Dublin's Hope Collective
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
Thursday tunes This week we have mostly been listening to Paranoid visions - Rebellion Prolific Irish punks have another record out in tribute to the great punk festival that is rebellion. Of course the songs aren't about the festival, instead they are songs of rage Get the new record here Bear Trade Bleedin' Heart Trouble … Continue reading Thursday Tunes
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
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
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 good vibrations but where good vibes had a lot … Continue reading Lee Harvey’s 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!
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
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
https://youtu.be/Vj2I-Z0B-oQ The pioneering punk/new wave bands of Northern Ireland including the Undertones, Stiff Little Fingers and Rudi didn't just write great songs, they wrote great pop songs. Of course we didn't appreciate it at the time but they didn't just write pop songs for the moment, they wrote songs that stood the test of time. … Continue reading Rebellion 2017 Protex
Petrol Girls The reason why a festival like Rebellion is such a goldmine for me is that you can discover fantastic new bands that deliver on every level. And so it was with the mighty Petrol Girls. In fact this afternoon's trio, the Membranes, Interrobang, and Petrol Girls indicate why punk is so interesting, even … Continue reading Rebellion 2017 Petrol Girls
