THE DAMNED - Final Damnation 1989

My top ten live albums include the following great The Damned record! Released via Essential! Records and this beauty was recorded at London Town & Country Club 13.June 1988. All their well-known classics performed at the highest level with power and energy, an absolutely rip-roaring audio document of an unique Gig. Wiki info: "The set begins with the original line-up and morphs through the various line-ups of the band, each playing on the tracks which that lineup recorded in the studio. It was recorded at a time when the band were in a chaotic state, without a record contract, after being dropped by their only major label." Seventeen smasher in one hour and you can start the whole thing again and again, because the sound is so brilliant and infectious. For me an intense kick into the weekend, Cheers!

here

V/A - Punk Live In Brouwershoeck 1982

Now a wonderful compilation from our neighbors. Side A is equipped with punkbands from the netherlands with one or two tracks & offer us how many cool bands the Netherland scene really had at that time. I myself am amazed how many brilliant bands were there at that time. Fast punk songs are interspersed with quieter numbers and the lyrics are criticized (Fuck the USA) as there's no tomorrow. Side B has a touch of pop. Not that the songs would be superfluous but they don't fit right if you have heard Side A. In any case the record is splendid and you should lend your ears. A pearl of punk history. Fairness sake, I must say that this is not my rip, got the sound a bit better and I hope you can still enjoy the album. Cheers!

1.Wodka - CHOPS

2.The World We Live In - CHOPS

3.Doomed To Masturbate - CHOPS

4.Why? - MURDER INC.

5.Dope Ain't Anything For Me - MALICIOUS DAMAGE

6.Viva Fryslan - MALICIOUS DAMAGE

7.I'm Bored - SPOILED SPERM

8.No Way Out - SPOILED SPERM

9.Go Away - THE T-SHIRTS

10.Does It Matter? - PIN BASKETS

11.Hate & Fear - PIN BASKETS

12.Secluded - MORTAL REMAINS

13.Children Of The Damned - CAPTAIN SENSIBLE

14.Jet Boy, Jet Girl - CAPTAIN SENSIBLE

15.When You're Young - THE OUTTAKES

16.Working For The Yankee Dollar - THE OUTTAKES

17.Money - THE OUTTAKES

18.Cars - THE OUTTAKES

19.Are Friends Electric? - THE OUTTAKES

here

THE DICKIES - Paranoid 7'' 1978

An absolute classic and should not be missing in any decent record collection is the fourth 7'' of the Dickies, they were among the first punk rock bands to emerge from Los Angeles. They formed in early 1977 after guitarist Stan Lee and bassist Billy Club saw The Damned on their first American tour. The band made their live debut at the Whisky a GoGo in September of the same year. The Dickies were the first California punk band to appear on network television (C.P.O. Sharkey), and the first California punk band to be signed to a major record label (A&M Records). Paranoid is a great cover by Black Sabbath from 1970 and is for me the punk anthem par excellence, where the original is already great and hardly upgradeable, but the band has it done terrific in my opinion. Many records were made and the boys are still on tour. And now it's the end of the broadcast, see you tomorrow.

here

DIRTY ACTIONS - Rosa Shocking 7'' 1980

The DFB team is out and rightly so, if you don't score goals you deserve to leave and that counts in football, well an era comes to an end and a new one begins. Nonetheless, the EM remains exciting and I'm looking forward to the next games. - Welcome July and and a ride south: Dirty Actions is a combo of the first Italian punk wave. Founded 1979 in Genova by Johnny & Mario (vocals), Dado & Ugo (guitars), Roberto (bass), Guido (keyboard), Matteo (drums) and were active until 1982. Their sound, characterized from the beginning by New wave hues, over time turned more and more towards this genre. After performing some local gigs the small independant label Cramps Records became aware of the boys and put them on the nice Rock '80 compilation which has been reissued several times over the years. In the same year their only 7Inch appeared and a long tour followed, during which they shared the stage with the Damned, among others. In 1981 the group changes staff and in 1982 their last lifesign, shortly before the dissolution, a song on the Gathered compilation which was published by Electric Eye. Posthumously in 1996, Reverendo Moon Records released the bands first album entitled Apocrifo with demos & live material.

here

THE STRAPS - s/t LP 1982

Very good debut album on Cyclops Records by The Straps, a streetpunk combo which were formed 1978 in Battersea/South London by vocalist John Grant and guitarist Dave Reeves. A bit info from wiki: The band played their first gig at the Park Tavern in Streatham on 28 September 1978 with U.K.SUBS, the Tickets and Security Risk. Their original bassist, Green, died of a heroin overdose shortly after the first show and was temporarily replaced on bass by Grant's roommate, Andi Sex Gang, for a show at the Latchmere Pub in Battersea. Stan Stammers, former Epileptics bassist, joined in 1979 and guitarist Steve MacIntosh was replaced by Andy "Heed" Forbes. Drummers in this period included Luke Rendle (previously of Crisis) and the short-lived member Cliff. Stammers and Rendle left to join the Pack, who turned into Theatre Of Hate, while Forbes left to join the Wall. The Straps enjoyed a cult following around London, and performed alongside the Damned on their 1980 Black Album tour, as well as Sham 69 and Stiff Little Fingers, before splitting in 1983. They reformed in 1991 for a one-off gig at the Brixton Academy an 2012 for the ill-fated Last Jubilee and Punk by the Sea festivals, with a new lineup of Grant, Reeves, Davies and two new members: ex-Concrete Gods guitarist Phil McDermott and Morgellons bassist Mark Geraghty. In August 2013, the band released their third studio album, Brave New Anger and they're still rockin'.

here

VICTIM - All Our Dreams Are Gone 2011

Eye-catching compilation by RaveUp Records and you know what to expect from them. This record is part of their glorious "EUROPEAN PUNK SERIES" and Volume 6 is the following highlight: Formed in Belfast in Mid 1977, Victim soon became familiar faces on the emerging Belfast scene. Following their appearance on the legendary UTV punk documentary 'It Makes You Want Top Spit' and a rapidly increasing live following, Terri Hooley signed the band to his Good Vibrations label in 1978 and released Strange Thing By Night / Mixed Up World 7". In early 1978, prompted by a lack of venues, Victim made a trip to a local city centre pub because they heard it had a stage! They secured a gig and the legendary Harp Bar was born as a punk venue. In July 1979 they were offered a modest record deal by TJM Records and decided to depart to England, settling in Manchester.

Early gigs saw them playing with The Fall and Revillos as well as playing the legendary Factory club to accompany the screening of Shellshock Rock, a film on Irish punk featuring among others Victim. A second release "Why Are Fire Engines Red/I Need You" on TJM secured good reviews and radio support from John Peel despite its horrendous cover. In November 1979 Victim supported the Damned on an extensive tour. Rat Scabies produced the band's third single The Teen Age EP released in 1980 on Illuminated Records.

The band continued for several years with line up changes including Mike Joyce (later of the Smiths) and Toni Isaac (the girl leaning against a lamppost on Jilted John's single of the same name!) before deciding to call it a day. This anthology contains a great selection of all their punk material. If you are a fan of Undertones and Stiff Little Fingers, don't miss it!!!!

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

here

THE BLOOD - False Gestures For A Devious Public 1983

Next UK classic from London with the debut by the Blood on the short lived Noise Records. The Blood were formed 1982 and led by Cardinal Jesus Hate and JJ Bedsore (AKA Colin Smith and Jamie Cantwell), the band formed in the early 1980s under the name "Coming Blood". Their music is a blend of hardcore punk, Oi!, heavy metal, football chants and shock rock. A bit info from punkygibbon: "On False Gestures For A Devious Public the band replicated The Damned’s early rave-up assault, but were sloppier and with a heavy metal lead guitarist. They also chucked in some of the Anti-Nowhere League’s unmitigated misanthropy and Splodgenessabounds’ foolishness. The six-minute ‘Sewer Brain’, with its tricky chord changes, horn section and comedy synthesiser borders on prog rock, while ‘Done Some Brain Cells Last Night’ and ‘Joys Of Noise’ celebrate wanton behaviour. The only problem, other than a singer who sounds even rougher than Animal, is that the songs are played too quickly for their own good, robbing them of much of their innate tunefulness." Many of their songs criticize religion or discuss political or philosophical topics. This is the CD version with ten bonus cuts! Many albums and singles were made, and present on numerous compilations as well. And now: chillen!

here

V/A - It's A Youth Explosion! Vol.2 2021

Second volume in the series and more corking unreleased and rare blasts by rather unknown UK bands from 1978 - 1984 on Heavy Soul Records and this compilation was also published as limited edition, how many is not specified, I guess 500 or 1000 copies. And as on Volume 1, again fourteen lost masterpieces come together that amaze and delight us all. Especially when it's freezing cold outside and many are punished with a fucking flu or something like that, like me (no taste for anything sucks), and the only thing left is to stay on the couch or in bed, but there is no room for boredom and it quickly gets better with lively music, the best medicine. In addition, the World Cup is just as entertaining and provides a welcome change, but tea and pills are not standard. Fuck it, it will pass as well. Enjoy the music wherever you are. Cheers!

1.TV On Tap - THE LIMPS

2.Press Gang - URBAN ENEMIES

3.Don't Criticise - PATROL

4.Getting High - THE MEDIA

5.Real Control - THE DECEASED

6.Back To My Video - PLATINUM NEEDLES

7.Damn The Damned - THE TRENDIES

8.Desperate Dan - STATION 360

9.Can You See Me - REACTION

10.Fashion Queen - THE DETOURS

11.Step Back - THE THREADS

12.All I Get - THE USERS

13.Bright Lights - THE SLEEPERS

14.Fate - THE PLOY

here

V/A - Everything Is Shit: Punk In Brussels 1977-1979

OK, now we come to another highlight earlier punk history in Europe. We cross the border to the left and find our neighbors from Belgium. There was in the glory days of the end 70er hard going on and it's amazing how many bands there join the punk movement and spit out a few records. Well, the title of this compilation reflects the feelings at this time and today is certainly seen global perspective as aptly. In Brussels, it was a handful of venues, improvised concerts, a few dozens of people recognizing each other, and a festival that gathers everyone: the First Belgian Punk Contest, at the Vieux Saint-Job, on 18 March 1978. Since these bands had very short lifespans, there were a lot of interactions while other configurations gave birth to key bands of the next decade. The 7inches are now damned rare and very hard to find, this record is filled with stuff we all know and a few things that hardly anyone knows so far. If you like the Bloodstains Belgium section and the Bloody Belgium Bootleg then is this piece of cream perfect. Can't tell if this is a Bootleg record and sadly there are no info-sheets inside but all in all an awesome release and a must have!!!

1.Heaven Only Knows - X-PULSION

2.What Goes On - CHAINSAW

3.Enigmatic Body - THRILLS

4.Fuck & Suck - MAD VIRGINS

5.J'ai Perdu Mon Phallus - PHALLUS BAND

6.Vengeance - H2SO4

7.Leopard Man - STREETS

8.The Nothing In My Head - THE ACTORS

9.84's Man - RAXOLA

10.Schmucks/Castration - X-PULSION

11.Everything Is Shit (Live) - THRILLS

12.Z'Heroes Cuts - CHAINSAW

13.I Am A Computer - MAD VIRGINS

14.Les Sadiques - PHALLUS BAND

15.Situation - ISABELLE ET LES NICS-NACS

16.All Through The Night - THE PASSENGERS

17.Police Control - STREETS

18.Thalidomide Child - RAXOLA

here

MANIACS - Chelsea 77 7'' 1977

Nothing new but damn cool and I'm stealing a bit basics from discogs: "Alan Lee Shaw (guitar, vocals) and Rod Latter (drums) came at the end of 1976 from Cambridge to London and founded alongside John "Twink" Alder and Dennis Stow (bass) the group the Rings. Following a few live gigs and one 7Inch "I Wanna Be Free" the group parted ways. Alan and Rod found via an add in Melody Maker the new bass player Robert Crash and the Manicas were found. The first concert was in France (Mont De Marsan Punk Festival) with The Clash, The Damned, and The Police on the same bill. In September 1977 the band recorded five songs, two of them made it to be released as the "Chelsea '77/Ain’t No Legend" 7Inch. In January 1978 the band split. The Maniacs were one of 1977’s original first flush Punk Rock bands in London signing to United Artist Records." Immortalized on numerous compilations and always welcome, not ordinary for a short-lived band.

here

ANTI-ESTABLISHMENT - The Oi! Collection 1997

"Formed as Cardiac Arrest in Epping, Essex, in 1978. They changed their name when found out about another band with same name. They recorded three singles, all produced by The Damned’s Rat Scabies. Their original bassist Matt Johnson later founded The The. They went through a number of line ups before settling on one that would record the majority of their material: Gavin Gritton on vocals, Nick Freeston on drums, Haggis on lead guitar, and Kevin Read on bass. The first gig was in 1979. The band initially only went on to play around 25 shows but, as it says in the liner notes to the Compilation of all of their work compiled by Captain Oi! Records in 1997, 'the name Anti-Establishment is still held in high esteem amongst the Oi!/Punk Fraternity'. This eighteen track collection gathers together all of the band's studio recordings, included the singles plus twelve previously unreleased demos. A great collection of one of the Oi! scene’s unsung heroes."

here

ETA - Történelmi Nazugságok 2016

💣 Weekend and we'll get a bit exotic and I haven't heard any tone from this band yet. Info: ETA, the name of the band comes from the abbreviation of the Basque terrorist organization (Basque Country and Freedom), was a Punk band founded 1980 in Budapest by Péter (vocals), Viktor (guitars), Róbert (bass), Gábor (drums) and in the beginning they played Hungarian versions of well-known classics by bands like Damned, Agent Orange or U.K. SUBS and released their first tape in 1982 also with own songs. The band was an original force in the Hungarian Punk movement in beginning of the eighties and persecuted by the cultural policy of the time, ETA was an open and total attack on the system by musical means, they couldn't do it for long and so they broke up around 1984. The banned band couldn't release any vinyl at home, but 1984 they made it on the 1984 The Second compilation on New Wave Records and 1985 a song was recorded for the Vilag Lazadoi Harcra Fel EP on Primitiv Cozak. A second tape followed in 1997 and they come back on stage again in Gödör 2010, slowly they picked up speed again and gave one or two concerts a year with ancient fan Zana Zoli on drums. From 2015 the new line-up stands with László (vocals/guitars), Róbert (bass/guitars), Tibor (drums) and Történelmi Nazugságok is the first official ETA album with twenty powerful numbers, which summarizes the band's history classics so far, but also includes new pearls... since then, it's been running, CHEERS! 💣

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

here

BAHNHOF - February 82 EP 2015

Superb record by this Italian Oi!/Punk band which was founded in 1979 and broke up in 1984, after the singer had an terrible motorcycle accident which heavily disabled him. Often mentioned in magazines/fanzines, Bahnhof had a tight knit circle of fans that followed the band performing @ places like Virus (the most known Italian squat), Rolling Stone, Odissea 2001 and they played a lot of gigs in those very well known squat and clubs. Their lyrics are all in English and often connected by a common thread. At shows, their best song was Annalisa (February 82), dedicated to a beautiful girl called Annalisa. Her story, like many others of the early Eighties, was connected to heroin, the damned drug that decimated a generation of great kids, and these kids are only guilty of not knowning the devastating effect of this fucking drug. Annalisa committed suicide and they dedicated this song that talks about the entry to the world of heroin to her. Fashion is about plastic people how they stop thinking and let the fashion rule their life, Manager was a song dedicated to their manager and friend Dino. Their most important gigs were the First Italian Oi! Meeting (Monza 13 November 1982) and the second Italian Oi! meeting (Bologna 22 January 1983), where they were the headliner band. The only testimony left by Bahnhof, in addition to a couple of compilation tapes, is this demotape called February 82 on Electric Eye Records from 1982, now re-issued, for the first time on vinyl, by No Plan Records in a limited edition with partially colored vinyl.

here

TAISHO & OXYMORON - Limited Split Single 2001

Late in the evening one more cool slab from Disk Union/Knock Out Records, a split single with each two pieces by Taisho & ‎Oxymoron and how many are pressed is unknown to me. Taisho were a Japanese Oi!/Punk combo and active in the late 1990s-2000s. They released four 7Inches and two albums and they play a decent spirited mid-tempo street punk with non-english words and the booklet makes little sense because no one understands a damned line in the western civilization. Anyway, the music speaks to you. Oxymoron was a punk band whose members are originally from Erlangen and now live in Berlin. Formed 1992 by Sucker (vocals) and his cousin Björn (drums), along with two friends, Martin (guitar) and Filzlaus (bass). Their first real public performance was @ an annual punkrock festival in their hometown, along with other local bands. After the show, they were offered several slots as support acts for more established bands all over the world. They released six 7Inches and five albums. While not announcing an official breakup, the band has been on an indefinite hiatus since 2002, when Oxymoron announced: "In the near future you won't hear much from us. Oxymoron will have a break for a while! We'll let you know what's going on here, but first of all we definitely [need to] take some time off with the band." In 2005 they reported that "the band is still on ice." 2006 saw the release of somewhat new material in the Noize Overdose split EP with Bonecrusher. The EP contained previously unreleased tracks, along with live footage from a 1999 Hamburg, Germany concert. As of 2014, Oxymoron officially disbanded; their website being no longer active with a message simply stating, "Sorry u guys out there, Oxymoron doesn't exist anymore - it's up to you to keep the spirit alive!" Okay, let's take care of that!

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

here

A.B.H. & SUBCULTURE - The Oi! Collection 1998

Decent compilation from Captain Oi! Records, eight tracks from Lowestoft's A.B.H. and ten from Cambridge's Subculture. A.B.H. started in early 1981 with Pete (vocals), Chris (guitars), Nigel (bass), Tony (drums) and in the beginning they played easy covers of Damned and Sex Pistols tracks relying on speed and energy to substitute for ability and originality but even then they aspired to more. Quickly own pieces were written and interspersed in the gigs. Chris was replaced by Steven and this line-up remained for the rest A.B.H. Lots of Gigs were played and in July 1982 they recorded in Hillside Studios the first demo with four songs. One year later followed the second and these numbers had been written since the first demo and continued the proletarian theme and established sound. Problems had been building for some time and could no longer ignored; the band broke up at the end of 1983. Subculture originally formed in Cambridge in mid 1982 with a line-up of Better (vocals), Dean (guitar), Fall (bass), Matt (drums). Heavily influenced by the Cockney Rejects they made their vinyl debut on the "Oi! Oi! That's Yer Lot" compilation and then they secured a deal with Essential Records and issused the three track "Loud & Clear" EP (now a much sought after collectors item).
Have fun with the two and let's see what the three Lions are doing against Colombia.

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

here

LORDS OF THE NEW CHURCH - Open Your Eyes/Live @ My Father's Place 1982

Excellent soundboard recording @ My Father's Place/New York from October 1982 and I must confess: I didn't know them at all! Well, I think it's a good choice to start with a live record and this unofficial release (200 copies) fits perfect. A bit wiki info: "The Lords Of The New Church were an English/American gothic rock supergroup with a line-up consisting of four musicians from 1970s punk bands. The band originally comprised vocalist Stiv Bators (Dead Boys), guitarist Brian James (The Damned), bassist Dave Tregunna (Sham 69) and drummer Nick Turner (Barracudas). Launched in 1981, the band released three studio albums and three live albums prior to their dissolution in 1989. During this time, they underwent several line-up changes. More melodic and slickly produced than most punk, their music both reached a broader audience than that of many bands in the genre and alienated hardcore punk fans. The band presented a stylized tribal identity around their appearance and their music that fans embraced: the writer Dave Thompson asserts this represented "the first time since the Sex Pistols' Bromley Contingent fanbase [that] a band had succeeded in grafting its own identity onto its audience without first paying obeisance to the gods of highstreet fashion. Their stage antics became notorious early in their career, with Bators stunts on one occasion reportedly resulting in his clinical death for several minutes." Thirteen crackers in a fine sound quality, ned übel!

New Church/Question Of Temperature/Girls Girls Girls/Livin' On Livin'/Eat Your Heart Out/Russian Roulette/Fortune TellerOpen Your Eyes/Little Boys Play With Dolls/Holy War/Portobello/Apocalypso/New Church (Encore)

- Great Thx to Reinhard -

here 

BLACK MARKET BABY - Baby Takes 1991

Oh Yeah, one of my favourite DC bands are Black Market Baby, I have their album but not the 7inches and like a revelation I get now sent this fantastic collection. Clear that it is my damned duty to confront you and this tidbit is worth every fucking tone. The name Black Market Baby was suggested by Keith (guitars) after seeing a trashy tv movie of the same name and the band were founded in 1980. The band's first record 'Potential Suicide' was released via Limp Records in 1981. Two years later their only full length 'Senseless Offerings' came out on Fountain Of Youth Records and is in my opinion one of the best US punk records, songs like 'Downward Christian Soldiers', 'Killing Time' or 'I See-You See' are grandiose played smasher, fuckin' rare record. In 1988 the band could not find a label to release the next album they broke up, playing a farewell gig in January 1988. In 1990 the label Yesterday And Today released two more singles, 'World At War' (Split with Bad Brains) and 'Drunk & Disorderly'. They loosely re-formed in 1993, playing the occasional show and recording sparingly before calling it quits again in 1997. So this collection was released by the Hamburg label Bitzcore and is full with bombs. A short review from the inoffical BMB site: "Half the Senseless Offerings LP and a bunch of stuff from '86—the unreleased material is some of BMB's strongest stuff, loud, punishing, hard-edged punk." - Excellent idea and certainly sell out very quickly, don't be a moron and make a choice.  

- Big Thx to Fredrik -

here

STARSHOOTER - Get Baque 7'' 1978

Rare two-side-Killer from Starshooter, a French rock band made up of Kent Hutchinson (guitar & vocals), Jello (guitar), Mickey Snack (bass) and Phil Pressing (drums). Founded around 1975 in Lyon as the Scooters. In fact this title was registered after the first album under a pseudonym for simple contract issues. After a number of concerts (with the Damned or Jacques Higelin for example), the band signed with EMI. In 1977 the first record leaves in the tread: Pin-Up Blonde/What Crisis, Baby. One Year later the output of Get Baque, their second 45 laps a stir. It must be said that the version of the famous Beatles classic is fairly irreverent and thwarts their record company, which also owns the Beatles catalog in. So the 7inch was removed from sale after a week. Even though the record is an absolute must as you find out.

- Special Thx to Fredrik -

here

REGISTRATORS - Girl Girl Girl EP 1994

The Registrators formed in Japan in the late '80s, influenced by the leading punk rock bands of the time. Lead vocalist Hiroshi, alongside bassist Ren, guitarist Jun, and drummer Deira started by mainly playing covers of bands like the Damned, the Clash, or the Sex Pistols. During the following times, the band managed to record several singles, also appearing on Chloroform, a Japanese punk rock compilation in the mid of the '90s. This little three song pearl is fuckin' awesom, the band played a high-standard garage punk'N'roll and blow your head off, only 1000 copies were pressed usually, maybe 2000. Cool!

here

RATTUS - WC Räjähtää 1982

In the early hour I welcome the weekend with fast hardcore from Finland and we put on the debut album by Rattus on Poko Records. Formed in the spring of 1978 by Jake and Vellu who started to play mostly English punk bands songs just for fun (Sex Pistols, The Damned, Clash,etc.). A few weeks later they asked Jake's brother Tomppa to join the band and so he did. The name Rattus was taken from the first album of the Stranglers, "Rattus Norvegicus". Rattus is latin meaning a rat,a very big rat. In the early days the band did shows only in their hometown and near of it. Fourteen heart attacks in less than twenty minutes, must I have say more? They made numerous albums, singles & represented on countless compilations and they're still touring, for example 2020 at the Rebellion Festival in Blackpool, UK., definitely worth a trip. - Now quickly to bed, in eight hours I'm back on my bike, good night Europe!

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

here