| ANARCHOI #7 X-mas 2003 *** Trev Hagl put me onto this one from Scotland, and it does show promise but is way off the quality control of some of it's larger sized rivals like 4.M.W. or Artcore. First thing you notice is the top notch print job on glossy paper that gives Anarchoi a first class impression. It reminds me of the short lived Destroy zine outta Bristol. However first impressions can be misleading coz when you get inside you realise by page 1 that there's something drastically wrong. Either the editors typewriters missing a few vital keys or he's been on the crack while typing it up...Well you tell me? Seems a waste he's gone to so much trouble on visuals and presentation for it to be sabotaged by basic and numerous typing errors. The big A4 layout really does leave some massive gaping holes that are screaming to be filled. Even the BOLD large print can't hide that fact. The cut 'n' paste looks good n sloppy but you'll zip through this zine in one sitting on the throne. You get the feeling Jamesy ain't really got enough ammo in his sporran to justify this outsized zine sufficiently. Maybe A5 would've been a wiser move. Talking of which I dunno if he's paying for the expensive print job bill by advertising or not? Coz Anarchoi is fucking chocka full of ads, but closer inspection suggests they're more like handy space fillers? Well enough critique onto the main course. We get some fast but good spot checks on the Lurkers, the Disruptors, Drongos For Europe, Abusive Youth and fellow Celts Intimidation Records. The reviews seem on the ball and come strangely without any spelling mistakes, thus confirming our editor must be on something! Ha! It'll be interesting to see how this develops once Trev Hagl has jumped on board coz we know he's got plenty to say so next issue should see a dramatic improvement in reading matter and scandal. One to look out for I reckon. £1.00 from 3 Hazel Grove, Kilwinning, Ayshire, KA13 7JH, Scotland. |
| WATERINTOBEER #6 August 2003 ** More bawdy stoodent yuma from this Leeds/Manchester based zine. I like it's honesty and it ain't scared to offend by just basically telling it like it is, within their Uni. confines of course. A sensa yuma is it's saving grace, unlike some of the more hardcore Punk zines out there who toe the fucking party line so glibly. WIB don't seem to fear charges by the local punk police which is admirable in one context, but what it belches out with a triumphant burp it falls flat on it's spotty face by the iffy taste in punk. Your really struggling to find a decent punk outfit in here, unless your into that whole indie wing of punk. In this day and age the NEW punk is really stretching the boundaries beyond belief. But for those of you who are interested in this kinda crud, here's a rundown on the culprits and individuals featured at the scene of the crime...Be Jyzzuzz this must be about 50th time I've seen the Household Records label get covered by a zine!!! What the fucks going on kids am I missing something? Can't you cunts realise these jerks are boring just like their safe bands! If your gonna do a label how about Dr Strange at least he's got some worthwhile to say. We Start Fires are 3 birds and a bloke who describe themselves as "Alt-Indie Pop", say no more. Drawn By Lines (gawd what a disgustingly bland name) come across as a bit cocky, which I quite like to see in an interview, but that cockiness was soon deflated when they admitted playing discordant rock...sigh! The Sex Maniacs from Leeds sound more like it, with a mix of Black Flag and Turbo Negro in their sound, so maybe these nonces are worth checking out? I always shy clear of punk collective articles. I mean c'mon they're full of the dullest dick heads in the scene. People who pay their annual visit to Glastonbury, adorned with spectacles and braids, smoking roll-ups and brandishing bundles of 'Socialist Worker' in their rucksack do not make good copy! So you can imagine my dismay when we have to endure Helsinki's version aaarrgh! I woke up just in time to catch the obituary on Sunderland ska band 46 itchy (yeah me neither?) before searching for a loaded 45 it was hat desperate. Any band with horns is always suspect unless your talking early MU330 or X-Ray Spex. Keeping within the brass section we get another blast from those all American boys...the Mad Caddies gawwddddddd. Were finally put out our misery by Fallout 40 from Derby who are really a rock band, but don't tell anyone. So not a lot to keep me out the bars. Of the rest, some pieces of interest appeared in 'There's no place like Holmfirth', 'The (scary) effects of liver damage' and '5 reasons to hate Leeds' which should've read...1.- Leeds Utd, 2. - PC Police, 2. - The Hypocritical zine hierarchy, 4. - The Peacock pub and of course 5. - Queens Hall (I'm still shuddering from that Christmas on Earth debacle). To be fair there's a deluge of gig and music/zine reviews but it's another case of spot the punk the band. www.waterintobeer.tk |
| SAVAGE AMUSEMENT #20 Sept-Dec 2003 **** Ain't read a copy of this FREE North East Punk and Oi! newsletter for a few years now. SA is still the best and most refreshingly savage newsletter out on Britain's Streets today. With that honest and no compromising attitude it just can't fail! No time for nepotism here, although Barse comes very close! This jam packed seasonal street manifesto puts most of the other UK zinesters to shame. In comparison they're either dead PC, too scared to speak their own minds or just plain creeps. However being honest can sometimes burn some record companies/bands ego's! Seems constructive criticism closes some doors, which is a cryin shame! This A4 12 page issue includes an hilarious HITS review, plus a boatload of records, zine and even more gig reviews. Savage Amusement is one of those publications you just can't put down till you read it all. And this is just a taster really. For the full impact of Sir Trev's Geordie abuse and brutal skew on today's punk scene, check out his recently resurrected HAGL fanzine, which still has the bite and cutting edge it had back in the 80's. Trev's also got an array of worldwide punk rock merchandise from all the main suppliers for sale, but dirt cheap in comparison, so check his list and this out with a S.A.E. from Rosehill, 20 Front St, Tanfield Lea, Stanley, Co. Durham, DH9 9LY, UK. trevhagl@hotmail.com |
| DESTROY ALL June 2003 *** Southern California's definitive guide to punk and rock, with the emphasis being firmly on punk! This is an interesting monthly freebie from the sunshine state and well worth checking out if you ever hit California or get one passed onto you like I did. So cheers to my drinking buddy Denise from LA who bought this over along with a few other goodies when I gave her a tour of Brum's watering holes in early 2004. I have to admit I've only just got round to reading it all the way through. And like most freebies in the US, the presentation is high quality newsprint with a full colour glossy cover that features the electro feminist fury of Le Tigre, who unbeknown to me feature ex-Bikini Kill singer Kathleen Hanna. The Americans seem to have this freebie craic down to a fine art, and with quality layout and even glimpses of colour it puts some of the more pricier mags to shame. Destroy All is FREE because of the phenomenal load of ads that saturates its pages. They certainly keep you working hard to find the punk rock goodies in between gig listings, and record company sloganeering. This is I'm afraid always the price you have to pay to subsidise mag'S that don't cost a penny. But having said that unlike some totally absurd Freebies this fucker does emit enough hidden treasures amidst the Epitaph party line, to keep even the most attention deficit punks amongst us satisfied in their wanderlust for at least one looooong boring Sunday afternoon. The other major feature of this issue are profiles on the Cramps, and the Dropkicks Murphy's with less interesting combos like Akaline Trio and Fantomas making up the numbers amongst a host of other hit or miss outfits. There's also an array of columns which sucked apart from the pub review and a large Sk8 feature plus a foldout poster in the centre pages. Keeping in line with the artier side of the scene LA artist Emek www.emek.net "the thinking mans poster artist" who grew up with punk and has been responsible for some interesting pieces from the punk/rock arena, gets a fitting spotlight. Along side a profile on some Pasadena Tattoo artist. Finally there's a smattering of record and gig reviews amongst its 106 pages. Undoubtedly I bet there's mag's of this calibre littering most US states with a high punk rock output these days, pity the same can't be said for here grrrr! It has now transformed into a record label for more information try here... DESTROY ALL |
| Post-PUNK THROWBACK #9 Winter 2003 **** Now here's a jolly decent read (am I showing my age? fuck it..I don't care!) This is crammed to the gils with punk rock done in microscopic detail. Just a pity most of it occurred 25 years ago! But if your gonna appreciate something, be it pioneering punk rock, good sex or the complexities of mud hut building, you might as well revel in some of historical finer points of your subject. Which is exactly what Punk Throwback is all about. For any kid doing a music paper on punk and looking for a quick fix to win an A+ here's the goods. There's a massive aural Slits piece, which covers nearly every slab of plastic the band recorded, from their '77 inception to their iffy UK reformation gigs of last year. The only thing missing was more info on that hideous retrospective bootleg? Some of us older masochists like to know exactly why we went through all that pain! But have no fear dear Slitoid coz everything else they dished out is dissected in true Punk Throwback tradition. Darting right back up to date, we get an interview on the highly energetic New York punk outfit X-Possibles, who sound like they're worth a second glance. If you don't believe me go and check it out here for yourself. The New York hoolies are followed by a rather good insight into The Wasps. You remember those energetic Cockney urchins who along with Art Attacks stole the show on the legendary 'Live At The Vortex' album dont'cha? Well chief Wasp Jessie Lynn Dean (who now resides in sunny Spain) takes us into the heart of their nest and stings us with the full band history. We escape the swarm and move north of the Border to be confronted by a gang of slashing guitars and heritage belonging to the underrated Scars. This look back comes complete with those 'Horrowshow' lyrics sung in Clockwork Orange slang... "tnucs!!!" We end our Throwback guide with a massive overview of 'post punk' outfits that'll either get you searching out those dusty old albums or CD compilations for an eternity, or send you punk purists scrambling for the eject button. Good to see Ged giving the newer bands some airplay in the review section, coz as we all know diversity in whatever you aim at shows an open mind. And if you thought my reviews were detailed, check these fuckers out. There's a rumour this zine could be making a web presence in the near future? And next issue could be the last, which is a pity. But I'd be more than happy with an online version coz there's some great info within these pages from past and present issues that will no doubt gain a new worldwide audience. That's if you can get past the authors somewhat evangelical grasp on punk, you'll fuckin love this! GED BABEY |
| WATERINTOBEER #5 April 2003 *** A bit late I know but I like the snotty attitude of this stoodent rag and the amusing title sums up the way this zine is. It's got a boozy, teenage rebelliousness, with a cut 'n' paste boorish delivery. But you get a sneaky feeling this is a short-lived punk phase the authors are currently goin through? Only time will tell? Waterintobeer seems throwaway and purely something to knock out for their mates and a few drunks in the student bar. On that score it's succeeds totally, and why not coz some zines are way too precious for their own good. But what it lacks in finesse, it more than makes up for in quantity. You get 64 pages for 50p (or trade), which can't be bad. However the musical taste of the 3 stooges who threw this fucker together leaves a lot to be desired. Run DMC!, Pet Shop Boys!! and Marilyn Manson!!!... fer fucks sake!!!! We can just about live with this trilogy of bad taste coz their tongue in cheek attitude supply's a yobbish safety net. Highlight of this issue had to be the Paul Dianno (Ex-Iron Maiden front man) interview. Now I'm no Maiden fan, they sure don't get me running to the hills, but this geezer is a good craic! His book called 'The Beast' sounds like it could be a suprising insight, especially if your up for some over the top tales of sex,drugs,prison,guns and rock'n'roll. Elsewhere in the zine there was an ill fated piece on giving up alcohol for a month, that showed a sensa yuma. Alongside '10 things To Do Before Reaching 21' which pretty much nails it. The band interviews vary in quality from the mundane to the just plain bland. Mind you with bands in question like...Mr Dodd, One Man Stand and Webster (student outfits to a man) what'dya expect? Bet they all sound the same too! We mustn't forget a brief encounter with the (now) god awful Dead Kennedy's, who without Biafra's sharp wit leading the way, simply sound fake! There's a scene report from Sunderland which sounds as dead as Wolverhampton. And lastly a fucking hysterical diary extract from one of the brave editors who went for a 3 month stay in Finland! He arrives all alone and homesick with no-one to meet him off the plane and to top it all has to stash all his gear into a tiny luggage box for safety. The cruncher being he breaks a cup his bird sent him as a leaving present altogether now ahhhhh! (stop sniggering at the back). You gotta read this as he cries himself to sleep on his first night in the cold Finnish wasteland to get the full tear-jerking experience. Now where did I put that cold can of Carling? www.waterintobeer.tk |
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