is more to live music in the UK than Oasis and Coldplay stadium shows.
The last time I saw these two bands together was at Bradford St George’s Hall last year. That night I was in the rafters, tonight I’m four rows deep from the front of the stage. For me it makes such a difference to the feel of a gig. To be ‘in it’, to see the smiles on the band’s faces as they play, to see the sweat drip from their skin and just witness how they interact with each other on stage, this is my happy place.
Terrorvision have a strong greatest hits set that flows into double figures and they play them all and more tonight. As guitarist Mark Yates plays that opening riff to ‘Discotheque Wreck’ the place prepares to erupt, and erupt we do. Frontman Tony Wright, is all over the stage like a ball of energy, to his left bassist Leigh Marklew sports sportwear & shades and gurns like a loon for the entire set, to his right the effortlessly cool Mark flexes his tattooed and toned frame as he pulls all the cool guitar hero poses. With the addition of Milly Evans on keys, Chris Bussey on drums and a 2-piece horn section, the band are now bolstered to a 7-piece. Last time out they were all dressed in pink and black, tonight the theme is powder blue and white to match the album art.
Talking of the new album, there are new songs to be played, and punked-up single ‘The Night That Lemmy Died’ is next up, while a bit of a departure for the band it fits nicely and goes down well, not as well as the following ‘Alice. What’s The Matter?’ though, which sounds phenomenal. They then take us right back in time with ‘My House’, to great cheers. I remember first hearing this song in a club in Swansea when it was released, not knowing who the band was, and it always takes me back to that night when I hear it, that’s the power of music folks! Four high energy songs in, and Tony is sweating like a smackhead with a giro, you wonder whether he’ll make it through the set, but the boys only getting started.
You would be forgiven if you forgot how good ‘Still The Rhythm’ and ‘New Policy One’ are, or how ‘Josephine’, with its killer spaghetti western riff shoulda been the big hit off of ‘Shaving Peaches’, but the Terrorvision massive haven’t and show their appreciation in spades.
Newbies ‘Baby Blue’ and ‘You Gotta Want To Be Happy’ prove the band still have a knack for penning a catchy tune or two and they stand up well against the likes of ‘Middleman’, ‘Perserverance’ and ‘Celebrity Hit List’ tonight.
Set closer ‘Pretend Best Friend’ has the trumpets to the fore, the guitars to 11 and the energy levels off the scale, the band then return for a one song encore. It’s here where I’m thinking wtf haven’t they played? They’ve surely played all their aces, but then that iconic “doo-wop” refrain leads us into rock n’ roll ‘Oblivion ‘one more time, and those who feel they haven’t quite sweated enough get to do it one more time before the band bid farewell to Carly Simon’s ‘Nobody Does It Better’. And that is quite a fitting exit.
‘SUBLIME DESTRUCTION’ IS OUT NOW VIA CADIZ MUSIC – ORDER THE ALBUM HERE:
“A level of skilled musicianship far exceeding the Fisher-Price punk of your average contemporary outfits.”Classic Rock 8/10
“Furious punk-infused rock ‘n’ roll with huge choruses. 12 tracks that prove the sulphate spirit never dies.” Daily Mirror Newspaper
Fresh from a UK tour with Australian punk legends the Cosmic Pyschos, and two sold out shows in Finland, New Zealand/London punk ‘n’ rollers Desperate Measures are primed to release a fifth single from their acclaimed ‘Sublime Destruction’ album, released via Cadiz Music earlier this year.
Titled ‘Untouchable’, the song finds Desperate Measures easing their feet a little off the accelerator pedals for a track that loses none of its intensity, despite its slower pace.
“‘Untouchable’ is a bit different for us. It was the last song we wrote for the album, and I guess it has shades of the Psychedelic Furs or Lords Of The New Church about it. Basically, it’s a ballsy, dark love song,” says singer Eugene.
Desperate Measures are busy working on new material for an EP release later this year and will be ripping up stages up and down the country for the rest of 2024. Look out!
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