Saturday October 20th @ Beat Generator
With chaos on the roads right from the get go due to the unfortunate event on a body being discovered at the side of the A90, the usual one hour journey took almost 4 hours and thus meant we missed the earlier portion on the gig, However what we caught was good.....
The Jackhammers: I arrived half way through their set and the fast paced punk and roller's lead singer had already clocked his head on the beam above the stage and was pissin blood. It was a nice thing to see upon arrival. It gave me hope the evening was going to be a wild one and the music backed that up. Nice gun show too. 7/10
Maxwell's Dead: Aside from seeing these boys a hundred times, for me they never have a 10/10 show. It's always just shy and I'm not quite sure what else they can do to push it further because they're brilliant! Strange Banter as always and awesome ska sections. 9/10
The Guttersnipes: With an ex-guitarist of Cock Sparrer thrown in the mix you're always going to be craving nothing less than gold, but for me the band were a bit so-so. I wanted more from this 3 piece, but it just wasn't happening for me. 6.5/10
The Cundeez: A most excellent set from the Cundeez who blew away their hometown as per usual and lit up the a humble attitude crowd. They played a brilliant set and only audience participation could have made this set better but it just wasn't there. 9/10
The Eddies: Hitting the stage, mask and all, was Dundee's local legends The Eddies. They played a lot harder than previous times I've seen them and it was quite the effort, especially the "Breaking the Law" cover by Judas Priest. Just not quite there though! 7.5/10
Overspill: I missed the first half of Overspill, but the second half was a pretty good performance. They blew me away with their set at Punktoberfest last year, but this year they seemed to be missing it for me. 8/10
Roughneck Riot: Despite Matt's arm being busted from some skateboarding incident or something stupid like that, the band pulled off a brilliant performance. The lack of the mandolin, let them down a bit though, but they blew the roof off as best they could. 8/10
Billy Club: Think early Agnostic Front and your almost there. A long storied history of this band including ex Subs members, American origins and various other nuts and crackers make them an interesting bunch and the music was pretty good on the night too! 8/10
Drongos For Europe: The last few times I've seen Drongos they been disappointing. Tonight was no exception. The first time I saw them I cursed myself for not having found this band sooner, but its just not been happening in the latest shows I've been too. By this point the crowd was tired and it was well and truly kebab time 6/10
Overall: In the end, over two days, it was a great effort by the promoters, bands and the venue. It was just a case of the punters letting the scene down (Becoming all too familiar these days). The atmosphere wasn't quite the same as it was last year and the Friday I'm told was quiet, despite well over 100 people begging for Diddums to play. 7/10
Monday 5 November 2012
Tuesday 19 June 2012
Crows + Support @ KPC, Glasgow
Sunday June 9th @ The Kinning Park Community Complex
Holy shit this place is a gonna be a shithole. That was my first thought. I was sooooooooooo fucking wrong and I cannot wait to go back to this place. An old Primary school converted into a community centre, which in 1996 the Glasgow City Council decided to close due to budget cuts. The local community, for 55 days, occupied the building and stopped it's closure and came to a deal with the community to keep the centre open. A better version of the story, not told from someone who's been there a grand total of 6 hours, is here.
Also, even though I'd recently just returned to the working life (excuse for lack of updates), I was very pleased to see a 60% discount for the unemployed for gig entry at this gig, very good. So we show up and I've only a few tins, believing it was bar only and £2 each per drink. Having not realised this I got myself to the shop, came back and had missed No Island. Great fucking start, sorry guys, I was really looking forward to seeing you as well.
Fifteen Dead then hit the stage, and to be honest, played pretty well, it was just early on. Glasgow struggles to get into early bands anyway, as the next band found out and I've no doubt No Island had to as well, and it dulls down the atmosphere a bit. Double shift for new bassist Clark Core who played the evening before in Aberdeen with his band The Obscenities (who played a blinder by the way) and he looked to me to blend into the mix very well.
Drug Couple is a band I didn't rate much when they played the Palace of Crust in last show in March, although I have come to quite enjoy their recordings and they were very good live as well. Sam "The Madman" Wells is impossible to take a photo of he moves about too much. He ooozes energy. An earthquake-tornado combination revolving amongst the solid formation of Mount Everest that is the rest of the band. Complains he's too hot when he's wearing a beanie... indoors... with tights over his head... for an entire set..... yep.
Clocked Out as most of you guys know are nothing short of brilliant. Local favourites who embody the DIY culture and love everything about what they do. A band you simply cannot have in your life. Respect of the tallest order (as tall as Stretch over there on bass... is that possible?). Get these cunts seen bawjaws!
Crows, for me, were not what I thought they would be. I really struggled to get into them and a few folk agreed. I think it was more of Clocked Out being a very difficult act to follow (I'd certainly tell someone to fuck off if they asked me). It's doomy, negative stuff and it's not something you'd follow a lively as fuck band with... main act or not. I enjoyed their recordings, it just wasn't for me on the night.
Overall: The venue was brilliant. I met a few new friends, as well as plenty old ones which is always a pleasure. The bands played well. I just wished Glasgow went a bit more mental every now and again, seriously can't wait to come back to this venue again. Brilliance. 8.5/10
Big Thanks: to Papa Clark Core for the lift down the road otherwise Aberdeen to Glasgow is a long fucking walk. Charlie for the amazing gig, All the staff at the KPC, the cup cake lass, the bands, the punters, the bouncers (aye! even they were smashin!). Good times.
Holy shit this place is a gonna be a shithole. That was my first thought. I was sooooooooooo fucking wrong and I cannot wait to go back to this place. An old Primary school converted into a community centre, which in 1996 the Glasgow City Council decided to close due to budget cuts. The local community, for 55 days, occupied the building and stopped it's closure and came to a deal with the community to keep the centre open. A better version of the story, not told from someone who's been there a grand total of 6 hours, is here.
Also, even though I'd recently just returned to the working life (excuse for lack of updates), I was very pleased to see a 60% discount for the unemployed for gig entry at this gig, very good. So we show up and I've only a few tins, believing it was bar only and £2 each per drink. Having not realised this I got myself to the shop, came back and had missed No Island. Great fucking start, sorry guys, I was really looking forward to seeing you as well.
 |
| Badger of Fifteen Dead |
 |
| Drug Couple |
Clocked Out as most of you guys know are nothing short of brilliant. Local favourites who embody the DIY culture and love everything about what they do. A band you simply cannot have in your life. Respect of the tallest order (as tall as Stretch over there on bass... is that possible?). Get these cunts seen bawjaws!
 |
| Clocked Out |
Overall: The venue was brilliant. I met a few new friends, as well as plenty old ones which is always a pleasure. The bands played well. I just wished Glasgow went a bit more mental every now and again, seriously can't wait to come back to this venue again. Brilliance. 8.5/10
Big Thanks: to Papa Clark Core for the lift down the road otherwise Aberdeen to Glasgow is a long fucking walk. Charlie for the amazing gig, All the staff at the KPC, the cup cake lass, the bands, the punters, the bouncers (aye! even they were smashin!). Good times.
Moral Dilemma + The Obscenities @ The Moorings, Aberdeen
Friday June 9th @ The Moorings, Aberdeen
Another jaunt down the Moorings for yer standard 2 band bill and what a brilliant gig.
The Obscenities who are relatively new on the scene haven't really hit the ground running. They've more or less hit the ground, been dragged along by the car and then crawled to their feet while the car is going at 120mph up the A96, caught up with it and shoulder barged the fucker into a ditch. An intense crowd in The Moorings wanted blood, sweat and anger. And they got it. Clarkies no nonsense approach as a front man suits him down to the ground in amongst the crowd, with the ever amazing skills of Randy "Sexual Chocolate" Watson on bass and the ADHD antics of Bry Parasite. Behind this blur of adrenaline you can see the mass of human being that is Ash beating the skins with such intensity you could swear the kit was one of Mike Tyson's victims. A few more catchy songs and recordings from this band so the crowd can be even more involved would have peeled the paint of the walls. Brilliant set. 9/10
Moral Dilemma, despite being the headline for the evening had an incredibly difficult set to follow and they gave it their all. Last time I saw them was supporting the Casualties where I expected alot more from them, but on this evening the wanted to scream in the face of everyone and why the end of it the crowd were covered in the frontman's sweat (And later so was the LA princess. ha!) Hard working, determined... their set screamed of it. Next time they're anywhere near, I'll be there, they're definitley a band I'd travel down the road for. 8/10
Overall: The venue, the bands, the crowd, the quantity of booze consumed, all a perfect blend for this one. If there was any way to make this better would be for one more really good band thrown in, just for the sake of it, but to be honest, If they hadn't lived up to standard set by these two, it may have ruined it. Awesome gig. 8/10
Another jaunt down the Moorings for yer standard 2 band bill and what a brilliant gig.
The Obscenities who are relatively new on the scene haven't really hit the ground running. They've more or less hit the ground, been dragged along by the car and then crawled to their feet while the car is going at 120mph up the A96, caught up with it and shoulder barged the fucker into a ditch. An intense crowd in The Moorings wanted blood, sweat and anger. And they got it. Clarkies no nonsense approach as a front man suits him down to the ground in amongst the crowd, with the ever amazing skills of Randy "Sexual Chocolate" Watson on bass and the ADHD antics of Bry Parasite. Behind this blur of adrenaline you can see the mass of human being that is Ash beating the skins with such intensity you could swear the kit was one of Mike Tyson's victims. A few more catchy songs and recordings from this band so the crowd can be even more involved would have peeled the paint of the walls. Brilliant set. 9/10
Moral Dilemma, despite being the headline for the evening had an incredibly difficult set to follow and they gave it their all. Last time I saw them was supporting the Casualties where I expected alot more from them, but on this evening the wanted to scream in the face of everyone and why the end of it the crowd were covered in the frontman's sweat (And later so was the LA princess. ha!) Hard working, determined... their set screamed of it. Next time they're anywhere near, I'll be there, they're definitley a band I'd travel down the road for. 8/10
Overall: The venue, the bands, the crowd, the quantity of booze consumed, all a perfect blend for this one. If there was any way to make this better would be for one more really good band thrown in, just for the sake of it, but to be honest, If they hadn't lived up to standard set by these two, it may have ruined it. Awesome gig. 8/10
Saturday 5 May 2012
Found on the Floor @ Captain Tom's, Aberdeen
Saturday April 28th 2012 @ Captain Tom's, Aberdeen
Another fun filled night of closed in, heat intensive, cider spilling, buckfast arseing around in Captain Toms. Always a good night, great atmosphere.
We started off the evening with Taparra, now called Bobby and the Boys. They were fucking terrible. I'm sure most people there will agree with me on this. They were a cross between grunge and doom and were essentially the 12 minutes of a Nirvana album that you don't listen to cause it's bollocks. Avoid.
Now the gig properly starts. Eaten By Crows hit the stage and despite Skubba hingin oot his arse he plays a belter, so people have a knack for it, he's one of them. Great 77 punk, probably more hints of 82 throughout their set as well. Was pointed out to me the lead singer tries to sound like Jello, didn't notice until I listened again to TV Wars on youtube, and yeah I totally hear it on that, but didn't on the night for the rest of it. Best to stay away from the Jello impressions, but otherwise good band!
At the last minute we lost Sufferinfuck on the bill due to some illness that was making 3 of them vomit and hallucinate so instead we received a dose of Absolutist, which was well met. It's been a while since I've seen the band now and not since the new material came out. The guys played an stormer of a set and ripped the place apart. Can't wait to sit down and review the new album, it should be brilliant. Props to Callum for playing with a microphone that low. It was like he was punishing himself by playing in that position.
Found on the Floor were the tour act for the evening from Ireland. Brilliant set, great energy, great tunes. A self-described Metal / Punk Hybrid. They sound like UK82 meets the apocalypse in an all out fight to the death. Props to their drummer who was brilliant on the night. Really on form with a high pulsating energy pounding into the skins.
The filthy boys finished off for the evening and although by this point the Cider had got the best of me, and Teabags for that matter who finished off the evening propped up against a wall trying to play guitar, I do remember having a particularly good time. Filthpact have wrote alot of new stuff since their reformation last year and although I'm one for the Version 1-2 era, the material is still excellent. You should be checking it out.
Overall: The night was a prime example of another great night in Captain Toms. Lots of people, great bands and we showed them how we do it in Aberdeen. Great night had by all. 9/10
Another fun filled night of closed in, heat intensive, cider spilling, buckfast arseing around in Captain Toms. Always a good night, great atmosphere.
We started off the evening with Taparra, now called Bobby and the Boys. They were fucking terrible. I'm sure most people there will agree with me on this. They were a cross between grunge and doom and were essentially the 12 minutes of a Nirvana album that you don't listen to cause it's bollocks. Avoid.
 |
| Skubba (Eaten By Crows) |
At the last minute we lost Sufferinfuck on the bill due to some illness that was making 3 of them vomit and hallucinate so instead we received a dose of Absolutist, which was well met. It's been a while since I've seen the band now and not since the new material came out. The guys played an stormer of a set and ripped the place apart. Can't wait to sit down and review the new album, it should be brilliant. Props to Callum for playing with a microphone that low. It was like he was punishing himself by playing in that position.
 |
| Found on the Floor |
The filthy boys finished off for the evening and although by this point the Cider had got the best of me, and Teabags for that matter who finished off the evening propped up against a wall trying to play guitar, I do remember having a particularly good time. Filthpact have wrote alot of new stuff since their reformation last year and although I'm one for the Version 1-2 era, the material is still excellent. You should be checking it out.
Overall: The night was a prime example of another great night in Captain Toms. Lots of people, great bands and we showed them how we do it in Aberdeen. Great night had by all. 9/10
Tuesday 17 April 2012
Routine Social Incompetance - Call it Whatever You Like LP (2010)
Routine Social Incompetance - Call it Whatever You Like LP (2010) [DIY]
Punk and Roll here from Milton Keynes here with a 17 track effort. With hints of Rockabilly thrown in in places and a general sense of pogo till yer heid hurts this band have a nice pull to them. "Big Brother" is a pretty decent track that would probably sound brilliant live, but falls a bit short on the recording. "Daggers" brings amount an a good amount of speed and a nice wee catchy chorus, but again I feel it falls just a bit short of the mark. "Curly Wurlys" is a nice reminder to not take everything so fucking serious and to top it off it's a brilliant song! Listen to it! The rest of the album is full of nonsense songs just done for shits and giggles and sometimes that's what you need.
Overall: Definitely think this band would be a good laugh to go see live and would be nice to bounce about to in a venue, but I'm not going to be clutching onto their CD as my 3 things on a dessert island. Go see them live, I reckon they'd be pretty good. 7/10
Monday 16 April 2012
Opposition Rising - Aftermathematics (2011)
Opposition Rising - Aftermathematics (2011) [DIY/Opposition Records]
You want a fuckin album! Here's a fuckin album! From the build up of intro song "Rising", going 100 miles a second into "The Rich are Killing The Poor" this album screams let's rip the roof off the place and start a fucking riot! A personal favourite from the album is the song "F.T.W.", which I first heard from Riot Ska Records' Global Unity Musik II, which can be found here. The band bring the hardcore Boston scene to it's knees with this powerful production. Brilliant lyrical content, heavy as hell. A definite 'tough guy' Agnostic Front feel to it, as well as some metal undertones thrown into the mix do nothing but help this come together like a perfectly crafted jigsaw puzzle. "Total Annihilation" is another brilliant song, even if it is a bit short. "Brick by Brick" changes the pace slightly and the simplistic riff in the song for some reason sounds quite interesting to me. "Debt Sentence" and "Everybody's Lying to You" continues the spirit of mixing it up a bit and and changing the flow, slowing it down a little bit and bringing in slow ska type bits, don't try to skank to it though, you'll look like a total cunt, it's more of an upper body sway! The last song "Destination Apocalypse" is a the perfect way to end the album with lyrics screaming accross the point "Our world begins, when your world ends!"
Overall: Best thing I've heard in ages, pissed off it took me this long to listen to it. I can't really push this record enough, it's brilliant. And you want to know something better. The band's DIY ethics mean it was instantly up for free download. Hell even the CDs say "FREE CD, NOT FOR SALE, DO NOT PAY FOR THIS CD". But if you do like it alot, then do what I'm going to be doing, buy this fuckin peach of a splatter vinyl 12" of the album here. 10/10
Download this album: http://oppositionrising.bandcamp.com/album/aftermathematics-lp
Co-Released on:
Active Rebellion
Crash Assailant Records
Pirates Press Records
Riot Ska Records
Rodent Popsicle
Tankcrimes Records
You want a fuckin album! Here's a fuckin album! From the build up of intro song "Rising", going 100 miles a second into "The Rich are Killing The Poor" this album screams let's rip the roof off the place and start a fucking riot! A personal favourite from the album is the song "F.T.W.", which I first heard from Riot Ska Records' Global Unity Musik II, which can be found here. The band bring the hardcore Boston scene to it's knees with this powerful production. Brilliant lyrical content, heavy as hell. A definite 'tough guy' Agnostic Front feel to it, as well as some metal undertones thrown into the mix do nothing but help this come together like a perfectly crafted jigsaw puzzle. "Total Annihilation" is another brilliant song, even if it is a bit short. "Brick by Brick" changes the pace slightly and the simplistic riff in the song for some reason sounds quite interesting to me. "Debt Sentence" and "Everybody's Lying to You" continues the spirit of mixing it up a bit and and changing the flow, slowing it down a little bit and bringing in slow ska type bits, don't try to skank to it though, you'll look like a total cunt, it's more of an upper body sway! The last song "Destination Apocalypse" is a the perfect way to end the album with lyrics screaming accross the point "Our world begins, when your world ends!"
Overall: Best thing I've heard in ages, pissed off it took me this long to listen to it. I can't really push this record enough, it's brilliant. And you want to know something better. The band's DIY ethics mean it was instantly up for free download. Hell even the CDs say "FREE CD, NOT FOR SALE, DO NOT PAY FOR THIS CD". But if you do like it alot, then do what I'm going to be doing, buy this fuckin peach of a splatter vinyl 12" of the album here. 10/10
Download this album: http://oppositionrising.bandcamp.com/album/aftermathematics-lp
Co-Released on:
Active Rebellion
Crash Assailant Records
Pirates Press Records
Riot Ska Records
Rodent Popsicle
Tankcrimes Records
Sunday 15 April 2012
Razorblade Smile - Self Titled LP (2011)
Razorblade Smile - Self Titled LP (2011) [DIY]
I caught Razorblade Smile supporting The Defects in Kirkcaldy in November 2011 and was lucky enough to grab a CD off of them. They're live performance was quite good and I was interested to hear what they sounded like recorded. And to be honest they were pretty damn good.
The songs take an Exploited riffage in verse parts in places and combine it with pure 77 chorus parts to make a brilliant go of it. In most places they take a street punk edge into their music as well, but it's not as heavy recorded as it is live. The lot of it is always played a good speed, not 100mph lose control speed, but.... 85mph at least haha. The album is full of good tracks and they are all worth a listen but if I had pick out a couple to play at a party it would be "Censored Society", "Hit The Floor", "Govanhell" and "Friendly Nation".
Overall: Like I said, it's a decent album and each song is worth a listen. The duel female and male vocals make it an interesting 4 piece band, but overall it's lacking that 'edge'. 8/10
I caught Razorblade Smile supporting The Defects in Kirkcaldy in November 2011 and was lucky enough to grab a CD off of them. They're live performance was quite good and I was interested to hear what they sounded like recorded. And to be honest they were pretty damn good.
The songs take an Exploited riffage in verse parts in places and combine it with pure 77 chorus parts to make a brilliant go of it. In most places they take a street punk edge into their music as well, but it's not as heavy recorded as it is live. The lot of it is always played a good speed, not 100mph lose control speed, but.... 85mph at least haha. The album is full of good tracks and they are all worth a listen but if I had pick out a couple to play at a party it would be "Censored Society", "Hit The Floor", "Govanhell" and "Friendly Nation".
Overall: Like I said, it's a decent album and each song is worth a listen. The duel female and male vocals make it an interesting 4 piece band, but overall it's lacking that 'edge'. 8/10
Last Ever Palace Gig @ Palace of Crust, Aberdeen
Saturday March 3rd 2012 @ The Palace of Crust, Aberdeen.
A sad moment and an evening in which Aberdeen's punk house finally met it's demise in a blaze of glory. With me having made the mistake of going to Uganda for 7 weeks for charity work, as well as functioning resident alcoholic JJ Hobin's 24th birthday, the party was set to be an onslaught of madness throughout.
Drug Couple hit the stage first and were a brilliant way to open up the venue. I only heard their set through, didn't see much, as I was getting my drinking on after only just arriving home from a 25 hour journey an hour or so before. They sounded brutal and the crowd, in the few glimpses I did see, were up for a riot, and by fuck did they go for it.
Fifteen Dead would probably have gave this one a miss, but they were requested to play and decided to play a shorter than normal set, mostly of newbies. Great atmosphere as always for the house band, but lack of practice over the last few months didn't do them any favours on the night. The new material, however, sounds brilliant and this band keep getting better and better.
Maze McPunklet gave us a brilliant poem about the legacy the Palace of Crust has left behind.
Clocked Out played yet again a brilliant set. Frontman/madman Crawford finally found his match in front of a crowd with the Aberdeen lot crowd surfing him through the living room and just generally picking him up and passing him about like a joint. The crowd went nuts, the band went nuts, the roof remains with his footprints.
Billy Liar for me played an absolute rarity of a show, I say that because in my mind I thought he played pretty poor. Don't get me wrong, all these drunken arseholes grabbing the mic to try and sing along didn't help and ruined it for you, but as always with Aberdeen, the crowd screamed his lyrics with all the passion in the world. Aberdeen Punks + Billy Liar = Good Times.
Cleavers played a horrible set in my opinion. They were playing, then they weren't, then they were, then they were terrible. However the lovly letterman style Cleavers jackets are just what the cover of NME and Radio 1 ordered. Go get em lads!
Sufferinfuck I don't remember much of, cause they were last and by this point I was drinking anything that looked like it could be liquidated. Myself and Palace Princess Steeny went to go mental for the last song, by the time we got there, they were finished (it was 4 seconds long). I do remember gan "10 Fuckin Eggs!" an awful lot, usually a good sign i'm enjoying the band.
Overall: The gig was an incredible atmosphere. There were a few below average performances from bands who usually hit the button every time, but apart from that, no one could take away the fact that "This was it". The Palace of Crust is coming to an end, so lets make this a night to remember and it was.... and then for a select few, we had a nice 3 days afterwards as well.
If you never got the chance to go to the Palace of Crust then this is what you've missed out on, and If you have, you'll always have the memories of the one year where a house in Aberdeen changed an entire scene.
Link! This video was created by Jamie Christ as part of Scottish D.I.Y. Series.
A sad moment and an evening in which Aberdeen's punk house finally met it's demise in a blaze of glory. With me having made the mistake of going to Uganda for 7 weeks for charity work, as well as functioning resident alcoholic JJ Hobin's 24th birthday, the party was set to be an onslaught of madness throughout.
Drug Couple hit the stage first and were a brilliant way to open up the venue. I only heard their set through, didn't see much, as I was getting my drinking on after only just arriving home from a 25 hour journey an hour or so before. They sounded brutal and the crowd, in the few glimpses I did see, were up for a riot, and by fuck did they go for it.
Fifteen Dead would probably have gave this one a miss, but they were requested to play and decided to play a shorter than normal set, mostly of newbies. Great atmosphere as always for the house band, but lack of practice over the last few months didn't do them any favours on the night. The new material, however, sounds brilliant and this band keep getting better and better.
Maze McPunklet gave us a brilliant poem about the legacy the Palace of Crust has left behind.
Clocked Out played yet again a brilliant set. Frontman/madman Crawford finally found his match in front of a crowd with the Aberdeen lot crowd surfing him through the living room and just generally picking him up and passing him about like a joint. The crowd went nuts, the band went nuts, the roof remains with his footprints.
Billy Liar for me played an absolute rarity of a show, I say that because in my mind I thought he played pretty poor. Don't get me wrong, all these drunken arseholes grabbing the mic to try and sing along didn't help and ruined it for you, but as always with Aberdeen, the crowd screamed his lyrics with all the passion in the world. Aberdeen Punks + Billy Liar = Good Times.
Cleavers played a horrible set in my opinion. They were playing, then they weren't, then they were, then they were terrible. However the lovly letterman style Cleavers jackets are just what the cover of NME and Radio 1 ordered. Go get em lads!
Sufferinfuck I don't remember much of, cause they were last and by this point I was drinking anything that looked like it could be liquidated. Myself and Palace Princess Steeny went to go mental for the last song, by the time we got there, they were finished (it was 4 seconds long). I do remember gan "10 Fuckin Eggs!" an awful lot, usually a good sign i'm enjoying the band.
Overall: The gig was an incredible atmosphere. There were a few below average performances from bands who usually hit the button every time, but apart from that, no one could take away the fact that "This was it". The Palace of Crust is coming to an end, so lets make this a night to remember and it was.... and then for a select few, we had a nice 3 days afterwards as well.
If you never got the chance to go to the Palace of Crust then this is what you've missed out on, and If you have, you'll always have the memories of the one year where a house in Aberdeen changed an entire scene.
Link! This video was created by Jamie Christ as part of Scottish D.I.Y. Series.
The Cundeez - Lend Wiz Yer Lugs LP CD (2011)
The Cundeez - Lend Wiz Yer Lugs LP CD (2011) [Oary Records]
Right from the get go, I'm loving this. An absolute epic intro in "Caleil", could be faulted for being a bitty long, but still sounds great. The second track is "Summer of 78" and along with "This is Britain" is attributed to be inspired by the Clash, the first is about a bunch of auld bastards day dreaming about their youth, sounds good and the latter about the sad state of affairs of the UK, a nice bit of organ work in the background there and one of the slower songs on the album. The band have a feel of yer old school 77 with a bit of grunge riffage there, or so I felt apparent with "Mr E Go", im not sure if I'm hearing a slight bit of Nirvana Smells like Teen Spirit there. "Oary Tull Eh Deh" starts aff wee what I can only describe as Dundonian Reggae, which in itself sounds fuckin mental but strangely it works brilliantly. The finish to the track is brilliant. "Yir Talking Shite" was one of the only songs I'd heard from them recorded before the CD landed on the desk. You really need to listen to the lyrics on this one, it takes everything that needs to be said and simply puts... says it. As a bonus from the CD (Windows PC Only), the video for "Yir Talking Shite" is included. "Fortune Street" is a brilliant slow song. Reflecting another week at work finished and time to hit the town and forget all the bullshit. "Sehturday Night" is about floating around Dundee on a Saturday night obviously and getting into shit, the chorus line from the song sums it up well. "Sehturday Night, it's nae place tae be, Sehturday Night, on the streets o Dundee, Sehturday Night, Psychos oot their face, Sehturday Night, Rang Time Rang Place". "Fightback" was a bit slow for me, lyrically it was good, but I had a feeling towards the end of the album it was floating away from them a bit with this and "Keyboard Gangsters". But "Haggis Man" reminds you it doesn't need to be all doom and gloom and I can now say I've listened to the Iron Man theme music played on the bagpipes and it's fuckin brilliant haha!
Overall: In the end the only really disappointing bits for me here was the 3rd and 2nd last track. While the lyrics were there and cunts on keyboards should just be ignored if you don't like what they're saying, the music wasn't at the end, but the rest of it was brilliant. There's not enough Scottish bands that sing with their own accents and these boys do it well. I remember when I first heard them years ago and they were practically a Dundee Utd supporter band which is why I, as a dirty sheep shagging bastard, didn't think it was a smashin idea to book them in Aberdeen. But that's no longer the case, a great asset to Scottish punk rock and the Dundee scene in particular. 9/10
Note: Went to spell check this before I posted and due to all the track titles.... I gave up.
Right from the get go, I'm loving this. An absolute epic intro in "Caleil", could be faulted for being a bitty long, but still sounds great. The second track is "Summer of 78" and along with "This is Britain" is attributed to be inspired by the Clash, the first is about a bunch of auld bastards day dreaming about their youth, sounds good and the latter about the sad state of affairs of the UK, a nice bit of organ work in the background there and one of the slower songs on the album. The band have a feel of yer old school 77 with a bit of grunge riffage there, or so I felt apparent with "Mr E Go", im not sure if I'm hearing a slight bit of Nirvana Smells like Teen Spirit there. "Oary Tull Eh Deh" starts aff wee what I can only describe as Dundonian Reggae, which in itself sounds fuckin mental but strangely it works brilliantly. The finish to the track is brilliant. "Yir Talking Shite" was one of the only songs I'd heard from them recorded before the CD landed on the desk. You really need to listen to the lyrics on this one, it takes everything that needs to be said and simply puts... says it. As a bonus from the CD (Windows PC Only), the video for "Yir Talking Shite" is included. "Fortune Street" is a brilliant slow song. Reflecting another week at work finished and time to hit the town and forget all the bullshit. "Sehturday Night" is about floating around Dundee on a Saturday night obviously and getting into shit, the chorus line from the song sums it up well. "Sehturday Night, it's nae place tae be, Sehturday Night, on the streets o Dundee, Sehturday Night, Psychos oot their face, Sehturday Night, Rang Time Rang Place". "Fightback" was a bit slow for me, lyrically it was good, but I had a feeling towards the end of the album it was floating away from them a bit with this and "Keyboard Gangsters". But "Haggis Man" reminds you it doesn't need to be all doom and gloom and I can now say I've listened to the Iron Man theme music played on the bagpipes and it's fuckin brilliant haha!
Overall: In the end the only really disappointing bits for me here was the 3rd and 2nd last track. While the lyrics were there and cunts on keyboards should just be ignored if you don't like what they're saying, the music wasn't at the end, but the rest of it was brilliant. There's not enough Scottish bands that sing with their own accents and these boys do it well. I remember when I first heard them years ago and they were practically a Dundee Utd supporter band which is why I, as a dirty sheep shagging bastard, didn't think it was a smashin idea to book them in Aberdeen. But that's no longer the case, a great asset to Scottish punk rock and the Dundee scene in particular. 9/10
Note: Went to spell check this before I posted and due to all the track titles.... I gave up.
Thursday 8 December 2011
Book Yer Ane Fest V @ Kage/Dexters, Dundee
Friday December 2nd - Sunday December 4th @ Kage/Dexters, Dundee
An Absolute gem of a weekend this turned out to be. The folks at Make-That-A-Take Records really went all out on this one. All a worthy cause as the proceeds from the event went to the charity Safe-Tay, give them a nosey here. Anyway. It turned out to be a messy weekend and I was struck down by some illness (no denial of in relation to alcohol) mid way through the weekend. So while I got a got review from Friday. I left Saturday to Bry Parasite from Bile Yer Heid Fanzine. I'll post the link once it's been posted. I then picked a selection of bands I thought stood out on the Sunday that I was able to catch. If you want professional, go buy the fuckin NME, If you want honest, come here.
Friday @ Kage Nightclub
The last ever show (4th time only) from Joey Terrifying and I'm still pretty disappointed this lot a splitting, although I am hoping for several one offs over the next few years before finally reforming. With vocalist Deeker drenched in an impeccably tight testicle exposing orange morph suit, it wasn't very hard to focus on the musical element. A good strong set from the boys, and while I understand the reasons for the placement as opening act, I'd have loved to see them higher up the bill for a good send off. I recommend getting a hold of their stuff, we previously reviewed all their releases, which you can check out here, which includes a link to their bandcamp to download it all. 7.5/10
The Day I Snapped threw us completely off balance and into the world what I could describe as Emo n Roll. Never heard that one before. Infused with some good pop punk tunes, but not an awful lot of energy from the band and a bit too slow in my opinion. Although the did do pretty well musically and seemed pretty tight knit. 6/10
Maxwells Dead had a top night, even with guitarist Russel a bit pissed he still seemed to catch every note perfectly. The whole band put on a good show and their pop punk rock style with bollocks prevailed through and got the crowd bouncing back to life. Very good set from the boys. 8/10
To be honest, as always, I wasn't impressed with that much with Mickey Erg! To start with all I could hear was Joel Madden with a guitar in his hands. A Bit too whiney and with it being just himself on an electric guitar, it sounded a bit more like he was jamming in someones living room after a few spliffs more than anything else. There were definitely folk into him, though it just didn't work for me. 4/10
The Upstarts. This was what I was holding my breath for. One of my favourite bands from Aberdeen and the scene hasn't quiet been the same without them. Missed by all, Crusties, Skankers and Street Punx alike. Their set seemed shorter than it should have been. A few mistakes here and there but nothing crazy and while their reunion would have been met with a cascade of bodies going crazy in Aberdeen, In Dundee it seemed restricted to 4 or 5 folk and few moody cunts down the front complaining they're getting bumped into at a punk gig. Canna please everyone. 8.5/10
The Slow Death for me were pretty poor. Very generic sounding rock with hints of pop punk and I wasn't impressed with any of their set, except.... the last song. I don't know if it was their own or a cover or what the craic is there, but the last song was brilliant and if the rest of their set had the same pace, desire and cinder block to the skull effect as that one, I'd be all over it. 4/10
The Arteries finished off the evening for us and I was all about the face paced energy these boys showed. Great sections of hardcore from this band as well. Couldn't help draw comparisons with Billy Talent in certain vocal situations, but that's not that much of a bad thing. Good Effort. 7.5/10
Selection from Sunday @ Dexters, Dundee
15 Minutes - I'd been looking forward to seeing these guys for years and by christ, from this lads chat between songs, he's had a tough shift and kudos to him for the strength he shows. If you haven't already heard the acoustic melodies (one man playing, the other just singing), then have a look. They don't play very often either, which is why it's taken me so bloody long to seem them but If you get the chance. Take it! 8/10
Billy Liar - I really don't why I bother to continue reviewing this cunt, it's always a top show, but on the night it was the crowd that was lacking to make it special, not the man in particular himself, who kept breaking guitar strings at an alarming rate. As always, if you're near, get it done and go see the loon. 8/10
ONSIND - Two lads from Durham here who's main lyric points seem to be Feminism and Animal Rights. The gathered a close crowd of female followers down the front, with quite a few guys coming in there as well. Their music was pretty good and message good hearted, but they seemed to do a lot of complaining about men, rather than encourage women to do more. Surly when it comes to sexism, lowering one sexes expectations (no matter whether it's female or male), to compensate the other isn't how it should work, Surly bringing each other up to same levels on a united front is much better? They were however quite impressive to say the least and very well worth going to see. 8/10
Chris T-T - This guy was something very different. The man from Brighton comes to us as the tour support for Franz Nicolay. Although it seems he didn't really stand out much on stage he did something, mid-set, I've never seen anyone do before. I never seen anything like it. He put down his guitar, got off the stage and started singing a song. It was a slow and calmly sung ballad. He did it with no microphone and he gradually just circled round the room at Dexters, before heading back onto the stage. Such intensity, that you feared to breath. Something incredibly surreal. 7/10
Franz Nicolay - With contributions on recordings to bands such as Against Me and Leftover Crack, this man gets around and is a very skilled musician, but this point in the night, I was happy to take a back seat and engross myself in his product and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. Picking up in different variations an accordion, banjo and an acoustic guitar is was nice way to end the weekend and relax after a long 3 days. 8.5/10
On this particular day, looking back on it, I get the impression that this was obviously the day for everyone to chill out after a long weekend, especially considering the majority of the acts were acoustic, but even then, being told to be quiet while a musician is playing through an amp is ridiculous. And as a whole from the weekend it seemed, and while I'm aware that every scene is different, that Dundee is very wound up. It seemed a lot of being weren't prepared to cut loose. Don't get me wrong, there's a big scene, lots of people who make the effort, but also a bit of shite to it. My friendliest chat, from folk I didn't already know, came from the bouncers at Kage.
Overall, again, I want to say a massive thank you to Make That A Take Records for the whole weekend and big props to Deeker for booking it all. Top marks to the Dundee and surrounding scenes for your effort in getting yourselves there. Top praise to all the bands, whether I liked you or not, for your efforts this weekend. Whether I'm into you guys or not is irrelevant if you're prepared to make the effort and do the show so well done to yourselves.
An Absolute gem of a weekend this turned out to be. The folks at Make-That-A-Take Records really went all out on this one. All a worthy cause as the proceeds from the event went to the charity Safe-Tay, give them a nosey here. Anyway. It turned out to be a messy weekend and I was struck down by some illness (no denial of in relation to alcohol) mid way through the weekend. So while I got a got review from Friday. I left Saturday to Bry Parasite from Bile Yer Heid Fanzine. I'll post the link once it's been posted. I then picked a selection of bands I thought stood out on the Sunday that I was able to catch. If you want professional, go buy the fuckin NME, If you want honest, come here.
Friday @ Kage Nightclub
The last ever show (4th time only) from Joey Terrifying and I'm still pretty disappointed this lot a splitting, although I am hoping for several one offs over the next few years before finally reforming. With vocalist Deeker drenched in an impeccably tight testicle exposing orange morph suit, it wasn't very hard to focus on the musical element. A good strong set from the boys, and while I understand the reasons for the placement as opening act, I'd have loved to see them higher up the bill for a good send off. I recommend getting a hold of their stuff, we previously reviewed all their releases, which you can check out here, which includes a link to their bandcamp to download it all. 7.5/10
The Day I Snapped threw us completely off balance and into the world what I could describe as Emo n Roll. Never heard that one before. Infused with some good pop punk tunes, but not an awful lot of energy from the band and a bit too slow in my opinion. Although the did do pretty well musically and seemed pretty tight knit. 6/10
Maxwells Dead had a top night, even with guitarist Russel a bit pissed he still seemed to catch every note perfectly. The whole band put on a good show and their pop punk rock style with bollocks prevailed through and got the crowd bouncing back to life. Very good set from the boys. 8/10
To be honest, as always, I wasn't impressed with that much with Mickey Erg! To start with all I could hear was Joel Madden with a guitar in his hands. A Bit too whiney and with it being just himself on an electric guitar, it sounded a bit more like he was jamming in someones living room after a few spliffs more than anything else. There were definitely folk into him, though it just didn't work for me. 4/10
The Upstarts. This was what I was holding my breath for. One of my favourite bands from Aberdeen and the scene hasn't quiet been the same without them. Missed by all, Crusties, Skankers and Street Punx alike. Their set seemed shorter than it should have been. A few mistakes here and there but nothing crazy and while their reunion would have been met with a cascade of bodies going crazy in Aberdeen, In Dundee it seemed restricted to 4 or 5 folk and few moody cunts down the front complaining they're getting bumped into at a punk gig. Canna please everyone. 8.5/10
The Slow Death for me were pretty poor. Very generic sounding rock with hints of pop punk and I wasn't impressed with any of their set, except.... the last song. I don't know if it was their own or a cover or what the craic is there, but the last song was brilliant and if the rest of their set had the same pace, desire and cinder block to the skull effect as that one, I'd be all over it. 4/10
The Arteries finished off the evening for us and I was all about the face paced energy these boys showed. Great sections of hardcore from this band as well. Couldn't help draw comparisons with Billy Talent in certain vocal situations, but that's not that much of a bad thing. Good Effort. 7.5/10
Selection from Sunday @ Dexters, Dundee
15 Minutes - I'd been looking forward to seeing these guys for years and by christ, from this lads chat between songs, he's had a tough shift and kudos to him for the strength he shows. If you haven't already heard the acoustic melodies (one man playing, the other just singing), then have a look. They don't play very often either, which is why it's taken me so bloody long to seem them but If you get the chance. Take it! 8/10
Billy Liar - I really don't why I bother to continue reviewing this cunt, it's always a top show, but on the night it was the crowd that was lacking to make it special, not the man in particular himself, who kept breaking guitar strings at an alarming rate. As always, if you're near, get it done and go see the loon. 8/10
ONSIND - Two lads from Durham here who's main lyric points seem to be Feminism and Animal Rights. The gathered a close crowd of female followers down the front, with quite a few guys coming in there as well. Their music was pretty good and message good hearted, but they seemed to do a lot of complaining about men, rather than encourage women to do more. Surly when it comes to sexism, lowering one sexes expectations (no matter whether it's female or male), to compensate the other isn't how it should work, Surly bringing each other up to same levels on a united front is much better? They were however quite impressive to say the least and very well worth going to see. 8/10
Chris T-T - This guy was something very different. The man from Brighton comes to us as the tour support for Franz Nicolay. Although it seems he didn't really stand out much on stage he did something, mid-set, I've never seen anyone do before. I never seen anything like it. He put down his guitar, got off the stage and started singing a song. It was a slow and calmly sung ballad. He did it with no microphone and he gradually just circled round the room at Dexters, before heading back onto the stage. Such intensity, that you feared to breath. Something incredibly surreal. 7/10
Franz Nicolay - With contributions on recordings to bands such as Against Me and Leftover Crack, this man gets around and is a very skilled musician, but this point in the night, I was happy to take a back seat and engross myself in his product and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. Picking up in different variations an accordion, banjo and an acoustic guitar is was nice way to end the weekend and relax after a long 3 days. 8.5/10
On this particular day, looking back on it, I get the impression that this was obviously the day for everyone to chill out after a long weekend, especially considering the majority of the acts were acoustic, but even then, being told to be quiet while a musician is playing through an amp is ridiculous. And as a whole from the weekend it seemed, and while I'm aware that every scene is different, that Dundee is very wound up. It seemed a lot of being weren't prepared to cut loose. Don't get me wrong, there's a big scene, lots of people who make the effort, but also a bit of shite to it. My friendliest chat, from folk I didn't already know, came from the bouncers at Kage.
Overall, again, I want to say a massive thank you to Make That A Take Records for the whole weekend and big props to Deeker for booking it all. Top marks to the Dundee and surrounding scenes for your effort in getting yourselves there. Top praise to all the bands, whether I liked you or not, for your efforts this weekend. Whether I'm into you guys or not is irrelevant if you're prepared to make the effort and do the show so well done to yourselves.
Friday 2 December 2011
The Defects - Revelator EP CD/DVD (2011)
The Defects - Revelator EP CD/DVD (2011) [DIY]
CD
Opening track and EP title "Revelator" kick us off and it's a song you can get excited about. This is 77 meets street. The echoing ring of the guitar and the build ups are great. The harrowing voice throwing out a chorus, brilliant backing vocals pieces and the drumming is good and adventurously successful in some areas and solid throughout. The Reggae piece towards the end in particular shows this band can diversify whether the fuckin want to or not. And jesus christ that's only track one. "Guilty Conscience" maintains the same pieces as before. Solid riffs, brilliant backing vocal sections and solid drumming. "Metal Walls" is still a good song, with an impressive solo in there as well and it's a good jump around but not better than the last two songs. Then comes track 4, I was so, so, so dreading listening to this. I had listening to dub mixes of songs. It ruins them. But.... not this one. It's "Revelator Dub" and while the song originally has a wee section of reggae in it, this one is all over reggae and it sounds beautiful. With tormented echos which stretch on in the vocals and the guitar before hitting incredibly hard vocally with the chorus to bring you to attention and appreciate it. Like I said, I usually fucking despise these tracks thrown onto the end of EPs. In my opinion it's laziness on the bands part, but this one has been done very well and pretty good considering their drummer Glen did it and it's his first bash at it. Impressive EP 9/10
DVD
Bet they didn't think I'd review this too eh.... haha. To start with I'm thinking this video is shite! It's put together pretty crap, but a sneaking suspicion that that couldn't be the case, cause no one would do something this bad on disk, was confirmed when the next track, the live one, came on and the video was equally as fucked up. Well you know what, Windows Media Player can get tae fuck. So for now, I'll leave it at that until I can get a dvd player to watch the DVD.
CD
Opening track and EP title "Revelator" kick us off and it's a song you can get excited about. This is 77 meets street. The echoing ring of the guitar and the build ups are great. The harrowing voice throwing out a chorus, brilliant backing vocals pieces and the drumming is good and adventurously successful in some areas and solid throughout. The Reggae piece towards the end in particular shows this band can diversify whether the fuckin want to or not. And jesus christ that's only track one. "Guilty Conscience" maintains the same pieces as before. Solid riffs, brilliant backing vocal sections and solid drumming. "Metal Walls" is still a good song, with an impressive solo in there as well and it's a good jump around but not better than the last two songs. Then comes track 4, I was so, so, so dreading listening to this. I had listening to dub mixes of songs. It ruins them. But.... not this one. It's "Revelator Dub" and while the song originally has a wee section of reggae in it, this one is all over reggae and it sounds beautiful. With tormented echos which stretch on in the vocals and the guitar before hitting incredibly hard vocally with the chorus to bring you to attention and appreciate it. Like I said, I usually fucking despise these tracks thrown onto the end of EPs. In my opinion it's laziness on the bands part, but this one has been done very well and pretty good considering their drummer Glen did it and it's his first bash at it. Impressive EP 9/10
DVD
Bet they didn't think I'd review this too eh.... haha. To start with I'm thinking this video is shite! It's put together pretty crap, but a sneaking suspicion that that couldn't be the case, cause no one would do something this bad on disk, was confirmed when the next track, the live one, came on and the video was equally as fucked up. Well you know what, Windows Media Player can get tae fuck. So for now, I'll leave it at that until I can get a dvd player to watch the DVD.
Monday 28 November 2011
Knives Out - Here Again (2011)
Knives Out - Here Again (2011) [Next Punk Records]
I was quite happy last week because I received a copy of the album Here Again, by Swiss punk n rollers Knives Out. And it's a pretty good listen. The albums opening track "I'm Here" screams rock n roll right from the start and the band keep the level up. The song "Walking Away" was particularly good. It's melody is a nice little head bopper and it's a nice number. The problem I had was this album was that nothing really seemed to stand out. The vocals were pretty good, but the musicians came accross as very pub standard rock n roll and to be honest I felt like they're capable of better. The riffs aren't spectacular, they're not bad, they're just not anything too special or important here. It comes accross as a bit repetitive. "Start Again" and "Foe" are not bad songs in their own right, but like I said, nothing stands out too much. It's obvious they've put quite a bit of effort into their album launch and the recording of it etc, but it just hasn't caught my attention as much as i hoped it would of. I the end it's a disappointing 6/10.
I was quite happy last week because I received a copy of the album Here Again, by Swiss punk n rollers Knives Out. And it's a pretty good listen. The albums opening track "I'm Here" screams rock n roll right from the start and the band keep the level up. The song "Walking Away" was particularly good. It's melody is a nice little head bopper and it's a nice number. The problem I had was this album was that nothing really seemed to stand out. The vocals were pretty good, but the musicians came accross as very pub standard rock n roll and to be honest I felt like they're capable of better. The riffs aren't spectacular, they're not bad, they're just not anything too special or important here. It comes accross as a bit repetitive. "Start Again" and "Foe" are not bad songs in their own right, but like I said, nothing stands out too much. It's obvious they've put quite a bit of effort into their album launch and the recording of it etc, but it just hasn't caught my attention as much as i hoped it would of. I the end it's a disappointing 6/10.
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