It is important for irish punk to be championed with all the other anniversaries this year. It is 40 years since the release of Ireland's first punk record, on chiswick records, tv tube heart, The radiators from space were our trailblazers back then. Chiswick imprint Ace records has just re-released that debut album so I … Continue reading Pete Holidai Interview
GRIT interview
Dublin Oi Punk DIY band Grit have been doing the rounds for over a year now. Their fast snappy tunes almost coming across like an Oi X Ray Spex at times have seen the light of day on vinyl a couple of times on Distro-y-records. They are a feature of the DIY scene throughout Ireland … Continue reading GRIT interview
Bear Trade Interview
Anybody who has followed this blog will know of my respect and admiration for uk band Bear Trade. Last week I described as "think Leatherface, the replacements and wedding present getting together to write some songs with northern sensibility" for Thursday Tunes. Or when I reviewed their excellent new album, Silent Unspeakable and described … Continue reading Bear Trade Interview
The Future of Punk: Heavy Drapes Interview
Has punk lost its energy and direction after 40 years? Has it become a formula? Can you combine influences as diverse as Crass, the Damned, Hanoi Rocks and Morrissey? The new Scottish rockers, Heavy Drapes, combine a punky energy and style with a brash attitude and songs that pack a mighty punch. Live, as I … Continue reading The Future of Punk: Heavy Drapes Interview
I Am A Carcrash Interview
The couple of times I've seen I am a car crash live have been challenging experiences. Definitely more post thank punk and angular rhythms aplenty but tunes sneaking in the back door. Once or twice I have been rocked from my comfort zone, unsure of where John is going with his lyrics. In anticipation … Continue reading I Am A Carcrash Interview
Interrobang‽ Interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI_Mljg8DGg How do you follow up on the most unlikely global hit pop song ever? A song, perhaps best known for the infectious chorus, ‘I get knocked down, but I get up again’, scorched across the global pop charts some years ago. Its title was Tubthumbping and the collective responsible for it were Chumbawamba … Continue reading Interrobang‽ Interview
Lee Harvey’s Interview
[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=2490755193 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small] Dublin band the Lee Harvey's have been on the go 8 years and in that time have released 3 albums on foad. I've seen them only a handful occasions but have always been impressed. Their sound has a feel not unlike those northern Irish bands on … Continue reading Lee Harvey’s Interview
Interview: Kim Clark Champniss. “Joy Division Changed My Life.” Canadian author talks about punk, interview techniques, music and life. And shows what to do when John Lydon walks out of a Sex Pistols interview!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6FLkt9gD7I One of Canada’s most celebrated music experts, KCC is probably best known as a broadcaster, both on radio and TV. Yet beyond the music there is the man, and his autobiography is a gripping account of a life lived at times in the margins of society where music is a constant companion and driving … Continue reading Interview: Kim Clark Champniss. “Joy Division Changed My Life.” Canadian author talks about punk, interview techniques, music and life. And shows what to do when John Lydon walks out of a Sex Pistols interview!
Paranoid Visions talk about Rebellion festival
One of the most-talked about events at the Rebellion festival this year was the collaboration between Steve Ignorant from Crass and Dublin’s punk stalwarts, Paranoid Visions. They took to the stage in front of one of the biggest crowds of the festival. For anyone who has been following Paranoid Visions since their early days this … Continue reading Paranoid Visions talk about Rebellion festival
Gareth Murphy on early punk, entrepreneurs and women
One of the best books about the music industry is Gareth Murphy’s Cowboys and Indies: The Epic History of the Music Industry. More than just a standard history, the book focuses on the individuals who made huge changes to the industry. People who founded record labels, often as D.I.Y. enterprises on a shoe-string budget. … Continue reading Gareth Murphy on early punk, entrepreneurs and women