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| MOJO NEW WAVE SPECIAL February 2008 **** Bought this earlier this year for a whopping £5.99 which is a lot even for these specials, but you do get your moneys worth in this big glossy 148 pager on the late 70's New Wave era. Featuring archive interviews from Sounds, and a 12 page New Wave photo gallery with some great shots including the Rezillos and X-Ray Spex. New Wave was often a blurred crossover with the original punk scene and featured a lot of bands closely associated with punk like the Stranglers and Generation X bands who made a dent commercially. However a lot of bands who were defined as 'New Wave' were way too safe and tame to be involved in punk. Outfits like the Police and XTC are heavily profiled and seemed to be moving towards a different angle. And Joe Jackson who despite penning some rather catchy tunes was a complete bore for me in those days. I always thought the Boomtown Rats were a great singles band but they were obvious bandwagon jumpers. Whilst the Only Ones had a darker vibe. We get full round ups and autopsy's on all the major names including Devo, the Skids and the Cars. The bug eyed monster himself Elvis Costello takes a prime spot in this 30th anniversary special and you have to acknowledge he did crack America a long time before any of the UK punks even got a sniff, although he was a smug little bastard. Ian Dury typified New Wave and also gets some well deserved exposure while America is represented by cover star Blondie. Who is the only real new wave band to feature a woman in any great depth. It seems to be a boys only club but looking back New Wave was populated by ugly looking dorky blokes making quirky pop songs which seemed to capture the publics imagination. We do however get a neat Blondie tour diary which features a great shot of Debbie Harry being a domestic goddess as she irons her stage wear aboard her '77 tour bus. The Jam show the most attitude of this bunch with some great live shots and a cocky interview with Paul Weller from June 1979 where he modestly states...."as far as I'm concerned, if its one of my songs its a classic". 20 new wave albums get scrutinised in case you wanted to delve further alongside a section featuring some of the one hit wonders...remember the Vapors? Al in all this is a very good source of information and insight into a long lost era. www.mojo4music.com |
| RIOT ON YOUR OWN #29 Spring 2008 *** Local band the Troubles front the cover of "yet another regular issue of the usual guff, with lots of reviews, crappy quiz, articles on stuff and even a couple of interviews" (editors words not mine). And I couldn't agree more. That really is how we like our Riot On Your Own... opportunist as fuck and totally unplanned. There's a big profile on Psychobilly this issue which is lacking for all you snot rockets out therew in some departments, but I can appreciate the draw...they must have the best looking birds this side of a goff convention. There's also a Western Star Records interview which releases strictly rockabilly/psychobilly bands. So you will get lost in a sea of quiffs and drapes before you could mutter the immortal words "Fatty Fenech!". As usual theres an array of reviews which span Punk, Oi! and even NEW WAVE, remember the Photos? Talking of imagery, the centre spread features a two page ad for the recently released Violent Fuckwits CD 'Beyond Redemption' that features Billy boy live on stage strangling a masked groupie. A sight which is very effective visually indeed. Don't think the Stranglers could've done it much better. The other interview is with Spaniards Los Salvadores who blast out some sorta punk/folk crossover, but stress they sound like neither? There's a profile on Blair Peach (the lost grandfather of Tony and Peaches Geldof, whoops sorry wrong tangent!), Clarence Baker and the Rock Against Racism movement, that sprung up in the UK during the late 70's to combat the far right. I always seen this post punk affiliation as the spark that lit the embers of the first signs of political correctness within the punk movement. This was the eve of political punk when Crass were still supporting the UK Subs in Acton. But its a good historical document on what was happening amidst SPG terror, the National Front and the middle class lefty liberals. None of whom give a flying fuck for the kids on the street in reality, but punk was for most extremists a sneaky way of zoning in on the youth. On a less serious note, theres a funny picture of Bills dog called Sid who looks a right nasty piece of work. Our editor plans to take Sid dog fighting within the punk scene. So anyone with a scrammel who fancies their chances against Sid apply within. The back page has got an hilarious shot of Dan the drumming slag from notable outfits such as Runnin Riot, 100 drunken Nights and about every other punk band from Belfast draped in his best Pat Butcher drag, the resemblance is uncanny. FREE with an SAE to BILL, 5 GLEN ROAD, BELFAST BT5 7JH billyriot@hotmail.com |
| RIOT ON YOUR OWN #30 July 2008 *** Good cover shot of Deko from Dublin's Paranoid Visions greets us as another punky blast of rough 'n' ready innuendo, wit and down right nepotism resonates from the photocopied pages of ROYO. Hold on a minute, Dublin Jackeens on the cover of a Belfast zine!? Surely that can't be right? But editor Bill and the rest of the NI punk scene show how far the outstretched sticky tentacles of punk can dismiss once upon a time rivalry's when it took politicians decades to resolve. Anyway fuck all that political dogs bollocks. Inside Bill the editor takes a few chunky bites out Big Cheese, the en vogue glossy UK "punk" magazine (reviewed elsewhere on this page). His bone of contention being they compared Riot On Your Own's layout to "something vomited up by a 4 year old" (tee hee). However all was not lost for Bill's band the Violent Fuckwits, managed to get a glowing review in the same issue. Resulting in the venomous editorial immediately taking a U-turn which had me in stitches. Arturo Bassick from the Lurkers makes another zine appearance and seems to be chasing Charlie Harpers "most interviewed punk vet in zinedom" accolade. There's a New Wave retrospective plus live reviews featuring the snotty Restarts ands cover stars Paranoid Visions. Lots more pics in this issue with a massive centre spread collage of big Colin's (Runnin Riot) 40th birthday bash! Complete with a bare backed whipping from a scantily clad stripper. There was also a front-line report of trouble on the streets of Belfast involving punks and "spides" (Chavs to me and you), and how the local press misrepresented the whole situation by turning a scuffle into a fully fledged riot! As always a van load of reviews gets vomited into the gutter including CD's, Books, DVDs and vinyl, including the Ruts, Eater, Joy Division and some old has beens called Stench. You want real life get this! Issue 31 is out as we speak... review coming! FREE with an SAE to BILL, 5 GLEN ROAD, BELFAST BT5 7JH billyriot@hotmail.com |
| BIG CHEESE #97 February 2008 *** I always buy these "Punk Rock Special" mags when I spot one at WH Smiths coz I'm a cunt, and I'm nearly always disappointed! Its a mainstream 100 page monthly glossy, but seems to be confused in its coverage? Verging on New Metal, Indie, Psycho and Rock with brief forays into the underground punk scene when you least expect em! Being as this is the first time I've read a copy of Big Cheese (hate that name), I gotta say the layouts are fantastic! This is how a glossy punk mag should look, but what it has in visuals it fails miserably to deliver in taste. I do admire their effort to cover most bases and it makes a nice change from the USUAL grimy black 'n' white photocopied print publications, but musically their idea of punk is a million miles away. However the photography is exceptional but wasted totally when your confronted by yet another bland looking bunch of dorks, with new tattoos and nondescript slogans on their uniform of jeans and t-shirts. So it innevitably becomes a joke. Is this really what punk rock looks like in this day and age? The front cover stars are the Gallows, who are are no exception to the rule. They're a band in vogue, but if the truth is told they ain't half as good as 'in crowd' say. The singers got a wank vocal and from the attitude they might fool some middle class school kids or Brett Gerewitz, but they don't fool me! As we dodge the footwear adverts and even more gormless looking ponces, you can spot interesting stuff amidst the sheen. Like sleeve design artist Dan Mumford or Dee Snyder from Twisted Sister, who admits to stealing the "No Future" riff off the Pistols 'God Save The Queen' on their 80's hit record 'Were Not Gonna Take It'. The bird outta Horrorpops brings in a brief bit of eye candy glamour to the proceedings, but the actual punk coverage was watered down and scarily male! They do include an hilariously frank interview with the Dropkick Murphy's, whose singer Al Barr nearly chinned Shane McGowan, along side the still defiant Anti Flag, plus small snippets on kiddie punks Outl4w and the Rabble. The 25 hardcore anthems rundown included the UK Subs 'Endangered Species' (guffaw) and the 4 Skins fer fux sake! Finishing with a biopsy on Rancid's career. Its all rounded off by an array of reviews that you need a metal detector to alert you to anything resembling punk. Oh and my copy didnt come with a CD either! Worth buying for 'Punk Specials' only. £3.55 from www.bigcheesemagazine.com |
| MAXIMUMROCKNROLL #301 June 2008 **** Can't believe it but this is the first review of Maximumrocknroll on this site! And no I aint been avoiding it just can;t find a regular UK distro? Truth is I bought this at the Birmingham Punks Picnic last summer coz MRR had reviewed the Stench album. I would've bought more but the snotty stall seller was not gonna get ANY more of my money for being such a superior tart! Gotta say not a lot has changed with MRR since the days when I used to pick up an infrequent copy over the last two decades, due to availability in the UK. Its still got the same kinda intense layout where giant chunks of print are featured more so than pics. And the ink still rubs off on yer fingers. The totally punk adverts are still DIY and comptemporary as I suspect are all the bands. Seems weird to see the highly recommended Antibodies FINALLY flying the flag for UK punksters in the Americas, while local (Walsall) outfit the long gone Sears are in the monthly Anarcho look back section, both good reads. Shocked to see Al Quint of Suburban Voice fanzine joining the long list of columnists. Maybe the MRR is the old zinesters graveyard? At least his punk trainspotting qualities serves him well as he concentrates on the music in between domestics. Unlike most of the other annoying columnists who send us to sleep with their PC puritanism and or American hippy punk values,all except vet columnist Bruce Roehrs who does Al Quint but on a smaller scale. There's a good Fly cartoon about her life in punk and getting involved with drugs and subsequently staying clean. The 'news' section is anarchistic by nature, so I wonder what they will make of the new Black President? The scene reports are always good fun, even if its just to read about far off places your never gonna visit but ammusing to hear of their take on punk. For the curious this time its Pennsylvania and Alabama. The international array of bands featured shows the punk scene is expanding or is it contracting as the US bands are thin on the ground this issue? For the full roll call we have Portland's Red Dons, Japans Kola, Argentina's Los Violadores, Australia's Strait Jacket Nation, New Zealands Tentacles Of Destruction, Canada's Spectres, San Diego's Underground Railroad To Candyland, Dean Dirge, St Louis Head On Collision, and Fort Myers fanzine writer of the intriguingly titled Seven Inches To Freedom. I much prefer Razorcakes more tactile layout to MRR's cheap thin bog paper but for Americas longest running punk fanzine you gotta admire its staying power for staying exactly how its readers want it! $4.00 from www.maximumrocknroll.com |
| NEGATIVE REACTION #10 January 2008 *** Another 28 page edition of our favourite North East fanzine, that claims "controversy and profanity guaranteed or your money back". And although its not quite as offensive as we'd like here at Nihilism On The Prowl, you never feel ripped off reading this zine. And lets face it, prizing a refund outta slippery Trev Hagl is as difficult as turning on the gas in the Ukraine. Negative Reaction kicks off with Part 2 of the colossal Toxic Ephex interview which finally gets concluded as we learn they were big Bernard Manning fans. More 80's remnants seem to have ressurged into life with the Fiend from the North East, who are apparently thrashy Exploited / Discharge in sound. In print they seem like nice polite boys. On the other hand grumpy 999 offer another short one with singer Nick Cash getting all annoyed coz Trev slagged their 'Face To Face' album off lol. Geezer book author and one time Stench roadie (guffaw) ex Codsall lad Bernard O'Mahoney, gives us a no holds barred brief on his career as a doorman/gangster/female correspondent and now cult crime writer. Scoop of this issue, or should that read Scouse, was actor Ricky Tomlinson from the Royal Family TV series. He would've been worth interviewing if he named names of the Prima Donna's he's worked with, fucking slag! Back to music and the Transmitors from Vancouver bring us a sorta Jam/Briefs kinda vibe to Negative Reactions usual Skin preferences. Finally the TDA groupie Vic Goddard of Subway Sect infamy continues the Nick Cash style of short but concise answers. However the must read review section seems to be shrinking and space fillers like Farmers TV and Trev Watch are only propped up by the cutting edge Chav Central, which is as depressing as a night out in Gaza or should that read with Gazza. So something for everyone. Editor Trev celebrates 25 years putting zines out with a chunky 25 year celebration for issue #11 which is out now review coming soon! Contact Trev c/o Rosehill, 20 New Front St, Tanfield Lea, Stanley, Co Durham, DH9 9LY, UK trevhagl@hotmail.com |
| BALD CACTUS #26 July 2008 **** They ain't coming out so fast these days, but this Leeds bastion of Anarcho animal rights and left-wing politics zine is celebrating 20 years of defiance and prickly attitude. Despite some career lows (really shoddy presentation in the past) Bald Cactus still has all the hallmarks of a gratuitous read. Even down to the political dogma I very much cringe at, but can't help reading just coz I don't wanna miss anything. Bitter and twisted don't half make the happy go lucky zinesters around today seem so irrelevant. This zine should be a benchmark of festering dissatisfaction amongst the punk scene, and if it eradicated the PC punk points and just concentrated on the music more without the grim hard done by cold and aloof attitude we'd all be reading the fucker! Still only 50p and still resisting in defiance, but the enemies and the battles its fighting these days seem way more marginalised and paranoid compared with the real threat! This 'ish kicks off with the boring (musically) Inner Terrestrials who get probed on paganism, HITS and TV. No mention of dieting at all? The white middle class punk (yeah you heard right) of Fuck With Fire, tell us all about life in posh Harrogate and local gang the Panel Beaters (snigger), who are the suburban equivalent of Circle One in a well to do neighbourhood. Social Parasites from Southampton are a more smelly outfit and have some great music, so its a pity they're spoilt by a one dimensional Steve Ignorant wanna be on vocals. Highlight of this issue must the Dick Lucas interview, not because his every word is gospel but because its nice to read he's still a fuckin hippy! Talking of incense, we also get an interesting statement from Pete Wright, bass player in Crass, who along with the much publicised Penny Rimbaud and Steve Ignorant points of view, makes for an alternative insight on Crass. The columns are worth your perusal but you do get fed up of reading issue after issue about blokes banged up in prison whether unjustified or not. The better columns include 'ethically consuming', 'hooked on fags' and 'I love coppers'. The reviews are always good for picking up on newer bands as the shittier ones do get reprimanded but anarcho is anarcho, so not much joy for the meat eaters, same goes with the zines. But lets face it most zines today are not gonna change yr point of view like they did years ago, but some can inform if you wanna a real insight. Oh and how come we ain't got no Yorkshire tea bags as the FREE anniversary gift instead of those cheap fuckers you get in tesco? 50p plus SAE from BALD CACTUS |
| BIG CHEESE #102 August 2008 **** The Uk's only mainstream glossy punk mag ponders the question... 'Punks Not Dead or is it?' And with an array of punky individuals and bands listed on the cover I just had to buy it to see if they really did answer the penultimate question (more of later). There's something for everyone in this issue, with an enjoyable Sub Pop record label feature to get you in the mood. Thought John Robb's 'Punk n Disorderly' column was a waste of space they should employ Andy Cactus or Tom Freefall for aN honest insight. There's a Billy Idol and Tim Armstrong profile just to keep things in perspective, and a sexy Civet piece who are a younger version of the Donna's in case you didn't already know. Surprising to see a Restarts snippet appearing which shows that Big Cheese did their homework this issue, along side the Drongos and the Stella induced Sick on the bus. They do a big feature on CD cover stars The Rabble (reviewed soon) who are a young punk trio from New Zealand who unfortunately come saddled with a Rancid meets the Dropkick Murphy's tag, which upon further investigation is totally wrong. Alkaline Trio, Weezer and a host of other poncy boy bands trying to be tough got the lions share of the action, but a weathered Micky Fitz of the Business complete with busted nose gets cheesed whilst East Bay Ray tells us how it all began. More profiles on the impact of Green Day ensue while a piece on UK skate-core clowns the Stupids, whose singer must be up there with Mark E Smith for dire dress sense gets a reveal. The actual front cover debate on punks demise run for all of two pages lol. With only Charlie Harper representing the original breed, but senility lays waste to his answers. There's no Wattie Buckan who coined the phrase (Punks Not Dead), no Penny Rimbaud who wrote the song (Punk Is Dead) and no zine-writers who are still penning the epitaph. So it was left to a sussed Nick 13 from Tiger Army and Stza Crack from Leftover Crack to supply the best answers, the rest were lets just say repetitive bollocks from kids pretending to be punks who wouldn't know a snot bucket from a coal bucket. This 114 page magazine rounds off with an intriguing Anti Flag interview on why Sony are fuelling their anti establishment music...the answer lies in the small print in case you wondered. And finally the photogenic Horrorpops bring up the rear and what a rear Patricia has. The vast review section it has to be said were way more on the mark this time. So best issue yet for me! £3.55 from www.bigcheesemagazine.com |
| NEGATIVE REACTION #11 Summer 2008 **** Fucking bumper 25 year anniversary issue from the Stanley steak knife. When Mr Hagl pushes the boat out he certainly does it in style, with a little help from his long suffering bird and the parasitic minions he now hangs out with. Was it really 1983 when he first put finger to typewriter?... seems a long fucking time ago! An age when punk was just dipping from the crest of its early 80's second wave and bands like Stench were appearing in Punk Lives. An era when glassings and Stanley blades were the scourge of society and Positive Punk was the latest in thing. By 83' Beki Bondage started wearing dresses with weightlifting studded belts on stage and the price of a pint was the cost of a Mars bar today. You could live on the dole in relative luxury and read about underground PUNK bands in tatty zines like this by the hundreds. Don't think Trev's attitude has changed quite so much, although I think outside pressure has moved him towards a more political field as he is now influenced not just by Carling but by dare I say it a fucking conscience however misguided! Some good interviews are the highlight but kicks off with a disappointing 4 Skins one with Gary Hodges. It's a pity the minion who interviewed him didn't have the balls to ask Mr Hodges about his dark past considering he gobs off about fash bashin all over the net! Oi polloi's on the other hand is as honest as the day is long, with Deek answering everything that gets thrown at him including naming names. Sons Of Bad Breath (yeah me neither?) were funny, while the right on lefty liberal poet Attilla The Stockbroker reveals an acquaintance is doing life for torture/porn, but emphatically abhors any such practice himself (pull the other one). Dublins Riot 77 zine editor gives us his train of thought and sounds like another Dublin Jackeen with lots to say but not much pedigree to back it up, maybe I should see what all the fuss is about? The rest were all fillers with Strawberry Blondes (arrrgghh), Jonny Dongel (snigger) and the Murder Junkies whose claim to fame was playing with GG Allen, so they must be a right poxed up bunch of cunts! The Radgie pub guide round the Toon was good, coz I've been invited up for a drink and now know where not to go if I want me 'boat race'' left intact. This along side the informative record zine and book reviews means Negative Reaction is still worth a few quid. c/o Rosehill, 20 New Front St, Tanfield Lea, Stanley, Co Durham, DH9 9LY, UK trevhagl@hotmail.com |
| FREEFALL DRUNK PUNK #3 September 2008 **** This mammoth 84 page rantaphon is the 3rd issue of this home grown local zine done on a very small scale and only available to friends, contributors, trades or people Tom Freefall likes. So email him at the address below and see if you pass the test? Freefall Drunk Punk emphasises the whole spirit of DIY punk literature. Meaning, if a band or a mood or just something totally off the cuff inspires you to write and publish, then just fucking do it maaan! The beast from Boningale Tom has been doing this for the last few years. What it lacks amongst the cascade of print and little grey images that litter the vast expanse of rant, it more than makes up for in entertaining spoofs and adventures in backstreet boozers, at gigs or life in general. The attention to detail could come across as boring with some zine writers bland style. But here I defy anyone with a sensa yuma to not be guffawing all over their pint or on the shitter at regular intervals! Freefall Drunk Punks mode of attack is why use an image when a line or two will do. However it would be good if the selected imagery that is used was a little more better presented. Tom's printer is pumping out magenta copies which viewed in black 'n' white leaves a lot to be desired in that fade to grey visage kinda moment. But this zine is one to be read, not fornicated over and the crammed pages means space is at a premium. Its very easy to read with Comic Sans as the chosen typeface, but you can get lost in the sea of print with very little space to herald new subjects and wave out the old. So can be difficult to navigate when you wanna refer back to a section as its totally relentless. The rants verge on the hilarious and ridiculous, some cover topics you find yerself agreeing with. Tom despite coming from the 90's wave of punk ain't no blinkered PC punk, he actually tells it roughly how it is. Although his musical taste covers all spectrum's from '77 to now, he does opt for a lotta crusty anarcho types which also litter his compilation CD's. Talking of which he has released 11 sampler CD's of obscurity's and some long lost classics on his compilations which are worth getting just to hear bands like the Midnight Creeps and Dog Assassin in amongst your UK Subs, Global Threats and Poundaflesh's. In fact I think the compilations inspired this zine and they add a whole new take on record trading in the 21st century. You'll be reading this and listening to the tracks for a long time to come! tomfreefall@btinternet.com |
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