Anti Nowhere League - The 100 Club, London 5.1.18

The year kicks off with three bands at the iconic 100 Club on Oxford Street as part of their Resolution festival.
I was on my own for this one, but was looking forward to catching up with my Defects mates again.
First up were Borrowed Time a band that hails from Gloucester & Cheltenham. I had seen them at Rebellion last year and was rather impressed. This time they were still just as good. The singer does like to leap in the air, which for a photographer, does make for some excellent shots .. unfortunately the stage in the 100 club is rather small to any decent jumps in. The ever growing crowd loved them, bouncing along to all their tracks. Next up were one of my favourite bands, The Defects. They never put in a bad performance and even though Buck was seriously suffering with a bout of flu, they gave it their all. They still belted out tracks 'Riot Free Zone', 'Survival', 'Brutality', 'Hill Street', 'Dance Till You Drop', 'Defective Breakdown' and 'Metal Walls'. The crowd were packing in now and really getting into the band, as they responded. It finally too much for Buck as he spent part of the time kneeling on the floor to sing.
A great set from a great band .. love 'em.
Headlining were the Anti-Nowhere League .. I absolutely love the League! and, as with the Defects they did not disappoint! We had all the old favourites 'I hate People', 'Woman', 'Out on the Wasteland', 'This is War', 'Animal' and of course the obligatory 'Streets of London' and 'So What!'. The League went down and absolute storm, everyone was leaping around to every track while singing all the chorus lines. Animal, the supreme showman, was whipping up the crowd, getting them in even more of a frenzy. They were superb, such a fine band to watch live.
A great night, with three rather excellent bands. I still have one more night to attend, but for the time being it was a long journey home but with a kebab waiting at the end of it.

Subhumans - The 100 Club, London 11.1.18

6 days later and I'm back at the 100 Club for more bands during this years Resolution festival.
Tonight was an early start and gave me a bit of time for chat with Dick and a bit of a reminisce about the 3 Chords Festival down in Cornwall before the festivities really kicked off.
First band on the stage were the new kids on the block, Criminal Minds. I've seen these guys a few times now and they play and move at breakneck speed with what seems like no end of of energy. They were up and powering their way through their set right from the off, getting the crowd involved, leaping around, this was a 100mph octane fuelled punk rock .. and it went down so well with those watching.
Second up were original kiwi band Desperate Measures, who took us back to the late 70's with their raw sound. Desperate Measures are now based in the UK and are fronted by Vive Le Rock magazine editor, Eugene Butcher. They make a superb sound and once again those watching took it all on board and joined in the fun in front of the stage.
Last up and headlining for the night were the Subhumans. One of the original anarcho punk bands of the early 80's, they still manage to pack a venue. Their following is still large and it showed tonight as the crowd surged forward to the stage eager to be involved in the Subhumans particular brand of anarcho punk. Dick is still a great showman and worked the crowd with mixing hits with lesser know tracks and keeping the energy going throughout the set. He did reach a point where he stopped the proceedings to tell everyone that enough was enough and it was now time to put away the camera phones and just watch the bloody band .. luckily I had already shot enough photos for the night and was able to relax and enjoy the rest of the set.
Wow! Another great night at the 100 Club, the bands are always spot on. It was just left for me to travel home and plan for my next music assault.

Davee Wild Memorial - Canterbury, Kent 9-10.2.18

A new year brings another chapter in the Davee Wild Memorial, two days this time, so there was lots to look forward to.
Both Steve and I had decided to attend two days of the Davee Wild Memorial, the first started at the UCA in Canterbury. Unfortunately two of the bands had to drop out, however another drafted in at very short notice, so it was Old Sweat who kicked off the festivities. They are only a two piece and not been playing together very long, however they were really very good! Stu, guitar/vocals, was previously in Ted DiBiase and has a really great punk voice. Following close on their heels for the night were The Spoilers, another very good local band with, again, Stu on guitar! The Spoilers are a great band and seem now to be going places with tours and album releases.
Next on stage were a superb band, who we have seen many times and always love, Knock Off. As usual they played their brand of Oi/Punk music and went down an absolute storm, it was a real pleasure to have them back in Canterbury again. Their set really got everyone up, and set the mood for the rest of the night. Our friends The Warriors were next up, and again they place was up and bouncing. The Warriors always go down well, doubly so on home turf. They put in a superb set with the old the old favourites and new tracks too.
Last up for the night were Left for Dead. These guys try to play every year and never ask for a penny! They are superb on stage and the set they did was perfect. I love this band and can never get enough of them (their CD was then played in the car all the way home.). The crowd, although mostly three sheets to wind, loved it and were bouncing all over the place!.
day over, now it was time to make our way to the Mill pub in Canterbury for Day 2. First up were old friends P.C.F. They have changed and improved over recent years, and this set was the best we had seen them, really powerful. Next up were Surgery Without Research, one of the best Punk bands around currently. They are local boys and have been around quite a while, however with a recent line-up change, they have really found their niche and have become a real force to reckon with. They have had a number of releases recently and are now touring countrywide!! They were without one of their number for this gig, but it made no difference to the quality set they put in.
Following them came two bands, Shark Party and Pardon Us, both of who we had not seen before, but they turned to be very good indeed, however Pardon Us did come over as the better of the two and a real surprise package. After that it was time for the mighty Eastfield. Always a good gig and really lovely people to boot. They played an amazing set to quite a packed pub, and went down an absolute storm.
Following Eastfield is not an easy act, however Overload did it admirably!! I had only seen these once before at New Cross and loved them, they were superb this time too, so much so that I would have to say they stole the weekend! Brilliant set from a brilliant band. Penultimate band for us were Centurion Sect who were good, but coming straight after Overload, were a slight anti-climax. That said, the crowd loved them, with people up and bouncing around to their tracks. Last up were the Werecats. An all girl band which included two members of the Pukes. They were very good indeed! a real bouncy and bubbly mix of punk and pop, a great band to listen to, and they certainly brought he crowd to the front to watch and join in.
So, a weekend of bands in the memory of our friend Davee Wild. A huge big up to all the bands that played, the majority for free or just petrol money .. just what Punk was made for. See you all back again next year!

Rebellion London - O2 London Forum, London 24.2.18

Rebellion has finally returned to London with a one day festival full of quality bands.
This time I was on my own, no Steve. So I arrived early and picked up my photo pass ready for the day's excitement. Bang on time the first band, Grade 2, hit the stage. I've only seen these guys once before in Berlin and enjoyed them, this time they were just as good. They were followed by The Crack who I'd never seen outside of Rebellion Blackpool. They kept the pace going with a great set and were followed by one of my fave bands, Dirt Box Disco. For some reason they don't seem to do very well down south, plus it didn't help that the line-up was mostly Oi bands.
Next up on stage were Peter & the Test Tube Babies. Another blinding set by them, with Sam bashing out the beat with his usual enthusiasm. They were followed by Gimp Fist who I hadn't seen for some time and I really enjoyed their set, as did most of the already packed Forum.
Following on from the Test Tubes came TV Smith & the Bored Teenagers. Never yet seen TV Smith do a bad gig, and this was no exception, he was superb, again not really his type of crowd, but he really got the place jumping with old Adverts tracks that we all know and love.
Into the last part of the evening and we were treated to The Last Resort with a new guitarist, Fish from The Business! They got the place really leaping and were quickly followed by the Cockney Rejects who were really on form for the evening. They ploughed through their set and the crowd really responded. By now it was packed to the seams and the whole place was bouncing with the crowd singing along to all the Rejects numbers.
Finally the last band were upon us, and what a band too ... Cock Sparrer to to the stage to deafening applause and proceeded to take the place apart. The crowd were all over the pace and coming over the barrier in a steady stream. Sparrer did all their best known tracks, along with many from the new 'Forever album, they really were superb and great way to finish the evening.
Well, what a day, really enjoyed myself. Looks like I'm gonna do it all again at Rebellion Amsterdam in June .. can't wait!

Stiff Little Fingers - O2 London Forum, London 23.3.18

Not seen SLF since last years outdoor BST festival, so it was good to see them back in London at the Forum.
This was a always going to be a good one and also Steve was back in tow. We arrived early and had time for a beer and a catch up before the off. As the venue started to fill it was surprising how few people we recognised around us. The place was very busy but hardly any of the usual crowd around us.
First onto the stage were the Ruts DC. Normally I can take or leave them and am not a real fan, however this evening they turned out to be very very good! We have the hits such as 'In a Rut', 'West One (Shine on Me)', 'Staring at the Rude Boys', 'Jah War' and 'Babylon’s Burning' of which the latter really got the crowd warmed up, and the place was really filling up fast now. It was a very polished and energetic set, although quite short, which may, for me, improved things as it mean they have to fit in all the singles.
After a short wait, Stiff Little Fingers took the stage. Right from the start they took control and blasted out track after track and the crowd responded to each by joining in and bouncing around. The place was packed now, and everyone was there to see Jake Burns and Co. lift the roof, and that they did. We were treated to 'Barbed Wire Love', 'Nobody’s Heroes', 'Gotta Getaway', 'Just Fade Away', 'It Doesn't Make it Alright', 'Wasted Life', 'At the Edge', 'Tin Soldiers' and of course we ended on 'Suspect Device' and 'Alternative Ulster'.
A brilliant band, although Jake doesn’t really move around the stage a lot, the tracks are hammered out with precision, and lapped up by the waiting audience. I for one will definitely see them again at Rebellion this year .... just superb!!
What a night, really pleased we went and it gave us a great discussion for the way home .. and of course the obligatory Kebab!

The Vive Le Rock Awards - O2 Islington, London 28.3.18

This was to be quite a special evening and Melinda popped along to keep me company.
The evening started well, we were set up in the VIP area with a logo backdrop and all I had to do was try and get people or band 'celebrities' to pose for photos. It actually went quite well as most people were only too happy to get their pictures taken. We had a couple of beers and met up with Buttz and Buck with their other halves, who were up for the best film award.
Finally it was time for the festivities to start, and it was all introduced by the Vive Le Rock editor, Eugene Butcher. We were serenaded by TV Smith to begin with who really warmed the place up, then we had a procession of awards handed out to the likes of Michael Munroe, The Selector, Booze & Glory, The Professionals, Cock Sparrer, Charlie Harper and The Damned. Buttz & Buck picked the award for best film, which was a great moment for them .. and us! A list of names had also been drafted in to hand the awards out, Ginger Wildheart, Shakin Stevens, Steve Diggle, Stuart Pearce and Richard Jobson to name but a few.
In between each of the awards we had some fantastic sets from Michael Munroe, Shakin Stevens, The Professionals, the house band, The Vive Le Rockers with a few line-up changes during the night. The evening was all topped off by a superb mini-set from The Damned. Eugene did make a few more drunken appearances during the night, which made for quite a good laugh.
An absolutely superb night! We had a ball. Melinda and I then hailed an Uber back to our Kensington Hotel (rather posh for us!!) at 2:30am to round off a fine nights entertainment. Same time next year Eugene?? I do hope so.

East End Badoes - The 100 Club, Oxford Street, London 14.4.18

A great night was in store here, and finally Steve was back too!
The 100 Club was the evening’s destination for Human Punk’s four band offering of East End Badoes, The Violators, Knock Off and Geoffrey OiCott, and there was the added attraction of it being the Badoes album release gig.
The evening kicked off with Yorkshire Cricket based Oi band, Geoffrey OiCott. Dressed in their obligatory cricket whites, they warmed up the 100 Club with their tongue-in-cheek renditions ‘Dawn Of The Dickie Birds’, ‘Robin Hood Was A Yorkshire Man’ and ‘Glory Glory Garry Thompson’, which was changed to ‘Glory Glory Eric Bristow’ in recognition of the darts player’s recent death.
Knock Off were next up, a three piece from Watford with a couple of cracking albums and singles under their belts. They are an ultra-hardworking band and it really shows with their tight professional set which included crowd favourites ‘Are You Offended’, ‘Jack The Ripper’ and their terrace chant, ‘Football, Beer And Punk Rock’ which always goes down a storm.
UK82 returned to the 100 Club in the shape of The Violators. Having been back together since last year’s appearance at Rebellion, great things were expected of them. After overcoming some initial bass amp problems, they put in a blinding set of old favourites, with ‘Summer Of ‘81’ and ‘Gangland’ being the highlights.
The stage was now set for the East End Badoes to make their first ever album launch. There was a large following for them, most of whom piled down the front of the stage to join in the fun. The majority of tracks, as expected, were from the new album, like ‘Poplar Boys’ and ‘Trouble On The Streets’, all were very well received by those in attendance. The band played at full tilt and at one point Mark’s snare drum broke; until a new one was found, a member of the audience offered his prosthetic leg to use! A great, fun evening which ended with a few of the crowd on stage adding vocals for ‘Trouble On The SWhat a night, all bands, as usual, were superb! Love this venue!.

UK Subs - The 100 Club, Oxford Street, London 19.5.18

Back again to the 100 Club! This seems to be fast becoming my second home.
This looked to be an excellent gig! UK Subs and a band I'd never seen as yet, the DeRellas ... however I had heard lots of good things about them, I only hoped they lived up to the hype. Steve was here too and we managed to bump into Rob (from Snide) and Becky beforehand, so we had a good catch up .. and a few beers as well.
Soon it was time for The DeRellas to kick the evenings entertainment off .. and they did it in style! They seem to be a cross between Punk & Rock n Roll, with a touch of Glam thrown in for good measure. They weren't half bad either. The place seemed to be buzzing already and there was a fair crowd there to greet them and enjoy the whole of the set.
Only two bands were on tonight and the headline was the incredible UK Subs. Once again, Charlie and Co. hit the stage running and manage to bring the house down. I've never yet seen a Subs gig where the crowd didn't enjoy every track, didn't bounce around while falling over the stage .. and Charlie didn't play his utmost to please those in front of him .. and this was NO exception! We had all the best from them 'CID', 'Tomorrows Girls', 'Keep on Running', 'Warhead', 'Little Bit of Action', 'Teenage', 'Party in Paris', 'Riot', 'I Live in a Car' and of course the obligatory 'Stranglehold'. The Subs were exceptional and the crowd rose to the occasion.
What a night .. we both went hope very happy having enjoyed another superb gig at the 100 Club.

Rebellion Amsterdam - The Melkweg, Amsterdam 2-3.6.18

This was my first trip to Amsterdam and what better than to be involved in a return to the Melkweg for Rebellion.
Melinda and I arrived for a 5 day trip during which I would be spending 2 days shooting the Rebellion Amsterdam festival. An excellent line-up and was really pleased to be able to attend. After finding the venue and dodging the mental cyclists there was time for a wander round to see the venue itself and work out what I'd shoot and from where.
Day 1 started with The Fuckin Glorious and two superb bands, In Evil Hour and Knock Off which really set the place buzzing. After that we have a succession of excellent offerings with Pizzatramp, Dirt Box Disco and Brassick along with some new names for me like Christmas, This Means War and Arrested Denial.
We were treated to more old favourites who blew the roof off the Melkweg, F.I.L.F., Fire Exit and Discipline to name a few. The evening ended with cracking sets from both the UK Subs and Cock Sparrer.
Day 2 and there was so much more to be treated to! We started with Borrowed Time, Svetlanas and Paranoid Visions and again there were a few bands I'd not seen before like, Omixlh and the Argies who really impressed me. And, old favourites like Choking Susan, Menace, The Outcasts and Funeral Dress who really got the crowd bouncing, along with so many others.
The evening was rounded off by sets from the Angelic Upstarts and the Adicts.
Very sadly, a couple of days after the weekend, Gary from Heavy Drapes died from a heart attack!! A shock to us all and did bring me back to earth with a bump. My condolences go out to his family, and I hope they get some comfort from the massive outpouring of grief from everyone in the scene. It made it all more sad that I'd shot the Heavy Drapes on the Sunday of the festival. Wow!! What a weekend! So many superb bands over the two days, plus Melinda and I stayed on for another couple of days and had some time around Amsterdam itself ... superb!

The Muffinheads / Surgery Without Research - The Harp Restrung, Folkestone 7.7.18

First time this year for the Harp Restrung, and a cracking line-up too.
It was a very hot drive down to Folkestone with Steve, plus England were playing their World Cup match, so having a beer beforehand did mean dodging the hoards of pissed England fans to get to the bar!
Once in the venue you could tell it was going to be a scorcher that the two fans on either side of the stage were gonna have trouble with! Russ Crimewave was up first with his usual blend of angry acoustic tracks, like 'We are the Enemy', 'Fit for Work', 'Fuck that Shit', 'When the Tea Runs Out', 'We are the Enemy', 'Race to the Bottom' and 'Still Called Scum'. Russ, as always, went down a storm with those that know him and those that were there for the first time.
Next up, surprisingly, were Surgery Without Research as they had let the Muffinheads have the headline slot. Andy and co immediately blasted into their set, and if the first-timers thought Russ was angry, then this would have taken them up a notch! Surgery always give it their all and tonight, amid the stifling heat they went to town. 'Thugs in Blue', 'Power Unpower', 'We are the Punks', 'Religious Bullshit', 'We Pay the Price', 'Woman Beater', 'Jackbooting in the USA', 'Police are Liars', 'Like Winter' and 'Sheep', the tracks just kept on coming.
Surgery left the stage to huge applause, this really is their year, they are getting around everywhere and their next stop is a long awaited and well deserved slot at Rebellion.
The Muffinheads finally took to the stage. They are a very tight and superb sounding three piece. We have seen them once before at the Lady Luck in Canterbury but they had improved massively by this gig and we were really blown away by them. Hopefully they will go on to bigger and better things. They had a number of followers there who helped make the pit buzz, and added to the general sweltering heat inside the club.
So, all in all and excellent evening with three hard working and sound bands to watch. Would do it all again at moment notice!!

Rebellion Festival - Winter Gardens, Blackpool 2-5.8.18

This was our 9th year of attending Rebellion and it still just gets better and better.
As per previous years, Steve got us our return 1st Class seats, and I got us back at the Manuela Rose Guest House, our usual abode for the Festival days. We arrived the day early and speant the evening eating a hearty meal and then meeting with old friends while downing an exorbitant amount of alcohol.
DAY ONE: The festival got off to a superb start with the likes of Scumbrians, Peter Bentham & the Dinner Ladies and the wonderful Blue Carpet Band
Following on we had a succession of superb bands, System of Hate, Arch Rivals, Blatoidea, Svetlanas and East End Badoes. There were a few bands that I managed to see for the first time too The Drones, The Queers and Riot Squad. Best band for the day? as usual it was very close but it had to be The Buzzcocks.
DAY TWO: After breakfast was consumed, it was a quick pint, then off for the second installment. We were treated to The Lee Harveys, Sem Futuro, Evil Blizzard, Maid of Ace, Russ Crimewave, The Anti-Nowhere League, Angelic Upstarts and The Neville Staple Band. The day was excellent but the highlight for me was our local boys first tiem at Rebellion .. and they tore the Pavillion apart, it was Surgery Without Research. A bloody amazing set by these boys and im pretty sure they are on for an invite to return next year.
Half way through the festival that is Rebellion, and we still had a load more bands on show!
DAY THREE: Today's line-up looked excellenton paper .. and wasn't half bad live too! We had Choking Susan, Antisect, Chron Gen, Discharge, Vice Squad, 999, The Wildhearts and Spizz Energi. Theer were again a few bands I had finally got to see for the first time like The Vapors and Jah Wobble & the Invaders of the Heart, but band of the day for me went to wall of noise that is Pizzatramp.
DAY FOUR: woke up realising it was the last day today .. bit of a downer until i looked up the Sunday bands! ... couldn't wait to get to the Winter Gardens where we were regaled by Cadaver Club, Dischord, Dead 77, Resistance 77, Slaughter & the Dogs, Public Image Ltd, Chaos 8 and United Bottles, however the band of the day has to be shared by The Defects and Knock Off both of who put in superb performances.
And another Rebellion signed, sealed and delivered .. superb bands as always and a chance for to photo some bands that have been on my bucket list for a while. Next year?? It's going to have to go somewhat to beat this years offering! So, let's wait and see ...

Fields of the Nephilim - O2 Shepherds Bush, London 31.10.18

I last saw Fields of the Nephilim play at the Town and Country club in 1988, and now 30 years later I was back, this time at the O2 Shepherds Bush to see their Moonchild Anniversary Show
Three shows were booked to celebrate the band's revered anthem 'Moonchild'; one on All Hallows' Eve, another on the Day of the Dead and this one, on Halloween
The venue was packed and buzzing, that is until the lights dimmed and clouds of dry ice obscured the stage then a hush fell on the expectant crowd. The strains of the Intro ‘Harmonica Man’ sounded and lights rose to silhouette Carl McCoy center stage, with the band around him all dressed in the obligatory leather jackets and cowboy hats.. They immediately broke into Preacher Man, to the obvious delight of the crowd, and this was followed by Trees Come Down and Dawnrazor. As ever, the lyrics were perfectly complemented by Carl McCoy's distinctive gravelly voice.
The night was full of well known, and well received tracks, the majority sourced from the 'Nephilim' album. And anyone with a passion for Nephilim's original gothic persona, weren't disappointed either. It was all there, present and correct, and set within a swirling mist that held the crowd spellbound through a night of dark and brooding tracks like 'Psychonaut', 'The Watchman', 'Last Exit for the Lost' and of course, 'Moonchild'' - the track that everyone was waiting for.
All in all, a captivating performance that offered the best of Nephilim's past tracks and authentic stage presence, along with an opportunity to indulge in nostalgia for a good many of us.