The Members - The 100 Club, London 5.1.16

And the new year of gigs kicks off ... at the 100 Club.
I arrived quite early and had a wander round town for a while before arriving at the venue for opening time. I met up with Dave Booker and a couple of his mates for a chat, before it was time start the proceedings. The evening kicked off with Ed Banger & the Nosebleeds. Although having owned their one original single for too many years, I had never seen them live. With a very camp lead singer they really lifted the roof. A really good rock band, with the Punk overtones and of course did a superb rendition of 'Aint Been to No Music School'! There weren't many people in the venue so support was a bit muted, but those that were there really enjoyed them.
Next up was the brilliant TV Smith. This guy is always superb .. and all songs are done with such passion. This time he had a drummer with him, Vom Richie (from bands such as Die Toten Hosen and The Boys), this added another dimension to TV Smith's acoustic set and gave more guts to the sound. So we had 'I Delete', 'One Chord Wonders', 'Immortal Rich', 'Deactivate Autoslave', 'True Believers', 'No Time to be 21' and then as a finale 'Gary Gilmore's Eyes' with the added guitars of Segs & Leigh from The Ruts, brilliant end to the set.
Headlining at the 100 Club were The Members. Now, everyone I know has Sound of the Suburbs but apart from that I could probably only name one other track of theirs! So I wasn't quite sure what to expect from them, having also never seen them before either. They wasted no time and got quickly into their set with 'Offshore Banking Business', 'At the Chelsea Nightclub', 'Killing Time', 'Romance', 'International Financial Crisis', 'Working Girl' and of course the obligatory 'Sound of the Suburbs'. Brilliant set .. loved them, and to hear Sound of the Suburbs live after all these years was the icing on the cake. The place was not packed at all, but those that were there really seemed to enjoy themselves.
All in all, quite a superb evening's entertainment .. now I've just got to do it all again tomorrow night with the League.

Anti-Nowhere League - The 100 Club, London 6.1.16

Second gig of the year and .. well, it's back to the 100 Club again as they are doing a number of gigs to usher in the 40 years of Punk.
Was rather on my own for this one, but that was no problem. This was looking to b a good gig as love the League anyway. The evening kicked off with Slagerij, a band of which I heard, but had not heard anything by them. They were good, very good ... full of energy, they bounced around the stage and really got the growing crowd excited. Chatting to the band afterwards it transpires they are from Swindon way and know the Charred Hearts (who are friends) very well .. nice to see West Country bands getting a look in
Next up were another band of who I heard nothing but had heard lots of good stuff about, the Guitar Gangsters Now these guys did not disappoint! They were superb .. why have I not seen these guys before?? They were very well received by the crowd, with tracks like 'Undefeated', 'Going to London', 'Class of '76', 'Nothing to Shout About', 'Hope and Glory', 'Rattle my Cage', 'That's When the Razor Cuts' and 'Radio Shakedown'. They went down a storm .. which made me buy a 'best of' CD too!
Last up were probably one of my favourite bands, The Anti-Nowhere League. I love this band! Jut about every track they do is superb, and even better live!
The just ripped into their tracks and the crowd loved it, with people spilling onto the stage for all the most well known tracks. So we were treated to 'Streets of London', 'Woman', 'This is War', 'Chocolate Soldiers', 'Pig Iron', 'Snowman', 'We are the League', 'I Hate People', 'Let's Break the Law' and 'We Will Survive' .. superb! Having just seen them before Xmas I was worried I'd be a bit fed up .. but no such worries! Loved it!.
Well, that's the second of my 5 visits to the 100 Club done .. only another three to go .. such a hard life!

Chelsea - The 100 Club, London 8.1.16

My third visit to the 100 Club in four days .. and I'm not flagging yet!
Steve accompanied me to this one, however I arrived a bit early to do some shots of Knock Off, which was a bit of fun, then watched the soundchecks until Gene October kicked off, having a pop at the sound guy for getting it wrong, his own band for playing to loudly and Andy and myself for leaving the door propped open! Miserable git that he is!
First band to hit the stage were the brilliant Knock Off. They absolutely blew the pace apart! These guys always put together a good set, but this time they were exceptional .. I loved it! The people that had arrived early were treated to a set that had them bouncing around almost non-stop. Knock off are at Rebellion this year and I have managed to get them on the bill for the Davee Memorial day in February .. so make sure you get to those and see them!
Next up was to have been 999 but due to Arturo recovering from an op, we had Nick Cash doing the 999 set with just a guitar. Now, I do love 999 and I love most of their tracks, so while it was so good to hear them again, it did seem to lose a bit without the rest of the band.
Nick Cash did do a superb set though, running through most of the hits like 'Homicide', 'Emergency', 'Obsessed', 'Feelin Alright with the Crew', 'Inside Out' and 'My Street Stinks'.
Headlining for the night were Chelsea. All problems with Gene's temper were forgotten as they threw themselves into their set thrashing through 'No Escape', 'War Across the Nation', 'I'm on Fire', 'Evacuate', 'Urban Kids', 'The Loner', 'No Flowers' and 'Right to Work'. They were faultless and truly a superb band. The crowd had grown by now and they reacted in style to the tracks being played. A brilliant evening of music with three superb bands, we made our way home very happy!

UK Subs - The 100 Club, London 9.1.16

Now starting to flag as this is now my fourth visit to the 100 Club, but this is the Subs .. so would be silly to miss it.
As usual I was at the venue early, this time Menace had asked for a few photos to be taken beforehand. Once those were done plus soundchecks out of the way, there was enough time for a quick beer before the evenings entertainment kicked off. First up were a band I hadn't seen before, Criminal Mind. These guys were brilliant! an absolutely blinding set and so full of energy, with tracks 'Stitched Up, 'Over Opinionated', 'No Social Culture', 'Who's Got Your Back', 'Blood on the Cobbles', 'In This World', 'Rebel Sounds' and 'Life to Defend'. Once they were done I had to rush over and purchase their two CD's!
Hot on their heels came Menace. I've not seen a bad set from Menace at all and this was no exception, superb! They are a great bunch of guys and really know how to get the crowd going. By this point the place was packed and Menace just got the place absolutely buzzing with tracks '1212', 'Insane Society', 'Party Animal', 'Carry No Banners', 'Live for Today', 'Fuck You', 'GLC', 'Last Years Youth' and Screwed Up'. This was the best set of the Resolution festival yet! Everyone responded, snag along or just threw themselves into the fray, it really set things up for the headline act.
And finally, after a change of drum kit, the UK Subs took to the stage. You could not move in the 100 Clubs now, sold out and completely rammed .. the Subs have a habit of doing this. So they just jumped straight in and tore the place apart with tracks 'Stranglehold', 'Party in Paris', 'Teenage', 'I live in a Car', 'CID', 'Warhead' and a superb tribute to Lemmy 'Louie Louie'. All their set went down with the crowd and they were always baying for more! I thought after Menace it would be very difficult to get a better set .. but Charlie and Co. proved me very wrong! A few days break now then it's back to the 100 Club one last time for Discharge and Anti-Pasti.

Discharge - The 100 Club, London 12.1.16

Last night for me at the Resolution festival at the 100 Club and it's Discharge headlining.
I arrived early again ready to do some shots of Discharge and the usual soundchecks. All went smoothly except that Discharge were a tad late arriving, which was fine as it gave me the chance to chat with the other bands and make some new friends and contacts.
Once all was sorted the first band, Mick O'Toole, kicked the evening into life. never seen or heard of these guys before, but they sounded very similar to the The Lagan. They were very good indeed and a real pleasure to listen to. There were not many in the club at this point however those that had arrived early were toe tapping along to most of the set. Seemed a strange choice though to be on the bill with the likes of Discharge and Anti-Pasti!
Next up were Anti-Pasti. I've seen these guys a few times and since Gez has taken over vocals they have improved 100%. Tonight they were superb! The crowd had swelled by this point and the band set them off jumping and crashing around at the front to tracks 'Six Guns', '1980', Call the Army'', 'Let Them Free' ,'Freedom First', 'Aint Got Me' ,'Lies, Lies, Lies', 'Another Dead Soldier' and 'No Government'. All the old favourites were there and everyone seemed to really enjoy the set.
After a brief change over Discharge took to the stage .. bloody hell, there was mayhem at the front right from the start. Everyone was joining in and the tracks just kept coming, like 'See Nothing, Hear Nothing, Say Nothing', 'The Nightmare Continues', 'Hell on Earth', 'Beginning of the End', 'Never Again', 'Decontrol', 'Fight Back', 'State Violence, State Control', 'You Deserve Me' , 'Realities of War', 'War's No Fairytale' and 'New World Order'. Brilliant set and all done in the usual breakneck speed, they were really superb, not quite as good as the Forum gig last year, but pretty damn close! So, that was it for the 100 Club, I get a bot of a rest now until the Davee Memorial gig in February.

Davee Wild Memorial - The Maidens Head, Canterbury 6.2.16

Having helped with the promoting of this event and being lucky enough to have counted Davee as one of my friends, it was a must to be at the Maidens Head with Steve to be part of the second memorial gig.
We arrived quite early in order to prepare for the days festivities and we were both surprised to see so many people turning up early, still it gave us a chance to have a chat with a few people and get a couple of beers under our belts before the bands started up.
So we have a full compliment of bands before us and we were treated to Ted DiBiase & the Million Dollar Punk Band to get things started. Now they were told not to check powder to light cigars .. so what did they do .. they stuck a smoke bomb in an old keyboard and mid-way though the set .. lit it!! That was as far as seeing anything for the next 15 minutes, as pub filled with smoke!! Still they did a superb set. Following close on their heels were The Spoilers, seen them a couple of times and wasn't impressed .. but this time I thought they were excellent. Next up, a brilliant young band from Kingston, The Wonder Beers. again, I've seen them a few times and they just get better each time, they seemed to go down a treat here too!.
There was a quite a quick succession of bands after that, with Bus Station Loonies, Butcher Baby and Dogtown Rebels all of whom did superb sets, especially the Loonies, loved it! Another favorite of mine were next up, Knock Off, these guys are superb and are getting more and more slots. Each time they improve more and more, so it was a real pleasure to see them down in Canterbury. At this point came a natural break as K**t & the Gang came on, so we have about 45mins to pop out and get some well needed lunch.
When we got back K**t & the Gang were just finishing, so we were in time for Belinda Carbuncle, who were superb. I had seen them last year and liked them then, so this year it was good to see them return to the stage. They were followed by The Pukes who always put on a great show ..however with 12 of them on stage it proved to be a tight fit as by now the crowds had swelled to bursting point.
Now were into the bigger names so we were treated to local boys Anthrax followed by Left for Dead, both of who were bloody superb, especially Left for Dead, they have to be one of the best bands out there now. We were finally into the home straight .. and were treated to The Restarts who were, as usual, bloody superb!! They blew the pace away and especially with their new drummer who looked the part! Last up were Culture Shock, this Dik from Subhumans, other band (along with Citizen Fish. Unfortunately not to my taste, they were ok, but for me it's only the Subhumans, his others bands leave me cold.
So that was that! What a superb day was had, everyone enjoyed themselves, £1000 was was raised for CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) and all done in Davee's name. Can't wait for next year now!

Demented Are Go - The Lady Luck, Canterbury 7.2.16

We were off for a night of Psychobilly and Horror Punk .. sounded superb, and it was back at the Lady Luck.
The evening started of well with an easy drive to Canterbury for Steve and what seemed like great line-up for the evening .... but it was to all go badly wrong.
To kick the evening of were a young Psychobilly band from up North called Dead by Dawn. They were ok but spent a lot of the set plagued with problems with the double bass and amps. However they completed their set and got a round of applause. They were followed by Headstone Horrors. We had seen these guys before and their previous incarnation Girlfixer and really love them. They are now a fully-fledged Horror-Punk outfit and play some superb tracks. The crowd loved them and was starting to fill now. For the night they had a stand-in drummer, Luke from B-Movie Britz / Trioxin Cherry, so was good to see him again.
Next up were Sin Kings another Psychobilly type band. They were pretty good and they two of quite enjoyed their set. The crowd also loved them and were dancing around. After them came Cowboy & the Corpse. We had been told these guys were good and had played the Lady Luck a few times. Sure enough we really enjoyed them, they played a full set and the crowd join in with most of it.
Now we reached the headline act, Demented Are Go .. now, I have seen this band once before at Rebellion and they were not only a good sound, but also a great stage act. So with that in mind we were ready for a great night .. to begin with the lead singer seemed out of sorts, and kept crashing his way into the kitchen backstage every few minutes managing to kick a few cables from amps in the process. Finally he re-appeared with a jar of picked onions which he offered to the crowd .. next thing I knew he had thrown the entire contents over myself and camera gear!!! Now this sent me into panic mode to get the bloody stuff cleaned off, but after getting out from the crowd I found the thrown vinegar pouring out of the end of the lens. To say I was furious was an understatement and I informed Emma before leaving to get home and get the kit cleaned up. Once home Emma contacted me to say it got worse after I'd gone, as the lead singer proceeded to smash up the kitchen before having a meltdown and refusing to play .. what a twat! So the upshot is that the camera, lens and flashgun are all ok after being thoroughly cleaned and left by the radiator for a week, I am attempting to recover costs of the cleaning kit plus the camera bag from the band .. updates shortly.

East End Badoes - T-Chances, London 13.2.16

Bit of a road trip with this one .. of to T-Chances for some Punk Rock ...
Steve couldn't make this one, however Daz (The Commited) was on-hand to provide a lift. So with Gerry and Melv in the car too we set off for North London. The trip went well until Daz managed to ignore his sat-nav about 5 mins from the venue and took us off down some one-way system that was clogged with Buses and cars .. Daz's excuse was that the Sat-Nav had a woman's voice .. so he couldn't help but ignore it ..
We finally made it to the venue and still had loads of time to spare so we had a few beers and chat before the evenings festivities kicked off. First up were Tear Up. They were Ok, an Oi band with a nice raw edge to them. I recognised the lead singer as the guy that was up on stage with he East End Badoes at their 100 Club gig, apparently after that they formed a band! Good move.
Next up were local boys the Terminal Heads. I've seen them now a couple of times, but this time they were so much better! Superb in fact, they ploughed through tracks 'Drone', 'Headfuck', 'Clique', 'Control', 'Locked Away', 'Countdown', 'Nutter' and 'Noise'. In fact these guys were so good I bought the CD at the end. Excellent band and really nice guys to have a chat with.
Following on from them were another (well-known) local band, The Commited. These guys never fail to impress, right from the off they were on fire! Even though beforehand Tone and Noz seemed a little worse for the drink! Made no difference, they played a superb set, with the crowd really get involved to tracks like 'Fuck Conscription', 'Bruised but not Broken', 'Lazy Hacks', 'Free Speech', 'Wake Up! Get Up! Play Up!', 'Mental', 'Big Pharma', 'Whose War?', 'Mental' and 'last night Out'. Brilliant set, brilliant band! They went down so well.
Last act for the night were East End Badoes. I've seen this band a few times now and each time with a slightly different line-up and for me there has always been something missing .. tonights line-up was superb! They hit it just right and really tore the roof off. The crowd were also ready for this and responded in fashion, while the band did their best to keep them whipped up with a few forays into the pit. Excellent band and the best I've seen them so it was a sad end to the evening when they finally left the stage.
Although having been to T-Chances before this was the first time id been to this stage, and was quite a good one for small bands, hopefully I'll get to come back soon.

Witchdoktors - The Lady Luck, Canterbury 18.2.16

I had an evening spare, so I thought why not try something a bit different .. glad i did!
I wasn't really sure about the bands on here, but having an evening free, and Emma having said how good they would be, I thought I'd give it a go. I arrived quite early and was surprised to see a member of Terminal Heads was playing in Zombie Met Girl .. so that was definitely a bonus! Zombie Met Girl were up first and the place already had quite a few ready to watch them. I had seen this band in 2007 with Steve as they supported The Anti-Nowhere League at the Forum in Tunbridge Wells .. could not remember what they were like though. They came as a nice surprise as they sounded very much like The Dead Kennedys, they were fast and heavy and I was very impressed. The crowd loved them too. So, already with one band down I was rather glad I had popped along.
After a short break came The Droppers Neck. Emma loves this band and there she was right at the front during their set. I expected great things from them, and although I did enjoy their sound, for me, Zombie Met Girl were the better act, probably because they were so much heavier. Still these guys managed to raise the roof and pulled in quite a crowd. The lead singer did tend to wander a bit and at the end was seen at the top of the stairs singing away to his hearts content.
Last up were the Witchdoktors. Now I had heard of this band before but not seen or heard anything by them. They were actually very good, a mix of the two previous bands plus some Rock 'n' Roll thrown in. The crowd by now had swelled considerably and everyone seemed to be really enjoying them. They did make a good sound and it was difficult not to tap along with their beat.
So, for a 'spur-of-the-moment' gig, it was really quite an excellent night out. The travel there and back was easy and I even treated myself to a Kebab which I devoured back at home. Next gig is a couple of weeks away yet, it's 999 at the Westcoast in Margate ... see ya there.

999 - The Westcoast Bar, Margate 5.3.16

We were back to the Westcoast in Margate for the first time this year, and to see a rather splendid line-up of old punk and local boys
We got there a bit early as I had to do photoshoots for both Surgery Without Research and The Commited. These are always a bit of fun because none of the guys take it very seriously, so after shots of sitting on stools and various poses around the walls it was done and Steve and I popped off for a bite to eat before it all kicked off. Once back we noticed that a few more people had arrived, which looked good as the last gig here only just made double figures!! First up were Drop This, a bunch of local boys who make a really good sound. We've seen them a few times and they always manage top put on a good show, here, they were the best I've seen them so far, tight and heavy, very good. Good also to see they now have a slot on the new band stage at Rebellion in August.
Second up were one of the best bands around at the moment, Surgery Without Research. A bit of a line-up change now, with Spence out ill, Russ is in on bass and they have a new member Mark Spooner which left Andy free to do just vocals, so it was going to be interesting to see how the format worked. They all came out with masks on (like a mini-slipknot) and just crashed straight into their set, they were really superb!! blasting out tracks 'Police are Liars' ,'Somethings Can't Explain', 'Sheep', 'Cuts', 'Fight Back', Die Tonight', 'Like Winter', 'Deform not Conform', 'Woman Beater' and 'We are the Punks'. Andy stalked around the stage and pit belting out his vocals while the other provided a wall of noise behind him. I was hooked .. best I've ever seen Surgery and I hope they keep it up, it will be great to see Spence back in this line-up too.
Next we had old favourites The Commited. They never put on a poor show and the same went for this night. All the guys were on top form, with Daz out front contorting and leaping around, and the crowd, which had swelled somewhat, responded well. They put out tracks 'Depression', 'Fuck Conscription', 'Bruised but not Broken', 'Mental', 'Terrorists', 'Free Speech', 'Last Night Out', 'Big Pharma', 'Fast Lane' and 'Wake Up! Get Up! Play Up!!'. Superb band, superb set, not much more to say, they got the crowd well and truly warmed up for the headline act.
To finish off a cracking night, 999 then took to the stage. They were superb! Always loved this band and they took us right back with 'me & My Desire', 'Emergency', Feelin' Alright with the Crew', 'Homicide', 'I'm Alive', 'Little Red Riding Hood' and 'Quite Disappointing'. They thrashed their way through the set and the crowd responded as the place had filled very nicely by now.
A great evening, lots of people to meet and chat with, and four superb bands .. we went home happy that night .. via the Kebab shop.

Revenge of the Psychotronic Man - The Castle, Sheerness 12.3.16

First time this year to be back at the Castle in Sheerness, always a good venue and a chance to catch up with friends.
As it was Steve's turn to drive we made it not too early and gave us a bit of a chance of a chin-wag before the bands started. Digger was setting up for the bands and was having a nightmare as the sound guy had forgotten he was due there and so all communication had to be done over the phone ... when he actually answered it!
kicking off the evening was Russ Crimewave who, as usual, did a blinding set set and brought everyone in from outside to watch. His angry vocals set the tone for the night and everyone there gave him a resounding round of applause at the end of his set. Russ gets better and better each time we see him, and although he's had a bit of a break, he's now back and as angry as ever. Next on stage were The Halfwits, always love these guys as they pound the stage while Tadhg tends to disappear off stage and into the crowd. They make a great sound and really have it together now. They have a new guitarist and this was the first time we'd seen him, although they were still the tight unit we know and love! The only issue was mic problems, as probably for a third of their set you could not hear the vocals as they had to keep changing mics to get one that worked.
Following on from them we had the brilliant Ted DiBiase & the Million Dollar Punk Band. These guys always put on a splendid show and didn't disappoint this time .. we had cigars lit, money and white powder thrown around, all superb stuff. Last time we saw them, they had added a smoke bomb into an old keyboard and managed to clear the Maidens Head!! This time Lee's new smoke bomb was crap! We had a little trickle of smoke and that was it ... no sparks, no flumes of smoke .. very poor! That said the set was superb! The crowd loved it with people piling down the front, great time.
Last up for the night was Revenge of the Psychotronic Man, a band from Manchester who I'd seen a couple of times at Rebellion and really liked. It was so good to have a band like this playing in a small pub in Sheerness. They went down very well, everyone seemed to like them. To begin with, as the local boys were done, a few people stayed outside, however the sound this band made brought them back in very quickly. They are heavy and similar in sound to Ted DiBiase, so it was a nice combination. I could have listened to them all night their set was superb and the whole place was rocking away to them.
Another superb night, local boys went down very well but Revenge of the Psychotronic Man were excellent! A few weeks break now and then it's the Rejects at the 100 Club.

Skaciety - Guildford City Social Club, Guildford 19.3.16

Now, this was very last minute and as two others dropped out, it was just me travelling with the band.
A very last minute gig, the guys picked me up from a lay-by and I piled into their minibus. Now, the minibus is rather old and now have 7 guys with all the equipment stored on board ... it was already hardly the fastest vehicle on the road but when we hit any slight inclines on the motorway it was 35mph .. max! So after about 1.5 hours and a quick stop, we finally creaked up in front of the Social Club in Guildford. We unpacked the gear and the guys then set everything up and did a very quick soundcheck .. then we were ready fro what the evening had in store.
First up were T & the Mugs. I have only seen these guys once before and that was due to me photographing them at last years Rebellion. I was glad I did as I really enjoyed them and so was looking forward to seeing them again here. They did not disappoint, another superb set from them and in front of a lot of their own crowd too so it did add to the atmosphere. Would like to see these guys again as they have impressed both times .. just not sure about the name though.
Next up were a band I love, Rage DC. I've seen these guys a few times now and they are always superb. I spent some time before chatting and catching up with Loric and Graham, so good to meet them again, great guys. They had a lot of support from the crowd and also the T & the Mugs guys too. They pounded out their set and the crowd really started to come alive now, the further Rage DC got into their set the more people seemed to appear at the front.
Last up were Skaciety, who just blew the rest away. These young lads dive straight into their set with so much passion and energy. The Ska/Punk thing works so well for them, or rather 'they' make it work so well, which shows both in the gigs they play and the fact that they are getting requests from gigs and festivals up and down the country. They managed to get the whole crowd bouncing along to their beat and the whole place seemed to enjoy themselves. I chatted to one young lad who had spent £60 in taxi fares to come and see them this night .. and he's not actually seen them before but heard of them. I ended up buying their single 'Step Back (Take a Look Around)' which is bloody amazing and certainly worth the purchase.
It was a long and uneventful trip home with most of the guys sleeping, but you know what .. I'd do it all over again if asked!

Cockney Rejects - The 100 Club, London 8.4.16

They're back! .. first time we've seen the Rejects since the untimely death of Tony Van Frater.
I arrived in time for the soundchecks and started taking a few more shots before Steve arrived. We watched a couple of bands do their bit, then popped out for a bite to eat before the festivities began.
First band on stage were one we'd never seen before called Jack the Lad. They were very good and in the same vein as the Badoes. It was a bit slow to start but pretty soon people were getting into the tracks and started to bounce around. The band had brought a few of their own followers as well. Jack the Lad did mainly covers of old Punk and Oi tracks like 'Harry May' by the Business and 'One Lew for Them' by the 4 Skins, but that said they made a really good job of all the cover tracks and in between they threw in a couple of their own.
Next up were another new band for us, Crown Court, these were a true Oi band and really looked the part and were superb. The crowd were now really getting into it and Crown Court gave them a good excuse to bounce around again. They crashed away through their set and were greeted with resounding applause when they finished.
Now it was time for the East End Badoes to take to the stage. Every time I see these guys they just get better and better, on this night they were superb! They got the crowd on their side immediately as they blasted out their tracks. Great band and great guys and a lot fun!
The Cockney Rejects then took to the stage amid mighty applause, especially for Vince Riordan finally returning to the line-up after the untimely death of Tony Van Frater. The Rejects just took the evening by the scruff of the neck and roared away .. even though they had mic and amp problems it still didn't seem to deter them as the crashed their way through 'Flares & Slippers', Police Car', 'Greatest Cockney Rip Off', 'Bad Man', 'War on the Terraces', 'Join the Rejects', 'On the Run', finishing with 'Bubbles'. Then there was an encore dedicated to Lemmy where the Rejects covered a 'Motohead' .. superb!
What an excellent evening, all ready and prepared now for the trip to Berlin for Punk & Disorderly.

Punk & Disorderly - Astra, Berlin 14-17.4.16

So a first for us .. off to Berlin for 5 days to cover the Punk & Disorderly Festival.
I picked up Steve nice and early and it was an easy drive around to Gatwick where we met up with the others over a beer in the Wetherspoons. There were a few of us travelling together and it already had the makings of an excellent trip. The flight was quick and all we had to contend with was a rather large bloke in set between me and Steve who had a very bad continental dress sense. Once landed we waiting for Sam to fly in from Ireland then it was off in Taxi's to the hotel.
The Hotel itself was an old hospital in the East German area of Berlin, however it was really comfortable, so we had time to pop down and have a bite to eat before we headed off for the pre-Punk & Disorderly evening. The venue was a place called Bi Nuu and we were treated to Steve Soto & Kevin Seconds doing an unplugged session, then it was The Varukers and finally a superb German band Ska/Oi/Punk band called Oxo 86. With the bands over Steve and I headed off to the kebab shop and here we came across probably the single most amazing thing of our trip ... Kebab & a Beer! How civilised! .. so 3am and we are sitting in a kebab shop eating and drinking beer ... We were up the next day at around 10am and with the group we went sightseeing at The Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, Ramones Museum and countless bars. This took most of the day and after a bite to eat in the evening we finally arrived for the start of Punk & Disorderly. The first evening started off with Dragster followed by Grade 2, Acidez from Mexico, who were superb!, then Anti-Pasti, Booze & Glory, The Last Resort and finally Stomper 98. All the bands were superb and it was excellent to see some I'd never seen before, but the day was stolen by Acidez, who were the shining light of the day.
Day 2 started rather late considering a 4am to bed after Beer and Kebab. We went into town and visited a few bars and popped into Core Tex Records to see what was on offer. then it was a couple more bars before food and back to the venue. Tonights bands included Urgent Fury, Moped Lads, Razors, Lions Law, The Members Discipline, and of course headlined by Cock Sparrer. Cock Sparrer were superb but for me Discipline were the band of the day.
Day 3 already! We popped back into town and went up the Television Tower (all 43 floors of it!) then popped by Checkpoint Charlie for some snaps. Again it was bars then off for food before the venue opened for the last nights line up of Lucky Punch, Bar Stool Preachers, OHL, Pipes & Pints, Angelic Upstarts and finally finishing with The Partisans. Now this was a really superb day, with no only the amazing Partisans who were on top form but also two bands I'd never seen before who were just amazing, OHL and Pipes & Pints. So that was the music over, we made sure we all piled into the kebab shop for a final 'Beer & Kebab' before heading back to the hotel for a well earned sleep.
We were up and packed quite early and were able to leave our bags in the hotel while we had a last foray to see one of the last remaining bits of the Berlin Wall, then it was a spot of brunch before the taxi to the airport and our flight home. It was sad to leave Berlin as I'd quite fallen in love with it, surprising as I'd never expected to be amazed by it at all. Next year? We'll see ....

XSLF - The Westcoast Bar, Margate 23.4.16

Well it was back again to the Westcoast in Margate to see XSLF, always a good bet plus the other bands on the line-up were superb in their own right.
I drove down on my own for this one and arrived in plenty of time. I had a chance to catch up with friends and do a few shots for Left for Dead before the festivities were to begin.
The evening kicked off with local boys Terminal Heads. I have seen this band a few times now and each time they just get better and better. They also seem to be getting more gigs around the South East now. They set the bar high with their set. Not many in attendance at this point, however those that were there bounced around to the tracks and seemed to enjoy themselves. Next to take the stage were one of my favourites, Left for Dead. I have never seen this band do a bad gig and this was no exception. They have been through a bit of a band reorganisation recently bringing in a new drummer and also Kieran from The Restarts on bass ... wow! That has made a much heavier stronger sound .. They blew through their set covering 'Hops & Barley', 'One Man Riot' and 'Humanity', among many others. They were superb! The crowd really got going as well which made the place very lively.
Hot on their heels came one of the evenings real highlights, The Warriors. I've seen these guys so many times now and although the line-up has changed slightly over the years the quality has always been there. Tonight they blew the roof off, they were superb and covered tracks 'S.N.A.F.U', 'Bankrupt Britain', 'The Future is Written', 'Buddah of the Backstreets', 'Marlon Brando', 'Never Forgive', 'Bad Guys', 'Dead to Me', 'Keep It Real', 'Shit Town' and 'Operation Oi'. They were really on a roll and as each track was played so the crowd got more excited. Brilliant set and again the Warriors had all but stolen the show. Headline act for the night were XSLF who are made up of two ex-Stiff Little Fingers originals, Henry Cluney and Jim Reilly with Ave Tsarion on bass. Now, I've seen these guys before a couple of times and really liked them, tonight they were superb and we got all the wonderful SLF hits 'Johnny Was', 'Nobody's Heroes', 'Suspect Device', 'Straw Dogs', 'Back to Front', 'At the Edge', 'Tin Soldiers' and 'Alternative Ulster'. Henry's voice is as good as Jake Burns any day. The place was going nuts at this point and there was a stage invasion as everyone joined in the vocals. Brilliant band and every bit as good as the current Stiff Little Fingers line-up ... and really nice, friendly guys to boot.
Well, what a brilliant evening, and to think I wasn't sure whether to go or not .. so glad I did!!

Sophie Lancaster Benefit - The Castle, Sheerness 21.5.16

On my own this time and off to the Castle in Sheerness to catch as much as I can of the Sophie Lancaster fundraiser gig.
As it was FA Cup day and I wanted to see if Palace could lift the cup so I was quite late and missed quite a few bands, but I still managed to arrive in time for the last 5. It was a miserable drizzly evening and went with the miserable footy scoreline, so I really wanted something to lift my spirits .. luckily when i arrived The Commited were in full swing and I managed to catch a good portion of their set. These guys are always a bit of fun and tonight was no exception as Daz bounced around the room getting people fired up. Great set with 'Free Speech', 'British Crime', 'Cloggie's Lament', 'Fast Lane', 'Advertising', 'Factory', 'Terrorists', 'Be Afraid' and 'Big Pharma'. Following close on the Commited's heels were, Surgery Without Research. One of the best local bands around and in a constant state of anger! Andy was without guitar this time so he was free to wander the venue snarling and shouting out the lyrics to an expectant crowd. They were superb, but we've come to expect that of these guys. Slightly different line-up as Paul has an injury so a new drummer stepped in to his shoes .. and was bloody brilliant!
We were treated to 'Sheep', 'Cuts', 'Fight Back', 'Police are Liars', 'Crushed & Buried', 'Like Winter', 'Power Unpower', 'We Pay the Price', 'Woman Beater' and 'We are the Punks' ... superb set, really enjoyed it, and so did the rest of the crowd. Next up we had The Spoilers who are always a lot of fun although not particularly Punk. Still they played superbly and there was still a lot of support for them in the venue. Hot on their tail came a band I've not seen before, Glass Houses. Again not a Punk band and they did bring their own support with them. Their drummer is ex-Skaciety which sort of explains why they ended up on the bill. Not really to my taste and to be honest I did not rate them very much.
Last up for the night were Drop This. These guys are a lot of fun but annoyingly most people had left by this point in the evening so there were only few around to witness their set. Those that were there did bounce around a lot, i think to make up for the empty floor! Drop This were very good and having seen them a few times I really do like them, full of energy and the occasional jump (which is always good to catch a shot of) they certainly made themselves known.
So, with the line-up I saw it did lift my spirits somewhat and was a superb evening out. Next up is Peter & the Test Tube Babies at the Lady Luck, now that WILL be good!

Peter & the Test Tube Babies - The Lady Luck, Canterbury 26.5.16

It was a quick dash over to Canterbury for a school night gig at the Lady Luck.
This was a ticket only event and was apparently sold out, so we were looking forward to a good crowd. We arrived a little early after a bite to eat and had a chat with Sam before having a quick beer and getting ready for the evenings entertainment
First up were a German band we'd never seen before, an all-girl three piece called Nobelschrott. They started badly as the singer had real problems with her guitar and during the silence the laughs and remarks started from the crowd. It didn't;t look god for them, but finally they were sorted and managed to redeem themselves with not half bad set. Most of the songs were in German which was quite good and they didn't really stop to catch their breath but hurtled from one song to another. They were ok, but they do need to drop the pirate look as it doesn't really work. Next to take the stage were UK Vomit. we had seen these guys once before and that was at the Lady Luck supporting 16 Guns and Maid of Ace. Loved them that time and bought their two CDs off them .. this time they were even better, really heavy but with comic side to them, superb! The crowd was filling the place by now and they were bouncing around to the band as they crashed and bashed through their set. Would love to see these guys again, excellent band and great to chat to as well. There was a short break as Sam sorted his drums out ready for the main attraction. So, headlining the night were Peter & the Test Tube Babies. These guys are always good and tonight was no exception. I was a bit concerned as the Lady Luck is rather small and the Test Tubes tend to get quite a raucous following, I had visions of Demented Are Go all over again .. but that was not the case. They pounded out, what seemed to be their usual set 'Moped Lads', 'Run Like Hell', 'Up Yer Bum', 'Spirit of Keith Moon', 'Keep Britain Untidy', 'Unlucky Day', 'Jinx', 'Transvestite', 'Maniac' and 'Banned from the Pubs'.
It was quite packed now and the crowd were bouncing around and loving every minute of it, a great time was had by all and by the end there was time to say our farewells to Sam then it the drive back and well earned Kebab ...

Adam Ant - O2 Brixton Academy, London 10.6.16

Back in the 80's I saw Adam Ant twice, so I was looking forward to seeing what he is like nowadays.
I had heard good things about Adam Ant's last tour and even a few were raving about this one, the Kings of the Wild Frontier tour, so I was quite looking forward to it. I was on my own this time and arrived to see a queue of faces with white stripes painted across them, I was already starting to reminisce. As this was my first time out doing shots specifically for Vive Le Rock magazine, I readily grabbed my photo pass and made my way for a quick pint at the bar. The pace was filling up quickly so when the first band, UK Feds came on there was already a quite enthusiastic crowd awaiting them. UK Feds were OK and very polished but very pop-punk. Still, that didn't stop their energy from flowing as they bounded round the huge stage. They were very good, and the crowd really responded to them. they did quite a long set and very well received. Now it was the wait for the main act. Looking around the place it was now really starting to get packed, with people of all ages and many many look-a-likes. The Gents toilet had a line of guys in front of the mirrors putting their makeup on! So after quite a long wait, the lights dimmed and the crowd roared! The intro music was the Dambsusters theme, superb! .. and then Adam Ant took to the stage. The guy looks a bit older but none of the passion and energy had gone, as he proceeded to jump and bounce around the stage like a 21 year old. He was actually superb, and he then worked his way through the Kings of the Wild Frontier album with 'Antmusic', 'Dog Eat Dog', 'Los Rancheros', 'Ants Invasion', 'Killer in the Home', 'Cartrouble', 'Press Darlings', 'Stand & Deliver', 'Zerox', 'Jolly Roger', 'Goody Two Shoes' and 'Prince Charming', the tracks just kept coming for a couple of hours, and still no sign of him running out of energy! Each track was delivered with the same power and energy and the huge crowd that had packed in to the O2 Brixton were lapping it up, right till the final chords.
Well, what a gig, so totally amazed. I thought he would be good, but really, not THAT good. Hopefully next time he tours I'll get to photo him again, for now I'll just live with he memory.

Angelic Upstarts - The 100 Club, London 17.6.16

Back to the 100 Club again for an evenings entertainment with the Upstarts and Knock Off.
To begin with I wasn't really sure about this gig, having been to Adam Ant last week and next week The Pork Dukes in Canterbury, but n the end the lure of two superb bands was too much so off I set. I managed to get there early for the soundchecks and was also able to do a few photoshoot shots for Knock Off to use. Steve had arrived later so grabbed a bote to eat and then popped back. There were a few people we knew there this time, so we had time for a chat before the evenings festivities kicked off.
First up were Knock Off. We've seen Knock Off a few times now and they are always superb. Tonight was no exception, with Andy belting out the tracks it was always bound to be a winner. We had the likes of 'The Hunted', 'Bullet in the Head', 'Dirty Little Secret', 'Yesterday's News', 'Underclass', 'Ain't No Fool', 'Fingers to the Bone', 'Little Boy Soldier', 'Jack the Ripper', 'Forever Angry', 'Tooled Up for the Job' and the new single 'Football, Beer and Punk Rock', it was a brilliant set and really got the place jumping, they really know how to put on a good show. Headliners for the night were the wonderful Angelic Upstarts. Always love these guys and tonight they really were on fire, playing for over an hour and a half we had all the hits like 'Woman in Disguise', 'Last Night Another Soldier', 'Leave Me Alone', 'Police Oppression', 'Red Flag', 'Anti-Nazi', 'You're Nicked', 'Teenage Warning', 'I'm An Upstart' and 'Liddle Towers' all finished off with Sham 69's 'If the Kids are United' and The Clash's 'White Riot'. Wow .. what a gig, probably one of the best I've seen the Angelic Upstarts do. There was a nice ending with the announcement that Steve Straughan (Angelic Upstarts and Loaded 44) had just been announced as the new UK Subs guitarist to replace Jet!! Well done!
Quite a night really, so Steve and I made our way back home, and as it was still early we popped in for a Kebab before heading home. Next gig .. The Pork Dukes at the Lady Luck with two superb local support bands.

The Pork Dukes - The Lady Luck, Canterbury 23.6.16

Now this is superb, The Pork Dukes are touring and I'm off to the Lady Luck to see them, in addition we have the finest of the Kent Punk bands to support them.
Steve was away having a sunny, warm holiday in foreign climes so I headed over to Canterbury on my own. It was a pleasant drive over but once I parked up at the station the heavens opened and i got soaked getting a parking ticket and hurrying down to the lady Luck .. once at the door it bloody stopped! Typical!. Anyway we had two of my favourite local bands on, so there were a good few friends there to chat with and have a quick beer before proceedings got under way. Unfortunately the Tickturds couldn't make it out of Essex due to the flooding, so the remaining bands would get a little longer on stage.
Surgery Without Research were the first band up and smashed straight into their set with 'Sheep', 'Cuts', 'Police are Liars', 'Die Tonight', 'Crushed and Buried', 'Fight Back', 'Deform Not Conform', 'Like Winter', Power Unpower', 'Woman Beater' and 'We Are the Punks'. Surgery have a new, superb, album out and the tracks off that have slotted so well into the set. There were not many in the Lady Luck on a cold wet Thursday evening, but those that had made the trip were treated to a superb set and they responded in style.
Following on quickly from Surgery were another of my favourite local bands, The Commited. Daz always puts on a good show and the band really throw themselves into all their tracks, I've never seen a lacklustre performance from these guys. We were treated to 'Depression', 'Free Speech', 'Outta Ya Head', 'Wake Up', 'Mental', 'Hate', 'Big Pharma', 'Terrorists' and 'Bruised not Broken'. The guys really went for it and got the place jumping, even though it was still half empty. Daz is a real showman and jumps around while putting so much expression into his music. Love this band ... you just can't help it!
The Pork Dukes headed up the evenings aural assault. I had never seen these guys before, having only owned one of their singles, Bend & Flush, so I was looking forward to seeing what they were like. They got under way with the aforementioned 'Bend & Flush' and that went down very well, this was then followed by 'Dirty Boys', 'My Mother', 'Soho Girls', 'Makin' Bacon', 'Tight Pussy', 'Bin Liner / Lottery', Telephone Mas'', 'Down Down', 'Devil Driver' and 'Throbbing Gristle'. Although they went down well and I did enjoy them, as the evening wore on the pop-punk got a bit much for me, they were very good, but just didn't hit that spot. The crowd however seemed to really enjoy then, and gave a resounding cheer after each track.
So another cracking evening at the Lady Luck, hopefully I'll be back soon for more!

Seaside Rebels - The Fiddlers Elbow, Camden, London 9.7.16

Not been to the Fiddlers Elbow in Camden for a while, but this line-up was far too difficult to refuse.
Steve and I travelled up together and arrived a bit early at the Fiddlers Elbow, luckily meeting up with Mark Freeman at the door! So we popped in early to have a chat and sink a few beers. This gig had also advertised Subculture and The Angry Agenda too but both of these had pulled out, and after looking looking at the line-up it looked like we would only get 30 mins of the Warriors before we'd have to leave!.
As this was sold out there were already quite a few in for the first band Royal Oi! all the way from Scotland. Not seen these before and they were a pleasant surprise .. really very good, I think we all popped over to their merch during the evening and purchased their CD. They blasted out their set and really started to get the crowd ready for what was to come later.
Following close on their heels were Tear Up who I'd seen before at T-Chances and whilst enjoying them they seemed not to be able to get it together enough to impress me. Now they had a new drummer guitarist .. and that made a difference, they were so much better .. really enjoyed them this time, and now they have a Rebellion slot too. They will go far on the Oi scene and can only get better an better as the new members bed in.
Next up were Anti Social. Now they seemed to have changed their line-up almost completely since I last saw them at Rebellion. I think only one member was left from that line-up. They were still very very good, but unfortunately not as good as before. Again, I think once the new line-up have a few gigs under their belt they will be superb! Now the evening was getting on and it was becoming quite clear that things were running behind and we'd be lucky to even catch the Warriors at all ... Crown Court were the next up and by now the place was packed .. and very hot! We had seen Crown Court at the 100 Club and were impressed then, now they were just as good and crowd really responded to them too. They crashed through their set and really got place place leaping.
Seaside Rebels were on next and running very late now. We had not seen them before and it was a little spoilt by knowing we would miss The Warriors. That said they were superb! The crowd loved them too and responded by singing along to most tracks. I'm hoping to catch these guys again at Rebellion when I can see them properly and enjoy the whole set. That said, I still really enjoyed them here and if someone had been manning the merch I would definitely have bought some vinyl .. I will make up for it at Rebellion.
So that was it, missed The Warriors completely as the whole thing had overrun and we needed to catch our train home. Never mind, I'll be seeing them again next weekend in Deal!

Sham 69 - The Hole in the Roof, Deal, Kent 17.7.16

Now, I had only seen this Tim V's Sham 69 once before, way back at the Garage in London and was itching to see them again, and with such good local support, it was one not to be missed.
I was without Steve again, so it was a solo hours drive to Deal ready for this gig. The journey was fine and I arrived in time to sit and a beer with the bands before the evening got under way. First were the soundchecks so we had Sham first then part of the Halfwits as band members still had to arrive. Once all were done, it was a chance for another chat before things kicked off.
Up first were The Halfwits who crashed straight into their set. There weren't many there at this point but still they get a good crowd watching and bouncing along. The Halfwits are normally a great fun band to watch and tonight they seemed just that little bit better than normal.
After a brief break we were treated to The Warriors hitting the stage. Having missed out on seeing them a week ago, it was great to finally get that chance again. As usual the Warriors were superb, the crowd was now swelling and responded to each track in turn. They covered tracks 'Warriors Come Out to Play', 'S.N.A.F.U.', 'Keep it Real', 'Shit Town', 'Bowler Hats & Baseball Bats', 'Bad Guys', 'Dead to Me', 'Marlon Brando', 'We're Not Like You' and 'Operation Oi', until finally they had to say goodnight. A brilliant set, from a brilliant band, couldn't ask for better really. By now the place was like a sauna, the weather was blistering and the air-con consisted of a couple of fans that only worked when threatened! Finally Sham 69 took to the stage to great applause, and launched into their set. Now I've seen the Pursey led Sham 69 a few times now, but these guys I've only seen once before back in 2010 at the Garage. So I wondered what they would be like and how they would compare .. I need not have worried, they were superb, and really nice approachable guys as well. They blasted their way through 'Western Culture', 'Hey Little Rich Boy', 'I Don't Wanna', 'Borstal Breakout', 'Sweeney Todd', 'Ulster', 'That's Life', 'Hurry Up Harry', 'Questions and Answers', 'Angels With Dirty faces', 'Sunday Morning Nightmare', 'Run Wild Run Free', 'Hersham Boys' and 'If the Kids are United'. Brilliant set and the place was in uproar! it was so hot and sweaty but everyone was having a great time!
I would really enjoy seeing these guys again as they were so good to chat to and brilliant once up on stage, so I'll have to keep and eye out. Next up is The Wall at the 100 Club!

The Wall - The 100 Club, London 21.7.16

I always loved my vinyl by The Wall, now would be my first time seeing them, and at the 100 Club too.
It was another early arrival at the 100 Club to catch the bands for a chat and some shots plus the soundchecks. Steve was not going to arrive till later as he was out on the piss! After a good chat with all the bands and the soundchecks out of the way it was time to sit back with a beer and wait for the first act to take to the stage.
The Legendary Characters were first up. Never seen or even heard of these guys before! Apparently they've been together for about 20 years playing all over, they were really nice to chat to beforehand. They weren't really my style of band and after a few tracks I found myself drifting a bit. Shame really as they played really well and if the music had been more to my liking then my attention would have been held longer. Still they did their set and got a resounding round of applause from the few that had decided to turn up early.
Just before the second band, Steve finally arrived .. a little worse for wear! Next up were the Morgellons. I have seen this band a couple of times and always really enjoyed them and this time was no exception. They are very much like Joy Division in their style and sound and the lead singer does remind you of Ian Curtis in his movements and stage presence. They went down extremely well and had some of their own following in the venue so that boosted the reception they got. I really liked them and and set the evening up for the headline band very nicely.
Finally we were treated to The Wall. This had been many years coming for me and I was definitely not disappointed! They were superb! Right from the first track to the last they just blew me away. It's been a while since a band really impressed me to this extent! We were treated to just about all the singles and more, 'Kiss the Mirror', 'Exchange', 'Ghetto', 'New Way', 'Suckers', 'Barriers', 'Hobby for a Day', 'Remembrance', 'Another New Day', 'Damnation Disco', 'Fight Fright', 'Delay' and 'Uniforms'. Wow! just wow! They were so impressive on stage, the crowd loved them and although it was only half full, you wouldn't have known it!
What a gig! Superb night and now it's time for a short rest before .............. REBELLION 2016!.

Rebellion Festival - Winter Gardens, Blackpool 4-7.8.16

This years Rebellion was a double celebration with 20 years of Rebellion and 40 years of Punk, so the line-up was to die for!
As is normal for us, we traveled up the day before which gave us time for a last 'good' meal then it was off to the Rose and Crown for a few beers. We met up with so many friends and had a real blast .. a liquid blast!
DAY ONE: This year all the photographers had been given stages to cover so I arrived very early to pick up my pass, then after a log wait, I was off to start work in the Arena.
Thursday, on paper, looked like the busiest day for me with the likes of The Poly-esters, Knock Off, Pussycat Kill, The Halfwits, Evil Blizzard, CJ Ramone, Flag, East End Badoes and a second year for local boys Ted DiBiase & the Million Dollar Punk Band. Best band for the day? had to be System of Hate.
DAY TWO: Breakfast set the day started even if my legs felt they didn't want to! A quick beer then it was on the second day of music which included Menace, Anti-Nowhere League, Naked Aggression, The Straps, Reazione, Discharge, Infa Riot and The Exploited. All the bands were excellent but if i had to pick highlights then it would have to be The Exploited and Anti-Nowhere League, they were superb!
We had reached the mid-way mark of Rebellion ... there were still so many bands to see!
DAY THREE: We were ready and raring to go ... after breakfast and a couple of beers in the sun! Another day, another excellent line-up. One Way System, Major Accident, Cock Sparrer, Jilted John and Chron Gen, The Wall, Il Complesso, In Evil Hour, Chelsea and Special Duties What a day! So many bands I loved, but the highlights for me were Il Complesso (who, during a chat, told me they are from Piedmont and visit Alassio!), Jilted John and The Wall.
DAY FOUR: So the last day had arrived .. rather sad as this years Rebellion so far had been the best ever for me! After a couple of beers to blast way the tiredness it was time to re-enter the fray. Sundays bands were again a superb bunch with Cress, Hospital Food and 16 Guns, Dirtbox Disco, Anthrax UK, Extreme Noise Terror, Sick on the Bus and Hagar the Womb, however the band of the day were by a long chalk were The Defects.
So, that was the end of the best Rebellion I have been to! So many friends and bands and a highlight for me was for the Defects to get me up on the Empress stage to shoot the crowd and then photo Buck in front of them all! Great fun!.
Next up is the New Rose festival (was 3 Chords Festival) in Cornwall with help from my daughter Amelia. This will coincide with a celebration for my 30th Wedding Anniversary!.

New Rose Festival - Penzance, Cornwall 27-28.8.16

This used to be the 3 Chords Festival, but has since changed promoters and had a name change too.
So rebadged as the New Rose festival this fell at just the right time as we were in Cornwall anyway celebrating our 30th Anniversary, so it would be rude not to turn up. Amelia joined me again for what looked to be 2 days of Sun, Beer and Punk bands.
Day One started well with a welcome return of Paul Carter, and continued with the likes of A-Heads (who were always a favourite of mine). These were followed by the likes of Headstone Horrors, Dischord, Brassick, The Straps, Skaciety, The Members and finished off with Culture Shock.
A great first day and many very good bands. It was good to see so many familiar faces in the crowd and we had great day enjoying a beer with a few of them!
We arrived back for Day Two of a rather sunny festival. A beer to start and we were ready for the days bands. The festivities kicked off nicely with the return of Skaciety playing a second day to cover for a band that had to pull out! There were also a few bands that I had not seen before like Arch Rivals and Nine Bullets plus local bands Bastard, Breakout and Honey all of who were superb! We were also treated to some big names English Dogs, Potential Victims and of course Sham 69 who finished the festival in some style!
Brilliant festival and we all really enjoyed ourselves. Better than the 3 Chords??? I think not, it lacked Pete's front of house personality and more well known bands. Still let's see if it re-appears again next year.

EK Decay - The New Cross Inn, London 10.9.16

I had been waiting waiting a long time .. I mean a very long time to see this Scottish band and finally they were in London at a time when I was free too!
It was a difficult journey due to delayed trains but after a couple of changes I was finally at the New Cross Inn, and even a little earlier than expected. So it was a quick bite to eat before getting back to the venue ready for the evenings entertainment.
First up were a band I'd never even heard of before, Transmission Control Division, they were, as the name implies, a Joy Division covers band. I'm not one for covers bands and probably even less a Joy Division one, but these guys were actually very good and deserved a good listen to, even though there were very few people in the venue by then.
Next up were some Kent local boys, the Terminal Heads. These guys juts get better and better each time i see them! fast, loud and angry, just shame that, as with the first band, there were not more there to see them. That said, it didn't impair their performance and they blasted away as through the place was packed to the rafters.
Penultimate band were the ever good Healthy Junkies. Nina and Phil were the only two I recognized in the band as others seem to have come and gone. This made no difference to their sound, they were still top notch. By now we had a few more bodies in the venue which did help the performance.
Final band for the night, and the one I had been waiting for, EK Decay. When they arrived I was given such a warm greeting from this lot, a real superb bunch. Now they took to the stage and under Midi's command they launched into their set. They were every bit as good as I had expected and the crowd that had gatehred seemed to enjoy it too. A brilliant band and certainly a gig I really enjoyed, can't wait till they appear again in London.

Nina Hagen - O2 Shepherds Bush, London 24.9.16

The O2 Shepherds Bush was the ideal setting for Nina Hagen to make a triumphant return to these shores, after a break of 14 years, as part of her 45th Anniversary tour.
In front of a packed arena, the ‘Godmother of Punk’ proceeded to dazzle the expectant crowd with a weird and wonderful musical repertoire. Throwing a mixture of Punk, Rock n Roll and Reggae styles together, her rich gravelly voice reminiscent of the late great Vi Subversa from the Poison Girls, wowed the enthusiastic crowd. Between playing an acoustic guitar seated on a stool to dancing around the stage, she managed to regale the crowd with stories and anecdotes while sticking partially to her set list. We were treated to quite an extensive set including ‘Leave Me Alone’, ‘Atomic Flash’ and ‘Smack Jack’ in addition to a number of covers such as ‘Spirit in the Sky’ , ‘Summertime’ and ‘Peace, Pollution, Revolution’. As well as this she did a rendition of ‘The Lords Prayer’ and a medley that included ‘The Saints Go Marching In’ and ‘Rivers of Babylon’; markedly there was also a moving tribute to those killed in the Paris attacks, ‘We Shall Overcome’.
She was joined on stage, to great applause, by her special guest Lene Lovich, and the friendship between the two was evident including a cheeky plug for Lene’s upcoming London show. Together they sang ‘Alabama Song’ plus a cover of Rammstein’s ‘Seemann’ but their duet of ‘Don’t Kill the Animals’ was a real highlight of the evening. Adamski also made an appearance during the encore, having earlier provided the support act under his alter ego Sonny Eriksson, this time joining Nina for a version of ‘Killer’.
Nina has not lost any of her drive and diversity over the years; nor the support of the diverse crowd that cheered and clapped her every track, proving that she still appeals to the young and old(er) from just about any background imaginable.
Yes, she was off-the-wall, yes, she was quirky, but for two hours on a warm London evening she was ultimately superb.

The Shammed - The Elephant & Castle, Ramsgate 1.10.16

A new venue! and the last ever gig for The Shammed .. still a very tasty line-up to go with them too!
Steve and I arrived in plenty of time after a jaunt down to sunny Ramsgate. This looked to be quite a superb line-up with one of our fave bands slotted in there. First up to the mic were Terminal Heads. These guys are improving every time I see them and they do get about a bit! Even with the fact that the Elephant & Castle is bit on the snug side with a pillar right in the way, they were still able to throw themselves about enough to get the crowd moving as they blasted through their set.
Second up for the night were an old favourite of ours Surgery Without Research. Now the band are a 5 piece, with Russ back and the addition of Dave Booker, this means that Andy is now free of his guitar and can roam the stage to his hearts content while blasting out his version of angry anarcho-punk. And it is so good. The room was buzzing now and the band went through their paces with tracks 'Jackbooting in the USA', 'Sheep', 'Fight Back', 'We Pay the Price', 'Woman Beater', 'Deform not Conform', 'Like Winter', 'Cuts' and, the now obligatory 'We are the Punks'. It was a superb set as the guys pounded away and certainly got the crowd bouncing.
Finally The Shammed took to the stage. This was to be their last ever gig and Mark Spooner, the vocalist is now in Surgery Without Research, so he can carry the banner elsewhere. I have seen The Shammed before and they are ok, however my love of covers bands doesn't run too deep I'm afraid. They did cover all the classics from bands like the Pistols, Clash, Damned and the Adverts. The crowd loved it! and lapped up track after track while bouncing around.
It was a great evening and good to catch up with friends again. It looks like the Elephant and Castle may become a regular haunt as there are a few gig planned for next year!
Next up, we're off to Islington to see the Dead Kennedys, can't wait.

Dead Kennedys - O2 Islington, London 14.10.16

This was the first of 2 sold out shows at the O2 Islington and the excitement in the venue was high.
Support was provided by The Idles, who opened the evening with a lively performance and paved the way for the Dead Kennedys to take the stage in front of an expectant audience. Many would have been prepared for a rather muted performance without Jello at the helm, but in reality that couldn’t have been further from the truth as Ron ‘Skip’ Greer was the ideal energetic replacement, and the long standing partnership of Klaus Flouride, East Bay Ray and D.H. Peligro completed the line-up.
The set was taken mostly from the first three albums and opened with Forward to Death and Winnebago Warrior, this set the scene and the whetted the appetite for what was to come. Ron Greer spent his time goading the crowd with taunts about Football vs Soccer, and ‘we are all too old for Punk Rock’, which elicited boo’s from the crowd, but each time the Dead Kennedys used this as a launchpad into the next number. The political overtones were still there between tracks, touching briefly on Brexit (stating that they (The USA) would have distanced themselves too), 80’s racism and a ‘Red Headed’ Donald Trump, which led them nicely into ‘Nazi Punks Fuck Off’.
The singles were now coming thick and fast with ‘Too Drunk to Fuck’, ‘Kill the Poor’ and finally ‘California Uber Alles’ ending the set, sending the crowd into a frenzy and Ron Greer jumping into the pit, inviting those at the front to join in on the chorus.
There was a short wait until the Dead Kennedys returned for their encore, with East Bay Ray kneeling at the front of the stage playing the intro to ‘Bleed for Me’ and Ron Greer leaning into the audience taunting the crowd with the lyrics. On a roll now, they followed this with ‘Viva Las Vegas’ and then the highlight, ‘Holiday in Cambodia’. At this point the crowd were one seething mass, hands in the air, bouncing around in time with the music and joining in on every word, echoes of ‘Pol Pot!’ reverberated around the venue for what seemed an age.
Just before the second encore, most of the band jumped into the pit to shake hands with the crowd which was a nice touch, they then returned to the stage for the finale of ‘Chemical Warfare’, into which they had added lines from ‘Sweet Home Alabama’.

Menace - The 100 Club, London 21.10.16

Back to the 100 Club after a break of a couple of months, this time Melinda came with me!
This was a real first, Melinda joined me for a Punk gig! She had already met the 16 Guns guys and girls while we were in Spain and was looking forward to catch back up with them. We arrived early (unfortunately no Steve this time as he would be here the following night) for the soundchecks and quickly got chatting with Menace and 16 Guns which passed the time until the bands were due on stage.
First up were Viva Las Vegas, who I had never seen before. As the name suggests they were an Elvis Presley tribute band, but I have to admit, very good! Noel and Rob from Menace also joined in to help and the crowd that had arrived really seemed to enjoy them!. Next up were 16 Guns. These guys are always superb and now with Chris on bass. As they had not found a new drummer, Matt had stepped back in to help out for this and a couple of other gigs. 16 Guns were superb, immediately hitting their stride and banging out tracks 'Sod the Neighbours', 'Private 999', 'Feed the Paedophiles to the Sharks', 'Punk Rock Stardom', 'Evil Man'. The crowd had grown by now and many followers of the band had found their way to the front to leap around and generally enjoy themselves.
Next up came The Straps. This is a band that has really grown on me the last few times I've seen them, not only as they seem to have a more rounded professional style, but also as they are such a great group of guys to chat to! They had a good crowd awaiting them and they really didn't disappoint as they threw themselves into their set.
The crowd were really getting into their stride now too and seemed to enjoy the whole Straps set.
Finally the headline act took to the stage, Menace. A really great '77 band in every way, superb songs, great guys and as usual the place went wild. I had the pleasure of chatting with Finn and Noel and introducing Melinda to them, they couldn't have been nicer and spent time chatting with us before the soundchecks. Menace just blasted into their set at their usual pace, opening with 'One Two One Two' and 'Insane Society' just to get the blood flowing. This was followed by 'Vote Punk Rock', 'Party Animal', 'Carry No banners', 'Too Many Punks', 'C&A', 'So Fuck You', 'GLC', 'last Years Youth', 'Screwed Up', 'I'm Civilised' and 'Live for Today', a truly brilliant set with so many singles and regular well known tracks thrown into the mix.
Well that was the first of 2 days at the 100 Club completed, tomorrow I'm back with Steve and my daughter to watch DirtBox Disco.

Dirtbox Disco - The 100 Club, London 22.10.16

Two days on the trot at the 100 Club, great place another absolutely superb line-up
This Steve was back in the fold, but Amelia & Alex tagged along as Amelia loves Dirt Box Disco! We arrived and the usual crowd were there all ready for a superb evening of entertainment.
The evening kicked off withe the Healthy Junkies, always a great band they threw themselves right into their set. The crowd was already there for them and everyone jumped around and joined in. One downside was the asshole photographer who follows them around, he caused trouble at the New Cross in with claiming someone 'bumped' into him and he did the same to me here! He obviously doesn't yet realise that if you are at the front people jump around and push and shove .. idiot!
Following in quick succession were the Charred Hearts, always one of my favourite bands, they lost no time in bacshing out the tracks like 'Everybody', 'Throwaway Society', 'Fucked in the Head', 'Ronald Reagan', 'Nowhere Town', 'You're Bringing Me Down', 'Fucked in the Head', 'Throwaway Society', 'Loser' and 'Beggar on the Underground'. Always a great band, always a great show and always a great crowd! They were superb, again. Not having seen them for around a year it was great to catch all the old songs again. One thing though .. they need to start writing some new tracks now!
Next up for the evening were The Morgellons. I've seen these guys a few times now and although they not always my cup of tea, they are very professional. Their sound is very Joy Division-like and even the lead singer drapes himself over the mic in the same way that Ian Curtis used to. The crowd loved them, a lot were their following anyway, but everyone got in on act and there a bit of bouncing around the mosh pit.
Now the evening really kicked into gear with the appearance of Dirt Box Disco. There was quite a crowd now and Weab & Co did nothing to calm the atmosphere! This was the first time I'd seen them in London and it was the first time they had played the 100 Club, but they were superb!. We were treated to 'My Life is Shit', 'Burning', 'My Girlfriends Best Friends Sister', 'Let's Get Wasted', 'Tragic Roundabout', 'What U Gonna Do About It' and 'Standing in a Queue' .. quite brilliant, full of energy and a real laugh, this is what it's all about. Amelia and Alex loved it too, I could see them at the side of the stage bouncing around.
Superb night and four superb bands, you couldn't ask for better.

The Anti-Nowhere League - The Forum, Tunbridge Wells 17.12.16

It was that time of the year again, that time when Steve and I make our pilgrimage back to the Forum in Tunbridge Wells for the Christmas event of the year ....
Steve drove us and we arrived, as usual, with lots of time to spare, so it into a the pub for a swift half before the doors opened. Once in we met up with Gerry Potten who also seems to attend the Xmas bash each year! A couple of beers later and Night Without Sleep hit the stage. They seem to support the League when play back in Tunbridge Wells, although they are not very good .. or very popular!
Second band for the night were Zombie Met Girl. When we saw the League here for the fist time at an Xmas gig in 2007, these guys were supporting, since then I've seen them play at the Lady Luck and really liked them there too, so this time I was well up for seeing them again .. and they didn't disappoint! Very energetic and hard heavy tracks, loved them! The crowd had also swelled by this point so they had a great response from the floor too.
The Anti -Nowhere League took to the stage amid a huge roar from the crowd that had packed out this small venue and immediately crashed into their first track, then we had them all, 'Let's Break the Law', 'Woman', 'So What!', 'This is War', 'Landlord', 'For You', 'Fucked Up & Wasted', 'Pig Iron', 'We are the League' and of course 'Streets of London'. The tracks just went on and on, more and more, the pit was a mass of bodies crashing into each other as everyone joined in the choruses of their favourite tracks.
What an evening! Each year we turn up and get blown away by this band, probably one of my all-time favourite bands, every track they do is a winner for me and certainly for just about everyone who attended too!

Adam Ant - The Roundhouse, London 18.12.16

After the last performance at the Brixton Academy O2, it was back to see Adam Ant finish his tour at the Roundhouse.
I got to the Roundhouse early and was greeted by a huge line of fans all dolled up and ready to see their idol! This was an extra gig put on for the finale to his 'Kings of the Wild Frontier' tour. I managed to get a photo pass based on the fact that I'd photographed him earlier in the year at Brixton O2 and he had used my photo as the advert for this gig.
This time I knew what to expect and was rather looking forward to it again. I met John Marshall, who was queueing inside, and had a chat with him for a while until the doors finally opened and started letting people in.
Support for the night was the band as he had used in Brixton, the UK Feds. These guys were very good and the crowd certainly had warmed to them with rousing cheers after each track. The pace was filling up now and the UK Feds were in full flight and were roundly cheered when they finished their set.
This now left the stage free for Adam Ant. As per the Brixton O2 gig it was a similar set, with the likes of 'Dog Eat Dog', 'Antmusic', 'Goody Two Shoes', 'Feed Me to the Lions', 'Ants Invasion', 'Kings of the Wild Frontier', 'Stand and Deliver', 'Cartrouble', 'Zerox', 'Red Scab', 'Never Trust a Man (with Egg on his Face) and 'Physical (You're So)'. As usual Adam was superb! Still leaping around like a 21year old and still keeping the entire venue enthralled. He really does have a great stage presence, and the crowd that follows his tours are always 100% behind him.

The Damned - The Winter Gardens, Margate, Kent 19.12.16

The Damned hit the end of their 40th Anniversary tour .. and it's at the Winter Gardens in Margate!
This gig had been postponed from the week before as Dave Vanian had apparently been very ill. SO here we were on a school night in Margate at the Winter Gardens. I had a wander round and chatted to a few of the locals that had turned out. It seemed an OK venue and I was looking forward to seeing the Damned on 'home turf'!.
First band up were called Emptifish. They would have gone down well at a MOR gig .. but here? with a venue full of punks .. no way. They were completely wrong and not really to anyones taste, so it was to a cheer of relief that they finally left the stage.
Not much you can say to introduce a band like The Damned. They've been there and seen it all since 1976 and are still blasting out their hits to this day. I've seen them when they have been bad and I've seen them when they have been superb, this was in the middle. Because of having to re-arrange the date meant that many could not make it, so the venue was half full which didn't help. They did the Damned, Damned, Damned album in full, but it lacked the power that they had previously put into it, however the old favourites were still there with 'Neat, Neat, Neat', 'New Rose' and '', and they added in the likes of 'Love Song', 'Stab Your Back', 'White Rabbit', 'Alone Again Or', 'Grimly Fiendish', 'Plan 9 Channel 7', 'Noise Noise Noise', Smash It Up' and my fave 'Eloise'. It was a great, nearly 2 hour, set and most were pleased as the crowd roared their approval for all the well known tracks. The Damned were 'damned' good fun and the Captain played to the crowd, at the end as I walking from the pit he did chase after me hitting me across the head with his beret! Great fun!
At the end I bought the obligatory live album of the gig and we were also treated to sticks of Damned Margate rock.

Cockney Rejects - The 100 Club, London 21.12.16

Well, twice at the 100 Club in one year for the Cockney Rejects, can't be bad.
Arrived minus Steve this time, however I met up Dave Nash and John Marshall for a chat before things got under way. First up for the night were Desperate Measures. A Kiwi band and the vocalist is Eugene, the editor of Vive Le Rock. Never seen these guys before and was pleasantly surprised, as they worked their way through their set. The crowd warmed to them too and by the end there cheers and applause for every track.
Subculture were the next on stage. I had only seen this band once before, back in 2012 at Rebellion. I remember liking them, but they hadn't left a lasting impression on me. After this gig .. they will now! Loved this band, with now the addition of Andy Bonney on guitar and a slightly different line-up they were rather excellent! The crowd seemed to enjoy them to, with much bouncing around and resounding cheers at the end of each track. This is a band I will watching whenever I can, really enjoyed the whole set.
Following them were The Gonads. For me these guys blow hot and cold, but seeing two guys in the line-up who play for other bands i like made me sure this was going to be a cracking set .. and so it was. The crowd loved them too joining in with tracks like 'I Lost my Love to a UK Sub' and 'Frankenskin' .. which also had someone join them on stage wearing a Frankenstein mask!
Finally it was time for the Cockney Rejects to take centre stage. This band just doesn't disappoint any more, they are fast and hard and every time the crowd goes wild for them! They always run through a huge repertoire and tonight was no different, with 'Flares & Slippers', 'We are the Firm', 'We Can do Anything', 'Bad Man', 'War on the Terraces', 'Join the Rejects', 'Goodbye Upton Park', 'Power & the Glory', 'Oi Oi Oi' and 'Bubbles' as just part of their set. The were on fine form with Vince Riorden now settled back in the line-up they seem a new force and gel perfectly, the same as they did when I saw them back ion '79 at Demelza's in Penzance.
A brilliant night with 4 excellent bands, we both went home very contented ... especially after a nice kebab to finish off the evening!