Issue One: Going Nowhere. 02/05/18
“Welcome to the first part of this micro magazine series. People seem to be under the illusion that now it’s not the 1970s the punk scene has become buried and any attempt to revitalize it is nothing more than Nostalgia. We ask the believers of this to go and tell that to the ten thousand punks and skins in Blackpool for Rebellion festival every year, the individuals that put on punk shows up and down the country every day of the year for scene and the people who feel like they have no place to turn other than to their music. I can assure you that the punk scene is the strongest it ever has been in the modern age and each of us who hold it dear to our hearts will never stop fighting for it and loving it. Dead End Generations is a homage to the punk scene and will act as something that celebrates what we have achieved throughout the whole country with the hopes of only making it stronger. Punk music made me who I am today, I owe everything to it and the incredible people I have met on my journey so far, so thank you for everyone and everything that has been involved in the scene. Let’s keep the party going” ~ Lewis Jones (Director and Editor)
COCKSPARRER – SID RYAN, STREET PUNK MAS PARTY 2017
TOP 10 UK PUNK ARTISTS OF THE 21ST CENTURY OI OI! ENGLAND PHOTO PAGE DON LETTS INTERVIEW LA FAMILA TATTOO REBELLION FESTIVAL LONDON ONE DAYER 2018 JONNY (GIMP FIST) INTERVIEW JAMIE (AERIAL SALAD) INTERVIEW PHOTOS THAT SHOW THE LONDON PUNK SCENE IS STILL ALIVE PUNK ROCKER POEM GIG CALNERDER ACKNOLEDGEMENTS
BY LEWIS JONES 1) Gimp Fist Formed in 2005 after the split of their Ska Band, Jonny, Mike and Chris began the band Gimp Fist in the town of Darlington, Durham. Over the last decade Gimp Fist have rose up the ranks of English punk rock and street punk with performances all over Europe including on the big stages of rebellion festival as well as other festivals abroad. With a blend of politically charged music and anthems for the working class I can easily say that Gimp Fist are my favourite punk band of all time. Every album they have produced from their debut album ‘Your time is now’ until their most recent ‘Never give up on you’ which was released last year have always been filled with quality songs and rhythms of almost a Clash like nature that make you want to do nothing but scream them yourself. I’ve been to see them live over ten times and every single time they do nothing but impress. For anyone that hasn’t listened to Gimp Fist before I highly recommend it more than any other band I have ever known.
2) Booze & Glory Consisting of members Mark, Kahan, Chema and Frank, Booze & Glory was formed in 2009. Quicker than any band of the current times they have become one the biggest and most popular UK Oi! Bands throughout the whole of Europe. Picking up gigs all around the country and quickly getting on the bill for major punk festivals Booze and Glory’s unique blend of fast paced pub fuelled anthems speak to anyone who feel an attachment to the punk and oi! Scene as well as everything it entails. The band has gone from strength to strength playing shows all over Europe, toured USA, South America and Asia. Booze & Glory have appeared on many festivals all over the world such as Punk Rock Bowling in Vegas, Black’n’Blue Bowl in NY, Rebellion Festival in the UK and With Full Force in Germany just to name a few.
3) Slaves Fast paced punk rock duo Laurie
Vincent and Isaac Holmen are a two piece band from Royal Tunbridge Wells, UK. They released their first EP Sugar Coated Bitter Truth in 2012 and then hit massive success with their following two albums projecting them onto stages all around the world. They do appeal to a more mainstream crowd than we’re usually used too but I can assure you no matter what anyone says they are a punk band and very hard hitting, raw energetic one. On the live stage they bring more energy with them than most and hopefully they will continue their success so they can stay around as long as possible.
4) Roughneck Riot By no means have a traditional folk-punk band, Roughneck Riot have been making their mark on the underground punk scene for nearly a decade with their heavy, melodic sound. Drawing influence from a menagerie of folk, punk and hardcore bands and praised for their high octane live performances, they're intent on highlighting socio-political issues of the 21st century to a new generation of punks. If you haven’t heard of Roughneck Riot before then imagine a much faster, more political and rawer version of the Dropkick Murphy’s! Pure Class
5) Wonk Unit Wonk Unit are a punk band from London. They have a wide variety of types of song from slow touching ones to fast pace full punk anthems. They are one of the most fun punk bands we have in the scene at the current time due to them not taking themselves too seriously which is great. Lead singer ‘Alex’s vocals are a breath of fresh air as he doesn’t tie them down to any one political standing and basically sings about whatever he wants, for example the way some people wear ‘awful jeans’
6) The Restarts The Restarts line up is Kieran, Robin and Bram. Originally The Restarts were spawned out of the misanthropic haze looming around London in the mid Nineties and they are one of the fastest paced in your face punk bands out there. Similar to the likes of Discharge and Chaos UK, The Restarts employ fast pace guitar and drums along with politically charged lyrics about the world we live in. After several tours over Europe, the US and Canada, and over 9 releases the Restarts have found themselves playing a small part in a large worldwide network of DIY Punk Rock. ‘We are punk’s first, musicians second.’ The Restarts are a perfect example of a D.I.Y punk band and show you that anyone can start one all you need is a bit of effort and a lot of shouting!
7) Dirt Box Disco If you have ever been to a punk festival in the UK I’ll be surprised if you haven’t heard or seen Dirt Box Disco. Dirt Box Disco are possibly one of the most fun and entertaining bands to see live, dressed up in various costumes they sing the most sing along and fun punk songs you will ever here. Simplicity and catchy rhythms are what this band are all about and that’s what make them a crowd favourite at shows. Every dirt box disco show is filled with dancing and a hell of a lot of crowd surfing. They currently have five albums each as good as the one before and if you fancy a good sing along to great lyrics, this band will truly get you set for the day. Brilliant band and brilliant people. Be sure to check out my favourite album of theirs ‘Legends’.
8) Aerial Salad
9) In Evil Hour Based in the North East of England, In Evil Hour are a melodic punk rock band. Lyrically, their songs are centred on a continued frustration at the wilful destruction of our shared planet, as well as a general disgust levelled at our plutocratic, militaristic society where social constructs such as class, nationality and gender dictate the opportunities human beings have access to in life. In Evil Hour are once again an amazing live band and as soon as you listen to any of their albums you will hear the raw energy and sound they bring to the punk scene. Alice, on lead vocals delivers so much to the band over the very faced pace music behind her. They’re almost like the English version of Leftover Crack as their music can be very political at times however this takes nothing from them and almost is why they are so good.
10) Grade 2 Formed in 2013 Jack, Sid and Jacob’s ‘Grade 2’ Hail from the Isle of Wight and have quickly become noticed in the Punk and Oi! Scene. They employ the normal Oi! Skinhead style but is often a lot faster than you may usually find. They’re the new boys on the block for the Oi! Scene and they’re great. They already have two albums and are on tour constantly around the UK and even have quite a few European gigs booked now. Keep these boys in sight as I believe in a few years they could be one of the next biggest Oi! Bands.
By Far the most recent formation on this list ‘Aerial Salad’ formed by Jamie, Jack and ‘R’kid’ bring pure new energy out of the Manchester punk scene. My first encounter of the band is when they were on tour supporting Wonk Unit. If you think of Green Day’s first two albums (the ones that were actually good) plus a bit of a more raw sound and faster at times then you’ve got Aerial Salad. Their debut album ‘Roach’ is sensational and they have got a lot of people talking about them. Every song of the album is an absolute banger and I’m sure the more they progress and grow the better they will get. Brilliant stuff from such young lads.
A COLLECTION OF PHOTOS FROM THE SKINHEAD AND OI! SCENE THROUGHOUT THE UK
COCKSPARRER, REBELLION LONDON 2018
MOIRA RAMONE, REBELLION FESTIVAL 2017
COCKSPARRER, REBELLION FESTIVAL 2016
STREETS OF BLACKPOOL 2017
COCKNEY REJECTS, 100 CLUB. LONDON 2018
LAST RESORT. LONDON CAMDEN 2018
STREETS OF BLACKPOOL 2017
SHAM 69, 100 CLUB LONDON. 2017
LION’S LAW 2017
YOUTH, BLACKPOOL 2017
BOOZE & GLORY CAMDEN 2017
GIMP FIST LONDON REBELLION 2018
LEGEND OF THE UK PUNK SCENE SINCE THE BEGINNING INTERVIEW BY: MIARKO KUTLESA
Hi Don! How are you? You told me via email you were working on some new filming. What was that? I’m well. I've finished that now, it was a documentary on skinheads. It's for
BBC4. It starts from its roots and brings it up to the mess it is today. It's got such a bad name now I think people forget that it actually started off as a multicultural movement. It was the very first multi-racial movement in the UK, preceding punk. People forget about that, because it's been hijacked by the right wing.
You successfully introduced Jamaican reggae music to London's punk scene. Through your links to Jamaica and its musicians have you ever been able to similarly introduce any British music or culture there?
That's an interesting question. I couldn't claim to have done. No, I don't think so. When the punk thing was happening they were aware of it, they were more captivated by the public outcry. They were attracted to the fact these punks were like-minded rebels. I think that attracted them more than the music. It's interesting you mention it because people always go on about what punk got out of reggae. It's obvious. But it's not so obvious what reggae got out of punk. What it got, of course, was exposure. That's all it really needed. Once it got the exposure, reggae did the rest. Where we are now in the 21st century is that it's a part of popular music, although the uninitiated might not know that.
As a champion of serious dub and Jamaican reggae from the late 70s how did you feel about the emergence of the Two Tone sound in the early 80s? It was brilliant! By that time skinhead was getting a little bit messy and they had a big skinhead following. They put the focus back on what it originally was, music and style. Not only that, the lyrics were about something. They had a language that maybe they'd picked up from the punks, so they were able to come up with anthemic tunes like “Ghost Town” which really tapped into the cultural landscape of the time. Two Tone was great. Also, revamping some of those old reggae tunes made a lot of money for some of those old boys out in Jamaica. That was great. It was good to see some of that given back.
The current debate over membership of the EU has brought many issues of nationality and nationalism to the fore. Is it possible to feel entirely proud of being British?
I'm proud of what I am, my definition of British. But my definition and yours might be totally different. From my perspective, the influx of different cultures, especially the Afro Caribbean ones has changed the idea of what it means to be British. I do think that by embracing the multi-cultural mix Britain will become richer and can become great again. All of the things I'm interested in have come from this multi-cultural mix.
Have your ethics as a follower of Rastafari ever come into conflict with your pursuits as an artist? 'I’m
first generation British born black. Kind of rolls off the tongue now, but as a youth that was a very confusing concept. When Rastafari came into my life in the early 70s it helped me be who I am today really. It kind of taught me that I wasn't the lame cousin of my white counterparts and that I had something to bring to the party, so to speak, myself. It was through the lessons of both Rastafari and the Civil Rights Movement that I was able to become who I am today. It was about black identity and black pride. I was no longer looking at white concepts of acceptance. . You've got to imagine being that little black kid at school and all you're taught about are famous white guys, the ultimate one being Jesus Christ, this white guy with blue eyes and blond hair and if that's the symbol of perfection, it's something that I can never achieve. So Rastafari really taught us to look to ourselves for inspiration and not look elsewhere. So, no. Having said that, in the 21st century I no longer identify myself as anything other than Don Letts. Labels are weird. You give yourself a label and sometimes that's all you can be
Now that you've finished your documentary on skinheads what's next on the horizon for Don Letts? You know this 40 years of punk thing that's been driving me nuts? It made me look back and I've got a lot of archive footage from back in those days and it occurred to me that the only story that probably hasn't already been told is the story of the punky reggae party. Just as I've got a lot of Super 8 of a lot of the major punk players, the Pistols, The Clash and the rest of it, I've also got an equal amount of reggae stuff that I shot in those days; Big Youth, Tappa Zukie, Prince Far-i. There's footage of me and John Lydon in Jamaica when Richard Branson was doing Front Line. So my next project is a film called Two Seven's Clash and it's an archive project using material that I shot back in the day. It will look at the myth and the reality of the punky reggae party. I believe it's the only untold story left in punk.
In each issue of Dead End Generation we want to dedicate a section to Tattoos and Tattoo culture throughout the UK, focusing each time on a different aspect as it is something I believe that has been integrated into punk culture. The very first one we are going to look at is ‘La Familia Tattoo’ in the seaside town of Newquay, Cornwall. I had just turned eighteen and my dad took me to La Familia for my very first tattoo. Two years later I had two sleeves, a back piece and had spent two summers working in the shop as an assistant and receptionist. Those two summers were spent around amazing people with extraordinary talent. I really couldn’t have asked for a better job, every day you would see incredible work produced and it was always accompanied by metal and punk being blasted through the shop followed by beers and nights out at the end of the day. It really made those summer days all the better and all the more fun. To anyone that visits Newquay I really encourage you to go down to the shop, even if just to browse the flash on the wall, there really is a great atmosphere in there and you’ll be very gladly welcomed (probably by myself!)
“We offer both custom and flash and have hundreds of designs to choose from or to inspire your next unique piece, and are always happy to draw a tattoo that is exclusive and original to you, should you wish.�
“La Familia believes in the union of customer satisfaction and remaining faithful to the fundamentals of time honoured best practice. We will work with YOU to give you everything you want from your tattoo.” Established in 2009 by owner and tattooist Olly Streeter in the town centre of Newquay the shop has recently undergone an internal renovation to give it the open space working environment it has now. With hundreds of flash sheets on every stretch of wall both from books and drawn by the artists themselves there is an infinite number of inspiration for any kind of tattoo you may like. Each artist can cater to any one person’s needs and required style ranging from traditional Japanese to tribal and anything in-between! Working alongside Olly in the shop is twenty six year old Dan Hague and twenty three year old Matt Crandon. All three artists hold raw talent for tattooing and create some of the most bold and extraordinary pieces in the country that I have ever seen. No doubt as the years go on all three of them will be seen as some of the top tattoo artists our country has to offer. Whether you’re coming into the shop for your very first tattoo or your fiftieth you will always be looked after to the highest standard possible, as well as be tattooed with the finest equipment and ink on the market.
Well what can I say about this day? Without a doubt one of the best shows I have ever been too with one of the most impressive line ups in years. The day started with beers in the Bull & Gate right next door to the forum at around midday with a couple of the boys from Cock Sparrer and Gimp Fist before heading into the arena to catch the first couple of bands. The energy was in the room all day, filled with thousands of punks and skinheads. The crowd for every band was incredible and a good old mosh could be found for all of them. As far as highlights of the day as a whole are concerned I of course have to go for Gimp Fists performance as well as Cock Sparrer. I was extremely impressed by The Last Resort as it was the first time I had seen them, their stage presence was incredible and they really got the crowd going. Dirt box Disco and TV Smith were also great as ever, not to mention the double pint glasses you could get at the bar, Oi Oi! -
Lewis Jones (Director & Editor)
Review by Nikkie Finnie
GRADE 2: First on the bill a three piece all male ‘Oi’ band comprising of Jack Chatfield – Guitar / Vocals, Sid Ryan – Bass / Vocals, Jacob Hull – Drums. Bit worried about the boys playing first as this can be a notorious time to play to an empty room but is the expected cost of grinding gigs when you are an emerging band. The doors opened at 1300 and the stream of eager punters began and never abated. Thinking back, they had a good crowd of 300-400 watching them play their hearts out. They did not disappoint me. Full of vibrant enthusiasm and complete commitment to each and every song they played. The undercurrent vibe was a sound I now recognised as Oi music, but this was special, polished with a real gritty tone of rock. Even Jack’s vocals surprised me. My expectations were that of usual ‘shouty’ but good Oi sound, however Jack had a melodic and true tone to his voice complimented by Sid’s harmonies and occasional solo stints. The guitar riffs were that of a musician way ahead of his time with as much kudos going to Jacob hammering the skins of the drums with a good heavy chunky beat. All said and done what I saw was an enthusiastic bunch of skilled musicians ready to take on the world of street punk. Seriously think these boys will be around for a while and urge you to really go and check these lads out!
DIRT BOX DISCO: Let’s just get straight to it! Fucking incredible and unquestionably one of the highlights of the day. Dirt box Disco a larger than life five-piece band who I want to say are a novelty act but my complete immersion into their energetic and captivating performance says they are so much more than this. Over the years we have seen many bands latch onto the idea of tom foolery to sell their brand and also in many cases this is to cover the lack of talent and originality within their lyrical content. This is not the case with Dirt box Disco. In many ways there was a real feeling of ‘Status Quo’ in the sense of an army of fans chanting songs like; ‘Let’s get wasted, my life is shit and what are you going to do about it’? The whole set felt like a punk party I was invited to and yes, I wanted to be on their invite list. Musically an accomplished set of artists who makes me want to go and see them again and again and again! Dirt box Disco remember me at your next party please!
PETER & THE TEST TUBE BABIES: What can anyone say about the enigma that is Peter & The Test Tube Babies? I mean honestly if you are a punk there is no way you have not seen these guys play at some point recently or in the far distant past. Led by the charismatic and commanding Peter Bywaters, The Test Tube Babies presents a concoction of generations, with seasoned veterans Del Strangefish (guitar/vocals) and Paul H (bass) loudly supported by the force that is Sam Griffin Fuller (drums). From the centre to the back an exchange of uncontained dynamism between Pete and Sam is beautifully complimented by the calm collected musical performances of Del and H. What you are left with is a brand of hardcore melodies burnt deep into the pit of your soul, maybe not realising at the time that the tornado of sound that is Peter & The Test Tube Babies would be a life changing experience and one I will certainly never forget.
GIMP FIST: Gimp Fist middle of the bill had a real full and engaged audience. Three amazing guys with a real authentic and genuine vibe about them. Their performance felt very honest to me. If you want no gimmicks, no real show boating just good old Oi music then I would say Gimp Fist are certainly the band for you. Their music really hits a chord with the audience as many both young and old members of the audience took to the middle of the floor for a good stomp around and to shout the lyrics out as loud as they could. They increased the energy in the room just as dirt box disco had beforehand and after their set there really was something around the room that made it a real special day. All credit to the Gimp Fist boys. They were incredible.
TV SMITH & THE BORED TEENAGERS: Have you ever met someone, and they don’t need to say a word, but you just know that you are in the presence of someone who is truly magical? Well this is how TV Smith made me feel. A calmness, an aurora of ‘I have been there and done that’ but without the arrogance. A safe pair of performance hands but with the kick of pure vitality and rock n roll. You really felt like you were watching a legend crafting his show right in front of your eyes. The band in some senses I guess did what a band does when a star is shining as brightly as TV Smith does. They quietly do their job and perform carefully and precisely ensuring they do nothing that would distract anyone from the celebrity of the show. Even during a slight technical hiccup, TV smith and the band handled it like true professionals and the show went on. It was an electric performance by all on the stage but a real masterclass, for all frontman, was served on an epic scale by the celebrated TV Smith. A must go see!
THE LAST RESORT: I was really looking forward to The Last Resort but was worried the hype would be more than the band could live up to. You know a bit like the release of that mega movie and then it turns out to be utter shite, kind of leaves you even more deflated than you would have been without the build-up in the first place. The line-up was Roi Pearce on vocals, JJ Kaos on bass, Fish on guitar and Mik on drums. As expected they did not fail to impress. Amazing and effortless as a you would want such a legendary band to be. Hard hitting, loud sound and belting words of classic Oi songs such as ‘Rebels with a cause’ even had this punk novice chanting along with the anthemic choruses. Quite often you see emerging talent and think why these bands aren’t already higher on the bill as many of them are accomplished musicians but watching The Last Resort highlighted the huge difference. These seasoned pros don’t work at it they simply are, and that’s the distinction between these bands; emerging talent are still having to concentrate on delivering the perfect clatter of clashing notes versus an unforced triumph of Oi sound from bands such as The Last Resort. Like TV Smith there are no other words I can use other than an Oi masterclass. The Last Resort have certainly earned their places in the musical Hall of Fame and my growing punk heart forever.
COCKNEY REJECTS:
No introduction needed nor my review really. The crowd by this point were absolutely immersed in the charged atmosphere of punk ringing in their ears so as long as The Cockney Rejects did not get up on stage and choke there was nothing that could stop the O2 Forum roof from exploding with sound. These four cockney men bounced on the stage, led by the force that is Jeff Turner. I mean that man can only be described as a bundle of uncontained explosives. You certainly know he has arrived. His energy, as is the bands, is unwavering and he does not fail to deliver song after song after song. There is a real rawness still about this band. A true bunch of rebels who will never be contained by conformity and this is portrayed and felt with every sound that smacks you in the face from the stage. The most exhilarating experience but by god do you know you have been to a Cockney Rejects show as you can almost feel the punk oi musical bruises indented in your skin as you leave the venue. If you are an adrenaline junkie, a person who just loves to do dangerous shit and see what happens, then The Cockney Rejects are for you. They are the punk equivalent of a bungee jump, you have no choice but to buckle up, run and jump off the edge of the cliff and hope to god the bungee band brings you back to solid ground! You want a white-knuckle ride? Go to a Cockney Rejects gig!
COCK SPARRER: Fucking hell, what words to choose?! Exciting, inspiring, intoxicating, invigorating, rousing, stirring, thrilling and uplifting. A set of anthems which just keep coming at you like the waves of a Tsunami. You never really see it approaching and then you look up and there is just a wall of punk music roaring and ready to devour your soul, crashing on top of your head you feel ever note and word they play. Colin McFaull is a legendary frontman who plays with his audience like putty, moving them in all directions whilst embracing them close to his chest. The whole experience of a Cock Sparrer gig feels like a movement. A formation of people shifting in unity to every stroke of the guitar players strings, each deep pluck of the bass and the thunderous boom of the sticks hitting the drums. Steve Burgess, Daryl Smith, Micky Beaufoy and Steve Bruce provide the musical scaffolding which allows Colin to reach the crowd with his steadfast vocals. In a single hour I felt like I belonged to the family which is Cock Sparrer and what is even better I believed their promise. ‘We’re coming back, we’re coming back We’re coming back to you We’re never gonna go away again Hold on a little longer, try a little harder ‘Til we’re arm in arm together to the end! So remember, out there somewhere you’ve got a friend, and you’ll never walk alone again!’
CONDUCTED BY LEWIS JONES
Hi can you introduce yourself and your position in the band: Hi I’m Jonny, 38 and I am main vocals and guitar for the band Gimp Fist.
Hi Jonny, great to be speaking to you today. Gimp Fist has become one of my favourite bands over the last few years, the first gig of yours I actually went too was meant to be your farewell gig back in 2015 at Rebellion festival in Blackpool. What was it that made you guys come back to the scene so quickly? Well it was actually me who decided to pack it in initially due to some family commitments and issues but that all went tits up. After separating from my wife I needed something to put my energy back into and after a long night of drinking sat down with Chris (bassist of Gimp Fist) I realised that I missed nothing more than being on that stage, being on the long booze filled weekends with my friends and thousands of other punks. That’s where I belonged and I desperately wanted it back. So we said sod it lets get back to it and signed up for a load of gigs right there and then and never looked back haha!
So after getting back to the scene so quickly did you go straight back to writing songs for your newest album ‘Never give up on you’? Our album ‘The Last Stand’ came out just before we decided to call it splits, we only got to play it a few times live so initially it was just great to get back out there and play those (with all of our oldies of course) but you know I had loads of ideas for new songs coming from the experiences and things that were happening all around me so the summer of next year we got back in the studio to begin putting together our newest release ‘Never Give up on you’ The beginning of your new album starts with the introduction of Micky Fitz when he introduced you onto the stage at rebellion festival 2015, obviously being a huge fan and admirer of him and The Business how did he help you progress as a band before he tragically passed away last year? You know Micky was just one of the best people I have ever known. He helped us so much as we had no idea what we were doing in the beginning from recording all the way to touring. Not only did he help the band he was also just a great friend to everyone, someone you could rely on whenever you needed him. We miss him very much and every gig we do now is a celebration of him and his name.
I think you've captured a very distinctive style in your songs especially when seeing you live, with quite inventive melodies that make me want to scream your lyrics from the roof tops haha. What do you think gives you this distinct sound?
I have no idea haha. It is nice of you to say so. We just kind of do what we do. We have no set rules or master plan. We go off whether we would listen to the songs or buy the album and between the three of us it must somehow work.
And what are your plans for this year gig wise? We’ve got a load of cool stuff coming up, obviously we’ll be up at rebellion festival in Blackpool in august but we’re also doing there other two shows. One in London and the other in Amsterdam which is always something to look forward to. We’ll also have a few gigs every month up north as we always do. Hopefully we can get more booked for overseas and I know you have asked us to come down south a bit more so hopefully we can sort that out too haha!
For someone who hasn’t listened to Gimp Fist before how would you describe yourself to them? Well we’re just a plain and simple street punk Oi! Band you know. Made in the working class for the working class. I think a lot of people can associate with our songs and get behind them as they come from real life experiences.
I think that’s why I love what you guys have produced so much, the lyrics, the energy and rawness of your sound both on the album and especially live really spoke to me before I knew you, and you know I’ll never miss a Gimp Fist show now! Haha Cheers man!
The scene we have over here in the UK specifically I would say is in a great state and growing well, however maybe this wasn’t so true five or so years back? Well I believe punk is always going to be small to a certain extent but that’s the way we like it! The good thing is in the last few years a lot of new bands have really come through with some brilliant raw talent. You know the big bands from back in the day aren’t always going to be here. They’re still playing now and I’m sure will go on to do so for as long as they can. But it’s good to know the scene and punk and Oi! Attitude is still out there and growing in strength!
One of my main philosophies when looking at punk is the dismissal of any kind of racist or fascist beliefs. I believe punk and Oi! These days is all about unity of everyone no matter where you come from or what you look like would you agree?
Of course I would agree, you know back in the day people were fighting each other left right and centre for various stupid reasons. Nowadays people tend to be a bit more educated but you know from time to time you do get that guy who is still a right bonehead and believes in all this racist nonsense but he is quickly found out and thrown out! Anti-Fascist Oi! Is what we employ and always will.
Before we wrap this up is there anything you would like to say to all the punks and skins out there?
Yes you know just keep being who you wanna be, don’t let anyone tell you differently. Stick together and enjoy the good times. There will be bad times too but as long as you have your mates you’ll be fine!
Cheers Jonny, I’ll see you at London Rebellion. Keep well my dude!
You too fella!
CONDUCTED BY LEWIS JONES
Hi can you introduce yourself and your position in the band?:
Hi, I’m Jamie of Aerial Salad from Manchester and I play guitar and lead vocals.
Hi Jamie, cool to be speaking to you today. First of all over the last half of a year publicity has really picked up for you. You’re new and first album ‘Roach’ has been a real success up and down the country how do you feel about that?
Yeah man it’s been crazy I’d say the main the reason why was probably the tour we did with Wonk Unit. The lead vocals for Wonk Unit ‘Alex’ is our manager and he got us alongside to play with them for nineteen shows across the UK and even a few in France and Belgium. It was incredible, one of the best experiences of my life. We owe everything to Alex and Wonk Unit for putting us on the map. It feels amazing to get the reception we’ve had I couldn’t be happier. Yeah that was actually the first time I encountered you guys, I came to the show at The Louisiana in Bristol. I checked you out beforehand and loved it but what you brought to the stage was something else. You could tell all you wanted to do was to be there and play. I could see the passion. Thanks man! Haha. All we want to do is gig. We all have shitty jobs so we can just get around and gig as much as possible. It’s all we want to do.
You’ve got some big shows coming up this year right?
Yeah we’re playing Rebellion festival again which is always insane as well as playing Wonk Fest again which last time was probably our favourite show to play of all time so far. So great, so much energy. The atmosphere is electric.
You were telling me that you wrote the first song on your album ‘Habits and Problems’ at work, how did that come about?
It was on a really busy Saturday shift at a cocktail bar I worked in, in Manchester. It was really going to kill me that job. I was putting bottles away in a fridge, and I was just like [grumpily], “I’m sick and tired of always working weekends…” I started humming it, and I jotted it down on my phone on a cig break.
What influenced your song writing and your sound on the album many people including myself describe the first time listening to your album is like the first time you here ‘Longview’ by Green Day? All of the songs have a slightly different flavour, I suppose. I find it quite frustrating when people don’t admit that their song writing is influenced by other people. There’s a difference between ‘influenced by’ and ‘ripping off’. Sometimes it happens without you realising. For example, Success was directly influenced by Dark Days by PUP. Somebody picked up on that in Glasgow and we were like, “Fuck yeah it influenced by that – it’s a great song!”
Lyrically, you’ve nailed anxiety, dread and depression. It’s quite a depressing record, but it’s really relatable. Sometimes when I’m thinking about a song I’ll decide I want it to have a message… and then I think, “How pretentious have I gotten?” There are songs that have meanings, but then you’re restricted to it having only that meaning. What I want is those songs that are loose, that people can put their own meaning on. “I’m sick of tired of working weekends,” is a lyric people can actually agree with. That’s what I love about music: hearing it and bringing my own meaning to it. What’s the future for Aerial Salad? Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?
Fuck me. That’s the problem with depression, you can barely see about four weeks ahead sometimes. This is what I love about the DIY scene. We are all very lonely, very sad little people and we bond over that, and a love of loud, shouty music. I think you’ve nailed the sense of the D.I.Y sensibilities and it really helps your sound feel so real and raw, I think if you carry on the way you are going now you’ll be very successful. Just keep at the gigging dudes and I’ll see you soon at Rebellion!
Cheers dude, thanks for taking the time to talk to me, come have a beer with us at rebellion! Later.
By James Hutchcraft (Vice)
We spoke to Jude Kendall about documenting the capital's squat and punk scene.
These days, punk isn't all that visible. Since the tabloids lost interest in the late-1980s and your aunt started selling Ramones babygrows on Etsy, you'd be forgiven for thinking the scene had died a death, or was just about being kept on life support by the odd trihawked guy you'd see queuing outside the Underworld. But, really, it never went away – punk's continued to thrive in London, in the city's squats and DIY shows.
Jude Kendall is a photographer who moved to London from Cambridge nine years ago, and has been documenting the city's squat and punk scene for the last five. Many of her photos are of friends and bands she knows, but they provide a rare insight into a world you don't often see much of.
VICE: Hi Jude – how did you begin photographing the scene? Jude Kendall: I started going to gigs about five years ago. The first show I went to was the Squatterlympics. It was 2012 – the year of the Olympics in London – and it was in this horrible squat in Camberwell. People still talk about it now because it was so rank. I wanted to go to gigs for years when I moved to London, but I was too scared to go on my own in case people laughed at me for having no mates. I eventually went to this one and it was awesome, but I was nervous about taking photos because if you go to a gig and don't know anyone and start taking photos, people don't like it. And if you walk around asking everyone if you can take photos, you look like a freak. After that I went to every single gig I could with my friend, every week, and I got to know people and got friends – then I felt comfortable enough to take my camera with me and people didn't mind.
What was going squatterlympics?
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They tried really hard to do punk Olympic games, so they had a tug of war between north and south London, which worked especially well then because all the crusties lived in south London squats and all the spiky punks lived in north London around Camden in their digs, and they didn't mix as much as they do now. I think they also did a three-legged race and other stupid games like that. I think south London won the tug of war...
Where are the photos from? A lot of the earlier ones are from the Grosvenor pub, but that's closed down now. When I started they were mainly from squat parties, but now nobody has squat parties because it's kind of died in London.
Why's that? Because the police kick you out too quickly. They changed the laws in 2012 just before the Olympics so there wouldn't be all these horrible punks around, especially because there were a lot of squats in east London, near Stratford [where the Olympics were held]. The law used to be that if you squatted a residential building for ten years then you could own it. Or you could Section 6 a building – put a notice on the door declaring your rights to be there. But now you can only squat commercial buildings, like pubs or big office buildings, which are harder to keep safe and it means you need a massive crew of people. Before, you could do it with a small crew of 10 or 15 people, which would be easier to manage, instead of now, where you have to join different crews together and things can get complicated. The police send in bailiffs now more readily, and then it turns into a war. It's a lot harder to find a nice place to live, so people now do it for political reasons, which means you have to draw attention to yourself, which means the police come in really quickly.
So squatting in 2016 is more about a political act than simply needing somewhere to live? Or a bit of both? I think it's both, especially with London being so expensive to live. I have a lot of friends that are in Guardianship programs, which means you can't throw big raves, but you can be there for years and it's safer. There aren't as many punk squats anymore because people got sick of moving on every couple of weeks. It's not the same as in Europe, where people fight for them and there's a community around it. In London people get jealous. The Mare Street squat in Hackney was closed down due to neighbours complaining that they were paying ÂŁ100 a week or whatever, and these guys were living for free.
There seems to be a lot of unity and friendship in the photos – is this the same for everyone? Or is it quite cliquey? I think it's inclusive. I came to London without knowing anyone, and after I'd been to a few gigs and got chatting to people I was totally welcomed. I've never felt safer; people properly look after each other. Is it all Londoners? There are people from all over the world in the scene. The music brings people together; if you're at certain gigs you can assume you've got some stuff in common, you have similar political views... there's a lot unsaid, which is pretty cool. There's a network there that I experienced when I was on holiday recently – people I knew from London put me in touch with their friends and I had somewhere to stay.
Is there a difference between the older crusties and the new generation? There is a generational difference, although people of all ages hang out in the scene. There's sometimes a difference in political attitudes and PC attitudes. The younger generation are more safe space-y and into gender politics, and the older generation are more straight-up anti-fascist.
Do you think the punks have got the same things to shout about as they did in the past? I think so. Politically, the climate in Britain is the same as it was in the 80s. We have rising racism, which is becoming more of an issue. There's only so much a band can do apart from singing about it, so I think it's important that people are politically involved in other things. The politics and the music go hand-in-hand; it's an alternative lifestyle.
Is it still alternative? It seems like it's hard for stuff to be truly underground when it's all so publicised and you can read about it all online. I think it's all very much underground, yeah. Some bands get bigger, like my mum knows who Slaves are now, and I think Wonk Unit are climbing that same ladder, but I don't think people are bitter about it. Other bands will never be that famous and they don't want to be. I think the general consensus is that everyone's happy if there are more people at the gigs. Some people get annoyed and can become hostile if it becomes a hipster thing, because it feels like people come and take from the scene without caring about it and being a part of it.
Do you see any problem with exhibiting the photos? Or have you been hesitant in the past? I don't put them all online because I'd like to do a book one day. In 20 years people will look back on this particular moment in punk, but nobody will have any photos of it. Some might think that punk died in 1979 or whatever, but my photos show that it didn't and that it's existed this entire time and you didn't even know about it. That's what's so good about it. People don't think it's there – they might not think it's relevant, but it changes people's lives. I've asked my friends if they minded me exhibiting the photos in the past and they said they'd be honoured to be in them. I think because they're photos of the scene from someone that's in the scene there isn't a power imbalance.
What do you want the photos to convey? Is there an underlying theme? I selected the photos that I feel are relevant even if you don't know the people in them. Obviously there's only a limited interest people can have in photos of just my friends being pissed, so I hope people can see in the photos what it is about punk that's so good. Something I don't think I can really put into words. That feeling... when you're at a gig and everyone's loved up, you're all mates, you're all there for the music and you feel... you feel like you're part of something.
I know the feeling. Thanks for the chat, Jude.
I’m a Punk Rocker, I’ve always been a punk, Accept for that time before I was sixteen, When I liked Showaddywaddy, The Quo and even….Queen 1977 was the year of my Epiphany, That was the year that it all changed for me. For those of us that can remember the seventies, it’s easy to forget, A country on its knees with a crippling debt, Three day weeks, double digit inflation, Couldn’t get a train to the game, there’s a strike at the station, Growing up in Corby, the bleak poisonous Steelworks pervaded all, Until ten thousand good people ended up on the dole. For the careers officer at school, the student’s future was easy to manage, It was the factory floor, or the dole, ‘cos we weren’t going to college. But in ’77 for me it all started to change, With a movement, a voice, an attitude, That would be my coming of age, A time to challenge and confront, to question and rebel, To stick 2 fingers up to the establishment and yell, That the youth have a voice that deserves to be heard, You’ve had your chance, now it’s time for our world, Of revolution, action, defiance and anarchy, You’ve fucked it all up, but we’ll put it right, you’ll see. Alright, perhaps we started of quietly, Ditching our flares, and putting on old man’s trousers, That gripped our ankles tightly, Cutting our hair short and writing ‘HATE’ on the back of our blazers, To wind up the old school teachers, who fucking hated us.
But Punk for us was far more than the music, the clothes, the attitude, Or flicking the V’s and being rude, It was a time to question, query and confront, Be it UK social policy, Or our right to throw bricks at the National Front, When they marched through Corby spitting their bile and hate, We fought with them in The Old Village, And it was… fucking great! We joined the Anti-Nazi League to fight against fascism, And pogo’d at the gigs for Rock against Racism, Going to pubs and university gigs, To see The Clash, The Buzzcocks, The Adverts and The Skids, Soaked in beer and sweat, The overhanging threat of violence, enhancing the electricity in the audience, Spilling out into the street at the end, Ears ringing, knackered, but everyone grinning, Knowing we are all in the midst of a revolution, That just might, provide a solution, To everything that was wrong and corrupt in our country, To provide hope and a degree of certainty, That we could all find our niche, And work and play and be happy, and in harmony. In 1977, it all changed for me, Punk Rock gave me a chance to radically alter my identity, No longer shy and skinny, a frequent target for the school bullies, It made me who I am today, It brought my character to the fore, I know it didn’t make me perfect, not in any way, But I know I’ll be a Punk Rocker for ever more.
BY ROBIN JONES
A SELECTION OF THE MANY GIGS THAT ARE GOING ON AROUND THE UK THIS YEAR THAT WE’RE EXCITED ABOUT. CHECK ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE TRUST ME THERE ARE HUNDREDS! BATH & BRISTOL: Wonk Unit and sexy friends take a warm bath, in Bath! - Belvoir Castle, Bath (13/06/18) UK Subs / The Members at the Fleece Bristol - The Fleece Bristol, Bristol (12/05/18) Modern Life Is War, Svalbard, Swain and more at The Exchange - Exchange, Bristol (27/06/18) The Adicts at Marble Factory | Bristol - The Marble Factory, Bristol 29/06/18) DragSTER / Criminal Mind / PizzaTramp / Borrowed Time + More - The Louisiana, Bristol (05/07/18)
BIRMINGHAM Healer of Bastards, Rats from a sinking ship, Hummer, Social Exp. - Wagon & Horses Venue, Birmingham (26/05/18) The Beat, Buzzcocks, Stiff Little Fingers, the Selecter | BHM - NEC Birmingham, Birmingham (27/05/18) The Lurkers at the Castle and Falcon B’Ham - The Castle & Falcon, Birmingham (15/06/18) Punk for Pam, Birmingham. - Wagon & Horses Venue, Birmingham (23/06/18)
H2O at Mama Roux’s - Mama Roux’s, Birmingham (27/06/18)
BLACKPOOL: Rebellion Preshow Blackpool - The Tache Rock Venue, Blackpool (01/08/18)
Rebellion festival 2018 - Blackpool Winter Gardens (02/08/18-05/0818)
BRIGHTON: UK Subs + the DeRellas - Patterns, Brighton (10/05/18) The Ramonas live at The Egremont Worthing - The Egremont, Worthing (05/07/18)
Chelsea in Brighton w/ Special Guests the DeRellas - The Prince Albert, Brighton (13/07/18)
Don Letts - The Con Club, Lewes (14/07/18)
CAMDEN TOWN:
FILF (ex-The Macc Lads) / Monkish / The Anoraks - New Cross Inn, London (31/05/18)
Punk Unity proudly presents THE RESTARTS, KNUCKLDUST, Lions Law and more! - The Underworld Camden, Camden Town 16/06/18)
The Skids / O2 Shepherds Bush Empire - O2 Shepherds Bush Empire, London 30/06/18)
VICE SQUAD ALL DAYER - New Cross Inn, London (21/07/18)
Wonkfest 6 – Don’t believe the hype! - The Dome, Tufnell Park, London (28/07/18)
D.R.I. / M.D.C. / Vicious Circle – the Underworld – Camden - The Underworld Camden, Camden Town (04/08/18)
CARDIFF: The Selecter, The Beat and Sonic Boom Six - Caerphilly Castle, Caerphilly (13/07/18)
Vice Squad + The Members at The Globe | Cardiff - The Globe Cardiff, Cardiff (20/07/18)
EDINBURGH: Italian Street Punk 10th Anniversary UK tour – Edinburgh - The Banshee Labyrinth, Edinburgh (20/05/18)
DRI vs MDC + Disposable, Daniel Wax Off – Edinburgh - Bannermans Bar, Edinburgh (09/08/18) Dirt Box Day: with Dirt Box Disco + lots more - Smash Edinburgh, Edinburgh (25/08/18)
EXETER: Exeter Queer Punk Fest. Dream Nails/woah Nows + More - Cavern, Exeter (21/05/18) Discharge + 51st State - Cavern, Exeter (13/07/18)
GLASGOW: The Queers – 30th July 2018 / Audio Glasgow - Audio Glasgow, Glasgow (30/07/18) Bank Holiday: Adolescents + Guests | Broadcast, Glasgow - Broadcast, Glasgow (06/08/18) D.R.I vs MDC – 8th August 2018 // Audio Glasgow - Audio Glasgow, Glasgow (08/08/18)
The Lurkers Ivory Blacks Glasgow - Ivory Blacks, Glasgow 27/09/18)
Huddersfield: Ferocious Dog and Hands Off Gretel at The Picturedrome - The Picturedrome, Holmfirth, Holmfirth (11/05/18)
Wonk Unit at The Parish - The Parish, Huddersfield (22/06/18)
LEEDS: Sham 69 (Pursey, Parsons, Treganna, Guy) - Warehouse23, Wakefield (19/05/18) The Beat Buzzcocks Stiff Little Fingers The Selecter | Leeds
- Millennium Square, Leeds (25/05/18) Punx against Cancer - Warehouse23, Wakefield (16/06/18) The Marked Men - Temple of Boom, Leeds (28/07/18)
LIVERPOOL: *Free Event* SKO03 : The Punk Rock All-Dayer - The 27 Club, Liverpool (19/05/18)
Pizza Tramp Broken 3 Ways Meet the Robots Black Cat Bones - Arts Club, Liverpool (23/07/18)
LONDON: Deadrude Presents John Otway - The Oval Tavern, Croydon (03/05/18) SWS Presents The Parkinsons + supports (Bank Holiday all dayer) - New Cross Inn, London (07/05/18) London Celtic Punks Presents T.c. Costello - The Gunners, London (17/05/18)
Punk Rock BBQ – May 2018 - Windmill Brixton, London (27/05/18)
The Menzingers & Lagwagon – O2 Forum Kentish Town - O2 Forum Kentish Town, London (03/08/18) Eddie & The Hot Rods
- New Cross Inn, London (01/09/18)
MANCHESTER:
Membranes and Friends: Manchester Ritz - O2 Ritz Manchester, Manchester (05/05/18) Screaming Females / Plus Guests ILL / 21st May / Soup Kitchen - Soup Kitchen, Manchester (21/05/18)
North West Calling - O2 Ritz Manchester, Manchester (30/06/18) Joy Division + New Order – Tribute Bands (Transmission + True Order) - Empire Rochdale, Rochdale (30/06/18)
NEWCASTLE:
Love Music Hate Racism - Customs House, South Shields (30/06/18)
The Vapors at the Cluny - The Cluny, Newcastle upon Tyne (30/06/18)
The Dickies & Crashed Out - O2 Academy Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne (21/07/18)
The Rezillos at O2 Academy Newcastle - O2 Academy Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne (08/08/18)
PLYMOUTH:
Plymouth Punx Picnic Fundraiser II! Bands TBA - The Junction, Plymouth (16/06/18)
CHAOS presents Lost Cherrees, Virus, Disorder, Bus Station Loonies - Underground, Plymouth (28/07/18)
READING:
Club Velocity Presents Sean McGowan - The Rising Sun Arts Centre, Reading (09/06/18)
Rat InFESTation 2 - The Facebar, Reading (30/06/18)
Club Velocity Presents an Evening with Steve Ignorant (slice Of Life/crass) - The Rising Sun Arts Centre, Reading (21/07/18)
SHEFFIELD:
999 & THE LURKERS – STEELOS PUNK FESTIVAL - Cutlers Arms, Rotherham (14/07/18) Tramlines Punk Alldayer - The Mulberry Bar and Venue, Sheffield (21/07/18) Dirt Box Disco Immortals Vinyl Launch Show. - Corporation Sheffield, Sheffield (28/07/18)
WAKEFIELD:
Sham 69 (Pursey, Parsons, Treganna, Guy) - Warehouse23, Wakefield (19/05/18)
The Beat Buzzcocks Stiff Little Fingers The Selecter | Leeds - Millennium Square, Leeds (25/05/18) Punx Against Cancer - Warehouse23, Wakefield (16/06/18)
Slaughter and the Dogs - Brudenell Social Club, Leeds (10/08/18) Paranoid Visions - Brudenell Social Club, Leeds (28/08/18)
YORK:
BGB: York Punks Picnic with PizzaTramp + more! - The Fulford Arms, York (06/05/18)
BGB: Swinefest! 4 days of DIY Punk, Ska and Hardcore in York - The Fulford Arms, York (28/06/18)
PHOTOGRAPAHY: KARINA ROCKELLI – IG: your.spirits.alive / www.rockelli.com
GUTTER PUNK PHOTOGRAPHY http://www.gutterpunk.co.uk/index.html
JUDE KENDALL - https://www.mauvais-reve.org/
CONTENT: MIARKO KUTLESA NIKKIE FINNIE JAMES HUTCHCRAFT ROBIN JONES
SPECIAL THANKS TO: JONNY (GIMP FIST) JAMIE (ARIEL SALAD) LA FAMILIA TATTOO (OLLY, DAN, MATT) STEVE HOLLYMAN