Album & Live Reviews

The enduring phenomenon that is Skunk Anansie arrived in Glasgow to a sold out O2 Academy for their tour promoting their new album ‘The Painful Truth’ and left the crowd with the knowledge that the real truth of the evening is that this band are untouchable as a live act. It’s been a few years since I last saw Skunk Anansie live and it was at the same iconic venue as tonight's gig that I stood in awe at just how brilliant a live act they were back then. I was hoping that I would experience the same feeling again tonight. Before Skunk Anansie take to the stage there is the small matter of the evenings support band, called ‘So Good’ to listen too. Glasgow is a welcoming place for bands and whilst I had never heard of ‘So Good’ it was clear that many of the crowd had done. As they take to the stage there appear to be 3 men, though I don’t actually know they are men, dressed in what appears to be boiler suit style clothing and wearing bright pink balaclavas. This is the guitar, bass guitar and drum section and I am immediately reminded of the ‘Pussy Riot’ band of a few years ago. Three girls then take to the stage in dressed in American high school outfits reminiscent of the 80s movie ‘Porkys’ complete red berets, knee length socks and some Tartan draped over their shoulders. The music and lyrics are hard and are peppered with strong language and politics with an over use of the middle finger salute which the crowd are fully encouraged to engage in. This is mainly aimed at US President Donald Trump and a proportion of the crowd reciprocate. With their short set continuing mainly on a political theme, there was time for reflection on sexuality and, from what I could make out, a specific part of the female anatomy together with asking the crowd if it was true that Glasgow men had big dicks. You can imagine the response to that line of questioning. With the support act over, and a 30 minute wait for the arrival, of Skunk Anansie, the temperature in the venue seemed to rise and it was rapidly becoming a sweat box. This was my memory of the last time I saw the band in this venue but no-one seemed to mind. Having initially split up in 2001 then reforming in 2009, Skunk Anansie have re-established themselves as a formidable studio band and even more formidable live band. Their lead, bass and rhythm section being just as integral to the band as their iconic front woman in “Skin’. With the O2 Academy Glasgow absolutely full, and with no space for anyone else within the tightly packed front standing area, the lights are dim and New Rose by The Damned comes over the PA. Skunk Anansie take to the stage to a massive Glasgow welcome and launch into ‘This Means War’ with lead vocalist ’Skin’, dressed in black and with her eyes masked with black mascara, prowling the stage like a caged wild animal, its clear that this is going to be a masterclass in stage presence, vocal prowess and musical brilliance. Immediately following the opening number with ‘Charlie Big Potato’ and ‘Because Of You’, I've rarely seen a crowd so much in the palm of the hand of the band on stage since I first saw Bowie in concert nearly 40 years ago - Skunk Anansie really are that powerful a live presence. The set continues with a mix of old songs, new songs and the familiar, but well constructed political themes, which are well received by the crowd. The mix of the old and new songs balance each other out and its clear some thought has been put into the setlist for this tour. With Skunk Anansie having written and played live some amazing softer songs, it is without doubt the harder songs that are the real crowd pleasers. Taking the fantastic ‘Weak’ and ‘Hedonism’ out of the equation as they are the obvious pleasers for those who are not as familiar with the back catalogue as some, it’s the bands earlier music that gets the crowd really bouncing with tracks such as ‘I Can Dream’ and ‘Yes it’s Fucking Political’ proving to be the highlights of the evening for most. Leaving the stage to join the crowd on more than one occasion, lead vocalist Skin surfed her way back to the stage to finish the main set with ‘Little Baby Swastika’ before the band returned for their encores including a snippet of the Led Zeppelin track ‘Whole Lotta Love’. How to explain the live spectacle of a Skunk Anansie gig to a newcomer - is it the he demonic stare of vocalist Skin or is it the combined musical talents of Martin "Ace" Kent on guitar, Richard "Cass" Lewis on bass or Mark Henderson on drums? No, it’s the classic formula of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts with Skunk Anansie. The easiest way to sum up Skunk Anansie live its to simply go see them. You won’t be disappointed.

Mike Dawes is an acoustic fingerstyle guitarist, who has brought redefining technique to the style of playing. Mike’s playing has the ability to fill a whole room with all the elements of song – melody, harmony, a bassline and even percussion. Bringing all of these together on one instrument is a rare thing, making his solo concert a really unique experience. I remember the first time hearing him play on YouTube, and wanting to put down my electric for good, and only play acoustic from there on. Mike Dawes has a custom made guitar, by German luthier ‘Andreas Cuntz’, which has special provisions made to fit his playing style. Examples of these customisations include a special ‘scratch pad’, and a distinct body to make hitting the guitar more accessible whilst playing, both used to emulate the sound of drums. This is a guitar I’ve watched a few ‘rig rundowns’ on, so it was really cool to see it being used in front of me. Unfortunately, due to issues with my train I missed the first 20 minutes of the show – a bit of a blow considering he played some of his more popular covers then, including ‘Jump’ by Van Halen and ‘Somebody I used to know’ by Gotye. There’s a great video of Mike playing ‘Jump’ on YouTube (that anyone reading this should watch to get an idea of his talent) where he somehow manages to play Eddie Van Halen’s guitar solo whilst continuing with the backing instrumental?! I still managed to catch plenty of the show after my delayed arrival. The show consisted primarily of covers of songs, arranged by Mike. There were a couple original pieces of music mixed in, which might have been nice to hear more of; there was a pretty big degree of experimentality in these originals, which could maybe be perceived as a bit over the top and admittedly unnecessary (like playing the strings behind the capo to add a drum beat). However, this was a Mike Dawes concert, where people have paid to see him do weird Mike Dawes things, so I welcomed it. Other noteworthy covers included ‘All Along the Watchtower’, ‘Purple Rain’ and ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. There was a great segment in the show during a cover of John Mayer’s ‘Slow Dancing in a Burning Room’, where the audience was split in half, and were instructed on what notes to sing, resulting in the whole of Oran Mór singing in harmony, ignoring my bum notes. The gig ended with Mike unplugging the guitar and having a walk about the audience, playing ‘Be My Mistake’ by The 1975, a really great ending. Mike stuck about for a pint at the merch booth once the show had wrapped up, where I got a chance to meet him and get a photo, along with everyone else waiting in line. It was Mike’s first show in Glasgow, and I’m definitely hoping for many more!

At the beginning of the year, a friend in the US who also reviews rock music was raving about a new album out of California which had just been released there on CD and vinyl only. Having heard a couple of the songs, I was interested, but my Scottish nature balked when I discovered that the CD was available for £13, but with a hefty £17 postage to the U.K. Call me tight … I prefer canny … and don’t get me wrong, I have occasionally paid that for a different version of an album released on CD from an artist I love and could guarantee would be worth the cost, but £30 felt steep for an album which I knew much less about. So, I miserly and miserably decided not to take the risk and to wait until it was released digitally, so I could download it. Fast forward three months and Frankie and the Studs’ debut album ‘Life’s A Glitch’ has finally been released more widely. Based mainly around the vocals and writing of the abundantly talented Frankie Clarke, ‘Life’s A Glitch’ provides a heady mixture of rock, punk, new wave and pop lifting the best elements from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s and still producing something which sounds fresh, urgent, raw, melodic and now. All delivered with attitude … make that attitude+. Frankie’s vocals are front and centre throughout, and underpinned by heavily guitar-driven songs with both her vocal delivery and the music shape-shifting through styles and influences within and between songs. Think Debbie Harry (and Blondie), Siouxsie Sioux (and Siouxsie and the Banshees), Chrissie Hynde (and The Pretenders) and Gwen Stefani (and No Doubt) - if you like any (or in my case) all of these singers and acts, you will love this album. Yes, big name comparisons for a new, young singer and act to stand up to, but completely deserved on the basis of this outing. Stand-out tracks include - the urgent album-opener ‘Hole in My Head’; the slamming ‘Bimini’; the chopping ‘Head Rush’; the dance floor-filling ‘Flash’ (which will have even the most “too cool to dance” rock fan rushing to put their JD down and get their freak on); the massive, driving ‘Monster’; the NY punk of ‘Can’t Stand You’; and the glorious fuzzy guitar and bubblegum punk/pop about one-sided love of ‘Nothing To Do’ complete with rock guitar solo rising above. Not to mention the heavily rock’n’roll or rockabilly-leaning lead single, ‘Fuck this shit’, which with its chorus of “Fuck this shit, Fuck You, I quit” is simple, effective and so much more than an anthem for Generation Z, and will roll back the years and also resonate with those of Generations Y and X (and anyone who’s had enough of their job); the wonderfully raucous cover of Bananarama’s ‘Venus’ also featuring Green Day’s Billy Joe Armstrong (go on, admit it - you know the words); and the sublime ‘Losing You’. The production is raw, big and beautiful, befitting the music and songs. The album was produced by Gilby Clarke, former guitarist with Guns’n’Roses, who also swapped his more usual six strings for four and played bass on a number of the songs. Not being the quickest, I didn’t initially make the familial connection as I was so engrossed in the music, but further reading confirms that Frankie is also no less than Gilby’s daughter. Having discovered this fact, I deliberately left this to the end of this review as this album deserves to be judged on its own merits - not the artist’s lineage (no matter however rocking). Having said that, Gilby could well find himself being introduced in future as “Frankie Clarke’s Dad” instead of by his past membership of G’n’R if this album has the impact it deserves. Very highly recommended. Just buy it, put it on and turn it up to loud. I might even oil the lock on my wallet and order the CD. ‘Life’s A Glitch’ is available on vinyl (12 songs) or CD (14 songs) and can be ordered directly from Dead Beat Records; it is also available on the usual digital and streaming platforms. GMcA

With the seemingly ever-changing planet we live on, it's very reassuring to still have the long-standing and wonderful Carlisle at Hastings still going at full-throttle. Forever a rock institution, and long may it continue. Now managed for some time by the fan friendly and ultra-efficient Gemma, it's a lovely diamond on the Seaside. No disappointments tonight either, as "NWOBHM" stalwarts Tygers of Pan Tang are here, promoted this evening by Phill and his team at "See Ya There Promotions", regularly dishing out the decibels in the Hastings area. The current, very impressive Tygers line-up features original Guitarist Robb Weir, Lead Singer (since 2004) Jacopo Meille, Drummer Craig Ellis (since 2000), Bassist Huw Holding, and Guitarist Francesco Marras. I'm not sure about you, but thinking of the "NWOBHM" being nearly 50 years old, astounds me. As soon as the Tygers hit the ground running with a 1-2 wallop of "Euthanasia" and "Gangland", it's even more astounding. The energy they exhibit gives you the impression that the music was written last week, not half a century ago. Lead Singer Jaco has a very easy going charm, and what a voice. He's able to trot through the registers from low to high, without the aid of a tight jockstrap. (as far as I'm aware). It's a joy to watch the lovely Robb Weir playing. Very rarely do you see him without a smile. He also interacts wonderfully with the audience, drawing everyone in at one point or another. In fact the whole group look to be enjoying their gigs, and this makes a massive difference. As the set progresses, there are several more recent cuts played. Along with the other handful of top-end groups from their era, the Tygers are still regularly releasing top quality new material. "Rock Candy" from "Animal Instinct", "Keeping Me Alive" from "Ambush" and "Fire on the Horizon" from "Bloodlines", come to mind immediately. The standard really hasn't dropped since 1980. The set steamrollers on at speed akin to Lewis Hamilton driving down a ski slope, with very little time wasted with between song ramblings. Very refreshing it is too, and also helps with the inertia of it all. It's always great to hear "Slave to Freedom" (one of the very first tracks I recall hearing from them), along with "Suzy Smiled", from that same wonderful period of time. Robb says that it's nice to so much youth in the room, then saying he was only referring to himself. After seeing him running about this evening, you can't question that..... The evening finishes with chart hit "Love Potion No.9". Another great memory, as I proudly recall this getting TV time. We didn't see that often enough with rock music in those days. Jaco mentions that there is a new album in works, though we have to be patient for now. Great news. Another electric performance from the Tygers of Pan Tang, here's to the new album. This is the start of a run of a few gigs for them, so please get along to one if you can. You'll witness one of the creme de la creme of Metal. I'm sure the Amps were turned up to 11, too......

When I asked Revenant how they’d describe their music to a newcomer, they concluded that they’re a ‘guitar band’, naming various influences but struggling to pinpoint exactly who they might sound similar to. Listening to new EP ‘Best Medicine’, I understand the struggle, as the Revenant sound is a wonderful mix of hard rocking riffs and quieter introspection, good old classic rock and occasional Southern flavour. Formed in 2023, ‘Best Medicine’ is the band’s second EP, and feels like a work of two halves. Front loaded with the noisier tracks, ‘Public Service Announcement’ is a suitably raucous introduction, getting things underway with a riff that 70s Aerosmith would have been proud of. It’s no nonsense at less than three minutes long and kicks with real attitude, the result of a rhythm section with proper wallop and two commanding guitarists giving it what for. The title track that follows has all the makings of a hit, going straight for a chorus that’s guaranteed to get lodged in your brain. It feels as uplifting as the subject matter, vocalist Sam Lay singing joyfully about his partner being the ‘Best Medicine for [his] mind’. There’s something warm and familiar about the sound; perhaps it’s the lovely harmonies or the pleasing twin guitars that reveal a Thin Lizzy influence, but Classic Rock readers had it right when they voted this one a track of the week. An appropriate centrepiece, ‘Runaway Rage’ marks something of a high point, with swampy, slide guitar giving way to a punchy chorus that makes clever use of dynamics for maximum impact. It’s an opportunity for the band to stretch out, a particularly magnificent guitar solo lighting up the second half. From here, we move into more restrained territory, but don’t let that put you off. ‘Least I Can Do’ is a truly lovely ballad, written from the perspective of a father, assuring his children that he’ll be there for them whatever life may throw. ‘Miss You’ is quieter still, Sam Lay’s vocal accompanied only by acoustic guitar, highlighting the emotion present in his performance. Where some bands seem hung up on being flashy, Revenant recognise the importance of great songs and quality songwriting. ‘Best Medicine’ is out on Friday and available to order here www.revenantsongs.co.uk Revenant play Maid of Stone Festival on Saturday 19th July - don’t miss them. Revenant is: Sam Lay - vocals/guitar Matthew Hudson - guitar Robin Nutley - bass Carl Donoghue - drums

It would be easy to place Lordi in the one hit wonder category but if you strip away all the stage sets, costumes, props and theatrics in the end you are left with a band with a thirty year history and a host of catchy sing along rock and metal songs. Indeed the band had already recorded 2 albums before they hit the big time with that defining Eurovision victory. This tour in support of their nineteenth studio album will take in much of Europe before a break and then a run of shows in September in Germany and Spain. Opening tonight are Rome based Sick N' Beautiful who return to Scotland after appearing with Wednesday 13 eighteen months ago. Akin to Lordi the band are all costumed and masked apart from singer Herma whose flawless vocals split the air throughout their set and who would give Tarja Turunen a run for her money. Opening with new song Human is Overrated there is nods to Marilyn Manson and Lacuna Coil. The thunderous cover of the Kiss song God of Thunder is very apt as the hall fills up and the crowd sing along with the classic. The bands 8 song set is well received and with their 4th album Horror Vacui due for release from Frontiers later this month named after a Latin term meaning fear of empty spaces on this performance I don't think they will be playing to many of them. The stage is now set for the “monsters” of rock and the Finnish legends hit the stage to new song Legends are Made of Cliches the fun begins, Mr Lordi controls the crowd with a waive of his large taloned hands. The songs just draw you in and you can't help but join in and sing along, we go back to the early 2000's for Girls go Chopping and the unbelievably catchy Who's your Daddy. Mr Lordi entertains the crowd between songs and jokes with the crowd that tonight's tight curfew time curtails his ability to interact but as a self confessed fat bastard he needs a breather much to the amusement of those present . As with all Lordi shows there is a fair share of props to go along with the show and those in the front rows are giving a good soaking from Mr Lordis large axe at one point followed by a large guitar shaped chainsaw making an appearance. The pace mellows for a brief moment for the almost ballad esque Call of the Wedding. The two singles from the new album Limited Deadition follow and are pure melodic metal classics in the making. Retropolis and Hellizabeth are full of hooks and great choruses and sure to be live favourites for a long time to come. The band all have short solos to allow for costume changes and there are small theatrical interludes that all seem to play around the torture of some pour soul. The strangely alluring Hella even leaves her keyboard for a moment to behead a figure much to the delight of those present. The clock is turned right back now for songs from the bands first two albums, notably heavier in sound, Blood Red Sandman, Would You Love a Monsterman and Devil Is a Loser pave the way to the final song of the night, Mr Lordi has joked throughout that apart from the first few rows this is what everyone is here for but I think he does himself a disservice there. Its hard to believe its been nineteen years since Lordi turned the Eurovision Song Contest on its head in a brief shining moment for a a contest that has become more political than musical in recent years. The victory though shot the band to stardom and Hard Rock Hallelujah is a staple rock anthem now. The crowd pump their first and Mr Lordi leads the sing along as confetti canons fill the air and then with the curfew time being met spot on its all over although it would take some time to clear with hall with the length of queue at the merch stand. The new album Limited Deadition is available now on RPM records and is worthy of inclusion in any rock n metal collection.

Quality live music in a brewery – happy days!! On my first visit to this venue, I was very impressed. Drygate is a hipster micro-brewery on the Eastern edge of Glasgow City Centre. It sits further down the road that runs behind Glasgow Cathedral, adjacent to the huge Tennent’s Caledonian Brewery and is literally in the shadow of the iconic Necropolis hill-side cemetery. The modern re-fitted former industrial building hosts various bars dispensing food and their own home brew over two floors and also features a 350-500 space performance area where this gig took place. The gig venue is largely a functionable box with a low stage and twinkly lights in the ceiling to disguise the various pipes in the roof but it is roomy and there are ample areas outside the room to chill out and enjoy a beer in comfort. There is a good-sized gated car park and ample free on-street parking too, so overall it is a tidy addition to the Glasgow gig scene and comparatively handy for a quick getaway back to Edinburgh, provided there are no slip road closures or diversions (but there always are – every f*cking time). The support artiste tonight is local lass Robyn Red and it was nice to see SJ from Morganway step up to introduce her on stage with a positive endorsement. In these tough times for independent artists, it is good to see performers supporting each other and young Robyn was also later invited to jam with the band on a song and join the obligatory post-set photo with the crowd. Robyn is starting to build a good profile as a country singer-songwriter in these parts and she certainly looks the part with a glamorous image, a signature red hat, a strong voice and an increasing cache of top-notch story-telling songs. This was a solo acoustic show (she also has a band) and showcased a handful of songs that will comprise her debut EP due in May. A couple of those songs have been released as singles and we got to hear personal tunes like ‘Between the Two of Us’ and ‘My World is Yours’ along with ‘Luke Jackson’, which Robyn was at pains to point out is not a true story as it would also double as a confession to murder if it was. Robyn is originally from Airdrie but most of her material is more suited to North Carolina than North Lanarkshire, other than the excellent drinking song ‘Just Need the Wine’ which is a pure gallus Weegie tale and was released as a single just a few days before the show. My wife and I spent a bit of time hanging out on Broadway in Nashville, Tennessee last year but we both felt that what Robyn has to offer is every bit the equal of what we heard there and she’s only going to get better and better. Robyn is very excited for an EP release show with her band at Glasgow’s famous King Tut’s venue on 7th June 2025 and she will also be appearing solo in Edinburgh with Kezia Gill on 19th April and Arbor North on 6th July, as well as dates in York, Manchester, Wales, London and Chesire, if anyone fancies painting the town red with her. Morganway put on a very enjoyable show. Not to be confused with country artist Morgan Wade, who I saw play in Glasgow 6 days previously, they are a very likeable band – all six of them – and with variety of instrumentation and shared vocals, they play a veritable compendium of styles so there is never a dull moment. They are hard to classify. Modern, indie, Brit-Americana might cover it but there is plenty there for fans of rock, pop and country and isn’t it just nice to have a band playing out of the boxes and without genre-based cliches? There is something good here for everyone. With the release of their astonishingly good third album ‘Kill the Silence’ earlier this year (still on heavy rotation in my household) they now have more than enough world-class material to choose from when compiling a headliner set. The bulk of tonight’s songs come from that latest collection, and why not? It’s “all-hit-no-shit” and full of already classic tunes. ‘Hurricane’, an older one from their self-titled album, opens the show but it is billed as ‘Harry Kane’ on the set-list as they like to play around with the song titles for their own amusement. Right from the start, SJ Mortimer imposes herself vocally, but with great backing from the rest of the band. ‘Feels Like letting Go’ is a great showcase for the violin skills of wee Nicole J Terry and that sound is one of the band’s unique selling points and integral to their signature style. Bass man Callum Morgan steps up to lead with a male vocal on a couple of songs, initially the euphoric ‘Boy on the Train’ which he wrote for his son and later on the good-time romp of ‘Goddam Time’. With the variety of vocal styles and song-writing skills, you get a Fleetwood Mac / Eagles vibe but the fiddle adds a bit of Mellencamp and there is plenty of guitar and keyboard action too. SJ is back on vocals for a sexy booty-call song called ‘Come Over’ from 2nd album ‘Back to Zero’, followed by ‘Devil’s Canyon’ and a brand new “groovy angry” song called ‘Machine’ which laments the difficulties of being independent artists and being “f*cking broke”! About halfway through their 15-song set, the band step down off the stage and form a huddle with the audience for an extraordinary and effective acoustic rendition of the uber-melodic and joyous ‘Halfway Tonight’. Robyn was invited into the virtuous circle and with everyone in the crowd involved in this up-close and personal moment, it really sealed the bond between the artists and their audience. The rest of the set is also a triumph. There is a dramatic, almost tango-esque intro for the emotive ‘Wait for Me’ and the highlights keep on coming. Kieran Morgan gets his guitar freak on during the even more dramatic ‘Kill the Silence’ which is, of course, the title of their most recent third album. We were getting near the end now but ‘Don’t Turn the Lights on Yet’ captured the mood of the crowd perfectly and it is one of the band’s finest songs, featuring the violin and all the other instruments kicking up a storm – they’re never not going to get an encore after that wee beauty. Apparently, the band wrote ‘DTTLOY’ in the van when they were snowed in at Inverurie in the North of Scotland. On this latest round of dates in Europe and the UK, poor Nicole went down with food poisoning bad enough to cause hospitalization. That can’t have been much fun in the band van either and we probably don’t need another van-tale song about that – “Shiteing Through the Eye of a Needle”? There was still time for another number before one final SJ tour-de-force vocal on ‘I Feel the Rain’ to reinforce what a quality night of music some of us had been fortunate to witness. There is a real joy about this band and they are a very likeable live presence. They might not get paid what their music deserves yet but with three albums in the bag they have all the ingredients for a very tasty career indeed. The gig might have been over but the feelgood factor was still felt a few days later and the songs will be living rent-free in my heid for a few more weeks yet. The second leg of the tour runs from 9-26 April and includes Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham, Oxford, Bristol and London. Check out the band’s Facebook page for details and don’t miss them if you live close to one of the venues.

It may have been April Fool’s Day but the lineup at the famous Cathouse Rock Club in Glasgow was far from a joke as South of Salem arrived in the city as part of their Death of the Party Tour, with High Parasite and In Search of Sun in tow as support. The Bournemouth-formed rockers, with a penchant for horror-inspired visuals and dark yet melodic hard rock/metal, have been steadily growing in stature since their 2020 debut album, with a reputation for powerful and high energy live shows. So, it was no surprise to find the venue packed on a beautiful, spring evening in Scotland’s biggest city. Since releasing sophomore album Death of the Party in early 2024, South of Salem have toured all over the UK and even into Europe in support of it, playing headline shows, support slots and festivals. They’re rightly proud of the album, so on this tour they decided to play the album from beginning to end… every single hard rocking song! But before the headliner, two support acts had a chance to shine, the first being In Search of Sun. Formed around 15 years ago, it was all going so well for vocalist Adam Leader and the band, with two albums released, momentum building and high-profile appearances at Download and Download Europe. Then… disaster, when the events of 2020 and the subsequent years of restrictions set them back. But rather than wallow in self-pity, they wrote new music, releasing the Lemon Amigos EP last year. Arriving on stage to a decent sized crowd, In Search of Sun showcased their funk-metal vibe, with tracks from their two albums and latest EP; ‘Mega Piranha’, ‘In the Garden’, ‘Contagious’, ‘The Fire I Play With’, ‘Idle Crown’, ‘Rhythm’ and ‘Bad Girl’. It was an energetic performance of great music that would thrill fans of bands such as Linkin Park, with plenty of synchronised jumping and on this kind of form, I have no doubt that the band will be back in Glasgow as headliners sooner rather than later. It was a pleasure to interview Adam after their set, so be sure to check that out on Rockfiend’s socials in the very near future.

So, another punk weekend in Scarborough was on the cards. In the company of punk encyclopaedia Pete, Andy who was driving, and Big Al who volunteered to cook for us, we made the four plus hour trip to the English Riviera who were hosting this festival for the fourth time. We loved it last year and bagged tickets for this weekend on the road home from our last outing to the seaside. Fast music is exciting and we were right up for a weekend full of it. Saturday morning, we were up good and sharp and headed down to Scarborough Spa. This is a great venue, right on the coast. The festival takes the whole place over, and that includes a well-stocked and reasonably priced bar - £5.50 for a pint is okay I reckon; an area for merch and a huge conservatory. There is also the concert hall that holds, give or take 2000. Once again, this event was a sell out; unlike many of the attendees. There were Mohawks, zips, pins and hair colour of all description being sported by fans who really did live the life. Pretty much everyone we met were great, it was good to chat with fans from across the world. The place was full of characters – the ‘one man mosh pit’ got the fan prize from us for his exuberance at being, well, a one man mosh pit for every band. There were a couple of exceptions for whom the chorus of “Nazi punk, Nazi punk…off” could have been written - but they were the very, very small minority and, I hope they will continue to feel less welcome and come in fewer number as every year passes until the time they are totally gone. However, to the music. I enjoyed last year’s bill immensely; this year’s offering was a wee bit different. The focus on Saturday was a more general punk vibe whilst Sunday had a bit more of a thrash, Oi and skin theme to it – all appealed to me. We got to the venue just in time for Riskee and the Ridicule. This was the first time I’d seen them – wow. I thought they were fantastic. A bit of hard core, a bit of rap-punk and just some good old guitar-based music. If you like the American hard core sound, they are a band for you and they would have been just as at home in the tent at Download as they were here. It was a great start to our day. I have been trying, and so far failing, to see Millie Manders and the Shut Up for a while. Like the band before them, these young punks made the stage their own. Millie banged 11 songs into her 40 minutes, Big Al thought the band had the best guitar sound of the day. The new single “Me Too” was a stick out for me. It was great seeing two young bands play it like they stole it. They filled their time and filled the stage not just music but with confidence too. Nothing was taken away at the end of the set, it was all left out there. That wasn’t lost on the crowd who filled the room for these early acts. The first of the memory lane bands to make an appearance was The Vapours. They took 34 years off from playing, during which time, front man, Dave Fenton, spent most of that period working as a lawyer for the musicians union. Their current line up included both Fenton and his son Danny. Danny, is without doubt the bounce of the band. He spent the set careering around the stage and doing the intros at the end of the set. He was a good addition and brought a youthful appeal to these aging songsmiths. I often wonder how the conversation goes in bands around when to play “that song”. For the Vapours it was third from the end of their 10 song set. As soon as that most recognisable of riffs started, the mobile phones were out and dodgy films were recorded that will, quite probably, never be looked at again. Sadly, once the song was done, a good number of punters made for the door. They missed a couple of crackers, particularly “News at Ten”. Keep the phones away and just enjoy all the music is my advice. We missed the next couple of bands as hunger took over. That’s always the challenge at Scarborough, when to eat? We decided to grab it when we needed it and so missed Random Hand and Grade Two, both of whom seemed to have been excellent, according to the hungry punters we spoke to on our return. We made it back just in time for the Bar Stool Preachers and I am so glad we did. They were outstanding. Eight power punk songs were on the menu, and they battered them all like their lives depended on it. “One Fool Down” and “Suicide Girls” were standouts for me. The band are also really nice guys. One young man named James was at the festival with his mum. The Bar Stool Preacher have looked out for James in the past and it was great to see them doing that again in Scarborough. If you get the chance to see these guys, take it! Animal and his mates were up next. You know what you are getting with the Anti Nowhere League. It’s always a little sleazy, sometimes a little bit dangerous and always a lot of fun. Tonight was no exception. It was a run out of the hits, and we loved them for it. No surprises but who needs to be surprised by bearded, tattooed, leather clad men of a certain age? They were brilliant. Saturday ended with another punk survivor – Richard Jobson, the last of the original Skids. Mind you, this new band was really good. Axe Man Connor White has a lot of heavy lifting to do. Jobson has dropped from two to one guitar in the band, and I think that is a really good thing. Connor had more space to hit the riffs and bang out the solos and I thought that made the music all the clearer. This also gave space to bass man Gil Allan. He hung off his guitar throughout the full set pounding out the distinctive basslines that so shaped The Skids sound. Gil is one of the best bass players around in my view; and that’s a pretty busy field. I always think one of the unspoken realities of punk rock is the quality of the bass guitar. There are just so many good players and stonking basslines out therein so many punk bands. The Skids gave it their all. They had an hour but pulled the pin after 50 minutes, another couple of songs would have been nice, but all the bangers were there, including a great cover of the Clash’s “Complete Control”. The end of the first day had arrived – well almost. He headed back to the wee local, The Albert, we had found near our AirBnB. We discovered a top 80/90s cover band called Codaplaying. They brought a bit of a contrast to our day and this three piece was really good at what they did. It was a nice way to end a long and fantastic day. There are few downsides about this festival, but the clocks going forward halfway through it is one of them! That meant Sunday was a bit of a slower start. This was a different day and had, very much of a hardcore/thrash punk and Oi feel to it. That looked pretty good to me, but I did get the impression there were less fans around throughout the day. Our day kicked off with Gimp Fist. I always thought of them as a fairly new band, but they have just celebrated their 20th anniversary! Once again, an absolutely belting set I thought. “Working Class”, “Skinhead not Bonehead” and their finisher, “Here I Stand” were the stick outs for me. I loved their energy, I loved the riffs and I loved the enthusiasm. They are in Scotland later this year, I will be there – a brilliant live band. I have always liked Steve Ignorant and Crass were one of the stickouts in punk. Today I though Steve and his band were outstanding. Musically, I thought they were a bit of an outlier today and they brought a show that was a wee bit Avant Guard to the Scarborough stage. Vocalist, Carol Hodge led on a few songs, including my personal favourite “Shaved Women”. I thought Carol added a different feel to the music and really added a layer. Steve Ignorant was always somebody I respected, he lived the life he professed, vegetarian, commune member and pacifist. He is many things, ignorant is not one of them. This set made me smile. By now hunger was setting in again, but Conflict were up next. It was surprising to see Wattie Buchan from the Exploited take the stage with the band; there was a well documented fall out between Wattie and Conflict. Things may be thawing – he took to the stage to let us know Conflict singer Colin Jerwood would not be appearing and was being replaced by Fiona Jayne Friel for all songs. After a cry of ‘punks not dead’ Wattie left the stage and Fiona got on with it. She was great. Energy, pink hair and a real punk attitude carried her and her band through their set. We left after a few songs for a quick bite, they were just finishing when we got back and the crowd were going nuts – Fiona did well. Charged GBH are one of the bands I was looking forward to seeing. Jock Blyth is an Edinburgh man and was a central figure in the annual Punk for Pam festival in the city, which raised money for charity in his sister Pam’s, name. These are a band of guys who simply look punk and no one more so than Colin Abrahall who, with his spiked hair and tied up leather jacket clings to the mic as he belts out thrash punk classics. The crowd take a minute to warm up, but the one man mosh pit is there, and they are off and forty minutes of thrash was well received. Personal topper for me…“City Baby Attacked by Rats”. I loved it. For Big Al, Booze and Glory were the band of the day. This Polish/English mix really brought out a great punk Oi vibe that really resonated with the crowd. They were also a great lead up to The Cockney Rejects. I had no idea what to expect from the Rejects. I’ve seen them a few times and always enjoyed them but then they retired and almost immediately popped back up with Stinky Turner leading a new band of troupers. I’ll tell you what I didn’t expect, I didn’t expect them to be this good! They were flying – former Toy Doll, Olga on guitar had a great sound and just carried the music all night, JJ Pearce claimed the bass lines and Ray Bussey kept the rhythm clean throughout this 50 minute set. The new look Rejects are every bit as good as the last incarnation. There is a revived feel and freshness to the songs. I look forward to going to see them again soon. Last up, another Edinburgh legend, Wattie Buchan leader of The Exploited. I first found The Exploited when I saw the title of their first album, “Punks Not Dead” graffitied all around Wester Hailes when I was on the bus going to school. I liked the album from the get-go. I loved the thrash, the DIY production and the don’t give a monkey’s attitude of it all. Alas, it didn’t go great for the band on Sunday. Their sound was not all it could have been and, like a good few others, I called it quits after about 20 minutes and headed for a reflective beer. Once again, Scarborough put on a great punk festival. I loved it that they called in the talents of less well known and younger bands like The Bar Stool Preachers and Millie Manders as well as Gimp Fist and Booze and Glory. Looking around the auditorium, punk is not getting any younger. Festivals like this can’t survive solely on the antics of the old guard, they need to promote new bands and get them up the roster. That would support both the bands and keep festivals alive for years to come. This year, I felt Scarborough got the mix right. It was great to see the League and GBH but equally fantastic to see Riskee and the Ridicule making an appearance too. Early bird tickets went on sale at 1000 on the morning we were leaving. A wee bit jaded, we pulled the car into Greggs, grabbed a cup of tea and a yum yum. Bang on 1000 Big Al got his credit card out and bought the tickets for next year. We’ve no idea who the line-up is, but we do know it’ll be another great gathering of the Punk Clan by the seaside, both on and off the stage and it’ll be a privilege to see, most of, them again. Punks not dead…just yet!