Ronan Fitzsimons - I'm An Upstart - the Decca Wade Story

Publisher: Ardra Press; Year: 2013; Format: Book

Very little is known about this book, and if it wasn’t for a specific mail-order operating from the North East of England I probably would have never even heard about it. Taking into account that Mensi of the Angelic Upstarts sadly passed away this past Friday I thought it was about time to revive this blog of mine as I haven’t made an entry in literally years but always planned on keep going. It’s been a while since I even read this book, and while it’s not about the Angelic Upstarts per se, the band definitely plays a big part in it due to Decca Wade having been their original drummer. The author of this book is Ronan Fitzsimons and he draws on dozens of interviews with Decca and those who know him best. The author himself was born in Newcastle upon Tyne in the North East of England and one would assume not only grew up with punk rock, but punk rock specifically from that region. The book provides readers with an excellent picture of the landscape of North East England far away from the relatively bright lights of London. In this landscape Decca was among the people who were inspired by the likes of the Clash or the Sex Pistols and who knew that they too could start a band and make something of it. The chapters on the early days of the Upstarts are a fascinating read bringing to light the many challenges the band had to endure, including a management that acted outright criminally ending in the main person actually being locked up in 1980. While Decca played an integral role in the early Upstarts days he did leave the band only to reunite with them some years down the road. The book takes us on a rather shaky road of a highly influential and gifted drummer with many a funny story shared but sadly also deals with Decca’s succumbing to alcoholism. All in all this comes highly recommended to fans of the Angelic Upstarts and/or fans of regions neglected in the history of punk rock. 

GRB - Estoy Tan Contento! EP

Label: Self Released; Year: 1986; Format: 7" EP

GRB hailed from Catalonia's capital of Barcelona, and formed out of the ashes of Ultimo Resorte and Frenopaticss. While I am a huge fan of Ultimo Resorte I cannot say I am equally enthusiastic about GBR. This EP is by no means a bad record, but at the same time it is not a Spanish hardcore punk classic. The band surely played a major role in establishing a new hardcore scene along with bands such as the Subterranean Kids but to me this record sounds like a weird combination of hectic hardcore punk played as fast as possible with some flashy guitar parts thrown in. The result sounds like a mixture between Negazione and Iron Maiden with a poor production. The best song on this EP is by far the one where the band steers away from any Metal influence and delivers a tuneful mid-paced hardcore punk track. A shame not all seven tracks are like that, and my review would have been quite a different story. Not a horrible record per se, but just because it's rare don't be under the assumption that it's a must have.