Gig Review: Booze Cruise Festival, Hamburg, Day One 7/6/19

As soon as Emma and I discovered Booze Cruise Festival last year we knew it was something we had to get to in 2019. From watching videos online and looking at the stellar line-up it looked like the most amount of fun. It seemed like a fantastic European alternative to The Fest in Gainesville, Florida. This was confirmed after a chat with Bristol's The Run Up when they hit the New Cross Inn with Pkew Pkew Pkew towards the end of their tour last year. The decision was made, we would be making the trip to Hamburg the next year. We bought our tickets as soon as they became available and excitedly awaited each and every announcement. Something I was quite looking forward to was the opportunity to catch some European bands I'd never seen before that I've followed for years or others that were completely new to me. It was also very exciting to go and see what the punk scene would be like somewhere that's not so close to home.

(Note: Colin's parts are in regular text and Emma's parts are in italic.)

We arrived in Hamburg late on the Thursday evening, unfortunately missing the pre-fest show of Decent Criminal and The Sewer Rats. Instead, we headed to our hostel for the weekend which happened to be situated in the Reeperbahn section of Hamburg, this was basically a red light district and presented some interesting sights we're not used to in Bedford (or the rest of the UK really!). The great thing about the hostel though was its close proximity to the venues used for Booze Cruise.

After a day of wandering around Hamburg, we picked up our festival wristbands and filled our bellies with some tasty fresh pizza at Pizza Bande. We then started our Booze Cruise Festival at Überquell, a super cool microbrewery and restaurant in the Fischmarkt area of Hamburg (near the harbour). The venue had a large outdoor space which was perfect for an acoustic set from Canadian two-piece Mobina Galore, not least because the sun was shining brilliantly. Jenna, armed with an unplugged acoustic guitar, and Marcia were in high spirits as they expressed how happy they were to be at Booze Cruise. Jenna stated how most of the band’s songs were written on an acoustic guitar originally so it was nice to revert back to how they originally sounded. They played a variety of songs from their back catalogue including Vancouver, from Feeling Disconnected, and latest single Zoë – stripped back but no less captivating. This was a great way to ease into a festival, even if we were melting a bit by the end of it.

Next, we made our first trip to the Hafenklang/Goldener Salon venue that was being used all weekend for Booze Cruise. The venue had two stages, a big room downstairs (Hafenklang) and a smaller one upstairs (Goldener Salon). Stereokeys were the band given the task of opening the Goldener Salon. I hadn’t listened to the band at all before the festival and we pretty much went to see them because they were the only band on at the time. I was quickly impressed by the four piece however, as they played some top quality indie punk rock with some gruff vocals. It was nice to see that a decent sized crowd gathered early to see what I believe is quite a new band on the German scene. If they continue to play sets as good as this one, I imagine it won't be long before they're playing much later on festival bills to even bigger crowds. Not previously knowing any of the songs and not speaking any German, I can't tell you much about what they played but it was highly enjoyable.

After Stereokeys we headed downstairs to the main room of Hafenklang where we could hear a band, that we were expecting to be Good Friend, had already started. Walking into the room however we soon realised that this wasn’t the Newcastle via Belfast trio, instead there was a last minute set from Cory Call’s new(ish) band Little Teeth – apparently Good Friend were stuck in traffic and weren’t able to make their first of two sets of the day. This was a great unexpected opportunity to watch a new band that we hadn’t checked out before however and I really liked what I heard. Cory Call has an incredible voice that lends itself to Americana-style, soulful punk rock which is right up my street. Little Teeth weren’t able to play a full band set for the whole time slot as bassist Max needed to go soundcheck upstairs for his other band Captain Asshole’s set, but Cory played a couple of solo songs and was also joined by his wife Kirsty at the end too.

We rushed back upstairs for the set I was perhaps most looking forward to of the whole weekend. Munich's Captain Asshole released what is without a doubt my album of the 2019 so far (sorry Burnt Tapes, still love you too) in February with What An Awful Life and this was probably my one chance any time soon to see the songs live. Bass player Max hadn't long been back upstairs himself after playing half of a Little Teeth set just minutes ago so it was all a bit rushed but as soon as they took to the stage the magic begun to happen. It wasn't just me who was looking forward to seeing Captain Asshole as an even bigger crowd gathered before the start of their set. I made sure that we were right at the front to have a good sing-along. Opening with the first single from What An Awful Life, Where The Fuck Is Kyoto?, we were off to a great start. Obviously as they were playing a set full of songs from the album. I had a smile on my face throughout the set. The gang vocals and harmonies that I loved on recording were even better live. There was a nice moment where Cory Call joined the band on stage to sing his part of No More Spanish Love Songs, the song Holiday Inn was a perfect fit for the festival and the sing-along on Home was just special. Captain Asshole did not disappoint. Now I will be spreading the word to everyone in England about what a good band and they are in the hope they can get to London sooner rather than later.

Not wanting to leave the Captain Asshole set early, it was no real surprise that when we got back downstairs for Red City Radio the room was packed – and very hot. The Oklahoma City band were probably one of the most universally popular of the whole Booze Cruise weekend – they were even playing two sets (this being the first one) – and it’s easy to see why when watching them play live. Every song feels like a ‘hit’, from Two Out Of Three Ain’t Rad and Two For Flinching to newer tracks like If You Want Blood (Be My Guest). The room was full of folks with their fists thrown in the air, singing along to every word like their lives depended on it. We ducked out before the very end of their set to get over to Molotow in time for New Junk City, but not before Red City Radio threw in a cover of Green Day’s Welcome To Paradise as well as mine and Colin’s favourite song, Show Me On The Doll Where The Music Touched You – ie. ‘I am a fucking juggernaut!’.

It was a fairly simple walking route, along the harbour and then up a main road, to Molotow but not the shortest of distances, hence why we chose to miss some of Red City Radio in favour of seeing a whole New Junk City set. The band, from Atlanta, Georgia, were one that we were both really looking forward to seeing live for the first time as their 2018 album Same Places has had a lot of airplay at CPRW HQ. We arrived just in time and found Larry from The Run Up excitedly waiting to watch his tour mates once again. We didn’t have to wait long as the band were soon off. I don’t really know what it was specifically about New Junk City but I was immediately hooked from the first note to the last, there was just this incredible energy that they displayed. The band’s bassist was so enthusiastic in fact that he managed to break a string – I’ve seen plenty of guitar strings break on stage but never a bass string so that was something! New Junk City were definitely one of my Booze Cruise highlights and I can’t wait to see them again.

Another band I was super excited to see were Austria's DeeCRACKS. I'd long been an admirer, from afar, of the Ramonescore act but had never had the opportunity to see them live. The crowd at Molotow wasn't quite as big as I had expected it to be but they definitely had some of the most enthusiastic people watching them, singing along and dancing with such joy. In true Ramonescore fashion, DeeCRACKS played song after song barely ever stopping. I'm always seriously impressed with not only how quick these bands play but with how they can go from one song into another so seamlessly. The UK is seriously short on bands playing this style so it was a real pleasure for me to see one as good as DeeCRACKS. A real festival highlight for me. Due to more and more bands of such high quality being on at the same time, as the festival went on into the night, we unfortunately had to leave a little early to see the next band on our schedule – it was a real hardship to pull myself away.

New York's Jukebox Romantics were a must see at Booze Cruise for me, especially as I'd passed up two opportunities to see them on their recent UK tour with Triple Sundae. We arrived at the Menschenzoo venue to discover it was a tiny basement with a small stage and bar it in. Of course the room was completely covered in stickers – this felt like a proper DIY punk venue. The tiny basement soon packed out for The Jukebox Romantics for what was a really wild set. The Booze Cruise crowd adored Jukebox Romantics – singing, dancing and generally losing their minds immediately. The three-piece on stage oozed charisma and are clearly very good at connecting with their crowd. This felt like a classic Fest show from the early days of the Gainesville festival but in a small basement in Hamburg and I loved it. Seeing the bodies pile up on each other in the pit, it was madness and it was beautiful. What a great band The Jukebox Romantics are, I was so happy to finally see them. They finished the set with a fantastic rendition of The Bouncing Souls’ Hopeless Romantics – ‘I’m a jukebox romantic…’ – which put another huge grin on my face. This wouldn't be the last we see of The Jukebox Romantics this evening…

After the sweaty chaos that was Jukebox Romantics, we headed outside and walked just a few doors down to a tiny bar (most likely the smallest Booze Cruise venue) called Gun Club. Scotland’s much loved acoustic guitar wielding Billy Liar has been playing shows for over ten years and so I’m ashamed to admit that Booze Cruise Festival 2019 was my first time seeing him play live (although Colin had seen him before). I soon found out what I’d been missing out on however and was instantly captivated by Billy and his stories – those he told in between songs and the songs themselves. His long awaited debut album, Some Legacy, is coming out on Red Scare on 21st June and so, alongside some older songs, we were treated to a couple of songs from that – it’s an album I now can’t wait to hear, that’s for sure. Billy Liar is great.

After Billy Liar we popped back into Menschenzoo to see Shelleycoat do a Get Up Kids cover set. Now if we're telling the truth, Emma and I don't know any Get Up Kids songs so reviewing this is pretty difficult. The basement was packed though and people seemed to be loving it so I guess Shellycoat did a great job!

Back at Gun Club, it was time for a covers set that was a little bit more on the silly side of things. Cory and Kirsty Call had got changed since we last saw them and were now beach-ready for their Beach Boys cover set – or, as Kirsty put in, they were the Beach Calls. Encouraging the crowd to sing along, partly because they weren’t sure they’d remember all the words themselves, this was a really fun cover set. I’m not overly familiar with Beach Boys song titles but I certainly recognised plenty of those that the Calls played, including Sloop John B, Surfing Safari and, of course, Wouldn’t It Be Nice. Billy Liar and Adam Carroll from Good Friend joined the Calls on stage towards the end and Billy initiated a rendition of, err, Wonderwall which Cory apparently didn’t actually know how to play but it was easy to pick up. All in all, this set was a little erratic but a whole lot of fun and that’s pretty important in punk rock I think.

Returning to Menschenzoo it was time for the final set of the day, The Jukebox Romantics were back on the stage for an Alkaline Trio cover set. This was a really busy set that the fine folk of Booze Cruise enjoyed a huge amount. There were big sing-alongs from the very beginning of the set with the crowd doing as much singing into the microphone as the band were. The packed room was now a sweatbox but this only added to the intensity of the set. Playing what was pretty much a best of set, The Jukebox Romantics performed fantastic versions of We've Had Enough, Private Eye, Armageddon, Radio and Crawl among many more (my memory is a little hazy). To finish the set off, they ditched Trio and opted for some more classic Bouncing Souls, this time it was True Believers. You must already know the reaction this got and it was the perfect way to end such a good opening day to Booze Cruise 2019.

This review was written by Colin Clark and Emma Prew. Photos also by Emma, although much better photos (that weren’t taken on a phone) can be viewed here.

Album Review: This Could Be Okay by Cold Wrecks (by Emma Prew)

Move over Spanish Love Songs, Cold Wrecks might just be my new favourite band. The Brooklyn, New York, four-piece released their new album, This Could Be Okay, at the beginning of May and I just can’t stop listening to it. It’s one that I want to tell everyone I meet to go and listen to. So, even if you read no further, you should go listen to this album now!

If you are going to read further however, here’s what I have to say…

This Could Be Okay opens as all great albums should, with a track that sounds like an opener. In Time begins slowly with a soulful, clean guitar riff before the vocals of the first verse come in and take over the lead role. It’s all very restrained, at least until the words ‘What a disappointment’ are uttered – the rhythm section kicks into gear and the pace picks up for an awesome opening tune. In Time sets the tone for what’s to come, with a focus on struggling with mental health problems but knowing, or at least hoping, that you will be fine eventually – in your own time. I particularly enjoyed the nod to the album’s title in the line ‘…Of spelling out in Morse Code: “This could be okay”’. A bold and almost pop punk style bass line introduces us to the second song, Crossing Sign. If you’re an existing fan of Cold Wrecks then you might just recognise this song from the EP of the same name that was released last October (which also had an excellent Against Me!/Fest tribute song on it, Bury Me In Gainesville). The track fits in here wonderfully as the second song on the album, with its upbeat pace and catchy guitar riffs. There’s even a killer guitar solo in the middle. Crossing Sign is about dealing with anxiety which is something a lot of people will be able to relate to, myself included.

January First is up next and, again, you might recognise this one. Personally I’ve had it on rotation a lot since the 1st of January this year – they couldn’t really have released it at any other time, right? Hearing the track now as part of the album, I like it even more. January First is about dreading a new year because, in some ways, it means your life is flying by. Basically, this is a perfectly relatable and somewhat reassuring song about getting older. The song features some great exchanging of vocals between Craig and Mike (‘When did you start feeling so old?’) as well as some gang vocal-style shouts of ‘I don’t know.’ that I imagine are would be brilliant live. Fourth track Garbage Universe wastes no time in getting going. The bouncy melody would almost have you fooled into thinking this was a happy tune – but if you think that then you’re not hearing the words. The song is about trying to ‘let go’ of someone, or something, that used to be in your life and dealing with the anxiety and general difficulties that comes with that. The highlight has to be the hugely cathartic bridge section – ‘About a handful of nights, When a couple things felt right, About a handful of days, When all we could say was goodbye.’ and the shouts of ‘goodbye! goodbye!’ that are repeated as if laying demons to rest. The Season is another upbeat track, musically at least. It’s poppy in melody but packs a punch with its delivery. The song also features one of the catchiest choruses of the album – ‘Hopeless lines I’ve practiced one too many times, Losing sight, deluded into thinking that, Self-aware means self-loathing.’ The Season is about suffering from, among other mental health issues, seasonal affective disorder – ‘You know, the cold wrecks my ability, To function half-appropriately.’ This is something that I can completely relate to. I also really enjoyed that they managed to namecheck themselves in that lyric! Small things.

Long Island is the latest single to be released from This Could Be Okay and is up next. I think this would also be the first song on side B of the vinyl record. I say this not just because it is the sixth of eleven tracks but because it has a restrained opening verse with softer vocals and atmospheric strums of a guitar – much like the album’s first track. When the bitter-sounding line ‘I’m gonna die at a hospital on Long Island.’ – which somehow manages to be insanely catchy and have you humming the tune to yourself for days – is declared, the pace picks up again for what we know to be classic Cold Wrecks. This song does however remind me a bit of Pup, perhaps because it feels angrier and more forceful than the previous songs (and Pup are pretty angry). There’s also a great sense of storytelling on display here – which is never a bad thing in a song. Furiously frantic guitars and drums are the name of the game with Panicking, which is one of the shortest songs on the album at just over 2 minutes long. This is quite literally a song about panicking (again, something I can relate to), or having a panic attack, and the music couldn’t fit the lyrics more perfectly. You can’t explain why you might have these feelings sometimes but maybe you could play someone this song – Cold Wrecks get it. ‘So I’ll pretend I’m listening, Smile big, don’t let them know "I’m panicking!"’ (That latter part is yelled by the whole band – talk about impactful.) The album’s eighth track, Bought Right In, was an instant hit with me the first time I heard it. With a finely crafted blend of crunchy guitars, a melodic bass line and hard-hitting, brutally honest lyrics, Cold Wrecks have struck gold here. And that’s just the first verse – ‘Hanging on a sidewalk close to the edge, Wondering who would miss me if I was dead, ’Cause nobody told me about mental health, So I found a couple ways to deal with it myself.’ There are, of course, aspects of mental health struggles mentioned throughout this album which is hugely important because it cannot be discussed enough. Bought Right In, however, is about how ‘mental health’ wasn’t something that was spoken of when we (twenty/thirty-somethings) were growing up. I think it will be comforting to a lot of listeners to know they are not alone in these feelings – you’re never alone. Also, the gang vocal ending is superb.

After that blast of energy, it seems only right that we are due a change of pace which makes Light a welcome respite. There are gentler guitars from the outset here for a slower and far calmer feeling song than anything before it. If I’m interpreting the lyrics correctly, feeling or being ‘light’ means acknowledging that you might not always be okay. There are several extended instrumental sections that give the song an almost dream-like feel, as you nod your head along to the melody. Towards the end of the song there’s a poignant repetition of ‘Before you break.’ until the song ends with the same verse it opened with, as if concluding things. A burst of energy kicks in for the penultimate song of This Could Be Okay, 8mm. It’s a head nodder of a track that’s packed with poppy verses and an uplifting, shout-along-able chorus. That said, it doesn’t feel like your typical ‘pop punk’ song as Cold Wrecks don’t seem to stick to the formula you might expect, jumping from a fast-paced riff one minute to a slower, emotional section the next. ‘And did you know that you were not alone?, As you wandered through the vapour getting lost, No, you didn’t know, and now you’re almost gone.’ Phew! And then IDK brings the album full circle. Much like In Time could only be the album’s opener track, IDK is truly an album closer. Beginning slowly, this is perhaps the ultimate song about growing older, perhaps slightly wiser but still feeling lost in some ways. There are more catchy riffs to hook you into the song but it’s the lyrics on offer that really hit home. I’m weirdly chuffed about being able to relate to the exact age mentioned in the song – I am 28 too. ‘And I don’t know what’s gonna happen, When I was 18, I swore I’d never, But ten years has a way of teaching, Now I’m learning.’  Not content with ending the album there, Cold Wrecks throw in a very similar riff, if not the same riff, that featured so heavily in the album’s opening track. As if I needed further encouragement to just hit play on the album again!

If you like music to make you feel something, if you like catchy melodies and honest lyrics that will stay with you long after you’ve finished listening, if you like to be able to relate to the words being sung, if you like ducks… You’ll love This Could Be Okay and Cold Wrecks. I certainly do.

You can buy/stream/download this definite album of the year contender, This Could Be Okay, on Bandcamp (as well as purchasing the vinyl version) and you should like Cold Wrecks on Facebook while you’re at it.

Last but not least, the beautiful album artwork is by Mikaela Jane Palermo.
Ducks are good.

This review was written by Emma Prew.

Album Review: Adult Magic by Adult Magic (by Emma Prew)

Adult Magic are a three-piece alt-rock band from the punk rock mecca that is Long Island, New York. They’re a relatively new band on the scene with one four track EP in their back catalogue from 2016 and their debut self-titled album coming soon but you may well recognise the three members from their various other punk projects. Adult Magic are Jesse Litwa on guitar and vocals (Iron Chic, Broadcaster), Mike Bruno on bass and vocals (Iron Chic, Crow Bait) and Chris Arena on drums (Crow Bait, Sister Kisser). Side note: Someone really needs to make a Pete Frame-style family tree for these bands.

Adult Magic’s debut full length is out on the 21st of June (this Friday!) courtesy of Dead Broke Rekerds (USA) and Specialist Subject Records (UK). Having been a fan of the band for a couple of years already and having pre-ordered the vinyl for this release as soon as it was announced, I was very excited when Specialist Subject sent us over an early copy of the album for review. Did it meet my expectations? We shall see…

First up on the album is Achin’ which was released just last month as the first single from the album. It’s easy to see why this song was chosen, as it’s a catchy, mid-tempo tune with an earworm of a chorus – ‘Aching, my heart is always aching, Shaking, my hands they always. Shake!’ Adult Magic share lead vocal duties between them with Jesse taking the lead here. Achin’ is about suffering from anxiety and doubting many things you do on a day to day basis. It all sounds pretty relatable to me and I’m sure I’m not the only one. The second song is called Losing Face and here Mike takes over on lead vocals. His voice is gruffer than Jesse’s, in fact the two vocals are pretty distinct from one another which is one of my favourite things about the band to be honest. It’s not down to the vocals alone but Losing Face feels darker in tone and much less poppy than the first track. I mean, the line ‘Another year upon the shelf, don't want to die all by myself.’ is pretty dark and hard-hitting. Similar to Achin’, this song looks at the topic of mental health and particularly feelings of low self-esteem.

The Other Side is the third song on the album. It opens fairly slowly with a stop-start groove of a guitar riff that will immediately grab your attention. The vocals feel bitter and reminiscent of fonder times. Jesse’s lyrics really create a vivid picture in your mind – ‘And that night by the park side, I thought that I would see you again, From a lawn chair with your long hair, Watch the clouds keep rolling in, I guess we’ll meet on the other side…’ There are some lovely subtle harmonies in the song and it’s topped off with a great big distorted guitar solo. The fourth song is titled Demotivation. From the outset the rhythm section is loud and clear while the guitar get a bit experimental and almost sci-fi sounding, at least to my ears. Overall this is Adult Magic sounding very 90s alternative rock but they balance it out with a catchy riff and some pleasant Gaslight Anthem-esque wooh ohhs. Demotivation features guest vocals courtesy of Mimi Gallagher (Nona) – ‘I know you see it when you look me in the eye, But do you feel it when we say goodbye.’ – which offer a great contrast with Mike’s gravelly tones. Mimi appears on a number of other tracks too but it’s perhaps most obvious here.

Now, as soon as I first heard the opening notes of Popcorn – and now I can’t unhear it – I thought of The Menzingers’ I Don’t Want To Be An Asshole. Once I got past that however, this is an excellent upbeat Adult Magic track. Upbeat in terms of melody that is, not so much in subject matter. Themes of anxiety are covered again with some really relatable lyrical content making the band seem truly, well, human. ‘Take your time waiting in the grocery line, I never comb my hair, You can’t take me anywhere, And I always fall asleep, When there’s a place to be, Another endless day of anxiety.’ Thru It All opens with a hugely melodic, repetitive guitar riff. Soon the bass and drums kick in as well, before everything else takes a backseat to focus on Jesse’s heartfelt vocals. This is a relatively sombre-sounding track about the decline of a relationship. It’s particularly sad because it feels like the opposite of Broadcaster’s song Wasting Time With You (from the 2013 album A Million Years). The line ‘I’d rather waste my time alone, Than dreaming by the phone.’ generates all the feels. But, let’s face it, I like sad songs so I love this. A real highlight on the album for sure.

The sixth track is called Sign Of The Times. Kicking things off with a big, beefy guitar riff which then continues throughout much of its duration, when the vocals come in they sound completely different – it turns out this is because drummer Chris singing. Either way, this is a head-nodder of a song. Sign Of The Times is about all that’s wrong in the world and with the human race today in general – ‘Time is running out for us, Doomed to repeat the past, If we don’t stop. Now the end is nigh. It’s the sign of the times!’ The gang vocals for that last bit are wonderful. The pace picks up a little for a comparatively heavier sounding track, Many Moons Ago. The gravelly vocals are tough to decipher exact lyrics but there are some pleasant whoas thrown in for contrasting harmonies. Musically, Many Moons Ago sounds much more punk than alt-rock. The song is not too dissimilar to Iron Chic actually, which isn’t a crazy remark given than two thirds of Adult Magic are in Iron Chic. There are more great harmonies to end  the song in which two different sets of lyrics are sung. Top stuff.

Savor is the penultimate track of the album and it is the slowest song of all. There’s immediately an air of sadness – and that’s just from the opening guitar part. The drums are pared back and Jesse’s vocals, which don’t come in until the one minute mark, are heartfelt and feel very personal. Savor is about wanting to do the right thing to make someone you care about happy, all the while not being able to sleep or function with your worry – ‘I just don’t want to let you down.’ Songs don’t have to be played hard and fast to connect with the listener, this is amazing songwriting. We return to a something a tad faster to finish the album however. Always is a mid-tempo tune about missing someone and how it can often feel regretful. The sense of nostalgic storytelling reminds me of Broadcaster which I guess could be said of most of Jesse’s songs but I thought it here more so. Whatever it reminds me of, Always is a fine song to finish with. ‘I just shape-shift around town, The streetlights all go out, Everyone loses their mind from time to time.’ 

Adult Magic’s debut album ticks all the right boxes for me! It will no doubt appeal to punk fans, particularly those that are fans of Iron Chic and such already, and alternative rock alike.

Adult Magic is available to pre-order on Bandcamp now. Also be sure to like the band on Facebook.

This album review was written by Emma Prew.

Album Review: Get Lost! by The Radio Buzzkills

I first became aware of Missouri's The Radio Buzzkills last year when I reviewed a split they did with The Hypnic Jerks. Playing Lookout Records-esque pop punk on the subject of all things sci-fi, The Radio Buzzkills released a brand new album in March named Get Lost! on OutLoud! Records. I loved The Radio Buzzkills side of the previously mentioned split so was very keen to see what they could do with a whole album.

Get Lost! begins with the song Tattletale. On the track, The Radio Buzzkills sing about that person at school who was a goody-two-shoes, always got the best marks and never did anything wrong and you attempting to become a bad influence then. As you would expect, it's ridiculously catchy song that will quickly get stuck in your head. I really enjoyed the addition of the female harmony, giving the song an extra layer and making me think of the much missed Teen Idols. Opening a song with the lyric "I want to drink your blood" is a quite a startling thing to do but that's exactly what the band do on the next song, Vampire Of Sacramento. This song talks about a night as a vampire; feeling alone, sneaking into a house, lusting over someone, killing them and then feeling complete. It's kind of like a Masked Intruder song but instead of crime it's vampires. Cannibal Girlfriend picks up the tempo. Starting out with some punchy vocals that give the song plenty of energy before moving onto a more melodic chorus. The song is about falling in love with a cannibal and the trials and tribulations that that lifestyle involves. It sounds like a tricky relationship.

She Hails Satan continues the theme of falling in love with the wrong kind of girl. This time it's about falling for a devil worshipper and dealing with what struggles that world brings. Lyrically, it's filled with humour and paints a great picture of what's going on – it certainly put a grin on my face. There's a nice section that throws back to 60s doo-wop music with some superb "do-do-dos" harmonised with some "whoa-ohs." Shark Surfer sees The Radio Buzzkills go down a surf rock road, perhaps not too surprising given the name of the song. It's actually an instrumental track aside from a couple of cries of "shark surfer" during the song. The sixth song on Get Lost!, named The Distance Between Us, feels like more of a serious song. It's about being in a long distance relationship and feeling as if nobody understands why you would put yourself through the hard work that it can be. The duelling male/female vocals are perfect on the track, making it feel like a duet rather than lead and backing vocals. This One Is Bitter is another super punchy song that injects a lot of energy into the album. This is one of the heavier, rockier songs on the album, at times feeling like a big ol' sing-along drinking song. It's a break up song where The Radio Buzzkills bitterly lament the end of the relationship. One of my favourite songs on Get Lost!.

Cold And Lonely starts with some super snotty vocals singing "it's cold and lonely in Wisconsin" before the band come in. The Screeching Weasel influence is perhaps more evident here than anywhere else on the album and really is a throwback to a fantastic time in pop punk music. Cold And Lonely is about being alone, obsessing over someone and… eventually killing them. The song makes it seem much cheerier than this description makes it out to be, honest. The penultimate song is the one that stood out most when I read the track listing before I heard the album. Titled She Died On That Deathstar, I really hope that the band make a video for this song. It tells the tale of someone grieving because their lover died when the Deathstar was destroyed. The band weave a great tale that quickly had me visualising what happened. The final song on Get Lost! is named Unsolved Mysteries. Finishing in an epic way with a song that's nearly four minutes long, I'm really impressed with how The Radio Buzzkills manage to make a pop punk track sound so big. A big part of this is due to those fantastic harmonies giving the song such a sweet extra layer. It's also packed with melody and does the best job of building towards its ending.

The Radio Buzzkills are one of my favourite new bands in the Ramonescore pop punk genre. I was recently discussing with a pal how there doesn't seem to be too many bands playing this style in the UK anymore so I'm pleased that the genre is still alive and well elsewhere in the world.

Stream and download Get Lost! here: https://theradiobuzzkills.bandcamp.com/album/get-lost

Like The Radio Buzzkills here: https://www.facebook.com/theradiobuzzkills/

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Gig Review: Slam Dunk Festival (North), Temple Newsam, Leeds 25/5/19 (by Richard Mair)

Slam Dunk, a fixture on the Leeds and North punk scene for many a year, made its leap from the city centre where it’s been based since its inception to Temple Newsam this year (which to people of a certain age will always be home to Leeds Festival before it turned into a drug fuelled pop music monstrosity at the other great park in Leeds, Brahman). Consequently, I was happy for Slam Dunk to make the move to such a venue and despite the mid-afternoon downpour I think it worked. Navigating stages was much easier, no massive queues anywhere (apart from the toilets by the Punk in Drublic stage it seemed – maybe us older punks have bladder control issues?!?) and a wide variety of food stalls which, although more expensive than the obligatory Wetherspoons quick bite, covered cuisine from across the globe!

The first band we headed for whilst enjoying a beer was the Bombpops. Needless to say they are the perfect pop punk band to open the festival; the crowd lapping up their endearing and anthemic tunes in the sunshine. With a set list containing fan favourites “Dear Beer” and “I Can’t”, the band easily win over casual listeners and both Jen and Poli more than making the female voice heard on a male dominated stage!

Next up, Anti-Flag bring their political discourse and melodic punk arsenal to bear on an expectant crowd; their backdrop of an upturned Stars and Stripes greeted with cheers when unveiled. They bulldoze through the set with gusto opening with “Die for the Government”, and closing with “Brandenburg Gate”. The highlight was undoubtedly “Fuck Police Brutality” which generated numerous middle finger salutes from the passionate front rows.

My girlfriend loves ska and on mentioning that the Mad Caddies were playing was desperate to go; and they did not disappoint. In fact they take to the stage at the sunniest part of the day meaning that real festival vibe takes hold of the crowd with lots of early drunken dancing exploding around the Punk In Drublic stage. Despite complaining about the lack of sound on the stage monitors, the band sound sublime from the pit; which must be attributable to how much of a well-oiled live machine they are. Personal highlights are the tracks off of Duck And Cover and Quality Soft Core (“Road Rash”, “Monkeys” and “Goleta”) and the flawless cover of Propaghandhi’s “Nation States”. But what makes them so good live is how good a frontman Chuck Robertson is – casually dancing around the stage like a camp George Michael, bantering with his band mates and looking effortlessly cool; he remains one of my favourite front men to watch because it’s obvious he loves doing what he does and it’s that infectious you can’t help but be swept along. The Caddies producing one of the best sets of the day with ease!

After spending a good few hours at the Punk in Drublic stage, we made the first of two visits to the Dickies stage. Now, to be fair, I could have stayed here all day and had a mint time; however there were other bands I was desperate to see having never seen them before so Saves The Day and The Get Up Kids had to miss out (I’ve a feeling some of my friends would disown me for that decision given how iconic both groups are). Anyway my reason for heading to this stage, was Scranton duo (with full band) Tigers Jaw. I genuinely can’t describe how much I love this band and a set that can only be described as containing all the hits was truly wonderful. Their emotionally charged songs getting fists in the air from the get go. Opener “Favourite” is a wonderful dancey singalong tune which sets the tone for their set, followed by “The Sun” – the epic, fast shout along anthem that opens their self titled album. Inevitably it goes off; fists and bodies collide, whilst both Ben and Brianne look on in amazement at the scenes unfolding in front of them. After such a massive double salvo “Frame You” is a welcome change of pace; one of their most straightforward rock songs, it allows everyone a bit of a breather to enjoy watching the band. This is followed by “Follows”, another banger from their last album Spin (and I would argue massively underrated – they should have been huge on the back of that one!). It’s another big singalong with its refrain of “Breathing in slow, breathing out and letting go” shouted back at the band with such gusto it’s both life affirming and deafening. Its followed by another fan favourite “Hum”, a sombre song that lets the band’s vocal harmonies shine; it’s the calm before the storm as the next 5 songs bring joyous chaos. Starting with the frenetic, melodic “Guardian”, its chorus eliciting a gigantic response from the crowd. Whilst the refrain remains one of my favourite pieces of music of recent years, hardcore beat down-esque it’s the epitome of what true emo is. After this it’s the first of their big three from their self-titled, “Chemicals”. The bodies literally flying whilst many a sore throat ensued, it’s the kind of song you have to sing along with like its last song you’ll ever hear. Brienne dedicates the next song to her best friend before taking us through the gorgeous “June” (the crowd singing the keyboard parts eliciting smiles and laughter from the stage). Closing the set off, the trio of “Plane vs Tank vs Submarine” unleashes even more carnage; the opening lines of “Lie to me, like you used to” again almost deafening! “I Saw Water” generates a similar response as crowd surfers rain down on the front rows. The final song “Window” closes a truly wonderful set by a truly wonderful band in a special way. If I thought it was hard to top the Caddies, Tigers Jaw have done it and some – they were one of the main draws to Slam Dunk for me and again didn’t disappoint.

Next up we had the two heavy bands I wanted to see. First up, the Cancer Bats. I haven’t kept up with these guys since they put out their third album Beats Mayors, Scraps and Bones in 2010. However, this didn’t take away from my enjoyment of them and, having seen them before and how great they are live, they certainly didn’t disappoint. The devil horn metal anthem “Lucifer's Rocking Chair”, anthemic “Hail Destroyer”, “Pneumonia Hawk” and “Bricks And Mortar” are the pick of the songs as they lay waste to an adoring crowd. It’s hard to find fault with the Cancer Bats; their sound is so unique, bordering on the fringes of punk, hardcore and metal and they have an ability to cross these boundaries easily. What may have seemed like a stretch when they did it was adding hip-hop to the mix. Their cover of the Beastie Boys “Sabotage” remains one of the most successful covers I can think of and created a war zone of a pit, akin to something you’d expect from the early years of hardcore before the idea of looking out for your fellow gig goers was a thing. It was all sorts of good natured brutal, with hugs and high fives exchanged by the slam dancers. Again, the Cancer Bats prove why they are one of the best in the business; sure they don’t take themselves too seriously but Liam is a bonafide legend of a front man and the band excel at pummelling beats and dirty riffs.

After Cancer Bats we have a different type of heavy in the form of Silverstein. The duel stage tent approach works well as no sooner have the Cancer Bats finished we’ve turned round had a short hop to the other side of the tent and the Canadian emocore mob have taken to the stage. Whilst not an entirely career spanning greatest hits set, the spread of songs throughout their near 20 years of releasing material is impressive. Opening with the iconic “Smashed Into Pieces” the standout track from their debut LP When Broken is easily fixed. It’s an instantly recognisable song that made them stand out ahead of their peers and still sounds epic, relevant and exciting to this day. As one would expect, it’s the songs off of Discovering The Waterfront that generate the biggest reactions; both “Smile In Your sleep” and “My Heroine” are big sing along songs and are greeted by the crowd with mass cheers within their first chords. Personally I found their recent album Dead Reflections a near perfect representation of the band and 4 of the 10 tracks are taken from this most recent release. Again the crowds passionate response to each is testament to their staying power and ability to keep taking risks and developing their sound – the brutal “Retrograde” at one extreme sits well alongside the pop infused “The Afterglow”. Silverstein delivered everything you’d want from a mid-afternoon festival slot; the only downside being the lack of backdrop meant that those coming into the tent to escape the rain maybe left unsure of who they had just watched. Still, for those of us in the know, they were another highlight of the day!

Despite the rain we decided to head back down the hill to the Punk In Drublic stage for both Millencolin and Less Than Jake. The weather playing havoc with the Swedish legends’ sound, they battled through a greatest hits set. On a personal level, the older tunes from Life On A Plate through to Pennybridge Pioneers steal the show, and generate the biggest singalong dances. But their two most recent albums (True Brew and this year’s SOS) comfortably stand alongside the classics and the reception greeting these new songs demonstrates how polished a machine they have now become.

Talking of polished machines, Less Than Jake trotted out their usual schtick; funny, endearing, high energy. For a fleeting half hour you don’t notice the rain and bask in the warmth of the Florida veterans’ ska-punk anthems. The set is heavy on songs from Anthem, Borders And Boundaries and Hello Rockview. It’s a proper festival set by a proper festival band. I’ve seen them countless times over the years and they never disappoint – today was certainly no exception.

Our final band on the Punk in Drublic stage was Bad Religion; however in what was the absolute worst clash possible they would eat into The Menzingers set (a band who I wouldn’t miss under any circumstances). Consequently we made the decision to leave early, but not before we were treated to classics from their seminal Stranger Than Fiction which was my first introduction to the band and it’s follow up The Grey Race (my favourite Bad Religion album)! I always love watching Greg Graffin on stage; he’s a man who appears to be living in his own world, enjoying the music and playing off the other members of the band. By the time we walk away with the anthemic generator playing, I’m unsure if the decision to leave early is a wise one… certainly a cursory glance at setlist.fm makes me feel that those who stayed were treated to some absolute bangers.

Absolute bangers is the reason we decided to head for The Menzingers, a band that have built a career out of writing blue collar anthems akin to the best of The Gaslight Anthem and Hot Water Music. I personally think that Tom May and Greg Barnett are two of the best songwriters out there and their ability to craft passionate, heart-on-your-sleeve and fists-in-the-air songs is unrivalled. Prior to taking the stage proper, Greg mills about taking photos of the crowd and generally winding people up to a frenzy whilst Plain White Ts conclude on the adjoining stage. Somehow the big draw and overzealous, excitable crowd earn the ire of Plain White Ts frontman Tom Higgenson, who is constantly asking us to be patient… perhaps the only incident of the day where the duel stage approach fell down. Frankly I don’t think anyone waiting for the Philly foursome cares and as soon as they take to the stage properly and kick off with “Tellin Lies” we’re in party mode. The Menzingers do generate the most amazing and friendly pits and in unison every word of every song is sung as if they are our own words, such is the band’s ability to write such human and relatable tunes. With a set almost exclusively taken from the last three albums, it’s obviously a play to win over any sceptics with all the big hitters getting aired. The pleasant melodies of “Tellin’ Lies” making way for the raucous “Good Things”, which turns the pit into a frenzy of limbs, fists and bodies. Rattling through the set we’re treated to other classics from On The Impossible Past namely “Gates”, “Obituaries” and “Burn After Writing”; all just immensely smile inducing and helping take our minds off the now slow drizzle. It’s also great that personal favourites “I Don’t Wanna Be An Asshole Anymore” and “Casey” are performed, but it’s the newer songs off of my 2017 album of the year After The Party that again really wow. The album’s lead single “Lookers” is performed with aplomb and greeted by the crowd like a returning hero, “Midwestern States” is another great turn by the band and what I’d argue is the single best song of the last few years. “After The Party” is just stunning. As expected they close the set (and our day) with the bombastic “In Remission”. It’s one last chance for the crowd to lose themselves in the music and they do so with the kind of energy you’d expect to see at the start of a set and not towards the end of a day of incredible music.

This concluded our Slam Dunk 2019; if I’d watched anyone else I’d have been disappointed with myself for not closing it on the highest high of the day and as a result we left as the main headliners took to the stage. Frankly we weren’t the only ones who couldn’t bear to watch anyone after the Menzingers and a mini exodus to the exit ensued after their set. Slam Dunk 2019 was a huge success; the new venue was excellent, the layout working really well and a great selection of bands. 2020 has a lot to live up to!!!

This review was written by Richard Mair.

Album Review: Escalating Quickly by Ten Foot Pole (by Dan Peters)

I don’t think I know a single punk who doesn’t have at least one Ten Foot Pole album in their collection. Were you an Unleashed guy like me, or maybe Insider, or for distinguished old school aficionado Rev? When you and your friends couldn’t decide on what to listen to, Ten Foot Pole were always a band that were universally loved. Now, after a 15 year hiatus, Ten Foot Pole are back with a brand new original album. To say I’m happy is an understatement and I’m sure it’s a feeling that’ll be echoed by a great many of you. So without further preamble, let’s dive in and see what’s going on with Escalating Quickly.

Escalating Quickly is so much fun to listen to. Ten Foot Pole have always courted darker subject material and with this new record they are fully embracing dark humour. Lines like “the years will go by, your puppies will die” in opener Everything Dies and the entirety of Don’t Be A Dick could be as at home in a Guttermouth record as they are here. Escalating Quickly is what I’d call a ‘next gen’ skate punk album. Although this is vintage Ten Foot Pole under the hood, they’ve not been afraid to indulge in the benefits of modern recording. Listening to Numb you can hear a lot of extra bells and whistles added including (ironically) retro sounding keyboards amongst a lot of extra vocal effects. On the whole, this leads to this being the best sounding Ten Foot Pole album to date. Now, I’m sure the purists may begrudge all the extra production but I’m a big fan of progress and personally don’t think it does anything but enhance my experience.

Things aren’t all jokes and crude references here and there’s also a very Ten Foot Pole style message of positivity throughout. Songs like the excellent Long Night and Unbroken speak to the difficulty and hopelessness we can feel in our lives but that we can find the strength to carry on. Very powerful stories to be telling in these days when mental health is a topic that’s starting to be taken more seriously than ever. Album finisher Goodbye Sunny Days may be more standard in terms of subject material, being a song about lost relationships, but it is a beautiful acoustic track and the perfect chilled ending to a rollercoaster of an album.

In conclusion, this is an exceptional return to the fray for Ten Foot Pole. Escalating Quickly takes a true to the roots formula and upgrades the sound and quality to reflect a band that has grown with the times in the 15 years they’ve been away from our ears. Massively recommended – expect to see this high on my end of year greatest albums list.

Stream and download Escalating Quickly here:
https://disconnectdisconnectrecords.bandcamp.com/album/escalating-quickly

Like Ten Foot Pole here: https://www.facebook.com/tenfootpole/

This review was written by Dan Peters.

Top Tens: Top Ten Songs Colin Discovered On Compilations

You may have heard that CPRW are releasing our first ever compilation album tomorrow (June 14th). I've loved compilation albums since I first started to discover punk rock. I'm sure most people of a similar age to me first started to find many of their favourite bands through cheaply priced label comps in the late 90s and early 2000s. This is how people found new bands before the days of Spotify playlists. For this week's top ten I've decided to put together a list of ten of my favourite songs and bands I discovered through various comps.

Authority Zero – Revolution (Rock Against Bush, 2004)
The Rock Against Bush compilations brought some of the biggest names in punk rock together as Fat Mike attempted to rally the punks together to fight back against George W. Bush's presidency. One band on the compilation that really caught my attention was Authority Zero. Lead singer Jason DeVore's voice really captivated me and he remains my favourite vocalist to this day.

The Briggs – Media Control (Vans Warped Tour Compilation, 2003)
Media Control by The Briggs was one of my first adventures into the world of street punk. I had absolutely no idea what Joey Briggs was singing at the time but the energy of the track just swept me away. They've remained one of my favourite bands ever since hearing Media Control on a Warped Tour compilation released by Side One Dummy Records in 2003 and it makes me sad that I've never seen them live.

Alkaline Trio – Jaked On Green Beers (Atticus… Dragging The Lake, 2002)
I was already well aware of Alkaline Trio before hearing Jaked On Green Beers on the Atticus… Dragging The Lake comp in 2002 but this instantly became my favourite song of theirs. To this day I'm not really sure what it is about the track that makes it stand out from Trio's massive back catalogue of classics but, whenever the topic of what is the Chicago legends' best song comes up, this is always my go to song.

Mad Caddies – Road Rash (Fat Music IV: Life In The Fat Lane, 1999)
Road Rash by The Mad Caddies is a classic in the word of ska punk. I first heard it on the Fat Wreck Chords compilation Life In The Fat Lane and I instantly became a huge Mad Caddies fan. It's such a fun song to dance like a lunatic to – those horns at the beginning of the song are among the most recognisable in the genre. This isn't your standard ska punk song though, also having elements of polka and dixie music – squeezing everything in during just over two minutes of madness.

The Apers – Almost Summer (AMP Pop Punk, 2005)
The Apers were perhaps the first mainland Europe band I ever heard, first discovering them via the song Almost Summer's appearance on a pop punk compilation for AMP Magazine in 2005. At that point I was completely ignorant of punk rock music being from anywhere other than in the UK and United States so to discover this band from Holland playing this blisteringly quick breezy pop punk music was very exciting for me and it opened my eyes to so many fantastic Ramonescore pop punk acts from the mainland.

Less Than Jake – Gainesville Rock City (Craig and Ian Mix CD, 2003-ish I guess)
This wasn't strictly a compilation but more of a mix CD my best friend and his brother put together. The song that stood out the most for me on the CD was Gainesville Rock City by Less Than Jake, who would go on to become my all time favourite band. I love a mix CD to this day, they're such a great way to show people new bands and music. It's the same with playlists in these modern, non-shiny disc days.

The Distillers – I Am A Revenant (Punk-O-Rama 8, 2003)
Punk-O-Rama 8 was the very first of the legendary Epitaph comps I ever got my hands on. Shame on me, I know. The very first song on that compilation was I Am A Revenant by The Distillers. At that time, I had no idea of Distillers lead vocalist Brody Dalle's relationship with Rancid's Tim Armstrong. I just found this ferocious punk rock band that got stuck in my head. This may have been my first ever time listening to a female fronted band and it really opened my eyes to such a thing happening and being really, really good.

Edna's Goldfish – Veronica Sawyer (Moon Ska Europe Label Sampler, 2000)
When I was first getting into ska I was only really aware of the big three – Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Then I stumbled upon a compilation in Virgin Megastores with the word ska written in big bold letters on the cover. I picked it up and noticed that it had featured LTJ and The Bosstones but also a load of bands I'd never heard of with some very interesting names. Edna's Goldfish were track number one on the compilation and I was instantly hooked. What a great voice Brian Diaz has. Veronica Sawyer has become such a favourite in the ska scene that Reel Big Fish still cover this song every now and then.

Slapstick – There's A Metalhead In The Parking Lot (Mailorder Is Fun, 1998)
Slapstick are a band I've become much more of a fan of long after they split. The chaotic style of their ska sound you could argue came much before their time. There's A Metalhead In The Parking Lot first came to my attention on the cult favourite comp Mailorder Is Fun, released by Asian Man Records in 1998. I'm sure you already know that Slapstick members went on to form Alkaline Trio, The Lawrence Arms and The Falcon.

Mustard Plug – You
It isn't just compilation CDs that you discover great new music on. There was a time where you could do the same with VHSs and DVDs. I discovered You by Mustard Plug on a DVD named Punk Rawk Show that I picked up in HMV. Of all the videos on the DVD it was You by Mustard Plug that stuck out and they have remained one of my favourite bands ever since.

Our massive 125 band compilation album comes out tomorrow. Check it out here. Hopefully you find some new favourite bands and songs on it.

This top ten was written by Colin Clark.