<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Other recommendations from the opening month were Doll Hazard<\/a> with their Transatlantic Meltdown.<\/a>\u00a0Which Ben recommended after hearing the Dirtbag Republic and Suicide Bomber players join forces to pen a sleazy bag of Rock and Roll tunes<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 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.\u00a0 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’\u00a0 RIP both and take it easy.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/rpmonline.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/images.jpg\")
<\/a>One of the first engagements\u00a0I had in 2018 was a date at the 100 club for the\u00a0Resolution Festival appearance of the mighty Boys who would be supported that memorable night by four should know better upstarts from North of the border\u00a0 Heavy Drapes with their enigmatic frontman Garry. To say I was blown away that night would be something\u00a0of an understatement as the band knocked out a whole set of memorable tunes and The Vulz.\u00a0![\"\"](\"http:\/\/rpmonline.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/heavy-drapes-100-club.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>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’<\/a>\u00a0who despite being bigged up by the media were determined to warrant the tag and deliver the goods on record.\u00a0 This Australian mullet sporting punk rock group certainly set the pace.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>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\u00a0racket first up the awesome The Good The Bad And The Zugly with their Misanthropic House<\/a> 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\u00a0punk either as London town delivers the goods with the new kids on the block (who said new kids?) Flash House\u00a0who’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’\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0as 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\u00a0 I didn’t get my mitts on it until January.<\/p>\n