Album Review: Shit Out Of Luck by Just Say Nay (by Dan Peters)

On a cold and miserable night in Harrow (it might have actually been summer but Harrow is always cold and miserable in my memories) I took a chance on putting on some ska band I’d never heard of before. I did this purely based on the fact their bass player was one of the best in the business and I’d thoroughly enjoyed his previous outings. To a crowd of a curious few and with a trumpet player who still needed sheet music (note names scribbled in felt tip on napkins), Just Say Nay took their first trembling steps into my life. I’ve since been able to skank along to a more polished expanded roster and remember wishing they had something around that I could listen to – now my wish has been granted. Enter the Shit Out of Luck EP.

Technically I’ve had a little experience with Shit Out Of Luck, having discovered the third track Bouncer on What Do You Know About Ska Punk Vol 1 but for the sake of procedure I’m going to start from the beginning.

‘Thinkers’ kicks off at breakneck speed, something I can appreciate very much, and within the space of around thirty seconds the track tell me a lot about the sound of the band. There’s someone skate punk in there, a ska interlude and then a quick pop punk-esque breakdown. Everything is laid out for me so that nothing that comes up is particularly jarring. Having set the tone we get treated to some real quality ska-skate-punk. ‘Tempted’ is slower paced and more of what I’d consider traditional ska-punk but is delivered with enough gravel and swagger to keep interest. It’s short, sweet and fun from start to finish. ‘Bouncer’, by virtue of the fact I’ve already heard it a good twenty times, is my favourite of the bunch. A super fun sing/skank-a-long that will have you jumping. ‘Low Blow’ gives me flashbacks of being extremely drunk down the New Cross Inn and shouting the chorus at the band in an overly tuneless and obnoxious manner. I think that’s a thing that really happened, but the reason it’s relevant is that I can definitely attest to it being a great song to have on while you’re with your mates having a great time.

The only thing that’s a little bit of a disappointment is the sound quality. This sounds like it was recorded in someone’s bedroom and for all I know it make have well been. Some songs don’t seem to end on time or are left a little too long and the whole thing lacks a lower which is a crying shame considering they boast one of the best ska bass players you’re likely to witness in a venue that isn’t charging you £60 to get into. So while it’s a great way to familiarise yourself with Just Say Nay and their catchy fun tunes it’s not something I’m gonna have on the stereo day to day.

So for the TL;DR crowd. A great fun EP that’s a little rough around the edges but an excellent listen. Especially if you’ve had the opportunity to see Just Say Nay live and need a little more of them in your life.

Stream and download Shit Of Of Luck here: https://justsaynay.bandcamp.com/album/shit-out-of-luck

Like Just Say Nay here: https://www.facebook.com/Jsnska

This review was written by Dan Peters.

Gig Review: Me First And The Gimme Gimmes at o2 Shepherd's Bush Empire 25/2/17

Saturday the 25th of February was one of those wonderful but also rubbish gig nights in London. It was wonderful because there was a lot on but it was rubbish because I can't be in more than one place at a time. At the Camden Underworld the TNS Records Tour was in town, the second night of a new festival named South East Fest was happening at DIY Space headlined by Great Cynics and Me First And The Gimme Gimmes and Masked Intruder were playing at the Shepherd's Bush Empire. We had tickets for the Gimme Gimmes show. Here's what happened.

First up were a young band from Sheffield playing their first ever London show. What a place to be doing it! Sweet Little Machine are a four piece pop punk band who are the winners of Fireball's Hottest Band of 2017 award. Playing to what was already a substantially sized crowd didn't seem to faze the band as they kicked off their opening song with a great amount of bravado. It didn't seem cocky though, just a band with the utmost confidence in their ability. And rightly so as they played a fast paced and energetic set. So much work has clearly gone into perfecting their live show and they appeared to be so tight despite their relative inexperience. As I watched they reminded me of one of my all time favourite pop punk bands, Chicago's Allister. A good number of the crowd really seemed to enjoy what Sweet Little Machine were doing as well, as they got involved with some sing-a-longs for the songs We Used To Own These Playgrounds and War. A band with everything going for them, I expect to see a lot more of Sweet Little Machine in the future.

Up next were everyone's favourite criminals, the wonderful Masked Intruder. Only this time it was a slightly different Masked Intruder to what we're used to. Tonight, and for the entire tour, Fraser from Scottish pop punks The Murderburgers was filling in on guitar for Intruder Green as he is currently “in prison”. It was clear some of the crowd still weren't sure who Masked Intruder were as we overheard someone behind us ask if they keep the masks on for the entire set. I always think when it comes to Masked Intruder, what if aliens were to arrive and this was the first music they saw/heard - they'd think we are all crazy and then stay because Masked Intruder are one of the most entertaining bands around. This was my fifth time seeing the band and all of the stage banter about committing crimes and chasing girls still doesn't get old or stale. If anything I am more entertained by it every time. Of course Officer Bradford was giving his usual police escort of the band before the power of rock 'n' roll overcame him and he joined the crowd in going crazy for the band. Making his way round the crowd for dancing, hugs and high fives and commenting on the best looking member of the crowd's Fest hoody (me). Masked Intruder are one of those must see live acts whenever they roll into your town.

Finally it was time for everyone's favourite punk rock super group cover band - Me First and the Gimme Gimmes! The band, featuring members of Lagwagon, Bad Religion, Uke Hunts and Face To Face, have been a popular act for over twenty years now, regularly touring the UK despite all of their other projects. Really the Gimme Gimmes are a bit of a novelty act and shouldn't be taken that seriously but they are just so gosh darn good. I think part of making a cover version of a song good is transforming it so much you could be forgiven for not realising that the song is a cover. As ever with a headline act the crowd seemed to swell towards the front of the stage as we prepared for an evening of getting bumped into whilst singing along to my mum's favourite songs. And that is exactly what happened. Front man Spike Slawson is as charismatic as ever as he leads the band and the packed crowd in some massive sing-a-longs. There is a brilliant silliness about the whole thing with the band playing hard to songs such as Mandy, Rocketman, I Will Survive and, of course, the massively popular I Believe I Can Fly. This was a crazy fun party that will be a lot of the crowd's gig highlight of the year. Smiles were everywhere which is always good to see in these troubled times. Me First And The Gimme Gimmes offer a great form of escapism. Sometimes you need your music to be on the fun, silly, amusing side and Me First And The Gimme Gimmes do that as well as anyone.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Formaldehyde by On A Hiding To Nothing (by Dan Peters)

I have a lot of experience with seeing and listening to On A Hiding To Nothing. Not only did their drummer once drum in my band too but they also happen to be excellent dudes whose company I greatly enjoy. 2015 saw the release of their first self-titled EP, a staggeringly good romp which I own on vinyl and now, after a couple of line-up changes, they’re back with Formaldehyde – brought to us courtesy of skate punk label Umlaut Records.

If you’re an old fan of OAHTN then you may have listened to their original couple of bedroom demos they had on Bandcamp. One of them, ‘Braindead’, appeared on their original EP and they continue the tradition straight off the bat with Swagger. For those of you who haven’t heard it before, it’s a lightspeed belter about what I’d refer to as ‘townies’ but I hear the kids these days call them chavs. Afterwards I move into unfamiliar territory with ‘Call Me Flyboy’. The pace slows down but I’m always happy to listen to songs about zombies and this is full of references and just happens to be a great tune to boot. I’m enjoying this slightly heavier melody and the harmonies here are just so on point. I’m a sucker for a great vocal harmony and OAHTN never fail to get the hairs on my arms to raise.

Things speed up again for Stuck Record. Lead singer Al always had a vocal style that reminded me of Frenzel Rhomb frontman Jay Whalley and this is maybe their most Rhombish tune to date. Lastly and personally best on the list is ‘London Road, Mate’, back up to blisteringly fast, politically charged and where OAHTN shine brightest. With both the UK and US political landscape being the way it’s been over the last year this song hits a nerve for all of us dubbed remoaner. The frantic pace of the guitars and drums along with the scorn dripping off every lyric sets my punk meter to maximum.

I never like to make assumptions but I already knew Formaldehyde would be great and several listens in my appreciation has only grown. On A Hiding To Nothing are certainly a top tier UK punk act and it’s pleasing to my ears to be able to expand their discography between seeing them play live.

Stream and download Formaldehyde here: https://onahidingtonothing.bandcamp.com/album/formaldehyde

Like On A Hiding To Nothing here: https://www.facebook.com/onahidingtonothing/

This review was written by Dan Peters.

Album Review: The Tales Of Youth by The Ultraviolet

The Ultraviolet are a four piece band from Boston, Lincolnshire, who play alternative rock music mixed with a smidge of pop punk. On the 23rd of March The Ultraviolet release a new EP titled The Tales Of Youth. I was fortunate enough to get an early listen.

First up is the track You're Better Off On Your Own. Starting out with a soft drum beat and some jangly guitars you immediately get a feel for what The Ultraviolet's sound is. They are excellent musicians who are incredibly tight as a band and lead singer Ben Thorn has a voice that just can't be ignored. Immediately I can hear the crossover appeal of the band - they could easily be at home in a small sweaty basement or on a big stage with thousands of fans screaming at them. The second track, Signal Flare, starts out with a much darker guitar tone. I loved the way the rhythm section of the band kept the song going forward while the guitar did its own thing at the start of the track. Bassist Emilio Parla gets plenty of time to shine on the song with a fantastic, deep bass section in the middle of the song. Signal Flare could become a massive crowd pleaser thanks to its "woooo-oooh" parts littered throughout the choruses. I Wrote You A Letter is the band's big arena anthem. Straight away the sound is massive and you just know the whole song will feel epic. That's what you want in your arena anthem. The opening guitar riffs, then being joined by a huge sounding full band, will allow the crowd to get excited before things get quiet and Ben would lead a crowd in singing the opening verse, then a massive chorus kicks off. To give everyone a bit of a rest, guitarist Sam Beck plays an excellent solo leading into one final flurry. The penultimate track on Tales Of Youth is named Wake Up Dead. I have to admit I had a hard time getting into Wake Up Dead at the beginning, probably due to the sheer epicness of I Wrote You A Letter. It wasn't until the mid part of the track when Sam plays another incredible guitar solo that I really woke up. Ben's vocal range is really tested with a series of different pitches and screams. This dude has a fantastic voice. Wake Up Dead is without any doubt the hardest hitting song on the EP. Finally we come to the song All I Need Is To Be Needed. Of all the tracks on Tales Of Youth this definitely feels the most pop punk like. The band I'm actually reminded of the most by this track is Taking Back Sunday, who do happen to be an influence of The Ultraviolet's. There is a bit more of an up-tempo bounce to the song ensuring that the EP finishes while a whole lot of energy. The song pounds along nicely taking the listener through a series of highs and lows during the songs duration. All I Need Is To Be Needed wraps up Tales Of Youth very nicely.

I can only see big things for The Ultraviolet. Like I said earlier, they have a wonderful crossover appeal and fans of mainstream music will love them just as much as fans from the underground.

Stream and download The Tales Of Youth here https://theultravioletofficial.bandcamp.com/album/the-tales-of-our-youth-ep

Like The Ultraviolet here: https://www.facebook.com/theultraviolet.music

This review was writen by Colin Clark. 

Gig Review: TNS Tour at The Portland Arms, Cambridge 24/2/17

When the mighty TNS Records announced a package tour at the end of last year I was completely stoked. They were rolling out the big guns - Wonk Unit, Revenge Of The Psychotronic Man, Roughneck Riot and Faintest Idea - for what was sure to be one of the gigs of the year. I immediately found the London date and my excitement crashed through the wall and ran away. It clashed with the Me First & The Gimme Gimmes/Masked Intruder gig that we already had tickets for. Then I noticed that the night before the London show the tour was beginning in Cambridge at The Portland Arms. I live quite close to Cambridge now so we could go to that - PHEW!

The running order of the bands on the tour aren't being announced to encourage people to get down to each show early to see all of the bands. Why anyone wouldn't do that anyway is beyond me, but there you go. First up in Cambridge were Revenge Of The Psychotronic Man. I always think of ROTPM to be THE TNS band. Think of ROTPM and think of TNS, think of TNS and think of ROTPM. So it only seemed right that they kicked off the show and the entire tour. The Manchester three piece's fast and aggressive brand of thrash punk is good on record but live it really is something else. I first saw ROTPM last year at the Manchester Punk Festival and I was amazed by the whole spectacle of their set. They really got the crowd going that night, so much so that I remember the chaos that was happening in the pit more so than the band's performance. This time I made sure to pay attention to the band. I have to say, I don't think I've ever really appreciated just what good musicians Chris (drums), Matt (guitar) and Andy (bass) all are. They play faster than any band I've ever seen but with and crazy amount of technique as well. This was the perfect was to start the night. I thought “If it continues like this, we are in for a real treat.”

Next up were London's Wonk Unit. I haven't seen Wonk Unit since they supported Teenage Bottlerocket at the Camden Underworld back in 2015, so seeing then again felt well overdue. It was also my first time seeing them since they released brand new album Mr Splashy, on TNS Records. I was expecting them to play songs mainly from that album in but in true Wonk Unit fashion they threw in a curveball and played mostly older songs that they hadn't played for a while. A bit of a baptism of fire for stand in guitarist Ed who had only joined the band three days earlier. He played like he had been in the band for years, so kudos to him. Wonk Unit are one of those bands I always find completely captivating live, especially Wonk leader Daddy Wonk, Alex. He has a unique stage presence like nobody else in the UK punk scene. Wonk Unit appear to be extremely popular in Cambridge with the Portland Arms being packed from back to front with plenty of people having a right good dance. Finishing with my personal favourite, Go Easy, Wonk Unit continued the greatness that Revenge Of The Psychotronic had started.

Before the gig, I had predicted that Faintest Idea would probably be the headline act as it was almost a hometown gig for the King's Lynn punks. After ROTPM and Wonk Unit I felt like the band had some work to do to keep the energy and momentum of the night going. Not a problem for a band as good as Faintest Idea though. As is tradition the band's brass section started their set in the pit with the crowd for opener ...Back To The Asylum. It never takes long for a crowd to get dancing when Faintest Idea get going. They even had the crowd singing along by the second song, Youth. The dancing and singing continued throughout their forty five minute set. This is really how a punk gig should be - lots of singing, dancing, smiles and good times. Now the night really felt like a party! If there is a better live band in the UK than Faintest Idea I'm yet to discover them. By my maths I've seen them eight times now and every single time they seem to have gotten better - they seem seriously tight as a band now. They mostly played tracks from their last two albums, the Voice Of Treason and Increasing The Minimum Wage (both available from TNS) before finishing the set with an older one in the form of Too Bad. Perhaps as this was close-to-hometown show they decided to finish on one about where they are from. I was left exhausted after Faintest Idea's set and was left wondering how could Roughneck Riot kick the party on even more.

After Roughneck Riot finished their set, Emma said there was a reason why the Warrington based six piece have the word Riot in their name. That's exactly what happens during their live set. The crowd were so riotous in fact that with a couple of songs left the crowd at the Portland Arms had to be calmed down or risk the show ending early. Bodies were flying round the room to Roughneck Riot's spirited Celtic punk rock music. Playing tracks from newest album Out Of Anger as well as a handful from This Is Our Day and a couple of new tracks, which I assume are being released at some point this year. I forget sometimes just how good Roughneck are as a live band, all six members of the band playing their instruments flawlessly which is pretty incredible to me given the madness that was happening in front of them. I'd find it quite distracting myself. More so than any other band playing that night the energy coming from the stage really shone through - which is saying something considering the ridiculous line up of the night. Highlights of the set for me included Parasites, All That We Know, Anomosity and Ignorance Is Easy. There's also a metaphor I could write about Storm Doris arriving at the Portland Arms a day later than the rest of the country in the form of Roughneck Riot.

I once read that the best parties don't wind down, they just stop at the highest point when it's not possible to top itself anymore. That's definitely what happened on the first night of the TNS Tour. This was a fantastic showcase for one of the best DIY record labels in the country featuring some of the very best musical talent around. Long live TNS!

This review was written by Colin.

Gig Review: Nothington at The Underworld, Camden 21/2/17

It seems like an absolute age since I went to The Underworld in Camden for a gig. There was a time when I was there so much it felt like I may as well get their door stamp tattooed on my hand. These days not that many punk shows seem to happen at The Underworld so it was a nice surprise when one actually came up. The bigger surprise was the band that was announced - Nothington! I kind of figured they weren't a band anymore as it had been so long since I heard any activity from their camp. This year marked their tenth anniversary as band so they decided to tour to celebrate as well as putting out a brand new album named In The End, on Red Scare Industries.

First up was Joe McMahon of Smoke Or Fire and more recently Joe McMahon the solo artist. When he got on stage he mentioned how he had literally just arrived at the venue because the tour van had broken down an hour outside of London on their journey down from Glasgow. So with no time to prepare and being extremely rushed to the stage, you might forgive Joe if it wasn't a classic performance. Despite the chaotic nature of his evening, Joe McMahon played a fantastic set of acoustic covers of old Smoke or Fire songs and songs from his solo LP, Another Life. I particularly enjoyed hearing the stripped down versions of Smoke Or Fire songs, most notably Monsters Among Us – which I found myself singing along with. I'd love to see Joe back doing a headline tour with Smoke Or Fire or with his full band used for Another Life. At least it wouldn't be the last we saw of him this evening though.

Up next were Irish via Newcastle punks Good Friend. You know those times when you've never heard of a band and then you see them for the first time and they completely blow you away. This was one of those times multiplied by a thousand. I can't remember the last time I was this impressed by a band I'd not heard of before. Taking to the stage with minimal fuss, Good Friend's guitarist blasted out a distorted slide and they were off – and had the whole crowd's immediate attention. Playing a bunch of tracks from their recently released Red Scare debut, Ride The Storm, the three piece amazed with their intense but good time sing-a-long punk rock. Bass player and lead vocalist Adam Carroll's singing really stood out. How he can maintain his rough, raw, shouty style is beyond me but it's really, really good. I don't really think my words can do justice to how much I enjoyed Good Friend, they're a band that should be on everyone's radar. I don't know how they stayed under my radar for so long but I am pleased that they're not anymore. I'm very much looking forward to hearing more from them and seeing them again.

Finally it was time for Nothington, with added Joe McMahon on the bass guitar. I'm not sure if he's now a permanent member of Nothington or he was just filling in but it was pretty cool to see him on stage. Playing their brand of melodic gruff punk rock, the people of the Underworld seemed quite excited to see them and have a good sing-a-long. Despite having a brand new album out, the setlist was comprised of mostly older material, probably due to their anniversary. I have to admit that despite knowing of the band for a number of years and always enjoying their music, when it came down to it I wasn't completely knowledgeable on their songs. That didn't prevent me getting swept up in the music and performance though, with the guitarist and singer Jay Northington really catching my attention due to his energetic performance. The band's other guitarist and singer Chris Matulich also put in an energetic display despite not being very well. This was probably the reason that the set was only about 40 minutes long and mainly featured songs where Jay took lead vocals. It was pretty cool seeing Nothington play a show, something I didn't ever really expect to happen. The band were tight, the music was great and everyone had a great time. A good way to spend a Tuesday evening in London.

Colin's Punk Rock World Playlist: February 2017

Here's what Dan, Emma, Omar, Pan, Robyn and myself have been listening to in February 2017.

Meet the team behind this playlist here.