Category 1

Album Review: System of Hate – There is no madness here

SYSTEM OF HATE

THERE IS NO MADNESS HERE

Album launch – Rebellion Festival, Blackpool August 2nd 2018 – Released date 3rd August

www.systemofhate.com

To review anything in life, you can either let it wash over you and see how it makes you feel, or know your subject and understand if it meets its own standards. I think this album needs a bit of both. “System of Hate” will be an unknown quantity to a lot of people. You might be attracted to the name of the band or it could quite easily put you off. The name it’s self-conjures up a pre-determined expectation, however, it would be easy to dismiss them if you thought they would be a hard-core anarchist punk band and that wasn’t your thing for instance. I must admit, the first time I saw them live, I did have to check the running order to make sure I was watching the right band. I had the mis-conception it would be an anti-establishment anarchist band and whilst I was ready for that, I was in for a surprise.

The band comprise of Suty (Vocals), Pat (Guitar), Paddy (Bass) and Carl (Drums). They also have an occasional member on keyboards. Having played literally hundreds of gigs since 2013 with a who’s who of punk, they are now a finely tune machine. 

There is no madness here, is the second album for System of Hate and a follow up to Unhallowed Ground which was released in 2016. They had previously released two E.P’s in 2013 and 2014 as well as two recent re-mixes. The last album had a biblical theme running through out it and this one is similar in content. The song titles conjure up dark, gothic religious overtones. And the target delivery of the vocals certainly give you a very gothic and cathedral experience when listening. The use of minor chords and dramatic chord changes with sweeping synths and hard hitting drums, give System of Hate a very stand out sound from their inherited target audience. They are distant cousins of their punk ancestors but welcomed into the fold when they play.

THERE IS NO MADNESS HERE

The title track from the album is the opener. If this is to set the bar for the album, it’s off to a great start. The guitar and synth open the first track as the drums join in to build up to what feels like a Ministry influenced rhythm. The chopped guitar chords have the feel of Ministry meets Killing Joke and having the synth running throughout the song it’s an uncompromising sounding track. Harking back to post punk goth meets industrial 90’s, the entire song maintains the same tempo throughout. Suty’s vocal’s sit central in the mix, surrounded by the music. The quick fire spoken vocal works well and the chorus accentuates the title of the song. The drums are relentless for the duration and there’s a great ending with some rapid tom work.

BLACK FIRE

The second track, one that was released as an album taster, opens with Suty’s vocal shouting “Black Fire” over an effective stereo panned whispering of the song title. The music hits similar in fashion to the first track at a slightly reduced tempo more akin to the 80’s and has more gothic sound to it. The synths are subtle, guitar chords evident in the verse and a picked lead accented at the verse. The bass is slightly more prominent in this mix and benefits from that. The song tails off with Suty singing Black Fire over bass, deep sounding stereo panned toms and synths.

WE WHO WALK WITH GOD

The raw edgy powerful growling fender bass growls until the tribal drums kick in supplemented by a huge sounding synth. The guitars are stereo panned and fill the mix in this track but it’s the perfect platform for Suty to launch in to the massive “We who walk with god” chorus where the synth’s really raise the entire sound to epic proportions. I could visualize the band on top of an Aztec temple with arms outstretch blasting their sermon to millions below. The vocals have a fantastic delay effect to them especially at the chorus. This is a monster of a tune. If you have 11 on the volume of your stereo, it still might not be enough. Stand out track so far. The “BPM” of this track is the slowest but most effective on the album. If there’s one song to show System of Hates talents, this might be it.

IN THE SHADOW OF THE CROSS

Just to prove me wrong on “BPM”, this next song raises the pulse and brings an urgency back to the album. The guitar is prominent in this next song. Accented rhythmic chords at the beginning see the rest of the band join in and use a two chord verse which has some very effective and visual lyrics. “Standing before you naked in the shadow of the cross” put’s you right into the scene of where Suty wants you to be. There’s a very effective chord breakdown for the verse and even though the guitar/bass and drums are to the fore in this mix, the synths are very effective and bring subtle changes in mood at the chorus. “The tears of your forgiveness, fall on stoney ground” what a great line. Again, the drumming comes out at the end with fills and drum rolls as the song tails off.

YOUR GOD IS DEAD

Picking up where the last song left off, drum fills start this song. Lots of tom work across the kit and some vocal harmonies supported by synths bring you into some frantic bass and guitar chords for the open verses. “Your God Is Dead” – “The End of Days has just begun”. You know what the song’s message is here. Suty chants the song title at the end of the song and there’s some great production effect on his vocals. The synth’s match the tone of the vocal perfectly. If this was vinyl, I’d be flipping the record right now!

The album was recorded during bleak periods of winter 2017. If this had an effect on the process it’s been a positive one. The entire album so far has had a relentless pace to it like a snow storm, driving in the snow, the faster you go the harder it gets.

TEARS OF BLOOD

There’s a hint of 70’s sleazy rock ‘n’ roll guitar to the beginning of this track. Without respite, this track follows the same musical formula. Big tribal drumming behind Suty’s vocal delivery has every word punched in sync into your brain. The quick fire snare and heavy drumming still leaves room for the other instruments to fill the mix. The subtle picked chords at the breaks are reminiscent of New Model Army in their early years. 

RESURRECTED

It sounds like the drumming just moved up a gear, if that was possible, as double beats and snare and tom fills are at the fore front of this song. A more industrial sound is evident for this track. There are a few chord changes but for the most part it’s based on the one driving tone. The backing vocals cut through well at the chorus and in stark contrast to Suty’s. This is one song that really needs to be seen and heard live to believe the incredible drumming!

RISING

Thrashing overdriven bass is accompanied by the signature full sound of guitar and synths. Reminiscent of recent Killing Joke mixes, Suty’s spoken verses merge into some great choruses which have uplifting and subtle chords changes. Suty’s chorus delivery is like that of Jazz Coleman at the chorus with slightly more of a cutting edge to it. At the breakdown, the edgy bass comes back in with a great set of bass runs before the song returns to its initial verse. As the song runs out, the guitar comes to the fore just before some double kick drum beats hammer the song into submission.

ILL ARE THE CURSED

The song starts like a John Carpenter movie soundtrack with some great piano/keyboard work, before some great appegiated synth overlaid by driving guitar chords. The gothic feel returns and Suty’s vocals are sung on this track to great effect. Again, sitting in the middle of the mix immersed in the incredible full sounding mix. The descending minor chords on the chorus have an emotive effect which is accented by some great guitar work. The song title sung at the chorus shows the softer side to Suty’s voice but it’s extremely effective being backed by double beat kick and double beat snare as the guitar picks notes on a scale. The outro has the piano return and fades out.

SYSTEM OF HATE

Picked guitar chords begin the self-titled song of the band. They’re back to what they do best, dark driven emotive yet relentless and energetic between verse and chorus, there’s some great guitar work again. There’s no respite other than a singalong backing vocal melody behind the “System of Hate” bark from Suty which is sung for the remainder of the song as it crashes to a conclusion as the music fades the album ends with a clever German voice sample echoing with delayed feedback. 

If this album was a rollercoaster, I would have to be lifted out of the carriage at the end as I’d be rigid with hanging on for dear life. Although I use the word rollercoaster, this album has no ups and downs, there’s nowhere to hide, it’s a sheer in your face and relentless experience. It’s a joyride, I would have a permanent smile on my face at the end, yet one to strike fear into those who are about to experience it. There’s no filler in this album, there’s little space to breathe in the mix. It pulls no punches, asks nothing of you, delivers everything to you. It expects you to step up, you need to engage. Yes you can let it wash over you but there’s more reward if you embrace it in its entirety. This album should probably carry a health warning as it’s become addictive already. Much like their last album Unhallowed Ground but they’ve grown as a band. There may not have been much room for improvement from the last album but there’s proof here they’ve somehow managed to squeeze more of what was already a brutal giant.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004757708323

Nice N Sleazy Festival Day Three – Morecambe 2018

Nice N Sleazy / Morecambe / 25.05.18 – 27.05.18

Sunday 27th May (Main Stage)

Wow, we get to this all over again on day three. Every day so far has been brilliant. There’s really something for everyone. Whether you want to dance in the sunshine out doors, mosh in the marquee with your mates or stage dive over the barriers in the main stage, then this is the place for you.The entire team has made sure it’s been a great weekend and there’s many people to thank. Big Ivan Harrison, Stu Taylor (STP Records), School of Rock Media (SORM), The Trimpell Camera Club, Security, Catering and the many crew members and volunteers. There’s some fantastic charities benefit from this festival and it’s great to see them being supported by everyone who’s turned out. The Line up is jammed packed, it’s hard to juggle between the three amazing stages but luckily, they’re only yards apart. The sun is out and there’s more than 12 hours to enjoy the music.

The Signal

There’s much anticipation about “The Signal”. There’s a good crowd for being so early on the Sunday and they won’t be disappointed. Visually, Nikki Signal (Vocals) stands out from the crowd with her long heavily braided hair which whips around her during performances and she has a real stage presence. She introduces the far travelled band from Inverness and lets us know it’s their first gig over the border. Up first is “Cakehole”, which might need some translation but its self-explanatory. The rest of the band dressed in black have a punk/metal look and the throbbing bass of Keiran J.E.Lochore and straight 4/4 hard hitting drums of Dave are overlaid by an edgy metal sounding fender strat until a flanged/wah wah chorus demonstrates this is more than a punk/metal/thrash band. The next song is a tribute (tongue in cheek) to “Jezza” (Jeremy Kyle) from the daytime tv show. The Signal have an E.P. out called “Suck It “ and “Living a Lie” kicks off at the same upbeat pace with Nikki’s aggressive forthright vocals right out front. There’s some great lead work from Lewis Goodwin but the hook line from the song title is very strong. The bands anti-establishment message is delivered in the next song “Wanker Banker”. The message is also on their T Shirts for sale so there’s no doubt how they feel about the system! As Nikki introduces the next song “Man Up” she gets over she’s no feminist, she’s an equal. And she’s more than equal to any front ‘man’ or ‘woman’ we’ve seen this weekend. The hard hitting song breaks out into a great funky section where wah is effectively used as Lewis shreds an incredible solo. It’s confession time as “Nikki” admits she has a potty mouth, coming from Scotland and “Get Tae Fuck” probably is universal language. The most thrash sounding song so far. The tempo increases with “Tesco Inferno” as the band continue in thrash/punk mode, Nikki’s visual stage presence is accented with her braided hair lashing the air every time she drops to head and throws it frantically back and to the side. “Read My Lips” a new song for the band is up next as they’ve just introduced it to their set. Sounding very much like “The Cure’s” “Why Can’t I be You” in chord structure in the verse it has a staccato feel in the chorus before it ends frantically. Very catchy. Another track from their E.P. “Suck It” brings the band back to what they do best. Sounding very much like a manic “Rage Against The Machine” on steroids they hammer out the tune until the final song “Black Sheep”, kicks off with real bang. The funky thrashing start, not unlike the chili peppers is backed up with a punchy bass and some heavy double kick drumming. Again Nikki’s relentless lyrics are like a boxer throwing punches at speed ball. The constant battering is almost hypnotic as she hammers out the words right in your head. All the way through the set, she never lets up. The delivery is like a cross between Steve Ignorant and Eve Libertine from Crass. It’s their first gig in England and I’m sure it won’t be their last!

https://www.facebook.com/TheSignal/

Panic Attak

Here we go with the second Scottish band of the day, a 4 piece punk band from Edinburgh, Vocals – Kev, Guitar – Chris, Bass – Chris and on Drums – Rik. The set kicks off with a furious into to Who Defends Me followed by “Going Mental”. From the bands First E.P. “Football Casual” is next followed by two signature tunes from the band. “Kill The Bill” and the rousing “King of Belfast”. The two songs always go down well. Another track on the E.P. but as Kev says, a better version of “Smash Down the Walls” . The band are hoping to record the next song soon as they play “Always A Rebel”. This next song, Kev’s shouts, is about one of the biggest bastards that ever lived, the song starts off running through the chords slowly until “THATCHER!!!!” is screamed out.”I Still Hate Maggie Thatcher” needs no explanation. “Live For The Moment” is the message from Kev to enjoy your life while you can, before “90 Minute Bigot”, a song about football bigotry, the biggest disease in the country says Kev. Just time for the last song “Target On Your Back” then its all over.

https://www.facebook.com/Panic-Attak-punk-Band

The Paps

Shit shirt Saturday is a new tradition at Nice N Sleazy and it looks like these guys have bought into it big time! The Hawaiian shirts are actually quite fitting as the band play some great tongue in cheek punk tunes. Reminiscent sound of early Damned/Subs they belt through some great songs. A rendition of “Greensleeves” played on the lead guitar does sound rather odd as an intro but they burst into a song named after the “olde english” ditty. As a contrast, there’s a song about Richard Reid, the shoe bomber, called “Taliban Ted” which is followed bizarrely about Michael Jackson’s chimp called “Bubbles Bites the Dust”. Moving swiftly on, “Jehoho Weirdo” deals with the religious fanatics that knock at your door, uninvited, before the last song is introduced by naming the band members as Vladimir Putin on drums, Kim Jong Un on bass and Donald Trump on guitar! “I fell in love with a nuclear bomb” finishes off a lively performance.

The Deckchairs

The tomfoolery is not over for the afternoon as a very large blow up doll is standing right in front of the drum kit. The merriment carries on as the band play their set. The frantic four piece from Reading sing songs about being “unemployed and free, the only way to be” and “blow up your girlfriend” starring the very delectable inflatable that gets some attention during the performance! There’s a new album out called “Up Yours”, only took them 35yrs to release that difficult second album. Johnny Durex, Baz Nasty, Dave and Johnny Wah Wah keep the crowd amused with their comedic punk rock. Like all good thing’s it’s over to soon.

https://www.facebook.com/TheDeckchairs/

The Kut

Princess Maha thanks the crowd for coming in (it’s hot outside!) so the busy room gets “DMA” as the opener. A great up-tempo beat with a real catchy chorus, released in 2013 it’s been 5yrs! The dual vocals work well as they fire into “I want you maniac” described as a grunge fused horror track on their bandcamp site, I can see why. “Alekhine’s Gun” is up next from their new album just released last month and this has some real hard edged guitar and screaming backing vocals. A new track to their live set is “If looks could kill” brings some great guitar work and vocal harmonies. The threesome made up of Diana Bartmann (Drums) and Stella Vie (Bass) complement each other perfectly. There’s lots of head thrashing from all three and visually they look like they’re loving rocking out. “I am vain” a great grunge/thrash tune from their album is up next has a great vocal lick of a chorus. Princess Maha sings like she’s possessed. The jacket comes off now so it’s getting hot. “Mario” next off the album, has a Cobain style wailing guitar. “You better run, you better run” sounding almost like the Nick Cave “Mercy Seat” song which show’s a diverse influence. Next track is about going out on tour. They do have a 40 date tour lined up so very pertinent. The next track would normally have a stage invasion but they’ll settle for a singalong, “The Bad Man’s gone Bad” shouts Princess Maha for the crowd to singalong to. Heavy drums and a muted verse build up to the chorus, where the vocal talents of Princess Maha are unleashed. “X-Ray Eyes”, again from the album, starts with a slower tempo but builds throughout the song. The last song “Hollywood Rock N Roll” is a full blooded rock song from the album, complete with some shredding at the end. The band call for a crowd shot and the barriers full as the photographers oblige.

https://www.facebook.com/thekut/

Hung Like Hanratty

Time for some more chaotic comedy punk as “Scrap Metal” is the opener and right away, the signature “any old iron, any old iron” singalong has the crowd going. Religion takes a bashing as “Cardinal Kid *******” is up next. The Mobility Scooter mob get it next followed by Jimmy Saville! If you’ve never seen HLH then you shouldn’t be easily offended. “The Ghost of Jimmy Saville” has the crowd singing along and it’s a real riot in the room. “She’s a Monster” is a real scream. Simon Cowell gets the bashing next in the “Ballad of Cowell”. The crowd love it and singalong at the chorus. He’s a “Cuntstubble” is the next barmy song to blast out the PA but has the whole crowd singing along. “Disabled Parking” is the next subject which brings much hilarity. The story of Oscar Pistorius is told now with the glorious “Oscar You’re Taking the Pistorious”. If the thought of the messy bathroom left by Oscar after he shot his wife isn’t bad enough, then “Clean Up Your Dog Shit” should solve that. The whole Trimpell Club now has to do the “Dog Shit Dance”. “Danny is a Tranny”, does it get any more mental than this tonight! The crowd sing through the whole song. Well “Stop Playing With your Cock” takes it to another level. The stage is now filled with beautiful ladies on backing vocals who sing “Ooh Arr Ooh Arr” to “Farmers Keep Your Tractors Off the Road”. The next song is about “Ed” who fixes his car on a Sunday morning, the song ends in a frenzy with “Ed, I wish you were dead”. The crowd demand an encore and the band oblige with the title off their next album “What You See is What You Get”. What a belter of a gig. I won’t spoil it, but suffice to say, there’s a very “short” ending! Check them out if you get the chance and find out for yourself.

https://www.facebook.com/HungLikeHanratty/

Department S

In complete contrast to the previous band, there’s an air of decorum as the intro music “Thunderball” sung by Tom Jones. The music fades, the lights go down and the show goes on. The band take the stage and the first track from their 2016 album is up first. Peter R Jones bass run opens “Kings of The World” and Phil Thompson’s guitar lick runs up the fretboard to match. Eddie Roxy’s vocals are on point as he delivers a perfectly accurate rendition. The second tune is also from the recent album as “On My Own Again” continues the upbeat tempo and Phil’s guitar work sounds like there’s two guitar parts morphed into one and he picks and thrashes chords. Roxy’s jacket comes off as he says good evening and quotes :This ain’t rock’n’roll, this is genocide”. The iconic intro to The Dead Boys “Sonic Reducer” builds and the song bursts into life with Phil doing his signature stage jumps to match the urgency of the song as Alan Galaxy’s drums hammer in the background. There’s a different beat now as the band play an updated version of, as Roxy calls it “their shitty disco song”, but much re-worked “Going Left Right”. Pete’s funky bass runs and Alan’s syncopated drumming drive the song at a frantic pace and builds to a rousing end. The next song, from the 2016 album is called “Cause”. This is a 6 minute epic of a song with a feel of a gang of four style edgy funk bass. Phil’s guitar work all through the song has him swapping between screaming solos to 70’s rock chords. Another epic song “Wonderful Day” seems to have been re-worked by the band as it’s tempo and delivery keep the pace up. Jones and Thompson are at the stage front wielding their guitars in the air before Phil breaks into a killer solo. No Department S performance would be complete without the next song, yes it’s “Is Vic There”. An exuberant version of the song is played out by the band. Roxy’s very controlled, calm and demure demeanour is contrasted by the other members of the band, especially the guitarist whose constant up and down on the drum riser leaping into the air with some great pete townsend/ mick jones style leg splitting jumps. Without a break, the band fire straight into a great version of “I Believe” which has some great vocal work on it from all three front men. Roxy’s says, “is it me or has the set gone really quickly”, he introduces “When All is Said and All is Done”. They’ve saved the best til last. All through the performance, they’ve changed up gear and it’s a fitting end to what’s been a fantastic performance. The new wave/post punk/pop with a hint of disco and funk is brought to an epic conclusion as they demonstrate all their flair with this finale. Being played in a minor key and having an uplifting feel to the lyrics, the song is played out by the remaining three members as Roxy takes his leave. Each take it in turn to show their individual talents before they finish with one last chorus.

https://www.facebook.com/Department-S

UK Subs

There’s not many bands like the UK Subs. Apart from being around for over 40 years, they are constantly on tour. Not sure how they manage it and they always deliver. This is their third night in a row having played on fri/sat nights at other festivals. They breeze into the Trimpell Sports Club like old school friends you’ve not seen for a while. Always accessible, only too happy for the odd selfie and a chat about gig’s and music, Charlie mixes with the crowd and has some tea in the canteen (which was awesome all weekend with fantastic home-made food). Stephen and Alvin also sampled the delights and chilled out in the atmosphere of the festival. Jamie was outside relaxing in the sunshine, the calm before the storm and I don’t mean the weather. Don’t be fooled by either Charlie’s age, or the bands relaxed demeanour, these guys mean business on stage and are a well-honed machine. Right from the start of the gig with “Fragile”, they’re on it. Firing through the set with “Lady Esquire” and you “You Don’t Belong” there’s no breaks between songs. After “Rockers”, Charlie asks for the bright stage lights to be dimmed before they light up the stage with a cracking rendition of “Down On The Farm”. The Subs maybe an “Endangered Species” but not on tonight’s performance. Up next, Stephen starts with the tuneful picking guitar of the Die Toten Hosen cover of “Here Comes Alex”. Next up the quick fire drumming of Jamie has the longtime set opener “Emotional Blackmail”. The crowds loving it. “City of the Dead” and “I’ve Got A Gun” end with Charlie stating he observes young bands drink water on stage, he points out that fish fuck in it! So he recommends they have a beer and play some rock n roll. A brilliant rendition of “Another Cuba” leads onto to songs about girls. “Fear of Girls” and “Tomorrow’s Girls” see the crowd happily moshing and it continues with “Teenage” and “Party In Paris”. The seminal song “Warhead” has the crowd singing along as the music breaks down til it’s just Charlie and the crowd. “Riot” is follow by a chaotic version of “Stranglehold” with an endless amount of crowd surfers coming over the barrier. The band play one final number “Keep On Running” before leave the stage to rapturous applause. Of course, they’re never gonna leave without playing “CID”. The crowd go wild again and are rewarded with “New York State Police” What a performance. The UK Subs leave us and onto the next gig. But don’t worry, they’ll be back.

https://www.facebook.com/UKSubs/

The Skapones

Unfortunately, I completely missed the end of festival. By all accounts, the band were excellent and the after party was even better !

Sunday 27th May (Old Republique Stage)

Having spent most of the day in the Main Stage, it’s very difficult to do the bands justice that played in the marquee as I was only fortunate to catch half their sets but again, like Friday and Saturday, the line up in the tent was brilliant. Throughout the day, the attendance was great and some cracking music played by all bands.

KNOCK OFF

SKURVI

BORN TO DESTRUCT

IDESTROY

KID KLUMSY

SKIZOFRENIC

Sunday 27th May (Benchmarx Elements Stage)

5 GO MAD

TRY SUBVERSION

MAMMOTH TANK

Sadly, I also missed all the shenanigans in the acoustic lounge. There really is something for everyone at this festival. Best buy your tickets early for 2019 as they are well underway with preparations. Hope to get back to this again as it’s a fantastic event. Thanks to everyone who help me capture these memories over the last 3 days. It’s an amazing experience and one big happy family…..Punk for life.

Nice N Sleazy Festival Day Two – Morecambe 2018

Saturday 26th May (Main Stage)

It’s Day Two of the 13th Nice N Sleazy festival and it appears there’s no casualties from the previous day. The Trimpell Sports and Social Club, yet again is the perfect location for the next two days of Punk and Ska music. The entire team has made sure it was a fantastic day yesterday and there’s many people to thank. Big Ivan Harrison, Stu Taylor (STP Records), School of Rock Media (SORM), The Trimpell Camera Club, Security, Catering and the many crew members and volunteers. There’s some fantastic charities benefit from this festival and it’s great to see them being supported by everyone who’s turned out. The Line up is jammed packed, it’s hard to juggle between the three amazing stages but luckily, they’re only yards apart. The sun is out and there’s more than 12 hours to enjoy the music.

Reject Renegades

Unfortunately, I just caught the last song of these rowdy guys as they opened the second day on the main stage. Although it was only two minutes, I could see by their faces they were living the dream. A great gang of lads with a common passion for music. You could call them the house band as they’re made up of members from “School of Rock Media” a great and worthy cause. Check them out if you can.

http://sormstudios.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/SORMROCKERS/

Delinquents

“We’re Delinquents from Dundee” screams David Hennesey (Guitar/Bass/Vocals) as this rowdy bunch of misfits take the stage to try to kick the life into the early attendees and maybe smash some hangovers into the bargain. “I Hate Valentines Day” is the opening line of this energetic set and the follow up is “Not Your Problem” which is a frantic 45second song. Both songs are from their debut album “About Last Night”. David screams at the crowd to “wake up” as they launch swiftly in to the teenage angst song “Acne” again from their album launched last autumn. Graeme Jackson (Guitar/Bass/Vocals) and Ryan Hughes (Drums) make up the chaotic threesome and they rip through a new song “Sober On Sunday” before the popular “Never Gonna Fit In” which is probably their most pop punk tune. A mix of punk/thrash/indie/new wave gives the sound it’s own flavour as the band don’t profess to “fit in” to any genre. A “Johnny Marr” style riff starts “Keep on Choking” which is a song dealing with mental health and depression. The tempo is increased with “This Party Sucks”, another new tune which demonstrates they are striving for another album’s worth of material. Jackson’s Bass riff sounds like it has a classical feel to it and he runs up and down the fretboard before David crashes back in with the chorus. The tune’s well received by the early stragglers but the accolades will have to wait as they rip into another album track “Ctrl:Alt:Defeat”. “Three Sheets to the Wind” is a topical song up next as there’s some signs this is how the day will end for many of the crowd tonight!! After the powerful “Warning Sign” The last three songs gather pace until the album ending “Next Generation” has the singer asking the crowd who’ve turned out, to “raise a middle finger and say – F*ck You”. Aimed at the government and establishment of course.

https://www.facebook.com/delinquentsdundee/

Left For Dead (UK)

Reformed 3 years ago after a long break, Bev (Vocals), Shev (Bass), Billy (Guitar) and Adas (Drums) bring Left for Dead (UK) to the stage. Going by their set list, there’s a fair anti-establishment, anti-war messages for the crowd tonight. The set kicks off with a great number “God Bless America” the drumming is predominant in the song as right from the off they’ve set the bar for some high energy alternative post 82 punk. “New Religion” has a post punk feel similar to “Killing Joke” and nearby neighbours “System of Hate” as they hail from the NE of England. There’s some great lead work on the two openers. The band are tight considering they’ve had a long time off. “Get on your knees and prey” Bev preaches to the crowd. “Combat Zone” is up next the “Running Scared” shows the talents of Shev as his bass dominates as if he were playing bass for “New Model Army”. Bev has some banter with the crowd then another charged song “Halfway to Hell”. “Eaten by Wolves” has a more traditional punk rock feel about it but “No Flags” returns to an alternative sound. The band burst into life for their one only only single released in 1985, “Holy War”, Bev leads the band into battle on this one before they launch into the last song “Psychedelic Warefare”.

The Eddies

Second Dundee band of the day, The Eddies kick off with a new song. “My Game My Rules”, a superb energetic song with a catchy chorus. The busy crowd are in for some great punk rock as it looks like these guys mean business! Lee Guthrie (Vocals) thanks the crowd for coming in from the sunshine as they blast into “No Way”. The pace is kept up by Andy Cochrane (Drums) as he smashes the kit with relish. The driving force of Ian Sherriff (Bass/Vocals) and Ed Middleton (Guitar/Vocal) are supplemented by the running lead of Steve Clark (Guitar/Vocals). Ed kicks off “10%” next as Lee berates the government and the rich and normal service is resumed as The Eddie’s rip through what’s normally their opener. Lee’s on it today and the pretend “PC brigade” get it with the frantic “Don’t Mention the War”. Up next is another new tune called “Nowhere”, again, unheard but sounds fresh and the singalong chorus with backing vocals make it a great addition to their growing set. Now for a couple of Eddie’s favourites in “Punk For Life” and “Freakshow” which see masks being adorned for the latter tune and much to the amusement of the crowd! Andy has a new “Jigsaw” mask and looks the part but no idea how he manages in the sweltering heat! Some great audience participation as they singalong to the chorus and Lee shares the mic at the barrier. Onto the third new tune and great to see the crowd have stayed considering it’s so nice outside. “These Days” is a well crafted song with another punchy hookline. Lee takes the time out to thank the Trimpell Camera Club, whose work goes unseen right before the seminal “Streetlife” which has Ed chunking out some great guitar chops as Lee sing’s “We are the boy’s from The Eddie’s”. We pause for reflection as Lee introduces “Taking the Mick”. It’s an emotional song for the band as it was based on some chords from former member Mick Kilbride who passed away last year. The band play with a passion and spirit that is a fitting tribute. Touted as the last song, “Lost Years” has a great riff which has a very recognisable lick at the intro (paint it black – rolling stones) but bursts into life with more great chops from Ed and Steve. A great gig by The Eddies is rewarded with the enthusiastic crowd shouting for one more song and Lee soon has the crowd mouthing along with “Punk rocks not the same” as they receive a great response to the point where the rousing encore of “Looking In” brings the set to a close. “We were The Eddies, it’s good afternoon and f*ck off to ya” Lee shouts as he leaves the audience cheering.

https://www.facebook.com/The-Eddies

Crime Desk

Fife’s favourites are up next on the main stage. Crimedesk are a three piece from Glenrothes that are celebrating 40 yrs of punk rock next year and still playing very regularly all over Scotland. Dressed in black with matching black Fender guitars with mirror scratch plates, these mean looking guys are actually the nicest guys you could meet. They play no nonsense punk rock. Alan Cormie (Guitar/Vocals) looms larger than life on stage with his deep gravel voice he thrashes his telecaster. The songs have a fiery nature to them and with the solid drumming and punchy bass runs from John (Drums) and Allan Goodsir (Bass/Vocal), they are a good combination. The band kick off with “What you see is what you get”, very apt before they play the title track of the album they released last year “Louder… Faster”, it’s full name of “The Louder You Scream, The Faster You Go”. Another album track “Future Engraved” precedes the “WTF you looking at”, a well know Scottish phrase and delivered with some attitude! “You’ve gone too far” has Alan making light of one of his wife’s favourite sayings. Up next is a cover version of the bands favourite and aptly named “Nice N Sleazy”. A faithful version but obviously without the keyboards, Alan name checks the organisers for having them play. The track “Never Give Up, Never Give In” is a rousing tune and easily one of their most memorable songs from the current album. Harking back to 1979, when the band were formed, they play a single they released back then “Arms Race” before launching into another recent tune, “Freaky Street”, which is about the town they grew up in and give reference to their favourites the “Meninblack”. Before you know it, here’s the end of the set and it’s dedicated to everyone who hates their job, “Let’s Call It a Day” an apt song before the lads leave the stage.

https://www.facebook.com/Crimedesk

Billyclub

Watching the band set-up, it’s obvious there’s something different tonight about the line up. The towering bass player Dan either has a tech setting up his rig, or he’s been replaced? Having his back to the crowd, there’s no indication who it is. Then much to my surprise, Wayne Cotton (Vice Squad) turns round, face beaming and starts to hammer some bass lines out for sound-check. I find out later, Dan’s got a double booking and Wayne’s been drafted in, and what a performance he’ll put in tonight after having only 2 rehearsals!

“How you doing Sleazy, Alright” shouts Mok (Vocals) and it’s straight into “Pushing” as the punk / metal / hardcore rock 4 piece crash into their set. The manic song “Bulldog” fires straight in relentlessly with a furious lead from Karl . The “Death Row Dogs” has Wayne’s bass thundering edgy intro powers through the PA until Andy (Drums) and Karl have the PA clipping with the brutal “Self Help”. Mok gives Wayne a formal introduction to tonights crowd making some references to his heritage, much to his amusement! “Smash It Up, Smash It Up, Smash It Up” screams Mok and the relentless 4 pieces bring some chaos to the evenings proceedings which is compounded by Karl managing to switch off his guitar transmitter for a few seconds until he recovers before the end of the song. There’s no time for anyone to take a breath before “Don’t Judge Me” as Wayne shows off his bass prowess with a great guttural sound. Andy backs up the power from the two guitar merchants with his tribal drumming before Karl’s slick lead riff’s fight for dominance over Mok’s voice. “Car Song” increase the intensity and it’s transferred into the crowd as the moshing goes up a gear. Wayne has a few practice riffs and launches into “Rat Café” with Andy’s double kick drumming showing who’s the boss! Is there any relenting from this band tonight…no! To lighten the mood a little, Wayne starts clucking like a chicken and has the crowd in stitches before “No Gods” brings down the beat to more of a rock feel. Mok now thanks Wayne for not having a beer before the set as it may have ended in carnage, well, as if on queue, “Punk Rock Ambulance” is on hand to mop up the casualties as the crowd get back into the moshpit mode. A shout out to “Brian at the back” brings on “Civvy Killers” which has Andy killing his kit with the usual suspects on their axes as accomplices. There’s nowhere to hide now as Mok furiously dominates his stage! “For anyone whose flagging at the back” Mok dedicates “747” before the band continue the onslaught. “We Little Pigs” varies in tempo but not delivery. The next track from the No Justice album “One Way” has Mok back at the fore. Waynes shout’s it’s his favourite up next, “The sweary one” and “F*ck you very much” leads on the “This Is Our Party” where there’s no crowd could match the insane speed the band play during the verse before the sinagalong chorus. Time to crash out now as the wall of sound has come tumbling down.

https://www.facebook.com/BILLYCLUB.BILLYCLUB/

https://billyclubuk.bandcamp.com

Fire Exit

Another Scottish band on the bill and they celebrate 40+yrs of punk. The well know band from Glasgow bring back the diversity of this festival. Billy club may have finished with “This is our party” but Fire Exit are in a mood to have their own party. Gerry Attrick (Vocals) brings his merry band to Nice N sleazy and thanks the organisers for the invite and hopes to make future appearances but for now the infectious punk tunes of Fire Exit are played with plenty energy. The band tear into “Let the show begin”, “Thing’s people do” and “Going Crazy”before Gerry introduces “Trust In Me” influenced by the snake in Jungle Book which has the fabulous mouth organ running through it, before the roaring “We’re gonna drink” with the singalong “Na,Na,Na,Na” chorus supplemented by the active crowd joining in. Gerry introduces the band, Jess E Ska (Bass) Arab (Drums), the real Paul Thomson (Guitar) and Lil Charlie (Mouth Organ). A rapturous version of “Changes” keeps the crowd bouncing before a sermon from Gerry where he denounces religion and world leaders as being the biggest causes of war with “Burn the Churches”. A tune from ’76 is the penultimate tune, “Death Boredom” a pub punk rock feel to it is followed by “Time Wall” a cracking final tune which see’s the moothie and the guitar do battle for supremacy. Gerry give’s thanks to all and retires to the merch stall where he’ll continue his banter with one and all.

https://www.facebook.com/Fire-Exit

Spunk Volcano and the Eruptions

Yet more diversity at Nice N Sleazy as Spunk Volcano and the Eruptions fill the stage. The crowd start to fill the room as “Spunk”, resplendent in his blue T shirt, leather jacket, Batman logo pants and of course, the legendary balaclava engages immediately with the crowd telling them that “we’re all mates” and off we go as “Shit Generation” kicks off the madness. Without more of a do, “Sellotape” is played but the set goes no further until “Spunk” admits defeat and joins in with the crowd to a version of the kids cartoon them tune Rhubarb and Custard. Right, back to the organised nonsense and Spunk shout’s “Oi mate, do us a favour” and “Hanging round the shop’s” has the crowd in full voice. So, if you can’t get what you want from the shops, Spunk suggests we “Ram Raid” and boom, frenzy, The Eruptions hammer out the tune. “Who remembers the board game crossfire, all ball bearings, what a winner” Spunk shouts out just before “Crossfire” has the band flat out. It’s sing song time as “Can’t stop thinking bout you” brings out the vocal talents of the crowd as they do their best to mimic the “whoa oh oh oh” of the daunting front man! “Who remembers being a teenager?” Spunk asks the audience as he remembers hating his parents as he was smarter than them. “Teenage Teenagers” kicks off with “Do what a wanna, do what a wanna do” and it’s free licence for the crowd to turn back the clock and act like kids again. Spunk wants to sing about a car, Chitty chitty bang bang perhaps? Nah, “XR3”. Car crash songs for this receptive audience has them wanting to “Gatecrash” along with Spunk. “Judas fucking priest” Spunk shouts as the twin guitars start the song before drums and bass join the party. It’s in full swing now. Are there any “Knobheads” at this party?Anyone listening to “Rio” as Spunk goads the audience into singing the Duran Duran hit. So the thrash number has the crowd in full mosh mode and screaming “He’s a knobhead”. The moshing pigeon masked punk rocker comes flying over the barrier a few times much to the amusement of all in range. All good thing’s must come to an end, so the stripped down song “Purely Medicial” has the tempo slowed for “Spunk” to tell the audience what he wants to do, “I wanna drink” for purely medicinal purposes. Boom, the last song of the night and they save the best til last as “You’re the Bastard” gets the manic moshers moving and the barrier bombers do their best to crash the stage. Sometimes you get what you deserve and we did tonight.

https://www.facebook.com/spunkvolcano/

https://dirtboxdiscoltd.bigcartel.com/category/spunk-volcano-and-the-eruptions

Millie Manders and the Shutup

The much anticipate appearance of this band is obvious as the room is packed. Millie introduces herself and the band and they start with “Little Big Mouth” which shows Millie’s vocal dexterity immediately. Bouncy and lively, she bounces endlessly though out the song and the whole set! She asks the audience to “Have another Drink” throughout the next tune “Bacchus”. Millie is infectious, she’s got the audience in the palm of her hand now and wants them to step out from their boring 9-5 lives and be “Brave”. An edgy, syncopated number with some incredible lead guitar work. Hints of PiL and Magazine era of John McGeoch but in a soul/ska style. The song breaks out to some great Brass work. Millie raises a finger to the media/magazine’s as the band belt out “Obsession Transgression”. The next song is dedicated to anyone who is/was/might become a psychotic ex! “Teddy” has Millie rapping/screaming like crazy as she show’s us what crazy looks like… if we didn’t already know! Inspired by the Syrian bombings, the next song describes the tragic waste and destruction caused. Millie asks for everyone to recognize the “specialized project” and she introduces the “The Jam” song “Pretty Green” which was recorded for a benefit CD to be sold to raise funds. The song changes tack from had hitting punk to some mellow/frantic ska. A short pause as the band downtune to “D” and the next song is on the kickstarter E.P. they will record. The lead track on the single, it kicks off with some military drumming and chunky metal chords, “One That Got Away” morphs into an up tempo beat driven singalong. Another song to be recorded for the E.P.is “Right To Life” and it’s about respecting all life and the message is “We’re destroying our home”. Millie belts out the lyrics as a ballad before full on skank mode from the band. Just before the band play on, Millie thanks her band and sleazy before she strums and sings “Hole In Your Chest” with a rapturous applause at the end from the packed crowd. Definitely one to watch, these guys just smashed it.

https://www.facebook.com/milliemandersmusic/

https://milliemanders.bandcamp.com

TV Smith

What superlatives are there left to say about TV Smith, if being a frontman to one of the seminal bands of ’77 wasn’t enough, he’s spent the last few decades penning some of the most educational and illuminating songs for not only his generation, but for the one’s that have followed. Humble and modest, the diversity of Nice N Sleazy brings some reflection to what has been an incredible day so far. There’s a great mix of old and new tonight in Tim’s set “Only One Flavour” “No Time To Be 21” “No Control” “We Stand Alone” “Bombsite Boy”
“Replay” “Coming In To Land” “I Delete” “Lion And The Lamb” “Expensive Being Poor” “Immortal Rich” “Generation Y” “Great British Mistake” “Gary Gilmore’s Eyes” “Bored Teenagers” “One Chord Wonders”.

https://www.facebook.com/TVSmith77/

http://www.tvsmith.com

The Drones

Punk stalwarts The Drones are up next, “Anyone in here hot, well it’s just gonna get hotter!!!” screams Whispa (Bass/Vocals) and the band fire into “Lookalikes” and take us right back to ’77. It’s like time’s stood still as the sound and attitude have not changed. “I don’t wanna be you, you don’t wanna be me” shouts Whispa though the song. “Hard On Me” another early tune up next and has Whispa demanding the crowd to “make some noise”. As Al Crosby (Guitar) starts the next song “City Drones” Whispa has some fun with a bottle of water in true punk fashion as he tosses it into the crowd . Whispa’s voice has some real venom in it as he snarl’s through the song. A new tune “Human Race” has a slightly different feel to the opening numbers but still has the crowd moshing. “Look at what you’ve done” is the message from Whispa and it’s gone down well. “Are we having fun”, more fun the than the unfortunate Joergen Klopp is having! (Reference to the Champions league which has just finished). A re-work of the John Peel session track “The Clique” is up next. The rock n roll number “Rats” has the crowd bouncing and Al breaks into some great lead riff’s. When Whispa was asked to join The Drones way back, he did so because of the next song, “Movement”. “Is this a new Movement?” Whispa getting his message over as again, Al Crosby shows his great lead work. All through the set the drums of Brian Grantham (Ex-Slaughter and the Dogs) is the backbone of the band. As well as playing last night with Slaughter II, he’s banging out the tunes. “Sad So Sad” up next and it’s a great singalong number. “No More Time” and a manic version “Friction” leads onto one of the old fav’s “Bone Idol”. Now we’re into the last two numbers and the rousing “Persecution Complex” leads straight into an amazing cover of “The Damned’s” “New Rose”. After a noisy crowd demand an encore, a cracking and chaotic version of “Be My Baby” finishes a wild performance.

http://www.thedrones.co.uk/home.htm

https://www.facebook.com/thedronesuk/

Mad Jack and the Hatters

How do you top an incredible day of acoustic, tradition/chaotic punk and hardcore rock, with some incredible ska, put on something more diverse. The final band of the night I managed to catch was a rock ‘n’ roll/rockabilly three piece with the biggest ‘WHITE” double bass I’ve ever seen, played by the diminutive figure of Rebecca Jane. The line up of course has ‘Mad Jack’ Collins (Guitar and Vocals) and Paul ‘Chillo’Childs (Drums). The set comprised of some great tunes from their three albums mixed in with some ol classic rock n roll/rockabilly numbers with a few surprises in there as well!

https://www.facebook.com/madjackandthehatters/

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy – “Other Stages”

As if one stage wasn’t brilliant enough, outside the Trimpell Sports Club, there were two other stages. The large marquee (Old Republique Stage) and the open sided event truck (Benchmarx Elements Stage). In between the acts inside, it was great to catch the other bands. To be fair, there were many people stayed outside to watch and only popped inside now n then and why not. The bands onshow were fantastic. I was lucky enough to catch “Sleepy Jake and the Duvets”, “Misc En Scene”, “Tripwire DC” “PMT” and “AOA”. These bands put on a fantastic show. The crowd lapped up the sunshine outside and the atmosphere was great.

Nice N Sleazy Festival Day One – Morecambe 2018

Friday 25th May – Day One

The 13th Nice N Sleazy festival is upon us. Big Ivan has pulled it off again. The Trimpell Sports and Social Club, yet again is the perfect location for the next three days of Punk and Ska music. The on-site camping lends itself to the holiday atmosphere and the relaxed feel of this festival, set it apart from many other festivals of it’s type. The entire team has made sure it will be an incredible weekend and there’s many people to thanks for making sure it goes without any drama’s. Stu Taylor (STP Records), School of Rock Media (SORM), The Trimpell Camera Club, Security, Catering and the many crew members and volunteers will make this an event to remember. The Line up is incredible and the scene is set so, let’s get this party started. (Yes, there was a pre-show last night but, hey ho, let’s go)

https://www.nicensleazy.info

Thirteen

Hailing from Falkirk in Scotland, Thirteen have the opening slot at Nice N Sleazy this year. They proudly take the stage and fire straight into their set. The songs have a reflective theme running through them harking back to the glory days of punk but with a modern feel to them. Quoting influences from SLF, NOFX and The Wildhearts, this blend of UK/USA – Punk and Rock comes through in the music. Dolly (Guitar/Vocals) gives a shout out to the bands from Scotland much to the amusement of a few who respond with references to kilts!!! “10,000 Record Sleeves” goes down well as Dolly brings some nostalgia about his record collection, then “Days Gone By” follows on with Craig (Bass/Vocals) and Greg (Drums) provide the solid foundation for the tuneful guitar licks. “Tattered Sleeve” is the next song up, but there’s no evidence of any sleeves tonight as the band are sporting cut off jackets and T shirts, necessary as the temp gets hotter from now on all weekend! The plug for their current E.P. “Spirit of Resistance” introduces the title track.

https://www.facebook.com/ThirteenUK

The Lurkers

Rumours were out that Guitarist Dave Kemp was stuck on the motorway as Stuart Meadows was warming up his kit. It was true, Dave, stuck in traffic and driving for over 5 1/2hrs for what should’ve been an easy afternoon drive. To compound things, the gremlins played havoc with his amp/guitar to the point where Arthur (Bass) had to play stand up comedian by rattling off some jokes. The irony was not lost, Morecambe being the home of one of the best loved comedians in Eric. Arthur does a great job keeping the crowd amused with his impromptu stand up and once the gremlins had been sorted, The Lurkers got into their raucous punk set with some real attitude. “I’m on Heat” gets the gig off to a flyer and there’s no respite as Stu fires into the second song “Sure and Steady”. Mental Health is a subject that will be referenced by many bands over the weekend as Arthur introduces “In the Rubber Room”. A tune from the last album “Come and reminisce if you think you’re old enough” is up next and Arthur sings about the hey days and cleverly makes reference to some of the original punk bands, slipping in one liners from their hits. The New York Dolls song “Pills” is a Lurkers favourite and Dave Kemp delivers the opening lick superbly. Dave’s great rock n roll lead solo during the song makes for a memorable version of the cover. As the audience shout out their favourite songs in the breaks, Arthur goes with “Mass Media Believer” the “B” side to “Freak Show” which is up next. There’s a great mix of new and old tonight and “Shadow” and “Little Ol Wine Drinker Me” close an eventful performance with a spirited display from the threesome. The Lurkers overcome adversity to deliver a cracking live set.

https://www.facebook.com/The-Lurkers

Captain Hotknives

Up next, some delightful Punk Humour and cleverly crafted lyrics from the solo acoustic Captain Hotknives. With song titles “Anarchist Squat Punk Band” and “I Skanked my Nana” he can’t fail to go down well with the crowd. The room is busy and show their appreciation.

https://www.facebook.com/captainhotknives

Drongos for Europe

Tommy Drongo (Vocals) greets the crowd and wonders when the last time they played Nice N Sleazy…. It may have been a while but launching into “May Day”, he reminds everyone how relevant the band are to this day with their aggressive anti-government/anti-establishment songs. The passion and delivery are there right from the off as “there’s gonna be a riot” has a rousing effect on the audience. Dek (Bass) opens the next song “Whose Army” up next has Tommy asking if we we’re going to war, who would it be with? The set continues with a “best of” feel as “Stand Up Be Strong” and “Who’s Got The Power” are played with real purpose. “Who’s the drunkest person in the room” asks Tommy as he fires into the next few songs launching the mic at the barrier for the singalongs. “Ain’t No Way We’re Backing Down” has Mac Mayhem (Guitar) thrashing his way through the song chopping chords at the verse until Danny (Drums) and Dek (Bass) are left at the bridge with the crowd in full voice. “Freakazoid” builds up the frenzy until Tommy announces the last song and “Revolution Times” brings the charged set to a close. The Drongo’s never disappoint and tonight was no different.

https://www.facebook.com/drongos-for-europe

999

“Hello friends…. Alright” screams Nick Cash (Guitar/Vocals) before 999 get their set off to a blistering start. Early favourites “Inside Out”, “Hit Me and “Feeling Alright With The Crew” get the set off to a great start as Nick is thankful for a good crew at Nice N Sleazy. “Lie Lie Lie” up next and shows the band to be on form with Guy Days (Guitar) showing off his talents with some great punk/rock n roll licks. “Some of the Places I Used to Go” and “Boys in the Gang” draw upon the bands influences and keep the gig on track. It’s Arthur (Bass) and Stuart Meadows (Drums) second appearance of the night having played with The Lurkers earlier as they begin the recognisable “Titanic Reaction” from the 1st Album. Guy takes over on vocals for “I Really Like You” and Arthur demands the crowd have a pogo! Stu’s furiously tight drumming drives the song along at pace for the 2 minutes it lasts. Nick starts the next song with a howl warning the audience that the big bad wolf or Donald Trump might get them! “Little Red Riding Hood” is followed by the frantic “No Pity”. A new song “Last Breath” from the bands last album keeps up the tempo with a singalong “La,La,La” chorus and great drumming from Stu at the bridge with some heavy toms/kick to help the singalong. Nick thanks the crowd for their support over the years, making comment that they’re still there after all these years. An enthusiastic crowd are rewarded with a great version of “Emergency” with Guy thrashing out the robotic chords to suit Stu’s powerful drumming, “I’m back in full attack” sings Nick and he’s not far wrong as 999 have given a great performance tonight. Nick asks the crowd for a singalong to “Nasty Nasty” and they oblige with a rousing “What the hell is wrong with you”!!!! The song bursts into life and 999 turn the clock back as band and crowd show their energy. Guy’s guitar solo and Arthur’s driving bass match the urgency of Stu’s drumming. The hits keep coming with “Homicide” as the set nears the end. Nick thanks the crowd for a great evening before they launch into an encore of “My Street Stinks” – “Long live the music” is Nicks parting cry and they depart.

https://www.facebook.com/999Music/

Litterbug

Local band Litterbug from Blackpool bring their highly energetic, manic thrash pop punk sound to Nice N Sleazy. Quoting influences from The Pixies/Buzzcocks/Nine Black Alps, their sets starts off at a furious pace with some incredibly tight drumming and edgy bass complimented with great short sharp chords reminiscent of the early punk songs of The Buzzcocks “times up” but sped up. Stuart Diggle (Guitar/Vocals), Andy Higgins (Bass/Vocals) and Cas Streetly (Drums/Vocals) form this frantic trio who were formed in 2005 and have honed their performances since then. “Introvert”, “Prozac Zombie” and “I will Not Explain” get their night off to a great start and some great banter from the band with the audience keeps the evening going. A shout out for Paul Carter as Stu dedicates a song to the well-known punk practitioner as they sing “Don’t Change”. There’s time for punk fanatic Dave Colton to get the band to pose for a “Get Well Kaz” picture for his daughter who’s recovering from surgery. Back at it and the tempo gets faster towards the end of the set before it’s brought to an end with “Petrol Situation”. A great set well delivered by Litterbug so check out their upcoming gigs.

https://www.facebook.com/litterbugblackpool/

Slaughter II

It’s gone midnight before Slaughter II take the stage, some delays earlier in the evening have meant Edweena Banger (Guitar/Vocals) takes the stage to the die-hards that are left to see the headline act tonight and they are in for a treat. The heavily 70’s influenced rock’n’roll is delivered by the three members of Slaughter II, Brian Grantham (Drums) an original member of Slaughter and the Dogs and Rick Sullivan (Bass). The set opens with “Now I Know”, “The Bitch” and “Boston Baby” without interruption before Edweena takes a breath to welcome themselves to Nice N Sleazy. The “Mystery Girl” is up next followed by “”Love In New York Tonight” which has a real flavor of The Stooges to it. MC5/New York Dolls wouldn’t be out of place on the bill tonight if they were to follow on but for now, we have “What You Do to Me” to singalong to before “God Save Us All”, a song from the latest album. ”Runaway” and “It’s All Over Now” keep the crowd bouncing with a great version of “White Light / White Heat” going down a storm with the faithful audience. Edweena now brings the “hits” with “Are You Ready Now” and “Cranked Up Really High” being instantly received by the crowd as they crash around until the seminal penultimate song “Where Have All the Boot boys Gone” bring the set to a near frenzy. The crowd demand an encore and “Calling Me” see’s the band end on a high.

https://www.facebook.com/Slaughter-II

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy – “Other Stages”

As if one stage wasn’t brilliant enough, outside the Trimpell Sports Club, there were two other stages. The large marquee (Old Republique Stage) and the open sided event truck (Benchmarx Elements Stage). In between the acts inside, it was great to catch the other bands. To be fair, there were many people stayed outside to watch and only popped inside now n then and why not. The bands onshow were incredible. I was lucky enough to catch “Fat Albert” and “Hospital Food”. These two bands put on a fantastic show, I didn’t get the whole set but to give you a flavour of what you missed if you weren’t lucky enough to see them, check these links below. Unfortunately, I did miss the other bands on the bill but will hopefully catch them again.

Stiff Little Fingers + The Ruts DC, Lemon Tree Aberdeen

Stiff Little Fingers | The Ruts D.C. | Lemon Tree | Aberdeen | 19.03.18

The SLF “Bad to the Bone” Nationwide tour reaches Aberdeen on a Monday night. The third Scottish gig, after a wild weekend, where they had their annual St Patrick’s day gig in Glasgow, followed by a gig in Inverness at Ironworks. You’d think that anyone of these gig’s would merit a day off but this juggernaut tour of two of the biggest names in Punk is relentless. The sold out venue has hundreds of eager gig goer’s lined up awaiting the doors to open. The Lemon Tree capacity of 550 is the smallest of the Scottish dates but this does not deter either band from a full on performance.

The Ruts D.C.

The Ruts take the stage to a warm rousing applause from the crowd, after all, they are one of the most universally known bands from the Punk era and possibly, three of the genuinely nicest guys you’d ever meet. Segs Jennings (Bass), starts the introduction saying “Let’s do some songs about Revolution, Governments, Money, Rioting, Fighting and a bit of Love”. The first song is called “Surprise”, from their highly acclaimed “Music Must Destroy” album released in Sept 2016. Next up, “talking bout police” Segs belts out, the song “Suss”, one of the regular set favourites which has Dave Ruffy (Drums), upping the pace, matched by a great punchy bass with the wonderfull waves of Leigh Heggarty’s (Guitar) Black Gibson Les Paul. “Mighty Soldier”, the first of the reggae based songs demonstrates the diversity within the band. It’s hard to believe your listening to a three piece when The Ruts are in full flow. Definitely, the finest exponents of reggae within the Punk movement. Moving along at pace again, “West One – Shine On Me” is up next and again, the drums/bass drive the song along while Leigh’s guitar is masterful.

Segs now calls for the crowd to make a new anthem for the next song. “Music Must Destroy”. The title track from their last album. It definitely show’s where the band are now and they are just as relevant today as they were back in 1979, Segs sings “We are not your property” bringing the song to a close.

“Staring at The Rude Boys”, one of the big hit’s for The Rut’s, having reached #22 in the UK chart’s is next. The crowd are loving the faithful rendition of the song.

“Jah War” , the second reggae based song, another favourite of the band and crowd alike, is brought to an end with Segs clearing an issue with some stage hum in his monitors before he and Ruffy suggest they “Kill the Pain”, yet another song from the last album. New or old, the set is like a greatest hits which show’s the strength in depth they have having been formed for over 40yrs. To demonstrate this, “In a Rut” and “Babylon’s Burning” are hard to follow as they are the first two singles released by the band and most successful, but the last song “Psychic Attack”, the first single from “Music Must Destroy” ends the performance in energetic style.

 

 

Stiff Little Fingers

Formed at the same time as The Ruts D.C., SLF are still selling out venues every year when they play. There is a real hard-core following for SLF and their crowd is very faithful and relish every live gig. Jake Burns (Guitar/Vocals), Ali McMordie (Bass), Steve Grantley (Drums), Ian McCallum (Guitar) make up SLF and take to the stage in Aberdeen for the 9th date of the “Bad to the Bone” tour.

Jake Burns kicks off the set with an old favourite “Wait and See” from their second studio album “Nobody’s Hero’s. The crowd immediately relish seeing their heroes tonight. The title song from the album next, followed by “Gotta Gettaway”. Like the Ruts earlier, the set has a feel of a greatest hits show already. Mid set highlight see’s Jake Burns wax lyrical about the heydays of punk and how many great songs came out of this era and this leads into The Specials – “Doesn’t make it alright”. McMordie’s bass give the song the back bone as the crowd singalong.

So, it’s not all about politics with SLF, Burn’s blasts into “I could be happy yesterday” from the 1997 Tinderbox Album. The songs are timeless whether new or old. “I could be a soldier…..” the instantly recognisable start to “Wasted Life” has the crowd moshing along before Burn’s talks of his depression and how he wrote the next song as a self help guide to help anyone who identifies with how he felt. “My Dark Places” keeps the pace up with Burn’s singing he’s not going back to his dark places. The set is nearing the end but not before crowd favourite’s “At The Edge” and “Tin Soldiers” raise the energy in the room and have the crowd singing at the top of their voices. The false endings for “Tin Soldiers” keep the audience going until the seminal “Suspect Device” the highlight of the set so far before the band briefly take their leave of the stage. “Steve Grantley” starts off the drumming to “Johnny Was” which is a 10 minute epic again having the crowd singing.

There’s never any doubt what the final song would be and the chords of “Alternative Ulster” confirm the ultimate anthem for the SLF fans. I think there’s more for the kids in Belfast these days but for the next 3 minutes we’re taken back the bleak days of the late 70’s. The crowd in Aberdeen have seen SLF at the top of their game. Having just come back from Australia and New Zealand, they have a busy summer ahead with festivals.

The Stranglers get some Therapy? in Inverness

The Stranglers | Therapy? | 09.03.18 | Ironworks, Inverness 

March, comes in like a Lion….. well, The Definitive Tour, which was to kick off on the 1st of March in Ireland, had to re-schedule the first three dates to April as the “Beast from the East” weather storm roared like a Lion. and resulted in the cancellation. The first date was kicked off in Liverpool, followed by Glasgow and has now reach it’s furtherest most point of the UK here in Inverness, Scotland.

Therapy?

Formed in 1989 by Andy Cairns, Therapy? bring their energetic, alternative and aggressive power chords to the 22 date tour supporting The Stranglers. Predominantly know as a three piece, with long standing bassist Michael McKeegan and drummer Neil Cooper, they are joined by Steve Firth, who doubles as guitar tech, guitarist and backing vocals.

You can see by the demeanour, Andy Cairns, a long life fan of The Stranglers, is proud to share the stage with his mentors. The set kicks off with Die Laughing from the Troublegum album released in 1994. This was the breakthrough year for Therapy? and going by Andy Cairns’ passionate delivery and energy, he’s far from ready to die! The tight compact hard hitting sound, delivered by these aggressive looking men moves on at pace through the set and welcomed by the sell out crowd, who are all in attendance, which is not often the case for support bands. There is a real bounce emanating from Therapy? tonight. Michael McKeegan moves around the stage wielding his bass guitar like a weapon. Hailing from Larne, his Celtic roots are evident and it could well of been a massive claymore sword as he raises the bass high above his head through out the set. Andy Cairns also wields his guitar like an axe and with Neil Cooper hammering his drums, the tribal feel emanates from the stage right through the crowd. The cover of Joy Division’s Isolation is a well known classic to Therapy? fans and has a wider appeal to the appreciative  audience as they clearly enjoy the powerful rendition.

Announcing Neil Coopers birthday, the crowd are baited into a rowdy request to have the powerful drummer to “drum like a motherfucker”. Andy Cairns cleverly links the Celtic Irish/Scottish roots of the band with a brief rendition of Flower of Scotland which has the crowd singing along. As Therapy? move into Teethgrinder and Screamager, they are ready to end with the crowd singalong Potato Junkie. Any other night, this would’ve been a headline gig, but were more that happy to make sure the crowd are ready for their equally menacing counterparts!

The Stranglers

This should have been the 6th date of the 22 date tour, but due to the cancelled Irish gig’s, The Stranglers take to the stage after the legendary cursory Walzinblack intro. The Ironworks venue in Inverness was sold out many months ago and the crowd are packed into this great venue. The projected back screen images light up the darkness and portray the four members in true depictive fashion.

Jean Jacques Burnel (Bass/Vocals), Baz Warne (Guitar/Vocals), Dave Greenfield (Keyboards) and Jim Macaulay (Drums), The Meninblack as they are commonly known, begin their set with Curfew, from the Black and White album, straight away, they have the sell out crowd endeared as it’s an iconic dark and menacing song which references Scotland and has the largely Scottish contingent singing back at JJ as he snarles into the mic. The crowd has come from far and wide tonight as English, Irish, Welsh, Belgian, Dutch and the far travelled Australians (to name but a few of the accents heard) revel to the opener. Not to spoil the tour for those who haven’t yet attended, Get a Grip on Yourself follows straight on. The first single released in 1977 is always a crowd favourite and they are happily bouncing along in unison to Jim Macaulay’s hammering beat. Bear Cage, a recent regular to The Stranglers set list uses the projected images to great effect, the iconic bear head looms large behind Baz as he sings the chorus.

The set moves on with old favourites mixed in with new classic’s. Norfolk Coast, the first album to include Baz Warne rings out and establishes itself as a mid set essential.

The middle of the set brings with it the the hits. Golden Brown and Always The Sun are household songs known to most people when you mention The Stranglers and the classic Walk On By gives every member of the band the chance to showcase their individual talents.

A new song called Water is show cased to the sell out crowd, who by the third date, have been waiting with baited breath to hear it. The four screens are filled with imagery of the ocean in all its might and beauty and The Stranglers, well rehearsed, play the new track with ease. Its the third time this song has been heard by the many who have followed the tour so far.

Back to basics now as the back catalogue raises the energy in the venue and a rare airing of the seminal track Just Like Nothing on Earth.

The set ends with songs from the first three albums, Rattus Norvegicus, No More Heroes and Black and White.

The crowd are left almost deaf by the resounding bass frequencies from JJ’s Shuker bass and he batters it and almost destroys the building and the ear drums of the unwitting on-lookers. The title track of the 2nd Album, No More Heroes brings the end to another Stranglers gig. The Meninblack leave the stage the same way they came on, to rapturous applause and move on to the next venue, which is also sold out. For a band to still be selling out to a hard core following, says a lot for their staying power.