Scumbag Millionaire drop new video for ‘Desperado’

Scumbag Millionaire drop new video for ‘Desperado’

WANTED: Scumbag Millionaire. Today, the Swedish action punks release a new video for ‘Desperado’, the third single from ‘Poor and Infamous’ which will be out this Friday 25/09.

“In this video we traveled back in time. To a time when Hisingen was a calm place except for three gringos raising hell. Trying to avoid the local sheriff and the bounty hunters.” 
– Max L (guitar)

High energy action punk, straight out of the gutters of Gothenburg, Sweden! After touring all over Europe in their stinky black and gold Chevy van, playing all the punk rock venues/festivals and drinking all the beers (one entire tray at the time, it’s easy once you know the trick!), Swedish action punks Scumbag Millionaire headed to Sunlight Studio with producer Tomas Skogsberg to record their second album: Poor and Infamous.

Scumbag Millionaire is an extension of the classic Scandirock-scene which had its prime in the late ‘90s with bands like The Hellacopters and Turbonegro. With people craving new Scandirock acts, Scumbag Millionaire are more than happy to pick up where it left off, proudly flying the Scandirock flag in 2020.

September 25th 2020 will see the release of Scumbag Millionaire’s second album: Poor And Infamous. The follow-up to debut album Speed (2018) was recorded at the legendary Sunlight Studio in Stockholm, produced by Tomas Skogsberg (Backyard Babies, The Hellacopters, Peter Pan Speedrock) and mastered by Frida Claeson Johansson at Svenska Grammofonstudion, with guest vocals by Jennifer Israelsson (Hot Breath) and Elin Larsson (Blues Pills).

“Recording with different producers and engineers on different projects has always really helped us develop. Tomas has produced some of our all-time favourite albums and working with him is something we’ve been talking about for a long time. It was an amazing experience working with him and listening to all his stories from the past.” – Adde

All singles from the new album will also be released on 7” single: In a little under six years, the band has released between 17 and 20 singles (they might have lost count), including split releases with bands like Electric Frankenstein and an Iggy & the Stooges tribute split 7”. To end their Speed album cycle with a bang, they released a 12” maxi single. All these releases have incredible artwork, come in different vinyl colours, and contain B-sides that are not available anywhere else.

“We simply love 7” singles. The format is amazing, with just one song on each side. And also the size of it. It’s an item you always can afford at the merch table. What’s not to like?” – Adde

Scumbag Millionaire is:
Max A – Vocals & Guitar
Max L – Guitar
Dennis – Bass
Adde – Drums

Website / Facebook  /  Instagram / Youtube

Various Artists – ‘A Fistful More Of Rock & Roll, Vol 3’ (Screaming Crow Records)

Various Artists – ‘A Fistful More Of Rock & Roll, Vol 3’ (Screaming Crow Records)

A Fistful More of Rock & Roll, Volume 3 contains Twenty Six of the best Rock n Roll bands from all over the world! Originally slated for release in January of this year manufacturing problems and a pandemic pushed it back to July 31, 2020. Although all the bands/songs are sweaty, beer-soaked denim dripping Rock n Roll, Available on CD and gatefold double LP.

Liner notes from Producer Sal Conzonieri of Electric Frankenstein.

A Fistful MORE of Rock & Roll – Volume 3 continues in the same tradition that the original 13 volumes of A Fistful of Rock ‘n’ Roll did from 2000 to 2007. 

It’s the Return of the Return of Rock ‘n’ Roll,Call it what you like Action Rock Punk n Roll does it really matter? It’s Straight down and dirty, Loud n lustful, Action Rock revolution, High Energy Punk Rock ‘n’ Roll yadda yadda yadda.

Action Rock, Punk N Roll, Hard Rock now we’ve established that you can actually call it what you like if its good I’ll give it a spin and if it’s not then no thanks I’ll pass.  This new age of “Action Rock” is churning out records at a rate of Knotts and for the convenience of keeping all these alternative bands under one umbrella, I happen to think its in rude health.  Having covered a lot of these bands over the years I find it warming that they’ve been brought together  thanks to the super hard work of Sal.

Starting in the late 80s and early 90s, a worldwide Rock revival / New Rock Revolution sprang up, from Scandinavia to the USA to Australia to Wales. Spontaneously, around the world, a group of bands developed this new sound, such as Poison Idea, Action Swingers, Bullet Lavolta, Big Chief, The Fluid, Blue Hippos / Otto’s Chemical Lounge, Celebrity Skin, The Kings of Oblivion, Flower Leperds, Fearless Leader, The Lazy Cowgirls, The Donnas, The New Bomb Turks, The Didjits / The Lee Harvey Oswald Band / The Gaza Strippers, Dwarves, Zeke, Supersuckers, The Hookers, Nashville Pussy, Easy Action, Trash Brats, Candy Snatchers, Adam West, The Cherry Valence, Jakkpot, The Upper Crust, Speedealer, B-Movie Rats, The Stitches, The Humpers, Rocket from the Crypt, The Superbees, The Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs, Zen Guerilla, The Murder City Devils, The Mud City Manglers / The Cheats, D Generation, Electric Frankenstein, The Black Halos, The Spitfires, Danko Jones, American Ruse, TV Killers, Dumbell, Temporal Sluts, Thee STP,  Aerobitch, The Pleasure Fuckers, Safety Pins, The Nomads, Puffball, The Rockets, The Hives, Gluecifer, The Flaming Sideburns, The Hellacopters, Backyard Babies, Turbonegro, The Onyas, The D4, The Datsuns, The Powder Monkeys, The Panadolls, Mustang, Hoss, Teengenerate, Supersnazz, Jet Boys, Thee Michelle Gun Elephant, and so on, that were all featured on the first series of the “A Fistful of Rock ‘n’ Roll” compilations.

Today there is a whole new generation of young bands and (cough, cough) not so young bands delivering the goods and knowing exactly where the action is.  they have built upon what the previous bands started, keeping Punk Rock ‘n’ Roll alive and full of high energy. Thus, a second series is necessary to document this: “A Fistful MORE of Rock & Roll”; No mistakes at all when I say this is one of the loudest compilations and no quarter is given not even an inch.  Side one pairs up Deathtraps with Egyptian Gay Lovers both playing loudly but both offer something quite different from each other. As far as Deathtraps go they’ve just released an excellent album full to the brim of loud rock and roll and a leap in quality from the first which was pretty impressive as it goes.

Flexx Bronco opens up side two with a cool rocker ‘Heart on the Floor’ and again it’s sounding quite different from the Elvis meets Danzig rock of Nevadah and ‘Iggy Dog’ but I have to admit I have a soft spot for the most excellent Drippers record ‘Solitary Speaking’  rumbles along like a freakin’ steam train heading for oblivion.  A quite ferocious cut for sure. Then to follow that with Randy Savages Rockin’ and a rollin’ on their single Guilty of Nuthin’ is an exceptional burst of energy and how can anyone not get behind that guitar solo!

Of the bands I’ve never heard before Joecephus and the George Jonestown Massacre is one with a bit of a mouthful but fear not Rockers the guitars are slung low and the energy levels are in bloom. Moving away from the Punk n roll attitude of a band like Randy Savages you have The Dirty Denims who pray at the altar of DC and all things ROCK!

There are some bands I’ve not heard anything from in quite a while and to be fair bands like The Cheats are kicking serious backside as is Dog Toffee someone I’ve not hear anything from in a while and they sound excellent as do East Coast Low another new one on me and their solid thump.

It might be an idea to listen to this in healthy chunks so as to not overwork your brain and to give your speakers a chance to recover.  Projeckt Daghouse  are kicking up a hellish racket but they are overshadowed by a band I’ve championed since hearing their debut. Poison Boys have got the lot from the pretty faces going to hell. But trying to pick a favourite side is like being forced to choose between the kids.  But don’t tell anyone but the last record is freakin awesome such is the quality of songs on offer.

It’s fair to say I’m impressed and this is right up there with the best for sheer quality and like I said earlier the amount of hard work that went into making this project a reality and all these cool bands delivering the goods on mass is a real Boon to the scene. An honour and a feather in the caps of those who get featured and being associated with such a quality compilation.  I hope Sals turned his attention to volume 14 and I look forward to hearing who and what is on offer because this is only the beginning of the second wave. Now if only this virus would be kind enough to fuck off and let us get back to live shows maybe we can see some of these bands in the flesh tearing it up around the stages of the world.

Pre-orders and limited edition purple vinyl available exclusively Here

Author: Dom Daley

The Wildhearts/Backyard Babies/CKY – Newcastle, O2 Academy – 28th January 2020

The Wildhearts/Backyard Babies/CKY – Newcastle, O2 Academy – 28th January 2020

I’ve seen The Wildhearts in many venues across the country over the last 28 years, but never at their hometown gig in The Toon. So when a co-headline tour with Sweden’s finest the Backyard Babies was announced, it was a toss-up between Manchester or Newcastle for me, I opted for the latter for no other reason than it was the first date of the UK leg of this tour. A 2-hour car journey is a small price to pay for an evening in the company of 2 of my favourite rock ‘n’ roll bands.

 

It’s been 20 years since Camp Kill Yourself first gained recognition through Jackass on our TV screens and there has been a lot of water under the bridge in that time. Following a lengthy hiatus, CKY return, albeit as a two-piece, featuring founding members Chad Ginsburg on vocals/guitar and drummer Jess Margera.

With early doors at 6 pm the duo hit the stage at the only-just rock ‘n’ roll time of 7 pm to a fair-sized crowd, it must be said. To be honest, I’m unfamiliar with most of their material, but they sound pretty cool. Their skate punk/stoner rock hybrid sound fits the bill nicely, and while I could name 10 young UK bands off the top of my head that would’ve killed for the opening slot on this tour, they hold their own. Originally the guitar player, Chad excels in his role as frontman, peeling off metal-edged licks and technically proficient riffs on his CKY emblazoned Musicman guitar. He’s engaging with the crowd and thankful for the support. The likes of ‘Attached At The Hip’, ‘Escape From Hellview’ and the classic set closer ’96 Quite Bitter Beings’ show a band with punk ethics and technically heavy tunes that are still here to party like its 1999.

The Backyard Babies closed the show for the German dates. Now, with both bands getting an equal 75 minutes stage time, it’s the sleazy Swedes chance to show The Wildhearts massive what they got going on.

Backyard Babies stroll on stage to massive cheers as oversized blue police lights flash, outlining their silhouettes in the dark. Photographers in the pit fight for the elusive killer shot, as frontman Nicke Borg and livewire guitarist Dregen, jump on their respective ego risers stage front and kick into ‘Good Morning Midnight’ from last year’s return to form album ‘Sliver and Gold’.

Wrapped up in a hoodie and a leather jacket, Nicke incites the crowd to riot from the off and the packed Academy responds in spades. In skinny jeans, leather waistcoat and a straw boater Dregen is looking more rock ‘n’ roll than he has in the last few years, and the diminutive guitarist is in fine form. With his custom Gibson E335 hanging from his knees he peels off killer licks, making good use of the stage and plays every solo on his riser, high above the heads of the front few rows.

A killer ‘Nomadic’ follows ‘Shovin Rocks’, the frontman getting the Academy crowd to sing every chorus with him. Yeah, the newer songs sound a lot better than I imagined to be fair, but it’s not until ‘Heaven 2.9’ that things really get cooking. The following ‘Highlights’ sounds amazing before Nicke brings out the dreaded acoustic. An acoustic guitar would not have happened at a ‘Total 13’ era Backyard Babies gig, right? But hey, that was 2 decades ago and who’s to argue at a singer/songwriter wanting to channel his inner troubadour? Well, ‘Painkiller’ is pretty much a Dogs D’amour tune anyways, so I’m cool with that and to be fair it’s a surprise highlight of the main set for me, along with the awesome, Dregen led ‘Star War’.

If you only made it in time for the 5 song encore you would not have been disappointed. ‘Look At You’ was a breath of fresh air when it came out back in 1998 and its easily the best tune of their career-spanning set. Even witnessing Nicke take a tumble jumping on his riser during a killer ‘Minus Celsius’ doesn’t compete for set highlight.

With a bruised ego and a battered Gretsch, the singer continues like a pro and doesn’t even change guitar for the closing one-two of ‘Brand New Hate’ and ‘People Like People Like People Like Us’.

I’ve heard reports that Backyard Babies are not at their best live these days, but for me, they absolutely killed it tonight. They are tight, professional and they know how to put on a high energy rock ‘n’ roll show. Yes, the setlist could’ve been stronger, and with the addition of a few more classics from ‘Total 13’ or ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ they could’ve stolen the show from the headliners tonight.

 

But the headliners are not going to be overshadowed tonight. This is The Wildhearts and this is their gaff!  Let’s just ease the crowd in gently, shall we? No. Let’s grab ‘em by the ball sack and twist the fucker till it bleeds! They open with ‘Everlone’; I’ve never seen them open with that before. The first ace has been played.

But this band has so many aces in their pack right? ‘Diagnosis’ follows, not only is it one of the most important songs (lyrically) in modern history, it has quickly become a live fan favourite. The building AC/DC  riff into that killer refrain, it’s so…dare I say it ‘classic rock’, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. The first time I heard it, it was like I’ve always known it.

The band is on fire, Ginger is remarkably happy after a few days climbing the walls in Germany with no weed and (as he later informs us) nursing a major hangover. The singer, CJ, and Danny all take to the mics and interact throughout the set between songs. And what songs!  ‘Vanilla Radio’, ‘…Shitsville’ and newbie ‘Let Em Go’ fly by in no time at all, the packed room singing every word back to the grinning frontman. Ginger and CJ giving multiple opportunities for photographers to capture the elusive jump shot.

It’s great to see ‘The Revolution Will Be Televised’ back in the set; personally I would love to hear more from that era. But then ‘Dislocated’ takes the energy levels up a notch or two. The intensity of this song live is up there with the feeling I got watching ‘Suckerpunch’ live for the first time, and that is a good thing to witness. ‘My Kinda Movie’ is a welcome addition to the set this time around; again, the intensity of this song live is so, so good.

Encore time ‘Geordie In Wonderland’ is sung probably louder than any other time I can imagine and the closing ‘My Baby Is A Headfuck’ is as good a way to bow out as any other.

While the demographic of a Wildhearts show is generally middle-aged these days, there are plenty of teenagers in attendance tonight, for many, it will be there first Wildhearts show, it could even be their first rock show. Imagine this gig being your first show? The Wildhearts and Backyard Babies set the bar really high tonight, good luck to all bands who try to follow.

Author: Ben Hughes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RPM Online February playlist

RPM Online February playlist

 

Check out our Spotify Playlist and check out the bands.  Of course they’re great we’ve reviewed them or will be reviewing them this month.  First up Doojiman & The Exploders with ‘Buzzkill’.  More Kicks are a band we can’t get enough of so check out their latest single.

 

The Drowns have a new album this month so why not check out their in your face punk rock with the album opener ‘Black Lung’. ‘Tommy In The 80s’ from the ever magnificent Beach Slang is in this month’s playlist because it and they re so good.

 

We thought we’d add New Bomb Turks – no they haven’t got a new album out (wish they did) but because we can.  Enjoy it.  Supersuckers have a new album out so only fair they get included.

 

One of the best albums released this year is without doubt Humanist so here’s a track featuring Depeche Mode singer Dave Gahan. On the live front this month The Interrupters have been tearing it up across the UK so check out their cover of ‘Bad Guy’.  Staying on the live front, Backyard Babies have been entertaining many of the RPM team so let’s go back to when they ruled and some ‘UFO Romeo’. On the same tour, The Wildhearts were busy schooling their Swedish travel companions and showed you can teach old dogs new tricks because ‘Dislocated’ sounded brutal.  Its the Wildhearts of course.

It wouldn’t be right if we didn’t include some Black MEtal at its finest courtesy of the new top dogs Midnight with ‘Fucking Speed And Darkness’.

The Alarm are up with ‘My Town’ which got aired at the Gathering 2020. Stateside our man Gerald raved about Soraia who are ‘Dangerous’.

 

So there you have it another right old mixed bag of Rock and Roll for February.  That lot should keep you entertained for the rest of the month so we’ll see you back in March so until then keep it RPM

Supersuckers – ‘Play That Rock ‘N’ Roll’ (Steamhammer/SPV)

Supersuckers – ‘Play That Rock ‘N’ Roll’ (Steamhammer/SPV)

When I first discovered Supersuckers back in 1999 (yup I admit I was a tad late to the game) via their inspirational ‘The Evil Powers of Rock N Roll’ album I really did believe that Eddie Spaghetti and the boys were like something approaching the second coming. They were an integral part of a hugely important and influential underground scene, and along with bands like Backyard Babies, Turbonegro, Toilet Boys, Nashville Pussy and Gluecifer, Supersuckers became one of those “go to bands” for those of us eager for a dose of proper punk rock ‘n’ roll music.

 

Fast forward two decades and after many ups and downs all the way Supersuckers are still thankfully very much a going concern. Granted frontman/bassist Eddie Spaghetti is the only remaining member from that ‘Evil Powers’ album, but just being able to write that is a huge positive in itself given his battle with stage 3 throat cancer just a few years ago.  Standing alongside Eddie since his return have been Marty Chandler on guitar and Chris Von Streicher and on 7th February 2020 they unleash their 13th studio album in the shape of ‘Play That Rock ‘N’ Roll’.

 

Those familiar with Supersuckers’ past two records (2015’s ‘Holding The Bag’ and 2018’s ‘Suck It’) might be wondering which path the band have wandered down to record ‘Play That Rock ‘N’ Roll’ given that the trio are as equally at home writing country tinged laments as they are penning skin shredding punk rock anthems, and when you also discover that this album was recorded in Willie Nelson’s Texas studio you of course might be forgiven for assuming it would be very much a set of songs soaked in Southern influences. But hold your horses right there folks because ‘Play That Rock ‘N’ Roll’ is very much a rock ‘n’ roll record, albeit its one that at times sees something of a shift in the Supersuckers sound that I for one was certainly not expecting.

 

So, of the dozen tracks included here two are cover versions. First up is a rocked-up version of Allen Toussaint’s boogie-tastic ‘A Certain Girl’ and then there’s a faithful retelling of Michael Monroe’s ‘Dead Jail Or Rock N Roll’. It’s the ten originals where the real sonic surprises lie though. Take lead lyric video and album opener ‘Ain’t Gonna Stop (Until I Stop It)’ for example, this track (along with ‘Deceptive Expectation’) really do sound so much like outtakes from ‘Tattooed Beat Messiah’ that I’m scouring the accompanying PR sheet half expecting to find a Manning co-write, and these new song writing influences don’t stop there either, as both ‘You Ain’t The Boss of Me’ and ‘That’s A Thing’ make me wonder if Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn might have somehow been tempted out of retirement for one last throw of the dice, and these tracks alone almost have me half tempted to dub this album ‘The Evil Powers of (other people’s) Rock N Roll’.

 

The Supersuckers sound of old is still very much still alive and well though, especially in the shape of the hook laden ‘Getting Into Each Other Pants’ and the furious ‘Bringing It Back’, whilst the swaggering ‘Play That Rock ‘N’ Roll’ sounds like its fallen straight off a New Orleans bar stool.  Elsewhere ‘Last Time Again’ bears all the hallmarks of the sonic overload I saw the band deliver live at Helldorado back in 2018, leaving the heavy as hell duo of ‘Die Alone’ and ‘Ain’t No Day’ to walk a line somewhere in between ‘Going Blind’ and ‘Metropolis’ in the deeper cut album track department.

 

Whilst ‘Play That Rock ‘N’ Roll’ might not be the career-defining album I was so hoping for its still very much a fresh shot in the arm to a Supersuckers sound that some less clued-in people are still to discover, and who knows perhaps the tip of the hat to ‘Tiger Feet’ that is ‘That’s A Thing’ might just be what’s needed to deliver the mainstream success the band so justly deserve.

Buy Play That Rock and Roll Here

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Author: Johnny Hayward

 

 

 

THE WILDHEARTS & BACKYARD BABIES announce co-headline UK & German 2020 tours

THE WILDHEARTS & BACKYARD BABIES announce co-headline UK & German 2020 tours
The Wildhearts and the Backyard Babies announce a 7 date co-headline UK tour, with The Wildhearts closing and CKY opening. The UK tour starts at the O2 Academy in Newcastle on Tuesday 28th  January and concludes at O2 Institute in Birmingham on Tuesday  4th February. Tickets go on sale on Friday 13th. Preceding the UK dates, The Wildhearts are also playing 4 shows in Germany with the Backyard Babies & The Bones.

 

“I’m surprised we haven’t done this already but it’s finally happening a tour with The Backyard Babies. Its gonna be full-on and we are sharing a bus, what could possibly go wrong? Come out and see us, dance, drink, sing and have your faces torn off… ROCK! ” – CJ Wildheart.

 

“This will be a badass tour. We’ve been talking about touring with The Wildhearts since the early 2000s. Finally, it happens! If you don’t like loud guitars, great songs, amazing riffs, and High energy Rock N’ Roll music….  Well, just don’t buy a ticket.” – Dregen / Backyard Babies.
“CKY is beyond stoked to return to the UK with the legendary Backyard Babies and The Wildhearts! The rock and roll runs deep on this batch of shows. Don’t miss it!” – Jess Margera / CKY.
The Wildhearts & Backyard Babies tour dates
January 2020
Thu 23th Tante Ju,  Dresden  DE
Fri 24th Wizemann Stuttgart  DE
Sat 25th Live Music Hall Cologne  DE
Sun  26th Batschkapp Frankfurt  DE
Tue 28th O2 Academy Newcastle
Wed 29th Limelight Belfast
Thu 30th  QMU Glasgow
Fri 31st O2 Ritz Manchester
February 2020
Sat 1st  O2 Forum Kentish Town London
Mon 3rd  Tramshed Cardiff
Tue 4th  O2 Institute Birmingham
The Wildhearts are also proud to announce the release of the Diagnosis mini album on October 4th through Graphite Records. This six track mini album, features five brand new songs and is released as a limited edition special white vinyl with pale blue powder splatter 10’’ (to look like a pill) and as a regular black vinyl 10” and CD.  All 3 physical formats will also include an exclusive bespoke inner gatefold comic strip illustrated by the award winning Hunt Emerson, who last worked with the band on the Earth Vs’ cover and their classic logo.
The Diagnosis mini album follows the success of Renaissance Men, their first full-length studio album in 10 years, which gave the band’s classic line up of Ginger, CJ, Ritchie and Danny, their highest chart entry since 1994’s P.H.U.Q, when it debuted at number 11.
“Well fuck me we dropped our first new album in 10 years back in May and blow me down if we didn’t drop a humdinger of an album full of monster riffs and razor sweet melodies. Well, we’ve not only gone back in to the studio to record 5 new songs that will be released as the Diagnosis mini album in October, we’re hitting the road too. We have some great supports confirmed already, The Professionals and Janus Stark and I know there are some other amazing bands to be added to the rest of the tour.  
You’re going to love the new mini album and the surprises we have on there and the tour is going to be one you should not miss. You can’t keep a good band down.” – C.J Wildheart.
The lead track Diagnosis is about “mental health institutions and the medical health profession in this country, and about how it’s letting people down. How the system is broken, and how the suicide rate is not getting any less. 
Depression and mental illness isn’t an issue that attacks any one type of person. Whether you’re homeless or if you’re rich,  this illness is taking people out on a regular basis. The government has pulled most of the funding into mental health research, and as a result people are still ignorant about it.
Education is everything. And the more people talk about depression, the more need there’ll be for education, and the more people will want educating about an issue that doesn’t just affect the people suffering from it, but it affects everyone around them. 
And when someone is in a desperate position and their hope is taken away, then they’re at the mercy of an illness that wants them dead. There’s nothing more important in the world than education on mental health issues.” – Ginger Wildheart
To coincide with the release of Diagnosis, The Wildhearts’ play a10 date UK tour. This tour will start in Brighton at the Concorde 2 on Saturday 5th October and concludes at Booking Hall in Dover on Tuesday 22nd October.
“Can’t wait to get back out on tour. I’m one of those people that could live in a tour bus” – Ginger Wildheart

 

Creatively brilliant, The Wildhearts play a distinctive fusion of hard rock, perfectly complimented by contemporary melodies. With a career spanning 30 years The Wildhearts helped change the landscape of British rock through the 90’s, and to this day they haven’t shown any sign of slowing down. Miss these shows at your peril.
The Wildhearts Renaissance Men tour part 2
with special guests The Professionals+, Ferocious Dog^ and Janus Stark* on selected shows
October 2019
Sat     5th         Concorde 2 Brighton +*
Sun    6th         Sub 89 Reading +*
Mon   7th         Live Rooms           Chester +*
Tue    8th         Welly Hull +*
Thur   10th      Picturedrome Holmfirth
Tue    15th      Junction Cambridge ^*
Wed   16th      Komedia Bath *
Thur   17th      Engine Room Southampton
Mon   21st    KK’s Steel Mill Wolverhampton
Tue    22nd     Booking Hall Dover
November 2019
Fri 29th TivoliBuckley
European shows 
October 2019
Fri 11th      Helsinki             Virgin Oil and Co. Finland
Sat  12th     Stockholm        Fryhuset              Sweden
Sun  13th  Oslo  Pa Bryn Norway   Sold Out
Thu 24th      Amsterdam        Q Factory          Netherlands
Fri  25th      Essen                Turock Germany
Sat 26th      Paris                 Backstage France
Sun 27th      Ooestende         Manuscript Belgium
November 2019
Sat 30th      Madrid Sala Spain
Tickets and ticket bundles with new album pre-orders are available Here 

Backyard Babies -‘Sliver & Gold’ (Century Media)

Backyard Babies -‘Sliver & Gold’ (Century Media)

Backyard Babies really are a hugely important band to me, not least because when they released their sophomore LP ‘Total 13’ back in 1998 they almost single-handedly rescued me from the ocean of musical blandness I was drowning myself in. That album (along with releases by The Hellacopters and Rocket From The Crypt) threw me a lifeline so to speak. The awesome power of ‘Total 13’ gave me exactly the same buzz I had when I first heard ‘Never Mind The Bollocks’ and ‘Appetite For Destruction’ and the BYBs gigs I attended that immediately followed this release merely cemented my L.U.V for the Swedes as my new favourite band.

I’ll admit that sitting here in 2019 a lot of sleaze rock water has passed under the bridge since those early days, and my previous undying love for anything Nicke, Dregen, Peder and Johan touched has subsequently been replaced by something largely approaching indifference. I got to this place after attending a series of what I feel were “going through the motions” live shows that certainly didn’t come anywhere near the sheer adrenaline blast of those ‘Total 13’ gigs and after their self imposed five year career hiatus I defy anyone to tell me that ‘Four By Four’ was the best the band could have come up with for their return.

After hearing ‘Shovin’Rocks’ the lead track from ‘Sliver & Gold’ at another, what I would call, “lackluster” show from the band at Hellfest 2018 I was starting to think I might have to give album number eight from the guys a miss, and owning pretty much everything else the band has released (and on multiple formats too) this isn’t something I say with any great relish I can assure you. What I hadn’t counted on though was one truly exceptional headline set at HRH Sleaze where even ‘Shovin’Rocks’ started to get inside my head, and yup, you guessed it, the Limited Edition LP & CD version of ‘Sliver & Gold’ was duly pre-ordered.

By now I bet you’re wondering what is this 10 track album (one that Nicke Borg refers to as their “most intense and furious album to date”) actually like then H Bomb?

Opener ‘Good Morning Midnight’ (which was also the second track to be previewed in the run-up to the album release) is a great place to start not just because it’s the first track but because its easily one of the best songs the band have written since the ‘Making Enemies Is Good’ album and this return to form continues into ‘Simple Being Sold’ another track that has Nicke spitting out the lyrics just like he did two decades ago.

‘Shovin’ Rocks’ is up next and whilst it will never be my favourite Backyard Babies track it actually fits in well here plus it’s always good to hear Dregen trading lead vocals with Borg. ‘Ragged Flag’ meanwhile is a jaunty little call and response number full of piratey goodness whilst the poptastic ‘Yes To All No’ sees the band following an almost BOC meets Boston direction something that has the band’s fellow countryman Tobias Forge written all over it.

‘Bad Seed’ sees the BYBs returning to the anthemic style of ‘Brand New Hate’ whilst the Dregen lead ’44 Undead’ (which was album preview number three) possesses a sub-zero coolness about it that should have diehard fans chomping at the bit.

It’s worth mentioning at this point the super sharp production from Chips Kiesbye which literally sparks with electricity during the album’s title track complete with its Space Ace lead break which along with ‘Day Late In My Dollar Shorts’ that follows brings the record to a thundering conclusion. Well almost.

What does actually close the LP is something akin to Sweden’s answer to ‘November Rain’- namely ‘Laugh Now Cry Later’ – a track clocking in at just over 6 minutes that goes absolutely nowhere. Which is a shame really as ‘Sliver & Gold’ up to this point was looking like the BYBs might have finally exorcised their previous musical misgivings.

If at this point you’re thinking of taking the plunge and getting the Limited Edition LP/CD version I mentioned earlier (or the first press deluxe CD) then you’re not finished just yet, as with these versions you also get five acoustic reworkings of some of the band’s back catalogue, the pick of which for me being ‘Th1rt3en Or Nothing’ which actually proves that behind that truly horrible cowbell loop a very good song was always there just waiting to get out.

Look, all joking aside I’ll never be able to thank Backyard Babies enough for rescuing me from a world full of middle of the road shite back in the late 90s and to think that the band who saved me from that fate might be heading that way themselves really hurt me like hell. I accept that they will probably never record a ‘Total 13 (Part II) as to survive a band needs to move forward not be constantly looking over their shoulder. With ‘Sliver & Gold’ then I do feel the guys have gone somewhere to restoring the balance between the spirit of their younger angrier selves and the more responsible adults they have become, I just wish someone would tell Nicke to stop writing the fucking ballads.

Buy Silver & Gold Here

Author: Johnny Hayward

Backyard Babies drop first glimps off the new album ‘Silver And Gold’

Backyard Babies drop first glimps off the new album ‘Silver And Gold’

Love em or loathe them Backyard Babies are in the house and ‘Good Morning Midnight’ is the lead track off the brand new long player set for release  March 1st, 2019. Order now: Here

More than three years have passed since their last studio album “Four By Four”, but 2019 sees Nicke, Dregen, Johan and Peder return to celebrate their 30th anniversary in style with a brand new record entitled “Sliver & Gold” which is due to be released on March 1st, 2019 via Century Media Records. In celebration of the bands anniversary, Century Media is releasing both limited formats as special editions that will come wrapped in gold foil and include five newly recorded acoustic bonus songs!