Tag: punk

All Cat’s Eyes for Nothing Rhymes With Orange’s New Single

Firstly, to clear up any confusion, as I know I was, a little, and I also accept it doesn’t take much these days, Devizes’ finest musical export since The Hoax, Nothing Rhymes With Orange will play a homecoming gig at The Three Crowns on the Friday 24th June, and not as previously advertised on the Saturday….

Reason being is symbolic of the monumental progress this young band is making nationally; on the Saturday they’re at the third heat of this year’s Pilton Stage party in Glastonbury, the winners of which will go on to share the stage with a major headliner in front of 8,000 people on Worthy Farm in September, that’s all!

Here at Devizine Towers we’ve got all fingers and toes crossed for the guys, it’s a tough cookie, but we look forward to catching up with them on Friday. If you need confirmation of my claims of their blossoming progress, check out the latest single, Cats Eyes, which they launched today, and you will realise I’m not making this up; shits got real.

If eyes are a window to the soul, and cats are sly, this bountifully bodacious banger is the wild romantic ride of Born to Run, with an nonchalant and stylised ring of youth. The narrative is elementary though noteworthy, the post-festival blues of confusing mental bedlam over a fleeting romance, and coming to terms with it all when homebound; it’s convincing, I get the inkling they’ve been there.

Yet it’s the professionalism of a lively style defined here which impresses, having watched these Devizes lads progress from the levels of fun yet amateur punky knockouts like Chow For Now. And it’s all contained within a relatively short space of time whereby each single is a moonwalk to initiating a universal style.

If the early singles like Chow and Manipulation fuelled a local fanbase of peers, Cats Eyes will play the same part in enthusing the big kahunas of the music industry, and if not, I want an inquiry as to why not. These songs they’ll undoubtedly look back on as stepping stones, yet while there’s a modification to a growing professional trend which sounds to me retrospective eighties indie-pop, the like I hail bands like Talk in Code for reverbating, their rawer punker influences aren’t completely saturated here. It doesn’t feel like selling out, it feels like a natural progression to a permeating and accomplished sound, which will equally not disappoint fans but amass newer ones too.

If we’ve always been impressed with Nothing Rhymes With Orange’s insatiable ability to energetically harmonise, it’s evident here in abundance too. They’ve mastered the hook, and taking it to a bridge, they detonate the pop formula with indie goodness, something which only gets better each time; Cat’s Eyes makes another positive leap forward.

The band have been consistently gigging across the South West at festivals and niche music venues since they met in a secondary school, and have been championed by many local radio stations including BBC Introducing who have featured two of their tracks. With a summer tour announced they’ll be playing a range of headline and support gigs right across Wiltshire and on to Hampshire, Bristol, Reading and London. 

But while it’s great to see them heading out, you know when they arrive back in Devizes, the party is on, and fans will be chanting their lyrics back to them; the highest accolade aside a blinding review from me, naturally!!

LinkTree HERE

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James and the Cold Gun, Lucky Number Seven, Nobody’s Dad, The Real Cheesemakers at The Pump, Trowbridge

Brian Yeates 

Images: Greg Stoner

This was the first time I’d heard about the Pump, and realised it did not refer to the popular local festival. I was familiar with James and the Cold Gun from a support run they did with Therapy a few years back. And I was planning to go and see them at the Fleece a few weeks ago when we had a few days away in Bristol, but the gig was sold out….

The Pump, part of the grounds to The Lamb public house, on outward appearances appears to be not much more than an old stable building next to the pub. Being a former member of Melksham covers band El Niño a number of years back, I could recollect playing at the Greyhound just up the road. However, inside is a different story. Two floors, the upstairs has old cinema seating, capacity is seventy. The venue is fitted out for gigs, with sound and lighting facilities, thanks to lottery funding. A nice intimate, quirky venue with musical instruments and stable paraphernalia adorning the walls, as well as “the pump”. If you’re tall like me there are a few places to exercise caution due to low ceilings! Most of the beams have been painted with blackboard paint so that visiting bands can chalk their name up on there.

I quickly set about trying to engage my friends to join me at this event and I managed to get a group of five of us to make the trip from the Vale of Pewsey over to the big lights of Trowvegas! The fact that for the princely sum of £11 each, we actually got to watch four bands, sealed the deal.

So first of all we headed to the Lamb to get some drinks as there is no room to have a bar in the Pump.

Unfortunately we missed a lot of the set by the Real Cheesemakers because we were outside but could tell from what we could hear that the audience inside were being treated to some top music. When we finally ventured in and got our wristbands we were taken aback by the witty and clever lyrical content of the Real Cheesemakers songs. As the set finished we were disappointed that we hadn’t caught more.

Next up was the young but very talented Nobody’s Dad, playing a lively and grungy Pixie-esque set, not to be missed if you get the chance to watch them live. The two lads and two lasses worked really well together and there were great harmonies from the ladies throughout the set.

The hard hitting post punk duo Lucky Number Seven were up next. Just drums, guitar and a big sound from their backing tracks/samples. We’d seen these before at the Underground in Swindon and they did not disappoint with their charged and effervescent set.

As we hear Kate Bush piped over the PA, my mate looks over and says to me that’s her song, ‘James and the Cold Gun;’ time for the main event. The band walked in exuding rockstar. The experience gained since the last time I saw them drips out of every pore, having extensively toured the U.K., two runs in the US including the SXSW (South by SouthWest) festival as well as a support slot for Guns n Roses at Hyde Park and some interesting studio time in the home of grunge.

A lively set with plenty of audience interaction followed covering all of James and the Cold Guns repertoire. With bangers such as Chewing Glass (a personal favourite,) She Moves, dedicated to bassist Gaby, and the recently released Sting in the Tail as well as a new song. Their hard hitting, pacey alternative heavy rock with hints Queens of the Stone Age amongst many other influences was just what the crowd wanted.

The end of the set saw the front men encourage the crowd to form a mosh pit, which members of the band joined in with as well as hugs and handshakes for the audience members that were wearing their band’s merch, reciting lyrics word for word or actively involved in the mosh pit.

All in all a thoroughly good night and we would love to do it all over again!

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Shox & Steatopygous; Devizes Bands Support Menthol Lungs at The Pump’s Future Sound of Trowbridge

By Florence Lee

Images by Kiesha Films

‘They promised hardcore shenanigans which never fall below 180 bpm’

SHOX:

After seeing Shox in February I was expecting to have a great time, and for them to expand on their ideas which they showcased at the Devizes youth night; however, they managed to smash my expectations once again….

Their set list included ‘Back To School’ by the Deftones, ‘Florescent Adolescent’ by the Arctic Monkeys and ‘Drown’ by Bring Me The Horizon and included some insanely smooth add-in’s using the DJ set. The transition between playing ‘Happy Song’ by Bring Me The Horizon and ‘Killing in The Name’ by Rage Against the Machine had a syren playing and what I can only describe as ‘The music and voice that speaks to you before you go onto a terrifying roller coaster.’ I am not quite sure how to describe it, but I have never heard anything like it before. It was pretty incredible – it drew the audience in and it was a really interesting experience. Their set was very much a journey rather than just some music. SHOX have come on leaps and bounds since the youth night and with some more gigs under their belt, I can only imagine their sound will continue to develop.

Image: Kiesha Films

I wanted to know some more about them, so after getting in contact, I asked them a few questions. Jamie (drummer) and Ed (singer/rhythm guitarist) played together in primary school and wanted to get into a band in secondary school. So, when they joined they went out and looked for a band. Zac (guitarist) and Dylan (bassist) came along around two years later when they got paired to do an academic music project together. Once they had played a few times, they realised they had ‘great chemistry’ and formed SHOX. They are looking to start the rollout of their debut album called ‘To Be Honest, I Couldn’t Be Bothered’ and are hoping for a release in November. They also have a ‘Big announcement in the middle of June,’ which I am sure many are looking forward to. If you haven’t seen them live, I would really take the next opportunity!

Image: Kiesha Films

Steatopygous:

If you haven’t read my interview with Steatopygous, I would recommend reading it as you get the ‘inside scoop’ on what Steatopygous really means.

Image: Kiesha Films

In a nutshell, Steatopygous is a riot girl (and boy) band, which truly could not get any better. With front girl Poppy Hillier, playing guitar and singing, the memorising Eliza on bass and drummer Ewan. They played three originals: ‘Marie’s Wedding Song’, ‘Female CD’ and the new ‘Little Boy’. It is safe to say that since hearing Little Boy, it has not left my mind since. You can tell the song came from somewhere close to their hearts, and is now embedded within the audience’s. Both Female CD and Maire’s Wedding Song are also well written songs, that I cannot wait to be able to listen to online.

Image: Kiesha Films

With three admirably well executed Bikini Kill songs – Carnival, Feels Blind and Star Bellied Boy, they enticed the audience so much, we were demanding “one more song”. And wow, they performed Deception by le Tigre, which truly exploded the mosh pit, not that we had stopped dancing since Steatopygous had entered the stage. I just want to say an incredibly well done to Eliza, Poppy and Ewan, as during their set, they had to stop for a tech issue, but carried on, dare I say, better than before. As a performer myself, I can understand how gut wrenchingly scary it can be to play on stage, let alone have to stop and start again, and they dealt with it like the pros they are becoming. I have been told they are working towards an EP and I, like many others, am beyond excited to hear how it comes out. So, like SHOX, if your ears haven’t been blessed by the music of these beautiful people, then I would really take your opportunity.

Image: Kiesha Films

Menthol Lungs:

While I heard both Steatopygous and Shox before, I was pumped to be able to listen to Menthol Lungs as I hadn’t heard of them and all I can say now is that I was missing out. As soon as they started to play, I was transported into the world of Subhumans and Minor Threat and felt the immediate need to find my skateboard and go stagedive off a speaker stack! Their heavy punk rock music was awesome, and I was even more blown away when I realised that eight of their ten songs were originals!

Image: Kiesha Films

Menthol Lungs are anarchistic hardcore, which was appreciated by me and the crowd. The deeper meanings to what could have been simple lyrics, elevated their performance as they spoke for what they truly believe in. If I thought their performance couldn’t get any better, they then performed ‘The Combine Harvester’ by The Wurzels, which had the audience in stitches and singing along in true Devizes harvest-core fashion :-). I was lucky enough to be able to speak to the amazing Ava, who sings and ask a few questions about their band:

Image: Kiesha Films

Can you introduce your band?

‘We have Corey, who is on rhythm guitar. Sam, who couldn’t make it today, is on lead guitar – he is great.  Zeth right here is on drums, Fergus on bass and I am Ava. I do vocals.’

How did the band form?

‘So, about two years ago, I got kicked out of a sh**** pop, punk band, called Corner Shop Liquor. I then turned around to my mate James, an artist as well, and said “I want to start a new band, can you help me out?” and he introduced me to Corey who could play guitar. Then my fiancé Ash joined us as bassist, but then replacing Ash was Fergus; Fergus and Zeph kind of came as a package deal.’

‘We met Corey at a gig about a year and a half ago and so he vaguely knew us.’

‘Yeah, so about a year and a half ago, we got Zeph and Fergus in a band and we record some stuff and start rehearsing on Zeph’s farm, in some stables. We got our first gig last December.’

Special mention to their six-string bass, which I had to ask questions about:

‘May I just say your six string bass is insane. Looks sick’ – me!

‘There is actually a funny story about that. Fergus left one band rehearsal with a five string bass and he left it at the rehearsal space. When he came back, he had a six string bass with him. It’s brilliant.’

How do you write your songs?

‘So, usually Cory will sit down and write some riffs and upload them onto Songster. He will add some drums and lead guitar and a bit of bass. Then, I usually have some lyrics lying around in my notes app and write them up into a full song, or Corey will write lyrics as well. Then at rehearsals we see what works and it usually ends up in a song.’

How do you think tonight went?

‘Do you know what, it was killer. Best vocals I think I have ever managed, to be honest.’

 What’s your next step?

‘Next step … We have an album coming out hopefully later this year. We are hoping for August, but aiming for the end of the year. We have a gig coming up with Disorder in July. We love Disorder. July 25th – go buy your tickets!’

Thank you Ava for spending some time speaking to me; you and your band are great and I am thoroughly looking forward to seeing how you guys progress in the future!

Image: Kiesha Films

So, in conclusion, the audience and I had a brilliant time, dancing, sweating, slamming, singing and getting to know these sick bands. If these bands are not on your radar, please go give them a follow and see how they progress as the gifts they have for your ears are extensive and they have years beyond them of only getting better.

Finally, I just want to say a massive thank you to Kieran and everyone at the Pump. It is an incredibly special, intimate place, which holds thousands of memories for us kids. I wouldn’t be able to recommend going more. If you haven’t been, you are not just missing out on amazing music, but also an experience that you won’t be able to forget for years. Thank you for letting bands be able to share their music with everyone. What you are doing with ‘The Future Sound of Trowbridge’ is unbelievably special and loved by so many people.

P.S. the drummer from SHOX, Jamie, has a DJ set at the Pump on Trowbridge on the 10th of May. Go get your tickets!

The Future Sound of Trowbridge #9

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A View to a Thrill

“The Thrill of Love” at the Wharf Theatre by Ian Diddamsimages by Chris Watkins Media Just over a year ago, the Wharf theatre performed a…

Steatopygous & SHOX: Two Teen Devizes Punk Bands Appear on Trowbridge’s Pump Triple-bill this Saturday

Two teen Devizes punker bands appear on Trowbridge’s Pump triple-bill this Saturday, as the search for the Future of Trowbridge reaches its eighth instalment; unsure if Flo, our youngest reporter (by a country mile!) will be on the scene, so I’m tempted to leave my embarrassing grandad cap in the drawer and have a nose myself….

A new one on me, Menthol Lungs headline the show, with an ambiguous base I’m taking a wild stab in the dark to be Trowvegas. They promise hardcore shenanigans which never fall below 180 bpm. I might try to attempt to keep up with that, but kids, please stop me if you see me turn purple!

Now, our town’s newcomers, riot front-grrrl Poppy Hillier, bassist Eliza Brindle and drummer boy Ewan Middleton, aka Steatopygous, take the middle slot. In accordance to Flo’s recent interview with them, in true punk DIY fashion this band formed at Devizes school, and was the one she was most excited to see at the youth gig set up by Devizes Youth Action Group at the Corn Exchange in Feb.

Progressive indie fusion with a drum n bass DJ, apparently, SHOX also played the gig, and Flo had only good words to say about them too, concluding thus, “these guys have some awesome ideas, which makes them stand out and make a unique sound that I would love to hear some original songs with.” A concept that leaves me intrigued, I must say.

There’s one damn decent way to further these band’s progression locally, and that’s to feature at the one true venue dedicated to being their, and so many other upcoming talents’ launchpads, The Pump. Whereas most venues want to bring in a big name, The Pump strives to introduce you to the next big names…. Bloomin’ lovely place too.

Bucking the trend of depleting support, this Trowbridge golden nugget goes above and beyond grassroots schematics to host what will surely be, The Future Sound of Trowbridge. Hats off to all who sail in her, and I’m over the moon if it is to be suggested Flo’s excellent coverage of the Devizes Youth Action Group gig on Devizine encouraged Mr Moore, our favourite-most promoter, to book these two. But, hey, if we’re talking hats, there’s bound to be some other codger to share gardening tips there, surely? What the hell, if I do attend this gen z hoedown I might take my grandad cap after all! Best of luck to Menthol Lungs, Steatopygous, and SHOX. 

Tickets are only a fiver, go, invite your grandad along too! HERE.

The Future Sound of Trowbridge #8

Goths in Devizes: Deadlight Dance at The Southgate and Vinyl Realm

Every weekend is a dilemma, with so much going on. Invitations to see The Beat at the big Cheese, Sorrel’s book launch in Lockeridge, but sometimes I just wanna go where…. .. cue the theme from Cheers…..

And they’re always glad you came, at the Southgate in Devizes, a truly landmark tavern for bringing the town a steadfast, free and happy music venue. With a spectacular month’s line-up, incredible yet forever modest hometown singer-songwriter Vince Bell today at 5pm, those flip, flop flying Junkyard Dogs next Saturday, outstanding virtuoso Ruzz Guitar the following Saturday, grungy Cobalt Fire nestled between them and the legendary Jon Amor Trio’s monthly residency shifted from the usual Sunday to Thursday 7th to allow a convenient opportunity for the incredibly cool Ian Siegal, yeah it caters for the town’s historic penchant for the blues and prog-rock, but the Southgate never stands on convention; last night proved this.

What Devizes anchors in blues, each local town has its own niche, Chippenham, folk, Trowbridge, indie, but eastwards, Marlborough way, the tendency leans towards post-punk and gothic. It was something intriguing, if a smidgen eerie to me, drafted there at a tender age from suburban Essex, only knowing black eyelined boys with wicker necklaces and stormtrooper boots from vampire movies. Accepting gothic was a necessity if I wanted to fit in, get off with “posh” girls, and avoid being bitten by the head vampire down Figgins Lane; none of which actually happened!

Something to look back on and laugh with Tim Emery, one half of duo Deadlight Dance, who was one of those goths in my school year. The other half, Nick Fletcher, arrived at St Johns for the sixth form but I was outta there by then. Together they formed teen bands, nowadays they’ve reunited to form Deadlight, playing here tonight after making a morning in-store appearance at Vinyl Realm, which I missed; could still taste the toothpaste.

In fondly reviewing their wares and gigs they’ve made me realise what I missed by only calling a meagre compromise of liking Robert Smith and teetering on the edge of full blown gothic; hence my reasoning for making a beeline to the Gate.

When the cumulation of the gig came to pass and Tim and Nick paid homage to their influences, I confess I’m in the dark about Sisters of Mercy or Fields of the Nephilim covers, but being in the dark for goths is a good thing, I thought?! I can, though, appreciate the more commercial or pioneering quarters, as they covered The Velvet Underground’s Waiting for my Man, or electronica classics from OMD and Joy Division; you know the ones.

Covers were sprinkled to begin with, as Deadlight Dance delivered their originals superbly, from a forthcoming album and their debut one, Beyond Reverence. With acoustic beginnings they built in layers from emotional melancholic expressions, on subjects like loving rain (despite wearing shades throughout the gig!), revolution, burning like fire in Cairo, and even a gothic sea shanty, to backing tracked beauties to enhance the second half of this poignant show with the new wave electronica and ethereal wave, and roused the crowd.

With a sorrowing rendition of Heartbreak Hotel, as found on their album, and these breathtaking impressions of gothic rock and electronica of yore, Deadlight Dance put the breath back into a genre often overshadowed these days by shoegazing pop or grunge; indie subgenres surely derivatives of post-punk but not as memorable for me.

If anyone’s going to bring out my inner-goth, it’s Deadlight Dance…pass my blood rose lined black corset and skull and cross pendant, pronto, because last night was another great night at the Southgate, again offering diversity to our town’s entertainment program. Bringing a touch of Marlborough to Devizes is a welcomed rarity imho, it often feels as if there’s an ocean between Avebury and Beckhampton rather than just a flooded roundabout!

Thanks to the Gate for parting the sea, and thanks to Nick and Tim for a splendid evening. Even got the opportunity to briefly chat with two other bands on our ever-growing must-see list, The Radio Makers and Static Moves; watch this space!

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The Worried Men Take the Pump

And Morpheus said unto Neo, “unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.” Funny cos, I kinda feel similar about The Worried Men! So much so, it’s worth forgoing my weekend cider ration to drive down to the Pump to catch them…

Fast becoming our flagship grass roots music venue, enough for Wiltshire Council’s area board to reward them with a grant, Kieran and his team have transformed The Pump in Trowbridge from its origins as a folk club, through offering a diverse programme, and we love it here at Devizine Towers. It’s quirky, quaint, and most importantly, it’s impressively welcoming.

The grant was used to purchase some new equipment for The Pump that will enhance the artist and customer experience. There is no need to up their game with the programme of events though, in my honest opinion. Every show is a gig in heaven already, if heaven has an antique pitcher pump as a feature! Kieran said, “we’re really trying to contribute to our community and thank you for joining us along the way!” The pleasure is all ours, thank you Mr M.

Their worthy Future Sound of Trowbridge project to promote youthful upcoming bands at the Pump may well be in full momentum, but was put on hold for this Saturday night to make way for experienced, marginally older musicians! One thing you could be certain of, Worried frontman Jamie Thyler handles his guitar like Michelangelo handled his paintbrush. Cruising that well-oiled machine through a medley of every known Renaissance blues and rock guitar riff, with the ladders of his highly accomplished bassist and drummer, moulds them into one beautiful Sistine Chapel ceiling.

The Worried Men show consists of a few originals from their extensive discography, which sound like rock classics anyway, meddled with this cascade of known riffs and only pauses to allow some time for Jamie’s quick-witted, Gilbert Shelton humoured quips. They’re not wholly covers, per say, more improv homages and nods to his influences, the guitar heroes of yore, the blues master axemen from Muddy to Howlin Wolf and Hendrix to prog-rock’s Deep Purple or Zeppelin. Enthusiastic trainspotters will pick out Mungo Jerry, Spencer Davis, The Stones, but never will Jamie simply re-enact, it’s simply acknowledged in a beautiful mesh.

Opening with a decidedly Muddy Water’s version of Just Make Love to Me, and ending with a Jumpin’ Jack Flash encore, it truly was a breathtaking barrelhouse of delta to electric blues, with enough psychedelic swirls to overspill a sugarcube at Woodstock, but more importantly, it was delivered with sublime passion and exceptional skill.

First time I caught the Worried Men was at our trusty Southgate in Devizes last April, I made an odd but fitting oral hygiene comparison, “Jamie holds an expression of concentration, occasionally looking up at you through these spellbinding Hendrix fashioned excursions, as if to ask “is that alright for you?” Like a dentist with his tools stuck in your gum, you feel like responding, “yes, fine, thank you doctor.”

But none of this magic occurred until after newly-formed indie-punkers Future Plan gave us a grand support. With an attention to the heady dawn of punk, Future Plan attacked an indie set with ferocity and fire, making for a wild ride of originals. It was confident, rocking, and having it. Particularly entrapping was a track they called Rinky Dink, Future Plan might just be the most bookable pub punk band, if the landlord wants drinks to fly off the bar. With a debut EP in the pipeline, and some singles pre-released from it, find them on Faceache here, and I look forward to catching them again on the local circuit.

Another, what might be usually fantastic night at The Pump, and a most agreeable double thumbs-up from me. Though, I’m still none the wiser as to what worries the Worried Men to call themselves such, if anything I’d say if it’s not ironic, it should be.

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Nothing Rhymes With Orange Storm The Southgate

If The Southgate is Devizes’ finest and most reliable pub music venue, it’s usually favoured by an adult crowd. Yet it’s without doubt that Nothing Rhymes With Orange is the most cherished Gen Z band in town. Having not played Devizes since summer, it was a certainty such a free gig would crash the age demographic of the trusty tavern down a notch or three, never a bad thing, though not a given they’d raise its roof, but, they did that too…

It’s been on the cards for a while. After a long-lost summer Sunday when the band popped in to witness how it’s done, by the expertise of Jon Amor Trio’s monthly residency. Now, being their first time huddled in the infamous alcove, they brought the most diverse entourage we’ve seen at the Gate, and with zest and a righteous sense of confidence, they provided a proficient, high energy show of their unique brand of indie-punk. The atmosphere was fire.

Ageism didn’t turn up, it chose to stay home, cuddling the sensationalised myth blankie of teenage hooliganism other local media will have you believe, for clickbait. The youngest were respectful of the elder regulars, behaved accordingly, the regulars welcomed the youngsters, and surprisingly, behaved too! If Haribo temporarily replaced cider, the Gate issued a statement prior that all under eighteen must be accompanied by an adult, meeting the delicate balance needed. It’s one thing providing a safe space for the fledgling generation to enjoy, and I salute landlords Deb and Dave for this, but another in this economic climate to insure a gig is profitable for a pub through takings at the bar. 

Thus it made a most unusual evening at the Gate, one half as the matured yet lively and hospitable establishment it always is, the other town’s teenage fanbase, who wouldn’t usually frequent the place, dancing their socks off and hailing back the lyrics to the group in unison; the benchmark for any band in vogue.

There’s no mistaking the simple notion, Nothing Rhymes With Orange are at a peak right now, locally. How this widens geographically is down to their motivation and commitment, but I, for one, urge those outside our locality to check them out, as the sensation they’re attracting here is akin to Beatlemania. If their stage presence has flourished, their harmony and ability to execute intelligent and often witty narrative in the present, has always been an accomplishment and goal scorer from day dot.

They look like they really want to be there, that’s the ticket, as it reflects on the audience and reverberates equally to their wailing guitars. Frontman Elijah Eastonl is worshipped when he stands amidst the fans, it’s something to behold. The band play on, lead guitarist Fin Anderson-Farquhar covers the riff, splices vocals, bassist Sam Briggs layers it, enthusiastic drummer Lui Venables sets the pace, but more often than not, it’s their unison which compliments Elijah’s spontaneous spotlight moments.

The first half of this show fire-breathing their beloved originals, Monday, Chow for Now, Creatures, with an alternative downtempo take on Lidl Shoes, I felt a little experimentation was afoot, some crashing endings aliken to prog-rock rather than their archetypal punker base. Was this to appease the Southgate regulars or a new avenue for them, I’m unclear, but it was an interesting move.

After Butterflies, the second half was adroit covers heavy, ending with an encore of Manipulation, their most treasured original for audience participation. The boys are back in the studio soon, after having a brief break, and we look forward to hearing what they come out with, because last night at the Gate, they were positively buzzing, a real stocking filler!

Phase Rotate at the Southgate tonight, and leading up to brussel sprout day, Chrissy Chapman as One Trick Pony has a fundraiser on Friday 22nd, Marlborough’s blues aficionados Barrelhouse return on Saturday 23rd, and that’s always an unmissable one.

Viduals Release New Single

Is that ex still playing on your mind? It’s been an age, mate, but no amount of friends’ attempts to console you will help, or Domino’s pizza. You need a good old road closure. Yep, mobile traffic lights with a five mile queue to vent your grievances, take your mind off it; come to Devizes, we’ve got loads!

Okay, this isn’t Dear Deidre, that’s such a middle-aged Karen response it worries me to be honest. I do vaguely recall wallowing in self-pity, generally worsening it by listening to Portishead, nothing helped, but it was all so long ago. Thanks to Swindon’s dynamic indie four-piece, Viduals, for the reminder on how it feels!

Seriously though, a new belter from them today, fresh out of Western Audio Studios, called Where Did The Time Go? It’ll warm you up! After fondly reviewing their EP, On The Wayside just short of a year ago, Viduals have leaped and bounded. This is pro-indie-punk going places.

Despite the melancholic subject, this is throwing yourself into the mosh pit stuff, zesty and brim-full of youthful energy, but at the same time exhales a more universal and matured sound for the band. Sure presses my buttons and I’ve been happily married for …..ermm …..oh, where did the time go?!

At least you can be certain, this is a great tune, and if Mrs Devizine reads this I’ll be in the doghouse. Now, where’s that Portishead album, and what’s the number for Domino’s pizza?!

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The Tap at The Peppermill to Host Open Mic

Two local musicians have joined forces as Nightingale Sounds to host their first Open Mic Night at the new Tap at the Peppermill in Devizes….…

The Wiltshire Gothic; Deadlight Dance

With howling, coarse baritones Nick Fletcher, the main vocalist of Marlborough’s gothic duo, Deadlight Dance chants, “here comes the rain, and I love the rain,…

The Folkadelica of a Two Man Travelling Medicine Show

Contemporary folk rock in the UK tends to come in three formats which never the twain shall meet, usually. Firstly you’ve got your acoustic goodness with melancholic tales of woe and thoughtful romantic prose. It’s more often than not gentle, quirky and despite being either optimistic or pessimistic themed, it’s generally sprinkled with daisy chains and barefoot bearded bumpkins. 

The second sort is the all-out frenzied banjo plucking, fiddler frolicking, footstompin’ no bars held scrumpy and western or Celtic fashion, which drags you on to a dusty dancefloor kicking and screaming, but rarely offers intelligent content or narrative. And third, Americana, the idea someone from Chipping Norton can get away with yodelling songs about boxcars and dustbowls while donning a Stetson hat in Waitrose.

If you’ve ever desired something in the middle, something which resets the balance, or cherrypicks the best elements of all and fuses them with a flow so neat it’s like they never parted company at all, you’ve come to the right place. Recorded and mixed entirely in a dark Dorset barn, Folkadelica is the irresistible new eleven strong tuned album from those rootsy alchemists the Two Man Travelling Medicine Show, and it’s released tomorrow (Friday 10th November) on Hangover Hill Records; hold on to my bowler hat, there’s a good fellow…

This is a lukewarm tea in a chipped floral mug, resting on a log near a campfire kinda album, it’s probably got an earthy taste but it’ll sure bring you round. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, never attempts to patronise, but in this it offers intelligent and crafted wordplay, against a backdrop of wonderfully entwined banjo string snapping folk, and twisted with a dash of psychedelia. Largely upbeat even when the chips are down in its narrative, it’s carefree danceable but should you cross examine the subjects, there’s plenty of colourful and intriguing characters played out here.

If it kicks off decidedly punky folk with a banger called the Second Law of Thermodynamics, the in-your-face element doesn’t linger quite so abruptly, musically, yet the album contains a punkish ethos, least its fury, in the narrative throughout. This one is to check you’re awake.

Second tune in is the single which attracted me to it, a self-confessed “apathetic middle England rubbish protest song,” called I’m so Angry I Could Vote. The tongue-in-cheek singalong lambasting the bizarre notion recent government inactions might cause even abstenters to vote relies on the reactionless middle classes creating an anthem, and for the sheer ludicrousy that might happen is its amusing charm. You realise from the off your satirical preferences are in reliable hands, and Folkadelica will take no prisoners.

There’s a glass-half-empty suspiciously biographical tale of a failed musician’s flopped feelings of grandeur called A Lot of People Hate Me, it amuses more than enough. You will find at least one observation you identify with here if not this one. Talk is Cheap is a downtempo gem of Pink Floyd-esque sound with a Positively 4th Street sentiment, amidst uptempo tracks besides the nature of their themes. Beguilingly melancholic and dejectedly romantic in subject are few tunes here, but the middle trio, Stand by the Road, King with No Throne and Starting Again, particularly stand out for broody prose.   

Fatalistic raver inspired Smokescreen borders bluegrass and we’re back to footstomping. Repeat is perhaps the most engaging and reflective, if we all have a betraying friend who hit the bottle. Then it’s a vaudeville fashioned poverty commentary, a masterpiece of catchiness on shoplifting. It’s at this conjunction close to the finale, you consider just how idiosyncratically beautiful this trip has been, like returning home from an offbeat holiday.

Well, you have been trekking with a Two Man Travelling Medicine Show, what did you expect?! The conclusion to this makes you feel like you’ve been sitting on that log by the campfire, with your chipped mug, taking heed of this kooky duo’s words, their tales of grief, betrayal, and their slants on the state of politics, or the worth of shoplifting, all warped neatly in sublimely delivered carny DIY ether. Do check it out or continue to live your life influenced by the idiots this album lambasts so eloquently, passionately and satirically; either way, this doesn’t persuade you, merely angles your cuppa in a certain direction, and for that alone, I love it.

Folkadelica: Available digitally everywhere on Friday. Pre-save Spotify.  

Two Man Travelling Medicine Show Website . Facebook . Instagram . YouTube

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Some Work Experience At The Southgate!

Not as the title might suggest….

Since I peaked too soon over the bank holiday, coupled with working it, yeah, I sadly missed Monday’s entertainment at our trusty Southgate. Deborah plonked a cheap-as-chips scrumpy on the bar for me, to cure my Southgate withdrawal symptoms, and rubbed salt into the wound by telling Well Hung Heart was her “gig of the year.” Never would’ve guessed!

Across Devizes pubs sought to cater for the dregs of carnival-goers with discos and karaoke, no other thought live music might be an idea, and on those justified grounds attending the Southgate was a no-brainer.

I assumed the Gate might bring in something more generalised, but punk was promised from a Chippenham trio called Work Experience, (who I’d yet to witness,) and punk we got. Though playing to a majority regular who was around for the punk era, mixed verbal reviews came across, because the contemporary pop-punk pigeonhole is a far cry from its roots, and I get that, time moves on, but they were proficient, beguiling and more importantly, loud!



They bought an entourage to lower the age demographic, which is (wink) no bad thing! Though it is The Southgate, and you’re guaranteed a great atmosphere even if Sir Patrick Stewart was reciting War & Peace.

While the band name is new, it’s a reformation of JCJ, brainchild of frontman Julien Biddulph, alongside him, drummer Theo Lender-Swain and bassist Charlie Gibbons. They’ve recently supported Nothing Rhymes With Orange and Lucky Number Seven in two sold-out shows at The Pump, and that’s all I got on them, but never doubt Kieran of Sheer’s word on such matters.

Julien came across well-mannered and passionate about his craft, but behind the instruments, they belted out some refined and (what sounded like) intelligent originals with the hook in perfectly coordinated steady riffs. Yet as common to the genre, the rather subdued vocals could’ve been notched up a bit, nothing a good technician couldn’t solve. It’s the Gate dammit, and we like it rawer than Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and there’s a joke in there to boot; don’t make me spell it out!

They sprinkled the set with some covers, too, few of which I knew, but if Stacey’s Mom is the Wonderwall of pop punk, they delivered it without cliché, and it never fails to amuse.

Okay, so holding onto the bar at the end badly preaching history on Don Lett’s Roxy was at least done subtly to someone of equal age and I didn’t embarrass myself by thickly layering my Uncle Albert moment on the band. You’d be fooling yourself, hoping for a Clash cover, for Blink 182 is an equal classic to this generation, and I’m fine with that, honest, guv.

One surprise was Work Experience stripping back for a fantastic acoustic Tom Petty cover. Yeah, Free Falling, doesn’t matter who covers it, always will love it. And this point leads me neatly onto the support who simply introduced himself to me as Jonah, unnecessarily twisted my arm with a pink shot like a mini McDonald’s shake, as he blessed the Gate with some thought-provoking self-penned acoustic magic.


Honestly, sweet liquors don’t sit on the palate well while drowning oneself in scrumpy, but it was only in the absence of tequila, we did what we did! Nevertheless, like the shot, Work Experience was a gamble for a carnival night, and it paid off in my opinion.

You can catch them this Friday at The Pump with Start the Sirens supporting Lewis Poole, but full praises to the Southgate, as ever, felt so good to be back after venturing the summer festivities. They played a wildcard, introduced and hosted an enthralling, young upcoming band, and aside from being the friendliest boozer in town, I support that notion and their dedication… me? I’m vegging out for the rest of the day!

The Lucky Stars of The Radio Makers

Bristol-based The Radio Makers have laboured over their forthcoming album Lucky Stars (Got My Radio) for four years, and it shows; you’ll find out for yourself how that toil has paid off on its release next Monday, 7th August……

Though decidedly new wave throughout, Lucky Stars begins as if we’re retracing steps from punk to the new wave era. Reverberating vibes of post-punk the album kicks rock straight out at you; Edible Hearts is borderline punk, but the followup, Echoes immediately signifies that change to the new wave movement. We’ve gone from something which wouldn’t look out of place on an eighties Joel Schumacher or Tim Burton soundtrack, to something perhaps more for John Hughes, in just two tunes. Going on this alone, I’m slouching back in my chair in anticipation for a substantial slice of retrospective goodness, and I got it.

Then, Jo-Jo slows the tempo, with subtle hints of goth drone, we’re progressing through the era, with black eyeliner and a bottle of Chinazo, because that’s the only booze the woman we asked outside the off licence would buy for us! Now, if you’ve been there, outcast youth of 88, attired for the Batcave, all is not lost to Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift; Song For Rainy Afternoons perhaps belts out the best hook so far, but by halfway through we’re still plodding on a steady goth tempo. Girl Who Looks Like You surely confirms gothic dominance, sitting comfy somewhere between Killing Joke and Bauhaus. Stands to reason, Lucky Stars is produced by Steve Evansson who has worked with Siouxsie Sioux.

Recorded at EAM and NAM studios in Wiltshire, the Radio Makers describe their album as “songs about love, life and people,” which fits like a glove into the kind of subject matter of the common prose of the genre. By subject, even if ironic, I’m a Poseur chants back into that Bowie glam punk, particularly noticeable on this wonderful bridge and slam back in, if there’s going to be a sing-a-long on this grower, it’s this.

And then the title track comes across as being in the period all these new waves bands realised they needed some more Chinazo and had to aim for chart success. Never could they have dolloped the toilet doings of modern day pop, at the time, but as The Cure developed into the near-acceptable face of goth-rock, this turn in the album suggests to me that it has not been overlooked either. It’s no bad “selling out” type thing, in fact it bought the subgenre crashing a tsunami over the defensible face of new romanticism slush of a mainstream 1986, and for those who may have listened to Duran Duran, were now turning to Joy Division and Sisters of Mercy.

Course, you’ll be totally engulfed by the eighth tune to concern yourself with pigeonholing; I only do it in a best attempt to define a sound, so you’ll have some idea of what you’re getting. Though I often felt like a window-shopper in this general genre, at the time, The Radio Makers is one of those bands which makes you realise the worth of the depths of a epoch, and wish, if you could travel back in time, you’d be leatherman draped in velvet, with fishnet stockings and black painted fingernails! Talk About You, is a perfect example, a drifting ballad finale of precision and skill, and it polishes this moreish album adroitly. 

 A nimble and captivating pilgrimage to an era of yore, with compelling freshness; well played, indeed.

It will be available on CD and 12” vinyl (from The Radio Makers’ BandCamp page) and on all digital platforms. A mini launch tour takes them to Le Pub, Newport – Friday 4th August, Hen and Chicken, Bedminster, Bristol for the official album launch party on Saturday 5th August, with Deadlight Dance in support. Then at the Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon on Friday 11th August, Bristol HMV, Saturday 12th.

They play Box Rocks Festival at The Queens Head, Box on Monday 28th August, previewed here. Party in the Park, Filton, Bristol on Saturday 16th September, and appear at Bath HMV, on Saturday 23rd September.

Devizes Scooter Rally 2023

Have rally will travel; seemingly the scooterist’s motto, chatting to various friendly clubs nationwide, and individuals too, such as a dapper lone mod who rode up from Bridport on a three hour trek, while loitering with a pint of Thatchers in a field at Lower Farm on the Whistley Road. Overall, it’s more than fair to say, thanks to Devizes Scooter Club’s valiant and sedulous toil, Devizes is firmly on the map of must-do scooter rallies…. 

It would, without this blossoming national appeal have been a massively lesser affair; scooter culture being niche and though a blanket term retrospectively  incorporating mod, skinhead and punk subcultures, isn’t, perhaps, appealing to enough locally to have successfully created something on this grand scale. Those local aficionados, or even with a passing interest in the scene therefore are truly treated, as Devizes Scooter Rally this weekend was spectacular.

There’s various reasons for saying this; a hospitable atmosphere throughout the event from attendees and organisers, a controlled and diligent attitude to structure, the underlying notion you’re not going to get ripped off at the bar or elsewhere, a donation to The Devizes & District Opportunity Centre, a worthy charity indeed, a calculatedly perfect site design from bar, venue to campsite, a wide variety of side stalls, and an apt music programme of talented bands and DJs, but mostly, it was the combination of them all which made it as fantastic as it was.

41 Fords

I spent the finale late night moments with some of the club’s valid members, as they reviewed an overall of the weekend, discussing rights against possible improvements. And with expandable site potential, just how far the annual rally could blossom before it becomes less congenial. As such they’ve set the date for 2024, 26th-28th July; if you missed this weekend put it in your diary, if you went I’d imagine you already have!

Sharp Class

So, I rocked up to wet my whistle on Friday, eager to catch up with those Trowbridge rockabilly stalwarts, 41 Fords, and witness Brighton’s revitalised mod marvels Sharp Class. Being there was another day to come, and I wanted to see you there Saturday, I knocked up a quick review of it: HERE. Saturday though, I’m on Shanks’s pony and up for a party; which was delivered to me uncompromisingly.

Apologies, too late to catch The Butterfly Collective, but my arrival coincided with the Roughcut Rebels’ set. Haven’t seen them since Mark moved to pastures new, but Jimmy Moore makes for a great frontman stand-in for Finley, and it was business as usual for this locally renowned Britpop mod band who plucked covers, like Wonderwall, otherwise cliché if not delivered by such an enthralling group from their extensive repertoire. 

Roughcut Rebels, with added Jimmy Moore!

Next up a rare treat, Cath and Gouldy concentrating rather on wider variated Day Breakers outfit, and folk duo Sound Affects, but to have them back under The Killertones guise both more apt for the occasion and a delightful return to their new-wave-two-tone covers set. It was as whatever guise they operate on, perfected and bewitching, with vast improvements from already proficient young drummer, Katy York.

The Killertones

There was me figuring they’d peaked too soon, after ska classics like Pressure Drop, to speed into uptempo two-tone, like The Specials’ Little Bitch and Rancid’s Timebomb, but a sublime set slid nicely into new wave, particularly adroit being The Chords’ Maybe Tomorrow; dammit if Gouldy didn’t go all Morten Harket on us with an offbeat Take on Me, such a rework finale left the crowd spellbound and me realising how much I’d missed these guys!

With Terry Hendrick’s Soul Pressure on the wheels of steel while the headliners set up, a fashion to see the rally into the wee hours, betwixt it regulars at the rally, the south-coast’s longest established ska ensemble Orange Street ripped the roof off.

Terry Hendrick

I could’ve predicted it such, but it didn’t affect the show’s infectious appeal. At an eight-piece complete with brass section, Orange Street are a highly capable homage to Jamaica’s “first national sound,” which infatuated the youths of sixties Jamaica, and thereafter spread worldwide through era-spanning waves. The second wave most memorable to Britain through Windrush exports appealing to mods; the tsunami known as Two-Tone. And to which the band rightfully nodded to, but also provided original engaging material which fits like a glove into such a set. 

Orange Street

The effect is akin to the attraction of the offbeat backwards shuffle, ska, which Prince Buster accidentally discovered during a recording session at Duke Reid’s studio Treasure Isle, not only reflects in the band name, the studio alongside Coxonne Dodd’s Studio One, both located on this legendary Kingston street, the equivalent of Nashville’s Music Row for reggae, but also in their performance which kicked off with a interlude of Madness’s Buster tribute, The Prince. Though it wasn’t long before the opening medley flowed neatly into the Specials’ Dog the Dog, and thereafter the whole spectrum of ska UK chart hits from Bad Manners to The Beat.

While other similar bands attempt to fuse later reggae styles, punk, or general electronica, Orange Street remain faithful to the roots and are therefore a premium choice for an event like this, cradled by a culture nostalgically devoted to it too. And in such, the event is so encapsulating there’s a jollity in the air impossible to hide. Coupled with the wider appeal outside the atypical scooter rally, with this extended and blossoming setup which had taken the Scooter Club weeks to set up, this is rather of festival proportions and equally as brilliant. 

It only leads be to heartfeltly thank and congratulate The Devizes Scooter Club for bringing us another astounding event which offers diversity to our local music circuit, a jolly good beano, and also attracts nationwide fans to our area…even if I’ve been hearing their hairdryers zipping back and forth the dual carriageway all weekend!!

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Devizes Scooter Rally Revs Up

First day back from my holibobs and though duties are to unpack and cut the flying ant infested grass, twist my arm, I reckon I can squeeze in a trek down the Whistley Road. Usually just a rat trap you take at your own risk, this weekend is home to hundreds of camping scooterists….

Devizes Scooter Club’s third Scooter Rally and things are looking exceptionally organised. Post-lockdown they set up here last year, relatively a slighter thing than this weekend, I understand. If you consider this a niche market, Devizes Scooter Rally has a festival feel, scooter enthusiasts have gathered from afar, but not to make it feel insular, Devizes Scooter Club invites locals too, and has laid on a shuttle bus from The Pelican; they certainly pull out the stocks.

There’s an extensive campsite, with showers, and stalls are plentiful from Jamaican food to clothes and scooter essentials. Fish n chips to brownies and parkas to engine oil surround a large marquee for a northern soul to ska disco, dispersed with some live acts.

From the music tent extends a plentiful seating area which flows nicely to the bar; the effect is functional and professionally designed; especially given this unpredictable British summer climate. It’s an impressive sight, dammit if they haven’t even got a pool table in there!

Day one done, this is going to go off tonight too. But for now we were treated to the wildcard, Trowbridge’s finest purveyors of feelgood rockabilly, 41 Fords. They never fail to enthuse the party, and if rockabilly isn’t usually on the agenda at a scooter rally, their infectious assortment of covers always raises a smile and taps a foot.

Headlining is Brighton-based Sharp Class, a young trio of highly accomplished Jam-like aficionados, and with fire in their hearts and an enthusiasm to mimic the mod culture they can effectively slip in a few akin originals between covers of The Jam and Clash, to Spencer Davis and The Kinks and make them not look misplaced. Sharp Class is a show of pure energy, verging on a tribute, though slyly original too, adroitly slipping between the two and hardly coming up for air.

Today’s (Saturday 29th July) lineup doubles the fun, The Butterfly Collective are on at 2pm, with our own The Roughcut Rebels at 6pm, Swindon favourites with added Sound Affects Cath & Gouldy,  The Killertones from 7:45pm and the grand finale of one of the finest contemporary ska bands on the circuit, Orange Street. Then, naturally the Soul Pressure sound system, including legendary Northern soul DJ Terry Hendrick takes it to the wee hours, and Saturday all nighter tickets are a snip at £15, so polish your boots and give me some of that old moonstomping!

Nothing Rhymes With Orange Release New Single Monday, on Monday!

Rapping on this today, because Devizes young heroes Nothing Rhymes With Orange unleash their latest catchy banger, Monday, tomorrow, which is coincidently or not, a Monday, and we all know Mondays are a load of old tosh and if we had a half decent government Mondays would be banned by now, and being it’s Monday I doubt I’ll get time to mention it then, because it’s Monday, which is kind of what this indie-punk treat is about…..

I could direct the band’s attention to Smiley Lewis, who prior to The Boomtown Rats, New Order and The Bangles, had a single whinging about Mondays way back in 1954, and note the though the concept is far from new, Nothing Rhymes With Orange are not only the first to reference a Greggs steak bake in a song about Monday, but also, Smiley Lewis or none of the above ever drooled on their mate while sleeping on the bus, as far as history books reveal.

The band tells us the tune has “more of an indie-punk sound, a step away from the softer indie-rock of previous tracks and we’re exploring this genre with more songs of a similar style.” Though the subtle difference will, and does already, encourage the live audience into a frenzy at the bridge, to consider such may not be as commercially viable is to note it was the track picked up and played by BBC Introducing this month. Can’t blame them really, it’s a brilliant tune.

“The inspiration for our new single, ‘Monday’, came about when we were chatting about the ‘Monday morning dread’,  when you wake up tired and everything goes wrong,” they explain, though you could effectively walk into a lamppost on any other day, you can bet your bottom dollar it will be on a Monday, but I’m afraid, when it comes to pastries, you get what you pay for, boys; believe me, I’m something of an expert on them.

Image: Kiesha Films.

Timeworn romance topics can be a stable subject, but something which drops in some light-hearted humour it’s more often than not a chicken dinner, particularly within their genre. I pray you’ll recall Wheatus for Teenage Dirtbag rather than A Little Respect, or Foundations of Wayne for Stacey’s Mom rather than Someone’s Gonna Break Your Heart.

It sure is a great tune, with a lot of work gone into it, despite the festival season in full flight, and the band have certainly been gathering appeal and pushing new geographical boundaries, with 30K streams across all platforms. Still to come, they’re live on hometown Fantasy Radio from The Crown in Devizes on 24th August, and a couple of summer festivals remain, Honey Fest and Box Rocks. They also play The Pump on 1st September, The Lamb, Marlborough the next day, their self promoted gig at Devizes The Corn Exchange on the 10th, and its onto Moles in Bath, and we’re looking at 15th December for them to make their debut at the trusty Southgate. 

Pre-save Monday, for Monday, HERE!

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Has Swindon’s Liddington Hill Created Celtic Grunge?!

Explosive new EP from Liddington Hill released tomorrow, Edge of Insanity, begging the question, have they created a whole new subgenre?

As an impressionable Essex teenager coming from a hip hop background, thrust unwillingly into an eerie Wiltshire village like Sam Emerson in the Lost Boys, I endeavoured to align myself with the musical tastes of the natives. Yet, while I pre-gained a penchant for soft metal, the pop charts latest exploitation, I never envisioned lying semi-subconsciously under a fallen Christmas tree with a gang of crusty kids, while the needle stuck on the last notes of the Pouges’ Transmetropolitan, and everyone too drunk on Cinzano to change the record.

Fair to assume The Pouges belted me hard in the bum-fluffed chops, it would be unthinkably embarrassing to show affection for folk music, surely? But this, this was fast and furious, like the punk of a bygone childhood, and turned my preconceptions on its head. Now it’s commonplace, the Celtic punk of Flogging Molly and The Dropkick Murphys are instant likes, but I’ve become immune to their ferociousness; the violent police response to break up parties, and mass of abandoned fires burning across a post-apocalyptic looking Glasto main stage after The Levellers spoke out about not letting the travellers in that year made sure of it.

Yet a want for angry music never extended to grunge by the time it arrived, though I now see it’s worth and power, I was a raver, and felt reggae was the only meaningful source left I’d consider; dance music was blithe and fantastical. So, as I’ve only ever been a window shopper of grunge, I confess dubiousness when Matthew of Liddington Hill emailed me, “it’s a bit grungier.” Not forgoing, it’s been two years since we featured them last, reviewing their debut EP Cow, and if I liked it, which I did, there was always a niggly its songs of traditional Irish shanty and tales of Swindon pub crawls lacked that archetypal anger commonly associated with Celtic punk; they’ve sure made up for that now.

New EP then, out tomorrow (2nd June) called Edge of Insanity, rips a new hole in the fabric of what’s acceptable and very possibly creates a subgenre, for Google searching “Celtic Grunge” doesn’t amass much more than separate Celtic punk and grunge offerings. The Swindon five-piece ask on their blog, “is Celtic grunge a thing yet?” It is now, well done you, because it works, take it from someone for whom grunge is not usually their cuppa.

With some band changes and maternity leave, Edge of Insanity goes much further up Liddington Hill. Peering down on themes of serial killers and the Aberfan disaster, it takes no prisoners itself, carelessly teetering on the edge, as it suggests on the tin. The Celtic riffs against grunge chords is a match made in heaven and a wonder no one thought of it before, bands like Ferocious Dog only meeting part of the way. It’s this blend staring us in the face which makes it for me, bending my grunge preconceptions of ‘yeah Nirvana was great, but I’m delving no deeper than the baby on the cover;’ I’m a Celtic folk hussy, add a slice of it and I’m yours!

Another winner is, beneath the dark and angry dispositions on offer, there’s historical gospel in the narrative. The opening tune In Rosie’s Room concerns a real mid-19th Century prostitute in gold rush America who tried to steal from a gold mine with her lover. With a hypnotic riff it rings how this EP is going to play out; indignantly dynamic and in your face.

Hold onto your hat though, as it’s about to get real screamy. Keep Hold of your Heart really is a furious thrashed punk expression from the perspective of an inmate in a Sanitorium. Illustrates my point though, usually my toes would curl at this intensity, but given this Celtic roots riff running through it, I can get aboard; it makes The Pouges sound like Brotherhood of Man!

The edge chills off, slightly, Capped in Black is the Aberfan themed song, possibly the ace of spades here, the balance of grunge and Celtic punk is refined and the anger within comes to a dramatic close leaving you aghast at the notion this disaster was allowed to have happened; the effect is achieved.

American serial killer Aileen Wuornos under Liddington Hill’s radar next, the track Maid Of Mayhem is perhaps my personal favourite, retrospectively punk with their new bassist Alannah on first person vocals and making a wonderful job of it, it’s akin to Siouxsie Sioux reworking Springsteen’s Nebraska, on fire!

The 1940s Lipstick Killer, William Heirens is next on the band’s unglorified hall of serial killer fame with the finale, Lipstick. The band explained, “Liam, for some reason became inspired after reading about a few serial killers and the reasons behind such terrible actions. So he wrote a few songs and we put some together with a couple of other heart-wrenching songs we’d written.” The grunge element seems to wane in favour of upfront punk rock, as we progress past Keep Hold of your Heart, and I’m grateful for this. Lipstick polishes this explosive caliginous EP off, suitably akin to The Stooges or even early Ramones, while retaining this Celtic folk riff credited to The Pouges, and for this, plus it’s astounding step up in expression and production, is a yes from me.

Free entry to the Vic in Swindon on Thursday 15th June for the EP’s launch party with support from Lucky Number Seven and Dark Prophecy. Find out more info about tomorrow’s release on Liddington Hill’s website, HERE and Facebook HERE.

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Nothing Rhymes With Orange have Butterflies

If Lidl Shoes, April’s blast from our aspiring homegrown four-piece indie-punkers, Nothing Rhymes With Orange certainty raised the rafters with energetic enthusiasm, I held subtle solicitude, despite the amusing name, it did only a smidgen to progress the band any further than their mind-blowing debut EP Midsummer. By contrast today’s new single, Butterflies, is a Neil Armstrong sized leap in the maturing direction they need to be heading to attain a mass appeal.

With an infatuation theme, the band express a continuation of narrative relating to Lidl Shoes, yet while maintaining their archetypal jab of youthfulness, Butterflies ventures into a pensive mood, it’s dreamier, swapping guitar distortion and resounding choruses for a softer emotional sound. Don’t run off with Coldplay connotations, it remains punchy enough to warrant influences they cite, like Arctic Monkeys, The Killers and The Wombats, and it lies equally as beguiling as their most celebrated tune to-date, Manipulation.

If the chorus of Manipulation is hailed back at them by fans, Butterflies is clearly in the making to evoke the same effect. It’s instantly loveable, their best work so far, proving as I said since day dot, Nothing Rhymes With Orange are going places.

Nothing Rhymes With Orange Image: Gail Foster

With this interesting development, I wonder how their predominantly teenage fanbase have responded to this, as they will mature in-line with the band, and should, in theory, relate. Idolised acts of teenage years always rely on this familiarity with the path their fanbase are personally on, and their songs become stories of their own life. Butterflies identifies definitively, calls out to them, it’s an anthem, I tell you!

Frontman guitarist Elijah Easton, drummer Lui Venables, guitarist Fin Anderson-Farquhar and bassist Sam Briggs have cracked it again, furthering a natural development in their sound, and in conglomeration have penned another standout masterpiece; you’d be a fool to yourself for failing to make it down to the mainstage of Devizes Street Festival on Sunday by 2:30pm, where we should join in celebration at the remarkable achievement this young Devizes-based band has made, amidst the selection of international acts on show.

Nothing Rhymes With Orange. Image: Gail Foster

Here’s a linktree to all you need to know about Nothing Rhymes With Orange 

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Gen-Z Party; Nothing Rhymes with Orange and Guests In Lavington

Images by Gail Foster

I could’ve guaranteed myself a great night with peers and those purveyors of space rock, Cracked Machine down the trusty Gate, or danced socks off with twenty/thirty-somethings at the Three Crowns to the unique take on covers of the ever-entertaining People Like Us. But, oddly if not in the know, I opted for a Saturday night at West Lavington village hall, nodding my approval as frontman Elijah Easton mingled with a gen z frenzied crowd singing back to him their beguiling magnum opus, to-date, Manipulation, for an encore the fans will forever cherish…..

For if it’s Devizine’s intention to highlight all that’s great about our music scene, it’s surely a priority to point out what’s upcoming, and Nothing Rhymes With Orange are the freshest squeezed fruit on that tree right now. I’ve been singing their praises since reviewing their EP Midsummer, unseasonably released last November, and now I can tick catching them live off my must-do-list I’m only going to enforce my words on how astoundingly awesome these youngsters are.

With blow-up orange segments bouncing between them on stage and their enthused blossoming fanbase, I figure I’m witness to a burgeoning local phenomenon akin to the roots of any mainstream band, left pondering the pensioners once screaming teenagers at Liverpool’s Cavern Club, when Beatlemania was imminent. If you consider that’s a tall order for comparison, I’d shrug, but while NRWO can clearly rouse the crowd, it feels like the building hysteria is a newfound blessing for them and they’re unsure how to react. This is a wonderful inaugural experience for a blossoming band, exposing them to reactions to the hard work they’ve clearly put in, and digesting those streams are from real kids, appreciating their sound.

Nothing Rhymes With Orange

For the fanbase so young in our rural zone, it’s not so simple just to rock up to venues, particularly pubs, and if the village hall is kinda “village hall like,” it’s because it is, but it’s an adequate space with a hospitable outlook. The band and their families have self-organised this sell-out gig with the intention of making this a homecoming atmosphere for a local band venturing to Bristol, Bath and Trowbridge’s Pump, and who will undoubtedly take that road a lot further in the near future. 

For the time being, they are here and they are now. If seeing Springsteen in the eighties was an amazing experience, seeing Springsteen play New Jersey was another ballpark, ergo in this case, Lavington is those Badlands.

The sound is frenzied indie-pop, but not all-out ferociously punk, they find the perfect middle-ground; easy on the palate for any age demographic. Precisely why they’re subject to my highest acclaim, homing in on what the kids want, is, historically, the recipe for success. They did this with bells on, belting out their known EP tracks, a couple of defined Arctic Monkeys covers, their latest release Lidl Shoes, and treated the crowd to a sneak at the forthcoming two singles.

But not before a triple bill of support they’re introducing to home fans. First up Dauntsys own Paradigm, who, though I only caught the final couple I’d suggest are a promisingly tight young band to watch out for.

Paradigm

Secondly Frankcastre from Portsmouth with a frontman originating locally, even penning a song named after Great Cheverall, which has to be a first! Perhaps as oddly as their name, to generation X a band attired in Fred Perrys and skinheads might connote mod influences, but the confident frontman was looking decidedly teddy-boy!

Frankcastre

Trivial is the significance of the uniforms of youth cultures of yore to this era, their originals came fiery and skater-punk; they refined the contemporary noise with brewing confidence and it was welcomed by the NRWO fanbase, particularly the girls. Two covers either side of their set though revealed a penchant for sixties blues-rock, covering firstly The Doors’ Break on Through, and The Animals’ version of House of the Rising Sun, with gritty vocals and devine accuracy. Something for the parents to acknowledge, perhaps, though the frontman delighted to elucidate his fondness for the era to me and I had nothing but to accept his knowledge on the subject. Their sudden usage of a keyboard, for example, to replicate The Animals classic was different, tilting it to one side while playing was beyond Jerry Lee Lewis; put him in your Google search bar!

Arguably the more accomplished of the two, Bath’s StoneFace produced lengthier original compositions, evoking mood with pitch and tempo alterations. With an air of neo-emo Stooges, interestingly with saxophone, damn they looked the part of Iggy Pop to envy!

Though sounding as good as they looked, this volatile style didn’t seem to wash down quite as well with the teenagers as Frankcastre, who, like punk, seem to favour the frenzied three-minute hero, though I personally fished with their hook. Introducing a new track Blue for You, and a particularly adroit one called Cave, the downtempo was plodding indie of perhaps a previous generation, but they did it exceptionally.

StoneFace

To conclude, those in local media sensationalising a minority of hooliganism for click-bait would’ve had their tails between their legs if they’d bother to attend this last night, for all I saw was the new generation, clean-cut by comparison of formers, thoroughly enjoying themselves and causing no issues in the slightest. Just in awe of four of their own, who’ve worked tirelessly to perfect a cooperative brand and inspire others. The forthcoming single Rishi speaks volumes for a current tongue-in-cheek satire they’re intelligent self-penned anthems extend to, though for the most part politics are avoided in favour of topics relative to gen z, like romantic interludes breaking down, and for this Nothing Rhymes With Orange prove their diversity.

It was an astounding achievement, bringing some class acts to Lavington’s youth, and onwards for NRWO I’m pleased to say in collaboration with DOCA, Devizine is proud to now annually suggest a best upcoming local act to feature on the main stage at the Devizes Street Festival, and you can bet your bottom dollar they are the chosen ones to get that ball rolling on Sunday 28th May.

You can also catch them next Saturday, 29th, at the Pump in Trowbridge, Bath’s Party in the City at St James’ Vaults on 12th May, at Corsham Rugby Club’s CorrFest on Sunday 17th June, The Barge on Honey-Street on Saturday 1st July, Marlborough Festival July 8th, and Urchfont’s Boundary Bash on the 15th July…. The future is bright, and doesn’t rhyme with orange!

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New Nothing Rhymes With Orange Single

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Age of the Liar; The Burner Band

Okay, so it’s been a little over two years since I fondly reviewed the debut album, Signs & Wonders, from Leeds’ alt-country come Americana outfit, The Burner Band, when I labelled it “foot-tapping bluegrass fun” with, unusually, added elements of punk. This new seven track album Age of the Liar takes a massive step forward in poignancy…..

This said, I cannot now recall how we became acquainted, but lucky for us we did. Because while, Age of the Liar kicks off pretty much where Signs & Wonders left us, and waits for no man with insatiable foot-tapping bluegrass, there’s an underlying notion intelligent prose is at work here, as the lyrics, concerning the unquestionable loyalty to militancy rides this track like a trooper.

If the opener came as no surprise to me, the second track, Living in Fear certainly did, as while continuing the Americana roots forefront, it rides an offbeat like reggae, lowering the tempo, and taking an ecological topic, a “state of the world today,” it’s akin to the subject matter of punk and reggae too.

The mechanics of Living in Fear is also a hint towards the title track seven tunes in, which positively beams back reggae’s influence over punk; if the Clash did Americana, this is what it would probably sound like. Greatly overlooked in today’s mainstream, the social and political commentary of the era, once a prominent feature in both punk and reggae is put on the line here, satirically mocking the ludicrously of misinformation and propaganda of right-wing leaders, be it Trump or Bojo, it could go either way.

Throughout the album the desperation of contemporary issues is a running theme, even if it best works with these two offbeat songs. Dark and Lonesome Street takes us back to what the Burners do best, still as the title suggests there’s darker undertones. Even if the immediately lovable Hot Dog King has a rockabilly swing, the carefree mood isn’t all it seems, relaying a true story of New York hot dog vendor Dan Rossi, who fought against unjust licencing laws.

I love this concept, that the Burner Band aren’t afraid to explore and break confines of subgenre and pigeonholing, and it blends pleasantly on the ear. There’s elements of early Springsteen on the Asbury Park scene, often breezing into soul and blues, but never straying from the country backbeat.

This is truly is a modern take on roots and Americana, at times the definitive article, twangy geetars, or referencing American culture, but teetering the edge, there’s so many nods to a British roots scene, the punk, rockabilly and reggae movements of the early eighties, even down to the three-minute hero ideal, no tune tries to rule the album, all staying at the statutory running time. If the debut album touched on these influences too, it was subtle at best, this time the balance is perfected.

Social commentary continues to cover prejudices, immigration, stereotyping disabilities, yet no matter how complex the subject, tracks like Big Hole don’t baffle you in riddles, the messages are simple and direct, creating a beguiling and enjoyable ride with poignancy. I’ve yet to dive deeper into this, but suspect as I do more backstory and hidden gems will jump out at me, but I’m overdue mentioning it, as it came out the end of March, so presenting it to now is a honour; great foot-stomping stuff with the perfect balance of contemporary thoughtful prose and subject matter; yee-ha, it’s a keeper!

Website – Facebook – Bandcamp

Song of the Week: Nothing Rhymes With Orange

I know, I keep missing this supposed weekly feature, no matter how I might promise. I did have one for last week but the dog ate my homework, and, I dunno, procrastination takes control over me like I’m possessed by lethargy and need of an exorcist like Mr Motivator; whatever did happen to him?!

But it will have to wait for another week, as the Devizes imminent indie-poppers I tip to be the best upcoming local act of the year, Nothing Rhymes With Orange have surprised us with another upbeat cracker aligned with their intramural style of the debut EP Midsummer. Amusingly called Lidl Shoes, which besides the point, can be surprisingly durable as well as affordable(!), this single reaches its bridge like mountain boots, but without the rough grip of what you might expect from the stage-diving gen Z, this is flexible for ageless appreciation, just damn good, constantly improving intelligent punk-pop.

Do check it out, and remember next Saturday (22nd April) they’re a DIY gig at West Lavington Hall, tickets here.

41 Fords are Not Dead Yet!

Damp morning, about 3:30am I’m descending Pelch Lane in Seend, like a sack of potatoes dropping. If you don’t know the track it’s a steep one, with a bend which keeps on giving; not the ideal place to whip out your phone and change the tune when you’re pinning down a heavily-ladened milkfloat! So, first taster of the debut album from Trowbridge’s 41 Fords, Not Dead Yet goes on loop, and I shrug, as it’s no hardship, “let it roll for another round.”

I wasn’t sure what to listen to next anyway, and to be honest, this took me by pleasant surprise. Sure, we’ve registered their name on our gig list several occasions, regulars down the trusty Southgate (next date is Saturday 3rd June), but I’ve not had the opportunity to pay them a visit. I see now they’re on the roster for Devizes Scooter Club’s annual rally in July, which if I had of noticed before it might’ve given me a closer inkling what to assume.

coincidently, wristbands have just gone on sale for this!

But psychobilly was unexpected, neither is it a subgenre which usually floats my boat. Akin to heavy metal, the late-eighties fusion of rockabilly and punk is characterised with negative symbolism; it’s all ultraviolence, death, B-movie horror pastiches, and other delinquent and discouraging subject matters, and I like to think I’m optimistic, least too old, to relish in morbidity.

But if I am to pigeonhole the 41 Fords, it’s unlike the wrecking of The Meteors, or the all-out hellish nature of Demented Are Go, and not as offbeat as the skabilly of Roddy Radiation; this is matured psychobilly with all the negativity stripped away. It retains the lively rockabilly stance, the foot-tapping upright double-bass, the nods to western swing, jump blues and boogie-woogie, and breathing fresh air into it with punk’s insolence, and gypsy folk goodness.

Yet their themes tend on maturing romantic affairs, often generation X mod-pop in nature. And for this blend, it’s truly unique, beguiling and for want of sitting down, you’ll be incapable; my highest point-scoring goes on the sheer energy these guys never seem to let up on.

Recorded at Nine Volt Leap studio in Melksham, Not Dead Yet is out on 1st May, and you really need to look out for this, I bloody love it! To break down exactly why isn’t simple. The album kicks off mod, think hillbilly The Jam with double-bass, perhaps. A girl-infatuation themed Emily, opens, and from the off it’s got me hook, line and sinker. For it’s upbeat throughout, captivating, and optimistic; this is The Housemartins do psychobilly, and I mean this in the best possible taste, for you cannot prevent foot-tapping to Happy Hour, surely?!

The subject of reunion with a former partner is slam-dunked next, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Daisy Buchanan style, The Great Gatsby offers nothing more than Emily in topic, only the literatural reference. Yet while romance is a running-theme, ballad doesn’t appear in their vocabulary; 41 Fords do not come up for air. Marriage problems raises its ugly head, against a penchant for nightlife in the following track, and another girl’s name title, Tabitha continues this sunny side of the street mood.  

If it goes on this leitmotif for a staggering twelve tunes, it all hinges on their magnum-opus for pop catchiness, the fifth tune, Peaky Blinders. Surely anthemic, it takes the humorous route of Del-boy lovable rouges; Chas & Dave does the Cockney Rejects!

Through this three-minute hero, you might wonder if cockney musical hall will continue being cited, but while Not Dead Yet maintains everything which has so far made this album sheer brilliance, 41 Fords swerve gradually into a more Anglo-Irish folk feel, like Shane MacGowan finished his pint and jammed with these Housemartins, doing psychobilly, with an overall Merton Parkas type fusion.

Ah, see now I’m worried I’ve given the impression this is all sounds cluttered, like there’s too much going on, but na, me old China plate, this is flows, smoothly operated with such individuality it’s a tricky one to pin down. If, like me, you’re willing to take onboard the Cramps, and be done with psychobilly, this offers a maturity in themes, wrapped in addictive danceable congeniality.

The Wonder of The Sky is perhaps the standout track towards the finale, for it encompasses everything great about the 41 Fords, who know precisely what buttons to press to write and deliver a pop song with retrospective wow, but refuses commercialisation. It doesn’t verve to create a Stairway to Heaven or a dub-lampoon either, each tune is kept at the three-minute proximity, and each one does what you expect it to do; charges 240 volts into your blue suede shoes!

A Christmas Song, titled thus, finishes, and yeah, it has a Fairy-tale of New York feel, really bringing out the folk oblique which I believe breathes something local into it too, like Somerset’s proclivity for Scrumpy & Western. In all, you could fit 41 Fords into a scooter rally bill, but equally into a Somerset cider brawl with the Boot Hills. And in that, if pigeonholing matters not when you’re in the moment and the music takes you on a dancing voyage, 41 Fords are seamless. This album truly is a must-have.

Bung them a like on Facebook, for updates, and I’ll thread this review with links when the album comes out in May; you’re in for a treat!

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Trouble at the Vic, Ant Trouble….

Something of a family reunion at Swindon’s Vic last night, then, if as Adam Ant chanted, we are the family, the dandy highwayman so sick of easy fashion was rekindled by the utter brilliance of Ant Trouble, and left me hanging on a debate of the true worth of the tribute act….

Putting a two-part question to both your good self and my own deliberations this morning, what do you want from a tribute act? To be entertained, sure, but this is no different from an originals or covers band.

Nostalgia obviously plays the highest percentage, the want for an act to replicate a bygone band you idolised, or still do. Which raises the second part of the question, is sounding like more important than looking like the act they’re attributing?

Likely it’s a combination of these, a delicate balance. Though whilst I’ve caught some amazing tribute acts, my top three being a Blondie one, a Slade one and a Bob Marley & The Wailers, I could nitpick an issue with them all. Welsh Adam and the Ants tribute Ant Trouble sold-out Swindon’s Vic last night; something I was bursting with anticipation to witness firsthand. I return a million miles or so away from any shred of disappointment; it was highly entertaining, finding it impossible to nitpick any similar issue. By order of the equation surely puts Ant Trouble top of my list.

For nostalgic value, too, it ticked all boxes. But to understand why takes a backstory. For Bob Marley, I’ve been a lifelong fan, but not until heady art college days did I idolise. Slade was a smidgen before my time. But Adam and the Ants was bang on my childhood, a band though I’d loved to have seen perform live, was too young for gigs, and by the age I would’ve been the time and notion was lost.

To scare his younger sibling, my brother would put on undoubtedly the most bizarre of my Dad’s 7″ records. It was called “Burundi Black,” a 1971 single, whereby French composer Michel Bernholc overdubbed crashing piano to a recording of chants and drumming by the Ingoma people of Burundi. It still scares the willies out me today, truth be told!!

Whatever the quarrel between Malcom McLaren and Stuart Goddard (Adam Ant,) McLaren stole many original band members of Adam and the Ants to form Bow Wow Wow, but left Stuart a compilation tape with Burundi Black on. Both bands were inspired to create this Burundi beat, so that when my brother came home with Kings of the Wild Frontier, though I’d reached the grand old age of eight and wasn’t scared of anything now, I was left intrigued if slightly concerned by the sound of this previous album, as it was 1981 and I was hooked on the pop sound of Stand & Deliver.

It taught me pop stars weren’t just dropped into chart positions from outer space, they had a history, and grew to love Kings of the Wild Frontier. If the punk movement despised Adam Ant for selling out, I was blissfully as unware as the connection to Burundi Black; it was none of my business. I just loved this band, without reasoning why, for away from the angered social commentary, the disparaged realism of the punk movement I was too young to comprehend, Adam and the Ants exploited the fantastical, the carefree, enthusing any influences they cared to, from military jackets to new romantic frilly shirts, of Bauhaus, pirates, native Americans to Dick Turpin, to create this miss-mash, playful hero of nobility, and I idolised him.

Though through time that notion was lost in the plethora of ever-changing genres of pop, his attraction in uniqueness copied if never replicated, only to be bought crashing back to me like a wallop in the face, in a glorious show of retrospective precision, that’s key to why it topped my list; Ant Trouble may be the best tribute I’ve bore witness to so far, but my nostalgia not wholly the reasoning.

As for the Blondie tribute, it was perfection, though this Edinburgh lass maintained a corny Californian accent even when chatting backstage! Ant Trouble humorously allowed themselves to break the illusion, on stage, joking with extenuating accents, “we’re not really Adam and the Ants, just some Welsh nutters!” This was the honesty which deflected the pretence with an otherwise glam and showy band, it announced this was replicated, a homage rather attempting to maintain the false illusion it was the real McCoy.

My final niggly with other tributes is the fault of Father Time. Many are impersonating from their own youth, usually making them only slightly younger than the act they’re attributing. This can make the illusion awkward, and lack the zest of youth. Whereas Ant Trouble are of the same age Adam and the Ants were at their peak, bursting with the same energy, and their almighty display of enthusiasm and vigour was the icing on the cake.

They really gave it a 110%, through their skill of replicating and general performance, to the final part of my deliberations, both looking and sounding akin. Their fulfilled repertoire covering the earlier punk era to the pop peak and beyond to Adam’s solo career, and enthusing the effect with costumes, props, quality notation to the kinesiology, plus audience participation and banter. These skilful musicians could’ve produced an electrifying show if they were a Perry Como tribute!

What remained punk of Adam and the Ants was the three-minute hero, thus allowing Ant Trouble to cram a staggering thirty-two plus songs into this unique set. From Car Trouble and others from the debut album Dirk Wears White Sox, through to practically covering the entire Kings of the Wild Frontier album, and onto the pop hits Prince Charming, Stand and Deliver, et al, to later solo singles like Apollo 9, Ant Trouble delivered them all along with Ant Rap, but not by standing, oh no, they used the stage as if acrobats! The bassist of particular enthusiasm, jumping or rolling on the floor, throwing his guitar in the air, and climbing atop the speaker. Frontman Mitchell Tennant (who’s surname coincidently contains the word ant!) was equal to this showmanship, and the whole band’s interaction was exceptional, breathing life back into the discography of the pop hero of a lost era.

And that is precisely what I believe everyone wants from a tribute act. You come away from this show exhilarated, within a euphoric bubble of retrospection, but I could flatter all day, like Morpheus said to Neo of the Matrix: Unfortunately, no one can be told how good Ant Trouble are, you have to see it for yourself!

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On The Wayside with Viduals

Akin to Ghostbuster’s nemesis Slimer when he appears over the hotdog stand, I was squatting a spacious windowsill at Wiltshire Music Centre with an Evie’s burger summoning me to munch, when a mature lady swung open the fire-door to the third stage at Bradford Roots Music Festival a couple of weeks ago. She looked agitated, speechless at the brash raucous reverberations of the next band’s soundcheck, as if this wasn’t what she ordered at a “roots” festival, and not alone in her opinion. Naturally, I smirked….

In this much, I consider, not being Peter Pan established, if there’s something psychologically wrong with me. I’m pushing fifty, and welcome the unforeseen, refuse to join pensioner grumpy club. Hark, I say, to the sounds of youthful post-punk indie rock, retains faith musical progression is eternal, and I’m game for upcoming, fledgling bands to do their worst and try turn me into a fuddy-duddy with progression above my capacity. For try as they might, it doesn’t wash; I’m going in if they’re coming out.

The festival’s age demographic was wider than I imagined, and salute the organisers for supplying wild cards, things to appease younger attendees. There was a couple of bands which fit into this pigeonhole, I’m focussing on the one I managed to catch, Swindon-based four-piece Viduals.

This hard-hitting fury, in-your-face indie rock with flavours of skater punk and post-grunge, but never with an air of melancholy, though awash of surprisingly universal dejected romantic topics is a dish best served at a pub-like venue, known for diversity, if not Reading Festival. Our own Nervendings do it with cherries on, and along with a plethora of bands I cite Devizes-own Nothing Rhymes with Orange. The guys of Viduals know both these bands from gigging at The Vic and elsewhere, as I bought up comparisons chatting to them outside.

What came across from our brief conversation was, although not without a touch of understandable adolescent carefree banter, these young guys are level-headed and have a clear understanding what they want and where they wish to take this. Just mentioned that for the sweeping generalisations of stick-in-the-muds! Because, while the performance suffered somewhat with poor technical engineering, causing the Muppet’s Animal-like drummer to be too upfront and drowning out vocals, there was something which grabbed me about these guys, and their EP The Wayside confirms my suspicions.

Five songs pack a punch, Viduals don’t come up for air, the production on this EP affirms the perfect balance of a united group, working as a unit, and the splendour of Viduals shines through. It kicks off with Separate, like a little toe in the water, Look Away increases this degenerate, dysfunctional youthful amorousness theme, both never faulter to a bridge of forlorn downtempo mood, just rocks loud and proud throughout.

To mumble this general theme is cliché, Viduals do it with finesse. Drums roll like velvet over nimble guitar-thrashed riffs and intelligent lyrics, Embraces perhaps the best example. Here’s a thing though; contemplating the aggression of punk of yore, metal or hardcore, while there’s bursts of adolescent emotion within these upcoming bands, the like of The Karios and Mellor, it’s never as incensed or furious as punk’s roots, it takes you with it rather than sticks two-fingers up at you.

Viduals do this with exceptional balance, it’s tolerable universally, unlike, say, The Sex Pistols’ fashion of deliberately offending. I feel it collates various influences along the way, such as the mod-rock garage bands of the eighties, grunge, and in this it ceases to become a “noise,” living in a limbo between acceptable and unacceptable, a kind of halfway house.

But the thing is, taking hardcore bands like Black Flag, through to grunge, there’s never been a more progressive, and consequently, creative time for this genre than now; it has matured into pop, officially and naturally. Enthusing youths to pick up instruments, motivating them to self-promote and persevere with creativity, is a surely good thing. Coming Back to You, being prime to what I’m getting at, perhaps the politest song on offer here; there’s a need to rock, but not spit at or nick the audience’s belongings while doing it!

The finale Permanent Daylight feels something of a magnum-opus, at least to-date, and is symbolic of my overall valuation; in layman’s terms, it kicks ass!

Ironic EP title, in my honest opinion, playing it down. Viduals are a young Swindon-based band destined not to fall by the wayside, rather stand solid and secure on that highway to hell, likely above one of those massive motorway signs straddling this borderline; if the lane is closed, shit, you’re gonna know about it, blasting their non-harshness sublime sound across the stratosphere! Yeah, love it, it’s unexpectedly refined rather than raw, with bags more potential to boot.

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In 1987 I was but a 14 year-old Essex suburbian lad, who got his first taste of rural Wiltshire peering out of the back window of his Dad’s car to the Square in Aldbourne, realising places like this really exsist outside of picture books and peroid dramas.

Concerns of fitting into life in my new home never dawned on me, let alone how the natives would feel about my being here. Oblivious to cliqueines and class, snobby village girls turned their noses up while lesser-so ones seemed intrigued. I guess I was somewhat “exotic,” if “chav” before the word was even repopularised!

Maybe it was the latter which caused my male peers to view me as a threat, maybe it was because I was different, but for whatever insular reasoning some bestowed an abhorrence of me which came to an apex when I attempted a night at the social club, and a gang chased me all the way home. I never returned, until now.

Thirty-five years later I confess a slight feeling of apprehension, sitting in my car in the Square planning to enter the club. Moreso to see it in exactly the same location, up exactly the same stairs. Surely they’ve matured too, I’m as Wiltshire as lardy cake now, and they’ve ditched their pitchforks?!

A nostalgic side to me felt pleased to be here, after so long. Here for two reasons, firstly to see old school associate Tim, who I was reunited with at Mantonfest as bassist for Richard Davies & the Dissidents, in the newly formed duo Deadlight Dance, with his former sixform buddy, Nick. The pair have worked together in various groups since their sixform band, and Tim confided he liked it this way, just a simple friendly formula.

But this evening’s entertainment is a trio of bands, all with an Aldbourne connection. The second reason was to tick headline act, Painted Bird off my must-see list, a local Siouxsie and the Banshees tribute I’ve heard all good things about. I find the backstories of tribute acts fascinating, and why they chose the artist they did to attribute, particularly when it’s such a unique choice as Siouxsie Sioux.

Real name Nancy Jean, I set out firstly to discover her connection to the village by asking her if she was a Dabchick. For those unaware, it’s the name for those born in the village based on a folklore rare appearance of one on the village pond. But Nancy’s response in a rich Californian accent answered the question; she was married to her drummer, a born and bred dabchick, and they live in the village.

Nancy explained she had fronted a Siouxsie and the Banshees tribute in LA, applied for a similar role here, and created her own band around it. And I’m happy to report, they’re a highly skilled four-piece, able to recreate the magic of the punk era legends in an entertaining and accurate way. Nancy was also keen to point out the music took presidence over the look, still she looked and acted the part with meticulous precison too.

It was a superb show, as lively as retro-punk should be, and perfected, as they trekked through the discography of the Banshees and polished it off with two remaining tunes from a new project using the same band for original sounds under the banner KGB, which though twisted the style to metal, the punk imprint of the tribute remained subtly evident, which was fine by me and the enthused and tipsy crowd.

And it was a bloody good gig, with hospitable locals and staff. Leaving my preconceptions outside, this was quite the opposite of the shithole akin to someone’s garage with a few scattered pub tables in it it once was, but a modest contemporary function room, comfy and affordable; something every village needs but few seem to have aquired. Aldbourne should be proud. But all should note, I don’t hold a grudge against an entire village for the aforementioned incident, it’s water under the bridge, and besides, I’m fully aware a similar occurence would’ve happened in whatever village we landed in; just bored teenagers with nought else to do.

For the record both young and old were in attendance, age demographics know no boundaries at village venues, as Deadlight Dance kicked off proceedings.

Eighties new wave electronica is their game, angled toward the gothic alternative, which they executed with finesse and emotion. From a few originals Nick explained they were taking into the studio, to expected covers of Bauhaus and Joy Divison, it was the sort of serious music venue appreciation society type stuff, rather than universal village hall. Though what was particularly adriot in their set was a rendition of Heartbreak Hotel in their house style.

That said, if Devizes has an affectionate for electric blues, go east to discover a similar penchant for post punk, so this worked, and I stood beside goths and locals, equally appeased. It was almost like being back at St Johns in the eighties, save for lack of trippy science teacher, Dr Dodd!

Next up were also residents and bought their fanclub with them as they bounced on stage and wasted no time in blasting traditional punk covers from the dawn of the shortlived detonation direct into our faces. The Racket, they called themselves, and they were, though an accomplished racket, and it’s a guaranteed win-win to rouse a middle-aged audience with Ramones, Dammed, Elvis Costello and Blondie covers. Most diverse with a punky version of Kids From America, the Racket make for an ideal function band, for the aging punk aficionado. The girl upfront passionate about reproducing the genre, appeared as a cross between Debbie Harry and Katherine Tate, as though it bore hit parade pastiche of the lost era, they did it with bells on, and were as lively as the need be.

Then it was time for Nancy and her band, the bassist of which we’d seen guest in Deadlight Dance, to steal the show. Proir she asked me if I liked Siouxsie, and though I confirmed I did, made excuses for not being totally clued up. “You’ll know more than you think,” she responded, “we play all the hits.” And she was blooming right too, as their perfect renditions paid homage to Siouxsie and the Banshees, track recognition fell neatly out of my brain’s archive like a slot machine.

Locally touring with Mark Colton’s Blockheads tribute, Dury Duty, if tributes reside with no middle-ground, either being absolute shit, or absolutely brilliant, I’m pleased to report it’s the latter with Painted Bird. Local circuits tend not to clash, but any one of these featured acts should be made to feel more than welcome to pass border control and play the Vizes. Book em, Dano, and put their name in cutout newspaper letters for a poster!

Punk, alive and well and living in Aldbourne; who’d have thought it?!

Nothing Rhymes Orange, Fact

Oh, for the enthusiasm of emerging talent; new track from Nothing Rhymes with Orange is a surprisingly garage band delight……

My dad never revealed his feelings about being in an amateur teenage band. Though I knew he was, he played down its importance. Sacrificing his guitar for parenthood, he’d shrug and tell me they were never any good, anyway, then explain it was the trend of the era, everyone tried picking up a guitar. A tendency succumbed to electronica and the pop machine of my youth; we grew up hailing the DJ and the sound system. Yet the DIY ethos of swinging sixties is very much revitalised these days, and if there’s lots of current notable young bands on Wiltshire’s circuit, one to watch are called Nothing Rhymes Orange.

But, if it’s fact nothing does rhyme with orange, I confess to know little else about this emerging talent, save they’ve a Devizes connection, recently rocked up Lavington’s Churchill and supported Carsick at The Pump, as Sheer’s incentive to promote upcoming locals never fails to spot greatness. And greatness it is, if raw and somewhat undercooked; such is the delight of discovering a garage band, as they come out of Martin Spencer’s Badger Set studio with a blinding original track this week, Chow For Now.

Garage is an appropriate blanket term, I was pleasantly surprised not to hear some expected grunge-inspired thrash, rather the balance of indie-pop akin to the Coral, with occasional nod to post-punk, when fitting. This sounds garage, yeah, basslines of early Jam, even, which rings out a beguiling riff of contemporary sparkle, not forgoing an original concept for theme. Ah, Scouting for Girls, or more; taking on local favourites like Longcoats and Daydream Runaways.

Immediate like from me, guys; one to watch. Aside another two tunes in the works, you can find Nothing Rhymes Orange supporting Harmer James and Chasing Kites at a Freaky Friday down St James Vaults, Bath on 11th November. Link-tree is here, go figure.

This is what picking up a guitar is all about, albeit to suggest it takes perseverance; likely where my dad’s Who-like wannabes failed, but Nothing Rhymes Orange seem to excel. Guess I’ll never be sure about the first, but I’m certain of the latter.  

Trending….

Waiting for M3G’s new Single…..

So yeah, I thought I’d be funny by commenting “can’t wait” on Chippenham’s upcoming folk singer-songwriter Meg’s Facebook post announcing her latest single, because, you…

Bradford on Avon Green Man Festival

Featured Image: Colin Rayner Photography If I’ve recently been singing the praises of arts diversity in Bradford-on-Avon, centred around the Wiltshire Music Centre and not…

Viduals Release New Single

Is that ex still playing on your mind? It’s been an age, mate, but no amount of friends’ attempts to console you will help, or…

12 Bars Later Pop into The Badger Set

Must’ve been a sweaty August night last year at our trusty Southgate, when I turned up on the off chance, and staggered home mightily impressed…

Sheer Music Grand Return to Devizes

Ah, it’s on the grapevine alright; godfather of Wiltshire’s millennial live indie scene, Kieran Moore isn’t sneaking in the back door with his tail between his legs like the prodigal son, rather he’s returning to Devizes, the origins of his promotional stamp Sheer Music, in a blaze of heavy rock glory.

Not content with setting the soul of live music in the bright light city of viva Trowvegas on fire, or getting those stakes up higher at Komedia in Bath and legendary venue the Vic in Swindon, he’s
just a devil with love to spare…. for his roots!

It’ll be loud and proud, that much is for sure, when Sheer takes the Corn Exchange on Friday 7th October, and, hold your breath, it’ll be a free gig, yes I said free. When was the last time you got in the Corn Exchange for nought? Obviously as chief blagger I’m not at liberty to answer that question myself, but you catch my drift I hope!

They’ve got that kick-ass skater punk collaboration of Trowbridge, Devizes, Westbury and Wotton Bassett, Start The Sirens as support. A promising upcomer we handsomely reviewed their debut “Just the Beginning,” back in June.

Next up is two-thirds homegrown purveyors of noise NervEndings, who should need no introduction locally, abielt to note the boys are creating quite the stir forever further abound, headlining this Saturday at the very same Victoria, for the Swindon Shuffle.

Plus hard-rocking contemporary punkers Lucky Number Seven, which I’ll confess is a new one to me, but they certainly sound like a belter, featured alongside NervEndings at the Shuffle, and who tore Bristol’s Fleece apart at the beginning of the month.

Kieran labels his promo posts with “shit the bed, Devizes,” leaving me pondering; are you sure you’re ready for this, Devizes? Stage diving all the way to Chick-O-Land?!

Drag Me Down are Invincible; Fact!

Ah, hark the beatific resonances of an adolescent choir, in their prime; Swindon’s metal-skater-punk three-piece Drag me Down have a new single out, destined to take no prisoners.….

Released on 26th August (2022) Invincible is fresh loud and proud, if contemporary pop-punk bands like Sum41, just as a for example, are sounding tad commercialised and lite, either/or, Limp Bizkit be too rappy for your palette, this local garage powerhouse packs the punch of metal’s finest hour and plunges the rest of said genre against the ropes.

And they sent it to me for my appraisal, unaware I’m approaching fifty and should be looking over my glasses at them in disgust, complaining about skateboards in the park while sucking on a pipe and adjusting my slippers until the nurse passes me my meds; and I reckon it’s having it.

Its intro is unpredictably electronica, but kicks within ten seconds with a grungy carefree “this is our time” notion, and rolling drums of pop-punk is the hook which confirms it is exactly that, a beguiling up-to-date anthem. If, like me, you were unaware of these guys, this will permanently scar them into your neurons as they go from strength to strength, claiming to have learned “a few new tricks along the way.”

Formed in Swindon, the band have been friends since their pre-teen years and suggest they’ve “gone through every trial a young person could face while growing up in the UK,” yet emerge from the other end as a “no-nonsense unit of friends with only one goal: to put smiles on the faces of everyone who listens to us.” Ah, I can’t give ’em that, sorry, they don’t know they’ve been born!

If there was any truth in what I just said, least they’ve top marks on how to rock.

In true counterculture ethos, they’ve a DIY label, Whatevercords, and have teamed up with The Bottom Line, Hightail, and From Here On Out producer Zac Pritchett to whisk an ever-growing discography. They’ve played Furnace Fest at Swindon’s Level III with the likes of Polar, TRC and our purveyors of noise buddies NervEndings.

I forgo my right to a free bus pass unless it’ll take me to a Drag me Down gig, because based on this single alone, they’ve got every ingredient firmly placed for the lively, youthful denotation you need to be at when it goes off. So, yeah, I’m predicting these kids will go far, and as for pensioner whinges I’ll stop at: if not I want a full enquiry into why not.

Pre-save said ticking-timebomb HERE, and wait for detonation Friday week (26th August.)

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Wiltshire Music Centre; Proper Job!

Devizes celebrated rum bar, The Muck & Dundar are hosting a dub reggae night with Omega Nebula on Saturday, and received this week’s prestigious award…

Tickling Your Fancy with the Hard Rock Lifestyle

You ever have one of those almost comical “you want some, do yer?” type confrontations, whereby your drunk challenger is absolutely determined to fight you? No matter how passive your posture, regardless of complimentary reactions, they only retort the precise opposite, even if it jeopardises their own reputation; as in, “no, thanks for asking, but you look very tough,” and the reply thickens the plot, “no, I’m not!”

Or is it just me, with “one of those faces?!” After seventeen years idle, Bradford-on-Avon rockers Peace return under a new guise called Tickle Your Fancy, to blast the musical “in your face” equivalent, and it absolutely kicks back, residing in retrospective hard rock rather than ear-bleeding all-out grunge or thrash…which better floats my boat, subtle hints of the take-no-prisoners punk attitude, et al.

For five three-minute heroes in this name-your-price download or cassette EP aptly titled “Hard Rock Lifestyle,” never settle, never meanders off up sentimental stairways, or drifts to Mordor, rather similar to an edgy ZZ Top, AC-DC at the top of their game, they don’t come up for air.

Just when I was pondering a possible method of introducing Led Zeppelin to my daughter today, by suggesting while those screamingly gritty vocals might be cliché in contemporary metal, these guys were the originators, they set the bar, Tickle Your Fancy come at it so insatiably, it’s compulsory to toss annotations of platitude aside, like a groupie’s bra, and just rock out in its sublime portrayals of an after-party in the green room of a Kiss concert.

Akin to the irony of their past name, being doubtful if they were ever best described “peaceful,” “Hard Rock Lifestyle,” rarely tackles serious issues “that fill our everyday lives,” as disingenuously claimed, other than suggesting partying through an apocalypse. Yeah, there’s a sample in the finale of a fictional cold war nuclear strike newsreel, which, like the fact it’s released on cassette, only increases the idea we’re living in a time of pre-soft metal yore; hard rock’s finest hour, an era when long-haired men belted out songs about gorgeous ladies carefree of chauvinistic ripostes. I mean, said sample appears in an anthemic song called, Pull Down Your Pantz, for crying out loud; coupled with a cover of a chic businessman skateboarding to the office, it kind of says it all about the tongue-in-cheek nature of this crazy ride.    

Good old, untroubled rock n roll is what’s on offer here, adroitly captured. Predominately themed of fun-loving carnal appreciation, tracks like Hot Blondes and One O’clock Gun reek of ZZ Top’s Legs, and thus said party begins with an eponymous opening tune. Top marks for a release of energy I was unsure of which way would go in appeasing to my personal taste, but I’m locked into this direct-to-audio cassette release from Wiltshire’s Crest Studios, by Garlic Bill of The Raw Data Recording Company. You can’t escape it’s hold; it targets you and won’t give up until you attempt to swing a punch; Tickle Your Fancy will give it yer!

Just the Beginning, Start The Sirens

If it’s the beginning, it’s a loud one; kicking punk album release from Start the Sirens out last week has got me potentially stage-diving off the top of wardrobe.…..

A collaboration of members from Trowbridge, Devizes, Westbury and Wotton Bassett, Start The Sirens formed in 2019, hit the pandemic with an acoustic EP, which bassist Leyton Jones, aka Rocky explains was an experimental project to “find our own style, and achieve that upbeat sound.” Just the Beginning is the kicking debut, and a testament to accomplishment; they rock it with bells on.

If Forget What You Heard sets the mood, kick-ass skater punk which takes no prisoners, the second track Sunset to Sunrise breathes an air of carefree ingenuity akin to millennial pop-punk. Three tunes in though, Tell Me hints of traditional punk, well, at me it does! Lead vocalist Holly Harwood in Siouxsie Sioux fashion, especially with the “Whoa Whoa” chorus. It’s beguiling stuff hard to pinpoint but with a wave insensible to pigeonholing; just shut it and rock out.

Keen though I am to shelf this with punk roots, for it has that DIY ethos, Rocky was adamant to cite pop-punk and emo bands like New Found Glory and Blink 182 as obvious influences, and I’m forced to shed my aged perceptions and agree, it’s high-energy vibes and doesn’t come up for air, but cast in positive light rather than the dejected attitude of original punk. Positivity was key, Rocky established with me.

Design by Nikki Noodle

We spoke of tricky placements in local circuit pub gigs, though the band rocked Trowbridge’s Stallards last weekend, play the Old Bear Staverton tonight (2nd June) at 8pm, and support USA’s Hit Like A Girl with Brighton-based I Feel Fine, for a Sheer Music gig at The Village Pump on Friday 17th June. Rocky spelled out their motivation was a labour of love, and based on this showcase album, they should be placed firmly on a touring map of UK punk venues. Though I think Swindon’s Vic should snap them up, Bradford’s Three Horseshoes and Devizes Southgate would love it too.

Seven original three-to-four-minute heroes here, the penultimate This One’s For You perhaps the most enticingly commercially viable, and it finishes with one final name-sake anthem blast; I’m looking forward to catching these guys live. What? No, I’m convinced I still got it, mate! I’ve told you my story of Dad’s taxi to a Bowling for Soup gig at Bristol’s O2 before, haven’t I? I was like leaning on the railings of the upper area when I perchance to spot another glum looking expression on a guy of similar age. Seems like he was also chaperone to his kids, and we did the dad nod. Then I thought fuck it, I’m here, allowed to enjoy myself too and tried to drag that son to the mosh pit!

I may be outdated for the skater punk detonation, but it’s high energy, full of zest and aspiration, that’s my take, and something Start the Sirens has captured here; have a listen, get ’em in your local….  

Trending….

Snakebite Tune From The Dirty Smooth

Snotty nose, change of weather, otherwise I’d have dragged my sorry ass down to Underground, formerly Level III in Swindon for last weekend’s Children in…

Cobalt Fire’s Butterfly

In the words of the great Suggs, “but I like to stay in, and watch TV, on my own, every now and then,” after three gigs on the previous weekend, I opted a weekend off, albeit I was with the family, and succumbed to Britain’s Got Talent for my entertainment, one little part of me wishing I’d headed down the Southgate.….

To rub salt in the wound, Swindon-(I think)-based Cobalt Fire, who were providing the sounds at Devizes most dependable pub for original music last Saturday, also released a debut album called Butterfly, so naturally I wanted to hear what I missed.

Self-defined as a fusion of “the retro sound of 90’s grunge and post-punk with a modern take on folk,” I can see where they’re coming from, and it’s no new thing for them, formerly known as Ells and the Southern Wild, the band developed their fresh sound from acoustic roots, and yes, there’s tinges of this still in them. Though their bio suggests they formed in 2103, I gather there’s either a typo or a gothic timelord in there! But in their switch to electric they strive to retain the core features of the songs, “creating a more muscular beast in the process,” they put it.

And they’ve certainly achieved this, Butterfly, usually more bug than beast, is a boom of emotional overdrive, as grunge commands, with echoes more of Evanescence than Nirvana, what with Ells Chadd’s haunting vocal range. It packs punches from beginning to end, the finale of which, Another Round, particularly poignant to this nod to acoustic roots, middle tracks like His Words Lie Heavy breath an air of eighties post-punk, ah, goth tinge, Siouxsie Sioux style, while it begins strictly grunge, with those rising and falling echoes of emotive authority.

The magnum opus, though, is three tracks in, Crimson Red summarises everything great about this potent four-piece, it’s dynamitic, driving.

It’s basically ten professionally executed, blindingly touching three-minute heroes, in a fashion not usually my cuppa. But if I sing praises for a genre more me, that’s easy work, for music to make me consider oh yeah, I like this though pigeonholing obligation says I shouldn’t, the result is even more impressive, and with Butterfly I’m near to breaking out some multi-belt buckle platform boots, growing my hair and dying it black!

This is a powerful and emotive creation, indulgent of all rock subgenres, yet beguiling grunge, and it never strays from its unique sound. See now, I’m sorry I missed you guys, another time and I’m beeline; embarrassingly for BGT too, though I’ve given my best cat ate my homework excuse, and though I doubt you’ll turn Simon Cowell’s frown upside-down, going on this album, you’d have got my golden buzzer.

Ah, it’s all lies, anyway; not sure my hair will grow back!

Trending….

Devizes Library Hopes To Start Lego Club

Everything is awesome upon hearing that Devizes Library is hoping to start a regular Lego Club, and they are asking folk to donate unwanted Lego…

Swindon’s New Tribute to the Blockheads; Dury Duty

On the eve of a new tribute act fronted by Swindon’s Mark Colton, he tells me “Dury seems to be a forgotten genius and the blockheads are an amazing band still. We just want to remind people of what a great showman he was, and what great songs there are……”

I find myself pondering on Dury’s virtuosity, influence and why it’s popularly considered underrated. True, the meandering and wishy-washy narrative of Matt Whitecross’ 2010 biopic, Sex & Drugs & Rock n Roll, didn’t do much justice, but his funeral, a decade prior to the film, saw a handful of celebrities, keen on honouring the mysterious persona of Ian Dury. From Mo Mowlam and Robbie Williams to Madness, the latter of whom occupied a similar place in the nation’s heart as Ian Dury and the Blockheads did a few short years prior.

A posthumous national treasure, in death he achieved what his dark and edgy character prevented him from accomplishing, a Times obituary praised the singer’s “Swiftian satirical streak” and acknowledged his “lasting place in the corpus of the English popular song.” If The Blockheads’ pseudo-fusion of jazz into punk didn’t wash with the atypical punk movement, it certainly scored them some hits, and anyway, when did punk itself ever adhere to “fit in?”

Ian Dury

To take onboard recent trends in British unpremeditated, often jokey street rap, the kind The Streets, Lily Allen and Kate Nash rinsed, Dury popularised that poetic verse, to consider post-punk’s more jazzy moments, The Blockheads reigned supreme, but perhaps the synthesis doesn’t pigeonhole them for a majority to realise the strength of their influence on pop.  

Swindon’s newly formed six-piece Dury Duty is dedicated to the songs and performance of legendary band leader and raconteur Ian Dury, rather than recent Blockheads reformation. This combo of experienced musicians strives to recreate the sound and feel of a genuine Ian Dury concert, drawing from material found within his solo output, his work with The Kilburns, The Blockheads as well as other side projects.

“I have decided to follow my heart and do the projects I have always wanted to do,” Mark explained, “including this one. The initial set features the sort of set around the time Do it Yourself would have been released, lots of songs from New Boots.”

Mark Colton

Colton leads in Thin Lizzy tribute, The Lizzy Legacy, temporarily fronted ska covers band The Skandals, continues in the punk cover band Rotten Aces, and has been gigging solo for a while with a repertoire of two-tone and punk covers. He basically has his fingers in so many pies, it’s tricky to keep up! I asked him if the concentration was solely on Dury Duty now, or if the other original and tribute acts are still in motion.  

“The solo stuff will continue,” he informed, “I have a few projects still on the go. My original material band CREDO is recording our 5th album, Rotten Aces are gigging again from April, after getting a new guitarist. I have a Marillion Tribute too, called Marquee Square Heroes, and the Lizzy Legacy are still active, but less so due to others commitments and of course, Dury Duty. Each band is a different challenge, but they all keep me on my toes!”

Along with the expected big hitters, such as ‘Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll’, ‘Reasons To be Cheerful (Pt.3)’, ‘Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick’, and ‘What A Waste’ forming the backbone of any set, Dury Duty promise “lesser known but equally entertaining nuggets to whet the appetite of any long-time Ian Dury aficionado.”

Mark is joined by Jono Judge – Saxophones, Percussion and Vocals, Michael York – Piano, Keyboards, Guitar and Vocals, Brian Barnes – Guitars and Vocals, Rob McGregor – Drums and Vocals and Ken Wynne – Bass Guitar and Vocals. A self-confessed “talented band of brothers” keen on not only entertaining those familiar with the extensive cannon of this great performer and wordsmith, but to bring new fans to the man. “Ian Dury is sorely missed and his sharp, witty and often cutting observations on the mundane and absurd through his lyrics and poetic verse are carried forward by this.”

Opening gig is at Swindon’s premier venue, Old Town’s Victoria on Friday June 3rd, but are the band ready to roll, should a nearer booking come their way, I asked Mark. “I suspect we would do something if it came up for Dury Duty, but that’s what we are working towards at the moment. We will be looking to get out and get this working, the songs are a pleasure to play.” Got to wish them all the best with the project, being it innovative and crucial for a tribute act find a sustainably eminent niche which doesn’t fall into cliché, and for the reasons of Ian Dury’s elapsed stimulus makes this project exciting local music news.

Trending….

Shakespeare Live – Autumn Tour

An early and rarely-performed play, ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona’ has feisty heroines, lovelorn & bickering young men, dictatorial parents, foolish suitors, cross-dressing, letters galore, wild…

Retro Relics Games Cafe Opening In Lavington

With a wide selection of family-friendly and retro board games, RPGs such as Magic the Gathering, Warhammer and Pokémon, and serving tea, coffee, cakes and, oh,…

Trowbridge Town Hall Rides into Spring

At the beginning of the month Devizine covered Trowbridge’s musical renaissance, highlighting The Village Pump and Town Hall’s dedication to introducing a variety of upcoming local bands and performers. Explaining Sheer Music’s Kieran Moore had “big shoes to fill,” taking over as chief event coordinator for the Town Hall from Gavin Osborn. Well, the proof is in the pudding, and that dish has made it off the serving counter and onto our table.….

Not forgoing, the programme is already in full-swing, with Truckstop Honeymoon at the Pump on Friday, (18th) a cider swiggin’ scrumpy and western hoedown with The Skimmity Hitchers and our great friends, and the Boot Hill All Stars supporting at the Town Hall on Saturday.     

Boot Hill All Stars

Such is the fashion for live music in Trowbridge, Fridays at the Pump, Saturday at the Town Hall, aside some great happenings at Stallards and Emmanuel’s Yard, comedy and more commercial nights at the Civic. Gecko appears next Saturday at the Town Hall, and all-day Sunday there’s   fundraising session, Kalefest, a family-orientated mini-festival for some musical equipment for a teenager with a severe brain injury, in which Zone Club, Pete Lamb’s Heart Beats and The Relayz play.

Marching on atop this free six-week interactive course of workshops for 16- to 18-year-olds, covering all aspects of the music industry, next month sees a continuation of great bookings, of which we highlighted in the aforementioned preview, here. What we’re here today for is to check in on Kieran, see if he indeed “filled” those shoes for the ongoing season.

So, just revealed, April and May listings at the Town Hall and Pump, which have equally exciting news, as, perhaps, Mr Moore asks the shopkeeper for a shoehorn. Isle of Man’s recent export to Wiltshire, Becky Lawrence, the musical theatre singer-songwriter who wasted no time fitting into the local circuit, joining established local bands, The Bourbons UK and Clyve and the Soul City Foundation, teams up Bristolian country singer-songwriter Zoe Newton to pinch-punch April at the Pump.

Zoe Newton at Bradford Roots Festival

Whereas, in the name of variety I’m surprised to see The Town Hall hosting a “rum and reggae night” on Saturday April 2nd; it’s as if they’re calling to me! Seriously though, I’d wager youngsters reading this are asking Siri what the hell a shoehorn is.

But nice surprises flow, as Gavin Osborn himself plays The Pump, Friday 8th, with his band Comment Section. Regulars at Stallard’s, locally-based indie-rockers Riviera Arcade arrive at the Town Hall with Gloucestershire’s electric-punk favourites, Chasing Dolls on Saturday, with (udated) Devizes/Swindon NervEndings headling the show.

NervEndings

Alcopops Records’ Croydon duo, The Frauds play the Pump on the 15th, with Ipswich’s experimental indie-pop darlings, Lucky Number 7, while Henry Wacey and Dan O’Farrell are there on Saturday. Surreal stand-up, Welsh hard rockers The Vega Bodegas are at the Town Hall on the Saturday, with support from Wiltshire-based metal trio newcomers, Last Alvor and self-confessed “degenerates,” synth-punk noise-makers Benzo Queen.

If that weekend is atypical of what I’d expect Mr Moore to assign, the following, Saturday 23rd is different. Kieran is no stranger to asking what acts local giggers would like to see via social media, as Brighton’s Chap-Hop legend Professor Elemental comes to the Town Hall, with support from my recommendation, Bristol’s fantastic veganomic ska-punk-folk crazies, Boom Boom Racoon, who’ve we fondly followed in the past on Devizine.

Boom Boom Racoon

If I’m excited with boom boom coming soon, while “Sunday league” songwriter Tom Jenkins finishes off April on Saturday 30th, May is positively booming too. Local soul-hip hop DJ, Mac-Llyod gets the crowd prepped for another of my personal favourites, Bristol’s bouncy boom-bap virtuosos The Scribes, on Saturday 7th May. Aching to encourage these guys a gig more local than Salisbury’s Winchester Gate, I’m delighted to see this on Trowbridge Town Hall’s listing; they’re definitely calling to me now!

Pan-European ‘inventive and thrilling’ alt-folk duo, singer-songwriter Tobias Jacob and double-bass playing multi-instrumentalist Lukas Drinkwater play the Pump on Thursday 12th May, whereas I’m notified Saturday 14th’s do at the Town Hall will be a “pipe and slippers rave,” of which I had to inquire if, as it sounds, it’ll be an old skool DJ rave type thing, and this it was confirmed, “that’s exactly it.” If they’re calling me, now they’re mocking; the feet in my slippers were stomping in mud when you were an itch, whippersnappers! “Honey, where’s my whistle and white gloves?”

Sheffield’s award-winning finger-style guitarist, Martin Simpson breathes some folk to the Pump on Friday 20th May, while the Town Hall blow cobwebs off with Trowbridge’s own hardcore metal quartet, Severed Illusions. With nine years under their belts, they opened for Hed PE at the now defaulted Beirkeller in Bristol, and played metal festivals’ assemblage M2TM. Joined by doomcore fourpiece Eyesnomouth, and Salisbury’s screaming metalcore Next Stop Olympus; that’s going to go off.

The Lost Trades

From here gigs are pencilled in, June sees Martin Carthy, Jon Amor with Kyla Brox, Hip Route and Billy & The Low Ground feature, but be certain the near-future looks bright and varied for Trowbridge’s live music scene, particularly as the last gig of May is our beloved folk-harmony trio The Lost Trades on Saturday 28th. Bring in the summer with Graham Steel’s award-winning Phil, Jamie and Tamsin, what more could you ask for?

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Sonny Vincent’s Snake Pit Therapy

Here’s me doubting using the phrase “traditional punk rock,” because wouldn’t punk castoff anything deemed traditional? Yet I feel the term punk is loosely thrown about these days, compared to its original ethos. Much of the sneaker and drainpipe crowd-surfing youngsters barely relates to the sound and attitude of the Pistols or Ramones.  

While I’m a little behind, and smell like one too, Svart Records released Snake Pit Therapy on 17th of September, legendary NYC rocker Sonny Vincent is something we have to mention, because it’s loud, dangerous and pretty much nails the aforementioned oxymoron, “traditional punk rock.”

Born in New York City and raised on its streets and in its clubs, Sonny Vincent is infamous from NYC punk early fire-starters Testors, who from ‘75 to ’79 were attitude-laden fixtures on the CBGB and Max’s Kansas City scenes. An extraordinarily prolific artist, active since the late 60s, Sonny has released numerous albums collaborating with members of the Stooges, Dead Boys, The Damned, Husker Du, The Replacements, Rocket From The Crypt and releasing four albums with the Velvet Underground’s Moe Tucker. He recently collaborated with Pentagram’s Bobby Liebling in the new supergroup The Limit, whose Caveman Logic album was released in the spring.

Snake Pit Therapy maintains the rawness of real-deal blazing protopunk with heaps of psychedelia and hard rock, all taken to the edge with Vincent’s naked aggression, passionate voice and his trademark caustic guitar. Yet scrupulousness rides this razor-sharp rock n roll testament, because Vincent’s life and antics are more than legend; they are real, as documented in his recent memoirs, bearing the same title as this very album.

In and out of homes for bad kids, committed to the psych ward for observation and forcibly conscripted into a tour of duty in Vietnam courtesy of the U.S. Marine Corp, Vincent’s experience of wild and tough living has awarded his songs hardness with humanity. Sincerity without mawkishness, Snake Pit Therapy is glorious rock ‘n’ roll with an edge that’ll slice your finger clean off.

For this, I’ll say, at first it was a hard pill to swallow, blasting it straight in your face when I was in somewhat of a laidback mood, rather Snake Pit Therapy grows on me like a wart with each listen, and if you’re looking for rage without cliché or irrationality, you’ve come to right album.

It was ten tracks into this fifteen-track indestructible primal scream when I was smitten, Japan Mofo, has the start stop of blues-riffed rock n roll, while retaining the ferociousness of previous tracks. Yet it’s the earlier driving rock tune, The End of Light which is the first single released, Never Tired follows, which a heart-ripped-open chorus, is having it.

Note, if you’re expecting it calm down, you’ll be disappointed until the final song, Forest offers a slightly mellowed psychedelic tenet, in comparison with the rest, still though this is verging on metal at times, inline with his recently formed heavy punk-metal band The Limit, featuring Bobby Liebling of Pentagram, and garnering glowing reviews worldwide.

So yeah, while a tad weighty for me, I still see it’s quality and know there’s a lot of people who are going locally who’ll love this, and I do too, when I’m in the raging like of mood, which has been known to happen for anything as long as thirty seconds! In the past, I reached for Iggy Pop, he now will have competition.

Trending…..

Swindon Rocks for Children In Need

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The Great Rock N Roll Swindon; Anarchist Artists Unite

October at The Post-Modern Gallery, on Swindon’s Theatre Square, sees an irresistible exhibition for punks, general music or art aficionados, and devotees of the curious and unusual, The Great Rock N Roll Swindon. Running from the 2nd – 10th, it’s a free art show, the name of which was inspired by the Sex Pistols film and song, The Great Rock N Roll Swindle, and is part of a touring group exhibition organised by punk artist, David Apps.….

From 2012 over a six-year period he had staged six exhibitions a year, always with his artwork dominating the exhibition. From London, Essex and Cambridge to Newcastle and Berlin, he staged exhibitions, built up a large following and returned the following year, until opening his own successful gallery in the summer of 2017.

With Brexit and then the world closing down shortly after, sadly David had to close his beloved gallery in December 2020. “Lost and not knowing what to do,” he explains, “I decided to book an exhibition a month and go back to how I started out, booking venues and art galleries and taking the artwork on tour.”

The exhibition is made up of a plethora of artists from the original punk movement, alongside some extremely interesting artists and friends who David has worked with over the past seven years, including legendary singer of punk band the U.K Subs, Charlie Harper. Two Brixton based artists, Dalis & Angel, aka DnA Factory, who produce provocative and slightly wrong bright pinks!

British punk icon Gaye Black, AKA Gaye Advert exhibits too, a bassist with the Adverts, who hated being the female icon of the band. Her work has dark themes as well as the use of press images of herself and the band in her work.

Others include renowned artist in his own right and son of the artist Lucian Freud, David Freud, Mr Ben Art from Worthing with music-related and punk icon images made from old magazines, papers and paint under a thick resin; sounds real punk-paste. London based T-shirt designer, Sexy Hooligans, specialising in duplicate original Malcolm McLaren & Vivianne Westwood’s SEX design T-shirts and the Anarchy shirts worn by the Sex Pistols.

Two of the artists are originally from Swindon, Michelle Mildenhall, a Latex artist now based in Hastings, who’s work contains themes of bondage, face-gags and iconic faces, and Hammer Horror influenced gothic, Saffron Reichenbacker, with fun but angelic designs, Brighton based.

There’s also Northampton based artist, Monet Shot, with limited edition prints using consumerism themed products as his influence. World renowned mosaic slogan artist, Carrie Reichardt, of whom we’re advised it’s “well worth taking a look at her mosaic house in West London on Google.” Carrie will only be showing small works in the exhibition. Plus, a second mosaic artist, CuriousiTeas, who’s thought-provoking and humorous slogans are put onto custom-made teapots.

But the most interesting and topical sounding of all this bizarre collective, just when you think you’ve heard it all, must be Linda King, who creates large, decorative flat wooden Crows, of beautiful design, to hang in windows to stop birds flying into them. And Hastings based artist, Sassy Luke, who uses religious icons with a twist, and has a wide range of both religious and Covid design knickers.

And with the thought of religious and Covid design knickers I believe it’s best to leave it there. If you’re intrigued by any of this, such as the aforementioned Covid designed knickers, as much as I, you really need to take a peek into this, more works on display can be seen by following David’s Instagram account. I mean, who hasn’t tried wearing their facemask as undergarments for some light relief during lockdown? …. oh, just me then!

Win 2 tickets HERE

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Scott Lavene’s Milk City Sweethearts

We’ve had a spate of comical albums coming in for review, what with Death of Guitar Pop, Mr B the Gentleman Rhymer and now this, which is by far the darkest, consequently most poignant. Songwriter and raconteur Scott Lavene returns this Friday (17th September) with Milk City Sweethearts, an album of new material…..

There’s intelligent and thought-provoking arch-beat poetry chatted here, an amphetamine-induced self-evaluation of an ordinary Essex boy, delivered passionately with a witty edge you cannot ignore. Something of an oddity at times, random prose seemingly slotted erratically fall into place with a running theme of this hopeless romantic, as the album progresses.

Behind a variation of backbeats, often being post-punk, as is Scott’s roots, yet fluctuating through new romantic electronica and eighties mod revival, are honest and blunt chronicles of love, loss, coming of age, in effect making for a memorable kind of album, border-crossing Ian Dury with Sleaford Mods; a Mike Skinner of The Streets in the Bowie or Jam era, or a psychedelic Gecko.

Humbly wry, the observations of his imprudent past come back to haunt him, as he retells heartfelt autobiography. The Ballad of Lynsey being the particularly touching example, telling of a potential everlasting love, but lasting only year due to differences, with the revealing chorus, “I choose amphetamines over you.”  

If I’ve made this sound despondent and somewhat depressing, while yeah there is that, Scott’s witty charisma teeters atop at even the gloomiest synopsises with clever wordplay and metaphors. And besides, not every track is quite so melancholic. In fact, it begins very much with the aforementioned mod revival style. Upbeat opening tune, Nigel, is especially comical, expressing the strangeness of individual’s choice of “kicks.” Likewise, The First-Time reels off an amusing list of first experiences with the annotation, “one day there’ll be a last.” It’s all very Essex lad Talking Heads, Phil Daniels chatting on Blur’s Parklife, etc.

Art-pop carries over when the mod revival moves over for a new wave electronica feel as the album progresses, by the third tune, The Earth Don’t Spin, it’s very much more Stephan Tintin Duffy than Weller. For all the credentials and comparisons mentioned, there’s no cliché, everything here is uniquely composed and written originally, and Milk City Sweethearts isa listener, not the sort of long-player you can pause and pick up again, you’ll be impelled to digest it one sitting.

A master storyteller astutely aware of when and how to evoke the correct emotions, and find unusual thoughts to everyday scenarios. The farewell to deceased finale, Say Hello to Zeus, is as Bowie, simply inimitable and inducing. Whereas halfway through gives us the laugh-out-loud Walk Away is Essex humour at its very best.

Closest you’ll get to see him to here is Bath’s Komedia on the 12th December, for now this masterful album, out via Nothing Fancy Records, is interesting, to say the least, an essential item for enthusiasts of the quirky and unusual, making the world seem that much smaller, and amusing, for lonely hearts.

I’m quite happy, thank you, but loved it nonetheless, cos it ain’t always been that way. And that’s it, right there, I figure it’s not only my association Scott is from my motherland, but there’s something I think anyone with a heart will identify with here, and that’s something really rather special.

WIN 2 tickets HERE

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Some Work Experience At The Southgate!

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Was a TwoManTing at the Southgate

Managed to make it somewhere between out and Micky Flanagan’s out-out last night. In other words, I didn’t change out of my manky khaki shorts I’d been gardening in, but still got a pint or so down “the Gate.” I’ve been aching to witness the duo, TwoManTing for myself, Captain Obvious; yes, TwoManTing is a duo, you can’t make it up.

Appearing at the Devizes trusty Southgate a few times previously, it’s been something I’ve been meaning to catch-up with, being their appellation sounds all rather reggae, my favourite cup of tea. My residual curiosity though, how can a duo make reggae, something you surely need a gang for; a bassist, a drummer, brass section et all?

Two Man Ting

Answer revealed, the “ting” part might be misconceiving to our preconceived notion the phonologic is Jamaican patois. The Bristol-based duo consists of English guitarist Jon Lewis, who has a clear penchant for Two-Tone and punk inclinations of yore, and Jah-man Aggrey, a Sierra Leonean percussionist. They met playing together as part of dance band, Le Cod Afrique, at venues such as Montreux Jazz Festival and WOMAD, formed the duo in 2004, and make for an interesting and highly entertaining two-man show.

Something of a surprise then, and a rarity around these backwaters, to hear maringa, demonstrative folk of Sierra Leone, perhaps catered more to our tastes via Jon, but essentially the same ballpark, acoustic guitar and percussion. Somewhere between calypso but with the Latino twinge of rhumba, best pigeonholed, their sound is motivating and beguiling, and achieved with originality. In fact, to my surprise most of their compositions were their own creations, save the sublimely executed known cover of The Clash’s Guns of Brixton, Jon’s clear punk inspiration showing forth.

They told there’s a Clash cover on each album, of which they’ve produced three. Story checks out; Armagideon Time on their first album Legacy, which I could quibble is actually a Coxsone’s Studio One cover by the Clash, aforementioned Guns of Brixton on 2015’s Say What? and something of a rarity from Combat Rock, the poet Allen Ginsberg’s duet with Strummer, Ghetto Defendant, which can be found on their most up-to-date album, 2019’s Rhymes With Orange.

But this punk influence is sure subtle, the mainstay of their enticing sound is the acoustic maringa, palm wine music traditional throughout West Africa, at least for the start of the show. The most poignant moment for me was Jah-man attributing his homeland’s natural glory, rather than that which people tend to ask him about, the civil conflicts and war, in a chorus which went, “why not ask me about….”

Jah-man and George hanging out after the gig

As the performance progressed the fashion modernised, live loops upped the tempo, and it became highly danceable afro-pop, in the style of soukous, more spouge than cariso in delivery; how apt for the current heatwave! At times lost in the music, it was easy to throw-off the notion the wonderful sound was reverberating from just two guys, rather than an eight-piece band, reason enough for BBC 6Music’s Lauren Laverne to say of TwoManTing, “brilliant – if you want a bit of early summer, then get this into your ear-holes!”

Today they can be caught at Salisbury’s Winchester Gate, but appreciation again to The Southgate for supplying Devizes with something diverse and entertaining. Next Saturday at “the Gate,” Rockport Blues appear, for a night of blues, rock and soul classics, starting at 7:30pm.

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OUT NOW! Various Artists 4 Julia’s House

As a nipper I’d spend days, entire school holidays, making mixtapes as if I worked for Now, That’s What I Call Music! In the era before hi-fi, I’d sit holding a microphone to the radio’s speaker, adventurously attempting to anticipate when Tony Blackburn was going to talk over the tune, and just when In the Air Tonight peaked with Phil’s crashing drums, my dad would shout up the stairs that my tea was ready; eternally caught on tape, at least until my Walkman screwed up the cassette.

Crude to look back, even when I advanced to tape-to-tape, I discovered if I pressed the pause button very slowly on the recording cassette deck, it would slide into the next song, and with a second of grinding squeal Howard Jones glided into Yazoo!! Always the DJ, just never with the tech! Rest assured; this doesn’t happen on this, our Various Artists compilation album, 4 Julia’s House. And oh, have I got some news about that?!

Huh? Yes, I have, and here it is….  

We did it! Thanks once again to all our fabulous contributing artists, our third instalment of detailed sleeve notes will follow shortly, but for now, I couldn’t wait another day, therefore, I’ve released it half a day early, this afternoon!

Buy it here!

Now all that needs to happen is to get promoting it, and you can help by sharing news of this on your social media pages, thank you. Bloggers and media please get in touch, and help me raise some funds for Julia’s House.

I’ve embedded a player, in which you should be able to get a full try before you buy, I believe you get three listens before it’ll default and tell you to buy it. I hope you enjoy, it has been a mission and half, but one I’d gladly do again.

Please note: there are many artists giving it, “oh no, I was going to send you a track!” Fear not, there is still time, as I’ll causally start collecting tunes for a volume 2, and when the time is ready and we have enough songs, we will do it. It might be for another charity, I’d personally like to do another raising funds for The Devizes & District Opportunity Centre, but that’s unconfirmed as of yet.

You know, sometimes I think I could raise more money with less effort by trekking down through the Market Place in a bath of cold baked beans, but I wanted to bring you a treasured item comprising of so many great artists we’ve featured, or will be featuring in the near future on Devizine. Never before has all these artists been on one huge album like this, and look, even if you don’t care for a particular tune, there’s 46 of them, check my maths as I pride myself on being exceptionally rubbish at it, but I make that 22p a track, and all for such a worthy cause!

Track listing details part 1
Track listing details part2
Click for info on Julia’s House

“We are so grateful to Devizine and all of the local artists who are taking part in the charity album to raise funds for Julia’s House. We don’t receive any government funding for the care we give to families in Wiltshire, so the support we receive from our local community is so important.”

Claudia Hickin, Community Fundraiser at Julia’s House

Liddington Hill Celtic Punk!

Sometimes, and quite a number of times I might add, nothing fits the bill quite like a bout of pounding bibulous Celtic punk, by a band with a girl donning a cow’s head as a mascot. But how far would you expect to trek to find such a group of misfits, Wales, Ireland?

Suggested in the name, Liddington Hill, the beautiful down overlooking Swindon, with the Ridgeway traversing and its iron age hillfort, is local enough. Not since the days of the Blitz, when the area was used as a “Starfish” decoy bombing bunker, has it been so explosive.

What’s the link to Liddington with this scorching five-piece band, who have just released their debut EP, Cow after a few singles, I felt imperative to ask? “We all lived in Swindon at the time we started,” fiddle and vocalist Matt told, “our singer grew up around the area and went up to Liddington Castle a lot as a child. It seemed to be a bit of a landmark and with the Ridgway close by had great links to the past, so I guess it just seemed like a good name.”

Two members remain in Swindon, the other two now live in Oxford, and drummer Chris hails from Chippenham. With fiddles and a bodhrán meshed with electric guitars, the line between punk and traditional Celtic folk cannot be yanked apart, not that there’s any good reason to try to.

The bobbing theme of a band drinking excursion to Oxford, Pub Crawl, follows a dynamic and unique slide-guitar take of the folk sea shanty, Whip Jamboree.

An almost new-wave post-punk feel is implemented into the melting pot with the third tune, Marshlands, an original song about lead guitarist Liam’s Grandfather in Ireland, “who wouldn’t ride a horse,” Matt explained, “but insisted on riding a cow!” Hence the cow symbolism, I’m best guessing.

The EP ends traditionally, with Joseph B. Geoghegan’s anti-war music hall classic, Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye, and Liddington Hill bless the folk feel with their brand of punk, making for a perfect finale. While it might not be as authentic as The Pouges, or as aggressive as The Levellers, with bands like Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys storming success in the US, there’s a huge market for this beguiling genre, yet a scarcity on the local scene, and Liddington Hill pack a punch.

It’s a grower, and I’m loving this, anticipating possibility of an album to greater extend their scope, but as far as energetic presence is concerned, it’s kick-ass. Branded subtly, though, to suit a pub environment, so a live show, fingers crossed for their definite return, would be something highly memorable and I’d recommend landlords book them in; certainly, it’d push up the beer sales!

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Countin the Blues, Punkishly, with Elli de Mon

Well, that certainly took the serrated edge off Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill. Imagine an episode where you are Doctor Who. You’ve landed the Tardis nearby a juke joint, deep in 1920s Mississippi. A bunch of wild railroad convicts won’t let you out unless your assistant plays them some songs. Trouble is, your assistant is Siouxsie Sioux. You pray to the timelords of Gallifrey she won’t corrupt continuity, by introducing punk fifty years too early. Just when you think she might have found middle-ground, Ravi Shanker drops in to join the jam!

The score could be provided by Italian multi-instrumentalist and soloist Elli De Mon, who’s forthcoming album, out 18th June, Countin the Blues is packaged like a delta blues album of yore; sepia photo of Elli, guitar between legs, and graphics to match. It weighs in well with sound too, a twangy guitar opening, but it jerks between tradition and modern. Reimaging ten female vocalist, vintage blues rarities from the 1920s, Countin the Blues varies between adhering to the original, or converting it into kick-ass contemporary punk. This works, exceptionally well under the skilled labour of Elli, primarily because those songs are as raw and filthy as punk could be or has ever been.

This album should put Elli de Mon on the UK map, as she’s been thrilling blues audiences across Europe with this unique take on the blues for best part of decade. A prolific one-woman-band, releasing six albums since 2014, she breezes through vox, rezophonic and lapsteel guitars, organ, drums, dilruba, and even an outplaced sitar, on this magnificent album.

Primordial blues being a major influence, during pregnancy Elli penned, Countin’ The Blues: Indomitable Women, a book about the women blues artists of the twenties. Published in 2020, it must’ve been a natural progression for her to decide to record the songs she wrote of, in tribute to these great women. It’s a win-win for documentation of songs which has been forgotten by most. The only tune I’d heard of was Memphis Minni’s When The Levee Breaks, as many would know it from the Led Zeppelin adaptation.

Kicking in, as I said, twangy guitar introduces us, but seconds later Elli’s version Ma Rainey’s Prove It On Me Blues electrifies. One could shrug at this conjunction, pop-punk has the T-shirt on this, if Alanis Morissette coined it, Sheryl Crow and Shania Twain commercialised it. Yet there’s a definite rawness here, a dusky garage punk nod. This notion drags you in, darkened by the second track, Bessie Smith’s Blue Spirit Blues; eloquently macabre, and the theme continues for a further two tunes until Lucille Bogan’s Shave ‘Em Dry pounces on you like a seventies punk anthem.

Proving drugs and music went hand-in-hand since day dot, the overlooked iconoclast Victoria Spivey recorded Dope Head Blues in 1928, yet Elli implements a beatnik lysergic aura to it, by adding a sitar; hence the Ravi Shanker connection mentioned in my Doctor Who visualisation!

Just when you consider reeling in your assistant Siouxsie Sioux, with your extended scarf (because Dr Who will eternally be Tom Baker in any of my imaginary scenarios) dragging her to the crossroads in hope the devil, or Davros even, is up for purchasing a soul, we’re back on the agenda, less Sgt Pepper, and more traditioned twangy acoustic guitar blues is aired now more than previous songs.

Image by S. Carollo

With the sublime acoustics of Elizabeth Cotten’s Freight Train, it feels as if Elli figured it had all gone too far the other way, and returned her salutes the queens of the blues by traditional method.  This acoustic trend continues for four amazing tunes, ingulfing the aforementioned When The Levee Breaks. In my scenario Doctor Who would be effectively saved, these last few tunes would adhere to the angry railroad convicts’ expectations. But just as you assume the cliché happy ending is near, there’s a vinyl only bonus track, Geeshie Wiley’s Last Kind Words Blues, which slivers back into psychedelia sitar, and the Doctor is doomed, to be continued next week!

This album is a treasure, if not for the tremendous tributes to historical blues standards, or the adaptions of unearthed rarities returned to modern times through punk rock, but for the overwhelming effort of this Italian multi-skilled virtuoso who accompanied herself on nearly every instrument, and arranged the whole album in a new key, to align to her personal punkish style.

And Elli, if you read this, I wonder, and I’d imagine you do too, what the mother of the blues, Ma Rainey and the other subjects you’ve so wonderfully recaptured here would think of it all? It may well take some time for them to get their head around music’s progression, but I’m certain you should be proud as they’d nod their approval.

Tribute Acts Going the Extra Mile; Blondie & Ska

One surprise track contributed for our forthcoming compilation album for Julia’s House, (yes, it’s going sluggish but well, thanks for asking!) comes from Chippenham’s part-Blondie-tribute-part-ska-covers duo, Blondie & Ska. It’s a solid, rock steady original, with the added bonus it sounds as if it could’ve been an album track from Parallel Lines, Plastic Letters or another Blondie album at the peak of their game.  

It’s given me the opportunity to have a chat with Dave Lewis, one half of the duo, on how they started doing what they do, pondering if you just wake up one morning and think, I know, I’m going to be tribute act. If Blondie & Ska actually see themselves wholly as a Blondie tribute act at all, given they not only record original songs, but in a unique slant, perform classic Two-Tone songs from the same period. But most importantly, answering some conundrums I’ve had since hearing a tune with a similar concept by UB40 tribute Johnny2Bad, about tribute acts going the extra mile and recording tracks in the fashion of their inspiration. I mean, is it deliberate that it sounds akin, or simply natural method given the music is based around imitating the act?

Certainly, Blondie & Ska wasn’t formed on a whim. For a decade prior to forming the duo, Lorraine and Dave were both co-members of various bands on the same circuit. The idea, Dave explained, “occurred over a number of phases,” and expressed, as a mod, his love for The Beat. Anxious not to live up to expectations of his idols, Dave continued, “playing ska, was one of those things, because you love it so much, you don’t want to go that direction, but when we kind of got dragged into it, there was no stopping us, because the more we did it, the more we loved doing it, and there was no reason to be nervous!”

In the band as well, was Steve Edge, who co-wrote our song. “Steve and I used to write back in the nineties,” Dave explained, chuffed to be reunited to write this track specifically for us. “And we performed as an originals band,” he enthusiastically continued.

After the originals band, Dave joined his drummer and played in a local blues band called No Ties, which Lorraine also started in, while Dave concentrated on a secondary band aptly named Band Two, which Lorraine would later join. It was there where Dave suggested the concept of Blondie & Ska to Lorraine, in 2013. “She replied, hum, I fancy having a go at that,” Dave revealed. “It took about six months to get rehearsed. We did our first gig, and thought, why didn’t we do this before?” They’ve been performing weekly as a duo act from Land’s End to Barnsley since, clocking up hundreds or appearances together.

I moved onto the question, given recording originals and this mixture of lateral ska tunes added to the Blondie tribute, if they even classed themselves at ‘tribute act’ in the same light as the run-of-the-mill ones. “It’s weird one,” he admitted, “I kind of call it that Blondie and ska sound. Whatever we tend to do, people say I didn’t expect it to be like that, but that’s way things are. If I’m going to do something, we want to do it in a different way.” It’s also practical, using pre-recorded sections such as drums and horns, Blondie & Ska can accommodate the smallest of venues, unlike a large ska band with a horn section. “The other thing which is difficult, with signature bands, is it’s hard work keeping the bands together,” Dave observed, a notorious hindrance with ska bands in particular.  

Dubious it would work at first, during lockdowns alternate Saturdays have seen regular blossoming live streams from Blondie & Ska. “We had over 10 thousand viewers on one,” Dave delighted, “which is bonkers! I think it was just a sign of the time, everyone was just at their computer!” For your attention, next one is tonight at 8pm (Saturday 22nd May) on Facebook, HERE. “If people don’t know us,” Dave suggested, “it’s always a nice test. We’ve been surprised by the positive feedback.”

There’s the thing with Blondie & Ska, and I put it to Dave without trying to cause offence, that though it’s unique, nothing they’re doing is particularly ground-breaking. They’ve no stars in their eyes, but the niche is they’re two musicians having a whole lot of fun, doing what they love doing. And this is what comes across, and why it sounds so good. “Absolutely,” he agreed, suggesting the original blues band was tiresome. “I wasn’t really up for anything after that, and later wanted to get back into the action. We’re doing it now because we enjoy doing it. The Blondie & Ska stuff, you know, the more we play, the more people ask, and more bookings we get in ska clubs, and our repertoire is pushed in that direction.” I laughed, so prolific was the Jamaican record industry during the ska era, there’s always going to be one trainspotter, like me (!) who comes up and asks for some obscure Coxsone rarity!

But in turn, that’s precisely the ethos of both ska, and seemingly Blondie’s music. Aside the political unrest occasionally portrayed in the Two-Tone ska revival of the eighties, the memorable songs come from a carefree perceptive of jollity, and like Madness and Bad Manners, ska is eternally dance music, from the very roots. Likewise, Blondie rarely, if at all, socially commented about anything more than romance.

Dave was so enthusiastic to chat about the reasoning and history behind Blondie & Ska, about the technicalities of recreating the perfect tribute sound, and appeasing the aficionados, we could’ve chatted forever, but I feel you need to witness them in the arena they love, rather than waffle some!

An interesting story surrounding the chosen name for the duo we finished on, as while setting up for an early gig, the organiser summed up the sound on the blackboard by chalking up “Blondie & Ska,” under the premise a lot of blond girls and a lot of male ska fans had turned up. “I was standing there, looking at the name on the poster,” Dave explained. “Lorraine was saying, can you just get on and set up, cos we’ve got to be playing in an hour?! I said, but look at the name on the poster, and she was going, no, get on with what you’re supposed to be doing!” But Dave approached the guy, knowing him through many past gigs, to ask him if he could use it. “The girls danced to the Blondie songs, and the guys danced to the ska,” he noted. Story checks out, the mix works. Tune into their live streams to find out for yourself, or here’s hoping to catch them at a real gig soon.

Trending…..

Devizes Scooter Rally 2023

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Subject A Takes us to Paradise

What’s four years between releasing new material?! We fondly reviewed Subject A’s album Writer’s Eyes back in 2019; they’ve a new single out this week,…

Brainiac 5’s Other Dimension

And it is precisely that. Cornish psych-punkers The Brainiac 5 release this mind-blowing album of both reflective new tunes and lost archived tracks, today. Another Time Another Dimension bursts the cliché term genre-breaking to compose scattered influences, with this kind of low-fi garage style, which while loans to punk, even reggae, has the nod to acid rock of a previous psychedelia era. Most befitting a title, this is a tricky nugget to nail down, but it’s grower.

The band stress this is not a lockdown album, the impetus came from two other sources, namely a digging through the archives for unreleased material, and secondly, the passing of a long-time friend of the band, Martin Griffin. A supportive engineering assistant to the band in its earliest days, allowing them extensive use of his Roach Recording studio. Both reasons sparked the writing of some new songs, in this fifteen-track bundle of era-spanning and mind-expanding goodness.

I confess I was dubious at first, it’s as if The Beatles came after punk, but still recorded in a garage. It made me ponder the Clash singing “phoney Beatlemania has bitten the dust,” and in turn the target audience, presumably a fairly eclectic bunch. As I said, it’s a grower, and I suspect I’ll be digging bits of “oh yeah, I get it now,” for many listens to come. But time has got the best of me, got to get this review out tonight.

“The four albums released during our second coming have all garnered many reviews noting our continuing desire to experiment and expand while still maintaining the basic psych/punk ethos,” they say, “Indeed, the three new tracks here do continue this tradition of experimentation. However, although it is clear that the band has grown and developed over the years it is remarkable just how much we were experimenting right from the band’s inception.”

The bulk of Another Time Another Dimension, then, are memoirs, lost archives from 1976-1980, in what the band name “our initial Cornwall period.” Taking John D. Loudermilk’s Tobacco Road to Hendrix proportions, yep, sure is blues to be found here, and the rough and ready cover of Move’s Do Ya revels in low-fi garage rock.

But it’s loud, proud and sonic trialling, denoting a path through dubby seventies roots reggae, with a few tracks which offbeat, such as I Call Your Name and though Our Devils is another, it reeks of avant-garde, a Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band-come post-punk Talking Heads. Then I return to thinking, definitely punk, I Feel Good a prime example. And then, wham, there’s freaky drunken Jim Morrison weirdness in tracks like Khazi Persona.

Though the ground here is bumpy at the best of times, your head doesn’t smash on the top; it may be raw, but blends with a flowing refinement of proficiency. “There is a lot of ground covered here,” they rightly explain, “hang on and enjoy the ride.” And there’s the very thing; once you’ve found your footing, it’s a fantastic, adventurous ride, just lacks suspension!

But, with the third eye being squeegeed so succulently as this, suspension is for losers, anyway. Another Time Another Dimension encompasses a past with a present, as if neither really happened, and that’s refreshingly effective against pigeonholing.

Trending….

Cult Figures; Deritend, Yes Mate!

It’s not just me, is it? Eighteen seconds into the Cult’s She Sells Sanctuary, you know, when it breaks, and you’re like, that’s it, right there. It matters not what youth culture you were into, at the time, or even now, it doesn’t give a hoot about your favoured genres, haircut, colour of anorak, age, gender or race, it just does it, and you, you’re like, as I said, that’s it, right there.

Something similar happens with this Cult Figures album Deritend, out last week; heck, if they haven’t even got a comparable name. Perhaps not so nostalgia-filled, as these are all originals, though the sound harks back to an era or yore, when cookies were in a biscuit barrel rather than your web browser, Tories were governed a demoness made from iron rather than a clown made of teddy bear stuffing, and a wet wipe was when your mum spat into a handkerchief and wiped it over your Space-Dust covered chops.

Mind, as happens when I’m sent files not numbered, it lists them alphabetically rather than in the running order, so the opening track is actually the penultimate Camping in the Rain, but it makes the perfect intro into the world of these London-based masters of retrospection. From its off, it’s, well, off, leaving me to reminisce about those classic post-punk new wave bands of the eighties. At times though, as it’s a mesh of this and reflective of the scooterist mod culture of same period, I’m thinking of the likes of the Jam and Merton Parkas too. Contemplate the musical differences are subtle, though worlds apart at the time, and this sits comfortably somewhere in-between.

To add to their perfection of authenticity, one must note this is the second album from Cult Figures, and is comprised of tracks written in their earlier incarnation between 1977 and 1980, just recorded more recently.

The real opening tune, Chicken Bones, has the same impact, something beguiling and anthemic, setting the way it’s going to go down. Donut Life, which follows, sounds like carefree pop, the Chords, for a comparison. In fact, as it progresses the guitar riffs of next tune, Lights Out, is sounding more pre-gothic, Joy Division, yet with a catchy whistle more akin to The Piranhas. Things get really poignant with Exile, almost dub Visage meets the Clash, and Omen extenuates the seriousness of a running theme.  

“Deritend draws a line under the past,” they explain, “all eleven tracks composed and recorded since our 2016 comeback, simultaneously reflecting a maturity gained in 40 years of life experience, whilst still embracing the accessible three Ps of the early days; punk, pop and psychedelia.” The album’s title owes to a historic industrial area outside Birmingham’s centre, “a few miles from where Gary and I grew up.”

The mysterious iconic name was a bus route terminus and has a strong emotional connection to the band, “evoking the nervous excitement of those long rides into town on our way to Barbarellas. But it conveys so much more: Deritend is an album that reflects on the past, speculates on the future, but for the most part is fairly and squarely a comment on the lives we are living now.” They convey this well, for through its retrospection, subject matter, growing up with the dilapidation of a working-class industrial chip, could equally apply to then, or now.

A timeless piece of art within a captivating musical style which embraces the traditions of generation X, just curled up at an edge like an old poster on the congregated iron fence of a closed factory. I mean Silver Blades and White Noise crave you dive back into punk; there’s a definite Clash feel to the latter. As girl’s names for titles generally do, Julie-Anne is archetypical upbeat but themed of desire, and the sound of it is particularly challenging to pin down, there’s Weller there, but a drum roll you’d expect Annabella Lwin to surface from (of Bow Wow Wow if you need to, Google it, youngster!)

Most bizarre and experimental is the brilliantly executed talky sound of Concrete and Glass. Cast your mind back to 86, if poss, remember Jim’s tune, yeah? Driving Away From Home by It’s Immaterial, and you’re not far from the mark.

The aforementioned Camping in the Rain which could’ve been the opening track, is next, and it’s the epithet of all we’ve mentioned. This combination is not juxtaposed cumbersomely like a tribute act, rather the genuine article lost in time, and it, well, in a nutshell, absolutely rocks. The finale, Privilege is plentiful to summarise; Clash-styled punk rock, themed on the expectations of irritated propertyless youth, akin to Jimmy Cliff’s You Can Get It If You Really Want.

But, unless all you want is a zig-a-zig-ah and to spice up your life with commercialised bubble-gum pop, nothing here is oven-ready for criticism, just relish yourself in a bygone era, and rock.

The Lost Trades Live Stream their new album on Friday; tickets here

Trending……

Becca Maule’s Teenage Things

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Simply the Best, CrownFest!

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Mantonfest 2023; Best One Yet!

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Dark Matter: Chloe Glover

In probably the oddest way, I’ve discovered Manchester folk-punker Chloe Glover, during a rather slow news week, in which I opted to watch Star Trek rather than write. So, I’ve got stuff to review building, just, you know, a Netflix, sofa-lounging savoury snack calling. Meanwhile on the other side of the country, Chloe joined the nation’s joggers and tweeted a finish-line “I feel fantastic,” photo which reminded me of the “no makeup selfie” passing trend, being she added, “even with no makeup and covered in sweat and rain…”

See, a thing I don’t get intrigues me. Chloe affirms insecurities, and states her love of running, despite “looking objectively quite gross,” when she clearly doesn’t, and mutual friend, Kieran from Sheer Music concurred she doesn’t in a comment. That’s the link, how I discovered her. Knowing Mr Moore, I clicked on Chloe’s account, a fair assumption she’s a musician. Such is da powers of da inter-web, before you could say Joan Jett, I’m rocking to this debut EP “Dark Matter,” released just under a year gone.

While the opening track, Fool, is edgy, despondent themed folk-rock, and immediately obvious Chole has commanding and emotive vocals, it’s only dipping a little toe in the EP’s range. Only four tracks long, things escalate quickly. Get Back Up follows, and it’s time to rearward past the cliché and sappy direction P!nk commercialised riot grrrl and contemplate the impact of Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill, or possibly, Skunk Anansie. Here’s a beguiling potential punk-pop anthem, with balls, big balls, and sweary words to boot.

Three tunes and it’s dumped you in the kick-ass mood, courteously. Hurricane is really showing a vocal range, it’s decidedly indie taking on punk-pop, and it rocks. By the finale, Silver Linings, I’ve gone way beyond my previous nineties’ comparisons, because essentially, we’re in proper punk country, and I’m thinking Suzi Quatro, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts; this level of definitive punk.    

Photo Credit: Suncan Stone

Life after The Slits, and the hackneyed chauvinism backlashed against them, there was a celebrative sense about feminist punk, just prior to Spice Girl’s “Girl Power.” An epoch grasped beyond the fanzine culture, of Bikini Kill and Huggy Bear. But if you tried my recommendation of the Smalltown Tigers recently, and thought wow, that blew up in my face kinda quickly, you should note while Chloe doesn’t muck about, there’s a tenderer, leisurelier build-up to the rage, via folk, but perhaps closer associated with modern day too. This layered accumulation holds one in uncertainty on just how far Chole will take you, so, when she plucks these emotive and sharp frenzies, it’s a nice surprise, abso-fucking-lutely sublime and executed with a celestial meticulousness.

It’s immediately amiable and addictive, projected to an effective live show too, with band or acoustically, which has seen Chloe support Frank Turner. Still, I don’t get the no makeup fear thing, that recent Facebook selfie trend, like a dare. I’m always left scratching my head as to the fuss; they look gorgeous to me. Makeup, yeah, can highlight best features, but it’s not the makeup which is beautiful, is it? Just sitting in on a shelf in Superdrug, a nonentity, no lure there.

I recall you’d never see my Nan, until she’d “put her face on,” as she put it. As a kid I’d imagine her behind her bedroom door as Darth Vader in the scene of the Empire Strikes Back, you know the one, when his helmet eases down? But, for crying out loud, if you choose to see it like this, as your war paint, your confidence is shot, and you’re overthinking it. Slap or no slap, doesn’t make hide nor hair. Fuck what L’Oréal want to convince you of, and what Estée Lauder say you need; you are girls, women, the female human form, and that makes you beautiful, as standard, all of you. It really is that simple, and bollocks to anyone who says otherwise.

For Chole, the power, essence and obvious devotion to her music garnishes this unique EP. Dejected themes conclude to optimistic premise, and to nail a concept, an inclusive narrative within four songs is sheer talent. If the punk element to it is a like a girl, full of makeup, or the stripped-back folk is the girl without, neither matter, it’s all beautifully crafted, kick-ass music.

 

Trending….

Devizes Hosts First Pride

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Song of The Week: Beskar

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Five Things of Smalltown Tigers

Being fashionably late for a party with a trio of female Rimini punks, their album, Five Things released in April last year on Area Pirata Records, mightn’t be as bad as it sounds, because post-1973 this music is timeless, recapturing the genre’s very essence and roots; welcome to the world of Smalltown Tigers.

Because, the punk the era was a short-lived explosion which although never toppled the rise of disco and funk, surely stamped its mark on everything which followed in its aftermath, from fashion, tenet and sound. Yet the aggressively modern attack of the first wave of punk rock in the face of hippie culture perpetually allowed itself to be watered down and fused. Just as every popular genre tends to do. Concluded new wave and avant-garde art-punk through to the skater contemporary fusion with metal, or oi ska, it’s warped into many guises. Yeah, they’ve got edge, but as dicey as the original simplicity of early seventies punk? I think not.

That’s where Smalltown Tigers pack their sucker-punch, from the hip of the original garage formula, as if post-punk never happened.  They cut their teeth playing Ramones songs at squats and beach parties, spreading their love for surfboards and punk rock. Tommy Ramone stated on the lineages of the youth culture, “punk rock had to come along because the rock scene had become so tame that [acts] like Billy Joel and Simon and Garfunkel were being called rock and roll, when to me and other fans, rock and roll meant this wild and rebellious music. By 1973, I knew that what was needed was some pure, stripped down, no bullshit rock ‘n’ roll.” And from the off of Five things this notion resonates to modern day.

Image: Alex Poni

But it doesn’t allow you time to contemplate any of this, it doesn’t wait for you to come up for air, it doesn’t causally drift in, and it certainly doesn’t stop to excuse itself. It detonates eight under three-minute tunes of punk noise in your face before you’ve time to take cover, and while their energy might leave adolescents jittery and flabbergasted, craving for what they consider a crazy new sound, punk diehards will wink with acknowledgement and welcome its blissful eruption with open arms.

While you won’t find this mini-album settling down to a ballad, or suddenly branching out to experimentation, as time passes obvious influences of Patti Smith and the Ramones slip into elements of Joan Jett and the B52’s fashioned rockabilly, but remain elusive at best. Mostly of what you have here is no nonsense, high-energy, fuzz box punk rock n roll with a calling to its roots, and in this much, it absolutely rocks my world!

Recorded mostly live in the studio with no overdubs, mixed by analogue master Roberto Villa on 2” tape, and mastered by Detroit garage-punk guru Jim Diamond, these eight songs testify that these girls are no Dolce Vita. Time to forget your Busted and Blink 182s; punk has never been so retro or raw since its incarnation, the opening for Smalltown Tigers is gaping.

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Devizes, We Are Sustainable!

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Song of the Day 11: Dakka Skanks

No video to this one. Do we need visuals? Not when it’s this good; my favourite track of Brighton-based contemporary ska heads, Dakka Skanks.

They’re lively, diverse, lots of fun, and I think we’ll be hearing a lot more from them in the near future.

If the Duallers have reached a pivotal point akin to the Specials, and Death of Guitar Pop are providing the tongue-in-cheek Madness equivalent, I believe these guys could be The Beat of this era, as there was a band unafraid to experiment.

Dakka Skanks are majorly ska, but throw a lovable but carefree punk attitude, and a wide range of other influences, such as soul, into the melting pot, and concoct something uniquely entertaining.

Very good. Carry on….

Song of the Day 7: Mr Tea & the Minions

Sunday off, broke my promise to post a song of the day, everyday. Allow me to make up for it. Bristol’s Mr Tea & the Minions with a lockdown themed song. See how sublimely they fire a frenzy of folk and Balkan styled ska-punk into festival proportions. I think they’re the hottest bands around these parts, and fondly reviewed the album, Mutiny a while ago. Just a reminder today then, these kids have it.

I made enquiries, wanting to bring them to Devizes. It’s no cheap option and obviously currently off the cards.

The reservation is that just because I’m loving this style, it might too radical for a Devizes audience. So, I’d appreciate some feedback; would you have paid a purple one to see them play in our town?

Fingers crossed, we live for a better day. But I believe lobbying a large Devizes venue to bring contemporary music direct to us, just occasionally, is crucial to the culture diversity we should be delving into.

Have a lovely rest of your day. Very good. Carry on….

Very Terry Edwards

The word “very,” rarely an adjective, as in “it happened in this very house,” or “this is very Terry Edwards,” but commonly worthlessly used as an adverb, as in “it’s very cold today,” or “this is the very best of Terry Edwards.” While the album simplifies it to the ambiguous “Very Terry Edwards,” it’s BandCamp page suggests, “The Very Best of Very Terry Edwards,” which though it’s exactly what it is, it’s also one adverb enough for the most lenient of proof-reader’s red line. Yet, if the usage of very is erm, very worthless, it is the only thing on this album which is.

The multi-instrumentalist, best known for trumpet, flugelhorn, saxophone, guitar and keys, marked his sixtieth birthday last September releasing this three-CD best-of box set, and while I should’ve mentioned it last month, between putting batteries in toys and stuffing myself with pigs in blankets things got tardy. Right now, though, I can think of no better outstanding project to kick off our music reviews for 2021. Reason only partly because it ticks all my personal favourite genre boxes, more so because of the range of said genres is far greater than run-of-the-mill best of compilations.

We need to assess Terry’s biography to understand the reason for this variety. Funky punk and second-gen ska most obvious, as from 1980 he was a founding member of Two-Tone signed band The Higsons, after graduating with a degree in music. But around that time Terry also produced and played on the Yeah Jazz’s debut album, of whom, despite the name, were particularly folk-rock.

Terry in 1984

From here the vastness of Terry’s repertoire blossoms, as session musician for a huge range of acts, from Madness to Nick Cave, PJ Harvey and The Jesus and Mary Chain to, particularly notable, The Blockheads. As well as his solo material, with his band The Scapegoats and a stint with dark punk-blues outfit Gallon Drunk, it’s understandable collating this in one reminiscent anthology is a mammoth task and a melting pot. Which is just what you’re getting for your money, a very, as the grammatical disorderly title suggests, worthy melting pot.

“When the earliest recording here was made the 18-year-old me couldn’t comprehend being 60,” Terry explained, “yet here I am presenting a triple album containing 60 titles recorded between 1979 and 2020, through thick and thin.” Therefore, it must be more tongue-in-cheek than I’d suspect Roger Daltrey’s notion now of My Generation’s lyrics that for the opening track he opted for The Higsons’ “We Will Never Grow Old.”

“You’d expect an overview of my career to have some odd bedfellows and more than its share of quirks and foibles,” he continued, “but it’s been compiled to flow musically rather than have a chronological narrative.”

That said, the first four tunes from his original band follow, with all their fervent rawness. Terry covered his tracks though, “I immediately break my own rules by starting with The Higsons’ earliest release and debut single, but redeem myself by following up with the most recent recordings; two ballads recorded with Paul Cuddeford (Ian Hunter, Holy Holy) in February 2020. There is more method than madness; groups of songs which follow a theme or genre are found together regardless of when they’re from.” Indeed, we’re then treated to three tunes in a matured, mellowing jazz and blues, the latter of which with the vocally perfected Erika Stucky.

Then we’re into rock with The Wolfhounds, and a guitar-twanging Christmas blues song with Robyn Hitchcock, plodding jazz with Knife & Fork, post-punk Big Joan, avant-garde jazz with Spleen and rockabilly styled New York New York. While mostly jazz-related, this first disc graduates through genres with finesse.

Terry is like Georgie Fame with a Mohican, but whatever avenue is explored, you can guarantee quality. The second CD starts with a bang, upbeat mod-jazz with The Scapegoats. There’re more known covers here, sublimely executed Herbie Hancock’s Watermelon Man, a superb solo rendition of The Cure’s Friday I’m in Love, as if Robert Smith wore a Fred Perry, and a hard-rock electronica version of Johnny Kidd’s Shakin all Over with the haunting vocals of Lisa Ronson. Even find an orchestral film score, and a piano solo of the knees-up capital’s favourite, May It’s Because I’m a Londoner.

Yet if both the quantity and quality on offer here is so vast to make me waffle, it doesn’t waiver for the final disc, rather it’s my favourite. A BBC session outtake of a jazzy Voodoo Chile, with altered title to “Child.” Dunno, can’t be a typo, the dedication to attributing to Hendrix’s masterpiece is no easy feat, lest it be known Terry manages it with awesomeness dexterity, with a saxophone!

If the last CD continues with on a jazz tip for two tunes, we’re transported to ska via John Holt’s Ali Baba by Lee Thompson’s Ska Orchestra and other sundry members of Madness, and Totally Wired by Terry’s “Ska All Stars,” and more ska-jazz with Rhoda Dakar. Post-punk follows, featuring The Nightingales with Vic Goddard, Snuff, Glen Matlock and Gallon Drunk. Perhaps my favourite parts being the shouty cover of The Human Leagues’ “Don’t you Want Me Baby,” by Serious Drinking, and the general dilapidation of seriousness with new wave tunes mirroring the unsubtlety of Ian Dury & The Blockheads.

Here’s a jam-packed box-set brimming with variety which flows suitably and makes a definitive portfolio of a particularly prolific and proficient musician. For many it’ll hold fond memories, for younger, who think Kate Nash created the cockney chat-rap, or jazz wasn’t the same until Jamie Cullum came along, it’s a history lesson they’ll never forget!

This 60th birthday, 60 track-strong celebration spans over four decades. A triple CD clamshell boxset with 24-page booklet, but more importantly they say, “Very Terry Edwards is a birthday present to himself as much as anything else,” giving it the impression you’re on a personal journey, like a child sitting on their grandpa’s lap while he recites memoirs, blinking exciting ones!

Buy from Rough Trade: £15.99 or BandCamp: £15 or £8 digital.

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Another summery week ticked off, and our event guide just keeps getting bigger. This week is huge, people, huge ……I mean the week is huge, not the people, I’m not one to body shame as, I believe, is the appropriate gen z term; pass my pronouns, there’s good fellow.  Don’t forget there’s more info on…

Drag Queen Story Time in Swindon Sparks Counter Protest

By T.B.D Rose The LGBTQIA+ community bravely showed their support for Drag Queen Story Hour at the Wyvern Theatre yesterday, by staging a counter protest to the fascists who were blasting bigoted lies accusing drag performers of being groomers and of sexualising children, when in fact, pantomime dames and drag queens have been a staple…

Humble Pie Over Danny K’s Coate Road Development Comments Rant? Unlikely!

Oh Deirdre me, we can’t all be as perfect and flawless as Councillor Iain Wallis, and as the Dalek said climbing off the dustbin, we all make mistakes! Cream crackered after my standard early shift, on Tuesday I rushed out a knee-jerk reaction to Danny Kruger’s comments against the permitted Coate Road development, because I…

ScreamLite’s New Hero Sounds for NHS Charities Together

Perhaps one of the biggest surprises in music reviews for me this year was Typhoidmary’s Death Trans back in October. Genre-wise, everything about it suggested it wasn’t going to be my cup of tea, but realigning myself, I delved deeper into its emotive and distressing ambiance, and found fondness in its exquisitely dark portrayals, as it progressed thrash metal, gave it a newfound edge of sentiment.

It was released by Gloucester-based unprejudiced universal rock, metal, punk and folk label ScreamLite Records. And now they’ve sent us news of a colossal compilation album which will drop on their Bandcamp page as soon as Big Ben hits midnight on New Year’s Eve, likely making it the first new release of 2021. Better say a few words about it now, then. Constructing words into comprehendible sentences is tricky enough for me at the best of times, let alone New Year’s Eve.

While it’s going to be one long runaway review to critique it track by track, being it’s a mahoosive 65 tracks strong, it’s worth mentioning some key facts about New Hero Sounds. Most importantly this album will be a varied range of the genres and styles on offer at Scream Lite, and their friends, being as it’s 50% made up of artists signed to the label, and the other half independently contributed from upcoming artists under parallel genres. Thus, making it the perfect sampler to open you up to the world of contemporary punk, nu-metal and folk-punk. Though, there’s much more on offer here and certainly too much to pigeonhole.

PLUS, as well as introducing you to a truckload of upcoming talent, there’s a worthy cause it fundraises for. ScreamLite Records’ Director Chris Bowen said, “we’ve all had a tough year, and we decided we should give something back to the frontline NHS staff that have been tirelessly working this year to keep us safe and well.” New Hero Sounds is a charity album in aid of the NHS Charities Together, and all artists have contributed freely.

Broadminded with one eye focused on variability is what you’re going to need to take this one on, even my eclectic self was bowed by the assortment on offer here. MadaMercy gets as trip hoppy as Morcheeba, yet is a rare genre on offer. In addition to an aforementioned Typhoidmary track, ScreamLite’s roster offers nu-metal and punk, such as Stolen Dead Music, or Burning Memories, which can be in your face at times, but at others smoother, like the Clay Gods and Foxpalmer, both of which I enjoyed. Taking the rough with the smooth there’s something for everyone with a taste for indie; which is nice.

Giving credit to upfront festival boom of Venture, the flamenco folk style of Cut Throat Francis, acoustic rockabilly of Joshua Kinghorn, and the delicate angelic vocals of Forgotten Garden. There’s eighties electronica indie with Conal Kelly, post-punk with Jack Lois Cooper, and Gypsy Pistoleros are described as “flameco sleaze glam” revealing multi-genre in just one tune. But, there’s too much to sum this compilation up easily; a Now That’s What I Call Music for misfits, but for a good cause too.

Here’s the track listing with links, then, so you can make up your own mind and follow the ones you like…..once you’ve sampled them from this crazy and full compilation, which is coming on New Year’s Even, here, remember?!

https://screamliterecords.bandcamp.com/album/various-artists-new-hero-sounds

1. Jonah Matranga: Everyday Angels (OG Home Demo)

Written, Performed & Recorded at home by Jonah Matranga

http://www.jonahmatranga.com https://jonahmatranga.bandcamp.com/

2. Spice & The Readies: Sway A Little Closer

Written & Performed by Tom Spice, Becky Doyle, Tomasz Williams & Jack Quance

Recorded at University Of Gloucestershire

https://www.facebook.com/tomspicemusic

3. Clayton Blizzard: Sad Music Is Uplifting

Written & Performed by Clayton Blizzard

Taken from One, Two, Three, Home

https://claytonblizzard.bandcamp.com/

4. Chris Webb: Blind

Written by Chris Webb

Performed by Chris Webb & Jack Cookson

Taken from Bungalow

http://www.chriswebbmusic.co.uk http://www.chriswebb.bandcamp.com

5. Venture: This One’s For You

Written & Performed by Lucy Burrows, Miles Burrows, Thom Mutch, Josh Fairhurst & Mike

Hargreaves

Recorded at Jaraf House Studios & Released by ScreamLite Records SCLRRCDS003

Taken from This One’s For You

https://www.facebook.com/VentureMusicOfficial

https://screamliterecords.bandcamp.com/track/venture-this-ones-for-you

6. 1 In Five: Evolve

Written & Performed by 1 In Five

Taken from Evolve

https://www.1infive.com/ https://1infive.bandcamp.com/

7. Grandmother Corn: Brighton Mule Blues EXCLUSIVE

Written & Performed by Grandmother Corn

Recorded at Haukivuori, Finland

https://www.facebook.com/grandmothercorn/ https://grandmothercorn.bandcamp.com/

8. Alien Stash Tin: The Man In The Tin Foil Hat

Written & Performed by Jon Wisbey, Jon Gould, AJ Pearse & Bruce Morgan

Taken from Bonfire Of The Sanities EP

Recorded at Attic Attack Studios, Bristol

https://www.facebook.com/alienstashtin https://alienstashtin1.bandcamp.com/

9. Anhfren: Nefoedd Un Uffern Lall

Written & Performed by Anhfren

Published by Rhys Mwyn Publishing

Released on Anhfren Records, 1985

10. Stolen Dead Music: Raison D’Etre

Written & Performed by Jimi Trimmer, Issak Patterson, Lewis Patterson & Keith Halpenny

Recorded at Heart Studios, Gateshead & Released by ScreamLite Records SCLRRCDS011

Taken from Raison D’Etre

https://www.facebook.com/realStolenDeadMusic

https://screamliterecords.bandcamp.com/album/stolen-dead-music-raison-detre

11. GagReflex: Facedown

Written & Performed by Stuart Hawkins & Seb Goffe

Taken from What We Owe To Each Other

https://www.facebook.com/gagreflexmusic https://gagreflex.bandcamp.com/

12. Grief Ritual: Dysphoria

Written & Performed by Grief Ritual

Taken from Moments Of Suffering

https://www.facebook.com/griefritual https://griefritualmusic.bandcamp.com/

13. Panic Switch: Lethal Intent

Written & Performed by Panic Switch

Taken from Lethal Intent

https://panicswitchofficial.com/ https://www.facebook.com/officialpanicswitch

14. Alkanes: Death Or Glory

Written & Performed by Alkanes

Taken from Death Or Glory

https://www.facebook.com/Alkanesband

15. Lemonade Kid: Deep Velvet Red EXCLUSIVE

Written by Dom Lack, Performed by Dom Lack & Jarrod Jones

Recorded in Shrewsbury & Rushden

https://www.facebook.com/LemonadeKidMusic https://lemonadekid.bandcamp.com/

16. Timid Deer: The Shallows

Written by Naomi Henstridge & Tim Milne, Performed by Naomi Henstridge, Tim Milne, Tom Laws,

Matt Jackson & Jason Allen

Taken from Melodies Of The Nocturnal Pt. 1

https://www.facebook.com/TimidDeerBand https://timiddeer.bandcamp.com/

17. Forgotten Garden: Broken Pieces (Natural Mix) EXCLUSIVE

Written & Performed by Danny Elliot & Ines Dias Rebelo

Recorded at Braeriach Studios, Grantown On Spey

https://www.facebook.com/ForgottenGardenBand

https://screamliterecords.bandcamp.com/album/forgotten-garden-broken-pieces

18. Jack Louis Cooper: Bite Too Big

Written & Performed by Jack Louis Cooper

Taken from A Slow But Sure Corner

https://www.facebook.com/jacklouiscoopermusic

19. Roger Gomez: I Will Call Heaven Home

Written & Performed by Roger Gomez

Taken from Behind Cloud Nine

Recorded at Soundfield Studios, Perth, Australia

https://www.facebook.com/rogergomezmusic

20. The Twitchers: Nothing In Particular

Written & Recorded by The Twitchers

Recorded at White Beart Studios, Manchester

https://www.facebook.com/TheTwitchers

21. Mr. Bewlay: Her Name Is Juniper

Written & Performed by Mr. Bewlay

Taken from Her Name Is Juniper

https://www.facebook.com/mrbewlay

22. MadaMercy: Animosity

Written & Performed by MadaMercy

23. Down Not Out: Wild

Written & Performed by Jo Oliver, Char Lewis, James Maxwell & Ryan Stewart

Recorded at Sound Shack Studios, Cheltenham & Release by ScreamLite Records SCLRPEP006

Taken from Worse For Wear

https://downnotout.co.uk/ https://screamliterecords.bandcamp.com/album/down-not-out-worsefor-wear

24. Lightblue: Far Gone

Written & Performed by Lightblue

Recorded at The Ranch Production House, Southampton

Taken from Paradise Lost

https://www.facebook.com/lightbluecru

25. Curse You Damn Kids: Breadline

Written & Performed by Chris Bowen, Annie Kelleher, Hallam Crafer, Jenny Ollerenshaw & Ross

Ollerenshaw

Recorded at Dockside Studios, Bristol & Released by ScreamLite Records SCLRPEP001

Taken from Sorta Like An Epiphany

https://screamliterecords.bandcamp.com/album/curse-you-damn-kids-sorta-like-an-epiphany

26. Blacklist: The Replacer

Written & Performed by Saul Blease, Elliott Tottle & Joe Webb

Recorded at Factory Studios, Bristol

Taken from

https://www.facebook.com/blacklistukband

27. Homer Junior: Short Term, No Anchor

Written & Performed by Jack Higgins, Thomas Muddle & Sam Roberts

Taken from Short Term, No Anchor

https://www.facebook.com/homerjrband https://homerjrband.bandcamp.com/

28. Franklin Mint: Greta’s Sweater

Written & Performed by Franklin Mint

Taken from Bristle

https://www.facebook.com/franklinmintband https://franklinmint.bandcamp.com/

29. Me & Munich: Toxic Wings

Written & Performed by Jan Petersen, Marco Bøgehøj & John Nicholas Marx O’Sullivan

Recorded at Output Lydstudie, Denmark & Released by ScreamLite Records SCLRREP005

Taken from Knives Of The Sun EP

https://www.facebook.com/meandmunichband

https://screamliterecords.bandcamp.com/album/me-munich-knives-of-the-sun

30. Midnight In England: Two Hands

Written & Performed by James Chuster, Sam Caswell-Midwinter, Daniel Lowen-Grey & Sam Morgan

Taken from Real Cinema

https://www.facebook.com/MidnightinEngland

31. Borrowed Body & Abstract Man: Smokescreen EXCLUSIVE

Written by Niall Hill & Tom Johnstone, Performed by Niall Hill, Tom Johnstone & Phil Howell

https://screamliterecords.bandcamp.com/album/borrowed-body-the-rising-sea

32. Lightleaver: Close To You

Written & Performed by Emma Saxon

Taken from Close To You

33. Tom Spice: Life’s Breath EXCLUSIVE

Written & Performed by Tom Spice

https://www.facebook.com/tomspicemusic

34. Marie Virginie Pierre: I Will Try Again (This Christmas)

Written & Performed by Marie Virginie Pierre

35. Joe Buckingham: James’ Song EXCLUSIVE

Written by Joe Buckingham & James Holliday, Performed by Joe Buckingham

36. Howlin’ Anton Bleak: His Mistress’s Voice

Written by Howlin’ Anton Bleak, Performed by Howlin’ Anton Bleak, AP Clarke & “Belter” Jim Lacey

Released ScreamLite Records SCLRRA004

Taken from Stranger Country

https://www.facebook.com/howlinanton

https://screamliterecords.bandcamp.com/album/howlin-anton-bleak-stranger-country

37. The Slow Pianos: In The Right Place (Featuring Petravita)

Written & Performed by Oliver Weikert & Brandon Landis

Taken from In The Right Place

https://slowpianos.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/PetravitaMusic

https://petravita.bandcamp.com/

38. Greengage: I Wanna Be Near Trees

Written & Performed by David-Gwyn Jones

Taken from I Wanna Be Near Trees

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39. Grownuplife: Don’t Look Back In Manga

Written & Performed by Charlie Baxter

https://www.facebook.com/charliebaxtermusic https://grownuplife.bandcamp.com/

40. Cut Throat Francis: I’m Not Ready

Written & Performed by Cut Throat Francis

Recorded at Stage 2 Studios, Bath & Released by ScreamLite Records SCLRFEP002

Taken from Ghosts (Extended Edition)

https://www.facebook.com/cutthroatfrancis

https://screamliterecords.bandcamp.com/album/cut-throat-francis-ghosts-extended-edition

41. Longcoats: October

Written by Ollie C Shape & Performed by Ollie C Shape, Arthur Foulstone, Norton Robey & Kane

Pollastrone

Recorded at Riverbank Studios, Chippenham & Released by Wise Monkey Music

Taken from October

https://www.facebook.com/longcoatsband https://longcoatsband.bandcamp.com/

42. The More You Know: Bridging The Gap (Featuring Sakura Mei-Sasaki Spice) EXCLUSIVE

Written & Performed by Chris Bowen, Claire Mitchell-Brown, Julio Da Mata, Jo Oliver & David

Richards. Additional Piano written & performed by Sakura Mei-Sasaki Spice

Recorded at University Of Gloucestershire Studios, Engineered, Mixed & Mastered by Tom Spice

https://www.facebook.com/tmykband

43. Around7: Breakthrough

Written & Performed by Around7

Produced at Strait Up Studios, Dundee

Taken from Breakthrough

https://www.facebook.com/Around7UK

44. Burning Memories: Ignition

Written by Annie Kelleher, Performed by Annie Kelleher, Hallam Crafer & Nick Holder

Recorded at Stage 2 Studios, Bath & Released by ScreamLite Records SCLRRCDS001

Taken from Ignition

https://screamliterecords.bandcamp.com/album/burning-memories-ignition

45. Typhoidmary: bobbi EXCLUSIVE

Written & Performed by Mary Lovatt

https://www.facebook.com/typhoidmaryuk https://typhoidmary.bandcamp.com/

46. Slow Down World: Promised Land

Written & Performed by June Stevenson, James Dishart, Twig Mayhew, Olly Peters & Woody

Woodson

Recorded at PMC, Plymouth

Taken from Promised Land

https://www.facebook.com/SlowDownWorld https://slowdownworld.bandcamp.com/

47. Zobb: Scrapheap Generation

Written & Performed by Jon Wisbey, Nick Hurley & Brice Herve

Recorded at L’Abri D’Argen, Bristol

Taken from Scrapheap Generation

https://www.facebook.com/zobb.punk

48. Clay Gods: Cabin Fever

Written by Gavin Jones, Performed by Gavin Jones, Tom Saunders, Charles Paxford & Max

Ganderton

Recorded at 340 Studios, Cheltenham & Released by ScreamLite Records SCLRRCDS004

Taken from Cabin Fever/Looking For Jerusalem

https://screamliterecords.bandcamp.com/album/clay-gods-cabin-fever-looking-for-jerusalem

49. All To No Avail: The Call

Written & Performed by All To No Avail

Taken from The Call

https://www.facebook.com/AllToNoAvailOfficial/

50. Bleak: Ebb & Flow

Written & Performed by Howlin’ Anton Bleak, Rachel Woodworth & Yvonne Okoduwa

Released by ScreamLite Records SCLRRA002

Taken from Dig Two Graves

https://www.facebook.com/BleakBlues https://screamliterecords.bandcamp.com/album/bleakdig-two-graves

51. George Royale & The Snowflake Band: That’s When The Tears Start Rolling Down

Written & Performed by George Royale & The Snowflake Band

52. Holding Tides: Paraffin

Written & Performed by Chris Bowen, Annie Kelleher, Hallam Crafer, Ben Dalton & Rob Blake

Recorded at Dockside Studios, Bristol & Released by ScreamLite Records SCLRREP001

Taken from Last Of The Small Town Heroes

https://screamliterecords.bandcamp.com/album/holding-tides-last-of-the-small-town-hereos

53. Das Speculoos: Crowdsurfer (grimALKin Mix)

Written & Performed by Das Speculoos

Taken from Crowdsurfer

https://dasspeculoos.bandcamp.com/

54. NFU: In The Details

Written & Performed by Jeremy Pitcoff, Dan De Filippo, Rob Masterson & Frank D’Agostino

Recorded at Suffolk Recording Studio, New York & Released by ScreamLite Records SCLRREP003

Taken from Treason

https://www.facebook.com/NYNFU https://screamliterecords.bandcamp.com/album/nfu-treason

55. Foxpalmer: Forever EXCLUSIVE

Written by Fern McNulty, Performed by Fern McNulty, Mat Dal Pos, Andy Payne & Pauline

https://www.facebook.com/foxpalmer.band

https://screamliterecords.bandcamp.com/album/foxpalmer-locked-in-memory

56. Darklight Horizon: Oxide EXCLUSIVE

Written & Performed by V. Celso, R.C. Paxford, J. Waterman & J. Twinning

https://www.facebook.com/DarklightHorizon

57. William Mawer: Take Me To A Time

Written by William Mawer, Performed by William Mawer, Jazzy Lily Heath, Ryan Nicklin, Ed

Livingstone & Dominic Watton

Recorded at University Of Gloucestershire Studios

Taken from Take Me To A Time

https://willmawer.bandcamp.com/

58. Joshua Kinghorn: Party Queen

Written & Performed by Joshua Kinghorn

Recorded at University Of Gloucestershire Studios & Released by ScreamLite Records SCLRFEP003

Taken from Bits & Pieces

https://screamliterecords.bandcamp.com/album/joshua-kinghorn-bits-pieces

59. Gypsy Pistoleros: Soho Daze, Just Another Friday Night

Written & Performed by Gypsy Pistoleros

Taken from The Mescalito Vampires

http://www.gypsypistoleros.com/ https://www.facebook.com/GPistoleros

60. Connor Begley: Comedown

Written & Performed by Connor Begley

Recorded at University Of Gloucestershire Studios

61. EllJay Goldstone: Putting On That Smile

Written & Performed by EllJay Goldstone

Recorded at University Of Gloucestershire Studios & Released by ScreamLite Records SCLRFEP001

Taken from Long Time Coming

https://screamliterecords.bandcamp.com/album/elljay-goldstone-long-time-coming

62. Chameleon: It’s Not Quite Me Now

Written & Performed by Chameleon

Recorded at Platform Studios, Reading

Taken from What Are We Waiting For?

https://www.facebook.com/bandchameleon https://bandchameleon.bandcamp.com/

63. Conal Kelly: In My Head

Written & Performed by Conal Kelly

Taken from In My Head

https://www.facebook.com/conalkellymusic

64. Spoons & Saucepans: Sing With Thanks

Written by Ceinwen E. Cariad Haydon & David Gwyn-Jones, Performed by Spoons & Saucepans

Taken from Sing With Thanks

65. Afterlite: Below The Lights (Reprise)

Written & Performed by Luke Beesley

Recorded at Ruby Studios, Bristol & Released by ScreamLite Records SCLRMA001

Taken from Eden Abandon

https://screamliterecords.bandcamp.com/album/afterlite-eden-ab

Dreamlands; New EP from Daydream Runaways

In fairness to you readers, I’ll come clean, the new EP from Daydream Runaways, Dreamlands, is a collection of three pre-released singles, Fairytale Scene, Light the Spark, and the latest, Crazy Stupid Love. Each of which if you click on, you’ll see I’ve reviewed already, here on Devizine.

So, what do those demanding guys want from me this time?! Except to say I can’t praise the band or these songs enough. Making the opportunity to announce the release imperative, suppose, but forgive me for not running back over the same notions in said reviews.

So, I figured I’d catch up with them, harass them for few more questions I overlooked when we interviewed them last. Notably, when Cameron Bianchi enlightened us that, “we brought back two older songs and reworked them, as they fit really well next to the lead single Crazy Stupid Love.”

Ah, cool ,this progressive young band have reworked them. I supposed it’s good to have the singles on one EP. “And those three are among our oldest songs so it felt right to release them,” Cameron continued. “Then Brad had an opportunity to record us for his Final Year Project at Uni and an EP seemed like a great project to take on.”

Out on the 13th November, the release’s title I was asked to keep it under my hat, for a ‘guess the name of the EP’ competition was to be announced. The title got me to pondering the name Daydream Runaways. So, I asked them how they came about it.

Frontman Ben Heathcote replied, “Cameron came in with the name suggestion after numerous discussions and almost instantly we knew that was it. It seemed to describe us and have a connection immediately to our sound. We all daydream and get lost running away in our minds, our dreams…”

Cameron added, “We spent quite a while trying to work out a name that suited us, actually. We were looking for something that sounded hopeful and had a sense of escapism about it. Ben remembers that I brought it to a practice one evening, I think I’d been reeling off loads of names that the boys didn’t love. Then one day my fiancée had been playing lots of Ben Howard and he used those two words in a few of his songs and I just liked the way the sounded when merged together.”

Shame, I adopted the guesstimation Cameron was the sort of kid at school who would rather stare out of the window daydreaming than pay attention to the lesson. “I know I was!” he confessed, “procrastination is my second favourite hobby…next to playing guitar!”

An apt name it is though, it relates to the band’s brand of dreamy, nostalgic and acceptable indie-rock, which has found them glowing reviews elsewhere. James Threlfall of BBC Introducing in the West, said of Fairytale Scene, “I’ve had the pleasure of seeing this band absolutely smash it live.” They’re favourites on Sue Davis’ show on Wiltshire Sound, but I was drawn in particular to a quote by Dave Franklyn on his Dancing About Architecture website, a man who does similar to what we do here, only better. He said Crazy Stupid Love, “has got that great Alt-USA feel to it; Fountains of Wayne style and early 00’s vibe.”

Coincidently I mentioned Fountains of Wayne yesterday when pondering the new EP from End of the World, Calne’s skater-punk five-piece. Here’s where I tip my hat to Freewheelin’ Franklyn, always able to view another angle. For in the way of comparisons, I spent nearly all my effort reminiscing classic eighties bands such as Simple Minds, perhaps U2. I wrote paragraph upon paragraph suggesting the Daydream Runaways songs would slip neatly into a John Hughes coming-of-age movie, when really, I needed only to rewind twenty years; it’s an age thing.

I asked them for their thoughts on this comparison to noughties US bands, all a bit skater punk. As all I know of Fountain of Youth is the one tune, and while the Daydreamer’s material has a coming-of-age type content, I couldn’t imagine them knocking out something as quirky as a song about fancying their girlfriend’s mum.

Nathaniel Heathcote confirmed, “yeah, it’s definitely reminiscent of skater punk, very 2000s with baggy jeans, spiky hair and a skateboard in hand!”

Cameron also clarified, “it’s kind of a weird blend of Indie meets Country meets 00s rock. Not that it started out that way. I think I was trying to write a riff like The Smith’s Girl Afraid.” Ah, mention of a band I know! Heaven help me, are we due a noughties comeback, I pondered, I guess it’s time, despite I’m still living in 1991.

“They seem to be!” Cameron figured, “I was listening to Machine Gun Kelly the other day and his sound is very 00s. We obviously inspired him…”

From here I teased about the possibility of getting a rapper in, if that’s the case. But Daydream Runaways has spent their few years really nailing a uniformed style, I hoped I wasn’t rocking the boat. There’s a question developing in that though, how far they’re willing to diversify?!

Cameron admitted, “Ben has floated that idea about actually, we always say we don’t want to write the same song twice or be bound to one genre. And I think that comes across in our music. It helps that each of our individual musical influences are quite different so that makes the song writing process quite fun and the songs are always a bit unexpected.”

“This is something we differ on in my opinion,” Ben interjected, “Cam enjoys the idea of a more consistent sound and style that is familiar, whereas I strive for an ever changing/evolving sound, dipping into varying genres.”

“So,” Cameron replied, “I think we balance each other out?”

Ben Heathcote got deep, “the world can’t exist without Ying and Yang.”

But I often rock their boat, probing their thoughts of an album, and they have differing opinions on it, but I’m always impressed how they stabilise it mutually; I do hope it’s a solid band, as this EP rocks and I always look forward to hearing some new from them. They even went as portentous to hint at an album’s possibility, but rather concentrate on the idea of a sequential set of songs on a running theme. There you go, Mr Franklyn, I surmise they’ll be writing the next soundtrack to a John Hughes rework!

If so, I get first dibs on the actress playing Molly Ringwald’s part, but probably not, though with this blinding new EP, it is fair to assume it’s only just the beginnings for The Daydream Runaways. The peak will be unimaginably awesome.

Very Brave or Very Stupid; End of Story

Very brave or very stupid, to suggest five-piece band End of Story are terrible, more so if I tell you they’re a bus journey away in Calne! Terrible is as terrible does, Forrest; a complimentary adjective in punk, like the magnificence of being spat on by Sid Vicious, it’s a term of endearment.

For End of Story are the localist epithet of skate-punk, they do it well and as it should be done. Their new EP of four original tracks titled thus, Very Brave or Very Stupid is terrible, if terrible means awesome. It’s raw, angry, energetically entertaining; the very blueprint of punk.

Through the passage of time, generations warped the tenure of the house of punk, and new subgenres evolved, their attributes far-flung from the roots. No wonder why I’m particularly picky about the genre, tending to steer away from modern takes. Be they aiming commercially, like power-pop, like Blink 182, or excessively overkill it, like skatecore. Principally I guess it’s predominantly youthful American, and I tick neither box.

I reserve my right to appreciate from afar, though, especially when procured with an amusing take, Back to the Future references, fancying your girlfriend’s mum, for examples. Or if there’s a clever narrative like Avril Lavigne’s Sk8er Boi. I even allowed myself to be dragged to a Bowling for Soup gig at Bristol’s 02 by my son, albeit a taxi service. I gulp and confess, didn’t stage dive, but it was alright. But, and this is a big but, my erroneous dejection; can’t help but feel it’s lost its raw way from my first love, Ramones, Pistols, Buzzcocks, et all.

Precisely why I find End of Story refreshing, skate-punk it may be, but with full beams blasting into original punk, shining the way, reminding me of Welsh punkers, Sally & Kev Records and punk-paste zines of yore. The four tunes are archetype skate-punk subjects, Sweet Sticky Kiss of Mary Jane the only stoner ballad, the others theme on disjected romance and broken promises. But it’s catchy with boundless rage, and as garage as punk should be.

Nosebleed perhaps the loudest, Shattered Earth perhaps the most interestingly grafted, and the finale, It’s not Him, perhaps the most commercially viable within the confounds of skater punk, but all equally beguiling. Top effort guys, highly enthralling, and it’s out today. Punkers, check it out:

https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/end-of-story/1535986645

The Big Yellow Bus Rocks The Gazebo

Two things former humble truck driver Gerry Watkins is a natural at, plucking an ingenious idea and putting it into action, and putting on a gig to fund it. In 2017 Gerry raised four-grand to buy a double-decker bus, which he converted into a homeless shelter in Cirencester. Since he’s launched a similar plan in Swindon, and continues to raise funds for this amazing homeless project. The Big Yellow Bus project is innovative but simple, and Gerry works tirelessly to keep it running.

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With live music teetering on return, it still maybe a while before some venues are ready to reopen, despite yesterday’s sudden given date of August 1st. The following weekend, 7&8th, sees a grand restart for The Big Yellow Bus, to get funds rolling once again. The Tavern Inn in Kembleplays host to this glorious two-day mini festival, which is free, with collection buckets for the Big Yellow Bus doing the rounds.

Music plans to kick off at 7pm on Friday 7th August with our good friends, Absolute Beginners. I know, like most, Cath, Gouldy and the gang will be itching to get back to live music. While there’s still a few gaps in the line-up to confirm, The Roughcut Rebels will be a welcomed act, introducing their new frontman, the one and only Finley Trusler; an awesome unification we look forward to hearing. Mick O Toole is also on Friday’s header.

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Saturday 8th though is an all-dayer. Paul Cooper (Martin Mucklowe) from the twice BAFTA award-winning BBC tv series, This Country, will be opening up the event at midday. Shaun Peter Smith will be the Compère for the day, as Miss Lucy Luscious Lips, he’s certain to add a little bit of glamour and sparkle. There’s a number of faces I know to this busy line-up, and plenty new to me.

An interesting Opening at midday, Ascenda are a four-piece, playing smooth music with a rock edge and thoughtful, theatrical vocals. Their current collection of songs ‘Celeste,’ forms a love story that explores conflicts; solitude versus companionship, and spirituality versus practicality.

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Acenda (image by Eric Hobson Photography)

Cath, Gouldy and the gang return as The Day Breakers at 1pm, with their irresistible blend of Celtic and mod-rock covers, it’s guaranteed to go off! Swindon’s all-girl rock and pop covers band, Bimbo follow at 2pm. Dirty and filthy punk is promised to followed with The Useless Eaters, a band who accurately recreate the iconic sound of late 70’s British and American punk.

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Six Lives Left

Cirencester’s masters of high-energy classic eighties rock covers, Loaded Dice are on at 4pm, followed by a mesh of Britpop, new wave and ska with SkA’D Hearts at 6pm. Era-spanning soul follows with Joli and The Souls, and rock restarts in style with Six Lives Left. Sticking with six as the magic number, the finale will be from Calne’s fantastic misfits of Britpop and new wave, Six O Clock Circus, who are always up for a party!

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Joili & The Souls

Yeah, it’s all slightly out of our usual jurisdiction, but with a line up like this, all for such a great cause, and with limited events these lockdown days, this is highly recommended and worth the effort. Kemble Railway Station is right opposite The Tavern Inn so it’s easy to find.

Note, putting such an event on so early after lockdown will not be without expected guidelines, everyone must abide by. Gerry urges social distancing and that you respect those around you. “This is all done so you can enjoy yourself and have a great time watching and dancing to great live bands and performers, thank you for all your support and together we can have a great time.” I’m sure they will, Gerry. If anyone is heading off from Devizes, gimmie a lift, pal, because this sounds unmissable!

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Minions, and Mr Tea’s Mutiny

Put the kettle on; Balkan gypsy ska here in Bristol, Mutiny, the new album from Mr Tea & The Minions is a favourite for my best album of the year, with a top hat on.

Impressionable, I creaked the door on a near-expired student party, where a cocktail of Cinzano and shrooms polished off the amateur bassist, and he hung unconscious half off the edge of a sofa in his own puke. I witnessed scholar deprivation; comatose youth, crusty dreadlocks matted into a teetering Christmas tree, and a random arm draped over a guitar amp, howling feedback. I gulped, no partygoer standing, but an erratic noise of a “Red Roses For Me” cassette whirling. Sounds blessing such a character-building eye-opener makes you reconsider your loathing for a particular genre of music.

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Until then, my presumption of folk music was pruned from an overwhelming desire to hold primary school sweetheart, Trudi’s hand, and the only foreseeable method to achieve it; to opt for country dancing. Ever frustrated to find myself partnered with dowdy Emma instead, I guess it rubbed a revulsion for frumpy folk music, with its delicate romances of falling autumn leaves and daisies dancing in a spring zephyr. It can be nauseating, symbolic of my failure to caress Trudi’s nail-bitten digits.

The epiphany dusted, I bought the Pouges long-player, shaking my preconception solo until crusties like The Levellers came onto the scene, boiling the realisation folk doesn’t have to be frumpy, in fact, it’s an epoch, a people’s music, and the roots of all that followed owe it. But if that era of recklessly launching yourself around, knocking down parent’s ornaments and calling it dancing has come of age, and if the Pouges are now acceptable, seasonally, (they stole the best Christmas song slot from a band in tartan trozzers and platform shoes after all,) I say unto thee, Mr Tea & the Minions; it’s my new favourite thing.

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It’s not an awkward mesh of Despicable Me and the A-Team, rather a contemporary Bristol based, female-fronted six-piece ska-post-punk-folk Balkan-inspired riot, and their new album, Mutiny is beyond blooming gorgeous. Constructed out of lead vocalist and controller of “shaky things,” Elle Ashwell, drummer Fabian Huss, guitarists James Pemberton, James Tomlinson and James (Fold) Talbot on bass, with manager Lucy Razz on violin, they formed six years ago through James’ love of Balkan music. With the edges polished by collaborating with DJ Howla, and James’ professed love of tea, Mr Tea & The Minions was born, a name which they say was “a joke that was never meant to go so far.”

As Balkan, it’s fresh, electrifying and wonderfully danceable. Elle’s gritty shrill is apt and uplifting, the theme is often invitingly saucy, awakeningly tangible, sometimes metaphorically current affairs, but it hardly wanes in energy, and if it does you know it’s building to something. Mutiny is ten songs of splendour, drizzly evening enriching with a gypsy spin. It’s a warm musky pub of yore, where a furtive crusty band jams and you spill your cider on a scraggy dog. It also riffs like ska, boils like The Levellers and rinses fresher than Shane MacGowan on his best hair day.

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The Eye of the Storm, like the title track, and Pandemonium are the Fruit Pastels, breezier tempo tunes like the beautifully crafted The Spider and The Fly stun you in anticipation of the melody, but no single tune stands alone, there’s a flow of prog-rock, and if it starts and ends with a little “meow,” it’s never completely nonsensical. Lyrics are sublimely executed, mostly evocative, but dashed with fun. There’s really nought bad I could say about this unique album, I’ll be dancing to it for the foreseeable future, maybe even look up Trudi on Facebook, she can’t still bite her nails.

Somebody local book these, pl-weaseeee; the Southgate or Barge would suit to a, pardon the pun, tea. Yet times are looking good for this madcap band, on the verge of another spectacular festival season and numerous gigs on tour, our closest to date is the Prince Albert Stroud Nov 22nd, Bocabar in Glastonbury on the 9th, or recommended homecoming at the Old Market Assembly, Bristol on 30th Nov. Failing this, try the Mutiny for size.

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