One of my best finds this year (and there have been a few)
is Edinburgh's Paper Rifles. He blew me away earlier this year with his EP Politics.
It is an EP full of passionate and honest acoustic punk sing-a-longs. Last
month he released a new single on Struck Dum Records called Songs For Ophelia.
The opening song, Ophelia, reminded me straight away of what
I loved so much about Politics; Jon's amazing voice. It just makes me want to
care about the songs without even knowing what they are about. Ophelia is a
really sad song about being at the end of your life and wanting to be finished.
The content is really dark and depressing but the tone of the song somehow
feels uplifting and like a celebration. Turn The Lights Down feels like classic
Paper Rifles. It's a song about being in a bad relationship but things then
feeling better when your favourite song comes on the radio. Jon's vocal
delivery is pure story teller mode, taking you on a journey that makes you feel
like you know the characters in the song before moving into a big chorus that
will get any live crowd singing. The EP concludes with a track titled Lower. It
feels like there is a lot more urgency on this song with the acoustic guitar
strings being strummed much harder than on the previous songs. The song builds
and builds towards the end of the song where Jon's voice is at its passionate
best. It makes we want to sing along with him. Excellent stuff from an
extremely talented man. He's playing Book Yer Anne Fest in Dundee this November
and I am incredibly excited to see him perform live. Everyone should go and buy
all his releases and see him as soon as you can.
You know when you do things because the person you like
wants to do it and you want to spend time with them? That's how I ended up at
The Old Blue Last in Shoreditch this week to watch two acts I knew nothing
about other than their names. What started as a night of spending time with
someone lovely turned into a night of seeing some fantastic music with someone
lovely and I got to discover Northcote and their support The Lion And The Wolf.
The Lion And The Wolf took to the tiny OBL stage about 9pm
and I instantly pointed out that he had a cast on, so how could he play guitar?
Apparently he broke his wrist skateboarding. The room, which was half full at
this point, fell completely silent as soon as he began his set of acoustic
melancholy tunes. I think the best word to describe the performance would be
captivating. This was a world away from the fast-and-loud punk rock that I'm
used to but I couldn’t take my eyes away from the stage. In all honesty the
music isn't something I'd ever listen to on my record player but live The Lion
And The Wolf really are fantastic; he is an incredibly talented performer.
Canadian four piece Northcote really impressed me. I can't
remember the last time I saw a band that I'd never listened to before and enjoyed
it anywhere near as much as I enjoyed Northcote. They reminded me of a cross
between Red City Radio and The Gaslight Anthem (before they sucked). This was
passionate and heartfelt punk rock with a healthy dose of blues. Lead singer
Matt Goud is an extremely likeable frontman who clearly loves what he does and
puts every last ounce of energy into his performance. There were three stages
in Northcotes performance: firstly the full band playing electrically, then
Goud playing acoustically on his own and lastly acoustically whilst being backed
by the band. All were fantastic and the changes in style really stopped the
performance from getting stale. Northcote played a selection of old songs as
well as some new ones from their upcoming album, Hope Is Made Of Steel, which I
am now very excited to check out, you should too!
In ten days one of the legends of the UK's ska punk scene,
Random Hand, are sadly calling it a day for the foreseeable future. They have
been at the forfront of a scene that has been rammed full of some really
amazing bands in the last few years. Bands like Sonic Boom Six, The Skints,
Anti-Vigilante and Mouthwash have all taken the scene by storm but have never had
the same impact on the fans that Random Hand have. To celebrate their career I
am doing a list of (in no particular order) my top ten songs by them.
Tales Of Intervention
- Seethin' Is Believing
Tales Of Intervention is the opening song on Seethin' is
Believing. Beginning with a fast trombone riff that can really get a crowd
moving, it's a song about tearing down the borders that our leaders have put up
and accepting everyone no matter where they are from. It has a big break down
where everyone shouts "We Are Not Our Leaders" that is very powerful in
a live setting.
Anthropology - Change
Of Plan
If I am ever asked to think of Random Hand songs that hit a
hard punch from the outset, the first I think of is always Anthropology from
Change Of Plan. With its metal riffs and police sirens the song has your
attention instantly and you’re ready to go insane even before the verse hits
and it becomes more of a soft, skanking number. This change in styles
throughout the song is something Random Hand have always excelled at.
Scum Triumphant -
Change Of Plan
I love Scum Triumphant so much that I had it as the ringtone
on my phone for years. This is one of those songs where I am just baffled about
how Robin does it; big trombones blasts as well as some pretty fast paced vocal
delivery, he must have a hell of a set of lungs. Scum Triumphant is a positive
song about being in the underground and coming together as a community to
become stronger.
Not A Number -
Seethin' Is Believing
Not A Number is a working class anthem about standing up for
yourself and your colleagues against "the man". This song moves at a
slower pace than most Random Hand songs, but this is effective as it makes you
really listen to the meaning of the song rather than getting swept away with
the passion and energy like you would on faster songs. The song builds towards
a massive finale with a cry of “We’re Not A Number Sitting On A Page, And We’re
Not Gonna Settle For The Minimum Wage".
Play Some Ska -
Change Of Plan
Play Some Ska was the first Random Hand song I ever heard
and I probably listened to it purely because of its name. It’s another perfect
live track, with its big, memorable chorus and a melody that you can't not jump
to. The song’s about opening your mind and listening to a different style of
music and not just assuming you won't like it because it's different. Random
Hand would be huge if people actually thought like this.
The Right Reasons -
Inhale/Exhale
Starting with one of Robin's most recognisable trombone
riffs, The Right Reasons is a song about life in a small punk band. It talks
about doing things the right way, by working together as a community and not
being in it for the money but for the love of what you're doing. The chorus
sums it up perfectly with a cry of "WE DON'T DO THIS TO WIN!"
3 From 6 - Seethin'
Is Believing
3 From 6 has a hard intro that makes me want to bang my head
before the ska upstrokes and trombone come into play. This track is about
trying to stop xenophobia and having to keep fighting the good fight because
unfortunately there will always be people fighting for the bad guys.
Devil's Little Guinea
Pig - Inhale/Exhale
After a fun intro Devil's Little Guinea Pig starts with a
big gang vocal of "You Say" that really grabs your attention. The
song then goes along a nice trail of bouncy ska verses and big crunching
hardcore choruses. Random Hand have always been the one of the best at blending
ska and punk with some thunderous metal riffs.
Bones - Seethin' Is
Believing
Bones is another crowd favourite - a good, positive song
about living your life to the fullest because you won't be able to when you're
dead. No use in having lots of regrets. Musically it does not pull up any trees
with its bouncy ska verse and big chorus but there is a fantastic trombone
section during the song that breaks it up.
Anger Management -
Inhale/Exhale
Anger Management has long been a crowd favourite at Random
Hand gigs. The song is about controlling your negative emotions and using them
positively. It's a good message for the whole punk rock movement. The song
itself has everything I want in my punk rock: it has a great message, a big
chorus, harmonies and a massive break down to really lose yourself in.
Bearwith me because this could be really confusing: Mick O'Toole are a five piece
band from Calne in Wiltshire. They are a five piece Celtic punk band and not a
singer/songwriter as the name suggests and I foolishly thought. The name of the
band comes from the name of a character in a song by the band The Boys Of
County Hell who are a big inspiration on Mick O'Toole. Recently they released a
new EP named 1665 Pitchfork Rebellion and, as I love me some Celtic punk, I
gave it a listen.
The first song is titled Free Me and straight away there is
that raucous banjo and mandolin filled sound associated with the genre. What I
really love about Celtic punk rock is just how talented all the musicians are;
it's not just a case of three chords as fast as you can. There are some really
skilled musicians in these bands and this is very evident in Free Me. As it is
in Knights In Ponty, the second track. This has a fast intro that grabs you by
the ears before a thumping verse comes in and gets you singing with the band.
The chorus is a great gang vocal moment that really gives the song a ‘we're all
in this together’ feel. That's something else I love about punk rock, and
Celtic punk rock in particular - it's a real working class style of music. No
egos, just people coming together for a great time. Third track Casanova No
More is far more restrained than the first two. The vocals are much less
rambunctious as the song is about losing the girl and your confidence in
finding another. The harmonies are great throughout the song and work really
well as an extra instrument. The final song is called Ellie Loves London. This
song has a bit of a melodic punk sound, with the Celtic sounds turned down a
bit. A female vocal is introduced towards the end of the song and it works
fantastically well at pulling your attention back into the track after a long
instrumental section. I also loved the use of clapping in the track, something
different and unique.
Mick O'Toole's 1665 Pitchfork Rebellion is a fine Celtic
punk EP. If you're a fan of the genre and want an alternative to heavy weights
such as Dropkick Murhpys and Flogging Molly, you should look no further than
Mick O'Toole.
Everyone has that one band that ‘changed their life’, right? Or that one song or album that led to a hundred more songs or albums by other bands that you wouldn't otherwise have heard of if it wasn't for that first band. The Gaslight Anthem are that band for me. I went from randomly seeing the video for The ’59 Sound on TV one day – even though I didn't usually watch TV – to buying the album (and the previous album, Sink or Swim) then slowly but surely uncovering a world of punk rock. The Gaslight Anthem aren't even particularly classed as a punk band, but they are most certainly part of the ‘scene’. Before I knew it I was part of the punk rock world and I haven't looked back since.
I had tickets to see The Gaslight Anthem play Alexandra Palace last November. I bought them without thinking, as soon as the show was announced. I'd already seen them live 4 times but it had been a few years since I saw them last (Brixton Academy). I had every intention of going, despite how difficult I had heard it was to get to and despite really not getting into their fifth album, Get Hurt. (I still don't like it much), but then Against Me! announced that they would be playing London, at the Electric Ballroom in Camden, on exactly the same night. I had a dilemma about it for a good few weeks but in the end, sold my TGA tickets for half their value (it wasn't sold out and I was happy to get anything for them) and went to see Against Me! instead. It was the best gig I went to last year, without a doubt, and probably one of the best I've ever been to. No regrets.
Earlier this year, The Gaslight Anthem announced a show at Shepherd's Bush in between their Reading and Leeds festival slots. Or rather I should say that Laura Jane Grace, of Against Me!, posted an image of the gig poster with her band in support. It couldn't have been more ironic. Or more perfect. My friend Steve and I were lucky enough to get tickets and were greatly anticipating seeing both bands in one night.
Shortly after buying tickets it was announced that it would be one of the last Gaslight dates for a while as the band will be ‘taking a break’ – code for Brian wants to go solo. Perhaps this was why we saw the show announced by Laura and not The Gaslight Anthem themselves – I had noticed how lax they had become on social media. To be honest, it didn't come as too much of a surprise to me and given my feelings about the last album, plus how little I'd listened to them in comparison to say The Menzingers (who have taken my ‘favourite band’ spot), the news of their break up didn't really hit too hard. Even so, I was looking forward to seeing them one last time.
But not as much as I was looking forward to Against Me! As one of the best live bands around, I was super keen to see them again. And they certainly did not disappoint. The band stormed through song after song fitting a lot into their support slot. It didn't make a difference to them that it wasn't their show and it certainly didn't to me. Although, of course, I would have happily watched them play for longer! I greatly enjoyed dancing and singing away but did notice that very few people around me were doing the same. I had assumed that there would be a lot of Against Me! fans as well as Gaslight fans but it didn't seem that way. All the more reason that I can't wait to see them again at their own show where I know the audience will not be standing still!
So, Against Me! finished and we retreated further back to watch The Gaslight Anthem. At the time this seemed like a wise decision as it was super hot down the front and we were both mostly there for AM! but I soon regretted this decision when Gaslight came on and played songs that sent me to my happy nostalgic place. I'm super short and struggle to see at gigs at the best of times but I really couldn’t see a thing of The Gaslight Anthem.
Overall I loved their performance but I'm pretty sure I have a somewhat biased opinion considering all that The Gaslight Anthem have done for me. I did, however, go through varying degrees of emotion: excitement for all the classics, particularly from Sink or Swim and The ’59 Sound, and indifference towards the more recent songs. Thankfully they played a variety of songs, from all five of their albums rather than assigning most of their set to Get Hurt.
A major highlight for me was hearing Señor and the Queen from the 2008 EP of the same name. They didn't play one of my favourite songs of all time, Even Cowgirls Get The Blues, but I have heard that live a few times previously. The stand out moment in their set was when Brian invited his favourite British musician and friend on stage to sing Great Expectations – none other than Mr Frank Turner! It's been a long-standing dream of mine to one day see Brian and Frank on the same stage, as they both mean a lot to me – Frank Turner being another significant figure in my introduction to punk rock. The dream was fulfilled. Well, I couldn't see but I could hear. (There is decent video footage here.)
All-in-all it was a really great night, although I don't think I would have enjoyed it half as much if Against Me! hadn't also been on the bill. I will miss The Gaslight Anthem immensely but they've led me to discover a hundred other bands and for that I thank them. Please excuse me while I go listen to The ’59 Sound, pretend it's 2008 and try not to get too emotional.
