| FEBRUARY 2008 | ISSUE 15 | ISSN 1754-3746 | |
INSIDE...
HORRORPOPS
PAMA INTERNATIONAL VooDoo Glow Skulls Koffin Kats / King Blues Henry Rollins
BAD RELIGION
4 Minute Warning + One Man Stand
AGAIN, TOTAL CHAOS, UNIT LOST, PLUS! TIME MARCHING ORDERS and many more...
EDITOR/Co PUBLISHER_ Cerven Cotter
editor@distortedmagazine.com
ADVERTISING/Co PUBLISHER_ Nikola Cotter nikola@distortedmagazine.com ART/WEB/LAYOUT_ www.pixeldeath.com
SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR_ Steve ‘I need a real job’ Noble steve@distortedmagazine.com CONTRIBUTORS_ Lola, John Robb, GrillyX, Tim Drunk, PhotoBret, Willa, Fungal Punk/OMD, Sara A, Tim B, Stu E and hopefully you next issue! Contact information_ Distorted Magazine 9 Bridle Close, Surbiton Road, Kingston Upon Thames Surrey, KT1 2JW, UK info@distortedmagazine.com www.distortedmagazine.com Distorted Magazine is published by Distorted Ltd. ISSN 1754-3746 All content is copyright protected © 2006 - 2008. Distorted is a trademark of Distorted Ltd.
Views expressed in the magazine’s content belong to the contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the publishers. The contents are believed to be correct at the time of publishing. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for any errors, ommissions or for changes in the details given, © 2006 - 2008 Distorted Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in a whole or in part of this magazine is strictly forbidden without prior written consent of the publishers.
SHOWS FOR THE SOUL: A PUNK ROCK ELIXIR
Echoing John’s sentiments in his column this
month, January is crappy for those of us here in the UK, there’s been hardly any shows and well the weather is... the weather. I’m at a loss at what to write about in this space this month - I blame the weather... so I thought I’d share a little story with you. Like many of you, I too used to have a band (and currently trying to get another one together, time permitting). My old band was fairly well received, even if it was just because of how truelly terrible we were. Anyway, long story short after a few years this band came to an end during a show. Ironically this show was our first in a few years and we had billed it as our comeback show. But no thanks to underlying tensions and issues, a glorious onstage breakup ensued complete with flying guitars, after the fourth song. I was done with music - my guitar was put in the cupboard, forgotten... Fast forward a few weeks and the Spermbirds rolled into our city for the first time. Feeling a little dispondent, I headed out to see this legendary German band. Why dispondent? We were supposed to play the show with them. However, by the final chord of their set that night, my faith had been restored. It took the Spermbirds 40 odd minutes to kick me in the head and to make me realise what punk rock was all about. Guess what came out of my cupboard the very next day, yes, my guitar and I started to write songs again. Point of my little trip down memory lane? It only takes a great gig to make you appreciate how powerful punk rock really is. So, what restored or re-inforced your belief in punk? Get in touch and let us know. ~ Cerven Cotter Editor | FEBRUARY 2008 | page 03 |
KING BLUES... 16
HENRY ROLLINS... 22
HORRORPOPS... 26 PAMA INTERNATIONAL ...32
REGULARS
ON THE COVER: Patricia Day - Horrorpops © PhotoBret.
Features
VOODOO GLOW SKULLS ...42 KOFFIN KATS ...50
BAD RELIGION ...56
Editor No tes...... 03 Headlines ...... 04 JOHN’S C OLUMN.. . 04 DISTORT ED GIRL S!...... 11
SupportSlo t...... 14 Under the Radar....... 38 SoundChe ck......... 49 Reviews.... .. 62 Favourite s...... 70
H E ADLINES
News and other things you need to know
The Latest... GASLIGHT ANTHEM SIGN TO SIDEONEDUMMY? Gaslight Anthem have apparently signed to SideOneDummy. Though no official announcement has been made, the band is now listed on the label’s website. The band released Sink or Swim in 2007 to considerable acclaim and will soon be issuing Senor And The Queen via Sabot. The band is currently at work on their sophomore full-length to be released on Side One Records in late Summer or early Fall 2008. ANTI-FLAG POST NEW TRACK Anti-Flag have posted the first track from their upcoming full length and second album for RCA Records. The record is titled The Bright Lights of America and is due out April 01, 2008. The album was recorded with producer Tony Visconti. CLIT 45 OFFICIALLY OVER Clit 45, who announced they were going on indefinite hiatus back in 2006, have recently stated in a blog entry that they officially broken up. NO LIVE DVD from good riddance The presence of a film crew at Good Riddance’s final shows last year led many to speculate about a final, posthumous DVD release from the defunct California band. However, this remains fairly unlikely, according to the band; “A group of people we know did in fact film the entire show with several
| page 06 | FEBRUARY 2008 |
cameras. They are prepared to render the footage should anyone with a decent vision come forward with the means to produce and release a live DVD (FAT decided they didn’t want to release a DVD). We (the band members) aren’t in a position to deal with the headache of producing and releasing a DVD so, for now, the footage is just sitting in someone’s garage or something.” The band is, however, planning a 31-song live album which is expected in March. KOFFIN KATS TO TOUR EUROPE & THE UK! US punked up psychobilly act, The Koffin Kats, will be featuring to the UK and Europe for this very first time. The tour starts on the 28th of February at the Fighting Cocks in Kingston. The band talks about the upcoming tour in this issue. This tour is proudly brought to you by SLWC Promotions, HDP Group, Toxico and Distorted magazine. TOTAL CHAOS TO PLAY ONE SHOW IN LONDON Total Chaos will be playing one show at the Bridge House in London on the 27th of February. Tickets are limited and cost £10. See the advert in this issue for more details. Festival in North Wales on January 19th. Got some interesting news? Send it to: nikola@distortedmagazine.com
|| FEBRUARY FEBRUARY2008 2008 || page page 07 05 ||
Mutiny!
The John Robb Column
January is a cruel and unforgiving month and only the most diehard get through it without losing sight of the plot. Gigs are rare and the weather is vile and the wind destroys your hair without provocation. You don’t get to hear much new stuff and the mood can be foul, that’s why I was jumping around the flat when I heard a new band. Its not often you hear something that blows you away but New Zealand punk rock crew The Rabble are doing just that. Classic street punk played with Rancid style melodies and Dropkick Murphys street gang choruses, The Rabble are brilliant. Get over to their Myspace now and check them out, every song is a killer. Speaking of the Dropkick Murphys their upcoming Feb tour is one that everyone is talking about, its been a quiet month so the chance for some rocking action cannot be sniffed at. Leery, beery and cheery, the Dropkicks have turned into one of the finest bands on the planet and their gigs are great slipshod parties full of toothless, wild eyed mental moments sound tracked by raucous singalong songs that even make a non drinker like your humble scribe feel woozy. Last week I saw Henry Rollins do his spoken word thing in London, | page 10 | FEBRUARY 2007 |
a three-hour set and he didn’t miss a beat, three hours where he told the truth either celebrating The Ruts or sticking it to George Bush. In these mean and cowardly times too few people stand up to be counted but you can’t accuse Rollins of that. He’s never flinched and he’ has never bullshitted and no matter what the snobs tell you he was the best singer in Black Flag. Speaking of which, I was listening to the Minutemen tonight. They were label mates with Black Flag on SST. I shed a tear for the tragic singer D. Boon who was stolen from us in a van wreck twenty years ago, the band was so good and they managed to marry a myriad of styles to punk rock and never wrote a bad tune. They had so much heart and so much soul and so much inventiveness it was an honour that they gave themselves to punk rock. If you have never heard them, hunt them down on the Internet--mercilessly. Finally I’m out of the studio and
the new Goldblade album is ready to roll for the summer, its such a relief to get these things finished and I’m so proud of it. The next big gig is the Punk n Disorderly festival in Berlin…its cheap to get to…hop onto Easyjet and we will see you there. If not there then the other two cool gigs we will hang out with our punk rock bretheren will be Rebellion in Blackpool in August- which looks like a monster this year! And this
really cool gig at London’s Roundhouse supporting X Ray Spex who are doing a one off show- tickets are flying out for that- it may even go to two nights- really looking forward to that one. See ya next month hombres- remember keep a clean conscious and always carry a toothbrush! John Robb is the author of Punk Rock: An Oral History and is the frontman for Goldblade.
New Zealand punks, The Rabble | FEBRUARY 2007 | page 09 |
H E ADLINES
News and other things you need to know
10 MINUTES WITH:
the group are part of the story they are not the whole thing.
Pete Haynes
(Author & ex drummer for The Lurkers)
Hi Pete, you’ve recently had your book, God’s Lonely Men, published. What has the response been like to the book? Well, it is a small publisher but there is a good distribution company, although not having an agent or someone, or people, doing publicity the impact is limited. I’ve been told the sales on Amazon are good, but it’s not Harry Potter. There is an evening of punk music at The Twelve Bar Club in Denmark St in Soho on the 23rd of February where I’ll be doing a reading from the book, and in March at Filthy McNasty’s in Islington. The response has been good from the people that have read it, unless their just being polite of course; I’d like to go out and do readings at gigs because it is about punk and it feels right to bring it alive – if you know what I mean. The book is about punk as a theme to look at outsiders and the way that people treat people. What inspired you to write the book? I had written some plays and a novel, called Malayan Swing that hopefully is being published this year by London Books. I was encouraged by a friend to write about my time in The Lurkers because I found it impossible to make inroads in the world of publishing and there are people now working in the media who liked The Lurkers. I thought that The Lurkers weren’t a big enough group to write about, but decided to do it; although music and | page 08 | FEBRUARY 2008 |
Now that the book is out, what are your future writing plans looking like? I write every day, and have done for a good few years, one story ends and another one follows. Looking back on your days of being a member of The Lurkers, have you seen the punk scene change much? The people involved in it are older! It’s probably more honest now, meaning the young people come from musical backgrounds having a more diverse mix than years ago and feel more free to express themselves. Aside from your own book, which book(s) would you recommend to the readers of Distorted? Moby Dick, The Big Sleep, Sherlock Holmes stories, Call of the Wild, Mice and men, George Orwell stuff. Be sure to check out: www.petehaynes.co.uk
Distorted
Girls! Name: Punky Brandon Age: 29 Height: 5’ 6” Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Occupation: Designer/Writer Favourite bands: X (John Doe & Exene are the true spirit of Punk & paved the road for what follows), Black Flag, Social Distortion, Minor Threat, The Sex Pistols, Joy Division, Bauhaus, The Ramones, Joan Jett, The White Stripes.
‘‘
I am very aggressive and outspoken, I love to skate & snowboard, BMX, motocross, I am kind of a tomboy. I am into restoring old muscle cars (chevys corvettes, camero’s, nova’s) with my dad. I grew up around it, so all the things boys do I also do, sometimes even better. I love tatt’s & old skool punkrock (My dad bought me my first Blondie & Ramones vinyl album when I was 7!) I have a degree in fine arts (creative writing & film). I’m OCD/Hyperactive, obsessed with perfect teeth, cleaning products & cute boys. Love me or hate me, but you won’t forget me.
| page 10 | FEBRUARY 2008 |
‘‘
Website: www.myspace.com/punkyjrox
| FEBRUARY 2008 | page 11 |
SUPPORT SLOT
with...
4 past midnight 4 Past Midnight recently made their 2005 release, Trials and Tribulations, available as a free download and there has been a complete line-up reshuffle for 2008. With these bold new moves we cornered the only remaining original member, Peter, and found out what we can expect from this Glasgow band in the upcoming year.
Hi Peter, it’s a new year and 4 Past Midnight has a new lineup. Who’s in the band now? Line up for 2008 is myself (lead vocals & drums), Mark (guitar) and Chris (bass) Have you played any shows with the new lineup? We are just about to start playing live again, we have been busy with rehearsals. Our first live date is in Edinburgh on February 22nd at a place called Bannermans. We are also in talks with the Glass Heroes from the US, about a possible USA tour as well . What can we expect from you now with the new members? Well, Mark and Chris are two great guys with a great attitude which is what I need in the band. We hope to get a new album out on SOS records and also on STP records which is a new label being started by Stuart Taylor, Vice Squads manager ... we have been friends for a long time. And we hope to take the band further than it’s gone before. When did 4 Past Midnight form? Can you tell us about the area you’re from and your local punk scene. The band formed in September 1989 the line up then consisted of myself (drums), Archie (vocals), Bongo(bass) and the Captain (guitar). As for the local scene, Glasgow seems to have picked up somewhat with regards to gigs and bands . There’s been alot of gigs going on lately as well as some good bands around like Hatefull, The Fucking A Team, The Murder Burgers, the Red Eyes, Constant Fear, Cease Fire, the Skanks, Dead Beat Heroes and the Wreckage to name a few, so yeah, its quite healthy just now. A mate of mine, Pogo John also promotes and puts on gigs in a place called the Joker.
Many bands choose to change their name when they undergo a big line up change, what prompted you to keep the same name? It’s always been 4 Past Midnight or 4.P.M for short, I couldn’t ever see me wanting a different name, I don’t think it would feel right. What else should people know about 4 Past Midnight? People should know that 4.P.M are a very hard working passionate band who love what they do, a band who’s give 100% to the people who support them. And if you like your punk streetwise, then check us out at our myspace page at: www.myspace.com/ fourpastmidnight
“Glasgow seems to have picked up somewhat with regards to gigs and band.” Any final words? Yeah why not - Download our recent album Trials & Tribulations free of charge from this link: www.mediafire.com/?8achym0getn 14 tracks of undiluted Scottish punk rock for fuck all! New CD releases coming soon - Our Anthology Album - Punkology The Collection 1989 – 2002/ 28 tracks & Our Demos & Rarities 48 track double CD / Being released through ConeHead Records (Germany) and Massacre Records (USA) so stay tuned for that. Come support us at our gigs or offer us a gig. You can contact the band through our myspace page or contact myself Peter4pm on - peter4pm@hotmail. com. Thanks to Distorted magazine for this interview and coverage, most appreciated guys.
THE KING BLUES
no jokers
Words by Stevie Blue
The King Blues are your every thought, voiced through a collaboration of talented, creative activist musicians. They are representative of street politics and youth, stripped down, sincere and politically fun-poking. With new releases and re-releases in 2008 this is a band you shouldn’t ignore, whether onstage, in your local mall or on your street. The following is the dialogue between Itch of The King Blues and Distorted’s Steve. Your music doesn’t fit stereotypically into punk, but all the elements are there; activist, political, but doowop-bluesreggae? How has the sound of King Blues developed? Well we started off as just a two piecejust one guitar and vocals- keeping it really stripped down with minimal reggae guitar so you could hear the lyrics. It was really hard for us to get gigs in the beginning because we didn’t have a demo and when we told punk promoters we were acoustic I think it somehow conjured up images of James Blunt. So we started playing on the street, outside other band’s gigs, at protests and we started opening up squats, hooking up the electricity and throwing parties just to get people to come and see us. Once people did that it became in-
stantly easier to get gigs because a buzz started to spread.. Nowadays a King Blues gig can be anywhere between two and seven people on stage. We’re still just a collective of musicians writing rebel music with no rules or boundaries allowing us raw creative freedom. There’s do-wop and reggae in there but also hip hop, folk, Hawaiian, punk and lots more but we’re trying to take those influences and do something different, something new which I am very proud we’ve achieved. Your music raises aged old questions of what makes a punk, a punk? Surely it’s in the actions of the individual rather the sound of the band? People have debated what is and isn’t punk for years, it’s something that re-
“...it somehow conjured up images of James Blunt.”
ally doesn’t bother me, I don’t have to try and be ‘traditionally’ punk, I did that when I was younger and I’ve been a punk rocker for 14 years. We’re writing our own story now not trying to hark back to ‘77. While I’ve grown up in the punk scene, I find it an odd word nowadays; our scene was filled with squats, all night parties, police raids and it was certainly exciting and at times dangerous. I’ve seen other punk scenes in different places where it’s all really tame and controlled and it’s bizarre that it’s labelled as the same thing when it means so many things to different people. To me, punk is just about fighting back no matter how small you are. We’re definitely a band that fights back. You certainly don’t shy away from expressing your opinions and viewpoints; do you think bands should act as vehicles of activism or let people make up their own minds? There is plenty of ammunition in the world today for bands to write proactively about. I don’t think it’s as clear cut as that really, a ‘vehicle of activism’ doesn’t mean making someone’s mind up for them. It’s about informing people of a situation and taking an active role rather than just sitting back; informing people is very different to thinking for them. I don’t think all bands need to be political, but there’s certainly a place for it and we’ve always aimed to be more than just a band. We’re here to reclaim things, change things and build things. I have nothing against a-political bands but I am proud that we unleashed ourselves on a war generation in a fiercely political way and they completely took to that and many have been inspired since to take part in actions, inform
themselves and others and even start their own bands. The snowball is definitely rolling. Music has an unexplainable power in that it can touch a human heart like nothing else. It can totally fuck with your emotions and make you see things in a different light to how you’ve been shown them. Music has the power to bring people together and when the people come together there will be revolution. What do you feel is the biggest issue facing society, in the UK and globally? I guess my overall concern is too much power in the hands of anyone, therefore in the UK, ID cards terrify me. Making it illegal not to carry round a microchip with all your information and a tracking device on it, is way too big brother for my liking and way too much power in the hands of the government. We need to keep our civil liberties to be free and stop being terrified of each other. The government are the ones we should be weary of, not the people. The longer they divide us the longer they keep us conquered, so I’m changing my answer from power to fear because the people hold the power but the minority keep it from them by use of fear. I mean there are these posters put up by the police all over London saying “keep your eyes and ears open and don’t trust your neighbour”. It’s just a way of making people scared. Trust your neighbour, get to know them, see they’re the same as you, just don’t trust your government, they are the ones who have the most to gain by keeping you controlled in a state of fear. Is apathy a big concern? The amount of time people waste on celebrity and fame
could be channelled into something more positive, but that’s unlikely to change. So what would you ask people to do? The powers that be want us entertained constantly so the war seems a million miles away. Television is dumbed down, music is dumbed down. I would just like to see people do whatever it is that makes them happy rather than doing whatever it is that makes them money. Once we realise that money can’t buy happiness but fulfilling your soul can, we can explore endless opportunities to live in a way that truly satisfies us. There’s so much more to life than all the usual boredom and bullshit that’s thrown in our faces. Life can be a lot more fun when you overtake a supermarket with a sound-system and party in the shopping aisles (trust me) than it can reading about Paris Hilton. It can be a lot more fun when you’re creating your own art or exploring for yourself. I think that mentality needs to be taken hold of as a starting block.
with every song. I’ve put a few more personal songs on the new record too which is something I’ve been too scared to do in the past and I think the political angle of the record is just harder biting and angrier but as accessible as it was on the first record. They’re really two different monsters and I don’t like to compare them too much. Is there a mixture of fun and seriousness on the new record? There is a lot of fun in your music, and your sincerity is what
“I guess my overall concern is too much power in the hands of anyone, therefore in the UK, ID cards terrify me.”
Your debut album “Under The Fog” was met with much acclaim and is due to be re-released in March, along with a new record in 2008? What can we expect to hear on the new release? The new release is a large step forward in terms of lyric writing and song writing. With “Under The Fog” we were very new to each other’s playing and the record came together in four days in our front room which is how it was recorded. It’s a rough and ready affairon this next record we’ve really gone to town to make sure we’re 100% happy
endears you to fans. Well it’s not fun in a ‘wacky ska’ kind of way. I think politics for the most part is ridiculous and I try and highlight the stupidity and hypocrisy of it all in a light-hearted way. People don’t want to be preached at and neither do I, so I don’t do that. I think to ridicule and poke fun at things is sometimes the best way to make people realise just how stupid they are. There’s definitely still a sense of humour in the next record more so than the first. Cheeky street politics- Your messages are undeniable but don’t come across as soap-boxish or condescending? Do you consciously think about issues when
writing songs or for a record? Yes, I think of what points I want to say and what I want to get across and then I think of how best to package it. If it’s a really angry song, lyrically- sometimes it’s best to contrast it with more laid back music. I mean we’re not just a band- we’re activists too so we’re involved politically in a lot of things so it’s easy to be inspired- I don’t have to seek out things to write songs aboutthey’re all around me- but I certainly choose which issues I want to tackle consciously yeah. You’re creative jamming and embrace of freedom of creativity separates you from most. Do you think too many bands confine themselves to the sounds/limitations of the studio record? I personally think too many bands go into the studio thinking ‘we have to capture what we have live. We want the record to sound just like a gig’. Thing is, it’s never going to sound like a gig because it’s not a gig, it’s a completely different environment. A studio is a place where great creativity can come from especially when experimenting with different sounds and instruments. And when you just have a great vibe in there you can create something special. We see our live show and records as two completely separate things and don’t limit ourselves in anyway by doing so. Your creativity is often lauded too, in the live shows, variety of sound and song, you’re spontaneous approach…are these character traits of the bands members? Definitely- I mean Jamie’s no Slash when it comes to playing guitar but live he just rips up the stage running all over it. Fruitbag’s got that Italian pas-
sion that shines through in his singing too and I think way too much about everything to ever have a planned stage show that we just stick to. Onstage; new ideas are always popping into my head and I like to keep the rest of the boys on their feet by free-styling and changing things around live. We have such a good relationship with the people that come and see us that we feel comfortable doing that, it all depends on the vibe of the night. What interesting instruments besides the ukulele can an audience expect to hear from a King Blues show? Cowbells- all kinds of percussion- saxophones- melodicas- accordions- there are a whole lot more but as I said earlier, don’t expect to see it, The King Blues can be anywhere between two of us and seven of us! Any final words? Thanks very much for the interview I think this is a great magazine I really do and I look forward to seeing how it develops.
Henry Rollins Words by Steve Noble
King of Talk Henry Rollins is iconic, loved and hated. Whether it be through his relentless varied work, most famously as frontman of Black Flag, as host to radio and TV shows, or his award winning spoken word tours, Henry Rollins is a name everybody knows. Henry starts off 2008 on tour in Europe as part of a lengthy worldwide spoken word tour and is in London for a special event marking the Ruts 30th anniversary. We managed to steal some of his precious time to reflect on his hectic life and schedule and how 2008 is shaping up. Steve: So you’re in London for two reasons in January; your spoken word tour and the event celebrating 30 years of the Ruts….Tell us a little about both if you will. Henry: I go out quite often on the talking tours and Europe is a big part of the tour. I have been doing shows like these in the UK for many years and they’re one of the better audiences you can be in front of. This year’s talking tour deals with a lot of travel I got up to last year. I have been on this tour since September of last year and this one is set to go until November of this year so it’s going to be a long journey. The Ruts thing, I don’t know how it will go. I am hoping for the best. I will have my camera on hand as there will be a lot of my favourites on stage that night. I am trying to come up with something to say now. It’s hard to talk about The Ruts in the context of this event as no one wants to hear some guy
talk, they want music and everything else, as they should. Last year you took to the stage with the Ruts and Paul Fox [RIP] in a night that has been hailed by many as ‘the best gig ever’. It must have been quite an honour for you, what lasting impression did Paul Fox and The Ruts leave on you? I will be writing and thinking about all of that for the rest of my life. It was one of the best experiences I have ever had. To meet these guys, as strained as the circumstances were, was an honour. To actually play with them and have it be such a solid experience was an added bonus. The live show, I thought was pretty damn good for a one off and band practice was pretty smokin’ as well. I am sure you have heard the band’s music. It is about as good as it gets I reckon. It was great to meet Paul. He was a tough man
Words by Tim Drunk
“He was a tough man (Paul Fox) and looking at the end right in the face and didn’t seem to flinch.”
“My parents worked very hard and I took a que from that.” and looking at the end right in the face and didn’t seem to flinch. I will never forget when he first plugged in at practice, that sound, just amazing. Besides the fact that the three of them were so great, on his own, he was one monster guitar player. And the single of “Babylon Burning” is also available for download, to raise funds, featuring yourself with The Ruts. It was taken from the live show. I heard about it when I was contacted for permission, like they needed to ask me. I have not heard it. In terms of your spoken word tours your new DVD “Live in the Conversation Pit”, filmed in Australia was due out in January. You release material quite unrelentlessly, can you tell us briefly about the latest offering? It’s just a night on tour. I shoot in Australia quite a bit as it’s always a great audience and I can get a good crew for cheap. That was a good tour I think. There’s a story about going across Siberia on the Trans Siberian Express that’s pretty funny. You mention the length of this tour, after your European leg you take to stage in the US. Do you have favourite places you try and pencil in on each tour, or is it more about the unknown that interests you? It’s just shows on the circuit mainly. This US leg coming up is basically all the shows I didn’t get to last year. It is cool to play new places, new countries, especial-
ly. This year will be my first trip to South Africa for shows. Last year I did a show in Dubai, that was interesting. What impression would you like to believe your leaving on the audience at your spoken word tour. Do you have a particular aim with each tour? That’s a good question. I don’t really have a particular message. Hopefully they get something from the show that has some lasting value but I don’t know if I would ever come up with something with that purpose in mind, I think that wouldn’t come off. You’re an insatiable workaholic- your acting, a host, band member, partake in spoken word tours, author -is your fear, boredom? Or is your addictive personality running things? There are a few reasons why I do what I do in the manner I do it. One of them is that all this stuff comes to an end at some point. There will come a time when there’s no interest, no nuthin’ and I will have to at some point, look back and see if there were any rocks I didn’t turn over. That’s not something I want to do and see I could have rung a few more bells. Also, I come from the minimum wage working world. I have been all kinds of fortunate and so to make good on that, I work as hard as I can. Also, I think that’s what I should do. My parents worked very hard and I took a que from that. And sure, there’s a fear of boredom, a lack of speed and intensity and the feeling that life is
Henry Rollins
passing me. I am in a tour bus writing this as we drive to Amsterdam. To me, this is the way to live. I have nothing else happening in my life so this is me. What is your company 2.13.61 involved in releasing in 2008? This year will be two books of mine, some re-issues and that’s about it. For a company the size of mine, that’s about all we can deal with. Your birthday is approaching soon, your 47th, what will you be doing? I’m sure not having a day off... Is 50 the new 21? I think I’ll be in the air coming back from Africa on that day. I should also be arriving that day as well. I reckon I will go get some sushi and have some ice cream, that’s kind a good birthday thing to do. I think 50 always has been 50. I should do something interesting for that day. Finally, if some perverse law or disease came into being, whereby you could choose to only do one role, acting, radio, spoken word, band member etc which would you choose? Writing!
ON THE COVER: HORRORPOPS
The Devil Makes3
Since the release of ‘Hell Yeah!” back in 2004, the Horrorpops have slowly amassed a following of very loyal fans across the globe. It may be their passion for touring and the genre warping songwriting with a classic pop edge that appeals to their ever growing fanbase. 2008 sees them release their 3rd full length, Kiss Kiss Kill Kill., and with this new film-centric record, Patricia, Nekroman and Niedermeier once again prove that they can take elements of all musical styles and put out one stellar album. Cerven Cotter spoke to frontwoman and bassist, Patricia Day, a few days before the Horrorpops headed out on tour to discuss the new album, the ‘gender’ issue and film. Words by Cerven Cotter.
Hey Patricia, you’re quite a difficult person to get in touch with. I trust you’ve been busy ahead of the release of Kiss Kiss Kill Kill? Oh yeah! I’m really sorry I missed your call… believe it or not, I was actually in the garden talking to a gardener about taking care of my garden while I’m on tour All those funny little things you gotta do before leaving. What has your schedule been like? Aren’t you currently touring in support of the new album? No we’re not on tour yet, right now we’re in LA rehearsing the new set and doing a bunch of interviews and signings. The first tour starts Feb 7 and is a full US tour. It’s weird; HorrorPops is all about touring, all this press and recording stuff is actually just means to get us on the road and now when the time is getting near, I’m not sure I feel ready. But fuck it, it will be rock’n roll, right? Before we get onto the subject of Kiss Kiss Kill Kill, the Horrorpops have played on some awesome tours. Any that stick out as firm favourites for yourself personally? Any tour with Roger Miret! We’ve played a few tours with him and he and his bands are just a blast (bring on the jagermeister, hehehehe). Last year we did another tour with Dropkick Murphys which I really enjoyed too. They are an amazing live act and their fans are some awesome drinkers that can put some respect in a little ol’ Danish girl (bring on the guiness, hehehehe). Being on tour can get crazy - how do you keep yourself looking so good while
living on the road? Uhmmm, huh? The last thing I feel on tour is beautiful. Most of the time I’m hungover and really dirty (in mind, sole and body) Okay, Kiss Kiss Kill Kill is due out next month (February). You must be excited as it has been highly praised by the media as possibly the best album you have released (okay, I reckons it your best work to date). Oh wow, thanx! I try to not read reviews and stuff, not because I’m scared of bad reviews, but because I wanna be able to stick to my guns and do what I do without compromise or doubt. But I’m honestly really glad you like our new album, thank you, thank you, thank you! It’s quite obvious that there is a movie theme running throughout the album, from the artwork through to the opening song, was this the intention when you started working on the record or did it just turn out that way? Oh man, I’m so glad we always get these kinds of questions after the fact. I mean if anybody asked us what our plans were before creating a new album, we would be hung out as liars, hahaha. We never have any plans in HorrorPops… man, we can’t even figure out to get on stage at the same time, no matter how much we try to plan it. Where does Thelma & Louise rank on your all time favourites as far as films is concerned? What are your favourites
“Man, we can’t even figure out to get on stage at the same time, no matter how much we try to plan it.” films? Why? Thelma & Louise are defiantly in my top 5, together with most films that Ennio Morricone did music for, all Hitchcock, anything Russ Meyer and a lot of movies with titles that reminds of ‘real’ movie titles (wink wink). Asking why I like movies, is kinda like asking why I like books… I guess I’ve always been a bit of a loner and a big dreamer. I just like to sink in to other worlds for a little while with a god book or movie. Returning to the album - which song did you enjoy writing the most? Would you say it is your favourite song?
I liked writing Hitchcock starlet a lot, it was a good challenge to work with string arrangements and such, and it was fun to think of some people’s reaction when they would find out that we put strings on a song. But hey, you never know what HorrorPops are gonna throw themselves out to, right? You’re known to be very DIY, from painting your own bass through to making the go-go girl outfits. Have you always had a hands on approach to things in your life? Holy shit, that’s a lot of questions covered up as one hahahaha. Yes, I’ve always been
“...when I pick up my instrument, I am a person playing it, not a gender!”
a very ‘hands on’ person and I have a real hard time letting others do stuff for me. We¹re all like that in HorrorPops, Nekroman does all the artwork and layout and Niedermeier does all our recording. Tell us a bit about growing up in Copenhagen, Denmark. As far as your question about growing up in Denmark, here goes: depressing and suppressing, I love Denmark, don’t get me wrong! But we do tend to be a people that can’t deal with others success or let anybody stand out, be different, let alone be them selves. It isn’t very often that you see woman leading bands let alone leading the vocal charge and rocking the stand up bass. What made the stand up bass your instrument of choice? Did you got a lot
of abuse from the ‘guys’ in the scene or did they support your choice? Aaaarrgh! The ‘female’ question. To make it as short as possible: when I pick up my instrument, I am a person playing it, not a gender! - or said in an easier way: My tits don’t get in the way of my playing. I can’t believe that we are in 2008 and the question of gender has any importance. In my world it has no consequence, but I do know that there are still some Neanderthals our there and I guess I do meet them from time to time. When it happens, I just do what I do and they can either walk away with a lesson learned or think I¹m a complete bitch. It doesn¹t matter to me and does not make any difference to how I live my life. I actually didn’t really choose to play upright, I was and still am a guitarist. When we started HorrorPops in ‘96 we set out
to be a band that would not commit to any one style of music, but play as many varieties as we could. To do so, Nekroman and I swapped instruments so we could approach song writing differently than we had done in our previous bands. I think it worked well at least neither of us think we sound anything like our other bands. The Horrorpops have been credited with breaking down genre boundaries and the new record really shows that you three can combine elements of every style but never leave your core sound behind. Care to discuss your influences? Can you remember the first band you heard that made you want to pursue a music career? Hahaha, my answer is gonna make you laugh… Two bands, Laid Back and Prince. My stepfather was in Laid Back and growing up in his studio was a dream and I just wanted to be exactly like him. When I was 10 he took me to a prince show and at a point Sheila E got up and did a drum solo. That was the first time I knew that gender had nothing to do with music and I knew what I wanted to be a drummer hahahaha. Turned out that I was really bad at coordinating my body, so my stepfather gave me a guitar instead and the rest is history. Whether it be fashion, music or a walk, it’s something that sets people apart. How would you define your personal style? Does it directly reflect the bands style? Oh wow, you make it sound like we have a style. I don’t think any of us thinks about style, but we have been asked style questions a lot so I guess we have been
forced to come up with answers. I think last time I described my style as “classic 40’s starlet mixed with some oil grease, sweat and some troll attitude”, so I better stick to that, hahahahaha Part of your style comes your tattoo flash style artwork on your bass. Did you design this yourself? What about your tattoo’s - who has done them for you? Which tattoo is the most important to you? Actually, my bass and my body are the same tatt’s, and both my bass and my body is done by Baby Lou Tattoo in Copenhagen. Although you’re not very genre specific, you do delve into elements of punk rock and so here comes to question many people dread, what does ‘punk’ mean to you? I guess it means non of the things that makes punk pop-ular today. To me it means a certain political and environmental point of view, the guts to be your self and to not follow what everybody else does. So where to from now for the band? Touring, touring, touring and some more touring mixed with a bunch of booze and a hell of a lot of fun. Who would you like to thank? Any thing to say to your fans? I thank the fans we have and especially the ones who’s been with us from the beginning. Thanks guys and thank you for an awesome interview. Cheers! www.myspace.com/thehorrorpops ‘Kiss Kiss Kill Kill’ out 5th Feb
PAMA INTERNATIONAL
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League of Gentlem
ational, a , Pama Intern on riz d ho e th album on ians in the broa e finest music With their new e th ar of e, e re m th so of effort from steady core a ith w n , ul ea collaborative S so d father reggae, dub an one. Founding e bl ta et ic rg genre of ska, us fo m un ent ake 2008 an , the independ planning to m the new record t . ou ar ab ye s r lk ei ta th 08 is Flowerdew y and why 20 business toda
You’re a bit of a supergroup, please tell us a bit about yourselves and how this “League of Gentleman” came about and the gentleman involved? The mainstay of the band is myself and Finny (lead singer) and Lynval (previously of The Specials and Fun Boy 3). I’ve been working with Finny since our first band The Loafers back in 1989. We then did Special Beat (90-92) together (featuring guys from The Specials and you’ve guessed it The Beat), which is where I met Lynval. We’ve been friends ever since. Pama Intl all started back in
2000. I had huge record and publishing deals as part of a band called Skanga back in the late 90’s with Sony and A&M Records. Deals in the millions. The only tracks that came out though are on films…Lock Stock & 2 Smoking Barrels being the biggest. The Skanga track used on that is also about to be used on a Hollywood film ‘Fools Gold’ with Kate Hudson, Donald Sutherland and Ray Winstone. Out sometime soon, not sure when though. The album Skanga made never saw the light of day though, despite A&M spending £400,000 mak-
ing it! I realised then the music industry is all about the industry not about the music and I hated that. Too many egos, too many habits, too much paranoia. I opted out and started writing music that I got pleasure from. Art for arts sake, nothing else. And Pama Intl was born. I then set about getting friends, people I admired, good people, good vibes and great musicians around me to take it out live. Pama Intl is a big family vibe…over the years we’ve had guys from Madness, Style Council, Steel Pulse, Galliano, The Specials, Pop Will Eat Itself, Bentley Rhythm Ace, The Lee Perry Band and more. People come and go. Your not exactly fresh fish to the music scene, individually or as a band. What keeps this collective going? We may have been plugging away for years, but I’d like to think we’re still fresh! Friendship, love of music and self-belief keep us going. I’m personally always striving to make a better record, write a better song, and introduce someone new to what we’re doing. I love writing and releasing music. I’d love to make 100 Pama Intl albums; I’m on my 6th Pama Intl release now, so a
fair way to go. What do you think are the main reasons other bands fall short of achieving their perceived success? There are many reasons bands fall short…sometimes down to their own drive, sometimes down to total apathy from the industry, radio and press. It’s hard…there’s so many bands trying to get noticed, all who think they deserve it more then the next. Some do deserve it. I’ve known some fantastic bands that simply gave up because they weren’t getting any recognition or couldn’t make a living from it. I don’t believe you can be in this game part time. If you truly want to make your music a success you have to be 100% committed. Every band/ musician is different though. Some would say you need some luck and it’s who you know, but I believe you make your own luck and it’s down to you who you meet. You have been represented on quite a few labels and soundtracks and through several distribution deals! With your own label setup, run us through your pros and cons of keeping things in house and how events like being the first new band in 30 years
“...the 60s and 70s were far more creative times...”
to sign to the legendary Trojan Records in 2006 shape things? Yeah, we’ve worked with a few labels… some much cooler then others…great to be on Do The Dog, Asian Man, Jump Up and of course Trojan and had seven or eight songs on films now. Keeping it in house…the pro’s are being able to control it 100% and getting 100% of the returns financially. The con’s are having to front all the money for recording, advertising, manufacturing. I always want to get our music to as many people as possible but on small budgets it’s hard. I used to believe you needed a label to get you to a bigger market place, but Sanctuary Rcds (used to own Trojan) actually sold fewer records for us than we do on our own label. Doing the Trojan deal definitely helped us though. Wonderful to be associated with such a catalogue, but the business side was rubbish. It definitely opened some doors for us and great to make an album with legends like Rico, Dave & Ansel Collins, Derrick Morgan and Dawn Penn. I’m very happy to be pushing Pama on our own Rockers Revolt label again though. I’m a strong believer in not waiting around for other people to do things for you. I don’t like being dependent on anyone, or having to work to other people’s time schedules. This industry is terrible for it nowadays. Press want albums three months before its release! When Stiff Records started they chose the band they wanted to sign, recorded them, pressed the vinyl, took the vinyl to the shops and hey presto a chart hit. All in the space of three weeks. All of it was working on inspiration. All of it was very creative. Now the industry is all about business and industry. About marketing. With few exceptations the art has gone. To me the 60s and 70s were far
more creative times to be involved with the music industry. Now you’re better off doing it for yourself. And your new album “Love Filled Dub Band” is due for release in February. What can we expect and tell us about having someone like John Collins on board for the production? Yeah, it’s out on the 25th Feb, although people can get it now from the www.pamainternational.co.uk site now. What to expect….hmmmm…reviews in so far are saying it’s the best Pama Intl album to date, which is very pleasing and it’s already picked up airplay from 41 DJs/stations, so we’re doing something right. Lyrically, there’s a lot more social commentary on there, tackling youth crime, societies self-destructiveness, war in the 21st century. There are some party tunes on there too. Musically, old meets new…retro sounds but still contemporary…70s reggae, 60s soul, 21st century commentary. John was great to work with. Very good at hearing and balancing sounds. A proper engineer and producer! I tried three ‘producers’ before I got to him for this album. The problem was I had such a clear idea of the sound I wanted for this album and the first three didn’t get it. Not saying what they did was bad, just not what I was trying to put across. John understood where I wanted to be with this record and loved the whole King Tubby direction. Perfect man for the job! To begin with we just talked through the sounds/influences, went to see Gregory Isaacs, just talked a lot about music and styles, then tried mixing a track and it worked from the off. You also have a few collaborators on the
“Very little quality control and that kills the genre.”
record too. Tell us about those? We’ve got Fuzz Townshend (PWEI, Bentley Rhythm Ace), Ernie McKone (Galliano, Paul Weller), Kirk Service and Stephen Wright (both from The Lee Perry Band), Sir Horace Panter (The Specials), Paul Heskett (from 2 Tone’s Swinging Cats) and Jamaican legend Rico Rodriguez. Oh and one lady, Michie One who’s had a lot of success in her own right. She wrote ‘If I was A Rich Girl’ for Gwen Stefani and has worked with Sly & Robbie, Beenie Man, Sizzla, Shaggy, Chaka Demus & Pliers and Rebel MC.
Lynval Goldings; first penned song since The Specials and Fun Boy 3 is also included? What’s it about and can we expect more from him in the future? He wrote “Wonder Wonder” after watching news of a suicide bomber blowing himself up at a wedding, killing a lot of innocent people. It’s a great observational piece of writing, over a Sly & Robbie influenced backing. It’s up there with “Do Nothing” and “Why?” which he wrote for The Specials. What about the popularity of punk-ska? I’ve never been a big skapunk fan. I do like the genre at it’s best…Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Fishbone both had some great skapunk styled tracks. Problem with it I think is, as with anything genre that gets popular, everyone
is inspired by them and wants to be like them and you end up with hundreds of bands that are the same. Very little quality control and that kills the genre. The 4th or 5th or whichever wave of ska were in seems to be on the way with thankfully more traditional inspired sounds of roots reggae/dub etc leading the charge. Are you surprised by the music -trends, and this new wave of popularity in reggae fuelled dub/ska? Yeah, there are a lot of great bands influenced by more traditional sounds. I’m not surprised by it. Ska/reggae/dub always goes in phases of popularity. I’ve been involved with this scene since the 80s. I’m really not here to worry about waves or popularity. I’m very pleased that the dub and reggae scene are thriving at the moment and we’ll certainly make hay while we can, but I’ve seen things come and go. My job is just to try and make Pama Intl constantly relevant. Every band should try and do that, rather then follow or worry about trends. Just do your own thing….set the trend. What does the band have in store for 2008? Any events coming up that you’re looking forward to? 2008 is going to be pivotal for Pama Intl…we’ve got the new album (25 Feb), a Version album featuring dubs by Mad Professor, Richie Phoe, Wrongtom (Hard Fi), John Collins, Vibronics and more and a feature film, well featurette all coming out this year. The Pama Intl Love Filled UK tour kicks off on 23 Feb in Bath and finishes at our biggest London show to date at the beautiful London KOKO (ex Camden Palace) on 12th March. We’ve got Rico and Michie One guesting and an un-
beatable supporting bill with Crunch! Aka The Nutty Boys (Lee & Chris from Madness), Trojan Sound System, Rebelation, DJ Wrongtom and New Town Kings. We’ve then got some dates at the end of April, including the anniversary bash of Rock Against Racism at Victoria Park. In June we’ve been asked to co-host The Leftfield stage at Glastonbury for a night! Very honoured to have been asked to do that. It’s the best stage there. We played it last year. Its early days but I’m planning to have The Slackers, The Pietasters, Don Letts and others on. I’d then like to take the package out on the road to theatres…Pama Intl, Slackers, Pietasters and probably Mungos Hi-Fi sound system around the UK for 10 dates. That’ll be a huge tour if I can get it going. I think that’s what the scene needs. Something that’ll have a big impact. Which younger upstarts should fans of the genre be watching out for this year? Rebelation and New Town Kings. Love em, both really starting to make bigger names for them selves. On our Rockers Revolt label we’ve got King Fatta (wicked 60’s styled Upsetters organ stuff), Mungos Hi-Fi (the best UK sound system going, from ska to dub-step they are phenomenal), new albums from The Slackers and The Pietasters, both on Rockers Revolt. Also looking at putting out The Detonators album from 1980. The Detonators was John Collins band…the first ever UK dub tracks. All recorded with a drum machine before drum machines were available. He built his own!
Under the radar with FungalPunk OMD.
One Man Standing Since 2001, One Man Stand, have done the rounds on the punk rock pub circuit playing to mixed crowds and mixed receptions. Always rock steady and reliable it is only recently that things have truly taken off with the change of bass player and an impending Japan Tour getting closer every day. If any band deserves a break then it’s this one as their self belief, determination and likeable natures are truly admirable. Personally I have seen this band over 30 times and struggle to find occasions when a duff set was played - compliment indeed - but the true realisation of their own capabilities is something I and others have long awaited and we have not been disappointed. I caught up with the three ‘erberts and discussed the in’s and out’s of a regular punk rock outfit and the prospect of some crazy times ahead.
Tell us about the One Man Stand career so far - its highs, lows, line-ups, releases etc. Jan: We started in late 2001. Out of the ashes of a band me and Ant were in called DFA. DFA sort of fizzled out so Ant and I decided to form another band. Ant: Until now I had never been in a band where I was totally happy with what we were playing and singing about. Our first rehearsal was with Electro Hippie’s bass player “Whitey” and Mike from “Burn All Flags” and “Anxiety Attack”. We sounded very much like “Rudimentary Peni”. For one reason or another that was the first and last time that line-up ever got together. There’s a CD knocking about of that rehearsal dubbed “Burn One Hippy”. Jan: We then asked Noz from local wank metal band “RBH”. With this line-up we recorded two demos and released an EP with Blackburn label “Noize Anoize”. We also went on a short tour with Irish band “Knifed” and our mates “Burn All Flags” which was definitely one of the highs. Ant: I was approached by a friend of ours “Simon No Mates” to organise a tour for a Japanese band called “Drex”. Not wanting to do it all alone I asked Andy from Boredom AD if he wanted to help and go on tour with us. He did and what a ball we had. Drex must have thought “What the fuck have we got ourselves into?” It was a fantastic and mad tour and I have a lot of fond memories of it, not least our first night in Scotland where Noz asked... “Is it safe to drink the water?” No wonder he never fancied going to Japan. Jan: Fortunately we’ve only had a few lows, mainly bad gigs. One that springs to mind was at the Junction in Nottingham; great venue but wrong crowd. Nothing went right that night, in fact we
had a massive argument on stage and very nearly split there and then. Noz left the band soon after the Drex tour to concentrate on global domination with his first love “RBH” Ant: And his second love drinking cider. We would sincerely like to thank Noz for all time he put into the band, he did a lot of gig organising for us and still does. We would also like to thank Kaz for putting up with him and driving him to gigs for us as he’s a fucking nuisance. Jan: Without a bass player and a Japanese tour and album imminent we asked Chris from “Spitting Dummies” if he would fancy playing bass for us. He jumped at the chance (thankfully).
“In 10 years time someone will offer us a big fat cheque to fuck off!.” Chris: I always said I would never do two bands but they dangled the Japanese carrot and I couldn’t refuse. But I always said that if I was to join any other band it would “One Man Stand.” It has been a long time coming but at last One Man Stand seem to be getting just rewards for some hard work and perseverance! For me this must send out a positive message to all bands hoping for a lucky break. How would you sum up what has happened over the last six months and what advice would you give to bands getting disillusioned with the entire scene? Jan- We have just always enjoyed what
Under the radar with FungalPunk OMD. we do. I wouldn’t say that we’re a particularly hard working band. If anything were a bit too laid back at times but that suits us as we might stop enjoying ourselves if it became anything like a job. Chris: But we do treat every gig like its our last. It don’t matter if there are 10, or 10,000 (should be 20, but 10, 000 sounds better!) people watching we will always try to do our best because those people have paid to see you and it’s an insult not to do the best you can. Some gigs are better than others for different reasons, but you have to make the most out of the situation. Ant: The past six months have been hard work though; getting ready for the Japan tour and recording the CD wasn’t easy as we wanted to get it just right. Jan: It wasn’t easy recording the CD as we did it completely DIY with the help of our friends, but it was a lot of fun. The satisfaction of finishing it and finally seeing it released is indescribable. Ant: We were getting emails from the record label wanting to know where the CD was as it should have been out a lot sooner than December, but we stuck to our guns, even at the risk of the whole deal falling through, because we wanted to do the best we could. So that’s my advice to bands, “stick with it as long as you’re enjoying what your doing” Fuck ‘em!!! The Japan Tour is looming large - what are you expecting and how do you expect to feel when all is over and you are back on the great British toilet circuit? Jan: From what we have heard it’s completely different over there. The crowds are more responsive and are out to have a good time. There seems to be more to-
getherness, none of the snide backstabbing you can sometimes get in the UK, “or is that just a Manchester thing?” Chris: You’re right, it will bring us back down to earth but as soon as we get back we are going to start work on new material. I think “One Man Stand” has a lot more to offer yet. The new album is sounding awesome and I am amazed (as well as proud) to hear a band finally realising their potential after so long in the scene. Why do you think its taken so long to tap this rich vein of musical gold and in hindsight do you think you could have got the whole process moving quicker? Chris: They should have asked me to play bass a lot sooner! Ant: You’re right! It’s taken ages but I’m a great believer in everything happens for a reason, its taken ages to do an album for a reason, Noz left the band for a reason, everything that happens is meant to happen whether you like it or not. (Didn’t know I was a philosopher did you?) Jan: And the chance to tour Japan and release an album over there has given us a kick up the arse. After playing so many gigs with so many similar underdog bands can you tell us about any that spring to mind who are worthy of a bigger and better following? Ant: The Kirks, Spitting Dummies (if they ever pull their finger out), The Leif Ericsson, Boredom AD, Most Likely To Fail, Guilty Pleasures, Ambush UK, Anxiety Attack, The Bullet Kings, The Shadowcops, Social Schism, Danger’s Close. There are loads of bands out there, just get off your arse and see them , they aren’t
hard to find! Chris: The thing is if a band get big and well known you get people saying “Oh yea, I seen them when they were shit”. No you didn’t!! You were outside having a fag or at the bar waiting for the main band to come on. A lot of the old stuff is stale, go and broaden your mind before you are too old and weak to do so. What are your main personal gripes about today’s scene and how do you see the future for a lot of the quality bands out there? Jan: There are too many people who are just interested in seeing bands that are reforming. Ant: There are some bands reforming that shouldn’t have formed in the first place. Jan: It’s become a big nostalgia trip. I used to see the old teddy boys in the 80’s and laugh at them. There’s nothing wrong with listening to your old stuff, just give the new stuff a chance too because punk’s moved on and people should move on with it. Chris: There are loads of kids out there who are great, the old bands can’t go on forever and neither can we. Without new blood punk is dead. I like nothing better than seeing a bunch of kids playing their hearts out, that’s what it’s all about.
will still be here in some shape or form. Jan: Ten years down the line you will still be able to see the same old shite being churned out at these nostalgic festivals. Ant: I have no problem with bands like the UK Subs and Vice Squad who have never stopped; in fact they refuse to stop and good on ‘em. It’s just all the bands that reform just for the money, it goes against
“There are too many people who are just interested in seeing bands that are reforming
Finally – it’s 10 years down the line and punk is still producing the goods. A lot of the old school bands are finished - will One Man Stand be anywhere in the reckoning? Tell us your personal predictions for the band! Ant: As long as I’m still enjoying it and as long as I’m capable of doing it I hope we
what punk rock should be all about. Jan: At least when the Sex Pistols reform they tell it like it is and don’t pretend to like each other and have the decency to admit they only got back together because someone offered them a big fat cheque why lie we all know why. Chris: In ten years time we won’t be playing the same set we are now, we will always be writing new songs otherwise you just end up going through the motions. Jan: In ten years time someone will offer us a big fat cheque to FUCK OFF! Ant: And in ten years time OMD will still be asking the same question “Why don’t people give the new bands a chance?” Jan: That’s if the sherry doesn’t get him first!
“We’re almost 40 years old and we’re talking about another man’s nutsack…”
VOODOO GLOW SKULLS
“We Ain’t Buying it!”
nds of brass instruments and In the middle of the winter the sou shine aren’t welcome. But Voosongs about skeletons in the sun game long enough to know just doo Glow Skulls have been in the ipment from the stage as a huge how to get a crowd knocking equ t with brothers Frank (vocals) skanking mob storm it. Willa mee of their wordly advice on the e som and Eddie (guitar) Cassilas for ors. state of ska, politics and genital tum
Words & Photos by Willa
So it’s been 20 years? Eddie C: Almost! FrankC: It will be by next Febuary, I think. How does it feel to be one of the main third-wave ska bands left? FC: For us? I don’t know- for the most part we’ve considered ourselves to be a punk rock band. To be considered a pioneer, West Coast ska-punk band is still pretty awesome. Very few bands we started out with are still around, touring. It feels great to still be on the road and to still have fans that come to shows. EC: We’ve always been kind of more underground when it came to the whole Third Wave, so in that way it was easier to survive it. We’ve always been in the same place, same scene, doing what we like to do. FC: Well we’ve always been in our
own little thing, kind of on the side of Third Waves but not really into it. We’ve gotton together with Third Wave ska bands kind of on tours and at shows, but it doesn’t really work for us. They’re cool- a lot of those bands deserve their money and success. But we’re not the same animals as far as the music goes. EC: We’re kind of more thrashy I guess, thrashy hardcore. That tends to scare the more peppy little ska kids when we go on tour with bands like that. People are scared of these 30-year-old men playing heavier ska music. I think that’s also good, because we’re pretty diverse. We can play with punk bands and be well-accepted at even metal shows. That’s probably part of the reason why we’re still around even with the whole Third Wave of Ska dying out. It doesn’t affect us all that much, because here we are. In the
end of the day, we’re a punk rock band. FC: Also, it doesn’t sound like its totally dead yet, with Reel Big Fish playing to 2000 people a night. I think it’s still pretty successful, just not popular anymore. Do you ever have a problem with crowds from different scenes mixing, what with your mix of genres? FC: Hmm. Not really…I guess the way we do it, a lot of old-skool ska fans don’t like it, so it’s the more open-minded kids coming to shows. I mean, we play ska, punk rock, hardcore- then just blend them together and play it faster. It’s not like we’re throwing in fucking violins. We’re really just a glorified rock band with horns. What was it like losing the saxophone then? FC: Actually, we have saxophone again, but no more trumpet. We replaced the saxophone because James- who was in our band up until this last album- couldn’t tour anymore, so we had to find someone who could commit to touring. And then our trumpet player left almost a year or two ago because he had a kid and had to get responsible. So we decided to switch them around and tour with less people, which we did before in 2000. EC: I don’t know…we like how it sounds anyway. Since we don’t have a trumpet hitting those high notes, I think that this last album sounds a little heavier. It’s got a more heavier, hardcore horns sound that is like…ska is an obvious influence but not a format. What do you guys think about the new album? FC: We’re proud of it. We think it sounds like the next natural progression for our music. We were listening to metal and a lot
of old ska, so for us this felt like the right direction. We’ve never tried to write a commercial record. We just have a jam session and say ‘right, let’s pick the best song out of the next three songs we write’. Each song is like a snapshot of time when that song was done. After putting out so many records over the years, do you feel you’ve more stayed true to your sound or progressed? FC: I think we’ve always stayed true to our music. But with this album, we wanted people to say that it sounds like the first few records. If we were aiming for anything, it was to put out an album that sounded like old-skool Voodoo Glow Skulls. We wanted to capture that kind of energy again, because with the last couple of albums…they were well-accepted by our fans, but there were a couple reviews that were saying ‘oh, this sounds a little more generic’ or whatever. So we tried to go back to our more basic, punk stuff. How come you guys are back so soon? You played the Underworld not so long ago this summer… FC: To promote the album. Plus, it felt like the right thing to do. If we have the time and the money, why not? When we play in the summer it’s always more about the festivals, so we wanted to come back in the winter and play smaller clubs. It’s cool. Like when we play now and promoters take notice and say ‘Hey, you guys are pretty cool’ and we get into festivals, which has already happened in a few places. Like, we’re playing Rebellion festival I think, and another in Belgium. EC: You hear about bands that come and tour the UK and Europe like four or six times a year- they really work it. We’re trying to promote the record so it’s cool, like
“...We tried to go back to our more basic, punk stuff”
now we have an excuse! What was it like moving from Epitaph to Victory? FC: Either way, it’s good to have a home. And the way CD sales are going, it’s good to be with a label that’s known for selling a lot of records. Victory are also more…okay, I don’t want to say it… EC: Emo? FC: Victory are kind of more well-known for their emo, punk-hardcore...screamo… So it’s always felt like we’ve been in the wrong place, but Victory are great. They treat us fair. They have funds and resources, but it still feels like we’re playing for the wrong team. They’ve got a lot of screamo and fashion-hardcore bands on one side, then us and Catch 22 on the other. It hasn’t been all bad, because they’re a real good label that’s managed to keep us around for
the last seven years and allowed us to keep doing what we’re doing and bring out new records. Epitaph…we were very grateful to be on that label with Brett and all of those people. But it felt like the label was going in a direction of different bands and different music. At the time we weren’t up for shopping for a label. With Victory it was just a phonecall that went: ‘Hey, would you like to put out our next album?’ It’s good to be respected enough that you can just do that. But after this album, we’re actually looking for another label. Our contract with Victory is finishing. With ‘morning air raid sirens’ you guys get political…what’s your view on the upcoming US elections? EC: I have this weird nightmare where George W. Bush would stay in office for another four years. He seems like the kind
of tyrant figure where it’s possible. I don’t have a strong political leaning, but I think the elections is going to be interesting. There’s a black guy, a mormon, a woman… It’s bizarre. It’s really up for grabs. It looks like it’s going to be either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. People are saying that he doesn’t have enough experience to run the country, but at this point..who does? People are looking for a change. Regardless of who gets elected, I think the administration is looking to be refreshed. There needs to be a change in attitude. Everywhere we go people say ‘You Americans! You don’t even vote!’ and stuff like that. Especially on the road, especially in Europe, you’ll hear ‘George Bush!’ FC: Like if there’s a quiet lull between songs, someone will shout out ‘Bush’ or ‘fuck George Bush!’ C’mon, you’re at a punk rock show to have fun. We have a couple more political songs now…like I don’t want to get too in-depth because we’re not as politically educated as some people but it’s good to be aware of what’s going on around you and that’s the way we approach our political songs. EC: As far as that song goes, it’s basically just a song about being woken up by sirens. Your nice, Southern Californian house being invaded by another country. It might be a little paranoid, but someday in the future it will be possible. Well than how about all this new talk about the collapse of media, especially in the us, and the government and corporations getting more influence. How long until it reaches music? EC: It already kinda has, I think. The music industry had always been commercialized but now…if you watch how they change their artists to fit the fashions. Like Avril Lavigne…a year ago she was pretending to
be punk rock, but now she’s a little dance queen? It’s like ‘let’s steal something from Rancid, or someone else cool and underground, and put it on this 12-year-old girl’ or whatever. And people buy it. Look at Warped Tour…back when we used to play it, it was cool, small bands that wouldn’t be at other festivals. Now it’s all bought and sold. Like, they had a year of ska-punk.. when they thought it was cool and smart. Now it’s all about sponsorship. As veterans of several different music scenes, what do you think is going to happen next? FC: We were talking about this earlier. For bands like us, I think it’s going to get DIY again. Apparentally record sales are now at a 50% all-time-low and a lot of bands are going to have to tour and play more. Because shows are the last frontier- you can watch a live video but it’s not as cool as being there and it never will be. Bands are going to have to tighten up their live acts. Because with downloading and all that stuff now, record labels don’t want to pay bands so much…I think punk rock fans are more loyal, because you still see people going to shows and buying CDs and collecting merch. EC: With the younger generation, I don’t know if there will still be that element. Like, the scene is getting smaller. Less younger people are coming to shows, and we’ve had to downscale venues because of that. To us, that doesn’t matter- if you’ve got a place, we’ll play it. Now with Myspace, you can meet your fans before coming to the show! FC: You start to recognize some of your fans from your Myspace at shows. It’s creepy as hell. But I like it here. In the UK you always get an enthusiastic crowd. Like, we played the Barfly a couple of years back. Camden is cool. You can buy crack or Doc Martens,
whatever your taste. Plus there seems to be a lot of international traffics; like tonight we’ve met people from Ireland, Japan, L.A. Tips for surviving this fucking freeing english weather while on tour? EC: (Whistles) Thermal underwear! FC: Rent a ridiculously expensive tour bus with the worst bus driver ever. (someone in the back shouts ‘Wear a jacket!’)
EC: Yeah, we got off to a bad start with the bus driver. We walked in and said ‘nice to meet you, we’re the band’ and he laid out all these rules that we’re not used to on tour because we paid good money for the bus. Like a limousine. But he said ‘no smoking weed’. But the worst thing is that this guy either has a really, really big cock…or elephantitus of the nuts. But he has this bulge
that sticks out, and it’s always there. We should write a song about it, that thing has traumatized eleven men on a bus... okay twelve, because the twelth is the bulge. FC: Think of a cucumber. So to make it worse, we’ve been staring at that thing all tour. You can’t help it! But the guy’s not really a people person so it’s made him mad at us. When he come out in his underwear and he’s like ‘Hey mate’ and leans over like this, so it’s in your face… EC: “Beware of the bulge!” FC: He’s like some Austin Powers villain, ‘The Bulge’. EC: We’re almost 40 years old and we’re talking about another man’s nutsack… maybe it’s time to go home. Goodnight!
| page 15 | FEBRUARY 2007 |
Soundcheck:
Radio Dead Ones
Members:
When & where did they play their debut show:
Rik Oldman - lead guitar Fabio Potenzano - rythm guitar TV Mork - drummer Andru Bourbon - bass Beverly Crime - vocals
Wild at Heart in Berlin
Best gig played:
1st May 2007 infront of 3000 people
Releases:
Out of Tune 7”, Holy Ghost 7”, Split 7” with Frontkick, Killers & Clowns 12”, split 12” with Funeral March, split 7” with The Loyalties
Influences:
Mostly punk rock, but everything else as well. Swingin’ Utters, The Rolling Stones, the Explosion, Backyard Babies, Sex Pistols, Chelsea and so on
How long have been together: Three and a half years
they
Dream tour:
This April with the U.S. Bombs, Bad Boys for Life tour.
Drink of choice:
c
Beer all round.
Bands They Recommend: Frontkick, Funeral March and the Loyalties
URL: www.myspace.com/radiodeadones
The Koffin Kats are preparing themselves for their very first visit to the UK and Europe. They’re no strangers to the States and Canada but will this crazy punked up pyschobilly trio be able to handle themselves this side of the pond? According to vocalist and bassist Vic, the Koffin Kats are more than ready for their virgin Euro-Trip.... Photos by Diana Price. Words by Tim Drunk.
Rumour has it you’re venturing across the ocean for a tour? First time this side too hey? Yeah this is will be out first time over. Looking forward to it! Feb 26th to March 15th.. going all over the place. How do you think the European scene will take to your sound? Do you have many fans this side of the pond? Well if they dig punk with an upright bass we should be ok. haha... We have gotten a lot of feedback since we announced coming over so we hope there should be at least 10 people at every show. Seeing as you’ve never toured this side, any places in particular you’re looking forward to playing? Well... not only have we never toured over there, but i also have never traveled there on my own so im really looking forward to soaking it all in... no idea what to expect. I guess whatever city has the best looking chicks and rockinest crowd will
be the place to look forward to. Give us a run down of your releases. When did they come out etc. Which release is your favourite, why? Each release holds its place with me. Thats like trying to pick your favorite kid. In those terms i would say ‘straying’ is probably the least of the fucked up kids we have had. I wrote the lyrics in one crazy night when i was all wicked pist drunk and mad at something and that how the record came out. Fast and pist. I have a feeling when ‘Drunk’ comes out ill be digging that one. With 17 tracks we get to more room to do things we havent done before and still present the elements that we liked about the previous releases. Koffin Kats (2004), Inhumane (2005), Straying From The Pack ( 2006 ), Drunk In the Daylight ( release set for April 2008) You seem to have a pretty simple ‘fuck
KOFFIN KATS
“No crybabies. No Divas. No radio hogs.”
you’ attitude to playing music. To quote your myspace page ‘We’re a god damn band that plays anything we fuckin want to and hope not to sound like a rip off of bands we grew up listening too...’ Care to tell us about some of those rip off bands? Really the idea behind that statement was no to call anyone out. Just to make it aware that we as a band realize everyone starts somewhere. Usually looks up to a few different bands to cultivate their sound and style. There has to be a point though where you have to become your own band with your sound. These days you will never be 100% original and yes its all been done before. Heard that 100 times over. At least try though. The bands
that will be remembered are the ones that kept music moving forward. Its when bands cannabalize each other so much that a scene gets boring and dies away. The only time i think i get in ‘fuck you’ mode is when we’re lumped in with the ‘just another band that sounds like this style’ catagory. Aside from not touring Europe, you’ve pretty much played the whole of the US what about Canada? Any places you still haven’t played? Yes we have managed to get wasted in every corner of the states. Except Hawaii and Alaska. Damn near hit Alaska when we toured western Canada. We hope to
hit eastern Canada and Mexico this year. How well do you guys tour with each other? Surely it isn’t all good all the time while being on the road? What’s the dumbest thing you’ve had a fight over on the road? Were pretty good about that shit. No crybabies. No Divas. No radio hogs. Thats the rule. If someone is feeling down about being on the road or missing home, which never really happens with us, but if it does though the saying is: ‘Who the fuck are you to be so ungrateful. There are kids that would kill to be on tour.’We were fortunate enough to know each other before we were a band... kinda all grew up
together. So we know what buttons not to push with each other haha. If we do fight its usually a drunk fight between two of us or the whole crew. Its generally gets laughed about the next day. What about your best fight? Tommy and I in Tulsa, Oklamoma. The club we played let us all be bartenders at the end of the night. We took full advantage! Well Tommy had too much whiskey, I had too much Vodka. I went to hit him in the top of the head after what i think was a stray remark. Probably a short joke. haha. Well i missed and kinda broke his nose.I dont think it was a full fracture but it was close. It sucked there was blood all
“These Days you will never be 100% original and yes, its all been done before.”
over the van. We laughed about it the next day. Mmmmm, speaking about fighting - have you ever had to fight off a crowd, in a bad or good way? Not really. Our crowd is usually more into rockin out then fighting. We have the occasional dude that gets up on stage and decides that he needs to rock out with us or sing the song for me...haha. Sometimes well get pulled into the crowd off the stage by our chains or whatever random shit we have hanging from us...its all good fun to us. Now, we’ve got the Koffin Kats in the left corner, who would be in the right corner? A cow, a horse, and goat. Tommy grabs the cow and says ‘fuck you cow!’ Then tips it and goes for the elbow drop. E ball decks the horse in the teeth. Meanwhile i got the goat by the horns and follow through with a knee drop. This is what happens when you tour through the farm regions with boredom. You start to get pist at the livestock and make up vengeful stories...well at least we do. If you were a wrestling team, which band would you choose to take on? Why? Hole. To avenge the death of the great El Duce. Someone out there will get that. Mentors forever. What makes pyschobilly so dark? An E minor chord and the macabre. The whole scene almost seems cliched? To a point yes. I think any scene can get like that after a while though. As far as i have always gathered the cool thing about psychobilly is that its fun music. Wild and
raw rock and roll thats a little sicker then rockabilly. At least it used to be! Nowadays its getting watered down and pretty... what the hell. Get nasty. Get demented. How do you try break away from the stereo types? Well I have never considered us a full on psychobilly band. I just embrace it and respect it as i do with other music styles like punk rock or gypsy jazz. So maybe its easier for me to admit that 50% of my lyrics are not really based on cars or graveyards. Which is funny because two of our more requested songs are called ‘graveyard tree’ and ‘v8 nightmare’ and I know with a name like Koffin Kats go figure. For the sake of trying to be somewhat original I like building songs around charectars or creating story lines. Yes its usually bleak and centers around drug addiction or losing ones mind. Science fiction does creep in often. I dig all that shit though. How do you feel about kids illegally downloading punk music? As a band that doesnt make shit off of record sales i say have at it. A true fan of your band will want the cd in package. I can only see it as helpful that people were able to find us on the file sharing programs. It will never be stopped. Im too lazy to do all that downloading stuff ,id rather go to the store and buy the cd. You make your money on the road with t shirt sales anyway. What kind of live show can people expect from you guys? Any special people should bring to shows? Its louder and faster then the recordings. We just go up there half drunk and give it our all, try to not sound like ass,and hope people dig. If you dont like blood...real
blood.. that corn syrup shit is gross. If ya dont like spit.... on some occasions puke and piss. You wont like us. If you only go to see bands that want to preach and talk politics ....well you wont like us! Thats just not our gig right there! Anything else you’d like to add? A giant thank you to the people that have
contacted us over the past few years urging us to make it overseas. Look forward to meeting new international friends! Catch the Koffin Kats on tour in Europe and the UK from 28 Feb - 15 March.
“We just get up there half drunk and give it our all...”
Anthems to live by
s y
HISTORY
Bad Religion Words by Lola. Photos by Sean Murphy. For over twenty years Bad Religion have been the stalwarts of the So-Cal punk scene, effortlessly churning out rousing anthems laced with idealism and truth. Never a band to shy away from ‘telling it like it is’, their combination of socially, politically and economically aware lyrics set to a back drop of crashing guitar riffs and furious drumming have ensured that even after their fourteenth studio album release, they are still at the forefront of the punk scene and unlike many of their contemporaries, are showing no signs of slowing down.
Featuring the original line up of Greg Gaffin (vocals), Brett Gurewitz (guitar), Jay Bentley (bass) and Jay Ziskrout (drums), Bad Religion displayed innovation from the very beginning with Gurewitz forming his own record label, Epitaph Records, in order to release their debut self-titled EP. 1982 saw the release of their debut full-length album, How Could Hell Be Any Worse, financed by a $1,000 loan from Gurewitz’s father. During the recording process Ziskrout left the band and was replaced by Peter Finestone. This album would surprise both the scene and the band by selling over 10,000 copies in under a year. 1983 saw the band release Into the Unknown, which fared less well due to a significant change in style and sound. However, the album remains in high demand due to officially being out of print resulting from the albums being surreptitiously sold from the warehouse in which they were being stored. Fans clamour to buy copies on EBay due to ‘collector item’ status; however most of those found are pirated. (buying tip: The original cover has a red hue) Into the Unknown also brought about another line-up change with both Bentley and Finestone leaving the band and being replaced by Paul Dedona on bass and Davy Goldman on drums. Another line-up change would occur after the band broke up and then re-formed without Gurewitz who was dealing with a severe drug problem. Greg Hetson of Circle Jerks fame took over guitar duties and due to his previous stint playing on the track ‘Part III’, slotted in without a problem. The band released the EP Back to the Known which saw them return to
their original sound and proved popular with fans. However, after this return to form the band once again went on hiatus, reforming in 1986 with former members Bentley, Gurewitz (alongside Hetson) and Finestone back in the line-up. 1988 saw the band release Suffer, arguably one of their finest albums to date. Released on Epitaph, the album cemented the band’s comeback and the sheer melodic brutality of the 15 track album is oft cited as ‘saving’ the So-Cal scene in general. 1989 and 1990 saw the release of No Control and Against the Grain respectively, both albums further cemented the band’s ongoing popularity and iconic status. In 1991 Finestone once again left the band, to concentrate on his other musical interests, and was replaced with Bobby Schayer. Although their next album, Generator, was completed in 1991, the release was delayed for a year and the band released a compilation album, 80-85, in 1991 which was essentially a repackaging of their debut album and EP’s although tracks from Into the Unknown were not included. In 1994, alternative rock broke into the mainstream with the arrival of grunge and a resurgence into punk via Nirvana and Offspring respectively. Due to this, Bad Religion found themselves welcomed by the mainstream and made a switch from the independent Epitaph to Atlantic, a major. Their 1993 seventh album, Recipe for Hate was re-released on Atlantic followed quickly by 94’s Stranger Than Fiction. The tracks Infected and the re-recorded 21st Century Digital Boy were both major hits for the band and
HISTORY
propelled the album to resounding success. In 1998 the band received their first certified gold record for sales of over 500 000 in the USA. To date, Stranger Than Fiction, remains one of their best known among fans and critics alike. ’94 also saw the departure of Brett Guweritz. Speculation is rife over the exact cause, with Guweritz citing that the amount of time that he was spending at the Epitaph offices due to the phenomenal success of Offspring as taking him away from the band commitments. Rumours that he was not satisfied with the Atlantic contract also arose. However shortly
after his departure Gaffin would change the lyrics of live performances to comment on Gurewitz’s drug problems making it well known the split was not entirely acrimonious, although later on Gaffin would dispute any allegations of ill feeling between the two of them. Gurewitz was replaced by Brian Baker, formerly of Minor Threat and Dag Nasty. Life without Gurewitz carried on and the band released The Gray Race in 1996, No Substance in 1998 and The New America in 2000. The latter being produced by Todd Rundgren who was an idol of Gaffin’s. However the experience of recording the album was a letdown as Rudgren seemingly did not like Gaffin leaving him (Gaffin) feeling
dejected at working with his idol. A lineup change occurred again with Bobby Schaver leaving the band due to injury and was replaced by Brooks Wackerman from Suicidal Tendencies. 1999 also saw a reunion of sorts between Gaffin and Gurewitz with them collaborating on the track Believe It which was released on The New America. By 2001 Gurewitz was back in the band full time and having left Atlantic, Bad Religion returned to Epitaph. Now a six piece, Bad Religion stormed back to original hardhitting form with The Process of Belief (2002) and The Empire Strikes First (2004). Both albums were commercial successes as they both peaked in the top 50 of the Billboard charts. The latter being especially well received by the mainstream as it seemingly referenced the negative aspects of the Bush Administration not only with references to the war but also on the socio-economic
HISTORY
climate of America as a whole. In a world increasingly disillusioned by the modus operandi of President Bush, the album really hit home. Gurewitz has been quoted as saying he ‘just hates the guy’. 2007 saw the release of New Maps of Hell , another blistering album from the band regardless of the noticeable musical experimentation featured with the inclusion of more melodic overtures and piano intros. With a seemingly never ending touring schedule including the ever exhausting Warped Tour, Bad Religion are not slowing down and now that they have comfortably returned to form, the punk community has no desire for them to do anything than that which they do best.
REVIEWS KISS KISS KILL KILL Horrorpops
to offer a more complete package which has taken its inspiration from the silver screen. In my view I miss the gang vocals and fun of previous releases, not saying that its not a good release, but a much changed sounding band who still stand at the fore of the genre. – Steve
out or a big skate session. If you like your anarcho punk, then you’ll ejoy this new release from Total Chaos - they really hate the Amaerican government and the California Highway Patrol... ~ Tim Drunk
(Hell Cat)
Like a new years resolution, the new look slimmed version of genre staple Horrorpops, have delivered an album that may very well gain busloads of new fans and lose some older ones too. The fingerprint doo-whops in support are gone, and front-lady Patricia Day takes the vocal seat with a more assured, stronger output with trademark double bass still accompanying too. However it is a far less pacey output than previously, due to the bands reduced numbers, and where they have tried to recuperate this loss is in their song choice and diversity within the album
AVOID ALL SIDES Total Chaos (People Like You)
Total Chaos return with yet another great hard hitting punk as fuck album. Avoid All Sides is as brutally honest. Nothing is tabboo and all Total Chaos’s grievances are laid out for all to hear. It’s fast, gnarly. Not really something you’d want to listen to when you’re chillin’ but a must have before a night
DARKER DAYS Time Again (Hell Cat)
Since the release of their debut album, Time Again, have been slogging it hard with loads of touring and the even found some time to put their second album together. And is Darker Days any good? It isn’t quite the album many people were hoping for but it shows that Time Again know how to write some catchy as fuck street punk styled anthems. They
> ALBUMS > EPs > BOOKS > GIGS
keep it simple, the musician ship is tight and lyrics are infectious. Perhaps on the first listen you won’t be sold but after the 3rd time the you’ll be hooked. Look out for the title track, Darker Days and the sing along anthem, Outlaw. ~ Tim Drunk.
BUILD & BURN The Loved Ones (FatWreck)
Rock inspired, in that catchy melodic All-American way, with inspiration from Tom Petty and Springsteen undeniable, and the production of Bouncing Souls members Bryan Kienten and Pete Steinkopfs sound echoed. This is a melodic uplifting and dramatic folksy-country output of increased maturity. Strangely it is their
very evident favourite-artist inspired sound on the record that is the biggest attraction and downfall, straddling somewhere between an ode album and something that is very likeable. – Steve
With hidden melodies , you might actually find yourself humming along. Perhaps the only thing that really spoils it in my opinion is the very metal somwhat Maiden’sque guitar work. I guess this is also a plus as it gives Unit Lost that little spark of originality. Props to them for having the balls to mix punk with old school classic metal. ~ Tim Drunk
KILLING THE SCENE Unit Lost (Pure Impact)
Mmmmm, not so convinved by the ‘Pirates of the Caribean’ type intro song... but thankfully all is well when the band kicks in. It’s fast hardcore punk with a classic Oi! slant. But if that isn’t enough, the very metallic hammer will knock you off your chair when the 2nd song rolls through your speakers. The songs are well thought out and carefully crafted.
Old South Jamboree Chip Hanna & The Berlin Three (People Like You)
Country-bum Chip Hanna (can that sound more Country?) and his trio release, well you guessed it, a country album. With a mix of honky tonk, bluegrass
REVIEWS and Tarantino sounding soundtrack, this is not for die hard punks, but the lines between folk and punk heroes has always been blurred. There is no grey area here , straight old chew tobacco and spit em out country tunes, from country punks. - Steve
Isn’t This Supposed To Be Fun!? Farewell (Epitaph)
I’ve got to be honest, this album lacks everything. It sounds like watered down radio rock aimed at little kids. Take all those bands that sound like all those other bands who like those other bands who think they’re like the Lost Prophets and you
might come close. Seriously, there isn’t anything punk (no matter how ‘pop’) about Farewell, and frankly I couldn’t care how much fun they’re having, it wasn’t fun listening to this... then again if you’re reading this you probably know this. ~ Tim Drunk Dead End Street Marching Orders Oi! Oi! Oi! - you get where this one is going? Yip, you guessed it Marching Orders is a gang of skins putting out a great 7 track release. It’s distinctively British and you have your feet tapping no sooner than 1, 2, 3, 4! Once you’ve got the feeting tapping you’ll feel your hand rise into the air as you shout along, Oi! Oi! Oi! Personal highlight would have to be quick stop and go of ‘Nihilistic’. If I were you, I’d keep me ears to the ground for these guys. ~ Billy Sub
Second Coming The Dickies (Captain Oi!) You got to love the artwork on this album, I’m not sure which is more disturbing the ‘angelised’ members of the band of the ‘It’ clown on the back. Captain Oi! Once again bring us a superb re-issue and another great album to add to your collection - that is if you don’t have it already. This CD comes complete with the ‘Killer Klowns From Outer Space’ EP so no matter what you’re only going to score if you pick up this once rare release. ~ Old Skool Sam Ungrateful Britian (sampler) Citizen Keyne Funny thing, I was going to give you nice review on this four track sampler from Citizen Keyne but as their album just landed on my desk 5 minutes after deadline, I’m going to make you wait just a little longer. Look out for the complete review in the March issue. ~ Tim Drunk
R E V I E WS Don’t take our word for it, make up your own mind!
DVDs
ALL Grown Up
(Psykopunkproductions) All Grown Up is the first documentary from Andrea Writing. It focuses on the established, older punk generation, and asks many of the same question; What punk is? What is their involvement? The meaning of punk and is it a phase? These questions are put forward fairly rhetorically, and in no way is this a groundbreaking documentary that will expose revolutionary ideas or answers from heroes such as TV Smith, Charlie Harper, or the host of other artists and musicians that are the focus of this piece. However it is the development of the documentary that does break away some of the layers in helping cement the answers to those questions. Despite the DIY ethic behind the film, self financed, produced and filmed; it does suffer from bouts of poor sound quality in the actual interviews and production, and at times is over edited to add an artistic element to the film. This is probably unnecessary as the dialogue and responses are informative and interesting enough, and often very well edited to keep the flow of information smooth and steady and very watchable. It is maybe a punk film for punks, as it doesn’t break frontiers as mentioned previously, but it is heartfelt, honest, and it is stripped of any ‘Johnny Rotten’ bullshit rantings of revolutions and superlatives. The interviews are often anecdotal and easy to associate with as stories of separate involvement and meanings are elabo-
rated on. From their parents responses, to their affiliation with punk rock, their day jobs and the outward misconceptions of punk, everybody has their say. I think the ‘human element’ will appeal to the audience not familiar with punk. It will give the Average Joe an insight into a lifestyle that has shaped many lives across the world, and drives home the point that punk isn’t just a phase. - Steve Noble
BOOKs
GOD’s LONELY MEN By Pete Haynes
With God’s Lonely Men Pete ‘Manic Esso’ Haynes, drummer for The Lurkers, delivers a well written insight into the history and adventures of the band. What separates this from any ordinary band biography is that Haynes also offers commentary on the state of not only 1970’s England but also the world from an ‘outsiders’ point of view, examining the negative attitudes that human beings display to each other no matter which walk of life they come from. From witnessing the oppressive state of Northern Ireland to deep south Klan territory in the States, from countrified English pubs to Top of The Pops, God’s Lonely Men is a compelling read for not only fans of punk and the Lurkers but also for those that like their books to deliver ‘something more’. Haynes effortlessly mixes humour with wry social commentary and result is one of the most satisfying ‘band’ books to hit the market in a while. – Lola
> ALBUMS > EPs > BOOKS > GIGS
Sham69 / Anoraks / Dun2Def / Target Zero The Pitz, Milton Keynes, UK Sunday 13 January 200
I didn’t get to see very much of Target Zero as they were well into their set when I arrived and after 40 odd minutes driving up the M1 motorway, I needed a pint. Local lads Dun2Def came on and made a great impact from the start, Mad John was over the barrier and into the subdued crowd with the first song followed by onstage banter and Ferret trying to entice the crowd away from the doors at the back and into the room. The crowd consisted mainly of punks ‘n skins but there were an awful lot of brown suede jacket wearers, obviously here to rekindle memories of years ago and catch up with Sham 69 again. Dun2Def played on, banging out some great songs, ‘Scars of War’, ‘Don’t give up the rifle’, ‘Your dead’ and ‘This time’ which has one of the best “fuck you’s” I’ve ever heard. “Bargain booze” is going to be a great punk anthem sing along. This band excite me and the two singers certainly gives them that extra edge and fits in perfectly with their loud, somewhat heavy style of punk. They finished their great set of with ‘You certainly have been’. The Anoraks were a band I hadn’t yet heard and I am so glad I got to see them. Their pure punk energy was amazing with all band members taking the main mic at
some point They blasted out songs like ‘Suicide bomber’, ‘Anorak dub’ and a fantastic cover of Xray Spex’s ‘Identity’ which was sung superbly by Bev the drummer. She never seemed to stop grinning from ear to ear throughout their whole set. Yet another CD for me to add to my growing collection and another band definetly worth seeing again very soon. Sham 69 opened up with ‘Angels with dirty faces’ which had the crowd jumping around from the start. They played a good mix of old and new songs together throwing in the odd classic in between including one of my favourites, ‘Hurry up harry’ with ‘Sunday morning nightmare’ being dedicated to the gobby lad in the crowd. It might not be Jimmy (Pursue) singing but Tim V seemed to be able to handle the crowd abuse and his vocal duties very well. While ‘Hersham boy’s and ‘Borstal breakout’ were sung by everybody in the room but it was the final song, the unmistakable classic, ‘If the kids are united’ that really saw the crowd getting involved. Oh and apparently Charlie Harper is not dead, thank fuck! - Stu Elliott
Blacklisted / Shipwreck AD / Soul Control Underworld, London, UK Sunday 20th January 2008
As the fans eagerly waited outside the Camden underworld there was a sense
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of anticipation to see what two of Deathwish’s finest had to offer. Featuring Blacklisted and Shipwrecked A.D it was obvious that this was going to be a good night, but you could tell from the crowd that many people were debating which band would put on the better set. As the Underworld began to fill up the opening band, Soul Control, began their set. It seemed to pass without a bat of an eyelid. For many in the crowd this was their first encounter with the band, but there was obviously a small handful who had heard their music before. Trying their best to start the crowd moving, but to no effect, Soul Control unfortunately seemed to have no control of these fans who were here for a Deathwish frenzy. Once Soul Control had finished the audience hardly had time to pause for a drink before Shipwrecked A.D were present on stage. Where Soul Control had failed to provoke any energy from the crowd, there was no slacking for the Boston hardcore outfit. Within the first few opening notes there were bodies flying, energy levels were high, gang vocals were frequent and ‘pits’ were many. With powerful vocals and fantastic breakdowns, it is no wonder Shipwrecked are tipped as one of Death wish’s ‘must see’ bands. Once Shipwrecked A.D had finished it was now a question of “Can Blacklisted top that?” The band appeared on stage, the crowd standing in anticipation of what this mammoth of a band would produce. Would they predominantly ’plug’ recently realised new LP “Peace On Earth, War On Stage” or stick to the classics? As the Blacklisted onslaught began the fans were not disappointed in any way - a mixture
of old and new plus a surprise thrown in. The appearance of Rise & Fall vocalist Bjorn was an added treat for this crowd who clearly loved their Deathwish music. The Crowd verged on hysteria when they played a song from their full length ‘The Beat goes on’, clearly a favourite - ‘How quickly I forget?’ The crowd suddenly seemed to show all their hardcore passion in one outburst of the chorus ‘How quickly the times change, how quickly you forget my name?’ With people ‘two stepping‘, jumping to be part of the chorus and shouting the lyrics, emphasising that this is what hardcore is all about. Despite how much hatred there appears to be in the world people, these people, no matter how different had all come together in that one moment of true passion. – Tim Birkbeck
Henry Rollins
Hammersmith Apollo, London, UK Saturday 26th January 2008 Henry Rollins is a formidable figure, and onstage, in front of a pretty much soldout cold London audience, his physical size is far outweighed by his monstrous voice and story-telling. His Spoken Word tours, which have seen him on the road for the better part of the last year non stop, are award winning and deservedly so. On this stop-over in London, as part a European leg of a lengthy worldwide tour, his tales continue to act as humorous, loud and wildly interesting stories of travel into countries most travellers would dare venture. He spoke of places like Islamabad, Pakistan, Beirut, Syria
> ALBUMS > EPs > BOOKS > GIGS and Tehran. Each adventure played out heartfelt and anecdotal by Rollins. He excels on stage in front of large crowds. The night is filled with constant societal and often political observations on his travels, largely exploring the worlds’ inward view of the USA. Rollins is most humorous in his very contradictions, of being so fragile, despite his intimidating presence, his rollicking from co-workers (female ones) and his open admittance of his flaws and insatiable fear and love of being alone and solitary. Rollins’ adventures into music and heroes is equally enthralling, most recently his participation with the Ruts last year in performing with the band as a fund raiser for Paul Fox (RIP) or his tales of Led Zeppelin and his own involvement with Black Flag in LA. Henry Rollins’ performance, a near three hour long one, is never static, boring or dull. He controls the stage with ease making use of his story telling mastery. – Steve Noble
The Mysterons / Bogus Gasman / The Scaredy Cats Deptford Arms, London, UK Saturday 26th January 2008
It’s Saturday night at The Deptford Arms, rammed with locals, students and roping in an impressive number of fans. Opening the bill are local favourites, The Scaredy Cats. Their Save Ferris meets Madness brand of third wave ska works well tonight, and as the brass section kicks into life the crowd are down the
front and skanking like crazy. Original up-beat songs with catchy hooks and perfectly timed ska breakdowns have the whole venue on their feet. Dual male and female vocals give this band a melodic distinctive edge but seem at times to lack confidence. A change to the line-up, Bogus Gasman take to the stage early with a public transport curfew. To sum it up, go and see this band. Front man Liam powers through a hard and tight set, with a rock solid brass section and a shit hot drummer, continuously varying the truly unique brand of anarchic dub-core without an inch of ska punk conformity. Bogus Gasman need to break out of their comfort zone and get themselves billed on bigger shows. Slowing the pace down and it’s midnight by the time The Mysterons start to play; yet the venue is still packed. I’ve seen them play before and they’re fucking good; but tonight on home turf playing to an unconditionally accepting crowd, this is their best performance to date. They exude a youthful cheeky confidence, playing a mixed set of two tone, reggae and ska numbers with a few covers thrown in. Spot-on harmonies, solid instrumental riffs and high energy leaves the crowd yelling for an encore. In a genre filled with bands following the same generic blueprint, lets hope The Mysterons can succeed in their mission to break through with something new and exciting. – Sara Anders
A few of my favourite things...
John Robb GOLDBLADE
1. Band: It changes every day... the Stranglers 2. ‘77 punk band: The Clash 3. Drink: Corporation pop 4. Food: Anything vegan 5. Book: The Anarchists Handbook 6. Album: Minor Threat’s Complete Discography and Rammstein’s ‘Resie Reisie’ 7. Movie: Fight Club 8. Gadget: My laptop 9. Pet: Our dog 10. Things to do aside from band stuff: Weight training... hanging out... writing... and seeing bands
GoldBlade are set to release a new album this summer. (photo by Grilly)