2017 – A Year in Books

So after completing 27 books in 2016 with a target of 52 I set myself a more realistic target of a book a fortnight for 2017.

The first book I got through was one we published ourselves.  It was a joy to read In Concert as we prepared for its launch at the end of January.

I tend to read mainly non-fiction but liked the look of a man called ove.  What a delightful read, the story of a grumpy old man that believes people should fix things and that todays society just goes too fast.  Ove is a cross between my father and myself so it was a lovely poignant read.

The story of Jihad John was fascinating.  It was the real life tale of a boy growing into a man in West london and how he ended up as an executioner.  Many questions are asked in the quest to try and figure out what makes a terrorist do such things

 

1.  In Concert – Niall McGuirk + Michael Murphy (Hope Publications)
2. Jihadi John, the making of a terrorist – Robert Kerniak (One World Publications)
3. A Man Called Ove – Fredrik Backman (Schuster and Schuster)

Ireland’s Most Expensive Fanzine: Riot 77 Issue 19

 

Two of my absolute favourite publications are the Irish fanzines, Loserdom and Riot 77. They could hardly be more different in style. Loserdom had a hand-crafted ‘zine that draws from the anarcho-punk side of things, and it feels like a personal art-project full of personal stories, hand-drawn cartoons, politics, campaigns as well as music. Sometimes the covers are even individually screen-printed. For me it is unmissable, a dispatch from the counter-culture and funny and clever too.

 

Riot 77, on the other hand is slick, and I mean that as a compliment. The paper is glossy and it is the same size as the major music magazines, just with more of the type of music I love reading about. The new issue is 48 pages and features interviews with bands who would have graced the cover of the NME during the glory days of 1977-1981. Even better, for people who care about the music scene in Ireland, each act is generally asked at least a question or two about their Irish experiences. And that can be very revealing. This issue, which I picked up in Freebird, might be the best issue yet. It includes major interviews with Richie Ramone, the absolutely brilliant Ruts DC, Walter Lure from New York’s legendary Heartbreakers, Johnny Moped who were on the Chiswick label, as well as a lengthy and insightful conversation with the proto-punk Flamin’ Grooves. In addition, the book, album, DVD and live reviews are all really to the point, and helpful in deciding what to watch, listen to, read or regret not going to.

 

The Ruts, the Clash and the Adverts are the bands that I listen to most from the class 1977, and the Ruts DC are my favourite live act now. So naturally I quickly read their piece first. It had a few unexpected nuggets that surprised me, and that makes me appreciate Riot 77. The interviews are always well researched, which is why they often contain nuggets of information that you don’t find in the average artist interview. Here, for instance I learned that Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott co-wrote a song with the Ruts’ singer Malcolm Owen. This was more evidence of just how Lynott viewed the up-and-coming punks as comrades instead of competition. Given that Sid Vicious used to hang out in Lynott’s London flat it is poignant to think that Lynott, Owen and Vicious all died prematurely from apparent drug-related deaths.

 

The other interesting thing I learned, is that that the Ruts outstanding drummer, Dave Ruffy (who later played with the Waterboys and Aztec Camera) had an Irish grandfather. Yet another example of prominent members of the early punk/new wave community with Irish ancestry.

 

Equally interesting and insightful is the interview with Richie Ramone, once again there is an unexpected, at least to me, Irish link. The Ramones’ drummer was in Ireland five years ago to record with a Boston band, the Gobshites. It’s a recording that hasn’t seen the light of day yet, but it sounds worth keeping an eye out for. There’s also an Irish connection with Johnny Moped. I must confess they’re a band whose name I knew, but I couldn’t name any of their tunes. Riot 77 rate their debut album alongside the first LPs from Stiff Little Fingers and the Adverts. That’s pretty high praise. The Irish connection: Johnny Moped were on the mighty Chiswick record label, home of the Radiators From Space as well as the Damned.

 

The interviews with Walter Lure from the Heartbreakers and the one with the Flamin’ Groovies are also well worth checking out. I certainly learned a lot about these two bands who were part of the scene that nourished and nurtured the early punk movement.

 

And while the actual zine is great value at €3, the book, DVD and album reviews have prompted me to go out and buy yet more music product. So thanks to Riot 77 I’m going to by some more music I love and books that inspire me. It’s a hard life, isn’t it?

 

The book, Punk Rock Entrepreneur, from Microcosm publishing, sounds particularly interesting. Riot 77 loves that the DIY movement, without the pursuit of profits that drives most commercial labels, has created so many brilliant, creative and meaningful pieces of art. It is important to remember that most industries benefit from innovation, and the punk/DIY movement has been the source of lots of that. Other interesting books and DVS reviewed include a new book by the last-surviving Ramone, Marky, a cool sounding book called Making Stuff and Doing Things: D.I.Y. Guides to Just About Everything and a history of the Rockford, Illinois music scene. Lots to read.

 

On the music front, the Outcasts’ live album, recorded in 1983, seems to include really good history, press-clipping and reminiscences. That’s a must-buy for me, as they were one of the Northern Irish bands that brought so much colour and inspiration to me growing up. Another band outstanding from the North, Rudi, have a new piece of vinyl that compiles some of my favourite tracks from them. Tigerland is a song that showcases their power-pop skill. A song that could have/should have been a hit. But that’s not how the music industry works….it needs hits, and it needs them fast. And that’s why fanzines like Riot 77 are vital. From a personal point of view they connect me not just with my youth, but with a creative, even entrepreneurial, DIY spirit. To me that’s really important.

 

 

 

Riot 77 also recommend the new Nirvana and Damned DVDs, so there’s another €30-plus I need to spend…and the DVD about the early US hardcore stalwarts, the Dicks, who Mick McCaughan introduced to me in about 1984, sounds damn good too. And there’s a new Hard Skin single….

 

 

 

I could go on, but hopefully you haven’t made it this far in my lengthy review because you are on your way to Freebird to but Riot 77.

 

Michael M Murphy

 

Contributors to ‘In Concert’

When seeing images from war torn Syria or hearing stories of a people ravaged by war we were moved to try and dom something so we reached out to the music community. I put some of these into Hope *2 fanzine earlier this year but we thought it’d be nice to chronicle the Irish submissions, a secret history of the musicians influencing the bands that influenced us

FROM THE IRISH RED CROSS

5 years on and the plight of Syrians continues. The figures make for shocking reading. In a country with an estimated population of 22.2 million the situation is worsening almost on a daily basis. The number of people in need has increased from 1 million in 2012 to 13.5 million in 2016.

For those that can remain in Syria, regular access to basic needs such as food, water and medical assistance continues to be a challenge. Three in four are currently living in poverty and 5.7 million people are in need of adequate shelter.
Whole neighbourhoods have been destroyed, forcing families to flee in search of safe shelter, but there is little available. When they left their homes, many did so with only the clothes they were wearing. They have nothing else. More than half of those affected are children.
People continue to flee fighting within Syria underlining yet again the dire situation families in Syria are facing. It is vital that they are able to seek protection and support as conflict continues to rage. There are an estimated 6.6 million internally displaced inside the country.
Others are unable to flee and remain under siege as war rages around them. At the start of this year the Red Cross Red Crescent eventually gained access to towns such as Madaya, Foua and Kefraya. The blockade on life saving supplies lasted for months with ordinary Syrian families paying the price.
On entering Madaya our colleague Marianne Gasser, described the situation:
”I was taken to what was euphemistically called the “health centre”. It was, in fact, one room in the basement of a house. Ushered into the semi-darkness, I was met by the sight of limp bodies lying on blue blankets on the floor: elderly people, weak from hunger and illness. There were several children, hollow-faced. I noticed the needle marks on their arms where drips had been administered to try to give them the sustenance they needed to survive.”
The Red Cross Red Crescent is committed to bringing aid to the millions of people affected by this crisis inside Syria. In addition, we are reaching the millions who have fled over the country’s border into the wider region and now wait in refugee camps, uncertain of what their future holds.
https://www.redcross.ie/latest-appeals/syria-appeal/

List of Acts
1 TED CARROLL (promoter, manager, record shop owner and owner of Chiswick Records)
ROCK AND ROLL IN IRELAND AND BEYOND

2 JOE WEADICK (Red Seven/Columbia Showband)
RED SEVEN, LONDON, 1963

3 MARCUS CONNAUGHTON (broadcaster, author)
FLEETWOOD MAC, DUBLIN, 1969

4 BRIAN O’KEALLAIGH (The Gorehounds)
GOOSE LAKE INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL, MICHIGAN, 1970

5 FERDIA MACANNA (Rocky de Valera, The Rhythm Kings, author)
THIN LIZZY, DUBLIN, 1971

6 GERRY MCAVOY (Rory Gallagher band, author)
RORY GALLAGHER, BELFAST, 1971

7 JOHN MCKENNA (broadcaster)
LEONARD COHEN, DUBLIN, 1972

8 PETE HOLIDAI (The Radiators, Trouble Pilgrims)
ALICE COOPER/ROXY MUSIC, LONDON, 1972

9 CIARAN MCLAUGHLIN (The Undertones, That Petrol Emotion, Everlasting Yeah)
PLANXTY, DERRY, 1973

10 NEIL MCCORMICK (author, journalist, musician)
U2, DUBLIN, 1976

11 DAVE SWEENEY (the Max Quad Band, Rocky de Valera and the Gravediggers, the Fat Lady Sings)
DR FEELGOOD, DUBLIN, 1976

12 TONY CLAYTON-LEA (author, journalist, DJ)
IGGY POP, 1977

13 DAMIAN O’NEILL (The Undertones, That Petrol Emotion, Everlasting Yeah)
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES/THE HEARTBREAKERS, MANCHESTER, 1977

14 JUDE CARR (Heat fanzine)
THE RADIATORS FROM SPACE, DUBLIN, 1977

15 AIDAN O’ROURKE (The Sinners)
THE CLASH, DUBLIN, 1977

16 JAKE REILLY (The Blades)
THE CLASH, DUBLIN, 1977

17 JOHN FISHER (The Dandelion Market)
THE CLASH, DUBLIN, 1977

18 ELVERA BUTLER (promoter, head of Reekus Records)
FROM THE WHO TO THE STRANGLERS

19 BRIAN SEALES (DC Nien, Tokyo Olympics)
THE STRANGLERS, DUBLIN, 1978

20 BARRY COOKE (Dead Fridge in the Road)
STIFF LITTLE FINGERS, DUBLIN, 1978

21 PAUL CHARLES (booking agent, author)
SIGNING THE UNDERTONES, BELFAST, 1978

22 GERRY SMYTH (author)
THE BOOMTOWN RATS, 1978

23 PAT O’DONNELL (The Fountainhead, producer)
IAN DURY, DUBLIN, 1978

24 RAYMOND GORMAN (That Petrol Emotion, Everlasting Yeah)
DEXY’S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS, COLERAINE, 1979

25 DAVID LINEHAN (Aidan Walsh and the Screaming Eagles, Hooligan)
R0CKY DE VALERA, DUBLIN, 1979 + OTHERS

26 RORY STOKES (The Sussed, the Spiders From Kimmage)
U2/THE SUSSED, DUBLIN, 1979

27 FRANK RYNNE (Those Handsome Devils, the Babysnakes)
THE RAMONES, DUBLIN, 1980

28 BILLY MCGRATH (UCD Ents Officer 1975-1976, manager of The Atrix and Stagalee,
TV producer, documentary maker)
U2, LONDON, 1980

29 SÉAN O’CONNOR (The Lookalikes)
THIN LIZZY/THE LOOKALIKES, DUBLIN, 1980

30 PETER DEVLIN (The Devlins, producer, broadcaster)
THE SPECIALS/THE BEAT, THE STARDUST, DUBLIN, 1981

31 PAUL BYRNE (In Tua Nua, producer)
ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN, DUBLIN, 1981

32 ANDREW BASS (Reveille, producer, studio owner)
U2/REVEILLE, GALWAY, 1981.

33 CÁIT O’RIORDAN (The Pogues, Radiators, PreNup)
U2, LONDON, 1981

34 STANO (artist, musician, composer)
TOM WAITS, DUBLIN, 1981

35 CATHAL O’REILLY (The Shade, Luggage)
KID CREOLE AND THE COCONUTS, DUBLIN, 1981

36 DEKLAN DACHAU (Paranoid Visions)
THEATRE OF HATE, DUBLIN, 1981

37 CION O’CALLAGHAN (freelance Drummer – Paddy Casey, Shane McGowan)
ROCKY DE VALERA, DUBLIN, 1982

38 COLM O’DWYER (TCD Ents Officer 1991-1992)
U2, 1982

39 PETER JONES (Paranoid Visions)
POISON GIRLS, DUBLIN, 1983

40 DARAGH MCCARTHY (musician, filmmaker: The Stars are Underground)
VIRGIN PRUNES, DUBLIN, 1983

41 WILL WALSH (The Pleasure Cell, The John Wayne Memorial Dancing Lizardmen)
THE SMITHS, 1983

42 ROY WALLACE (Toxic Waste, documentary maker)
TOXIC WASTE, BREMEN, 1984

43 PAT CLAFFERTY (Mexican Pets)
THE CLASH, DUBLIN, 1984

44 KIERAN GLENNON (DJ Dr Night Dub)
THE JOHN WAYNE MEMORIAL LIZARDMEN, DUBLIN, 1985

45 HUGO FITZGERALD (Kill Devil Hill)
THE MEMBRANES/THE PLEASURE CELL/KILL DEVIL HILL, DUBLIN, 1985

46 COLM WALSH (manager Intoxicating Rhythm Section, Sultans of Ping)
THE GOLDEN HORDE/THE GOREHOUNDS/BONESHAKERS/PARANOID VISIONS,
DUBLIN, 1985

47 PAUL PAGE (The Whipping Boy)
ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN, DUBLIN, 1985

48 MICK HEANEY (journalist, DJ)
THE CRAMPS, BOSTON, 1986

49 GARETH MURPHY (author, Cowboys and Indies)
U2, LONDON, 1987

50 REG GORDON (photographer, The Hope Collective)
SO MANY SUNDAYS, DUBLIN, LATE 80’S EARLY 90’S

51 JIM DAVIS (TCD Ents Officer 1990-1991),
PHIL CHEVRON, DUBLIN, 1990

52 PHILIP O’CONNOR (author, journalist, musician, The Banished),
FUGAZI / THERAPY?, DUBLIN, 1990

53 DAVE O’GRADY (promoter, publicist, Gilded ALM),
THERAPY?, DUBLIN, EARLY 90’S

54 SMILEY BOLGER (DJ, promoter Morans, McGonagles, the New Inn)
THAT PETROL EMOTION, DUBLIN, 1990

55 NEIL DOWLING (promoter, Event Ease)
STONES ROSES, BELFAST, 1990/BOLT THROWER, DUBLIN, 1990

56 EDWINA FORKIN (film producer, TCD Ents Officer 1989-1990)
SONIC YOUTH/NIRVANA 1991

57 JILL FORTYCOATS (Mexican Pets)
THE EX/DOG FACED HERMANS, DUBLIN, 1991

58 FINBAR MCLOUGHLIN (Gearhead Nation)
THE EX/DOG FACED HERMANS, DUBLIN, 1991

59 CANICE KENEALY, (Engine Alley)
PRIMAL SCREAM, DUBLIN, 1992

60 SEAN CAMPBELL, (author)
U2, KANSAS CITY, 1992

61 KEVIN MARTIN (promoter, fanzine editor)
MOBY/ORBITAL/APHEX TWIN, CHICAGO 1993

62 JOHNNY BOYLE (Lir, Pugwash, Picturehouse, Marianne Faithfull, The Frames)
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, DUBLIN, 1993

63 BARRY MCCORMACK (Jubilee All-Stars, solo artist)
SWERVEDRIVER, DUBLIN, 1993

64 PHIL UDELL (journalist, State ie, Word-Up Collective)
BACK TO THE PLANET, DUBLIN, 1993

65 EILEEN HOGAN (author, lecturer)
THERAPY?, LIMERICK, 1994

66 PETESY BURNS (Toxic Waste, FUAL, The Outcasts, member of Warzone Collective)
VICTIMS FAMILY/GROTUS, DUBLIN, 1994

67 TOM POLLARD (The Pyrex Babies)
ROLLINS BAND, DUBLIN, 1994

68 KIERAN KENNEDY (The Black Velvet Band)
THE BLACK VELVET BAND, SWITZERLAND, 1994

69 MICHELLE MCCARTHY (marketing manager, Madison Square Garden)
GARTH BROOKS, DUBLIN, 1995

70 WAYNE P SHEEHY (producer/studio owner, drummer with Ron Wood)
RON WOOD, TORONTO, 1990s

71 PAUL McDERMOTT (DJ, zine editor, lecturer)
CATHAL COUGHLAN & NINE WASSIES FROM BAINNE, CORK, 1997

72 IAN PEARCE (Split Red/Los Cabras/The Dangerfields/Comply Or Die)
ABHINANDA, BELFAST, 1998

73 EMM GRYNER (David Bowie/The Cardigans/The Cake Sale/solo artist)
DAVID BOWIE, DUBLIN, 1999

74 COLM O’CALLAGHAN (journalist, broadcaster)
ELVIS COSTELLO, DUBLIN, 1999

75 FRANCES ROE (Jam Jar Jail)
ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT, DUBLIN, 2001

76 EMMET GREENE (Bandicoot Promotions),
BOBBY CONN, CORK, 2002

77 KIERAN CUNNINGHAM (sports editor, The Star)
CATHAL COUGHLAN, CORK, 2005

78 ROISIN NIC GHEARAILT (M(h)aol)
FLAMING LIPS, 2005/DEADMAUS, 2009

79 EOIN DEVEREUX (author, lecturer)
MORRISSEY, OSTIA, 2006

80 JIM ROGERS (author, lecturer)
CHRISTY MOORE, DUBLIN, 2007

81 CONSTANCE KEANE (M(h)aol)
INCUBUS, DUBLIN, 2007

82 THE LATE DAVID TURPIN (artist)
LAURIE ANDERSON OLYMPIA THEATRE, 2007)

83 PETE MURPHY (publicist)
TOM WAITS, DUBLIN, 2008

84 DES O’BYRNE (The Golden Horde, NYC DJ),
GÉTATCHÈW MÈKURYA AND THE EX, NEW YORK, 2008

85 VONA GROARKE (author, Spindrift),
RICHARD HAWLEY, DERBYSHIRE, 2009

86 ROB FLYNN (The Winter Passing),
HAVE HEART, DUBLIN, 2009

87 ROBBIE ROBINSON (film director, An Irish Exorcism and member of the
Intoxicating Rhythm Section Captain Tripps),
KINGS X, LONDON, 2009

88 AIDAN WALSH (musician, rehearsal room proprietor)
AIDAN WALSH AND THE SCREAMING EAGLES, DUBLIN, 2010

89 DAVE LONG (Into Paradise),
THERAPY?, DUBLIN, 2010

90 BRIAN CROSBY (musician, Bell X1, The Cake Sale, producer)
SUFJAN STEVENS, BERLIN, 2011

91 ELLIE & LOUISE MACNAMARA (Heathers)
THE MOUNTAIN GOATS, BLOOMINGTON, IN., 2011

92 MICHELLE DOYLE (Sissy)
THE RAINCOATS, SEATTLE, 2012

93 JUSTIN MCDAID (freelance journalist, Golden Plec)
ENABLERS, DUBLIN, 2013

94 JIM CARROLL (journalist, broadcaster)
THE GLOAMING 2014

95 COLIN COULTER (author, co-editor Ireland Under Austerity)
RUEFREX, 2014

96 SUZANNE RHATIGAN (singer, promoter)
GRACE JONES, COUNTY LAOIS, 2015

97 HENRY CLUNEY (Stiff Little Fingers, X-SLF)
SOLO, BLACKPOOL, 2015

98 JOHN O’FLYNN (author)
MAPPING POPULAR MUSIC, DUBLIN, 2015

99 CLODAGH SPUD (fanzine editor)
RUDE PRIDE/THE SULTANS/TAKERS AND USERS/THE DIVILS
DUBLIN/BELFAST, 2015

100 PAUL PURCELL (DJ, founder of Glacial Sounds record label),
SWING TING, MANCHESTER, 2015

101 MICHAEL McCAUGHAN (TCD Ents Officer 1984-1985, author; The Price of Our Souls: Gas, Shell & Ireland),
JELLO BIAFRA, DUBLIN, 2015

102 GARRY O’NEILL (cultural historian, author)
VARIOUS

103 TERRY O’NEILL (manager of Thin Lizzy and others, promoter and publicist)
VARIOUS

104 ANTO DILLON (editor, Loserdom fanzine)
VARIOUS

105 JAMES HENDICOOT (freelance journalist, NME, Dublin Gazette)
TALKING WITH THE DROPKICK MURPHYS, 2013

The book was compiled, funded and published by two veterans of the Dublin DIY (do-it-yourself) music scene, Niall McGuirk and Michael Murphy.
They came up with a simple idea to raise funds for the Irish Red Cross Syria Appeal. Ask people in Ireland’s music community to write about their favourite gigs.
People love talking about gigs. People love hearing about great gigs.
So they asked some of their favourite musicians, writers and behind-the-scenes characters to remember some outstanding gigs. Then they asked friends of friends who asked friends of friends.
This book is a compilation of over one hundred of the best of those gig memories. It includes recollections of gigs that were legendary and influential (Fleetwood, the Clash, Leonard Cohen, the Smiths), as well as gigs that were quickly forgotten. From immaculately presented stadium gigs to ramshackle events in sketchy halls; from showbands to punk, death metal and dance it documents some of the inspiring, brilliant and bizarre events witnessed by Ireland’s music community far and wide.

Quotes from Niall and Michael:
It is a brilliant book. We are proud of it. Look at the brilliant writing. These people weren’t just members of Ireland’s music community, they weren’t just witnesses to spectacular, sometimes life-changing, gigs: they are also outstanding writers.
We thought that it was particularly important to include some of the ‘forgotten heroes’ of the Irish music community. To hear the voices of the people who were ‘there’ who were a major part of the scene but are never included in the history.

Supporting Syrian Refugees

It’s been over 12 months in the making but we have finally released In Concert, Favourite Gigs of Ireland’s Music Community.

When we first saw the heartbreaking pictures from Aleppo we reached out to those people we know best, our friends in the music community.  Six months ago Hope *2 came out and this featured those in the punk community in an effort to raise money for pikpa lesvos centre.  We held back on many contributions from the Irish music scene as we felt it would be nice for this group to extend their support. The results are In Concert and whilst there are many more who could and deserve to be included we feel this can help form part of a ‘secret history’ of the irish music scene. People like Ted Carroll who founded Chiswick Records, Pete Holidai from Radiators, Cáit O’Riordan from the Pogues, Pat Clafferty of Mexican Pets, Deko Dachau from Paranoid Visions to more recent luminaries like Constance Keane from M(h)aol or Rob Flynn from Winter Passing.  105 contributors altogether speaking of showbands, leonard cohen, the clash, theatre of hate, golden horde, therapy? and so many more including U2.

The book is a benefit for Irish Red Cross specifically in their efforts to assist people forced to flee their homes in Syria

Rats on Rafts + M(h)aol – Whelans Review

Rats on Rafts + M(h)aol

Whelans

September 28

It’s kind of strange living a private life publicly at times. I was never one for putting my picture on things and always refer to things I’m involved in as a collective we even if that numbers just me.

It’s also kind of strange that after gong to gigs for over 30 years I end up standing on my own at many offerings. And i’m happy with that, happy to talk or not. I guess I’m used to my own company even though as a family man with a great partner and three wonderful kids that solitary existence is rare, bar when I go to gigs.

It’s getting greater now as I become more age conscious as years go by. The youthful exuberance has given way to self doubt and contemplation. And so I can get lost when m(h)aol play. They don’t care what I think or anyone else by the sound of it on stage. It is a chaotic cathartic noise and is deadly. We can get lost together in a brashness that reminds me of bikini kill with a sound less rooted in melody but more annoyance.

Rats on rafts, like me say nothing between songs. I guess they don’t have to. Their sound brings them everywhere with a psycadehlic pop beginning to a hardcore no age ending. This was a great noise to get your toe tapping. Of course I would like some between song banter but the band are from Rotterdam, maybe their English isn’t so good. Maybe the music does the talking, I couldn’t understand a work being sung but it was some noise alright

niallhope

Fanzine Of The Week – Eaten Alive

I picked up 2 copies of this at Rebellion

It is a hark back to the cut and paste zines from the 80’s with staples down the side, the interviews are pretty sparse but he can only print what the band reply I suppose

Issue 34 has interviews with Anti-Establishment,Angelic Upstarts,RED ALERT and East Town Pirates!

Issue 35 has interviews with The Warriors, Hospital Food, The Defects and Disorder

derrick.moore1@btopenworld.com

Eaten Alive fanzine

152 Heath End Road

Cotton

Nuneaton

CV107JG

UK

New song from the Mekons

With one on the recent referendum vote by UK to depart from the EU the mekons have produced a new video.  It has an old sing along drinking style feel as they ponder the future of their homeland

 

Mystic Inane – EP’s of M/I

It’s very rare that a record label gets a description incorrect of one of its bands.  They know them best, theiy know their secret likes and all that goes into the wiritng of their songs.  So when their record label, lavidaesunmus, describe Mystic Inane as “Freaked out FLIPPER meets RUDIMENTARY PENI acid punk from New Orleans who channels the weird vibes of earlier SACCHARINE TRUST and battles them against modern distorted hardcore creating a hybrid soundtrack to a bad trip.” there is no point in me arguing for something else.

It drifts along at a fuzzed out speed as indeed is as confusing as it is exciting

niallhope.

 

 

Poison Idea Release new video

POISON IDEA RESURRECT AMERICAN LEATHER IMPRINT AND RELEASE NEW VIDEO

Hardcore punk legends Poison Idea have recently resurrected the American Leather Records. the band’s own DIY label that initially released the hardcore punk essential Feel The  Darkness, along with Blank, Bl ackout, Vacant and a slew of singles throughout the late 80’s and early 90’s. 

The label presents the latest bulletin of classic punk shredding from the band, following their full length comeback record, 2015’s Confuse & Conquer for Southern Lord.   One of the first records to see light of day on the imprint is a 5-song limited edition 12” EP of new material, which is available at the band’s official online merch store.

The band are also bringing out a new live LP, the limited edition Company Party, which comes out on Portland’s finest independent doughnut shop/record label, Voodoo Doughnut Recordings, and is pressed on hot pink wax. This jam-packed live set, recorded at the Star Theater on February 2nd, 2015, will satiate your cravings for high-energy Poison Idea antics, and comes with extensive and insightful liner notes from Jerry. A sweet treat for those who devoured the live sets included in the recent reissues of PI classics.

Poison Idea have also released this video for one of their brand new songs ‘Calling All Ghosts’ (shot and cut by Brett Roberts and Colin Jarrell, G+E- Jake Lyon)

 

 

 

KOHTI TUHOA – RUTIININ ORJA (SOUTHERN LORD)

KOHTI TUHOA

RUTIININ ORJA

SOUTHERN LORD

 

 

Southern Lord have released the blazing debut album Rutiinin Orja from incendiary Helsinki hardcore punk band Kohti Tuhoa.  There’s no time wasted on this record as it speeds past in under twenty minutes. Irresistible pogo beats and pit parts pile on top of each other with reckless abandon, and thick waves of drum rolls provide a dangerous velocity over which Discharge influenced guitars chug and wail.

Helena’s wide ranging vocals delivered in the band’s native language are unmistakeable and intimidating even to non-Finnish natives, layered up an intense degree and teetering between fearsome and fascinating. Recognisable traits of other bands, such as the Japanese masters of noise dbeat attack Framtid and Hispanic kings of the fast ‘n’ angry Los Crudos, find their way in to the Kohti Tuhoa sound, and fans of Oakland’s RAD and Chile/Austria’s Ruidosa Immundicia will have an instant infatuation with the sheer might of Rutiinin Orja. Punk bible Maximum Rocknroll are already shouting their name, and you are well advised to hear the furious sounds of Finnish hardcore punk at its current best – barbed, destructive and viciously catchy.

niallhope