Giuda – ‘Live At Punk Rock Raduno’ (Wild Honey/Striped Records)

Giuda – ‘Live At Punk Rock Raduno’ (Wild Honey/Striped Records)

Of all the bands that I miss seeing live in these days of gig drought, Giuda are top of the list. Luckily, I saw them three times before moving to France. A guaranteed great night out, and always a friendly atmosphere. For me, there are two types of great live bands; the ragged, seat-of-the-pants variety, and the ones who manage to replicate their studio sound onstage. Giuda are clearly in the latter category, but lose none of their power in doing so.

So, the logical step was to release a live album. Thanks to Punk Rock Raduno Records, in collaboration with Wild Honey/Striped Records, there is a limited (probably sold out) run of 300 vinyl copies in black, pink or white. No details of a CD release yet. For once, I’m thankful for streaming services! If you can get yer mitts on a copy, have at it and quickly.

This is a fantastic sounding set of the “hits”; a smorgasbord of delights for the ardent Giuda fan. 14 songs at just over 40 minutes, from the opening salvo of ‘Tartan Pants’ and ‘Back Home’ to ‘Teenage Rebel’, ‘No.10’ and ‘Wild Tiger Woman’. Even ‘Interplanetary Craft’ is improved in concert. The Raduno punk rock festival in Bergamo, Italy, has been going since 2016, the next one is due 14-17th July. Giuda will be back on the road from 12th May in France, maybe I’ll get a chance to see them again. If not, this is as close as you’ll get to the real thing. So, turn it up, get your thumbs in your belt loops and get with it!

Buy Here

Author: Martin Chamarette

GIUDA ‘LIVE AT PUNK RADUNO’ Set for release in May

GIUDA ‘LIVE AT PUNK RADUNO’ Set for release in May

In the summer of 2021, two years into the pandemic, the crew of the Italian festival Punk Rock Raduno managed to bring an open-air 3-day event to their community. The headliners were Giuda, the popular glam-fueled rock’n’roll machine from Rome. This very special performance, for most of the audience the first chance to attend a live show in almost two years, was recorded in high quality and is now being released as ‘Giuda – Live at Punk Raduno‘, out on 13th May via Wild Honey Records/ Striped Records All the hits are there, as is the energy of Giuda’s legendary live shows (you know what we’re talking about if you’ve ever seen them live). Get a taste of this great live recording, with first track ‘ Roll On’.  LISTEN TO ‘ROLL ON – LIVE AT PUNK RADUNO’ HERE  

The ‘Live At Punk Rock Raduno’ LP series, now at its 7th release, always collaborate with independent punk labels for their releases. This time they worked with Wild Honey Records and Striped Records. Each label, alongside the festival’s own store, will release 300 limited-edition, different coloured vinyl.


Pre-Order BLACK vinyl HERE

Pre-Order PINK vinyl HERE

Pre-Order WHITE vinyl HERE

The story of Giuda begins in 2007 and is inextricably connected with that of Rome’s seminal punk rock band Taxi. When Taxi’s career was cut short by the tragic passing of their drummer, singer Tenda, lead guitarist Lorenzo and bassist (then drummer) Danilo regrouped as Giuda. Their debut album “Racey Roller”, famously described by Robin Wills (The Barracudas) as, “Cock Sparrer twinned with the Equals”, quickly became an underground sensation. Highly praised by publications as diverse as Mojo, The Guardian, Uncut, Rolling Stone and Vice (album of the year), the album remains a true cult classic and an inspiration to the numerous hordes of bovver rockers currently following in Giuda’s wake.

The band released a total of 4 studio albums, the last one “EVA” on the English Rise Above Records and USA Burger Records. From their debut album release up until the present day, the band has completed several European tours and five USA/North American tours, playing more than 400 gigs in total, including triumphant appearances at many major festivals such as Rebellion (Blackpool, UK), PunkRock Bowling (Las Vegas, USA) and Hell Fest (France). 

Punk Rock Raduno is the Italian summer festival happening every summer since 2016 in Bergamo, Italy. The event quickly became a must for all lovers of Ramones-inspired American punk, but also featured many different acts, from garage rock to hardcore. More than a hundred bands played Punk Rock Raduno including New Bomb Turks, CJ Ramone & The Manges, The Queers, The Avengers, Pansy Division, Nikki Corvette & The Romeos.  

The next edition of PUNK ROCK RADUNO will take place in Bergamo, Italy, on July 14-17 2022. Announced bands include Reigning Sound, The Spits, Chixdiggit!, The Huntingtons, The Methadones, Baby Shakes and Giant Eagles.   

GIUDA ON TOUR

 12 May – Secret Place TAF – Montpellier, France – TICKETS

13 May – Warmaudio Décines – Lyon, France – TICKETS

14 May – La Maison Bleue / Dirty

8 – Strasbourg, France – TICKETS

30 June – Rote Sonne – Munich, Germany – TICKETS

01 July – Ruhrpott Rodeo – Hünxe, Germany – TICKETS

02 July – Wild At Heart – Berlin, Germany – TICKETS

03 July – Chemiefabrik – Dresden, Germany

05 July – Chelsea – Vienna, Austria

06 July – Immerhin Würzburg – Würzburg, Germany

07 July – LUX Concerts – Hannover, Germany – TICKETS

08 July – Monkeys Music Club – Hamburg, Germany – TICKETS

09 July – Café Central – Weinheim, Germany – TICKETS

10 July – Rössli Bar – Bern, Switzerland – TICKETS

23 July – Fast and Loud festival – Macon, France

Singles Club – May the force be with you

Singles Club – May the force be with you

The Idolizers – ‘Riot Radio’ (Rum Bar Records) With a burst of energy this new choon released as part of the labels ‘New Believers in Rock n’ Roll’ Rum Bar campaign. The lead track from their album ‘Concretins’ which promises to be a must-have – full of bangers if this is anything to go by.  Just what you want to kickstart the recovery and soak up those rays of summer sunshine. Bright energetic and with a strong hook ‘Riot Radio’ leans on Da Brudas for the energy and the riff but there’s more to it than just tipping the hat to the Ramones.  It should be on the radio as you drive to the beach but you’ll have to do with buying it instead.

Buy Here

 

The Hip Priests – ‘No Stranger To Failure/ Sounds A Lot Like War’ (Ghost Highway Records) The purveyors of the beautiful noise are back and as things promise to revert to some sort of normality the universe is reset. A double A side single sees one side belt out ‘No Stranger’ it’s off like the ghost of Lemmy is amped up to eleven and the Gods of thunder give their instruments a right good seeing to. Of course, I love it and can’t wait to hear it live and shake the foundations of whatever venue will welcome them back.  I love Von Cruz vocals on this one. Flip it over for ‘Sounds A Lot Like War’ and the ante has just been raised, what a belter.

Every single released sounds like a battle cry and a reason to give a fuck about Rock and Roll again. My faith in noisy punk rock n roll is reaffirmed and it’s another reason to get excited.  Get hold of a copy as soon as it’s released or you might regret it.  pressed on coloured vinyl it’s the bands 30th single! and the artwork is by none other than Hard-ons very own Ray Ahn.  Facebook

 

The Manges feat. Giuda – ‘Tootsie Rolls’ (Ltd Col 7″) (Damaged Goods Records) Yeah it’s handclapping one finger piano riffing rock and roll.   The Manges play Ramones-style punk rock and they are still doing to be fair but it’s not all they do so having played with Giuda and hung out with them this seems like a no-brainer. A glam stomping  Hand clapping smiling rock n roll song. Massimo from the Manges had this to say –   “One of our favorite songs for our new album is called ‘Tootsie Rolls’, and it kinda stands aside from the rest of the album, being a more pure rock tune. On this one, our producers could totally work on their favorite arrangements and structure, to the point that we ended up having two versions: one, the album song, and two, a remixed version featuring members of Giuda, called ‘Tootsie Rolls – Part II’. What a treat!”  He’s not wrong!

 

 

Alvin Gibbs & The Disobedient Servants – ‘State Of Grace’ (T & M Recordings) A new single from Alvin and more evidence of his superb songwriting abilities as three brand-new songs on gold and blood-red splatter vinyl is released.  In a picture sleeve exclusively designed once again by Gaye Black (The Adverts), a four-page colour lyric insert but is limited to 500 copies only.  Joining Alvin once again is Subs drummer Jamie Oliver and Ruts DCs Leigh Heggarty.  The title track leans on Gibbs previous employment with Iggy and I could also see this nestled as one of the best track if it were a Cheap & Nasty song.  Cool verses and toe-tapping chorus its a top tune.

‘Too Bad She’s In Love’ has got some real grit going on as we steam towards the chorus.  Great chorus and one I want to play over and over a real earworm of a song.  I love the way Heggertys guitar wraps itself around Gibbs vocal as it heads to the chorus.  Closing off this most excellent single is ‘Brother, Sister’ a jarring jabber of a rhythm offering something different to the other two tunes proving once again that there is some fantastic music being created out there – Buy it!  Bandcamp

 

The Culture Industry – ‘141′ (Riot Records)  Punk as fuck! Coming over like if Nirvana were from Australia and drank too much beer instead of facing their sneakers. ‘DK Stance’ is another slice of fire that’s more spat out than gently poured into the speakers.  Love that bass punch they have going on it really suits the sound. ‘Middle Aged Kids’ now there a phrase I could level at so many people and there’s nothing wrong with that and once this tune gets going the lyrics might be a bit cliched but the music is excellent and its a good tune. Fuck em all indeed.  Swearing might not be big or clever but who cares?  I’m sure The Culture Industry don’t give a flying fig but they can certainly knock out a decent slice of punk that’s a given. Facebook

 

 

 

 

SMASHED GLADYS – ‘Go To Hell’  (Golden Robot Records) Born from the embers of the vibrant Toronto punk scene, SMASHED GLADYS formed in 1984 and then headed to New York City. The band was headed by vocalist Sally Cato and was snapped up by Elektra Records, becoming part of the legendary glam/hair metal scene.

Cato sadly passed away in 2020 and in memory of her, Golden Robot Records bring you new material which they were recording as demos for their 3rd album. This the  2nd single, “Go To Hell” will see the light of day on the 31st of May, giving fans further insight into the unreleased material.  Following on from the crunchy guitars of that second album this is more of the same and just a great hard rockin tune and Ms. Cato sure did have a great voice that really suited the music perfectly. Find Smashed Gladys – Facebook /Twitter  Pre-order/pre-save “Go To Hell” HERE

 

 

 

Roxy Girls – ‘Roxy Girls Are In The Drink’ (Moshi Moshi Records)   Like a throwback to a time when singles from alternative bands and post-punk bands could dent the charts the complicated-sounding rhythms of ‘Like A Bouy’ come across as something between an abrasive Smiths and XTC. A chaotic mix that punctures the air behind a melodic vocal with harmonies galore and then it’s done rather abruptly.  This Sunderland band know what they want and how to deliver it.  ‘Roxy Girls Are In The Drink’ is out 27th August – Pre-order HERE

Charlie Harper & The Sub Machine – ‘Panic’  (Time & Matter Records)  Double A-sided, yellow vinyl release, adorned with a picture sleeve designed by Charlie himself, the single also boasts a double-sided colour lyric insert, each copy is individually hand-numbered and the release is limited to 300 copies only so you’ll have to be quick on this one. ‘Panic’ begins with a piano intro but don’t let that fool you as the snare hits it takes off. Features Marlon Payne on Guitar & Piano, Victoria Smith on Bass & Marley Perez on Drums.  The tracks ebb and flow is excellent as the heaviness of the verses pounds it does drop with a marching rhythm and Harpers Reverb laden vocal its engaging and intense and rather bloody good. ‘Post War Punks’ is perhaps more Subs like with its solid riff and Harper’s delivery is on point even if it did make me hungry whilst listening to its sandwich order list. Hurry whilst it’s still available – Here

 

 

Randy Savages / Razor Kids – ‘Split EP’ (Different Class Records) Randy Savages serve up a stellar pair of tunes opening with ‘Seagulls’ in all its big, loud, triumphant riffing with a tidy hook on the chorus and a melody that makes this something of a power-pop banger to be fair but hold on, their second offering is the sprightly ‘Delinquents & Dropouts’ as it puts on its collective shit kickers and gives this tune a good old rinsing.  Excellent tune from a band I want to hear more from.

Flip it over and Razor Kids do their best to duff up those Savages as they pound out their pogo tastic Ramones like ‘Abusive’. These Portuguese punks make a pretty noise as they chew out the rhythm they soften the riff with some sugary sweet backing vocals that work really well. Their second offering of ‘Perfect HArmony’ much like Randy Savage’s pair is the strongest of their two offerings with its understated lofi number its one-note guitar solo is pure Thunders and I love that.  It wraps up a very impressive EP from two quality bands I need to hear more of.  Get it!  Buy Here

 

 

Johny Skull Knuckles – ‘Shang-A-Lang’ (self Release)  Free music anyone?  Hell yeah! get yourself some of this.  Skullknuckles doffs his hat to the sad passing of Les McKeown. Johny has always wanted to do a cover version of this track and now seemed like such a fitting time. Johny said “It has actually turned out a lot more poppy than I had envisaged so at some point I may record a “punkier” version but this will more than do for now. I hope you think I have done the song justice”. Absolutely he’s done it justice.  Get it Here

 

 

 

 

The Riot Vans – ‘Scary Faces’ (Disobedient Records) Post-punk noisemakers the Riot Van release their first single after the ink dries on their deal with Disobedient Records and its a cold angular stabbing slice of post-punk with its jerking and grinding verses but that makes way for the blast on the chorus that’s like a loud blast of heat.  I’d imagine this would be a great tune to blast out in a packed club with sprung flooring.

Check it out here

Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – Spotify – Apple Music – Bandcamp

Dez Dare – ‘Dum Dum Dum’ (CH!MP RECORDS) Taken from the album ‘Hairline Ego Trip’ out this coming June Dez does Lofi Punk rock with added scuzz and a dash of alternative indieness Native of Victoria Australia Dez has done his years service playing in Warped and has released this frantic buzz saw riff-a-rama under lockdown to add chaos and noise to every avaialble corner.  check out the video below.

It conveys his strong distaste for nationalism. “I want to push against entrenched views, closed borders and minds of large groups of the human race. There are a lot of fights happening at present around the world from climate to right-wing hysteria to unfettered capitalism and we need to work together as an animal of the same kind rather than separated by space, colour and tradition.”

 

Suzi Moon – ‘Call The Shots’ (Pirates Press Records) Who?, if I were to tell you she’s the ball of energy behind Civet & Turbulent Hearts then it might make sense.  Pirates Press aren’t dummies and releasing this EP they know their stuff and anyone who’s seen her live knows what a performer she is. Kicking off with ‘Special Place In Hell’ its a real firestarter of an introduction but as good a song as this is this EP gets better and better.

For a debut solo record, this is setting the bar high with a slice of energy and thunderous tempo its got the lot.  Great sound, playing and memorable chorus. I love it but ‘I’m Not A Man’ is like she’s channeling the spirit of Texas Terri Bomb and the attitude of Wendy O Williams whilst having the cool of Joan Jett.  Honestly, it’s that good possibly the best track I’ve heard for a while at the singles club I love it.  It sounds so easy and like Moon is having the best of time with her Rock and Roll and then to cap it off with the attitude soaked rocker of ‘Nuthin’ To Me’ this is excellent stuff and if this is an indication of what’s to come then bring on an album of this stuff we need to hear it!
Find SUZI MOON online: Instagram / Facebook / Youtube

 

The Chelsea Curve –  ‘All in Time’ (Red On Red Records) a new single every month from this sensational band, culminating in a full-length album this coming fall! The Chelsea Curve bring their love of the sound and style of the 70’s mod scene and smash it up with the guitar leanings of their respective pasts. Linda Pardee (Orbit), Tim Gillis (Frigate), and Ron Belanger (The Winter Project) came together when Linda said no to being in Ron’s new band and instead asked him to be in her new band along with Tim. Accurately described as the sparks that fly when The Jam meets Husker Du, the trio blasts out bracing retro mod pop with hooks aplenty.

Follow The Chelsea Curve here: Facebook. Instagram . Bandcamp

Buy Here

 

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes feat Joe Talbot – ‘My Town’ (Self Release)  New single from Carter is barbed wire wrapped in a velvet glove plenty of aggression yet melody and a decent hook on the chorus.  With the humming synth throughout it’s an intense number that burrows into your ear and will have you craving it over and over – trust me.  Also, a great move getting Talbot on guest vocals as he suits the attitude of the lyrics perfectly – A banging song! Facebook  download it here

 

The Cocktail Slippers – ‘She Devil (Shout IT Out Loud)’ (Wicked Cool Records)  Norwegian rockers, The Cocktail Slippers, are releasing a brand new single digitally and on limited edition 7″ vinyl.  Both tracks are originals and are a taste of what’s to come. The lead track is a commercial slice of subtle Glam Rock – real glam rock with platform boot firmly planted in the 70s they do elsewhere but here this is their most commercial stab so far.  with killer harmonies – a real earworm of a tune and one we highly recommend. The flip sounds like the Go Gos jamming on some Blondie and has a pop smooth sound.  Not as good as the other side but hey it’s a grower, not a shower.  Pick it up Here
Clowns – ‘Does it Matter?’ (Fat Wreck Chords) “ ‘Does It Matter?’ is about breaking the law, says Clowns vocalist Stevie Williams. the hook-heavy raucous number that demonstrates the prowess of their current lineup. Now completed by drummer and founding member Jake Laderman, vocalist Stevie Williams, bassist/vocalist Hanny J and guitarists Rod Goon and Cam Rust.  On first blast, it’s not as raucous as previous offerings and might take some getting used to but it’s Clowns and they get a free pass because of previous recordings and live shows. I’m hoping it’s a bit of an earworm and the more I hear it the better it gets.  Just bring the album out already and get touring we need bands like Clowns full of menace and with a whole load of piss and vinegar in their performances be it on record or live. 
JIZZY PEARL’S LOVE/HATE – ‘Soul Mama’ (Golden Robot Records)  Lifted from his album that we won’t get until 2022.  Jizzy Pearl’s Love/Hate are up and rocking.  His vocals have always been capable of melting steel and he’s lost none of that power.  ‘Soul Mama’ is a retro trip back to when the metal Gods such as Zepplin roamed the earth with a laid-back beat its groove-laden with a raw and purposeful guitar lick all making way for Pearls commanding vocal.  
Pre-Save/Order ‘Soul Mama’ HERE

Giuda/Hard Wax/BullyBones – Bristol, Louisiana – 19th January 2020

Giuda/Hard Wax/BullyBones – Bristol, Louisiana – 19th January 2020

We’re just over three weeks into 2020 and tonight I’m ticking off gig number three just 24 hours after a BellRays show that will probably end up in my gigs of the year by heading across the Severn estuary for a night of bovver rock courtesy of Italian stallions Giuda and UK (angelic?) upstarts Hard Wax.

Also on the bill and opening proceedings tonight are local(ish) four piece BullyBones who take the stage looking like villains from a long lost episode of The Sweeney and specialise in a brand of 60’s garage rock perhaps more akin to last night’s headliner than tonight’s.  A sneaky cover of Gary Glitter’s ‘Do You Wanna Touch Me’ mid set though manages to win over pretty much anyone who wasn’t on the side of the BullyBones bad boys. Driven by the powerhouse rhythm section of drummer Owain Casey and bassist Illy Webster (who somehow manages to wear his Rickenbacker even higher than Joey DeMaio) guitarist Aaron Lee paints a very Pebbles-y picture over which singer Charlie Pullinger lays bare his Iggy meets Jack Daniels (as in Alan Lake’s character in Slade In Flame) soul.  The lads have a new 7” single due soon and I can’t help but wonder if it’s time to dig those old turtle neck sweaters out of the sideboard as we might be about to witness an all new Beat generation with BullyBones leading it.

Quickly swapping my Chelsea boots for some 14 eye oxblood Dr Marten’s and I’m all set up for Hard Wax to deliver some of their solid gold bovver rock anthems, having really enjoyed the band’s ‘This Is The Sound’ album released at the tail end of 2019.  Live, though what this still relatively “new” Hard Wax line up might be missing in both stage craft and attitude is thankfully made up for by those songs, with the highlights being the title track and ‘Have a Good Time’. It is, however, the tracks I’d not heard before, like ‘Bootboy Stomp’ and ‘Kings Of The Weekend’ that actually stand out, which makes me wonder why I’ve not yet ventured further into the band’s back catalogue?

A band I’ve very much been with from the start are tonight’s headliners Giuda, I remember when ‘Racey Roller’ first graced the deathdecks at Uber Rock Towers (as was) a full decade or so ago and it just made all of us stop in our tracks and ask “what the fuck is this?”  Very much a band out of time, I’ve witnessed the rock ‘n’ roll fever that the Italians have been spreading at festivals across Europe and at selected UK headline shows, but never before tonight at a gig within a half hour drive of my home and never before in a venue as tightly packed as Bristol’s Louisiana.

With the prospect of the band’s boot stomping anthems delivering the upstairs venue into the bar below I take up a place near the edge of the front few rows (which is refreshing to see is about 80% female) safe in the knowledge that if I’m going to re-enact the ‘Shake Your Foundations’ music video then I’m going down dancing, and from opener ‘Overdrive’ (with all its glorious and rather apt AC/DC overtones) for the next 60 minutes that’s pretty much what everyone does. There’s no time for chat it’s all about great music as the likes of ‘Back Home’ and ‘Born Under A Bad Sign’ whistle past our ears like rock ‘n’ roll rockets and I defy anyone to not have their thumbs in their belt loops for the likes of ‘Number Ten’ and ‘Teenage Rebel’. The only problem is it’s all over way too soon, and after a four song encore we’re left to all wander off down the banks of the River Avon all Warriors-like to the strains of Joe Walsh’s ‘In The City’ booming from the PA. Still as endings go that’s as near perfect as they come, I just wish nights like this could go on for E.V.A (Ouch).

Author: Johnny Hayward

 

Zac – Zac (Damaged Goods Records)

Zac – Zac (Damaged Goods Records)

If you like Giuda (really! What a dumb question), then look no further for your next fix of 70s flavoured pop goodness. At this point, I’m assuming you are aware of the talents of their lynchpin and guitarist/vocalist, Lorenzo Moretti. Not content with running the well-oiled Giuda tune machine, he’s teamed up with multi-instrumentalist Tiziano Tarli, who’s son contributes drums on this debut collaboration. Sterbus completes the line up on bass duties.

While ‘ZAC’ isn’t a million miles away from Lorenzo’s main job, it’s different enough to keep it fresh, and there is an air of optimism in their sound. ‘Count On Me’ is a breezy, Hammond infused opener, the kind of ear-worm we’ve come to expect from Lorenzo. Here, he’s committed to full technicolour pop, the album is often piano-led. ‘Not Anymore’ is a case in point, like prime-era Slade. ‘What If You Don’t’ could almost be ‘Here Comes The Sun’ at first, before mutating into a Glitter Band middle eight.

‘Superhero’ has a hint of the ‘Roobarb’ theme tune, while ‘There She Goes Again’ and ‘I Got Something In My Mind’ both remind me of The Rubettes. No complaints here! ‘Stay Up All Night’ even references 1974, ‘Wild Love’ is anything but; a classic, bouncing bass line. We veer towards the ballad on ‘Girl On The Train’, and ‘When You Go To Bed’ has an infectious bassline melody, while the power chords recall ‘Hello, Hooray’.

As ever, Lorenzo chooses his influences carefully. It’s never heavy-handed or overt unless it’s meant that way. This is a fun, yet classy album, which indicates the breadth of his talent. If I get to see ZAC supporting Giuda, I’ll be very happy.

Author: Martin Chamorette

Buy Zac Here

November Spotify Playlist

November Spotify Playlist

With a bunch of great live shows charging around the UK and the never-ending list of great albums being released RPM has a top 20 for you pop pickers and this list includes Michael Monroe and his ‘One Man Gang’ and one off the brand new More Kicks album the awesome ‘Blame It On The Satellite’. Giuda guitarist Lorenzo has an album ready to go entitled Zac and we have ‘Count On Me’.

There are some old-timers still kicking up a shitstorm like Necromantix who have a new DVD / CD out and Sonny Vincent has a Testors tribute album that’s available with all proceeds going to a great cause that we fully support and will be reviewing this coming month so we have a Testors original in our playlist.

Rocker Pete Way hits the road this month for some live shows and has a vinyl issue of his ‘Amphetamine’ album. After finishing another round of superb dates with The Wildhearts Ginger gets back on the saddle and begins an acoustic band run of shows entitled Ginger and The Sinners. Also on tour is Wayne Hussy whos doing the rounds with his guitar and passages from his autobiography.

Recently released was the awesome and intriguing 40th-anniversary demos and sessions of Tubeway Army’s ‘Replicas’ so we’ve added the classic ‘Down In The Park’ to our list. Recently Rebellion Festivals announced some cracking additions to 2020’s line up and that included some RPM favourites so how could we not include the likes of The Hip Priests who also have some shows this month so have an earful of ‘I Hate The City’ ponder the lyrics and remember it when you go to vote UK peeps.

A new album and some live dates on the way see a welcome return to the awesome Urban Voodoo Machine with their brilliant ‘Johnny Foreigner’.  Announcing tour dates for 2020 Redd Kross are a shoo-in for our playlist. Finally, with an official release and stock, The Brothers Steve make our playlist with ‘Angeline’ from the fantastic ‘#1’ CD.

This month also sees the New Model Army play every corner of the United Kingdom with a proper tour to back up their excellent new album so ‘Where I Am’ makes our playlist.

To finish off this November playlist and to highlight our diversity we have a hattrick of rock from South Wales to show the hills are indeed alive with the sound of music as Buck and Evans ‘Sunrise’ is up and there is the return of Forever Vendetta with ‘Come Alive’ and to close off the November RPM playlist we include Deathtraps who are busy putting the finishing touches to their new album so we’ve included ‘Get Loose’ so take their advice and ours and get loose and we’ll see you in December when we’ll have a splash of new tunes to rock the year out!

Hard Wax – ‘This Is The Sound’ (Rebellion Records)

Hard Wax – ‘This Is The Sound’ (Rebellion Records)

There’s something gloriously familiar about this second long-player from UK bovver rockers Hard Wax, something that I can’t quite put my finger on, but it’s something that right from the very first spin has me beaming from ear to ear, so it must be something good right?

They say the make of any band is the strength of their tunes…and here on ‘This Is The Sound’ Wax main man Tom Boutwood (ably assisted by Paul Bond on drums, Tom Murphy on lead guitar and Matt Colton on bass) has penned some of the finest Oi! infused terrace anthems you’ll hear anywhere this year. Just like the recently released Michael Monroe album it’s not exactly groundbreaking or genre-bending stuff but sometimes I just need my punk rock music to be just that, straight ahead and no-frills, and right here on ‘This Is The Sound’ what you get for your entry money are ten premium cuts of bovver boy rock ‘n’ roll.

Kicking off with ‘Welcome To Bovver Rock City’ this just shy of two-minute long intro bears all the hallmarks of Hard Wax’s upcoming UK tour partners Giuda, albeit a Giuda fronted by someone who sounds a hell of a lot like Ginge Knievel.  And that right there is the familiar thing I couldn’t quite put my finger on at the top, because at times during ‘This Is The Sound’ it’s just like Mr Knievel has returned from his self-imposed exile and is finally fronting the band he’s always wanted to front. The similarity really is uncanny, but trust me, there’s a whole lot more to this record that the singer sounding a hell of a lot like the ex-Sick Livers/Nicotine Pretty frontman.

Things really kick off in style on ‘Living The Dream’, a proper piece of punk rock argy bargy designed to get your oxblood a-stomping. Elsewhere ‘This is The Sound’, ‘Days Of Glory’ (ooh hello Sailor) and ‘Razor Part Rebels’ (complete with an otherworldly Ace Frehley guitar riff) all steam out the blocks full of cock-sure 70s glam rock swagger and just a few spins later you’ll be singing along like you’ve had this album in your life since your childhood.
When the world outside your window is slowly turning to shit ‘This Is The Sound’ is the perfect pick me up record with tracks like ‘Have A Good Time’ and ‘Not Just a Pin-Up Girl’ guaranteed to make you smile once again, and in ‘Boys Of A Saturday Night’ and ‘Stomp All Over The World’ you have the near perfect soundtrack for a right proper tear up…on the dancefloor of course.

Which just leaves ‘In For a Penny’, a track I went straight to when I first got my copy of ‘This Is The Sound’ simply because I initially thought “wow a Slade cover that’s gonna take some balls”. Well, it’s actually not a cover, although the guitar riff is equal parts Hill and Holder and it’s the kind of glorious call to arms tune that would have seen Hard Wax on Top Of The Pops had it been released back in the 70s.
With a whole raft of great new punk rock records released by UK bands in 2019 (if you think otherwise then you really do need to read RPM more) I’m delighted to say that ‘This Is The Sound’ is right up there with the very best of them.

Now go get your boots on and get down your record shop and get yourself a copy.

Buy this is the sound Here

Facebook

Author: Johnny Hayward

Rebellion Festival – Blackpool Winter Gardens – 3rd August 2019

Rebellion Festival – Blackpool Winter Gardens – 3rd August 2019

“Slow down Cunthead!”

I get to hear this profanity being hollered by a rather worse for wear Blackpool local just after 10am on a glorious Saturday morning and actually take it that its aimed at me as I admit I feel like death warmed up after our Fan-dabi-Friday spent in the unprecedented heat of the Winter Gardens with The Stranglers in The Empress last night possibly setting the record for the hottest gig I’d ever been in. It’s not though, the comment, it’s actually aimed at a local taxi driver who dared to pass the unhappy chappy on a pedestrianised area, but still I find it a life lesson worth taking on board as with the prospect of another full day spent in the punk rock pleasuredome ahead the last thing I really want to do is crash and burn with so many great bands still to check out.

To counter this I feel a bit of retail therapy is in order to restore some balance as I plough through the local second hand record shops looking for that ever illusive vinyl copy of Alistair Terry’s ‘Yonge At Heart’, which of course I never manage to find, but instead I come away with 10 cock rock albums that would make any grown man blush if they were ever caught in the possession of them.  Let’s hope then that I don’t happen to bump into The Bar Stool Preachers on the way back to the hotel and become the brunt of some brutal ribbing for actually buying an album by a band called Dirty Blonde… oops!

With my sanity partially restored I head back into The Empress for my first band of the day at the still ungodly hour of 12:35 to catch the return of South Californian hardcore outfit Spider to Rebellion. Featuring former and current members of bands such as Channel 3, Walk Proud, Total Massacre and Bullet Treatment Spider provide a thunderous wake up call for those brave enough to leave their pits early doors.  There’s a cover of Black Flag’s ‘Depression’ slotted in somewhere within their energetic blur and it’s a song which also features on the band’s new ‘Energy Gone Wrong’ EP. ‘Barcode Baby’ and ‘Metal Detector’ help them deliver some killer blows too. You know I’d pay good money to see a double denim rocker actually turn up at a show played by this lot thinking it was the 80s UK boogie band who went by the same name and get the shock of their baldy longhaired lives, I really would.

Taking a trip up to the Rebellion Punk Art show is always on my list of “must-dos” if not just to see my old mate Colin Creamcrop Scott who as always is entertaining the masses with his tales of 80s Polish hardcore bands as well as wowing them with his use of reclaimed items to deliver his stunning visuals. There’s always something that catches my eye here not least this year the ever-growing mixture of media being used but I must admit what I do miss having witnessed some right corkers over the years are the old John Robb curated literary interviews that used to take place throughout the weekend in this very venue. Still this year there’s Micky Geggus and Jordan popping up for some Q&As and signing sessions so all is not yet lost.

Heading back to the Arena just in time to catch kung fu kicking Swedish garage punks Zero Zero this bunch of mentalists leaves a lasting impression me both on and off stage with their intoxicated antics. There’s no nudity to write about this time around but bassist Felix later revealing to me and Dom that The Sick Livers are one of his all-time favourite bands was indeed a weekend defining moment.

Quickly shuffling over to the Opera House ready to catch The DeRellas playing what has become their Rebellion second home (and duly rechristened The DeRellaDome by yours truly) the immediate thing that hits me – other than the rather welcoming air conditioning – is just how packed it is down the front ready for Joe, Timmy, Luca and Billy to make their appearance, and this alone really restores my faith in the UK music scene right now as it’s great to see the guy’s continuous hard work making such a noticeable impact.  Of course, delivering a set packed full of glam pop goodies like ‘Don’t Go’, ‘Rip It Up’ (where Luca channels his inner Spaceman) and the simply fantastic ‘High Rise Supersize’ is only going to help the fan devotion grow even further and a year on with Billy Chaos holding down the backbeat The DeRellas really are sounding like the band I think they’ve always dreamed of being. I once saw The Only Ones play the Opera House and they weren’t anywhere as good as The DeRellas were today. You better believe it brothers and sisters.

It’s at this point in our Rebellion Saturday that me and Dom normally find a local boozer and enjoy the first weekend of the football season unfold on a TV screen but this year Dom’s interviewing Mr Spunk Volcano for a soon to be published RPM exclusive interview so instead I tag along to listen to possibly one of the most in-depth discussions the masked man has ever given and trust me when I say this one is certainly going to make for some interesting reading.

Returning to the Winter Gardens with every intention of watching my old mate, ex- Glitterati and current Rich Ragany & The Digressions guitar dude Gaff, playing with Desperate Measures I arrive at the Arena for their allotted slot only to find the place in band changeover mode so I assume they are running a little late and get myself a drink. Then when Blitzkrieg finally do make it onto the Arena stage the penny drops and I realise I should have been in the Pavilion all along and even with a quick sprint to the correct venue I literally turn up just as the final chord is echoing out around the horseshoe. Bollocks! Sorry lads, that’s gotta be a first for me, but at least I’m man enough to admit it and hopefully raise a smile or two in the process.

Angry with myself at this band faux pas I make sure I’m in The Opera House well in advance of Alvin Gibbs and The Disobedient Servants taking to the stage and yes I do triple check my planner this time, because having see this band deliver one of my gigs of the year so far I was not about to miss out. Especially when today the core trio of Alvin, Leigh and Jamie that I saw just a few months back are being joined by the master of guitar crunch Steve Crittall and for just a couple of songs birthday boy Gizz Butt who looks positively delighted to get to shred his way through the solos on the raw power of ‘Clumsy Fingers’ and the Iggy tribute ‘Down On The Streets’ . The setlist is pretty much the same as the one I’d seen previously but with the added bite of Crittall on guitar, I can’t help but wish I’d seen this line up play these songs in a small club. Still here’s hoping for the future as with the band sounding this great the ‘Your Disobedient Servant’ album surely can’t be the end of the solo adventure for Alvin.

Moving back to the Empress Ballroom just as Italian boot boys Giuda are about to take the stage with an uproarious version of ‘Overdrive’ from their excellent if somewhat sonically different ‘E.V.A’ LP it’s the intensity of the slightly rejigged line up that immediately hits me. I admit I was half expecting them to have turned into Giuran Giuran (thanks to Jim Rowland at Uber Rock for that one) given the use of synths on the new record, but no, as they rattle through the likes of ‘Back Home’, ‘Number 10’ and ‘Get It Over’ they actually sound tougher than ever before, which with no between-song banter and this time around no cover versions makes for the almost complete version of Giuda yet. Leaving the stage with ‘Cosmic Love’ from ‘E.V.A’ blasting out of the PA was certainly a bit odd though.

At this point, I admit I could have just stayed in the Empress for the veritable smorgasbord of tasty Oi! bands that were about to follow but with the lure of Duncan Reid playing the Opera House and that venue’s rather splendid sound and air-con I decided to play it cool ahead of Cock Sparrer and catch the 1-2 of The Big Heads and then later Walter Lure before sweating out half my body weight back in the Empress.

Opting to catch Duncan Reid And The Big Heads proves very quickly to be an inspired choice of band as the quartet rattle through some of their very best songs including a poptastic ‘Baby Doll’, a huge sounding ‘Bombs Away’, along with the uplifting ‘Just Because You’re Paranoid’. It’s also guitarist/keyboardist Sophie K Powers’ birthday and that seems to add an extra bounce to the whole band tonight and as guitarist Nick Hughes takes to the microphone for a run through ‘Brickfield Nights’ and the whole band join in on ‘First Time’ (a song Duncan dedicates to the songwriting genius of Honest John Plain) the whole party atmosphere seems to engulf the front rows right through to the last chord.

Picking up a quick bag of chips to keep me going I’m soon back in the Opera House in time to catch the only remaining Heartbreaker Walter Lure and his all-star LAMF band that also features Mick Rossi on guitar, Mark Laff on drums and Nigel Mead on bass. Now the cynics out there might be thinking this has car crash written all over it, but I’d actually say after watching these guys live it felt a hell of a lot more like a real band than the last time Lure played Rebellion back in 2013 with a few (admittedly excellent) hired guns. In particular, Laff and Mead are a watertight rhythm section and Rossi has always been something of a Johnny Thunders disciple can barely hide his excitement tearing off the riffs to the likes of ‘Pirate Love’, ‘Chinese Rocks’ and ‘Born To Lose’. Lure again adds in a few Waldos numbers along the way plus this time there’s also a couple of Slaughter & The Dogs tunes sung by Rossi. What we have here ladies and gents is a highly entertaining set that once again treats the Heartbreakers legacy with the respect it deserves.

Saturday night at Rebellion 2019 is all about the return of the mighty Cock Sparrer to the Empress Ballroom, and trying to get a good vantage point from which to watch their set is proving an almost impossible task even a good 15 minutes out from the scheduled start time. Having previously watched them from the pit, from half way back by the sound desk and from when the stage was side on almost from the side, tonight I choose a balcony view from behind side stage which means I not only get to watch the band without obstruction but I also get to watch the huge crowd too. As the lights dim and the ‘Overture’ intro tape booms out the PA I can feel the beads of sweat already running down my head, heaven only knows how hot it must be onstage under those lights or down the front, as once again the opening trio of ‘Riot Squad’, ‘Watch Your Back’ and ‘Working’ send the (shock) troops into a veritable frenzy. I’ve seen Sparrer live a good few times now and tonight really is one of the very best performances I’ve seen to date (even right up there with that show stealing Hellfest slot a good few years back now) and its perhaps made all the more significant and special when mid set Colin asks Andy (the husband of Kathy Rocker) to join them onstage for a truly heart wrenching rendition of ‘Gonna Be Alright’.  Elsewhere from the 2017 album ‘Forever’ we get the awesome ‘One By One’ along with the tongue twisting ‘Nothing Like You’ whilst the rest of the set is packed full of classics like ‘AU’, ‘Runnin’ Riot’ and ‘Where Are They Now?’ and never mind how many times I hear these songs live I never grow tired of them. That Sparrer play for 80 minutes and it feels like 10 minutes also shows what an immersive experience seeing them live really is, and yes, I’ll be doing it all over again when they hit the UK club circuit for one last time in 2020 along with support from Spunk Volcano & The Eruptions.

Joining back up with Dom at the Opera House for the end of The Godfathers set (and in fact as it turns out the end of that band) we ponder for a minute about going to watch another band before the night is out, but me, I need to go back to the hotel to wring out my T-Shirt as that really was the kind of day Saturday was at Rebellion 2019. (JH)

Whilst Johnny went off to lace his Doc Martins up and iron his Fred Perry I stayed in the Opera House, took five and waited for The Godfathers to take to the stage. Starting the set with ‘Birth, School, Work, Death’ seemed like a great idea as the band sounded thunderous and little did we know what was brewing. ‘This Is War’ had Steve Crittalls guitar slashing like a samurai sword through the super locked in and tight rhythm section. It was a ‘Big Bad Beautiful Noise’ and it was, a Beautiful noise that is.  It was commented that the band was ripping it up and I think it’s fair to say that this was shaping up to be one of the performances of the weekend. ‘If I Only Had Time’ had never sounded so good and following that up with the flip flop of ‘Til My Heart Stops Beating’ throughout the fifteen or so songs the band played they were on fire and ending the set with ‘Defribulator’ seemed apt under the circumstances.

The band returned briefly for a romp through the Ramones ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’ and then they were gone.  Little did we know that some days later Peter was making the public removal of the whole band on Facebook! 

Sure it’s his baby and his prerogative to shake the lineup and hire and fire but Facebook?  From a fan of the music and the legacy of The Band I’m gutted – shit happens, I get that but this line up was channeling some incredible MC5, Stooges,  Detroit sounds which makes it all the more sad to see it unfold so publicly and after such an electrifying performance.

Alex, Steve, Tim, and Darren’s contribution should be recognised because they seriously rocked, it’s a real shame that the legacy of The Godfathers might very well be damaged  (I hope not) because I was buzzing after the set and that was largely down to the band who just played, Peter included. Who said Rock and Roll was boring? (DD)

Now over to Mr. Sutton to fill in the blanks of what else went on elsewhere in The winter gardens…

Saturday is something of a tactical battle as alcohol intake has to be tempered by an impending midnight gig to be played. As a result, many intended viewings fall by the wayside. ut there’s no way I could miss the Cockney Rejects and there’s also no way you can miss the full-blown Wonk Unit set after last night’s masterclass and it’s good to see a totally packed Club Casbah agree wholeheartedly. Two blinding sets in 24 hours?  Wonk Unit shit them!!!  The early day logistics meant that one of the bands I missed was Informal Society but that aforementioned midnight set we had to play at a fringe gig also happened to have Informal Society playing the 2am slot, so actually catching them was a real bonus, as the LA troupe really ripped out a high energy set for their second stint of the waking day.

Authors (JH) Johnny Hayward additional words from (DD) Dom Daley and Mr. Darrel Sutton.

Pictures of Alvin Gibbs, Gizz Butt, Cock Sparrer, Cockney Rejects courtesy of Dod Morrison Photography

All others from the shakey Dark Fruit sponsored phones of Hayward & Daley

Rebellion playlist – RPM style August edition

Rebellion playlist – RPM style August edition

Its August and this week sees us roll with our comprehensive Rebellion Festival round-up so why not run our twent choice cuts from our perspective.  We’d have listed the likes of Zero Zero and Rotten Foxes but they’re not on Spotify so we’ve gone with a solid old and new twenty plus.  Check em out there has to be something for every taste in there. Remember kids don’t just stream go out and watch these bands and buy their merch and music.  It keeps them making the music we love.

 

Rebellion Preview – Saturday oi! oi!

Rebellion Preview – Saturday oi! oi!

Saturday has always felt like the most popular day over the Rebellion weekend and this year is certainly no exception with day tickets selling out a full four weeks before the event (at the time of writing day tickets for the other three days along with full weekend tickets are still available here).

The main draw this year is without doubt the return of the legendary Cock Sparrer to a UK stage following their back to basics club tour of 2017 which they undertook to promote their awesome ‘Forever’ album, and looking at the quality undercard that is also on offer this is definitely the day to get your cherry reds out of the cupboard and buffed up ready for.

When the Saturday was first announced I did detect an excited squeal originating from within RPM towers as Editor In Chief Dom Daley saw that a band called Spider are opening the Empress Ballroom at 12:35 without first realising this four-piece are gothic-tinged punk rockers from Long Beach California and not Sniffa’s straight edge boogie metallers from the eighties. This is something of a get out of jail free card for yours truly so I’ll be raising my first Dark Fruits of the day to this Spider safe in the knowledge that they don’t sound fuck all like Status Quo. Result!

With the Introducing Stage once again showcasing a further thirteen bands over the course of the Saturday our old chums and graduates of the rock ‘n’ roll high school Brocker make a very welcome early appearance at 13:15. So if high octane rock ‘n’ roll music delivered with plenty of punk rock attitude is your bag then I suggest you add this one in your laminated gig planner too.

Returning to their second home of the lavish Opera House stage glam punkers The DeRellas are next up for me at 14:20. Last year Joey, Luca, Timmy and Billy took the capacity crowd on a non-stop Rock n RollerCoaster Ride, without even playing the song by the same name that first got me into them.  This year I expect more of the same insanity with the new boys now fully gigged in across sold out European shows.

After a weekend of full force punk rock (whatever your choice of sub-genre) if you are looking for a place to chill out on a Saturday afternoon then Club Casbah from 4:20 onwards is going to be your ting as Rebellion celebrates the influence dub, reggae and ska has had on punk rock via a four hour four band line-up that kicks off with The Rhythm-ites and also includes sets by RDF, Citizen Fish and HR from Bad Brains.

The lure of Alvin Gibbs and The Disobedient Servants in The Opera House (kicking off at 5:15) where the core trio of Alvin, Leigh Heggarty and Jamie Oliver are no doubt going to be joined by a huge array of guest guitarists is always going to be enough to tempt me away from an afternoon of skanking plus when you also add the return of the mighty Giuda to the Empress Ballroom stage at 17:50 its safe to safe I’ll be doing the ‘Space Walk’ down the front ready for some ‘Ravers Rock’.

With Club Casbah celebrating all things reggae the Empress Ballroom meanwhile takes a trip down the skinhead/Oi! route with Lions Law kicking things off at 4:45 with sets following from the likes of Giuda (who I’ve already mentioned), Evil Conduct and Cockney Rejects along with a special set from The Business celebrating the life of Micky Fitz set to feature special guest vocalists (with Al Barr (Dropkick Murphys) and Roi Pearce (Last Resort) are already confirmed) all singing the songs of their fallen brother. There won’t be a dry eye in the house that’s for sure, and all of this is before Cock Sparrer hit the stage at 11pm to deliver what has become THE definitive Rebellion set of punk rock music, delivering classic tune after classic tune into the wee small hours.

Of course, if Oi! isn’t your thing then there’s still plenty to see elsewhere with Duncan Reid & The Big Heads delivering the powerpop goodies in spades over in the Opera House from 7:25 and then in the very same venue from 10pm onwards there’s the back to back awesomeness of Walter Lure’s LAMF and The Godfathers to revel in. Proper low-slung guitar punk rock ‘n’ roll just how RPM loves it, and I must admit this stage clash is one of the biggest of the weekend even extending to a third stage for me as I’d love to also be catching Wonk Unit over at Club Casbah from 21:50….and then there’s The Exploited at 11pm back to headline the Club Casbah after Wattie’s umpteenth bout of fisticuffs with the Grim Reaper, surely that alone is reason enough to raise a pint and celebrate the band’s back catalogue?

I’ll openly admit I’m really not sure how I’m going to fit all of this in folks but I’m certainly going to give it a try…ahhh you know fuck it I might just spend all day watching new bands over on the Introducing stage and say “what the hell.”

One things for sure though and that is Rebellion Festival is the place to be from the 1st to the 4th of August 2019 and you can get your tickets RIGHT HERE!!!!