Public Disgrace - Toxteth EP

Label: Probe Plus; Year: 1982; Format: 7" Vinyl EP

In July of 1981 a big riot erupted in the inner-city area of Toxteth in Liverpool as a result of ongoing tensions between the local police and the black community. Considering the size of the city of Liverpool and its musical history one would think that quite a few punk rock acts have sprung up on Merseyside, but to be fair that never was the case. It would be fair to assume that Public Disgrace, one of the few punk bands from Liverpool, were a direct response to said riots and in 1982 the band released their one and only record in the form of a three-song EP put out by Probe Plus. Geoff Davies who started Probe Plus in an office above the record store Probe was an enthusiastic music fan giving unsigned bands a chance to be heard and quite frankly while this EP is by no means a milestone within the UK82 genre, it is nevertheless still a decent record with somewhat of a charm. The three songs are very rudimentary attempts at sounding like the Exploited, but every band has to start somewhere. Not sure what direction these lads took after the release of this EP but needless to say the band didn't last long. Reviewing this EP for the newly started MRR Tim Yohannan wrote in 1982 that "In 64', Liverpool ruled, not anymore. Boring". Point taken but a bit more background wouldn't have hurt, Sir. Unlike the band Probe Plus took off over the years and achieved quite a few indie hits with a number of bands, including Half Man Half Biscuits. Personally, I cherish releases like this one so for the UK82 die-hards out there give this one a chance. 

Chocolate Watch Band - No Way Out LP

Label: Unknown (Counterfeit); Year: 20??; Format: Vinyl LP

Music is a wonderful thing, and records such as "No Way Out" by California band Chocolate Watch Band are proof of that. Many years ago my interest in music started to change direction and I no longer wanted to just be listening to anything punk rock related but discover music and the many genres that pre-dated the punk rock explosion, because let's face it without those records said explosion might have looked totally different. The other day I walked into my local record stores and had a good chat with the proprietor. I was sat in the chair sipping on a much needed bottle of water after walking for about two miles to get my exercise in and nearly walked out of there without buying anything until I heard the magic sentence "I think I know a record you'll like". When I heard the name Chocolate Watch Band it did ring a bell as I have some Nuggets Compilation LPs in my collection so I must have heard them before, but it's not like I knew the record or much about the band at all. After hearing the opening track "Let's Talk About Girls" I said immediately I'd buy it. We ended up listening to the entire record in the store and today I decided to put it on again for this blog entry and to learn a bit more about the band and the history of this record. For all you record junkies out there the version I bought is a counterfeit but sounds actually incredibly good for a boot. Sundazed reissued this classic a few years back officially hence unless you are wealthy you'll have to grab a repress to get your kicks. Originally the record came out in 1967 on Tower and was supposedly mistakenly distributed through more blues oriented channels which didn't help the band nor the sales figures. Still, by the early '70s the album was out of print and since then has gradually gained interest amongst crazy folks like myself. It doesn't surprise me at all since the songs are a perfect mixture of psychedelic rock and garage rock ultimately leading to a strong influence for proto-punk acts down the road. Reading up about the making of the record I was intrigued to learn that the full band participated only on a handful of the songs with original singer Dave Aguilar being replaced with session singer Don Bennett. The members in Chocolate Watch Band were young kids, all under the age of twenty, and quite frankly weren't quite ready to record a full length, especially after being rushed to do so. No matter what though, the record itself is a masterpiece and one of those records that will take you on a journey where you don't need to take any mind-altering drugs. It's simply a killer record and my mission will be to get their 2nd LP as well. 

Back Cover of the LP where the band listed hundreds of names this LP is dedicated to, including Jackie Kennedy, All Playboy Bunnies, Jack The Ripper, Jack Kerouac, Ghandi and the list goes on...

Olho Seco - Os Primeiros Dias Mini-LP

Label: New Face Records; Year: 1995; Format: Vinyl Mini-LP

Olho Seco formed in 1980 in the Brazilian metropolis of Sao Paulo. To many, including myself, they became known through the MRR Compilation "Welcome To 1984" for which they contributed "Nada", a perfect crude and brutal '80s hardcore punk track. They slowly gained an international fanbase through their EP released on German label Pogar in 1984 and from then on things started to take shape with more releases and an increasingly worldwide following. Before that though, the band recorded their first demo tape in 1981 and New Face originally pressed that onto vinyl in 1988 with a slightly different track list from the 1995 version I have. The seven tracks on this Mini-LP are with the exception of the last two tracks actually quite well produced for a demo and present the band in their heyday. I would say that the tracks sound somewhat more punk rock oriented compared to their later material but the brutal execution of the songs is definitely already part of the band's DNA. Speaking of "Nada", you can actually find a different version of said classic on this record and quite frankly I prefer this version over the later one. If you are a fan of international '80s Hardcore Punk then this is definitely worthwhile tracking down and from what I saw still to be had for not much money. 

Early photo of Olho Seco with the source unknown as it is from a Facebook page.

Frites Modern - Veel, Vet, Goor En Duur LP

Label: Boy Bensdorp Platen; Year: 1984; Format: Vinyl LP

Sometimes you can't help but to miss the good ole' days of record hunting. I got my copy of this Dutch classic back in 1991 for $1.99 at the Record Peddler in Toronto on Yonge Street during my first longer spell of living in T.O. during the '90s. Unfortunately those sort of finds just don't happen anymore these days, mainly thanks to the intranet. But, let me just move on with the record as it is one of the best when it comes to European and Dutch hardcore punk. Frites Modern formed in Amsterdam in 1981 when singer/guitar player Arjan Boonacker left legendary punk act Trockener Kecks. Frites Modern contributed to the "Als Je Haar Maar Goed Zit" Compilation LP in 1982 before self-releasing the 6-Met Cassette in 1983, which has somewhat recently been reissued as a 10" and I definitely need to get. In 1984 the band released their one and only full-length and on so many levels it is just a true classic. First and foremost what strikes me as extraordinary and definitely not something that happened very often is the fact that Frites Modern were a trio yet their sound is so powerful you would think they consisted of five members. All, and I mean really all songs are well crafted, tuneful and for the most part mid-tempo punk rock smashers. There are two to three fast US hardcore influenced songs but the band never loses themselves in playing fast without melody. The other thing that strikes me is how well produced this record is just adding to the power of the songs. Maximum RockNRoll was pushing Frites Modern hard and it is no wonder they were included on the famous "Welcome to 1984" Compilation LP where I must have discovered them myself. Luckily the LP has been reissued a few years back so should you not be a lucky owner of an original copy you have absolutely no excuse not to grab a copy before they're all gone. Whether your thing is '80s hardcore or you are stuck in 1977 this record definitely ticks all the right boxes for everyone to love it. A true gem! 

Flyer stolen from the excellent Frites Modern website at www.fritesmodern.nl

Penetration - Don't Dictate and Life's A Gamble Singles

Label: Virgin Records; Year: 1977; Format: 7" Single

When it comes to the very early UK punk bands that set Britain burning so to speak Penetration from the North-East are not mentioned often enough. Their story is a particularly interesting one and thanks to Alex Ogg's "No More Heroes" book I refreshed my memory about the early days of the band hailing from the mining village of Ferryhill in County Durham. If you were a teenager in 1976 and lived in London no matter how different the world was compared to today, chances were that you caught on to the latest music trend rather sooner than later due to the music press being so London centric. On the other hand if you lived in a small village in the North-East far removed from London things were very different and moved at a much slower pace. That's why I find bands like Penetration fascinating as they made it happen despite the geographical and cultural disadvantage. As a matter of fact Pauline Murray, the lead singer, can without doubt be described as one of the most talented and charismatic singers of the early punk days, and I am sure many would agree with that statement. It should therefore not come as a surprise that at some point Virgin Records sent the band into a studio to record demos which initially resulted in a one-off single deal in the form of the herein reviewed "Don't Dictate" b/w "Money Talks" single. Both tracks are wonderful examples of early punk rock written with a strong pop sentiment that will instantly lift your mood and put a big smile on your face. As soppy as that may sound go out there and find out for yourself should you not be familiar with this bunch. 

Label: Virgin Records; Year: 1978; Format: 7" Single

While "Don't Dictate" was recorded as a quartet with Gary Chaplin being the guitar player and main song writer things changed drastically after Gary's sudden departure in 1978. After the band gained more traction and Virgin Records extended their relationship with the band Penetration also signed a management deal with Quarry, the same company that looked after Status Quo and Rory Gallagher. Needless to say that those two acts attracted a different type of clientele and while on tour supporting Gallagher in France Penetration got bottled off stage nearly every night. According to Murray Chaplin got cold feet and felt under pressure and left the band. The band had very little time replacing him and found not just one but two guitar players in the form of Neal Floyd and Fred Purser. Without a shadow of a doubt their addition added a whole new dynamic to the song writing as the melodic and powerful yet somewhat unfinished song writing of the year passed turned into a real hit machine with "Life's A Gamble" being the best example of said progress. This is actually the band's third single, released a few months after "Firing Squad". Of course it's not the same as having seen the band in their hay day but I consider myself still lucky having witnessed Penetration live on stage in London during my period living there about fifteen years ago. Their gig at the 100 Club I still consider one of my favorite live music memories from London and rest assured that there will be more reviews of Penetration records in the future. 

Sheer Terror - Old, New, Borrowed and Blue 10"

Label: Blackout! Records; Year: 1994; Format: 10" Vinyl EP

Sheer Terror is one of those bands that in many ways bypassed me throughout the decades. I never dismissed their existence but for some reasons they never grabbed my attention as much as they probably deserved to. A few days ago I listened to a recent podcast interview with Paul Bearer (link at the end of this post) and I must say I not only had a good laugh but also learned a bit about the band's history which I always find fascinating. That was reason enough to pull out my only Sheer Terror record this morning and play it loud while exercising my arthritis knees to the mean beats blasting out of the speakers. What a shame that so many of these records have become so expensive if you want them on vinyl as this little 10 inch containing four songs is definitely well worth tracking down. What I probably like the most about it is that no song sounds like the other one and the three Sheer Terror originals deliver everything people expect of the band. While the typical brutal and mostly fast "Walls" is probably my favorite song on the record, the other two are equally great but slower, darker and heavier. Last but not least the record also contains a great cover version of the Saints' hit "Everything's Fine". Well, this leads me to the conclusion that at least when it comes to their old material I hope to find some more of it out there in the wild. 

Update August 1,  2023: Blackout! Records has reissued the 10" as of last week. 

Link to the Post-America Podcast with Paul Bearer

https://soundcloud.com/the-post-america-podcast/160-paul-bearer

V/A - 415 Music LP

Label: 415 Records; Year: 1980; Format: Vinyl LP

During lunch time I often either take a good walk or if the weather is not so great, which can be the case often here in Buffalo, I at least trudge up to the main library to check out the latest books. Such was the case last week when I stumbled upon "Kalifornia Kool Photographs 1976 - 1982" by Ruby Ray. After spending the entire lunch looking at the photos I decided to take the book out and inspect the wonderful photography of Ruby at home. A lot of the photos were either taken at the Mabuhay Gardens or in people's homes and are wonderful snapshots of a time that this world will never experience again. Everything seemed possible and the spontaneity in music and the arts seemed endless. While leafing through the book this past weekend it occurred to me that to round up this San Francisco centered weekend I should spin my copy of 415 Music, a compilation from 1980. Now, as always with compilations that document a particular scene and a particular time keep in mind that most of the time not all the bands are worth checking out but 415 Music gives you actually not just good value for your hard earned dollar but also a nice oversight as to what was going on in S.F at the time. Of course by 1980 the underground music scene was at a crossroads with the first wave of punk already gone and New Wave and Power Pop on the rise. What you get on this compilation is a bit of everything above with maybe two to three songs that can be categorized as lame New Wave and a waste of vinyl. The rest though is good, if not great Power Pop or New Wave of the sort I can definitely dig. Winners are The Readymates with "415 Music", The Mutants with "Baby's No Good", SVT "Always Come Back For More" and above all The VIPs with "She's a Put On", an incredibly catchy Synth Power Pop smasher. Overall this is well worth tracking down and if you want to dig even deeper into 415 and the Rise of New Wave in S.F. Hozac Books will sort you out with a book dedicated to said label. I should really order a copy for myself as well! As written on the back cover: 415 is the police code for disturbing the peace. Turn this record up and DO IT! 

Source for the Photos of the Mutants and the Offs: Ruby Ray - Kalifornia Kool Photographs 1978-1982 book. 

Suburban Lawns - S/T LP

Label: Superior Viaduct: Year: 2021; Format: Vinyl LP

If someone had played me this record say back in '87 when I was thrashing to bands like Rattus, E.N.T or Inferno I am one hundred percent sure I would have just shaken my head while laughing out loud by discrediting it as cheesy new wave. New Wave it certainly is but this originally in 1981 released album on I.R.S is the kind of New Wave I have over the years come to appreciate. It's edgy, angular, punky and asks a lot of questions. I love reading about the early Southern California punk scene and I must have come across Suburban Lawns on many occasions but for some reason the band never stuck with me until I was at my local record store not too long ago and the proprietor played the record over the speakers. Now this isn't the first time I am saying that but a good record store owner knows his customers so I sure as hell like that. The songs caught my attention and I asked who that was and when I was told Suburban Lawns it clicked in the sense that I have heard the name many times but it just wasn't on my radar so to speak. Suburban Lawns started out in 1978 in Long Beach, CA and according to the excellent liner notes their earliest shows were with The Reactionaries (pre-Minutemen) as well as the Alley Cats. Their first two singles were self-released and "Gidget Goes To Hell" is worth looking up on Youtube as it's not just a great song but the video itself is something else. The band played the usual Los Angeles area underground clubs and by 1981 they have caught the attention of a bigger label leading up to this LP on I.R.S. The liner notes describe the album as "quintessential Reagan-era new wave/punk" and I couldn't agree more. No song is really like the other as the vocal duties switch back and forth between the members leading to a really varied and interesting album that never gets boring. It's clear that the band was tired of the beach and technology encroaching on life in every aspect and songs like "Computer Date" amazingly foreshadow modern day society years ahead of time. I think you're getting the picture here as this isn't your happy New Wave band playing songs to please everybody but rather a group of intellectuals taking new wave in a more sophisticated, artsy and intriguing direction. One band member, Su Tissue, has supposedly vanished completely after the band fell apart in 1983 and to this day nobody seems to know where she is. This record certainly deserves to be examined over and over as it is full of interesting details, musically as well as lyrically. Highly recommended! 

Steve Ignorant with Steve Pottinger - The Rest is Propaganda

Publisher: Dimlo Productions Norfolk (3rd Edition); Year: 2020; Format: Softcover Book

I was very excited to finally get to read this book as it's been a bit of a journey to finally get to that. First I missed out on the first two editions and was definitely not going to pay some outrageous prices for a book. Then at the very beginning of the covid-19 pandemic when we all (well, most of us) sat on our asses no matter where in the world we were I shot a brief message to Steve on FB asking whether the book will ever be available again. Steve's reply came quick and not long thereafter the third pressing became available as Steve was already in the process to have a third edition being printed. This time around I acted promptly and ordered it immediately, but due to the pound being somewhat high at the time and the postage outrageously expensive I had the book mailed to a dear friend in London. Two years after that my friend from London visited Chicago and mailed the book to me here in Buffalo and I swore to myself that when done reading I will immediately write a review as I can't stand writing these reviews having read a book years ago. So, here we go and I just finished the book last week and to tell you the truth I haven't laughed so hard in some time. You'd think reading about Steve's life and Crass in particular there wouldn't be much to laugh about, but that's entirely not true. First and foremost this book is about Stephen Williams aka Steve Ignorant, and not Crass. Sure, Crass play a role in the book and the book is divided into three parts; BC, DC and AC (before, during and after Crass). Steve was born in late 1957 in Newcastle-under-Lyme in the West-Midlands but spent most of his life in Dagenham, East London, and was partly raised by his grandparents. Dagenham plays a big part in the early parts of the book and takes the reader back to the days where the pub played an integral part of everybody's life and where life was simple and revolved around the community where one lived. From the very beginning of the book Steve has a way of telling stories with such detail and a great sense of humor that sometimes one can almost feel like being taken back in time. I myself spent some years in East London - way after Crass and all - but nevertheless with me having worked at Southern Records during the time the band was preparing for the Shepherd's Bush "Feeding of the 5000" gigs in 2007 I was able to relate to a lot Steve has to say. It is pretty clear that those years in Dagenham before Steve moved into Dial House were in many ways formative years and have shaped the person he has become in many ways. In the book's introductions Steve sets out that it is not about Crass hence don't expect a detailed history about the band. Instead what I really like about the Crass part in the book is the very beginnings of the band, the bond between Penny and Steve and the hilarious stories revolving around the first few gigs. I also love Steve's honesty about the band's own failures by creating a stifling environment eventually leading to the demise of the band in 1984. The years after Crass are without doubt no less interesting than the years leading up to Crass as Steve struggles finding his way after years of touring and a structured life within said group. What I find fascinating about Steve is his ability to reinvent himself and to take on life no matter how desperate things might seem. As Steve puts it in the introduction it's about his journey to become the lead singer in Crass and the life thereafter. And let me be clear it's a journey filled with great stories, which at times are told in a refreshingly somewhat non-PC way. I can only imagine that the Punk-PC-Police had some cringe moments reading this book but that's life. If you want to learn about true friendship, some horrible aspects of the DIY touring circus, growing up and surviving East London, Schwartzeneggar, and above all who Steve Ignorant really is then do yourself a favor and grab a copy of this book as you will not regret it for a minute. Cheers for the laughs Steve! 

Steve in front of Shepherd's Bush Empire in 2007. Source: steveignorant.com

Jakkpot - "Just One Fix", "You Ain't Shit" and "3,2,1 Go" 7" Singles

Label: American Punk Records; Year: 1995; Format: 7" 45 RPM Single

Many years ago I parted with most of my '90s records and included were some of the Jakkpot 7"s. Luckily a few years ago on a trip to the West Coast I found the first three of their total of six singles at a store in Orange County and spent a whole twelve bucks on them. The funny thing is that with the knowledge of hindsight the '90s produced some excellent records, especially on 45s. There sure as hell was an abundance of releases coming out during that decade including a million and one horrible pop punk, emo or crust records, but buried underneath all that garbage were releases by bands like Jakkpot from Baltimore, Maryland. The first single was put out by the band themselves on their American Punk Records label and both tracks are equally strong with "Insomnia" being the winner for me. The band started out in '91 and was according to an interview in Germany's 3rd Generation Nation fanzine somewhat of an 'All Star' line-up of Baltimore's who's who when it comes to old school punk rock. A winner!

Label: American Punk Records; Year: 1996; Format: 7" 45RPM Single

On their second single Jakkpot continue where they left off and deliver yet again a mean and in your face punk rock smasher in the form of "You Ain't Shit". On the B-Side they top it off with a great cover version of DC's Black Market Baby hit "Nobody Wanted Us". I have the slight suspicion that Jakkpot chose that song for a reason and interestingly enough Keith Campbell of Black Market Baby joined Jakkpot for their later singles. A match made in heaven me thinks! 

Label: Junk Records; Year: 1996; Format: 7" 45RPM Single

Out of the three singles I currently have this is probably their best even though they are all fantastic and worth having. "3,2,1 Go" and "Burnin' in 77" are just two perfect songs where the band delivers their brand of high octane punk'n'roll influenced equally by 77 Punk, Garage Punk and 'Feel The Darkness' era Poison Idea. While the songs are fast and furious they never lack melody and it must be said that these guys must have listened to a lot of good records throughout their young years as I can hear AC/DC, Motorhead, Dead Boys and Candy Snatchers to name just a few influences. The funny thing about records is that people are often after the super rare and expensive ones while the gems are sitting in the bins to be had for a few bucks. Do yourself a favor and pick up anything by Jakkpot as you won't regret it. I for one will make sure I get the three remaining singles for myself and shall review them at some point in the future. 

Rude A, Singer of Jakkpot on the Cover of Germany's excellent 3rd Generation Nation Fanzine from 2000

V/A - Intensified! LP

Label: Mango Records (Division of Island Rec.); Year: 1979; Format: Vinyl LP

In all fairness today I was planning on posting a totally different record but even the best-laid plan of mice and men often go awry as you will surely know. I took a little stroll to the local shoemaker and afterwards stopped at my local record store and found this beauty looking at me like it needs a new permanent home which it has found. In a world full of bad news of mass shootings or police killings I just was not in the mood for hardcore punk today so why not putting on the record I had just bought and enjoy some original Ska from the '60s. If you have stumbled on to this blog before you might be in the known that I like compilation records, especially the old ones. It's always a great way to discover more about a genre I may not be as familiar with. As for Ska it's a tricky one with me as I do enjoy some of the late '70s Two-Tone stuff, but anything beyond that has never gotten my attention. But as with most genres of music the origins are where the true gems are to be found and that is certainly no different with Ska. Intensified! is a wonderful compilation of '60s Ska from Kingston, Jamaica where it all started. The minute you put this record on you either start skanking around your house, as in my case, or you wander to your fridge and grab a Red Stripe picturing yourself on the beach on some Caribbean Island instead of looking at piles of ice and snow outside your window. The sixteen songs on the record will not only put you instantly in a much better mood, but you will also come to appreciate an explosion of a different kind to Beatles-Mania when it comes to sounds from the '60s. Derrick & Patsy deliver their big hit "Housewifes Choice" while Shenley Duffus makes you dance to "Rukumbine" and the list goes on. The sixteen tracks on the record will have you shake your bones to the driving horns, and that's all you can ask for on a dreary Saturday afternoon. While so much garbage is being wasted for reissues these days, it sure as hell surprises me that this one has not seen the light on vinyl in recent years. I highly recommend this should you find a copy out there in the wild. 

Ross Lomas with Steve Pottinger - City Baby (Surviving in Leather, Bristles, Studs, Punk Rock, and GBH)

Publisher: Bazillion Points; Year: 2015; Format: Softcover Book

Apologies for the winter blues, but January can be a tough month for not just getting out of bed every morning but especially for doing much once home from work. Since the days are slowly but surely getting a little longer maybe I am feeling slightly more energized. With age I have become someone that thrives on routine, and one of them is to always carry a book in my backpack which I read on my bus trips to and from work. Currently I am reading Steve Ignorant's book with Steve Pottinger and so it dawned on me that some time ago I have also read Ross Lomas' book with Mr. Pottinger, hence a perfect opportunity to get another review up. I am going to sound like a broken record here but the fact remains that it's tough to review books I have read a long time ago hence I revisited certain chapters a bit here and there. The good thing about this book is that it's divided into about three dozen small chapters making it easy to read the first time or when revisiting. According to an interview with Ross with Spanish blog 'Adios Lili Marleen' the original idea was to involve the entire band for the book but apparently nobody was interested bar Ross. In the end it worked out fine me thinks as it's a great read not just about Ross' involvement with GBH but about his private life as well. Quite often with autobiographies I enjoy the first third or so of the books the most as the author usually digs deep into their upbringing and the environment they grew up in. The fact that Ross and the rest of GBH hail from Birmingham makes it for a fascinating glimpse at life in Britain's "Second City" during the '70s, and it certainly is refreshing to hear about the early punk days with a view of someone from outside of London. As you will know though GBH really took off in the early '80s, and it certainly helped that their label mates Discharge pretty much took them under their wings. Many tours and records followed and it's all there throughout various chapters. And as you will surely also know is the fact that GBH still perform to this day hence the book continues all the way up to more modern days. The last time I saw GBH was in 2007 when I lived in London and when they performed at the Purple Turtle playing with their '83 line up if I am not mistaken. It was a fun and chaotic show and sums up the feeling this book delivers from the beginning to the end. But most importantly if you haven't already done so, grab your own copy and find out how Ross never became the milk delivery boy he set out to be way back when. 

Photo Credit: Frank White (Ritz, NYC, 1987)

Pohjasakka - Kidutusta Ja Pelkoa EP

Label: Finnish Hardcore Records; Year: 2022; Format: 12" 45 RPM EP

Pohjasakka hailed from the small town of Rauma on the West Coast of Finland and for all I know were active from 1983 - 1987. In all honesty they were a really unknown entity to me and I do like my hardcore punk from Suomi-Finland, that much is for sure and shall never change. Sami of the Finnish Hardcore label has made it his job to not just reissue rare recordings of long forgotten acts from the land of the thousand lakes, but to equally play an archival part in the restoration of tape releases in particular. Such is the case with this release as Pohjasakka entered the studio in January '86 to record these five tracks as a demo in the hope to release them later said year on vinyl, something that never came to fruition until 2022. Let me tell you one thing straight away, all five tracks are killer but the two sides vary a little bit in style and execution. The two tracks on Side A are my preferred ones as they are just simply perfect hardcore punk songs in the sense that they are nicely settled in between melodic and more straight forward aggressive and fast hardcore punk. Think of bands like Lama, Kohu-63, DOA, Toxic Reasons and such and you get the perfect picture for those two songs. On Side B the band raises the speed levels up by a notch but nonetheless the loud and carrying bass guitar and the equally aggressive drumming never veer out of control so that these three songs are probably best compared to the likes of Riistetyt or Bastards at their very best. Jari Mikkola of Aivoproteesi has done a wonderful job mastering the tape and giving these songs a new life thirty six years after its original release. Great record to have and so should you! 

The Clash - Clash in Hamburg LP 

Label: No Rock Stars (Unofficial); Year: 20??; Format: Vinyl LP

By 1980 the Clash have blossomed from a relatively small unknown unit from London having played a huge part in the punk explosion of 1977 to a well-oiled Rock'N'Roll machine touring not just the UK but also the European continent. In hindsight they certainly did not change the world but Joe Strummer and the gang certainly changed the lives of thousands of teenagers in the late seventies and early eighties. With success a band gains a lot of new fans and loses some of the old faithful. This bootleg LP of the Clash playing in Hamburg, Germany on May 19 in 1980 was originally released in 1980 and at some point in the 00's the version you are seeing herein came out as a "boot of a boot" so to speak. What I find most interesting about this record and the gig itself is not the music contained on vinyl. First and foremost I am not the biggest Clash fan myself and quite frankly despite the sound quality on this record being quite decent I must say that to me it's just a good rock'n'roll performance, nothing more and nothing less. But with the punk scene getting more and more politicized the Clash gig at the Markthalle has a special place in punk rock history and therefore I decided to translate Rudi Krawall's personal account of that night from German to English as per his piece for the excellent "Keine Zukunft War Gestern" book published many years ago: 

"The best gig I have ever seen, and since then I am the biggest Clash Fan ever. The band was accused of having sold out by having signed to CBS and gradually changing their style of music. The venue was stormed by an angry mob that night but the Clash didn't give in despite a riot, blood and emotions flying high. 

The anger that spilled over that night was not spontaneous and neither a coincidence but rather a result of a gradual built-up. I recall a gig with some local bands in a youth centre nearby Hamburg (Shalom in Norderstedt) and if I am not mistaken Scrubby Kids, Slime, Razors and Kotzbrocken played said night. 

Anyway, someone from the crowd grabbed the mic between the bands and started to shout about the upcoming Clash gig at the Markthalle, and that we should all boycott the show. The main reason was that the ticket price of Deutsch Mark 17 or 18 was way too high compared to other international Punk acts having played Hamburg with ticket prices being somewhere between Deutsch Mark 9 and 12. And on top of that the Crass song "Punk is Dead" was mentioned as well and the fact that the Clash being on a major label were nothing short of money grabbing "revolutionaries". 

A plan was agreed that night that we would all meet in front of the venue in order to prevent anyone from entering the Markthalle. On the night of the gig I arrived on time in front of the venue and a mob of around 70-80 punks had gathered in front of the entrance as planned. More and more kids started to arrive with their tickets in their hands but the punk mob resisted and prevented them from entering. Of course at some point the Security folks realized something was not right and intervened so the kids could get in. It was at the moment when the boycotting mob realized that their tactic was failing when they just started to push against the Security people of which there were maybe six. At that point the boycotting mob grew maybe to about 150 and after having overcome the Security said mob just stormed the Markthalle up the stairs and quickly inside. Some people that arrived a bit late that night got in for free as the Security guys just didn't feel like to bother anymore to avoid more confrontation. "Storming" of gigs became fashionable after the Clash gig and reoccurrences were frequent but never again with such a big following. 

When The Clash finally entered the stage that night the atmosphere was already quite heated. On the one hand you had the kids that paid full price for their tickets in order to see the band, and on the other hand you had the punks that stormed the venue to try to disrupt or stop the band from performing. The Clash figured out quickly what was up and played their songs professionally as if nothing was happening. A lot of the punks kept pushing towards the front of the stage and kept shouting "Punk is Dead" in between songs. The Clash were not bothered by that and kept playing even after some of the punks started throwing stuff at the band or spat at them. 

At some point it seemed that the situation was calming down despite the sound quality getting poorer by the minute as some of the punks managed to twist some of the cables on the stage. With the band still continuing to perform despite everything going on more and more punks gained respect for the band and stopped the harassment until Joe Strummer decided to lift his guitar and smash it against the head of one of the punks up front that kept shouting abuse at him. That obviously caused a major stir and I remember some punks climbing up the stage only to be wrestled by the band's roadies. Thereafter the band played a few more songs and the show came to a quick end. After the gig I stood outside the Markthalle with some of the Barmbeker Punks and we noticed two cop cars pulling up. After the police entered the venue they came out about five minutes later with Joe Strummer handcuffed in their company. Two of my friends came up with a quick improvised version of "Police and Thieves" for good ole' Joe and the whole story was all over the tabloid newspapers the next morning."

"I hate" Clash badge. Source: "Keine Zukunft War Gestern" book 2008

With so much of the Clash' history having been covered in books, magazines and what not relatively little coverage has been given to the gigs the band played in Mainland Europe hence despite the music on this bootleg not being the highlight me thinks this is an interesting little anecdote from decades ago. And remember Punk is Dead! 

Rudi Krawall's Original Text in German. Source: "Keine Zukunft War Gestern" book 2008

Photos and Ticket from the Clash Markthalle Gig. Source: "Hamburg Calling" book 2020

AK-47 - The Badge Means You Suck LP

Label: Splattered Records; Year: 2022; Format: Vinyl LP

AK-47 from Houston, Texas are one of those bands that many of us into obscure worldwide punk rock must have discovered through a Killed By Death compilation LP. I don't recall when I heard "The Badge Means You Suck" for the first time but it certainly has been a good while hence the band has fallen off my punk radar until a well written 2021 Texas Monthly article about the band's history and their fascinating connection to police brutality and killings from the past and present subsequently revived my interest in the band (Link to article at the end of this entry). It's only fitting that just a few days ago I visited my local record shop and found a copy of the already hard to find official reissue of the band's material collected on a Full-Length. While the two songs from the originally in 1980 released 7" are the ones many of us are after on vinyl I must say that the remaining eight songs are just as intriguing and good. The true gems on this record are the six songs that the band recorded in 1981 and put up on bandcamp in 2021 as "Singularities". These six songs previously unreleased on vinyl highlight the development of the band after the demise of their original singer and are in my opinion worth every penny spent on this LP. With the addition of Penny Smith on vocal duties it is widely believed that the band really found its style and peaked during that time. Songs like "Isaacs Social Disease" or "Brain on a Pillow" to name just two of the six take the band in all kinds of musical directions without ever losing their Art-Punk roots. Mix angular post-punk with some hard rock and new wave and you get an idea as to how those six songs sound like, and trust me you will not be disappointed. Two more songs recorded actually in recent times are to be found on this wonderful record, with one of them - Trumpelstilstkin - being proof that these Texans haven't lost their art of social commentary in the modern day and age. Get a copy of this record while you can! 

Link to the Article in Texas Monthly:

https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/houston-punk-bands-protest-anthem-still-resonates-forty-years-after-release/