Wednesday, December 02, 2020

TOREROS AFTER OLÉ - Grabaciones RNE 1984 12'' 2011

We stay in the warm flow and visit the Iberian Peninsula and meet excellent music by Toreros After Olé, a three piece from Madrid that worked in the early 1980s, created around the figure of Manolo Malou (vocals/guitar), accompanied with Enrique (bass) & Jorge (drums). While having little impact at the time, is their legacy: a 12Inch which was released 1983, a brilliant slab and since circa the mid-1990s, they are considered as pioneers of hc/punk in Spain. This rare 12Inch was posthumous via Radikal 1977/Rumble Records released and was recorded in 1984 at Spanish Public Radio (Radio Nacional De España) and 500 copies were pressed, 300 black vinyl, 200 in red. Well, these two records and fourteen songs, that's unfortunately all what this short-lived band managed to create.

Info: Little is known about the activity of this group. Their name already appeared, as Toreros, in 1982 within a list of various groups promoted by the Pancoca distributor that appeared in magazines of the time, but there seems to be no record of concerts and other activities of the group, which is why, when their only album was published, in a fanzine they called the group, probably unfairly, a "prefabricated and rotten product". The only certain data known is the date of the recording of the only slab, which took place in Amsterdam in May 1983. The EP, untitled, although sometimes named after the first song, Porom Pom Pero, was released by the label Nuevos Medios at the end of summer or early autumn of the same year, containing seven powerful songs. In this, as in the rest of the songs, the influence, unusual in the national punk of the moment, of American hardcore punk groups, and in particular Circle Jerks, is perceived. The songs are very elaborate in its composition, and executed with great professionalism, something also unusual in the Iberian punk of 1983 and in 1984 the band split up. This is just a small excerpt and more of the three on compilations, two of them on the blog. Solid Stuff, Enjoy!


Tuesday, December 01, 2020

PATROL - Unknown Soldiers EP 2000/The Revolution EP 2020

December knocks, cold outside and the first snow has fallen, bäh!... better I let the warmth flow in with two rare brilliant 7inches and I'm glad to feed you with excellent infos about them: "The Fab Four come from the cultural centre of the UK - Leven/Methil and apart from playing music, they are heavily involved in drinking. Musical influences range from Marie Osmond to Donnie Osmond. Patrol will consider all offers of recording contracts and will accept donations gratefully. The band's main ambition for the future is to make lots of money." That's what Patrol said on the insert for their second demo cassette, "Another Fiasco", in 1982. The bit about the money came true when in January 1997 each member made £12.50 from a live gig! Patrol organised and played many gigs in and around God's Kingdom (Fife) throughout the '80s - with bands such as The Actives, Alternative, Crimedesk, Brain Damage and loads more. After a "break" in 1987 there was a brief reformation in 1992 for a party gig with another local band "Backlash". In October 1996 Patrol got together again and supported Canadian band The McCrackins along with External Menace. This led to several other gigs around that time. From 2008-2014 Patrol played many gigs in Fife, Dundee & Edinburgh with local bands. The last gig that Jock Hart played was @ the Rebellion Festival in 2012. After Jock left, Kyle McAulay took over on drums and played with the band until the final gig - the Tam Dignan Memorial on 1st February 2014. Patrol were a part of the punk rock scene in Fife for more than thirty-five years, during this time two tapes (1981+82), two 7Inches (2000+2020) and a compilation CD, Never Say Never (2011, which was only available to purchase at gigs), with twenty tracks of re-recordings of old favorites plus some new material, are their official releases, on compilations as well.

- Great Thx to Fredrik & Bristolboy -


Sunday, November 29, 2020

THE INSANE - Politics EP 1981

Let's go back to rough & dirty punkrock from the UK and a band that didn't make an official album, but four fantastic 7inches. Originally formed as a five-piece band from Wigan in 1979, Barry (vocals), "Psycho" (guitars), Dean (bass), "Bambi" (drums) and Tina (2nd guitar), there were two bands called "The Insane" for a while when the original band split. They were very young at the start, with some of the group having only just left school. The band were rank amateurs, with Tina utilising the one-finger down the neck method made infamous by Crass. The band gigged for a year or so before making their vinyl debut with a track called 'Nuclear War', which appeared on the 1981 compilation Ten From The Madhouse. Read further infos on punkygibbon. The band actually saw fourteen different line-ups in their career and also recorded for Riot City Records. Both David and Simon later became members of Flux Of Pink Indians. Ma gugge ob ich nachher noch was nachlege.


Saturday, November 28, 2020

ABWÄRTS - Der Westen Ist Einsam 1982

An album that I haven't heard for a long time and thanks to iNgo, I dug up this nugget and realize how great this stuff is, the second Abwärts album. It sounds somber and darker than anything that previously appeared from the four, and can certainly be viewed in the context of the emerging Gothic culture. Critics put it in line with releases by British post-punk bands such as Theatre Of Hate and Killing Joke. Band boss Frank Ziegert confessed in an interview with Diedrich Diederichsen in 1988 that Abwärts had to a certain extent been forced by the punk audience at the beginning of the 1980s not to present any sophisticated compositions: “[…] we were literally afraid to make music. Everything always had to be hard, that was the word: hard. We increased ourselves into a senseless aggressiveness that had nothing to do with us at all, I wasn't really tough all the time and neither were the others." Unsatisfied with the care of their previous independent label ZickZack Platten, the group wanted to work more professionally and offer their next album to a major label. Work on it began in the autumn of 1981 at Hafenklang Studio Hamburg. A whole month of self-financed and self-produced studio recordings was followed by a week of mixing at The Town House in London by producer Nick Launay. At the end of 1981 the album was finished, which was then offered to various record companies for publication. For an advance payment of allegedly 50.000 DM, the band finally signed with the German major label Phonogram which released first the Beirut, Holiday Inn 12" with four tracks. "Der Westen Ist Einsam" is the first band release without Margita Haberland, who left the group in 1981.

The album was released in April 1982. For publication, they went from May 11th to June 13th 1982 on an extensive tour with side trips to Switzerland and Amsterdam. The group made a spectacular appearance at the Münchner-Rocktage-Festival, at which FM Einheit destroyed parts of the stage structure. At some concerts, the newly founded Toten Hosen played the supporting act. Down, in turn, was hired as the opening act for The Cure tour. On the title "Beim Ersten Mal Tut's Immer Weh", Muscha and Trini Trimpop produced a video clip and the group even published a homestory in the youth magazine Bravo. Despite all of this, the album did not achieve the sales figures we had hoped for. As a result, FM Einheit and Marc Chung left the band for good to concentrate on the Einstürzende Neubauten, of which they had already joined as full members in 1981. In addition, drug problems also led the band to bury themselves for the first time. - And now: Bundesliga ⚽


THE DICTATORS - Search & Destroy 12'' 1977

Well, this group completely passed me by and I have to say I didn't miss anything. We're talking about The Dictators which were from New York City. Critic John Dougan said that they were "one of the finest and most influential proto-punk bandsto walk the earth." Hmmm... that may be, but I have to admit that their sound doesn't appeal to me. The Iggy cover is okay but the flip is a waste of time. Anyway, a bit info: the band was formed in 1972 by Andy "Adny" Shernoff who was attending The State University of New York at New Paltz and Ross "The Boss" Friedman who was playing in the local band Total Crudd. Scott "Top Ten" Kempner was asked to join and the trio rented a house in Kerhonkson, NY where they lived and rehearsed with various drummers.

The original recording line-up consisted of vocalist/bassist/songwriter Andy Shernoff, lead guitarist Ross Friedman (aka Ross Funicello), rhythm guitarist Scott Kempner, and drummer Stu Boy King. It was this line-up–along with roadie/occasional vocalist and "Secret Weapon" Handsome Dick Manitoba–which recorded the band's 1975 debut album, The Dictators Go Girl Crazy! for Epic Records, produced by Sandy Pearlman and Murray Krugman (best known for their work with Blue Öyster Cult). The album sold poorly at the time but is now considered to be the starting point for American punk rock . Entertainment Weekly wrote "Go Girl Crazy's junk-generation culture and smart-aleck sensibility did provide an essential blueprint for '70s punk. With its TV references and homely vocals, this ground-breaking and long-unavailable album continues to inspire underground groups everywhere..... They made seven  albums and are apparently still on their way. Now it's bedtime.


Friday, November 27, 2020

V/A - Jugend Forscht 1982

The record was recorded live on February 5th and 6th, 1982 in the Batschkapp (R.I.P.) and was a popular venue and meeting place where I experienced many fantastic bands and had just as many emotional evenings. Released on Batsch Rekords is this one of the first records with live recordings and the six combos come largely from Frankfurt as far as I know and it's a decent mix of Punk and New Wave sound, and there is also at least one album of the combos available, can be found in the blog. Maybe a few words about the album title: "Jugend Forscht (Youth Researches) is a German youth science competition. With more than 10.000 participants annually, it is the biggest youth science and technology competition in Europe. It was initiated in 1965 by Henri Nannen, then editor-in-chief of the Stern magazine. Participants work on a self-chosen research project, hand in a written report about their work, and then present their results first at regional levels and later at a national contest to an expert jury, usually in the form of a poster session, often including a practical demonstration. Contest juries often invite university or industry experts to referee some of the projects, especially at the national contest, due to a high level of specialization." Quite a brilliant idea under this motto to organize a concert on two evenings to honor the musical creativity I think, and puts the whole thing in a completely different light. Well, no record that causes earthquakes but worth listening to, enjoy!

1.Stadt Aus Stahl - MC²
2.007 - MC²
3.Où Es Tu - VITAMIN
4.Le Petit Bourgeois - VITAMIN
5.Choo Choo Mann - BILDSTÖRUNG
6.Cadillac - BILDSTÖRUNG
7.Konfusion - STRASSENJUNGS
8.Bundeswehr - STRASSENJUNGS
9.Autokino - STRASSENJUNGS
10.Tranquilizer - STRAPAZE
11.Schwer - STRAPAZE
12.Immer Mehr - FLEX-Y-BELL
13.Prima Prima - FLEX-Y-BELL


THE LAST LADS - Rochatell 7'' 1983

I open the Weekend with a re-post from November 2012 and the following single is a real rarity. Released on their own label, I think, the six men have two gifted tracks recorded and it's a shame that the band's not mentioned anywhere. Not a single word in The Encyclopedia Of Swedish Punk 1977-1987 or in Ny Våg (and both books are great) and I wonder why?? On this 7inch are two punk smasher which has it all: excellent guitars, brilliant bass-line, perfect drums and a striking Swedish voice. And the length of the songs to that is right. So what the Hell is wrong? Maybe this is a promo and should never official released??? Hard to question the reasons and in the end, I don't give a shit. The main thing is the 7'' is even there and with this record the band have a nice piece of vinyl in their petto and nowadays is highly coveted by many record-collectors. So I promise, you will love it all the way through.

Thursday, November 26, 2020

GERMS - (GI) 1979

Another classic that needs to be heard is the debut by the Germs, punk from Los Angeles and originally active from 1976 to 1980. The band's main early lineup consisted of singer Darby Crash, guitarist Pat Smear, bassist Lorna Doom, and drummer Don Bolles. They released only one album (GI) on Slash Records, produced by Joan Jett, and were featured the following year in Penelope Spheeris' documentary film The Decline Of Western Civilization, which chronicled the Los Angeles punk movement. Germs disbanded following Crash's suicide on December 7, 1980. Info from wiki which says everything:

Crash (born Jan Paul Beahm) and Smear (born Georg Ruthenberg) decided to start a band after being kicked out of University High School for antisocial behavior, allegedly for using "mind control" on fellow students. Their original name was "Sophistifuck and the Revlon Spam Queens", but they had to shorten the name as they could not afford that many letters on a T-shirt. The (initially hypothetical) first lineup consisted of Beahm (then known as Bobby Pyn, and later as Darby Crash) on vocals, Ruthenberg (under the name Pat Smear) on guitar, an early member named "Dinky" (Diana Grant) on bass, and Michelle Baer playing drums. This lineup never played in front of a live audience.In April 1976, the band added Lorna Doom (born Teresa Ryan) on bass, with transitional member Dottie Danger (later famous as Belinda Carlisle of the Go-Go's) on drums. Carlisle never actually played with the band, as she was sidelined by a bout of mononucleosis for an extended period. She was replaced by her friend Donna Rhia (Becky Barton), who played three gigs and performed on their first single. Carlisle remained a friend and helper of the band (she can be heard introducing the band on the Germicide: Live @ the Whiskey recording, produced by Kim Fowley), only leaving because her new band, the Go-Go's, were becoming popular and, as she put it, "I was really disturbed by the heroin that was going on". Nickey Beat, of various noteworthy Los Angeles bands including the Weirdos, also sat in on drums for a time.

The band's first live performance was at the Orpheum Theater. Smear recalled: "We made noise. Darby stuck the mic in a jar of peanut butter. It was a dare, we had no songs or anything! Lorna wore her pants inside out, and Darby covered himself in red licorice...we made noise for five minutes until they threw us off". The Germs initially drew musical influences from Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Ramones, the Runaways, Sex Pistols, and New York Dolls. Early on, Smear was the only musically experienced member; Doom survived early performances by sliding a finger up and down the fretboard of her bass while Rhia generally kept a minimal beat on the bass drum, periodically bashing a cymbal. Early performances were usually marked by raucous crowds made up of the band's friends. As a result, their gigs became notorious for being rowdy and usually verged on a riot.

The end of the band came when Crash, who had become increasingly impatient with drummer Bolles' antics, fired him and replaced him with his friend Rob Henley. Shortly after the Germs split, Crash and Smear formed the short-lived Darby Crash Band. Circle Jerks drummer Lucky Lehrer joined the band on the eve of their first (sold-out) live performance, when during soundcheck, Darby kicked out the drummer they'd rehearsed with. The band, described by Smear as "like the Germs, but with worse players", played only a few gigs to lukewarm reaction before splitting up. Shortly after that, Crash contacted Smear about a Germs "reunion" show, claiming it was necessary to "put punk into perspective" for the punks on the scene. However, Smear has said Crash told him privately he wanted to earn money for heroin with which to commit suicide. Since Crash had described this scenario many times in the past, Smear did not take him seriously. On December 3, 1980, an over-sold Starwood hosted a final live show of the reunited Germs, including Bolles. At one point, Crash told the amazed kids in the audience, "We did this show so you new people could see what it was like when we were around. You're not going to see it again".

Crash committed suicide on December 7, 1980, at age 22. Unreported at the time, Crash had overdosed on heroin in a suicide pact with close friend Casey "Cola" Hopkins, who ended up surviving. She later insisted that he did not intend for her to live, nor did he change his mind at the last minute and intend for himself to live. According to Spin, apocryphal lore has Crash attempting to write "Here lies Darby Crash" on the wall as he lay dying, but not finishing. In reality, he wrote a short note to David "Bosco" Danford that stated, "My life, my leather, my love goes to Bosco". Outside the world of the Germs' fans, news of Crash's death was largely overshadowed by the murder of John Lennon the next day. A local news station mistakenly reported that Crash had died from taking too many sleeping pills.


Wednesday, November 25, 2020

UPRIGHT CITIZENS - Bombs Of Peace 1982

Not really new in Blogland but still a blast: the killer debut by Upright Citizens from the Ruhrpott, one of the first German punk combos with English lyrics. This little dittie was released 1982 and in 1985 they were the first German punk rock band to tour across the United Fuckin' States for six weeks. These years plus the early 1990s were the most successful in the twenty-two year history of the band. In addition to the release of various sound carriers, Upright Citizens earned the reputation of a terrific live act, which they also proved as “special guests” of punk greats that time. Bombs Of Peace was via H'art Musik released and line-up were Anton (vocals), Uli (guitars), Crocker (bass), Mario (drums) and is an absolute classic consisting of nine tracks that already swept everything away back then. A short review: "Nine songs from this German group, mostly sung in English and sounding very English, too (ca. ’79-’80). They even do a cover of Crisis’ “Holocaust.” The lyrics are great and the material is fine and dandy. An excellent debut!" (Tim Yohannan, MMR Nov/Dec. 1982) - I own their brilliant album "Open Eyes, Open Ears, Brains To Think And A Mouth To Speak!!!" from 1985 which contains some older songs new recorded and is one of the best records in this country. Also found on numerous most important compilations of the 80s, their music is still remarkably fresh and fantastic. A must-have for all lovers of good ole 80s hardcore punk!


Tuesday, November 24, 2020

BLUMEN AM ARSCH DER HÖLLE - s/t LP 1992

Blumen Am Arsch Der Hölle was a punk band from Hamburg, which existed from 1991 to 1994. The original lineup consisted of Jens Rachut (vocals), Andrew Ness (guitar), Knoop (bass) and Mark Wills (drums) and was the sequel of Angeschissen and Das Moor. Later band members Björn (bass), who later founded the combo Motormuschi and Martin (guitar) from the Kiel Band Go Ahead. Blumen am Arsch der Hölle went on and re-named in Dackelblut, Oma Hans and Kommando Sonne-nmilch. Through countless concerts and would not last through a strict commitment to the band for the preservation of the vinyl ("Death Of Shit! Death Of The CD!"), they quickly earned a great Fanbase. Songs like "z.B. L'Age Poly'Dor", "† 15.7.1991" or "Stumph" are quasi the character, the figurehead and still brilliant. Words beyond all the clichés, music that is both rough and warm and so far removed from German punk as just conceivable - and still has German lyrics and is pure punkrock. By the way; they adored the song "1976" by the Boxhamsters and covered this respectable and it's the ultimate statement about punk.

The band released only one full-length in 1992 on Buback Tonträger. A cover version of Blondies song "Picture This" was performed with Snuff singer Duncan and Shaun of Wat Tyler. In 1994 the group broke up after founding member Marc Wills announced them to leave, Dackelblut was born and the madness went into the third round. A re-release of the debut came in 2000 which was remastered by Frank Stubbs (Leatherface) and engineer Tom Meyer and includes a 20-second bonus track as a tribute to the deceased founding member Marc Wills. To celebrate the re-release the band played with Kurt drummer Armin Nagel three exclusive concerts.