Well, the night finally arrived half hoping it was a twisted joke and a massive prank but alas it wasn’t to be and true to their word The Hip Priests were about to pull the plug on their Ten Legged Rock Machine and sign off with a doubleheader in London and Nottingham. A sold-out Black Heart was the venue hosting the slow death of garage punk rock as we’ve known it for the last eighteen years and thankfully it was a sell-out as the faithful gathered to witness was to be a bitter night as we said goodbye in style to shit Islands finest most uncompromising exponents of loud zero fucks given, bastards sons and torch bearers of Lemmy, Ron Ashton and the MC5s just louder snivelling limey misfits.

I can’t remember how many times I’ve seen them over the years and all the lineups I’ve witnessed from Garry in his vest with Lee Love and his pork pie hat to skintight Tim, Lee and Austin playing slugfest without Von Cruz to another Slugfest which might well have been Von Cruz first gig or near enough where they potentially were never to be seen again after joining Ketamine Jesus’ cult to the ill fated Rebellion booking then covid to tonight and the farewell to the believers and zero fucks given to the haters or those who chose to not invest time or effort in the music..those who know know and we are the ones better off for giving a shit about this travelling circus of outsiders who just so happened to play some fucking awesome Garage punk rock n roll loudly.

Anyway on with the show. First up tonight were the former Bitch Queens Mel and Harry now fronting the hybrid rock n tecno Eurotrash by the name of the New Saints who played an impressive hardcore set of intense digital beats n techno tweaks mixed with Mels less Paul and Harry on vocals. Now it’s early days and I’d not heard many songs yet but this was half of Bitch Queens who rocked like fuck so whilst getting acquainted with the new direction I’m sure there will be more RPM column inches dedicated to these cut-off-wearing reprobates. If you’re looking for a reference point maybe a distorted hybrid of classic Alice Cooper meets Depeche Mode playing Turbonegro on Creaming Jesus’ stereo in between some Leather nun offcuts (imagine that whilst tripping your tits off) you might be heading in the right direction ‘No Hope’ is a banger.

They were followed by long-time stage sharers who happen to have some new music in the off but didn’t bring any to flog (the lazy sods). Flash House play an uncompromising brand of Motorhead meets Zeke meets The Hip Priests meets a dozen other noisy motherfuckers with a hard-rockin’ Roy Wood on lead guitar and vocals which is fantastic if you get it and I do. As the place got busy and the temperature got higher their wall of noise got more intense and it was great to hear the band after several years off the scene in fact the last time I might have been in the same venue as them was the pipeline supporting The Hip Priests at Deathtime Assembly and they haven’t changed a bit and nor should they. The world needs more Flash House. ‘Three Wise Monkeys’ is still a fuckin brutal killer track any day of the week.

Thankfully I found the air con and didn’t feel like I was about to crash and burn and turn into a puddle of sweat just in time for Sweden’s Scumbag Millionaire to take the compact confines of The Black Heart stage. The audience squeezed closer as the Swedes turned in a really impressive hard rockin’ piano tonkin set of killer high voltage rock n roll. I even took some real cash money (remember that?) to pick up some wax goodies from the merch booth but alas they also forgot to put copies of their records in with their y fronts n snakeskin boots ho hum it’s import taxes and high postage then because they’ve released some killer records over the years and this was a first time tonight for me and popping my Scumbag virginity was a sweet thing and they were every bit as impressive as I’d hoped they’d be.

With a sweaty packed out room they hammered out the keys and rocked like a beast and I only hope it’s not the last time I get to see them hit these shores. With a catalogue almost as impressive as tonight’s headliners There was so much to choose from and their set flew by as the band played faster and harder knowing that time was of the essence but if you’re going to have top-notch support bands then this line-up tonight was truly spectacular and very much appreciated and the audience was totally into Swedens finest. So until next time that’ll do very nicely it was like going back to when ‘Supershitty’ and ‘Total 13′ were forces to be reckoned with and the added keyboards were excellent. A top headline rockin’ band is Scumbag Millionaire you should check them out!

Right the time has come and some are emotional and some are playing it down but everyone will admit to being a little excited as to how this is going to unfold and how this machine will be terminated and the life support switched off. As I mentioned in my introduction I’ve been fortunate enough to have witnessed the band quite early in their journey and through many changes, especially the spinal tap like drummer situation and the amount of time we thought this is it the ladder has been dropped and the ascension to fame and fortune is around the next bend, as the fairly decent people of shit island catch up but alas, its all taken its toll and the latest EP, ‘We Become Nothing’ pressed on 10″ wax is to be the final nail in a bulging coffin of zero fuck given.

I wasn’t really bothered what tonight’s set consisted of or if any former members would get up n play I just wanted to have a good time and see the band kick ass and go out on top form still giving zero fucks but leaving a good-looking corpse. From the early songs dished out from ‘The Best Revenge’ through ‘Sha Na Nihilist’ followed by a breakneck version of ‘Gang Of One’ they weren’t messing about and tonight was already shaping up to be something special.

It was ironic that Von Cruz had trouble with the mic for ‘Zero Fucks Given’ but it didn’t matter at all it sounded great and the Spasm Gang were in fine voice anyway. I have to admit by the time they broke into ‘No Time’ they seemed to step it up a gear and this was one of those special moments you get from time to time and the full ten-minute marathon was more like a sprint with the minutes flying by and another memorable moment watching the Hip Priest was just locked in. Truly spectacular I’m glad I spent three figures on train fares and an overnight stay in a shitty over priced London Hotel I wouldn’t want to miss this for anything.

By the time we reached ‘Young Savage’ and Austin and Lee had said their goodbyes it did get a little emotional and there was still time to take it back and give it one last shot I know a room in Camden where the entire audience would be delighted with that choice.

We were done the band shuffled off the compact stage only to return and knock out ‘Sonic Reproducer’ and finally they went nuclear one last time for me on ‘Juiced’ and that was it Ronnie Spector filled the PA with her and Joey Ramones cover of ‘Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory’ and it was done we filed out of the sweaty upstairs room one last time and all disappeared into the smokey Camden Night air knowing we’d seen shit Islands mother fucker superiors one last time. They came they saw and they fuckin delivered time after time. It’s been emotional gentlemen now all please fuck off and make more music with other people and never ever darken our venues again with The Black Denim Blitz.

Eighteen years is a fuckin life sentence, there have been Spasm Gang members who didn’t make it and they were remembered with some fitting words, this little gang grew into a much larger gang it wasn’t of one but many but we were all united by one, one great underappreciated, noisy, fast, obnoxious, uncompromising, DIY, punk rock band Rest In Peace You Hip Priests – you beautiful bastards. Long Live The Mother fuckin’ Hip Priests! It was emotional and we shared some great times that can never be taken away but we still have the music. Play it loud and play it often brothers and sisters we were the lucky ones just remember that.

Author: Spasm Gang Member #3 signing out.

Some Pics courtesy of King Thomas Spasm Gang #100

In a week when I hadn’t thought about New Bomb Turks in quite a while not one but two tribute albums drop and all of a sudden I’m transported back in time when a trip to TJ’s in Newport was an exciting time because one of the best-kept secrets in underground punk rock n roll was happening and along with bands like D4 and the Datsuns something was happening it seems like yesterday but it wasn’t and the old adage of time flies is certainly true and when I popped the CD in the player and I turned up the volume and peeled open the booklet and instantly recognised many of the bands taking part and was looking forward to some of the bands I’d never heard before taking on some great tunes and adding maybe a twist here and there.

 

First up is Berlins Hell Nation Army a band we’ve featured on RPM before so no surprise to hear them on this tribute with an impressive opener ‘Point A To Point Blank’.  There are eighteen tracks on offer here and as the booklet points out four are from Poland, not somewhere you instantly associate with dirty punk rock n roll but don’t let that put you off investigating because Poison Heart are right on the money here with a blistering take on ‘Snap Decision’.

 

This is an exceptionally well researched tribute and a great platform for many bands as the booklet tells the story of each tune with detail and a passion that shines through.  One of the best bands I’ve heard knocking out some sleazy punk n roll over the last few years has to be Doojiman & The Exploders who are at it again as they own ‘Automatic Teller’ which is a superb song anyway and done with much gusto here.

 

Warsaws Red Crap blast out the bass rumble as they annihilate ‘If I Only Could’ with no compromising on the attitude and quality another really great version from a band I’m off to investigate further. Randy Savages have a track on both the Turks tributes and why not I say because this version of ‘Leaving Town’ is exceptional it’s sleazy and greasy but with a melody to die for and they nail the harmonies making it one of the albums real highlights.

 

One of the best things about getting two tribute albums to the same band in the same week is there isn’t much overlapping at all (like magic that) and the fact they’ve recruited a couple of Australia’s finest in is another tip of the hat because no stane has been left unturned and no bar has been left untrawled as Howlin’ threads turn up the noise with a Rockin ‘Professional Againster’.

London dirty rockers Flash house are present and correct on the CD only track ‘I’m Weak’ which is set to rumble anything that’s not nailed down in yer house if the volumes right.  Sleazy and dark its another highlight to be fair.

Anyone for some Dog Toffee? ‘I’d Slip In’ is a belter full of attitude and slipping it next to those Satanic Overlords Of Rock And Roll is nice as they blast away ‘Tattooed Apathetic Boys’ like it was some long lost Ramones romp then to unleash the wah on the breakdown before setting the burners to blast off for the finish line.  Top tunes.  This album is bursting with great bands contributing some fantastic interpretations of someone else’s songs.

 

With bands from Texas to Italy there a world of talent out there as Smalltown Tigers throw their hat in the ring with a really impressive take on ‘Girl Can Help It’.  I’m sure they’ll be more widely known especially in the UK when they play support to The Original Damned when they do those shows next year.  you also get Puffball turning up the distortion on ‘Never Will’ even though these Swedes don’t strictly exist anymore they like to keep their hand in so to speak and this compilation is all the better for it.

 

Punk rockers Moron’s Morons turn up with a barroom blitzing ‘wine And Depression’ whilst Jack Saint twists the melon with a delta bluesy take on ‘Grounded Ex Patriot’ it’s like the Gun Club never happened with this tip of the hat take.   As we head into the final furlong the tasty Tongue Action have a sleazy Rockin’ take on ‘Telephone Numbrrrr’ but when you’ve paid your dues playing with Electric Frankenstein, Texas Terri Bomb and Killer Hearts was it ever in doubt that this was going to rule?  Course not.

 

It only leaves two more entries with the band who opened proceedings Hell Nation Army to knock out a brutal ‘I Want My Baby…Dead!’ so its a rough and ready trip to the land of the rising sun and Jet Boys sleazy ‘Killer’s Kiss’ which seems like a fitting full stop to proceedings and another exception tribute to New Bomb Turks who had plenty to say and said it so well and passed on the baton to so many who carry the torch into the unknown and hopefully back into the filthy corners of the world where Rock and Roll still matters.  Rock on kids and check out this tribute and the bands who’ve given their time and considerable talent for the good and the great.  Get it!

 

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*Includes a CD copy of the record, as well as a two-sided color, insert with information about the contributing bands. Tracks 9, 17 and 18 are CD-only tracks.So nobody misses out!*

Author: Dom Daley

Ah Brighton! I’ve not been here for a gig in almost a decade and to be honest walking the streets in the run-up to tonight’s show, not a lot has really changed in the intervening time. The city’s lively side streets still very much remind me of the London I once loved, long before money swept it’s streets clean of anything remotely interesting and its down one of these side streets that you will also find the new home for The Pipeline, one such victim of London’s transformation from cultural capital to capitalist culture.

Situated just a pebble’s throw from the beach on Little E Street, and right next to the alley where Steph and Jimmy had their “moment” in Quadrophenia, The Pipeline is a rock bar with a twist, because whilst it has a great jukebox and an upstairs pinball/live music room it also doubles as a vegan restaurant serving some mighty fine food indeed, and tonight it’s packed out well before 7 pm.

That’s because with an entry fee of just £5 this superb four-band bill has to be one of the bargains of the year for the more discerning music fan, and it appears Brighton has quite a few of those. Thing is with the upstairs room having only a 50 capacity (it makes the Chameleon in Nottingham look like Madison Square Garden) and there being no pre-sale tickets available, I do have to wonder if I will actually get in?

The cooling effect of the ink cross on the back of my hand certainly does my OCD the world of good and I can finally relax and enjoy myself but not before the pint of Estrella is quickly knocked out of my hand and  I’m thrust straight into the live-action via a frenzied pit ready for some Glitter Piss. This Brighton based five specialise in fast and furious urine-soaked punk rock with songs based around subjects like; losing it in work, dealing with STDs, losing it on vodka and of course partying and that’s what Brighton’s most clued-in music fans are here to do tonight.

With Rotten Foxes’ MacDaddy on guitar Glitter Piss are always going to have a small nod towards them sound-wise, but at times tonight the other band they really remind me of are The Ghost Of A Thousand, particularly around the time of their ‘New Hopes, New Demonstrations’ album and that’s not just because there’s a tall ginger bloke called Tom in both of the bands either.  Trust me when I say that if Glitter Piss can bottle this live energy and keep it together long enough to actually take their songs into a studio, we could very well be looking at the next “ones to watch” on the UK underground.

London’s Flash House are of course not only Slugfest veterans but long-time favourites here at RPM Towers so it’s no surprise to me that the stifling heat of The Pipeline only acts like fuel to Crusty, Mike, Matt and Harry as they take opener ‘Raising Cane’ and proceed to ram it down the throats of everyone in here tonight. ‘Yeti 69’ from the band’s recent split single with The Hip Priests sounds absolutely glorious alongside tracks from their now out of print ‘Brown Sauce’ album like ‘Three Wise Monkeys’ and ‘Domestic Hiss’, and finishing with a frenzied ‘Flash House’ I cannot help but imagine that the Lemmy picture the guys are playing in front of gives them a little knowing wink. Outstanding stuff once again, now give us the second album ya flash (house) fuckers.

Having been aware of their music (and high taste in fashion) for a good few years it’s taken me ages to actually see Rotten Foxes live. Now, just as they are about to split up, I get to see them twice in the space of two weeks, talk about perfect timing eh? Bassist Jimi Dymond and singer Rusty Nails are visibly moved when I mention Dom Daley’s review of their recent Rebellion performance to them just prior to them going on stage tonight, such is the passion these four guys still have for their music with just a few gigs left before they split up. They promise me there’s still some new music left to come (more of this in a moment) and of course there’s still a handful of shows at which you can experience their whack ‘em and smack ‘em brand of death punk live for yourself.

Tonight though is made all the more special as it’s Rotten Foxes personal thank you to The Pipeline’s owner Thomas Evrenos, someone who has supported the band ever since The Pipeline moved to their city, and just as you would expect for such a special event the ceiling is dripping with sweat as the punk pop is ordered to be cut from the PA and the upstairs room goes totally fucking nuts to the likes of ‘Ship It In’ and ‘Make Me Pretty’ (both taken from the band’s recently released and totally essential ‘Arrive, Raise Hell, Leave’ EP). There’s a moment during the latter when I feel I might end up in the downstairs bar like some long-lost outtake from Carry On Abroad, such is the power of the mullet in the pit tonight.

‘Dehumanise’ is the double denim teaser new track aired and it’s a brutal beast too, one that we’ll hopefully get to hear properly once the one PC the band owns finally gets fixed and they can get the fourth EP up on Bandcamp. Like Dom said in his Rebellion review that a band as exciting as Rotten Foxes are calling it a day whilst the rock world is still overflowing with beige shite is truly a sad day indeed. Just make sure you get to see the band’s jail rat tattooed asses before they do finally call it a day in just a few weeks’ time.  Rotten Foxes I fucking salute you!

Fresh from touring across Europe and the UK with Electric Frankenstein and The Dwarves, The Hip Priests are the perfect headliners for tonight’s shenanigans as they are both very tight and very exciting right now (if you will excuse the Godawful pun). With just a simple line check between bands (I’m sensing a tight curfew is in place) “those fuckin’ boys” head straight into an opening trio of ‘Motherfucker Superior’, ‘Instant Delinquent’ and ‘Stand For Nothing’ sounding positively imperious.

Just prior to ‘Zero Fucks Given’ Austin and Nathan hang from an open upstairs window long enough to berate the locals, not man enough to finish the four-band bill, the singer taking a well-aimed gob at the plastic punks sitting below. Who said punk rock was dead eh?

Punk rock politics aside it’s the addition of Gentle Ben on second guitar that has proven to be something of an inspired move by the band as now they all lock into tracks like ‘Social Hand Grenade’ and ‘Deja FU’ from the excellent ‘Stand For Nothing’ album and simply don’t let up. It’s that added fifth dimension the band have always been looking for finally brought to life right in front of your naked steaming eyes, oh, and double denim nut huggers aside (worn as a tribute to Rotten Foxes), tonight really is The Hip Priests at their very best.

Returning for a two-song encore that sees various other band members join The Priests on stage for a mass pile on that ends with a run through the Foxes ‘Pints’ before the suitably titled ‘Wired Amped & Skulled’ brings things to a sweaty and bloody conclusion I stagger downstairs and out into the night feeling like I’ve just been sucker punched by Shawn Michaels, totally shocked and dazed by what has gone before. So much so in fact that I head straight back to my digs just to try to get my shit together. How very un-rock ‘n’ roll of me eh?

At £5 entry for a night of full contact rock ‘n’ roll this one has to be marked in time alongside my encounters with The Dogs D’Amour in Cardiff Square Club, Nirvana In Bristol Bierkeller and Gilbert The Alien in Cardiff Ice Rink (Yup I really did see him live) as one of those had to be there nights. Let’s hope it won’t be another 10 years before I get to go back to Brighton as I’ve a feeling The Pipeline will have a lot more nights like these in store for us very soon.

Author: Johnny Hayward

With 2018 in its last throws RPM thought it would be a good idea to have a quick glance over its collective shoulder at a blur that was 2018.  It was choc full of albums – singles – concerts and the odd loss and break up. We spent the end of November telling each other no that was never this year or wasn’t that out in 2017  or in some cases the wrong decade 😉

 

We’ve only been in existence a short number of months and already we’ve racked up a heap of albums reviewed and there are plenty from earlier this year that we’d covered elsewhere on the web so cast your minds back eleven months and January as we look at the early movers and shakers in a notoriously slow month as the year finds its feet.

January 2018.

One of the first engagements I had in 2018 was a date at the 100 club for the Resolution Festival appearance of the mighty Boys who would be supported that memorable night by four should know better upstarts from North of the border  Heavy Drapes with their enigmatic frontman Garry. To say I was blown away that night would be something of an understatement as the band knocked out a whole set of memorable tunes and The Vulz. 

 

Elsewhere RPM scribes caught their first sighting of The Hip Priests as a five-piece when they visited Le Pub in Newport but that wasn’t before they caught former Misfit Michael Graves doing his thang in Cardiff on the live front.

As far as a slow-burning month goes it would appear that that is a load of old bollocks as this January looks like its kicking off with a few right bangers as Amyl & The Sniffers released their EP’s on one glorious longish player in the shape of ‘Big Attraction/Giddy UP’ who despite being bigged up by the media were determined to warrant the tag and deliver the goods on record.  This Australian mullet sporting punk rock group certainly set the pace.

Other recommendations from the opening month were Doll Hazard with their Transatlantic Meltdown. Which Ben recommended after hearing the Dirtbag Republic and Suicide Bomber players join forces to pen a sleazy bag of Rock and Roll tunes

 

Also in January, we had some dirty filthy treats from a couple of garage punk rock n roll bands that like nothing more than making a rather splendid racket first up the awesome The Good The Bad And The Zugly with their Misanthropic House album that got Fraser all hot and bothered and rightly so. We love TGTBATZ around here and they are to feature later in the year with their fantastic video to their new single but more of that laters. Don’t think its all about Scandinavianian punk either as London town delivers the goods with the new kids on the block (who said new kids?) Flash House who’ve been kicking around for a while actually settled down to release their mighty fine album full of noise in the shape of ‘Brown Sauce’  as it came barking out of the traps rattling speakers cones all over the shop. I’m not sure about Brown Sauce but played loud enough I think it might be what scientists call Brown Noise such is the bass rumble involved in this bad boy. Even though it came out at the final knockings of 2017  I didn’t get my mitts on it until January.

Sadly January saw the passing of a real enigma in British Rock N Roll as Mark E Smith lost his battle with lung cancer and the alternative scene lost one of its most prolific writers and performers. Releasing 32 studio albums and many singles during his time on earth. As leader of the Fall he probably went through twice as many bandmates as records released with him being the only constant in what was a turbulent and often antagonistic life Smith was certainly unique.  But January passed and it took the third and final member of Motorhead on January 10th. Edward Allan Clarke – or as we all know and love him “Fast” Eddie Clarke – passed away peacefully after contracting Pneumonia. Clarke left Motorhead in ’82 but he will forever be associated with the band and the classic riff that was ‘Ace Of Spades’  RIP both and take it easy.

 

 

 

 

January album of the month would probably have to go to The Good The Bad And The Zugly which is a pretty decent way to kick off any year I’m sure you’ll agree.  Roll on Foulmouthed February…

A unique band with an unrivaled catalogue of singles a clutch of albums that are the top of any garage punk chart and the constant rebirth and pursuit of recognition The Hip Priests are relentless in their pursuit of the next-best song they seem to effortlessly write and release 45’s  play memorable sporadic shows and on the verge of releasing a brand new album.  Maybe the stars have aligned and finally 2019 will see an industry wake up and public catch on to what they’re about.  How could I resist not slinging a few questions at Lee and Austin about what’s coming and whats been happening in the world of The Hip Priests (which usually is quite a lot)…

A new album? What made you decide to get back into the studio to record a full-length album?

OZ– In all honesty, there weren’t really any plans to do one, we were gonna carry on churning out the 7 inches. But I’ve never been totally happy with any of the albums we’ve done, either the Recording or the mixing has always been rushed and I wanted to do one album I’d be properly proud of where everything was right. So I mentioned it to Lee when we were playing in the US last year and twisted his arm until he Agreed haha.

 

Lee- I’d sworn I wouldn’t do one but then, yeah, Oz persuaded me. Part of it, too was that we had yet another person then fuck off (Joe Blow) and, in my/our own odd twisted way, we then think we need to go and show everyone again. I’m forever saying I’ve had enough n part of that is we just hit a point where it was evident, despite our ‘successes’ that we’d hit some bullshit Rocknroll glass ceiling. 

 

Can you reveal the title?

Oz– We could but we’re gonna keep it under wraps for now until we know how it’s gonna be released.

 

Lee– Nah – I’m gonna piss Austin off and tell you (I’m sure that it’s been mentioned online anyway). It’s going to be called ‘Stand for Nothing’. I first heard it as a negative/pessimistic expression but then realised how amazingly it also tied into the Malcolm X Quote ‘A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything’. It then gave it that potential duality of meaning and then I just loved it and resisted changing it. Most people will likely just read it as another ‘Oh the Priests are pretending to be all nihilistic again’ thing anyway.

How many songs will be on it?  Did you get a label yet mate?

Oz– The plan is that there’s gonna be 10 songs on the CD and 11 on the vinyl. As you know mate, we were on the verge of signing with SPV Steamhammer at the end of last year and actually had a draft contract but in true rock n roll cliché style, that all went to shit and we’ve since been looking for another label to release it. Ideally, it will come out on a bigger label that can sort us some PR and better distribution, as that’s what we’ve needed for a few years but we’ll see. If not we’ll do it the usual way I guess…..

 

Lee – As Oz said, we recorded 14 so ones gone towards a single and two have been left aside for the moment. We’re still trying to sort out who’s definitely doing it.

 

How did the writing process go?  how do The Hip Priests work? from inception to recording?

Oz– Slightly different to usual in that Lee actually recorded rough demos of the songs this time and sent them round to the rest of us, which made it a quicker process to learn them. We then knocked them around in rehearsal until they sounded right and went in and recorded them. We also did the album over three-weekend sessions this time rather than one long, painful week of recording which was way better for everyone’s sanity! In typical Priests style though we did end up squeezing in an extra tune a couple of days before the last session just to get another 7” down!

Lee– Yeah, I bought some cheap as little Boss recorder and did rough as fuck demos with me just playing a couple of tracks of guitar and doing a couple of tracks of vocals. I guess it helped with also deciding what we’d work on and what we perhaps wouldn’t.   The album started to give ideas of second guitar parts here and there. I guess the main thing that’s different on this album is the writing itself in that I’ve taken on different subject matters and characters even on this one. I really didn’t want to do another album that primarily about my fabricated ego, getting fucked up and/or fucking. 

 

You’ve gone from a four-piece to five what was the reasoning behind this move?  What have the two new boys brought to the band?  Introduce us and let us know a bit about them?

Oz– We’ve talked about getting another guitarist for a long time just to fill out the sound. In smaller venues we’d get away with it through sheer volume but when we played some bigger festival shows it was noticeable in places that it was lacking an extra guitar. Mike had been pestering us for a while to join and as some of the ideas Lee had for the new album were needing a bigger sound, we decided to give him a shot. Having just auditioned drummers and found Des we couldn’t really be arsed with auditioning again for a guitarist so we just told Mike to come down and if it worked he was in, simple as that. It does sound fuckin huge now too and Mike’s got the rhythm side of things nailed. I guess what they’ve brought to the band, as well as their playing, is some new enthusiasm cos the rest of us are pretty jaded haha.

 

Playing shows sporadically around shit island to a rabid audience of people who actually “get it” must make up for those that don’t get it?  Are people afraid of the Hip Priests?  Songs like the last 12″ (‘No Time’) left the listener in no doubt about how you view what’s going on here in 2018 is the album going to be songs of a similar vein?

Oz– Haha, I’d rather play to a bigger rabid audience, to be honest, but garage/punk ain’t ever been a big hit in the UK really has it? Rather than being scared of us, I think most people are still oblivious to us as, despite everything we’ve done, we’re still kinda under the radar to most people. The album’s a perfect mix I think, there’s some similar stuff on the state of the UK as well as tunes about wasting yr life playing this stuff, surviving as a band for over 10 years, the narcissism of social media……just no songs about fucking.

 

Lee– I still think people here especially don’t get us and we’ve never been welcomed into any of the Island’s nepotistic ‘punk rock’ scenes or it’s middle-aged seaside specials. We still exist totally under the radar – and because we’ve always been committed to the idea that we’d never beg or brown nose anyone it’s been a hindrance. But then again, how many other UK underground punk or whatever fucking bands are on their 24th 7” single, 4th album and get invited onto bills with the Hellacopters, etc. “Hey, boys – you can come to Holland all expenses paid and play with RFTC, The Turks and the Hellacopters or play with The Anti Nowhere League in some bogging seaside town?”. Haha. As regards ‘No Time’ being a prelude to the new album. Yeah – I guess it was in a way. It’s pretty fucking dark in many places. I’ve always been socially and politically aware but it wasn’t something I’d really allowed to come into my writing, bar just expressing anger and admittedly worthless negativity but then I got to the point where I simply couldn’t stop it. I could have rattled off 14 songs about the state of the UK but chose to kinda make it snapshots of other things too, none of them very cheery though! Hahaha. From the sociopathic psychos that you might find in any town (actually written the day after meeting some scary bloke in le Pub early this year) to Mainstream brainwashing media, Zombie Social Media, broken relationships, woeful self-medication, etc I imagine it’s sounding like a laugh a minute!    

You’ve played with some immense bands over the last few years and taken your blitzkrieg to mainland Europe – is there a different take on what you do over in Europe is there less judgment of a band like The Hip Priests?

Oz– They just understand rock n’ roll better in Europe and support live music in a way that the UK doesn’t. Some of the festival lineups we’ve played on have been ridiculous in terms of bands we love (The Hellacopters, Zeke, RFTC, New Bomb Turks and Nashville Pussy all on the same bill!) and that would never happen in the UK. In fact, you’d be lucky to ever get The Hellacopters or the Turks back in the UK.

The album will be out in early 2019 are there any other plans you can reveal that are being incubated?  Tours? Singles?

Oz– A lot depends on who releases it at the moment but there should be another 7” before the end of the year to keep you going and we have a couple of other spare tracks from the album sessions too. We’re working on a run of shows in the UK with Scumbag Millionaire in early 19 too but waiting to see what happens album wise before we confirm it.

Lee – Can I say the word ‘retirement’ again?

The Spasm Gang are a supportive bunch and when the band release a new record they tend to be limited numbers that get hoovered up straight away and when they become available on sites like Discogs they fetch silly money the rabid bunch are around several hundred strong what are the plans to expand that mentalist club and what exclusive goodies have you got in the pipeline for the album.

 

Oz – Yes, they’re a loveable bunch of nutters and obsessive collectors, pretty much like the band members! There’s actually 200 out there, from Australia to Brazil and everywhere in between, which is pretty amazing for a little band like us. Weirdly enough, we’ve never really pushed it so it’s organically just grown through word of mouth. Yeah, we always do an exclusive SG version of every release for members only, there’ll be one for the album but no idea what it will be yet.

 

Lee – You liar – I told you my mental new hair-brained idea for the album giveaway in the van the other day! I’m not saying here though! Yeah, the Spasm Gang fucking rule. The loyalty some of them have and effort they make for our little fucking group is sincerely humbling – even for a massive arsehole like me Haha. When people travel around the world to see you it’s pretty mind-blowing…

 

Lee you write all or most of the material now must be a great time to be Lee Love with such horrible so and so’s in charge of powerful countries and so many people breaking cover with right-wing agendas and racist views it’s like shooting fish in a barrel for you, isn’t it?  Would you like to write with anyone else?  if you had the chance who would you look to for a helping hand not that you need it obviously but as a vanity project?

 Lee- As I said, I could easily have written a whole album on how fucked up, scary, unfair, inequitable and more this nation and the rest of the world is starting to look but tried very hard not to.. I’ve never felt so fucking angry and depressed about it, how much worse it might get and what my son might have to fucking contend with. For this band to have overnight become some kind of agitprop band would have been a step too far.

As regards writing with someone else? I don’t know. Mind you, Oz wrote some lyrics on this one which I then adapted and made fit some tunes and it wasn’t long ago we did the Motherfucking Motherfuckers thing with our Bitch Queen boys but that more turned out that Harry rattled of half the tunes ‘n’ I did the others. Maybe the Priests are my vanity project Haha! It’s what happens somewhere between my ludicrous ego clashing with my crushing self-doubt. Actually, I’ve written a few super Aussieproto punk things recently which I might keep aside for something else for some fun. Perhaps I might sing ‘em too as I did a couple on the MFMFers. I don’t know, many days I just wanna stop and try to be ‘normal’ whatever the fuck that’s meant to mean.

Having played some superb festivals over the last few years and touring with your European boyfriends in Bitch Queens who else is doing it for you musically?

Oz – The Scumbag Millionaire album that’s about to drop is a scorcher for sure and Bitch Queens have a new one on the way too. Grindhouse from Aus are the best garage/punk band I’ve heard in a long, long time and hopefully, they’ll make it over here next year so we can hook up for some shows. I just got the Powerline Sneakers album (ex Bored!) which is fuckin great too.

Lee – I still listen to the same old Scandi/garage/rock ‘n’ roll shit I always did. Grindhouse are my biggest faves in a while – alongside all our mate’s bands like the Queens, Flash House, Rotten Foxes, Deathtraps etc.

 

Is this the best record you’ve ever made?

Oz – Without a doubt. Best songs, best playing, best production.

Lee – Yes. Everything else we’ve done there’s maybe a tune or lyrics that make me cringe a little. The lyrics on these I’d happily publish. It sounds like us still but I/we tried hard to change things a bit and fuck with arrangements, the usual kind of guitar parts, etc. I hope it’s noticeable! Haha

 

Who will be the first Hip Priest to record a solo record

Oz – Hopefully, nobody’s that much of a dickhead

Lee – Cheers! That’ll be me then. Haha

Right, it was time to let these two go about their business and with all that news in mind maybe its time to start getting excited about the new album when its released in early 2019.  Easily one of the most prolific bands to release records anywhere and the UK should be proud to have them.  when they play check em out when they release a record buy it you won’t be disappointed I promise you and if the last single is anything to go by they are getting better and better maybe they’ve gone through puberty and are growing into well-rounded adults… Nah they’re still the filthy – rude – foul mouthed garage punk rock and rollers they ever were its just they know what they’re doing now either that or they do a good job trying.  God bless the Hip Priests!

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Spasm Gang