Death By Unga Bunga are back! They continue to explore the role of the modern man with all his struggles and insecurities. Enjoy this new banger. Get it: https://orcd.co/dbubcamo
Next up is a cut from the forthcoming Better Noise record from The Pink Spiders with their cheap trick meets Weezer track ‘Devotion’ lifted from ‘Freakazoid’ pre orders Here
The Bungaboys are back in town ladies and gentlemen with their sixth (if you include 2010’s Juvenile Jungle) long playing record ‘Heavy Male Insecurity’. A mighty slab of wax containing ten tracks that are guaranteed to blow your warped and fragile tiny little minds.
If you’ve yet to experience the delights of Death By Unga Bunga, this all-new album is the perfect opportunity for you to play catch up with one of the most essential bands to ever come out of Norway since Turbonegro. So, why not take a few minutes of your time to ponder what The Hives meets Ash might sound like put through a sonic blender with just a little Thin Lizzy added for the fun of it, and if that ain’t got you eager to hear this record then surely nothing will.
Look, all comparisons/possible influences aside, for those of us who luxuriated in the aural splendour of the band’s awesome 2018 album ‘So Far So Good So Cool’ I suppose you all just want me to cut to the chase and tell you if the guys have managed to top that album? Well, here’s the answer to that million krone question.
Kicking off with the buzzsaw guitar pop of ‘Modern Man’ the immediate thing that strikes me is that there is no real sonic departure for the band with singer Sebastian Ulstad Olsen once again turning in a Robin Zander-esque mix of bark and bite complete with a sugary twist.
‘Egocentric’ is up next and this for me is where ‘Heavy Male Insecurity’ truly hits its stride. Full to bursting with melody the brilliance of the synth pomp breakdown in the middle of the song is worth your admission money alone.
From here on in there’s honestly not a single duff track or off moment to gloat over like some other magazines seem to delight in doing right now. Nope, this record is a ten out of ten set of ten songs. A truly perfect ten if you will, and I dare you to not be singing along with the likes of ‘My Buddy’ (Weezer who?) or ‘Trouble’ (like Sleaford Mods meets the Ramones – believe it) whilst air guitaring like a teenager to one of the album’s lead singles ‘Live Until I Die’ after just a couple of listens.
At 34 minutes long ‘Heavy Male Insecurity’ is all about the quality of tunes on offer, so for those wondering how the Bungaboys might ever top ‘So Far So Good So Cool’ go out get your CD, LP or if you prefer, the download. Then slam the sucker on your stereo and you’ll very soon be listening to the answer.
BUY BUNGA OR DIE!!!!!
Jansen Records Shop / Bandcamp / Website / Website
Tyla’s Dogs D’Amour – ‘The Powder Dry’ (King Outlaw) An absolute triumph. Tyla’s songwriting skills are in rude health here. With a real laid back ballad of sorts with some fantastic backing vocals that sound like a late-night backroom choir before sailing off into the moonlight. Big acoustic chords and wonderful piano fills before a scorching electric guitar break that is an excellent payoff to a really strong song that opens this EP. Then to follow it up with the western canter of ‘Stole My Love Away’. Another cracker to be fair as it gently saunters by. There are four tracks in this here EP and the classic ‘Mad Bad Jack is also involved lifted from Tyla’s visit to Tokyo from earlier this year.
The Hip Priests / Supersuckers – Split (Ghost Highway Records) Order Here
The Heck – ‘Hate It Here’ b/w ‘I Like It Here’ (Sour Bomb Records) This is an autobiographical song about feeling socially completely out of place. So you’re hating everything and everyone around you and life itself in general. Not because you have a good reason for it. Just because you have to because you can! So a song full of HATE is the result; what’s not to LIKE about that? If punk rock is your poison, you should check this out! For fans of Dead Kennedys, Gun Club, NOFX, Reatards, Oblivians. And for grandparents who hate their grandkids.“Hate It Here” is the third gunfire of The Heck’s upcoming 2nd album. The Heck are another of Henri Soulmann’s brilliant bands alongside De Keefmen, The Miracle Men, and The Sensational Second Cousins.
The Speedways – ‘This Is About A Girl Who Loves The Sun/The Day I Call You Mine’ ( Snap! Records/Hurrah Musica) A bit of a departure with a more dreamy Johnny Marr style on the intro into the chorus. It’s one of the stronger songs from the album ‘Radio Sounds’ very understated and the more you play it the better it gets.
Then a more power-pop song you won’t hear this year from the overdriven guitar to the gang vocals ‘The Day I Call You Mine’ is like a little ray of sunshine on a cold winter’s morning. For good measure, there’s a lo fi live recording of ‘Just Another Regular Summer’ If you needed further encouragement to pick up this bad boy it comes with a download code for their live Radio broadcast for WFMU. Bargain!
Full Tone Generator feat Nick Oliveri – ‘Without A Sound’ (Golden Robot) What a fuckin banger! Loud, in your face and chuffin’ rockin. Without a Sound is bad ass and dangerous to know. Australian desert rock at its finest with added Oliveri for insurance. If you needed to ask the flip side is a roaring beast. ‘If You Want Me’ is punk as fuck. Buy It! Stream/buy Without A Sound HERE
WARPED – ‘Raised By Goats’ (Golden Robot Records) Ok so we’re ending the year with another awesome bunch of singles so its fitting that Warped join the gang with this heavy as a fuckin anvil dropped from an airplane. Hailing from Geelong, Australia WARPED are a 3-piece band that have been around the traps for 30 years and are highly respect scene veterans even if we’ve never heard of them now is as good a time as any to become introduced. Facebook
Bigspin – ‘Bottomless’ Punk as fuck Facebook / Bandcamp Taken from the bands new album it’s skate punk or whatever you want to call it but it’s a slice of Californian punk style but from Mexico City that’s been missing for a while. With that huge heavy bottom end as the song sprints towards the end via a sing along chorus. It’s a tidy tune to introduce you to the band who’ve been absent for many a year and even though the album sneaked out in the opening of 2020 it makes sense they see the year out with a neat video.
Ghosts Of Sunset – ‘Another Rock N Roll Show’ (Golden Robot Records) Hold onto those leather trousers lads Ghosts Of Sunset are turning back the clock with a hefty sleazy slab of Glam Rock with it’s catchy chorus. You know what the lyrics are about obviously a lot of tears when this one gets aired.
Featuring Tim Mosher from Junkyard on Lead Guitar. It’s unashamed glam rock from multi-instrumentalist Todd Long. Hit that play button. Why not Pre-order/pre-save the EP ‘Headed West’ HERE
Come Closer ‘Get It Wrong’ (Pirates Press) Southern California’s COME CLOSER has released their debut single “Get It Wrong” which comes from the band’s upcoming album ‘Pretty Garbage’ which will be released in early 2021 on Pirates Press Records.
Indie rock sensibility, with influences from legends like Husker Du and early Lemonheads, Come Closer’s knack for creating lo-fi, hook-laden tunes will make you want to instantly hit the “replay” button and if this is a taste of what’s to come they can definitely abandon the social distancing rules and come closer.
You can listen to “Get It Wrong” on all major streaming services, Bandcamp, and YouTube: Here.
Delilah Bon – ‘School’ (Self Release) Not content with writing a few acoustic covers or doing a livestream or two during this ole pandemic, Hands Off Gretel’s Lauren Tate went one better and invented a whole new alter-ego she christened Delilah Bon. Motivated by the backlash she endured online when she spoke out about women and young girls getting harassed at gigs (remember them), the Barnsley based songwriter channeled her fury into a new project. This day-glo collision of hip-hop beats and bratty punk attitude has already spawned 5 singles since its inception back in July.
New single ‘School’ is the dread-headed singer raising a middle finger to the school bullies and teachers who said she would amount to nothing. While it’s not as instant as the likes of ‘Bad Attitude’ or the excellent ‘Devil’, it’s still a quality diatribe from the potty mouthed, punk princess. It’s like if Eminem and Pink had a baby and bought her up on a diet of Public Enemy, L7 and Gorillaz, and that’s a good place to be.
This project is all self-written, self-played and self-produced. As Delilah Bon, Lauren Tate continues to excite with music and attitude that pushes boundaries in her quest to be the poster riot grrrl for the jilted generation. Bring on the album!
(Reviewed By Ben Hughes)
Paul-Ronney Angel – ‘Seven Spanish Angels’ EP (Gypsy Hotel Records) Following his debut solo single ‘One Horse Town’, The Urban Voodoo Machine main mouthpiece Paul-Ronney Angel has ditched the horse, grown wings and flown the coop with James Brown’s wife Tomirae Brown! While not strictly true, this single is a cover of the old Willie Nelson/Ray Charles duet ‘Seven Spanish Angels’ and is a collaboration with the Godfather Of Soul’s widow. Recorded at Space Eko Studio in London by Alex McGowan, the acoustic-driven single is full of raw emotion and countrified blues. PR’s raw vocals mix well with Tomirae’s sweet tones, like the devil and the angel taking us to church with handclaps, acoustic guitars and a bottle of whisky. He’s even dressed as a dandy highwayman in the video!
A cover of Linda Gail Lewis’ recent (and topical) single ‘Oh Pandemic’ fits the Urban Voodoo groove perfectly with brass and banjo adding rustic charm to PR and Tomirae’s vocals’. Also, the acoustic reworkings of ‘Goodnight My Dear’ and ‘Pipe & Slippers Man’ are suitably ramshackle and the spaghetti western style instrumental ‘The Flattened Earth’ make this a value for money purchase and the perfect stocking filler for all those ne’er do wells craving some rock ‘n’ roll salvation. Buy ‘Seven Spanish Eyes’ Here
(Reviewed by Ben Hughes)
Another week comes to a crashing end and another week of pretty impressive singles get dumped on the RPM Singles Club dancefloor. The finest in wax, digital and video are here to tickle your taste buds and hopefully inspire you into finding your new favourite band. From all corners and alleyways of the world we search
Jenny – ‘Same’ (Wanda Records) When we saw that this band was fronted by LA Drugz Justin Maurer we had to go and crack it open and crank up the volume and from the first clashing chords of the harmonious ‘Stupid Band’ we smiled knowing we were in the presence of a power pop genius. But with five tunes on this release, it could only get better as the dreamy ‘Rose City’ took us in an upwards trajectory as far as moods go towards that layered vocal chorus it was already a must-have new record. ‘Cockroach Tea’ is more power-pop goodies leaning more towards the pop and then the 60s infused acoustic Thunders melodic ‘Alright With Me’ it has a really early Who mod like quality if it’s possible to mash up some Thunders, meets The Who if it’s not possible then it has just been invented.
To round it off there’s the acoustic ‘Song For Sadie’ an old Suspect PArts track but redone here making this a more eclectic offering than Maurers LA Drugz or Suspect Parts but none the less desirable. Don’t dilly dally as they say in the olden days get it here or on one sided vinyl 12″ from Wanda Records Here
Stiff Richards – ‘Going Numb’ (Legless Records) With two albums in the bag Australias Stiff Richards are hot property. If you managed to get a hold of their debut album first time around then you’re good if you managed to pick up a repress then, well-done pat yourself on the back. Then came ‘Dig’ which was also pretty spectacular to be fair and seemingly unable to do any wrong they sneak out this digital single to let us all know they’re still alive and ready to go (hopefully) with album number three due in October it looks like a winter assault from Melbourne’s finest and we can’t get enough from the southern hemisphere who are leading the way with some awesome punk rock.
Death By Unga Bunga – ‘Trouble’ (Jansen Records) The second in a series of new singles set to be released in the coming months. These Norweigan Nutters have got a slice of summer sunshine in the shape of ‘Trouble’ With a great hook over that steady beat its catchier than a global pandemic. once this one lodges itself into your head it’s not coming out and you’ll be muttering the lyrics for days wondering just who the hell it is. That’s Death By Unga Bunga that is and with the news of more to come there is light at the end of this pandemic that’s for sure and it’s coming from Norway and not some lab in England it might be power pop it might be death metal but one thing for sure it’ll have the DBUB logo on it. Get it here
Killer Hearts – ‘Get Some’ (Spaghetty Town Records) Houston we have a problem. We’re not getting enough Rock and Fucking Roll and that’s a problem. What isn’t a problem is when Killer Hearts this is the first glimpse of what’s coming on their long player ‘Skintight Electric’. Lots of loose riffs and oohs and arghs and some of the best sleazy Rock and Roll since Flash Boys and The Adjusters were about. Go Get some high octane Rock and Roll if you know what’s good for you! Buy Here
Guerrilla Teens – ‘Tell Me What To Do’ (Self Release) Another day another Guerrilla Teens record gets released via Bandcamp. This week’s offering is a right thumper by the name of ‘Tell Me What To Do’ backed by ‘Hurry Up’. One is in your face and bouncing on its toes like a young hooligan the other is a more laid back confident slow burner but both ooze quality and will make for awesome tracks when these weekly offerings finally get pressed by some awesome record label onto a slab of plastic to nestle alongside Those Humpers, Lovesores records you’ve got. buy Here
14 Units – ‘Listen’ (Self Release) This is the lockdown-busting debut release from 14 Units who cram five tunes into this debut EP, Five songs about drinking, getting old, murder, regret, not drinking and Brexit (possibly). opening with a neat uptempo twelve-bar with melody and somewhere between Frank Turner vocally and a cowpunk Quo. They get their jig on from a sprightly ‘Can’t Unlike You’ its melodic and uptempo and carries a decent melody. They certainly like to boogie and then they turn down for a more mellow knocking on heavens door progression for ‘Looks Like Rain’ which heads off down a Buffalo Tom wormhole and its probably the best track on offer with the sparse verse with just percussion before the guitars rejoin for the build-up to the chorus which is a catchy sing-along. A decent EP and first offering from 14 Units. Buy Here
Grindhouse – ‘Ramma Damma’ (Tuff Cuff Records) Melbourne must have something in the water because over the last couple of years its turning up some smoking hot records and this summer has seen that continue with those purveyors of pounding Rock and Roll Grindhouse are back in the room with some sweaty flesh pressing high octane Rock and Roll. in the shape of ‘Ramma Damma’ and ‘City High’ with its bruising riff-a-rama and moon the loon like drumming this is the dogs bollocks. If there ever was a sleeve that best described what was going on in the grooves before you ever played it then it’s this bad boy. or should that be bad girl? Rock and Roll can get you high so fuckin high and Grindhouse has the goods baby!
Relentlessly good band and with a new album on the way these are good times for fans of high octane Rock and Fuckin’ Roll Grindhouse Style. Bring it on. Buy it here
Girls In Synthesis – ‘They’re Not Listening’ (Harbinger Sound) Taken from the debut album ‘Now Here’s An Echo From Your Future’ this video will guarantee you a head fuck from the Jesus and mary chain feedback and the repetitive pounding to the strobe on the video GIS are fucking with you and that’s always a good thing. turn it up and then some more and get lost in that caustic guitar riff before the bass rumble nails you to the floor. Extreme music for extreme times uncompromising and uncomfortable just like punk rock should be. Like crass for the 2020s the album is due the end of the month. Let’s hope this isn’t the soundtrack to the apocalypse like my neighbours think it is.
Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter
Cutters – ‘Cutters’ (Legless Records) Another day another slice of punk rock from Down under. This time labelmates of Stiff Richards Cutters are here with this tasty three-track EP. With howls of feedback and a frantic hoof around your ears, this is relentless. ‘Chewed Up Fortune’ is first up and lead throat Al insists he wants to fuck and sleep in that order I guess. Cutters aren’t fucking around either with their Lo-‘Fi take it to the edge of reason and give it a good fuckin’ thrashing. If you think they would be spent after that opener then you’d obviously be wrong. ‘Robo Debt Blues’ is like Motorhead in their late 70s heyday knocking out some ANL and uk82 anthems and dragging through the Melbourne back streets before dropping them off at the studio. Nice!
But then they get all proggy on the five-minute headfuck frenzy of Twister’. Only yanking your chain the intro is painless before they go fuckin’ ape-like Venom meets the Exploited. Its frantic, Nasty, out of control and fuckin’ champion – Buy it here
Zip Gun Bomber – ‘Paper Aeroplanes EP’ (Rum Bar Records) Outta Cambridge, Massachusetts Zip Gun Bombers have been a thing since 2011 and with this being a revisited yup, you guessed it its a new improved take on that EP. Sure its a Nostalgic trip for that early 90’s era Lookout! Records and all things Green Day. ZipGun Bomber’s ‘Paper Airplanes’ EP embraces and embodies all of that. From the opening of ‘Chase That Feeling’ to the acoustic closing of ‘Paper Airplanes’, its easy on the ear pop-punk where the lyrics are easy to embrace and before you know it you’ll be singing the songs like they’ve always been on your playlist. Well worth checking out if any of the previous words ever meant anything to you jump in and lose yourself in the tunes. Sure there is a familiarity here but it’s only pop-punk Rock and Roll and I like it! Oh and if you like you can download the EP for free or name your price. Pick it up Here
Science Man – ‘Match Game’ (Swimming Faith Records) Punk as fuck – a 7″ single with not 2 or 3 songs on it but nine slabs of uncompromising head mashing industrial hardcore. Science Man from Buffalo NY isn’t here to compromise he’s here to lay out his manifesto and from the opening repetitive thump of ‘Tiny Tower’ it’s game on through the frantic thirty-two seconds of ‘Steal The Street’. Don’t leave the fuckin room for gawds sake.
‘Surge’ sounds like the cassette on a Commadore 64 or finally, the aliens are coming. At times it sounds like out of control chaos but I suspect it’s far from that and the almost prog length of the final track ‘Cursed’ clocking in at almost two minutes is a challenge but industrial hardcore isn’t meant to be easy listening, I’m sure only the hearty punk amongst us will endure or even get this straight off. But its certainly interesting as well as a challenging listen.
Pick it up here
S V & the Eruptions – ‘Tomorrows Promises’ (Avenue Recordz) An altogether more sombre and thoughtful SV & The Eruptions, It’s not all cheeky chappies and a bit of slap and tickle it can’t be. Here SV busts out a mid-paced thoughtful number with a big catchy chorus that drops back into the muted guitar work and into another tuneful verse. A most excellent twist and shows how versatile and downright bloody good these gents are. I have told him myself the tunes you aren’t expecting are some of his best work and this will grow and grow and in time will be one of those late in the set anthems you look forward to. Excellent song with great vocals.
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Youtube
Ryan Hamilton & Kay Hanley – ‘Oh No’ This dropped last minute so we thought we’d include it in the singles Club because we love some Ryan Hamilton.
The Fuzzstainz – ‘Sick! Sick! Sick!'(Beluga Records) How could we sign off this week’s singles Club without dropping in on Scandinavia Again. Always reliable, Always churning out quality Rock and Roll from all the corners of the world Beluga Records have released this banging 7″ platter with two tracks of sizzling Garage Punk courtesy of The Fuzzstainz. The lead track is sick – no it literally is sick! those guitars sound like razor blades trying to cut through some barbed wire. But it’s catchy and easy to sing along to but the best is yet to come in the shape of ‘Thinkin’ ‘Bout Me’ again the same standards are set but with added floor tom and is that a buzzsaw? Gawd knows but its got swagger and I love it. Pick it up here
Adding a little ray of sunshine as lockdowns are ignored across the western world how about we get lost in some great rock n roll music? This Monday we bring you one from the fantastic Low Cut Connie from their new album ‘Private Lives’ we bring the title track.
One taken off the bands forthcoming album ‘Peace’ Levellers dream up an amazing video for ‘Our New Day’ well the first interview piece is original, enjoy.
Finally a new track from The Blinders album ‘Fantasies Of A Stay At Home Psychopath’. Out next month. You can however, Pre-order it Here – check out ‘Mule Track’ which reminds me of classic Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, any way enjoy. Facebook
And now for something completely different. Death By Unga Bunga. If you don’t like these and it doesn’t put a smile on yer kisser then check for a pulse. DBUB Here
C’mon folks cheer up its only week 752 of Lockdown but worry not here are a few bangers for you to enjoy. First up is the awesome Wyldlife with their brand new video for ‘Kiss And Tell’ taken from the wicked Cool Records Album ‘Year Of The Snake‘ enjoy!
Next is the awesome Duncan Reid & The Big Heads with the lockdown video for ‘To Live Or Live Not’ taken from their most excellent ‘Don’t Blame Yourself‘ Album
Finally bringing up the rear is the awesome Death By Unga Bunga with their first new track ‘Not Like The Others’.
Some of the writers managed to send in their list of the top ten live shows they went to in 2019. they attended hundreds of shows all over the place via trains, planes and automobiles. On another day I’m sure these lists would change many times over. RPM Online supports Rock and Roll and loves a live show and as you browse through the lists there are many genres covered as well as some familiar suspects there are many new entries this year. We’d love to take this opportunity to thank all the bands who toured and played shows all over the UK and continue to do so, All the festivals that supported independent music from Rebellion Festivals and Camden Rocks to Steelhouse Festival in South Wales and all the festivals around Europe and wider thank you. Continue to look after independent Rock and Roll and help it thrive and reach a wider audience if you want to get involved get in touch we always welcome fresh eyes and ears to spread the word: rpmonlinetcb@yahoo.com
Leigh Fuge
John Mayer – 02 Arena London
Ryan Roxie – The Asylum, Birmingham
Michael Monroe – The Fleece, Bristol
The Cult – University Great Hall, Cardiff
Kenny Wayne Shepherd – City Hall, Salisbury
Kiss – The Arena, Birmingham
Alice Cooper – Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Paul Gilbert – The Fleece, Bristol
The Wildhearts – The Tramshed, Cardiff
FM & The Quireboys – The Globe, Cardiff
Nev Brooks 
Pulled Apart By Horses – Newport Le Pub (Reviewed Here)
Primal Scream – Great Hall Cardiff
Alice Cooper, MC50, The Stranglers – Motorpoint Arena Cardiff
Nick Cave – Millenium Centre Cardiff
Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Bar Stool Preachers – O2 Bristol
The Hip Priests, DC Spectres, Deathtraps – Le Pub Newport
The Wildhearts, Towers Of London – SWX Bristol
Wonk Unit – Drogonfly Pontypool
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes – Sin City Swansea
Holy Holy – Tramshed Cardiff
Gareth Hooper
Duncan Reid, Cyanide Pills, Bruno – Louisiana Bristol
Ginger & The Sinners – St John’s church Cardiff
Clowns, BBSC – The Exchange Bristol
Amyl And The Sniffers – Louisiana Bristol
Rich Ragany & The Digressions, The Speedways, More Kicks, The Spangles – The Blackheart London
The Wildhearts, Janus Stark – Komedia Bath
The Hip Priests – Le Pub Newport
Bar Stool Preachers, Rich Ragany & The Digressions – Clwb Ifor Bach Cardiff
Jim Jones & The Righteous Mind – Jacs Aberdare
The Stray Cats, Selector, The Living End – Hammersmith Eventime London
Johnny Hayward
Bar Stool Preachers, Rich Ragany & The Digressions, Social Experiment – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff (Reviewed Here)
The Hip Priests, Rotten Foxes, Flash House, Glitter Piss – The Pipeline, Brighton
Rebellion Festival 2019 – Winter Gardens, Blackpool
Jim Jones & The Righteous Minds, Heavy Flames, Deathtraps – Jacs, Aberdare
Death By Unga Bunga, Seek Warmth – Hy Brasil, Bristol
Dboy, The Vega Bodegas, Nigel – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
The Stray Cats, The Selector, The Living End – Hammersmith Apollo, London
Grave Pleasures – The Fleece, Bristol
Pulled Apart By Horses, Baba Naga, Dactyl Terra – Le Pub, Newport
Clowns, Broken Bones Gentleman’s Club, Glug – The Exchange, Bristol
Fraser Munro
Adam Ant – St Davids Hall Cardiff
Kiss – Kiss Kruise, Miami
Michael Monroe, Electric Eel Shock – The Fleece, Briatol
The Hip Priests – The Drippers, Deathtraps – JT Soar, Nottingham
Alice Cooper, MC50, Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Turbonecro, The Hip Priests – The Chameleon, Nottingham
Dboy – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
The Damned – KK’s Steel Mill. Wolverhampton
Skidrow, Backyard Babies – The Forum, London
the Wildhearts, Towers Of London – Tramshed, Cardiff
Ben Hughes
Michael Monroe – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds (Reviewed Here)
Duff McKagan/Shooter Jennings – Academy 3, Manchester
The Wildhearts – Stylus, Leeds
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
Low Cut Connie – The Fulford Arms, York
Amyl & The Sniffers – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
Ryan Hamilton Songs & Stories Show – Bloomfield Square, Otley
Tyla’s Dogs D’amour – The Fulford Arms, York
Levellers – The Minack Theatre, Cornwall
Hands Off Gretel – The Fulford Arms, York
Nigel Taylor 
The Stray Cats – O2, Birmingham
Saint Agnes – Plymouth Junction, Plymouth
The Wildhearts – Cavern, Exeter
Motörgoblin (Orange Goblin plays Motörhead) – St Moritz Club, London
Ginger Wildheart – St Johns Church, Cardiff
Queensryche – Islington Assembly Hall, London
Mother Vulture – End of the World Festival, Plymouth
Uriah Heep – Steelhouse Festival, Wales
Cradle of Filth – London Palladium, London
Ghost – Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Blaze Bayley – The Junction, Plymouth
Dom Daley
Rebellion Festival – Winter Gardens, Blackpool (Reviewed Here)
The Damned – London Palladium, London
Michael Monroe, Electric Eel Shock – The Fleece, Bristol
Duncan Reid &The Big Heads, Cyanide Pills, Bruno – Louisiana, Bristol
Amyl & The Sniffers – Lousiana, Bristol
Ginger & The Sinners – St Johns Church, Cardiff
Clowns – The Exchange, Bristol
Rich Ragany & The Digressions, The Speedways, More Kicks, The Spangles – Black Heart Camden, London
New Model Army – Tramshed, Cardiff
The Wonder Stuff – O2, Bristol
Bristol is like band central tonight, Angelic Upstarts, Terrorvision and Fat White Family are all in town and with all of them playing within easy walking distance of the rather splendid Hy-Brasil Music Club you could be forgiven for thinking that a gang of five nerdy Norwegian garage punks might be struggling for a crowd in such a claustrophobic gigging situation.
Rest easy though my RPM chums because common sense (and that Ash support tour from last year) has saved the day and by the time Death By Unga Bunga take to the venue’s compact and bijou stage the dance floor if full of people, who just like me, have just happened to have discovered one of the best-kept secrets in rock music right now.
Up first though tonight is local Indie (as in proper mid-80s/early 90s Indie) trio Seek Warmth who plough a kind of 4AD furrow whilst managing to be somehow understated yet also remain intriguing all at the same time. I can’t say I’m a huge fan of this kind of music personally, but the band is tight, have some very decent tunes and have one hell of a drummer behind the kit. I actually found it kind of refreshing to be whisked back to that age before grunge when Indie guitar music didn’t sound as forced and manufactured as it does today, so credit indeed to Seek Warmth for making that happen.
With Iron Maiden’s ‘Ides Of March’ booming out from the PA there is an immediate shift in my 80s throwback mindset, as I travel back to an age when metal also was nowhere as stylised as it is today and taking one look at the five musicians that are clambering onto the stage like extras from the Ant Hill Mob it makes me feel warm inside to say Death By Unga Bunga are never going to be called fashionistas. One look at the already sneering face of frontman Sebastian Ulstad Olsen and I can’t help but chuckle at his ‘70s Dennis Waterman meets Blakey (from On The Buses) image and he radiates that bad boy you love to love persona to absolute perfection. On the downside, he’s forgotten his Killers T-shirt tonight and is instead sporting a Dickinson-era Iron Maiden affair so he loses a few instant cool marks for this. Still with songs as amazing as opener ‘Into The Night’ who really give a flying fuck what Death By Unga Bunga look like, the sounds they create are some of the most original feelgood sensations you’ll ever experience live, and I’m just going to let myself be totally immersed in the next 30 odd minutes of absolute powerpop perfection.
With their roots in the Norwegian punk scene watching Death By Unga Bunga is not unlike that fist in the face experience you would expect from a hardcore show, especially when Sebastian is off the stage and prowling the raised area of the club looking for even more converts to join us on the dancefloor, its just that songs like ‘Turn My Brain Off’ and the knock out blow of ‘Soldier’ could very easily be hit singles and have seen the band on Top Of The Pops, if such a thing still existed of course.
Amongst all the tongue in cheek between song banter there’s also an underlying appreciation of all things hard rock that makes the Bunga truly bounce live, with ‘Cynical’ sounding even more like Thin Lizzy live than it does on the band’s amazing ‘So Far So Good So Cool’ album, and is something which manifests itself into all out fanboy status when the guys (jail)break into a brief segment of ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’ before leaving us all wanting “10 more songs” (something the dreadlocked punk next to me is screaming like his bus fare home depended on him securing the deal for us).
Watching Death By Unga Bunga live makes you smile, it makes you sing and most of all it makes you want to dance, and in the world we live in right now that’s all you can really ask for from a great rock n roll band, the thing is watching Death By Unga Bunga makes me want to do it every night. I wonder if they need a sixth member?
Author: Johnny Hayward
Buy DBUB Here
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