When the opening riffs of the first song on The Twin
Dracula’s new EP Death Is Our Client kick in you know straight away your about
to get rocked. Nom De Plume sets out the stall for what the Reading based band
are all about. Intense, fast, hard and aggressive music with absolutely no
compromise.
Nom De Plume has a reasonably lengthy musical intro which
leads to a great feeling on anticipation when the vocals hit you. When they do
it feels like getting smashed in the face with a brick, but in a really great
way (if there is such a thing). The vocals are delivered quickly during the
verses, keeping up the intense feel of the song whilst the chorus have more of
a hook to them to give everyone a chance to sing with the band. Midway through
Nom De Plume the band break it down before finishing with a big intense finale.
The second track Occultimate Warrior ramps the aggression up
a couple more notches. This is technical hardcore punk rock at its finest. The
speed in which the guitars are played is fantastic and really give the song a
great amount of energy. At just over two minutes long the song is the shortest
by some way on the release but that doesn’t matter. It fits everything it needs
to into those two minutes. I really like the atmospheric gang vocals at the end
of the song.
Death Is Our Client finishes off with Newtown Jazz Revival. This
song has a bit more of an alternative rock feeling to it. Starting out with a
bass line before the whole band join make the song instantly recognisable. The
vocal on this track are different to the first two songs, it’s more of a slow and
deliberate delivery as opposed to the fast, intense and aggressive nature we
had heard previously. The use of gang vocals on the chorus is great, gives a
fantastic sense of tightness within the band. I really enjoyed the break down
towards the end of the song, allowing the band to show off all their musical skill
whilst the singer shows off some more of his excellent vocal range.
Death Is Our Client is a very strong release from Twin
Dracula. Bandcamp tells me that this is their third release since May 2014, if
they can continue to churn out efforts as good as this at such a rate you will see
very big things from this band.
It’s that time of year again, that year when I get annoyed
by the TV and newspapers constant coverage of The X-Factor. My gosh that show
really annoys me. Fame hungry wannabes trying to get famous by using a sob
story to garner votes from the public to make them lots of money. When I see
these fools I think of all the bands that I love you travel up and down the
country, usually making a loss to play their music to half empty rooms just
because it’s what they believe in and what they love. Bands like these will be
about long after whatever cookie cutter boy band or RnB diva who will
inevitably win this year are gone and forgotten forever. Here is another collection
of some of the amazing acts in the United Kingdom that deserve your attention.
Acid Drop are a street/skate punk band from Leeds currently
signed to TNS Records and their own Pie Race Records. Their songs are full of
fast paced gravelly vocals and big sing along choruses. Check out the songs
Polly Piper and My Direction.
Andrew Cream is one of a number of fantastic folk/punk
musicians in the underground scene. Hailing from Peterborough this gentleman’s
songs are beautifully written and really make you think. This man has some
serious talent and needs to be noticed. Check out Celebrate Variety and It’s My
Day.
I can’t think of many bands that would fit into the genres
of folk, punk and ska but one that definitely does is Bandit The Panther from
London. They are a band I really want to see live due to their big chorus. This
is fun and unique music that will get you dancing and singing along but also
has a message. Check out 1-Up The Punks and Tesco Value Horror.
From Leeds, Big Wow are a three piece power pop band
featuring members from The Dauntless Elite and Get Human. I caught them live
earlier this year and loved their performance. They played hard and fast but
were also endearingly awkward. They have released their debut album Teamwork
Makes The Dream Work on Specialist Subject Records. Check out Art Without Plans
and Best Intention.
Billy Liar is an acoustic punk musician from Edinburgh
signed to Make-That-A-Take Records. Drawing on the influences of the ‘77 punk
rock attitude and the story telling balladry of his Scottish roots he has
crafted some beautiful songs about standing up for what you believe in and
making a difference. Check out Change and All I’ve Got.
Bottler are a four piece melodic punk band from London.
Their debut EP Smithereens (put out by their own Disconnect Disconnect Records)
is one of my favourite releases of the year. Song topics include being in
bands, religion and breaking the law. Check out Ex-Members and Smithereens.
Four piece Watford band Cement Matters play soul punk. Having
just released their debut album Drinking Seawater, these gentlemen are set to
become big players in the UK punk world. They combine punk rock riffs with
heartfelt vocals to create a sound all of their own. Check out Battery Acid and
House Fire Heat.
Chairmen Of The Bored are a band that who where their
influences of their sleeves, combining their love of band such as Strike
Anywhere, Lagwagon and Anti Flag to create an aggressive skate punk sound.
Check out Growing Up/Giving In and Stand As One.
Featuring members of former Southampton based punk rockers
Our Time Down Here, Creeper are a band going places in a hurry. Musically you
can hear how influenced they are by bands like Alkaline Trio and AFI but have
also put their own spin on it. Absolutely fantastic band. Check out We Had A
Pact and Gloom.
Darko are a hardcore melodic punk band from Guilford
currently signed to Lockjaw Records. They take the technical guitars of A Wilhelm
Scream and mix with a skate punk sound similar to Strung Out to create some
awesome sing along anthems. This year they released their latest EP Sea Of
Trees. Check out Timepieces & Locked Shaped Hearts and Chewbacca Defence.
The Dead Anyways are a punk rock band from Bromley. This
year they released their debut EP Direct Me Home. It’s an EP containing four
songs about feeling lost, drinking anyway your problems and break ups. Check
out Lost To The Fog and Oscar Wilde At Heart.
Bolton pop punk band Don Blake are probably one of the best
kept secrets in the UK punk scene. They play fast fun pop punk filled with
great harmonies. If you’re a fan of bands such as The Copyrights, The
Dopamines or Teenage Bottlerocket (and
who isn’t!?) then Don Blake are a band you will love. Check out Legacies and
The Ballad Of Bonnie Mcfarlane.
Drones are a hardcore punk band from Camberley, currently
signed to Lockjaw Records they have released their debut album Mutiny and a
follow up EP Free Marked Kid. Channelling bands such as Anti Flag and Rise
Against tey have become one of the most highly thought of bands in the scene.
Check out Assassins Of Youth and Burnt Stitches.
Scottish melodic hardcore band Get It Together that play
fast and loud. Late in 2013 they released the EP Perspectives which is full of
songs about friendship, standing up for yourself, hating your job and living
life to the fullest. Check out Unforgettable and Stumble, Fall, Get Up.
Giants are a young up and coming hardcore skate punk band
from Essex. The music is fast and aggressive and guaranteed to get the kids in
the pit extremely rowdy. Their song contain some fantastic gang vocals that
give the feeling of everyone being in this together, Check out Did It Mean So
Much To You and Misguided (which has a fantastic opening bass intro).
Signed to Paper + Plastick in the USA and All In Vinyl in
the UK are Birmingham’s Guerilla Monsoon. Playing some of the best melodic punk
rock this side of the Atlantic the vocals remind me of Ann Beretta’s vocalist
Rob Huddlestone, which is a great thing. Check out Summer Romantics and
Believers.
Hated Til Proven are a ska punk band from Warrington who
formed in 2008 and are signed to TNS Records. Combining break neck punk rock
music and aggressive, passionate vocals Hated Til Proven fill the listener with
a lot of energy. Check out Don’t Go Breaking My Legs and Going To War.
Haters are a female front pop punk band in Brighton. They
formed in 2013 and earlier this year they released their debut EP Skip To The
End, produced by known other than Thom Weeks from Gnarwolves. Check out Chuck
Your Boyfriend (Have A Sandwich) and Skip To The End.
From Leeds, The Human Project played fast, melodic punk
rock. Technical guitars, urgent vocals and fantastic Bad Religion-esque
harmonies are what to expect from one of the most highly thought of bands in
the scene. Check out Seance Fiction and No Brainer.
From Colchester via the Midlands comes acoustic folk punk
Jonathan Marriott. Armed with just an acoustic guitar Marriott passionately
sings with his heart on his sleeve. This music is what music should be about,
raw, passionate and full of heart. Check out This Is Your Scene and We Are Not
What We Own.
To Live And Die In West Central Scotland is the title of The
Kimberly Steaks debut album. Released on All In Vinyl it is an album full of pop
punk bangers. Played at break neck speed only three songs on the album break
the two minute mark in length (one is astonishingly five minutes long, unheard
of for a pop punk song). Fast, fun and superbly catchy, check out Career
Progression and My Quarter Life Crisis.
The Lemonaids are another pop punk from Scotland. Influenced
by bands such as The Ramones, The Beach Boys and The Queers this play fun,
light hearted music. The music is fast and tight and there are some harmonies
the Beach Boys themselves would be proud of. Check out Surfing Valentine and
Beach Blonde Girl.
Losing Sleep are a pop punk band from Kingston who I have
had the pleasure of seeing live a couple of times this year. These four young
men are fantastic at what they do and could easily give some of their American
counterparts a run for their money. Check out This Is My Dillon Now and This Is
Kingston Not LA.
Louise Distras embodies what punk rock for this generation
is all about, breaking boundaries, standing up for yourself and what you
believe in and community. The attitude is fantastic, the music is even better. Raw,
powerful and filled with strong, positive messages. Check out Shade Of Hate and
Stand Strong Together.
Maid Of Ace are an all female street punk band from
Hastings, combining the spirit of ’77 with the aggression of The Casualties to
great effect. Fantastic live and recorded they are a band to look out for if
you’re a fan of old school or new punk. Check out Enemy Within’ and Bone Deth.
Martha are a pop punk band from Pity Me in Durham featuring
both members of ONSIND. As you would expect their songs are fantastically
written and are extremely catchy. Something I really love about the band is
that all the members take turns to sing lead vocals which makes the band feel
really fresh. Their newestalbum Courting Strong is one of the best releases
this year. Check out Present, Tense and Sleeping Beauty.
Nathan Detroit are an emo/pop punk band from Trowbridge.
Their songs are packed with memorable melodies and big punchy choruses. They
are a band with a massive amount of potential and are on the cusp of becoming
huge in the UK’s alternative scene. Check out I Will Always Be Part Of This
World and Come Home.
Other Half are a punk rock band from Norwich featuring Cal
and Sophie from Ducking Punches. Channelling 1990’s indie punk this three piece
write some fantastic catchy songs about relationships, youth culture, job and
Osker (the band). Check out Loomer and Dimmer, Still.
Gruff punk rock band Only Strangers are from Stoke On Trent.
With influences such as The Lawrence Arms, Alkaline Trio and Hot Water Music
you can expect well written songs with brilliant shout at the top of your
voice, fists in the air choruses. Check out The Amalgamation Of Crispin Glover
and Fail To Notice.
Paperjets are a four piece pop punk band from London. Inspired
and influenced by the 1990’s Lookout era of pop punk expect, fast pace guitars,
hook filled verses and catchy choruses complete with excellent harmonies. Check
out Green Eyed Girl and Rescue Me.
Revenge Of The Psychotronic Man are a three piece band from
Manchester who formed in 2004. Their music can be described as hardcore thrash
punk. I would describe it as a fun whirlwind of noise. The music is fun of
aggression and barely comes out of top gear. Check out Ready, Steady Bastard
and Get Pissed, Talk Shit And Dance Like An Idiot.
Glaswegian skate punk band Sink Alaska formed in 2013.
Combining 90’s UK pop punk with a modern day melodic punk sound these lads play
some fantastic music. Why they are a lot bigger I don’t know, the music is punk
enough to keep the punk rockers happy but there is also an accessibility to
people who wouldn’t usually listen to this type of music to enjoy it. Check out
The Path Of Least Resistance and The World Ain’t What It Seems Gunny.
Skank Agenda are one of the most unique bands in the UK’s
punk scene. Their latest album Hate This Shit is packed with some raw and
wonderful acoustic punk. With topics ranging from drug addiction and politics
to George Clooney and playing friends punk music, I’m fully convinced Skank
Agenda can write a great song about anything. Check out Pete On Drugs and
Educating Richard.
Five piece punk rock band Sombulance are from Portsmouth and
London. Like so many bands in the scene they are heavily influenced by the
Epitaph and Fat Wreck Chords bands such as Strung Out, Propaghandi, Hot Water
Music and Ten Foot Pole. The music is fast and urgent and the mixture of
singing and screaming really adds another dimension to their songs. Check out
Wake Up Bitch You’re My New Best Friend and Airstrip One.
Brighton’s Summerslam 88 remind me of Maniacal Laughter era
Bouncing Souls. Combining some hard punk rock riffs with a pop punk style song writing.
Writing songs that need to be sung as loud as possible is something Summerslam
88 clearly specialises in. Check out The Prawn Don’t Know and YOLO.
Tindall are a pop punk band from Slough who play pop punk
the way it’s supposed be played – fast, loud and catchy. Having already been
compared to established bands such as Weezer, Alkaline Trio and The Ataris it’s
clear that Tindall have a massive upside. Check out Song 5 and 1918.
Throwing Stuff are a hardcore punk band from London,
Manchester and Liverpool. To fully appreciate just how good Throwing Stuff are
you have to see them live. Everything is turned up to eleven and played at a
hundred miles an hour. Lead singer Ben throws himself about the stage as he
bellows out Throwing Stuffs songs with a fantastic amount of ferocity. Check
out Big Yellow Taxi and Steve's Job.
Triple Sundae are a four piece melodic punk band from the
South of England. Taking influence from the old school of punk as well as the
new they write songs about social anxieties and personal issues. In April of this
year they released their EP The Brainfreeze. Check out Unseen and Recluse.
When most people think of the seaside town of Hastings they
think of a famous power, after hearing their newest EP Antidote I will now also
think of the melodic punk band Vice Like Grip. With songs packed with massive
hooks and even bigger choruses Vice Like Grip are definitely a band to look out
for. Check out Punch Drunk and Rise And Fall.
We Come First are a pop punk band from Surrey. These fellas
have written some brilliant punk rock that needs to be sung loud with fists in
the air. It’s fantastically fun pop punk with a great British feel to it. You
can imagine the songs been played in a cockney knees up or at a punk rock gig.
Excellent stuff! Check out How Could Anyone Love Me and Knees Up Of Suburbia.
From Colchester, The Wreck Up are a punk rock band featuring
three members of the ska band New Town Kings. Clearly influenced by legendary
punk bands Rancid and The Clash these boys have written some tightly played
punk songs that are dying to be sung along to. Check out Proppin’ Up The Bar
and Nothin’ Left To Lose.
Another band from Hastings are Xup-Sup. Who knew so much
great punk rock was coming from that town? Xup-Sup play punk of the poppy
variety and do it very well. Playing some catchy summer time pop music as well
as any of their American counterparts Xup-Sup seem destined for great things. Check
out Never See You Again and Shut me Out.
Young Attenborough are a indie pop punk band from Brighton. Something
I really love about this band is that all three members take turns in singing.
This leads to some brilliantly interesting songs and some cracking harmonies.
Check out Cables and Planned Obsolescence.
Now listening to Temple Grandin Too by Andrew Jackson Jihad
A couple of weeks ago I called The Menzingers gig at the
Electric Ballroom one of the most anticipated gigs of the year. Well if that
was true then last night’s gig at the Islington Academy definitely had the
same, if not more level of anticipation attached to it. For the first time in
four years the kings of Chicago punk rock, Brendan Kelly, Neil Hennessy and
Chris McCaughan, collectively known as The Lawrence Arms were in town.
I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that support for the
gig and the entire tour would be provided by two of the brightest lights in the
UK punk rock scene, Bangers and Sam Russo. I really thought this was a great
move by the Lawrence Arms, they could have easily brought two American bands
over the Atlantic with them but chose to bring to UK acts shows a great amount
of support for our scene.
Up first were Cornwalls Bangers. This trio play fast pop
punk with guitarist and singer Roo Pescod’s voice being one of the most unique
in the scene. I was very curious to see how they would perform on a bigger
stage having only seen them at small venues like the Old Blue Last or The Black
Heart before. I am happy to report that they absolutely smashed it. A band with
Bangers sound belongs on a big stage. Roo’s gruff, gravelling growl fills up
the room and when it is accompanied by bassist Andrew Horne harmonies it makes
the songs sound huge. Other than not playing my two favourite Bangers songs
(Straight Gin Makes You Batshit Crazy and Banging) it was a flawless set from
Bangers.
Fresh from a tour with the pop punk criminals Masked
Intruder Sam Russo was back on the road again. Like Bangers I’d only ever seen
him perform in smaller venues and was again intrigued to see how he would
perform on the bigger stage. Mr Russo played it brilliantly, his story like
songs really capture your heart. I really believe that Sam Russo is the best “singer-songwriter”
this country has to offer and on a night when a certain Ed Sheeran was playing
at the O2 Arena (where all his fans packed my train and made it late and
generally got on my nerves) he showed to a couple of hundred punk rockers in
Islington where the true talent lies. It’s only a matter of time before Sam
Russo is the biggest thing in music in this country.
I have to admit I was quite slow to the table when it comes
to The Lawrence Arms. I think due to the eight year gap between Oh! Calcutta! and
newest album Metropole I never really gave them a proper listen. I’ve always
enjoyed everything I have heard by them but never really loved them like most
other fans of punk rock I know. That is until last night, I now absolutely love
The Lawrence Arms. I don’t think you can ever get a true appreciation of how
good a band is until you see them perform live and Brendan, Neil and Chris
really showed Islington why they are so highly thought of. Brendan’s harsh and
urgent vocal styling combined with Chris’s more melodic and relaxed sound complimented
each other brilliantly as they played hit after hit from their catalogue of
songs. The crowd really ate this up and went wild for The Lawrence Arms, mosh
pits, crowd surfs and massive sing alongs happened in abundance. Highlights of
the set included the songs Like A Record Player, 100 Resolutions and The
Ramblin’ Boys Of Pleasure where Sam Russo joined in with backing vocals. As
talented as the whole band is Brendan Kelly really stood out as a performer,
stalking around the stage between his vocals you could see how much fun he was
having, even laughing mid song when he saw a male crowd surfer clinging on to a
tote bag.
This had been an absolutely amazing gig and everyone left in
great spirits having just witnessed one of the greatest punk rock bands of our
generation as well as two of the best acts England has to offer. On my train
journey back to Colchester I was thinking some more about The Lawrence Arms and
about why they are so good. Great musicianship and song writing –for sure! But
also because there isn’t another band that is quite like them in terms of their
sound, something very rare in the punk rock world. Why is that you think? I
think it’s because there isn’t another band on earth who can play with the “Lawrence
Arms sound” and be anywhere near as good.
When a band like the Street Dogs calls you the best punk
rock band in the UK it’s quite the compliment. That was the statement made by
the legendary Mike McColgan when I saw Roughneck Rio support the Street Dogs
back in December 2012. This month the celtic punk six piece from Warrington
released a brand new full length on TNS Records titled Out Of Anger. I just had
to check it out.
The opening track Animosity serves as a statement of intent
of want to expect from the album. Politically charged anthems played with a
great deal of passion and skill. Caitlin Costello’s banjo takes the lead in the
intro to the song before lead singer Matty Humphries vocals take us down a path
describing the frustrations that lie in a lack of community. This is followed
by the song Parasites. Starting out with some rapid fire drum roles accompanied
by banjo and mandolins before a song calling out the money men running the
country comes to life. Resistance is a call to arms to encourage to speak out
and stand up for what they believe while you still can. I love the chorus of “Fan
The Flames, Rattle The Cage And Fight! We’ll Go Down With This Ship, If We Don’t
Start Tonight, Fan The Flames, Rattle The Cage And Sing! All For One And One
For All, Never Meant A Thing!”
All That We Know is a slow building song that grows into a
frantic finale. It’s about being brave enough to let go of everything you rely
on and standing on your own two feet. England’s Desperate Liars opens up with a
long musical intro before Mattys vocals attack you at break neck speed. Something
that I really enjoy about Matty’s vocals is that he doesn’t try and sing in a
faux Irish accent like many singers in the genre do. Englands Desperate Liars
is an assault against the EDL party and the propaganda that they spread. Should
We? is inspired by and includes the words to the poem Should We by Laura
Taylor. The song starts off with a more punk rock feel to it than any of the
songs so far on Out Of Anger with Chris Green’s guitar starting off proceedings.
The song continues down the theme of resistance being brave enough to stand up
for what you believe in. The Green, Unpleasant Land starts off with a sea
shanty feel before the full band joins in. Inspired by The Kielder Hunt by
James Armstrong it’s an anti hunting songs describing the horrific events of a
hunt. A brilliantly written song that really makes you think.
There is another long and slow building intro on Never
Silenced, Never Stopped. It’s an
interesting song that bursts into life with a punk rock anthem about never giving
up the fight. I imagine that this song would be great as a opening track for a
live set. The next song Each Man’s Hell follows on seamlessly. This song strays
away from politics and focuses on mental health. It’s about realising that
somethings not right with yourself and working out what it is. The song
features some great oozing ahs harmonies from the band. The Other Side is a mid
tempo song about the selfish Western world culture and making people realising
there are people in the world who don’t have anything and need help. I particularly
loved the lyric “As Long As They’ve Got Their Big Name Brands, Who Cares About
The Land Where Rivers Run Dry?”
Need I Remind You starts out with a thumping drumbeat and
some fantastic banjo chords that really caught my ears. Samuel Bell’s accordion
really stands out during the chorus as Matty sings about going down a bad path
and not being able to get off it. The Last Of Us is a working class anthem
about going out to work every day and making barely enough to live. A hugely
relatable song for anyone in a dead end job living pay cheque to pay cheque
whilst the fat cats do nothing and live extremely comfortable lives. The guitar
tones at the beginning of Too Late have a dark feeling to them before the banjo
and mandolin pick up the tempo of the song. The song itself is a sombre one
about living it too late to tell someone who is dying how you feel. Out Of
Anger finishes with the song He Never Came Home. Here the band sings about a
friend who left and never came back and hoping that they are okay. Matty and Caitlin’s
harmonies at the end sound great as they sing “We Watched The Naivety Of Youth
Slip Away, All Innocence is Lost Along With Trouble Free Days, We Came To
Realise That All There Was Of A Friendship Is Dead.
On Out Of Anger Roughneck Riot prove why they are so highly
thought of by their peers. They’ve taken a different approach to this album, slowing
it down somewhat to really allow their message to come through but they have
still made their best album yet. Fantastic songwriters and musicians Out Of
Anger proves that Roughneck Riot are the real deal.
The sounds of summer were being brought to the Garage in
London on a damp and miserable Tuesday night. The lords of dirty reggae The
Aggrolites were playing tonight and they had Intensified and my favourites the
New Town Kings In tow.
I had never heard of Intensified before they were added to
the bill at the last minute. I was pleasantly surprised by their traditional
ska sound. They played incredibly tightly as a band (unsurprising given that
have been together for twenty years) and really seemed to love what they were
doing. I can’t say enough that how important it is for a crowd to see the band enjoying
themselves, it forces them to enjoy it more as well even if you’re not aware of
who the band are. Intensified were a really strong opening act.
Up next were Colchester’s finest the New Town Kings. This
would be my fourth time seeing them this year and eighth time overall (tying
them with Less Than Jake and The Skints as the band I’ve seen the most times)
and I was as excited as ever. Despite having seen them so much lately the band
surprised me with their opening song. They played the unreleased Francine in a
very brave move. Unless you have caught the band live (and if you haven’t you definitely
should) you won’t have heard the song and might be a little hesitant to have a
dance. The crowd were a little slow to get moving but this just encouraged the Kings
to put even more energy into their performance. Front man Dabs is a man full of
energy and worked extremely hard to get the crowd moving and soon enough they
did. I strongly believe it’s impossible not to enjoy yourself during a New Town
Kings set and this performance was as good as any other time I’ve seen them.
Songs of the new EP Pull Up & Rewind, Luna Rosa and Grabbed My Hand sounded
fantastic as did staple of their set Dynamite, New Town Hop and of course Fire
In The Hole. The New Town Kings continue to prove why they are the best ska
band in the country.
The Aggrolites are a five piece reggae band from Los
Angeles. It was interesting to see the sheer array of different people from
different age groups and subcultures who turned up to see The Aggrolites such
is the popularity of the band. Jesse Wagner and his crew were unbelievably
tight musically. I don’t think I’ve seen many bands play as well together as
The Aggrolites do. They were always in sync and never missed a beat. Playing a
collection of songs across their entire discography they had the entire garage crowd
moving. I was especially impressed by organ player Roger Rivas, his skills at
the keys really gave a lot of life to The Aggrolites music. They played a cover
of an old Jamaican rocksteady song which also went down a storm. They left one
big surprise for the encore though. After playing a cover of UB40’s Red Red
Wine they were joined by a very (pardon the pun) special guest. None other than
Lynval Golding from legendary ska band The Specials. They covered another old
Jamaicam rocksteady track before an amazing cover of The Beatles Don’t Let Me
Down. The Aggrolites really showed why they are so respected in the reggae
world and Linval himself joked he was officially leaving The Specials to join
The Aggrolites.
A really joyous night of reggae and ska from both sides of
the Atlantic.
