The Dirty Weekend, Dudley Arms, Rhyl

[review by ste sync]
I’ve just remembered why I haven’t reviewed a gig for so long – It really adds hard work to an already very busy day, but I’m not one to complain (fuck me!) so here goes. I went down to the Dudley at 4pm to buy my ticket and to check that the bands on the schedule I wanted to see had turned up – yes they had. Scott Bakers had just started their set when I arrived, and I’d been looking forward to seeing them since the demise of Kneejerk because the direction the band were taking was SkaCore – Fast guitar skank, with punk power chords at lightening pace. Now I’ve played some fast songs live in my time, but I wouldn’t like to attempt to jam along with some of their songs. When the band played at the same tempo together, their sound really shone through, but there were some moments where because of the sheer pace of the songs, the bands tempo lost each other, but this will be ironed out the more rehearsals the band have and I’m looking forward to seeing their improvements soon.

I missed The Pain due to me re-fuelling on chip butties, before Crud gave me a lift back down just in time for 3 Minute Warning.

One of the main reasons for me turning up to this event was 3 Minute Warning. What a sound they make, they have a punk, almost Clash like edge to them, and Ska keyboards very reminiscent to Mike Barson’s from Madness, and for an old school 79 Ska Boy like myself, they provide some great flash backs. Crud and myself couldn’t control our heads bobbing along to this sound you can’t stay still to. Crud has played a couple of songs by this band on his radio show, but you really have to see it live to appreciate the whole thing. After the gig I managed to blag an official Eatin Aint Cheatin CD from the pork pie hat wearing keyboard player, which hasn’t been off my CD player yet!

Crud and myself were enjoying a pint outside in the sun while the bands were packing up and setting up their gear, we both agreed that with the people and the atmosphere around the venue, it was like being whisked back 25 years which is great escapism for anyone wanting to reminisce (shit did I just say that?). Seize The Day were late arriving and by the time they did, Dave Cox realised that 3 Minute Warning who had to leave straight after their set, had the bass amp the rest of the bands playing today were meant to be using.

Crud had to leave early due to other commitments (hair wash!) and we had to find a solution for the bass problem, so after a very brief sound check with the bass plugged into the PA (sounded fine) Seize The Day blasted into their first song. I saw this band play at the Dudley a few months back, and they pulled in a big crowd then, and they were equally as popular today. They are fucking well tight and held together by some great speed drumming, every song played at pace with furious energy, and yes, they played Ham & Cheese! Top stuff, and I want to see more gigs from them.

After Seize The Day, I thought I’d try and find The Dangerfields to tell them that the bass amp problem had been sorted. I found them outside rehearsing under the arches of Vale Road bridge, with the drummer/vocalist using his thighs as drums and whispering the lyrics quietly to himself. If you’ve ever seen The Dangerfields live before, you will know that what I witnessed under the bridge was the strangest ‘unplugged session’ I think I’ve ever seen. This band demand volume and attention, as I found when I gave Dave a hand on the sound desk to get the levels right before their set. Once the sound was set, the vocalist/drummer tempted the crowd back in by saying Dave Cox would lap dance for them all personally. They powered through their high paced set with the guitarist playing whilst on his back on the floor, among the mosh pit, or even with his guitar behind his head. Great show!

The Nerds are an Italian punk band (who would have thought such things exist) who are currently on tour with The Dangerfields, in fact both bands after their performances tonight, had to drive to their next gig in fucking Inverness! Local bands take note, shouldn’t you be widening your horizons?

After helping Dave with The Dangerfields sound, it now appeared that I should be helping with The Nerds, which I did to the best of my capabilities. This band have a great live image with their menacing front man dressed in an orange boiler suit, screaming lyrics and contorting his body across the stage. In one song the vocalist put a black sack over his head with the mic pushed up to it to sing, and with the orange boiler suit, it suddenly dawned on me where I’d seen this image before – Iraq beheading victims. This maybe too strong an image for some people, but it takes a lot to shock me with an image, and I respected their use of these garments for their performances sake, as it did give them an extra edge.

Big punk rock wall of sound with wailing lyrics, what more could you need? Well, after The Nerds I needed a break so I ended up going to Wetherspoons for a couple too many, so I missed Drongo’s For Europe and the other bands, and ended up copping off with a pizza! Great night though, I hope I can get to more of the next Dirty Weekend.

Zombina & The Skeletones, Jives Room, Delayed Promise @ Bar Blu, Rhyl

(narration and pix by Neil Crud)

‘Why does Steve Rastin look like he’s on a cruise, or an extra on Love Boat?’ Enquired Ste Sync as Rastin passed us in his summer attire. He had reason to feel colourful, he had booked the long awaited arrival of Zombina to our humble no horse town. But first we were warmed up by Delayed Promise from Manchester as Andy Fatman explains:

‘What language was she singing in? I say this cos the vocals were so muffled it was hard to work them out against a musically tight power-pop-rock background. And why does the drummer always feel the need to embellish any between-song banter / info with flourishes of cymbals…? Resulting in a nightmare for reviewers!

The guitarists vocals didn’t fare much better, proving that soundchecks are a pointless exercise. But amid the PA problems, promise was shown from a visually static performance that influenced the gathered few. This was always going to be an uphill struggle, going on before Jives Room (with their home support) & Zombina (striving for legendary status in these parts).’
Great third song; good riffage, great drumming, would love to hear them on CD.

There had been rumours that this was to be Jives Room’s final gig, which was news to them and as Natasha explains it was a top performance with some good new songs ending with that timeless ‘CAM’ with the words “Fuck fuck fuck Cymdeithas.”

’Jives Room made a welcome return to the live circuit with their rousing rock’n’roll anthems. Kyle “The Accusing Angel” shouts and sings with angst and style, he’s definitely one to watch for the future. Their first gig in over a month was admirable, well timed and on the pulse with a tighter set. It feels like they’ve never been away. We love ‘em!’

The arrival of Zombina and The Skeletones has been long overdue after a couple of aborted attempts at getting them to Rhyl, the beach boy Rastin finally got his claw hammer out to tug the last nail out of the coffin and release the bats on Blu. It was another sell out crowd and they were in for a treat.

With the theatrical blood flowing from every available orifice in wonderful contrast against the pan-stick make up Zombina delivered a horror-billy show. We were saying it would’ve been ace to have lived in the 1950s when all this kind of stuff was about, a sort of deep south demented rawk! But we weren’t sure if the original bands playing it were from the sixties parodying the fifties; does anyone know the answer to that? We can all turn around in our graves and yell The Cramps! But it was The Cramps who copied the sixties bands. Regardless, it was all ace and so are Zombina; and to my knowledge they’re the only ones doing this stuff right now.

Playing a selection of choice material including the excellent Counting On Your Suicide they too were dogged with the quiet vocal problem but the audience lapped it up for the 35 minutes, and for once I wanted more, but you don’t get an encore at Blu, and its good to be left wanting. More please.

Kentucky AFC - Iasobe? EP Review

 

[transcript from Sound Nation magazine August 2005]

Iasobe? is the first offering from Boobytrap's Kentucky AFC since the release of their debut album. This EP features four songs plus the six-minute plus instrumental, Gizmo.

Y Salwch kicks off with good, jangly, guitars which lead into a strong, Supergrass-ish chorus, and the more rocky Y Gwan A I Flydd demonstrates great riff-writing ability. Praidd relies more upon instrumentation to drive the song but still shows the band's raucous but disciplined vocals, then fourth track Un Ffordd opens with pounding drums and a frenetic pace.

All the songs are guitar driven, and Kentucky AFC certainly prove their talents at writing catchy riffs. The production (courtesy of the band, plus Matth from The Keys and Dyl Mei at Cardiff's Music Box) is a little fuzzy but this only adds to the raw sound of the EP. This is a positive release from the band and is set to be a fan pleaser. VE

• Label: Boobytrap

• Release Date: 1 August

• Press / Plugging: Plug 2

• Distribution: Genepool / Universal

• Web: www.kentuckyafc.com

• Web: www.boobytraprecords.com

Cream Tangerine session on Adam Walton’s BBC Radio Wales show

 

🎸 Cream Tangerine – Band Profile (Wrexham, Wales)

🧱 Formation & Line-up

• Formed: Summer 1999, Wrexham, North Wales

• Members:

  • Gini – guitar, vocals

  • Joni – keyboards

  • Laszlo – drums

  • Zen – bass

  • Joey – guitar

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🎶 Style & Reception

• Described as eclectic with “good material”.

• Blended alt-rock with melodic and experimental tones; likened loosely to early Elbow, Geneva, or Six By Seven in spirit, though remaining very much underground.

• Gained positive attention from Adam Walton on BBC Radio Wales, a key champion of Welsh emerging music.

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📀 Releases

1. EP: Horseface – released April 2002

2. EP: 7 Deadly Skins – July 2003

3. Track: Kerb This – March 2004 (included on Glastonbury Unsigned Bands 2004 compilation, Concrete Recordings)
   

   
   
   

📻 BBC Radio Wales Session

• Live airplay: Adam Walton’s show in March 2003

• Radio session: 31 July 2005 (does anyone have a recording of this?)

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🎤 Live Performances

• The Stand, Rhyl – 30 September 2000 – broadcast live on Radio Wales

• Supported:

  • The Bluetones

  • The Stands

  • Haven

• Active in the North Wales–Liverpool circuit (notably Sound, Central Station, Barfly, and Telfords Warehouse venues)

GIG REVIEW - THE DAMNED @ Central Station, Wrexham

It all slotted into place really. Steve Sync accompanied me and I did my monthly stint on BBC Radio Wales with Adam Walton. We had to pre-record it because we were off to see The Damned, so we played Blind Justice and the Psycho Sexual Sex Terrestrials, had a quick coffee with Adam and Ben Soundhog and headed for Central Station.

Parking somewhere safe in Wrexham town centre and then having to run the gauntlet of Chavs through the streets is quite an experience! But we safely made it unscathed right on cue for The Damned to alight the stage.

I had earlier commented on air that I’ve seen these 15 times, a slight exaggeration I’m sure, but let’s try and recap anyway:

Colwyn Bay (1981), Chester Northgate Arena (1984), Manchester International (1985), Finsbury Park (1986), Llandudno Conference Centre (2003), Wrexham Central Station (2005) and again tonight! So that’s 7 times, err… not quite 15 but hey! I get excited!

I get even more excited when Captain Sensible announces they’re celebrating 30 years since the release of that seminal album ‘Machine Gun Etiquette.’ He then realises he should’ve said 25 years, and we could’ve corrected him for it’s 26 years!

Jesus! 26 years since first I pogoed around my bedroom to that LP, torn between which one I was gonna be in my bedroom mirror performance… Am I the cool slick Dave Vanian or the guitar god but circus clown that is Captain Sensible?

So The Damned kicked in, as that excellent LP does, with Love Song, and following the track listing to Second Time Around then I Just Can’t Be Happy Today. The sound was awesome, it was loud enough to raise the roof on this wet Sunday night and the power took your breath away. I did think we were going to be treated to the album in its running order and entirety but that stopped with the fourth track Street of Dreams, which was introduced by acid crazed keyboard player Monty as ‘Cunt’ !!!

The immense sounding History of The World preceded the lament to Michael Jackson, Neverland, which is off the latest Damned release ‘Grave Disorder’ (available and highly recommended on Nitro Recs). By now drummer Pinch was looking worse for wear and it was announced that he was suffering from a 3 day hangover all in one day after the Rock & Blues Festival. Anti-Pope followed and the excellent free form punk bits where the rhythm section chug along allowing the Captain to express himself and impress us with his guitar skills were smattered throughout this short set.

We even had a Monty solo before blasting into Melody Lee then Plan 9 Channel 7 and more of the free forming with Looking At You which just about covered ‘Machine Gun Etiqutte’ (for now). The Damned did teach the punk fraternity that there was more than three chords available and I was watching the bassist during Disco Man and lost count of the notes played in the riffs, astounding!

‘Chavs are a bucket of turds.’ Shouted the Captain having explained he’d noticed that Wrexham is full of them and they ripped into Would You Be So Hot (their tribute to John Lennon – not!) then still keeping to the latest album, the haunting Absinthe. With Eloise played like it should’ve been in the first place it left enough time to pay tribute to those that have gone before us and Neat Neat Neat was dedicated to John Peel, Joe Strummer and The Ramones.

The encore brought a great treat for Damned fans with Jet Boy Jet Girl, a track I’ve not heard live before, followed by New Rose and the ultimate Smash It Up where a net was thrown over the sprawling crowd, and a punter was invited up to play the last couple of riffs.

Great entertainment, great band!

FESTIVAL REVIEW - Pigstock 2005 – Denbigh

Something’s not quite right. It’s the day after Pigstock, its mid-afternoon and I don’t have a hangover. And yet I drank enough to sink a small ship; kept up with Andy Fatman pint for pint and picked him off the floor on numerous occasions! Funny old thing alcohol – you can have two pints and feel quite giddy or have thirteen and feel, well, yes pissed, but in control (almost!). I think the trick was to cart along the Crudlets and Fatman’s sprog for the afternoon, therefore instilling a sense of responsibility into the proceedings and not go hell for leather for the gutter before the evening!

Waking up at 11.20am meant there was no way we’d get there to see the opening set by Melaphobia and ‘the d word’ (Der Bomber) were obviously not on the bill and were replaced by some wedding band from Ruthin I think.

Someone from the band Jacknife Juggernauts asked me this morning what my thoughts on the day as a whole were. My reply was, ‘Great day, shit music.’

If you’re gonna spend £12 to see some bang up to date and up ‘n’ coming bands from the local area then your money would be better spent elsewhere. If you’re gonna spend £12 to chill out in a friendly atmosphere and have a great day out and catch the occasional snatch of brilliance from the stage then this the place for you.

The music (if you’ve been kept in a dark shed for two months and fed bullshit) has been a bone of contention since the line up was announced, and for some great entertainment pay my Message Board a visit and start at the thread titled ‘Absolute Fucking Travesty’ – it’s an excellent read that has spawned great publicity for both Pigstock and ‘the d word’.

Someone did mention that the bongo player in a blue shirt (who is actually Chris Godfrey) had been on stage three times in 3 different bands and wouldn’t it have been better to have put on some local talent instead mates and their jazzy jams. I agreed but did point out that this wasn’t a cutting edge festival, it was a cutting hedge one!

But let’s face some facts here and make a few points. If you’re the organiser of Pigstock you have to look at the point that this is in Denbigh and if you put on a load of bands making waves on the coast then they’re going to bring crowds with them. You have to weigh up the possibility that some could get drunk and will play up a bit. Denbigh people are all for having a bit of a laugh and a joke – amongst themselves. When some upstarts turn up and start laughing at them or treading on toes then things could turn ugly. Yes, it’d be a great day for music but it would probably be the last ever Pigstock! Although it would’ve been nice to have seen at least a couple of today’s performers replaced by the likes of Khagool, Gintis, Lantern, David Wrench, The Alarm, Crave or (god forbid!) Der Bomber.

The Holloh provided the afternoon’s first foray into what readers of this website would describe as good, with some fast driving indie rock with a punk edge – or so the NME would say. They played a great version of Johnny B Goode in a Sex Pistols stylee which introduced the first casualty of the day when a sole headbanger (with no hair) got up to rub his denim and play his air guitar.

The Giro Gypsies received the loudest cheer of the afternoon with their colourful animated line up and progged out sound – great guitar solo at the end by Stewart – check out their profile on the North section of my site.

We also had MK Ultra, Y Moniars, Sarah Davies, Cosmic Charlies, Geth & The Celebrities, Zoot Serious, Mid Life Crisis, who are all good at what they do. It was there to provide a background to a glorious day, obviously not my bag at all but they served the purpose of keeping the proles happy.

Duncan Black (main pic) provided my highlight of the day with a brief but exquisite display of guitar genius, and let’s face it, there was some stiff competition in the guitar hero category provided by Mid Life Crisis, Cosmic Charlies and the Giros. But Duncan took it to a different level up there on his own with an array of pedals and coming across like a mute Nick Harper crossed with Ed Alleyn-Johnson, two artists who you should most definitely make yourselves familiar with. Coming on just after 9pm he was backed by a light show, lots of smoke and the opportunity to perform in front of a big crowd. Duncan later explained to the organisers that he was used to playing in front of strange goths and headbangers who would throw things at him for not being metal enough!

Check out his album ‘Ubiquitous Guitar Mercenary’ out now.

We missed the fireworks display and the following bands as I had to save Andy Fatman’s liver.

Here’s to next year!

Joe Strummer - Newport Blue Plaque

PLAQUE FOR NEWPORT'S STRUMMER

A slice of Newport's musical heritage got official recognition last month with the unveiling of a plaque commemorating the late Clash frontman, Joe Strummer. He two years in the city, forming friendships with local groups and art students, and forming his own band The Vultures. The plaque hangs at 12 Pentonville, Newport, where he lived in 1974, composed and his first songs and learning to play guitar. Just three years later, The Clash were on their way to world-wide fame.

Richard Frame, Corporate Director of Newport's single homeless project Solas, lived with the young Strummer—then known to locals as 'Woody'—in the flat: "we used to hang out in the Messenger pub in town. Joe used to spend lots of time with the local art college students and in no time he was fronting local band The Vultures.

"This is where he started in music, and he has talked about his time in Newport a lot, since. Before he died, he'd pop back into town for a drink whenever he was in the area—and one of his last ever gigs was at Newport TJ's."

The circular plaque reads "Joe Strummer lived here in 1974." It was unveiled by Joe's widow, Lucinda Mellor on Friday 20 July. Mrs Mellor's Westcountry-based music charity for young people, Strummerville, will hopefully be teaming up with members of Solas's own music project on future ventures. In the meantime, a CD containing a previously unheard demo of Joe's band recorded in the Newport bedsit in 1974 is to be released on CD by Solas later in the year.

Skinflick release double album Halo Of Flies / Maggots Circle

Justin Skinflick, writing in 2025 says;
This album was a beast to write and finish, originally started around 1998 under the name of 'Into the Flames'. The concept was of a man so disconnected from humanity he craved the insect world of the hive. After many restructures and rewrites it was eventually finished in 2005. As well as the original album the CD came with a remix CD entitled 'The Maggot Circle' featuring mixes from many talented musicians.

It's a heavy, dark and disturbing album, featuring some stellar work by Duncan Black on guitars and also banjo. Other vocals by Rhian Mostyn, Rhian Davies and Jackie Kennedy.

I can't remember the name of the artist who did the cover and sleeve work but he did an absolutely amazing job. (If you have a copy please let me know his name)

Inferno play in Russia

INFERNO TEST EASTERN EUROPEAN TRADE FAIR

Anglesey band play three shows at inaugural EEMC event. James McLaren reports

[transcript from Sound Nation Magazine - Aug 2005]

ANGLESEY ROCKERS** INFERNO became the first Welsh band to attend the Eastern European Music Conference (EEMC) in June, which was held in St Petersburg, Russia. The event was designed to be an Eastern version of the famed South By South West festival in Austin, Texas and as such had a combination of live, unsigned bands, business needs and seminars.

Inferno’s manager, Jimmy Lee, told Sound Nation about their trip into the unknown. "The trip to EEMC was several months in the planning. A musician friend of mine who works at an agency who loves the band suggested I have a look at the EEMC web site. He also suggested I speak to a guy who works with in the Welsh Assembly who assisted with export businesses.

"I e-mailed EEMC and sent them some info on Inferno etc. Apparently they wanted us pretty badly to get over there. Costs were sorted with the Assembly and off we went."

It was far from plain sailing for the Inferno crew, however. The first event of this kind in Eastern Europe was never going to run completely smoothly, and technical hitches from lost equipment at the airport ("we were at St Petersburg airport but four guitars, snare, cymbals and pedals were still in Paris!") to decrepit PAs in the venues were standard for the trip.

Inferno played three shows at EEMC, and went down very well according to Lee. "Following their gigs the lads roved all round the conference, visiting the stalls and speaking to many of the participants. They were spotted by a gang of teenagers who wanted autographs, pictures and CDs. Inferno loved the entire experience from start to end including the blips! They are richer for the experience and can't wait for their next European tour. We plan to do SXSW in March 2006 and have started on the venture already."