Top 25 Punk Albums Ever!

Top 25 Punk Albums Ever!.

 

Surfing and came across this….a lazy post I know but worth a copy. Amazed the Misfits are number 3, but I find it hard to disagree with the majority of albums on here.

Stiff Little Fingers – The Brook Oct 14th

I hadn’t seen SLF since the heyday so the chance to see them in a small local venue was too good an opportunity to miss, despite the fact I was suffering from a touch of jetlag after a trip to the USA.

As is typical of my reviews I didn’t take a pen and paper and therefore don’t produce a list of songs etc but they played enough of my favourites to make me one happy bunny. Jake and Ali remain from the original line up, and Ali has certainly come out of his shell from the first time I saw them, strutting around and generally playing the rock star

They opened with Wasted Life and that got the crowd going immediately, it was really good to see some young punks in amongst us old gits pogoing away and during the set they played barbed Wire Love (the crowd were swaying ), At the Edge, Alternative Ulster, Doesn’t Make it Alright and shitloads of other classics off the first two albums that I can’t be bothered to list.

It was good to hear that SLF are going to be recognised in the Northern Ireland music hall of fame and in typical style Jake stated they might play Wait and See for them

Anyway, great night, great band, great tunes and good beer…….thoroughly recommended.

Rebellion 2011 – Review – My Choice of Bands

For this review I have decided to only write about bands I liked as everyone has different tastes….you may think I haven’t got any after reading this…….. ah well. I will also try and embed as many videos as I can…knicked off youtube of course.

A fantastic weekend and a much better showing from security made this one pretty special. Went up on the Wednesday with my B.I.L and got to the pre festival gig at the Heat club, above the Rose and Crown. Two bands stood out for me, the always good Drongo’s for Europe and 2 Sick Monkeys. In fact how 2 Sick Monkeys make such a great noise with just a drummer and bassist amazes me….a bloody good laugh too.

Day One – Thursday

Rebellion started at 11.45 on the Thursday and in a proper fashion we got there about 12.45, just in time to catch the Kings of the Delmar and grab a pint. KOTD were a decent band in the old school style and probably would have had a bigger crowd if they were on a bit later. I particularly liked ‘Punk Rock Idiot’, reminded me of my BIL.

The next band I saw all the way through was Noise Agents, the band fronted by the lead singer of Demob…who indecently kept popping up all over the place . They were impressive and he really is a good front man….just don’t know his name.

Band of the day for me were Short Bus Window Lickers who played a set of hardcore Punk, which can only be expected when the band has members of the Restarts and UK Subs in it….these are a must watch band, tight as fuck and superbly loud.

Story of the day came from Tyrannosaurus Alan, a Ska/Punk/Rap sort of combo, heavy on the brass. Last year they busked outside and made enough money to get in. This year they were playing the Empress….impressive. I even bought the CD.

I had to go and watch Pipes and Pints because I couldn’t believe there was a Punk band with a bagpipe player in it….I even managed to win a pint off a German skinhead cos he didn’t believe me. Pipes and Pints are an American hardcore band and the bagpipe player was hilarious…not sure he was meant to be though….This set the theme of the weekend for me though, lots of great American bands.

Surprise of the day was the Old Firm Casuals, Lars Frederikson of Rancids new band. I wasn’t expecting too much as before the gig it looked as though it was an American trying to emulate the British football hooligan style, and as a typical Brit I was expecting a poor mans Cockney Rejects. What I got was a fantastic set from a guy who clearly loves Punk and Oi!

Honourable mentions on day one go out to Max Splodge, Girlfixer, Geoffrey Oicott – Yorkshire, Yorkshire

Day Two – Friday

Started the day with Middle Finger Salute, a sort of Blackburn Blink 182….loved the noise but missed ‘We are Fucking Shit’ as there final song…so here it is from the year before…

Funniest band of the weekend award goes to 3CR, Manchester humour for those not easily offended – and if you are then Fuck Off….songs like ‘Theiving Scouse Bastards’ and ‘Spit Roast Groupies’ just made me smile….’Just Fucking Do It’ was probably the most sensible thing they said.

One thing about Rebellion is the T-shirts people wear, and today there was a lot of T-shirts with Rust on them so off we went to see them. They’re an ok Aussie OI! band.

The best part of the whole day for me were the three back to back bands in the Empress – The Restarts, A Wilhelm Scream and Bouncing Souls. The Restarts were just awesome and I think a little bit of wee escaped when they played Outsider…..I love that track, the first I ever heard recorded by them.

A Wilhelm Scream were a band I’d never heard of. According to youtube, myspace etc they are a Hardcore band. THEY WERE FUCKING AMAZING…….I love bass and the guy who plays bass for them was doing things I could only dream about….get on youtube or any media player of your choice and listen to them. They should be headlining…..pursue with the video below, the songs great.

I was expecting a lot more from Bouncing Souls as they were on straight after AWS, and they were ok. I would like to see them again in a local venue because I think I could relly get to like them.

Although they have been around forever I had never seen the English Dogs, which is a real shame because they were great. The lead singer is obviously a nutjob and his head was painted green but he was excellent. Didn’t quite get why he threw a tent into the crowd but it was entertaining none the less. Balsall Heathens are in the video…

The Stupids are one of my favourite bands so I had to catch a bit of them, The line up looks to have changed but still managed to bang out a fantastic sound. Video from my local venue….

GBH played the Olympia, which doesn’t have the greatest acoustics, but they showed that they are a quality band. They had a large crowd and it was probably well deserved.

I really liked The Dead Class, a Punk band from Ireland. They really seemed to enjoy playing the festival and said that they’d played to crowds consisting of just the sound guy Another band that I would love to see again in a local venue.

Day Three – Saturday

Rat City Riot played the Empress and deserved a lot more than they got crowd wise. Another American band that had energy and a lead singer who got into the crowd and mixed it up a bit. They were still in the venue well into the evening and I like that in a band….one thats not pretentious and happy to mix with the punters. (A massive note to Charlie, Arturo and the Captain who are always around for a chat). The video is not a UK Subs cover.

Los Fastidios had the best T-shirt of the festival – Love Football, Hate Fascism. Fantastic message. They are an ok band too if you like the noise and don’t want to understand the lyrics….unless you speak Italian of course.

The best ‘crowd moment’ came from Random Hand who created a wall of Death. Thank christ I’m too old for all that shit. They were a great band who played a mix of Punk/OI!/Ska and had the crowd bangin…excellent.

Highlight of the day for an old fucker like me was The Boys, a band I’d wanted to see since their first album came out. I was really scared that they would be a massive dissapointed and I am so glad I was wrong. From the moment they opened with TCP they were bloody amazin’. I was so pleased to hear one of the old bands from the birth of Punk playing the songs as I remember them, as they were recorded. Fantastic.

Church Of Confidence are a German band who’s influences include the Clash, Rockabilly, Punk. For a three piece they were surprisingly good musically and they did all their songs in English, including a cover of White Man in Hammersmith…. Video from this year

The Have Nots were yet another amazing American band who had a fusion of Punk and Ska at 100mph. I don’t know whats happening over the pond but the music scene is clearly looking good. Another band that you really should see.

Captain Hotknives was the only offering in the Bizzare that I personally found worth a mention because the guy is fucking hilarious. As soon as he started singing about white supremacist polar bears he had my attention.

Day Four – Sunday

A band I’d already seen was Dirty Revolution and this year they got elevated to the Empress….deserved, and for those in the crowd they weren’t dissapointed. Only dissapointment for me was I didn’t get an ‘I Love Reggae’ T-shirt…next time.

Barnyard Masturbator have to have a mention cos they come from Leicester, as does my BIL, and they have a strange lead singer who refers to the band as hers, and she flashes her arse……

I really liked One Man Stand, a three piece that play the kind of Punk I like, fast, melodic make me wanna jump up and down kinda stuff…..I will definately check them out again.

The Skints are a Reggae band and I wanted to catch them as they are supporting the King Blues when I see them next month. Really chillin band and I was amazed at how many instruments the singer could play. I counted flute, keyboard, guitar, mouth organ thingy and saxaphone…..impressive.

Another of my heroes from the early days Jello Biafra played the Olympia….organisers – why not the Empress? The guy was amazing, miming the songs during instrumentals , crowd surfing and preaching about the Tottenham riots. Even managed to get California Uber Alles in the set and encored with Holiday in Cambodia…..amazing. And the crowd went wild…..

Citizen Fish played there Punk/Ska set with the usual aplomb….noticed they’ve added a brass player since I saw them last. Great tunes and a great frontman in Dick.

Playing an acoustic set in the Olympia, STZA Crack was fantastic. Good banter between songs, pissed as a fart, and living the life. So much better than with his band in my opinion.

Sick on the Bus played a really energetic set and deserved a better crowd than they got. If you like GBH, Motorhead, Restarts, SBWL you’ll like these guys. Good honest Punk Rock. Video from 2009 Rebellion

So there ya go, a quick list of all the bands I saw and liked (for one reason or another). I saw lots of other bands too and that is the joy of Rebellion, you can wander no more than a few hundred yards and you can be seeing another band, if you don’t like what your hearing with the first one.

I’d like to add that there were also a hell of a lot of bands I didn’t see (there were 209 in total), so don’t be offended if your names not on the list, and think you’re shit……you’re not. I didn’t see you or you didn’t float my boat…..

King Blues – Punk & Poetry Review

Firstly apologies for not blogging for a while…no excuse, just a lazy bastard….

Thought I’d write a review of the latest King Blues album, Punk & Poetry as I haven’t stopped listening to it for weeks…..love it. This is an album that has some of the most genius lyrics I’ve heard for a long time….many a Facebook status has been a lyric from this album.

The album kicks off with ‘Last of the Dreamers’….I have no idea what this is about but the second track ‘We are Fucking Angry’ is Punk Rock at its very best. The bridge just about sums up everything thats wrong with the government today and is just so correct…..we should be fighting back.

‘Set the World on Fire’, track 3 is an absolute lyrical masterpiece with my favourite lines since ‘Jesus Saves painted by an athiest nutter’ in Going Underground by the Jam;

Some pay the doctor to be the snipper

We want bigger tits, bigger, bigger, bigger

This is how we use the greatest minds in science

Not a cure for cancer but a profit for giants

They blind their clients with advertisements

Insecurity heightens – that aint progress, its violence

Track 4, Dancehall…bollocks….sorry Itch

Track 5 is a skankin’ tune ‘The Futures Not What it Used To Be’. I absolutely love the bangin bit near the end, part rap, part rant…fantastic. Track 6 just shows my age….how the fuck old is Itch?….I thought he was a twenty something OAP, but with references to Robson and Jerome the guy could be my twin. Don’t let that put you off ‘I Want You’ is once again a brilliant song with lyrics that are thought provoking and humurous.

‘Five Bottles of Shampoo’, track 7, is an ‘I understand women’ song with some great advice for pro-lifers. This is followed by a realistic view of ‘Sex Education’ and the way the internet is influencing kids and the way that they perceive sex and love. I urge all parents to listen to the words.

‘Shooting Fascists’ is easily my favourite track…simple lyrics, simple tune, just Itch and a Ukelele, but what a powerful message….fucking awesome…..

If you like punkpop you’ll love track 10, ‘Headbutt’..fast enough to make you move and catchy enough to keep you singing it for weeks. ‘Does Anybody care About Us’ is back to the underlying King Blues message about how the under privileged and poor are looked down upon by the rest of society, and not enough people give a flying fuck…

The final track ‘Everything Happens For A Reason’ I don’t really like as a song but I understand that as a lyricist life events are inspiration, and having kids is one of the greatest things ever….its just that this tune is more Take That than King Blues.

As I said at the beginning, this is a fantastic album with just a couple of tracks I personally don’t like. I think the King Blues are one of the greatest bands around today and they have exactly the right message….

They are on tour this year….I’m going to see them in Portsmouth….and if you get the chance go and see them. They are a brilliant live band. If you can’t see them buy the album, read the lyrics and get the message……..

Rebellion 2011 pre and after shows

Just wanted to add this to the main page….thanks Moz

Details of Rebellion pre/after shows:

link

I am getting excited now… )))

Photo’s Wanted

If anyone has any photo’s of themselves/friends wearing a Punk Grandad T-shirt please post them on here, or send them to me via email. I’d love to put gallery on the Punk Grandad site. The three photo’s I like the best will get a freebie of their choice….

Kevin Precious – Brighton Fringe

I have received an email from Kevin Precious about a new Punk stand up show he’s doing, launching at the Brighton Fringe Festival…..sounds interesting and I’ll be popping along. I’ll write a review on here once I’ve been.

Tickets are only a fiver so if you are in the area give him some support.

Hi there,

I’m a stand-up comedian based in East Sussex. I’m about to start running in a new show – work in progress – at the Brighton Fringe Festival in May entitled ‘Aging Punk Rocker’.

The idea is to re-examine the punk values that shaped my outlook as a young kid i.e. hippies, monarchy, mainstream music… that sort of thing, and determine whether they still have some relevance; the upshot – of course – is that they do, particularly on stuff like the monarchy. There’s a bit of narrative as well… one or two personal remembrances from the period.

Here’s a few links:

www.kevinprecious.com

http://www.comedycv.co.uk/kevinprecious/index.htm

www.barnstormerscomedy.com

Political Rant – Part 2

If you read my first political rant you will note that I am a white middle aged, mortgage/kids/holiday kind of guy. I just want new readers to understand that before I rant once more on the subject of todays politics.

David Cameron today stated:

We will soon publish a White Paper setting out our approach to public service reform. It will put in place principles that will signal the decisive end of the old-fashioned, top-down, take-what-you’re-given model of public services. And it is a vital part of our mission to dismantle Big Government and build the Big Society in its place.

Am I missing the point or are public services not the responsibility of our government? In my workplace this practice would be management by abdication and the abondonment of responsibility. This is abandonment of those not wealthy or intelligent enough to live in a decent house, or send their kids to a decent school.

Our demacracy allows us to freely elect the government who should be making the correct decisions for all of society, and not handing over the responsibility to private companies who will make profits, or charitys who are underfunded, and run in the most by unqualified volunteers.

Once there is nothing left to privatise will this mean the abolition of Governement itself? What else are they going to do? Freely elected goverment should nurture its people, allow them to realise dreams, live in a safe home, go to work and contribute to society. It will allow for children go to a school near where they live and receive the same standard of education that everyone else has irrespective of which town they live in. Instead we are creating a postcode society where the address you live will determin your education, health care and even if your bin gets emptied.

Just because successive governments have failed to provide the perfect system for all, does that mean they should give up? By privatising everything they are abandoning their responsibilies, the responsibilities we give them by voting. This should not be allowed to happen.

I would ask you all, at the next available opportunity let them know they are letting their people down – the real people.

Rebellion 2011 – Aug 4th – 7th

The ticket is bought, the B&B is booked, just need to get some beer money….how excited am I???? I will be up there on the Weds night, can anyone suggest a good watering hole for the Weds. (last time I went I never got there a day early). Any bands playing pre-gig gigs? Did that make sense?

The line up this year is immense, (see below), I strongly urge anyone who has not been before BUY A FUCKIN TICKET….if only to see the Boys, the Restarts or Jericho Hill (had to add them in this sentence). Just go to the website…link on the right. Best ton you’ll ever spend.

COCK SPARRER (ONLY UK SHOW 2011)
ADAM ANT & THE GOOD THE MAD AND THE LOVELY BAND
THE ADICTS
THE DAMNED
THE EXPLOITED
THE DICKIES
BOUNCING SOULS
GBH
THE BOYS
SLAUGHTER AND THE DOGS
THE BUSINESS
SUBHUMANS
CAPTAIN SENSIBLE
CAPDOWN
THE BEAT
TOYAH
THE METEORS
THE OUTCASTS
ANTI NOWHERE LEAGUE
UK SUBS
STREET DOGS (USA)
PETER & THE TEST TUBE BABIES
GET CAPE WEAR CAPE FLY
THE CREEPSHOW
NEWTOWN NEUROTICS
THE STUPIDS
VICE SQUAD
THE DEFECTS
THE CRACK
HARD SKIN
999
ATV
EDDIE & THE HOT RODS
MDC
ENGLISH DOGS
MAJOR ACCIDENT
WORLD/INFERNO FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY
THE CRAVATS
THE FILAMENTS
ARGY BARGY
GOLDBLADE
DEADLINE
THE RESTARTS
RANDOM HAND
MAD SIN
LEFT ALONE (USA)
FRENZY
HERE & NOW
CITIZEN FISH
RED ALERT
THE GRIT
THE VIBRATORS
SECTION 5
BOOTSTROKE (GREECE)
HEAVY METAL KIDS
JAYA THE CAT
SPLODGENESSABOUNDS
THE NEW FORBIDDEN (feat. Loyd Grossman)
REAZIONE
THE VARUKERS
NECK
DEMOB
TV SMITH (THE ADVERTS) & LEIGH HEGGARTY (THE PRICE)
DRONGOS FOR EUROPE
CRASHED OUT
SICK ON THE BUS
CRIMINAL CLASS
LONDON
PARANOID VISIONS
SEGISMUNDO TOXICOMANO (BASQUE)
TOWERBLOCKS (GERMANY)
A HEADS
RAT CITY RIOT (USA)
THE ASTRONAUTS
SARAH BLACKWOOD
HAVE NOTS (USA)
MARCHING ORDERS ( AUSTRALIA)
EX CATHEDRA
THE BLAME ( USA)
RESISTANCE 77
KUNT AND THE GANG
CONTROL
CAPTAIN HOTKNIVES
MOUTHWASH
RADIO DEAD ONES
HDQ
THE AGITATORS
JONNY ONE LUNG
BLEACH BOYS
THE THREATS
POISONED ELECTRICK HEAD
THE DISRUPTERS
CHURCH OF CONFIDENCE
PASCAL BRIGGS AND THE STOKERS
TIGHT FINKS (SWITZERLAND)
RUNNIN RIOT
STAGE BOTTLES (GERMANY)
STRAWBERRY BLONDES
GEOFFREY OiCOTT
PETE BENTHAM AND THE DINNER LADIES
DIRTY REVOLUTION
MAXIMUM RnR (CANADA)
JB CONSPIRACY
RUST ( AUSTRALIA)
DIPSOMANIACS
FIRE EXIT
THE FORNICATORS (SWEDEN)
3CR
DRAGSTER
HOOLIGAN
MORAL DILEMMA
PIPES & PINTS (CZECH)
THE ZIPS
THE BEATDOWN (CANADA)
THE EXPOSED
MAURI CLASH CITY ROCKER
THE DEAD CLASS
CHARRED HEARTS
GIRLFIXER
THE WARRIORS
JERICHO HILL
CHOKING SUSAN
TEXAS TERRI BOMB
DUN2DEF
EASTFIELD
PINK HEARSE
DRUNKEN BALORDI
PICTURE FRAME SEDUCTION
ANTI VIGILANTE
BROKEN NOSE
SEPTIC PSYCHOS
THE ANGRY AGENDA
CRAIG TEMPLE
ROBIN LEITCH
JOPE TILSTON
5 SHITTY FINGERS
MONKISH
BOOZE AND GLORY
THE GUILTY PLEASURES
GIMPFIST
SHORT BUS WINDOW LICKERS
BALSALL HEATHENS
THE RED EYES
MIDDLE FINGER SALUTE
MONICA AND THE EXPLOSION
PERKIE
PAUL CARTER
RESOLUTION 242
ATHEIST RAP (SERBIA)
THE JONS
ON TRIAL
FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS
CHAS PALMER WILLIAMS ( LIGHTYEAR)
KELLY KEMP
THE FIEND
NOISE AGENTS
ED ACHE
MIKE ONLY (ex THE KING BLUES)
HOTWIRED
HATEFUL
MIKE SCOTT
TINA LEE
SURFIN TURNIPS
WILL TUN AND THE WASTERS
TYRANNASAURUS ALAN
KINGS OF THE DELMAR
SPANNER
ONE MAN STAND
BANK HOLIDAY JEZ
BEN POTTER
BACKBITER
THE CROWS
PRAIRIE DUGZ

Punks Not Dad – New Video

Sid Life Crisis and the boys want to plug their latest video…who am I not to help out?

Songs called ‘can’t get it up’….worth watching for Lisa Rogers guitar solo

Added bonus video Punks Not Dad performing we are the dads at Glastonbury main stage!!!!