Blood or Whiskey
State Radio
The Academy, Dublin, Eire
17th May 2008
Have to admit that the prospect of making a 200+ mile round trip for an all ages
punk bash headlined by a band i had a limited knowledge of, was not something I
was looking forward to. But Spikey Steve's a big Anti Flag fan so there was no way
I was gonna let him down and have him miss one of his fav's. And it turned out in
the end to be well worth the effort! The ironic thing was the band were playing in
Belfast the following night, but due to the local club's age restriction policy SS
wouldn't have been allowed into the venue as he's only 14, so we had no option
but to travel.
We arrived in Dublin around midday and went to locate the venue which
turned out to be very easy. The young punks and emo's were already
queueing and there was still two and half hours till the doors opened.
So we went sightseeing around Molly Malone's patch to kill the time in
between. The Academy is a nice venue, well laid out with a high stage and
no obstructions between the bands and the audience. Which is
a big improvement on the Belfast AF venue. I was probably the oldest
punter in the place except for the bouncers but found myself a great
vantage point next to the mixing desk and that was me sorted for the
duration.
First up was an unadvertised suprise addition to the bill, Dublin city trad
punks Blood or Whiskey who had the youngsters jumping from the off
with their highly enjoyable mix of banjo solos, tin whistle, drums and loud
guitars. They were frantic and fantastic! Highlights of their set included
No Answers', 'Poxy Pub', '14 Years' and a rip roaring 'King Of The Fairies'.
This was my first encounter with the BOW experience and i know they've
been around a long time, but I'll definitely be checking them out again in
the very near future, they were a great!
Up next was Boston's hippyesque State Radio who were on a hiding to
nothing trying to follow up the raucous BOW with their grungy mid paced sub Nirvana/Alice In Chains groove. The
energy level just dropped like a stone with these guys,lethargic choreographed twin stage jumps and funky jamming in
the centre of the stage,like the awful Red Hot Chilli Peppers. They were obviously great musicians but i was finding it
all a bit self indulgent and to be honest a bit boring. There was only two songs of their seemingly overlong set left 'Black
Cab Motorcade and 'Camilo' when for some unknown reason it all suddenly kicked in and i really started to like
these guys. State Radio are a pretty good band and possibly an acquired taste, but following a band like BOW certainly
did them no favours today, especially with a teenage audience that was bursting at the seams with the explosive energy
of youth needing a release and what about that gasoline can guitar.
After the negro spiritual intro which isn't something you hear at a punk show very often it was the turn of the headliners
politi-punks Anti Flag to take the stage by the scruff of the neck! These guys had everything that makes punk rock
great. They looked great in matching outfits kicking off with 'Spit In The Face'. They were noisy, aggressive and put on
one hell of a show. Okay they are a bit preachy and right on but they mean it maaan! And musically you couldn't fault
them. The set was full of big songs with big singalong choruses and the audience participated at every opportunity,
Anti Flag were fierce! The bass player Chris #2 (Barker) is a showman, he never stopped for a moment between doing
his vocals as well as starting a US style circle pit. He lead the chants and peace signs, stage diving, crowd surfing and
playing a side stage tom tom where in a fit of anger he bounced the sticks off the drum skin and they flew like rockets at
a frightening speed towards the heads of the stand in drummer ??? and guitarist, aptly named Chris Head. Then he
kicked the drum across the stage, it was a real spectacle and the kids lapped it up. In the very brief intervals between
songs the sweaty young punks were rushing back and forward to drink the much needed free pints of iced water lined up
along the bar by the thoughtful bar staff, before getting back into the fray for another round of pushing and shoving
punctuated by bouts of mass pogoing.
The set was packed with real show stoppers
like 'Good And Ready','This Is The End',
'Bright Lights Of America' and 'Underground
Network'. But due to the license curfew the
band dispensed with the pretend amateur
dramatics some bands go through before a
sometimes undeserved encore. Chris #2
told the audience "they could only play
two more songs" and they tore into 'Die
For The Government' spitting out the words
with real venom. The place erupted every
kid was shouting the lyrics "you're gonna
die gonna die gonna die for the
government, Die for your country that's
shit". Ah! teenage anarchy theres nothing
like it. And its great to see the spirit of
radical punk is still alive and well. Anti Flag
finished the brilliant set with 'Cities Burn'
then said their thank you's to the ecstatic
fans and put down their instruments. But
instead of running off stage which is the
norm with most bands they went to the
barrier and started signing autographs,
posing for pics, talking on the kids phones
and getting hugged to death.
I was very impressed they were really
decent guys who treated their fans with real
respect and after taking a few minutes to
catch a breath and get cleaned up
backstage they went outside and did the
whole fan meet and greet all over again.
Nothing was too much trouble for these guys and even though they were clearly knackered they carried on regardless making the kids day. They were still
signing when we left to head back on the journey home to Belfast. On first hand experience I can't speak highly enough of Anti Flag, a lot of the old school
punk bands still on their well past its sell by date star trip could learn a lesson from these guys on how to treat their fans. Hand on heart this was one of the
best punk gigs I've ever attended and I've been to a few in my considerable time. The stars must have aligned for this gig as it was a fantastic show with great
bands in a great venue with great sound plus the security kept themselves to themselves and Anti Flag were pure class! They could have easily played a
half hearted ramble through their back catalogue as it was after all an all ages show and in the afternoon but they gave it 100 %.
Over the past few years I've been getting more and more disillusioned with punk in general. Its probably an age related thing but this gig has reignited an old
flame inside me i haven't felt for a while and reinforced my previously dwindling faith in the power of rock'n'roll, it did my old cynical heart good. One last
question...could Justin Sane be a distant relation of Jerry Nolan (Dolls/Heartbreakers)? Because I've never seen anyone who resembles (even with a
Johnny Thunders black quiff), sounds like or has mannerisms so similar to the man himself.
Joe Donnelly Belfast 19.5.08.
State Radio
The Academy, Dublin, Eire
17th May 2008
Have to admit that the prospect of making a 200+ mile round trip for an all ages
punk bash headlined by a band i had a limited knowledge of, was not something I
was looking forward to. But Spikey Steve's a big Anti Flag fan so there was no way
I was gonna let him down and have him miss one of his fav's. And it turned out in
the end to be well worth the effort! The ironic thing was the band were playing in
Belfast the following night, but due to the local club's age restriction policy SS
wouldn't have been allowed into the venue as he's only 14, so we had no option
but to travel.
We arrived in Dublin around midday and went to locate the venue which
turned out to be very easy. The young punks and emo's were already
queueing and there was still two and half hours till the doors opened.
So we went sightseeing around Molly Malone's patch to kill the time in
between. The Academy is a nice venue, well laid out with a high stage and
no obstructions between the bands and the audience. Which is
a big improvement on the Belfast AF venue. I was probably the oldest
punter in the place except for the bouncers but found myself a great
vantage point next to the mixing desk and that was me sorted for the
duration.
First up was an unadvertised suprise addition to the bill, Dublin city trad
punks Blood or Whiskey who had the youngsters jumping from the off
with their highly enjoyable mix of banjo solos, tin whistle, drums and loud
guitars. They were frantic and fantastic! Highlights of their set included
No Answers', 'Poxy Pub', '14 Years' and a rip roaring 'King Of The Fairies'.
This was my first encounter with the BOW experience and i know they've
been around a long time, but I'll definitely be checking them out again in
the very near future, they were a great!
Up next was Boston's hippyesque State Radio who were on a hiding to
nothing trying to follow up the raucous BOW with their grungy mid paced sub Nirvana/Alice In Chains groove. The
energy level just dropped like a stone with these guys,lethargic choreographed twin stage jumps and funky jamming in
the centre of the stage,like the awful Red Hot Chilli Peppers. They were obviously great musicians but i was finding it
all a bit self indulgent and to be honest a bit boring. There was only two songs of their seemingly overlong set left 'Black
Cab Motorcade and 'Camilo' when for some unknown reason it all suddenly kicked in and i really started to like
these guys. State Radio are a pretty good band and possibly an acquired taste, but following a band like BOW certainly
did them no favours today, especially with a teenage audience that was bursting at the seams with the explosive energy
of youth needing a release and what about that gasoline can guitar.
After the negro spiritual intro which isn't something you hear at a punk show very often it was the turn of the headliners
politi-punks Anti Flag to take the stage by the scruff of the neck! These guys had everything that makes punk rock
great. They looked great in matching outfits kicking off with 'Spit In The Face'. They were noisy, aggressive and put on
one hell of a show. Okay they are a bit preachy and right on but they mean it maaan! And musically you couldn't fault
them. The set was full of big songs with big singalong choruses and the audience participated at every opportunity,
Anti Flag were fierce! The bass player Chris #2 (Barker) is a showman, he never stopped for a moment between doing
his vocals as well as starting a US style circle pit. He lead the chants and peace signs, stage diving, crowd surfing and
playing a side stage tom tom where in a fit of anger he bounced the sticks off the drum skin and they flew like rockets at
a frightening speed towards the heads of the stand in drummer ??? and guitarist, aptly named Chris Head. Then he
kicked the drum across the stage, it was a real spectacle and the kids lapped it up. In the very brief intervals between
songs the sweaty young punks were rushing back and forward to drink the much needed free pints of iced water lined up
along the bar by the thoughtful bar staff, before getting back into the fray for another round of pushing and shoving
punctuated by bouts of mass pogoing.
The set was packed with real show stoppers
like 'Good And Ready','This Is The End',
'Bright Lights Of America' and 'Underground
Network'. But due to the license curfew the
band dispensed with the pretend amateur
dramatics some bands go through before a
sometimes undeserved encore. Chris #2
told the audience "they could only play
two more songs" and they tore into 'Die
For The Government' spitting out the words
with real venom. The place erupted every
kid was shouting the lyrics "you're gonna
die gonna die gonna die for the
government, Die for your country that's
shit". Ah! teenage anarchy theres nothing
like it. And its great to see the spirit of
radical punk is still alive and well. Anti Flag
finished the brilliant set with 'Cities Burn'
then said their thank you's to the ecstatic
fans and put down their instruments. But
instead of running off stage which is the
norm with most bands they went to the
barrier and started signing autographs,
posing for pics, talking on the kids phones
and getting hugged to death.
I was very impressed they were really
decent guys who treated their fans with real
respect and after taking a few minutes to
catch a breath and get cleaned up
backstage they went outside and did the
whole fan meet and greet all over again.
Nothing was too much trouble for these guys and even though they were clearly knackered they carried on regardless making the kids day. They were still
signing when we left to head back on the journey home to Belfast. On first hand experience I can't speak highly enough of Anti Flag, a lot of the old school
punk bands still on their well past its sell by date star trip could learn a lesson from these guys on how to treat their fans. Hand on heart this was one of the
best punk gigs I've ever attended and I've been to a few in my considerable time. The stars must have aligned for this gig as it was a fantastic show with great
bands in a great venue with great sound plus the security kept themselves to themselves and Anti Flag were pure class! They could have easily played a
half hearted ramble through their back catalogue as it was after all an all ages show and in the afternoon but they gave it 100 %.
Over the past few years I've been getting more and more disillusioned with punk in general. Its probably an age related thing but this gig has reignited an old
flame inside me i haven't felt for a while and reinforced my previously dwindling faith in the power of rock'n'roll, it did my old cynical heart good. One last
question...could Justin Sane be a distant relation of Jerry Nolan (Dolls/Heartbreakers)? Because I've never seen anyone who resembles (even with a
Johnny Thunders black quiff), sounds like or has mannerisms so similar to the man himself.
Joe Donnelly Belfast 19.5.08.
