When punk died in North West London

I have the pleasure of writing about some of the most fantastic experiences in my life on this blog. The trouble though, with a warts and all approach is that when things go wrong they're gonna end up here too, and wrong things did go, disastrously so.

This is the story of how a show I put together sputtered and died  and how it was my fault I guess.

So lets start at the beginning. I needed to put together a show for a Hungarian band - Till We Drop - and  unfortunately the 13SX mainstay venues were all booked up. On a hunch I tried The Junction in Harrow, having played a pretty sweet halloween show last October.
I spoke with the relevant people over Facebook and (here's where things start to go wrong) I had a phone call in which I assumed I had confirmed that the date was booked. I also sent them the event page so they could keep up to date with what was happening.

Anyways time passes and the world moves on and we come to the day of the show. I turn up to the bar and there nobody is aware of what is going on. Apparently nothing had been confirmed with the venue and rather than having checked with me at any point to see if I was still going ahead assumed that the conversations we had never took place.
Still they said the space was still free and we could still use it but we couldn't have the bar open upstairs. Fair enough I thought, the show must go on.
Next to rain on our parade was the fact we had to use their own (total shitty) PA instead of the stellar one we had brought along. Again, fair enough the show still went on. A little late I was ready to take the stage and kick some ass. What followed was the most awful set I have ever produced as a sober musician. The stress of fucking around getting everything happening gave me a brain wipe and I couldn't remember any of the words to any of my songs and I think Drew may have sustained a head injury earlier in the day as he similarly couldn't seem to recall how any of the songs that we wrote together went. So after ruining a live recording although apparently still doing well enough to hide it enough to make it enjoyable for everyone else we departed the stage and made way for the fully plugged bands.
The Drunken Ramblings were next and it was soon pretty apparent that the ampage of the equipment was way too much for the shitty assed PA system we were forced to use. So it was more of an instrumental set. It was also halfway through their set that shit started to go really wrong. The bar staff came up to me and told me it needed to be turned down a bit, fair enough I said, I didn't want to be fucking people off, I just wanted to make some sweet sweet punkrock. Later during their set I was told the drums were too loud. Well shit. What to do when the un mic'd drums are too loud. Fuck and carry on was the choice I made and TDR managed to finish our set. By this point we were annoying lots of the staff and we did all we could and tried (didn't really try) to keep some of the noise down(ish). Not Pennys boat were up next and they made it a fair way through their set before the axe came down. There had been some kind of complaint and the gig was totally shut down, we couldn't even carry on acoustically. Nothing. So there I was with my nuts in my hand and not a chance in hell of carrying on the show.

This was the single most embarrassing moment of my adult life as I had a headlining act who had come over from hungary to the UK for the first time for their farewell tour and they weren't going to play a show. They could have taken the money it cost them all to travel over with all their equipment and used it to buy pins to stick in their eyes and they would have gotten more than putting their trust in me to deliver them a great show. Now I'm not exactly saying it was the junction who ruined this event but I have a few points:

I have the message I sent to them confirming that the gig was going ahead. I don't know how archaic their processes are but I do all my band business over facebook so took that as a done deal. Also who agrees to book in a bunch of punk bands when they can't make noise? And who doesn't check to see whether an event they have  penciled  in is still happening or not if there is any  ambiguity on their behalf. As I said I though it a done deal since I had the conversation on the phone saying I very much wanted the event to take place there and then sent them the event info straight away afterwards.

Anyway I guess there is always more I could have done. There is always something else I could have done, but from now on one thing is clear in my mind. Punk is dead in Harrow. Long live South East London!!!

When BeSharp filled the New Cross...

It's official. The punks have taken the New Cross Inn and made it their home. Judging by this Sundays ska/punk super-show we are here to stay and I think everybody is incredibly happy about it. The venue has had some of the best shows in the scene hosted there and it seems that people now realise it's now the place to be.
The line up was set, every ticket available for the show had been sold and NX was ready to jump the eff up. These were our guys come to cheer on both veteran pros and total newcomers alike and I didn't spot a single person without a smile on their faces. So the ritual brass cranked up and we said our protection wards to make the zombie Jesus search elsewhere for brains and got to business:

The Pisdicables
If I've never heard your band before and you want to instantly make sure that I love it then play a Rancid

cover. This was an apt cover for Pisdicables as they seemed like they would be utterly at home on the likes of a Give 'Em The Boot compilation or elsewhere in the Hellcat ska library. I can only assume that they jumped on the bill at the last second since I've rarely seen such a quality band come on so early in a bill. They showed five o clock on easter sunday who was boss and the crowd of people who managed to make it down to see them showed that they can pull a crowd any time of the day.

Triple Sundae

If the late 90s early 2K pop punk explosion needed a figure head to lead the revolution then Triple Sundae could fly that flag and slay a thousand dragons. Listening to them I was transported back to the days when pop-punk was only just a thing and bands loved music more than  straightening their hair and crying. I was reminded greatly of Green Day back when they only had good albums (N.B. Nimrod was the last good one) and MxPx hadn't had that album I like to forget on that major label. All in all I could've easily forgotten that this band had never played a show before and I can't wait for them to start taking the scene by storm.

Xup-Sup
When I was a lad emo-punk meant something very different than it does today. Emo-punk was any punk rock that wasn't really political and focused more on relationships. Emo-punk was pop-punk before that

term was a thing. You could spot a emo kid by their descendants t-shirts and the fact they always seemed to wear rucksacks in the crowd at shows. Xup-Sup are the imbodiment of this and they played a masterclass in the genre. They played a super tight set full of great melodies, memorable vocals and  synchronized jumping. All the best things that I love the most. This is a band that I need to see again and own everything they have.

Best Mates That Crack Cases

It's true that I am Bass player biased. Having been the bassist in many a band and being a top percentile Mike Herrera fanboy means that the four stringers are my favourite band members and someone who can expertly play is an instant winner in my eyes. Leo from Best Mates is that expert. He did things to a bass guitar that made me blush and then ate at Cottage Chicken with me after. I think that counts as second....BASS!!!
the band itself is a frenetic ever changing jump fest and doesn't rest or make themselves lazy because they have a beautiful singer or do anything by anyone elses rules musically. If you're looking to try and pigeonhole them then I'd try something along the lines of Incubus meets Save Ferris meets Eve 6, that doesn't get close but may give an idea as to the unique and extremely entertaining show they put on.

Call Me Malcolm
Before this show if you had asked me to describe the absolute perfect ska-punk band I would have struggled and given up and been miserable for the next few hours but now can easily and with a beaming smile say Call Me Malcolm. They are everything a truly exceptional ska-punk offering should be and they

show off their mastery of their chosen genre with a finesse that comes from being veterans who know exactly what they are doing. They weren't just incredible musicians with unforgettable songs (  "double the reggae is half reggae squared" appeals to every aspect of both my punk and geek natures), they knew how to work a stage and looked every bit the ska punk rockstars. I love a band that can land their harmonies spot on in a small venue without the aid of particulalry good monitors or ear pieces and they made harmonic honey for my bear ears... or something like that, it was good, too good, it seemed, to be fourth from the top.


Rivalries
Rivalries were the band I knew on this bill, I'd not seen them live but have heard and liked their stuff already so this time I knew what to expect and was excited to finally see them perform. Unfortunately they had a real chronic case of bad sound for some reason. For a band who share vocals having one that was non existent made most songs jar and the flow got knocked out of place for me a lot. the guitars seemed to get lost too and the melodic sections of the songs seemed to fight behind a wall of noise. I really like Rivalries, they are obviously a great band judging by the fact that the crowd still went freaking nuts and they know how to handle a stage like pros but I still don't feel like I know what they sound

like live.

T///Alan
I write down little notes on bands these days to help me remember some of my thoughts when it comes to writing about them. For T///Alan I have two words: Holy Shit! I'm no stranger to the idea that UK Grime can work extremely well with ska but what these guys deliver is such a perfect powerhouse of awesome that i could barely comprehend what was happening until my brain stopped vibrating with crazy heavy - almost metal - ska punk. I've known these guys exist for a long time but this was the first time I'd heard their music and I was coloured every shade of impressed. It's an utterly unique blend of so many genres that you'd think they would muddy each other but instead make the whole shine through as something outstanding. Bit

of Dub-Step bass? Why Not? Rage Against the Machine esque guitar riffs? Will do thanks! dual vocals faster than any fool calling themselves a rap god? Go on then! T///Alan are one of lifes one offs. If anyone tried to imitate them they'd fail because these guys have it down with so much precision that anything that could come close would seem trite in comparison.


Chewing on Tinfoil.
The New Cross Inn isn't the biggest venue in town but it's a fair size. It seemed tiny as I pushed through the capacity audience trying to get a good view of Chewing on Tinfoil, the

days ska rock superstars over from Dublin. As I pushed the floor actually bent under the weight of people jumping and going totally mental. you wouldn't think that 200 people would be able to drown out a fully plugged band but they threatened to with each and every chorus and COT loved and appreciated every second of it, working the crowd to get the most out of them and to keep everyone losing their shit. The band were excellent and sounded amazing despite having to play over a crowd that knew every word to every song and wanted to make damn sure the band heard it.

One thing that happens down in New Cross that doesn't seem to happen anywhere else is that I always hear bands thanking the promoters for putting them on. It's nice as band to be at a show where there is a large and engaged crowd and this Sunday was the most animated crowd I've seen there yet. What a fantastic debut for a brand new band to have 60 people all paying attention to you play and how equally great as an established act to have your tunes boomed back to you by 200. This is the kind of show every band wants to play no matter what your level and props to those tireless souls who pull it together with cellotape and spit.

People had to be turned away from the venue due to the overwhelming popularity of the show so I would imagine that if that was the case for local heroes Chewing on Tinfoil then Authority Zero, who are playing in August will go even faster. To make sure you don't miss out on being at such a huge show at what is certainly now THE punk rock venue in London then pick up your tickets by following this link.

We all sucked once upon a time

I've made a new best internet friend recently. The last time I had so much in common with a person I had never met before it was Steve and now we run a business together so I always think of it as a good thing. We both love live music a goddamn hell of a lot and are striving to build up, with what little resources we have available to us, a live music scene which is open and available to all of those people who always wanted to be on a sweaty stage in front of a bunch of drunks and burst their eardrums but never could. It's a really difficult thing to do though. It shouldn't be. So I'll share a little embarrassment on myself and along the way hopefully inspire even just one person who is on the fence about starting a new band.

We all sucked once. There was a time too many years ago when all I wanted to do was play in a band that was just like mxpx. The problem was I didn't really know how to write songs, how to play the guitar properly, what was involved in recording songs, how to go about getting shows or what to do on a stage. That meant that I sucked at being a musician, but guess what, I didn't give a shit because every Saturday me and three friends would cram into our 15 year old drummers shed at his house and play our crappy songs and most of Life In General and we had the best time. As far as we were concerned we were a band, even though we sounded like this:

Yep that's pretty bad. But we were playing music and fucking around with all our friends and that's what mattered to us. I really didn't know about how to get gigs and we only played a few actual shows supporting another friends band and I wish to high heaven that we could have done more but we didn't know any promoters putting on shows around town - or even what a promoter was - and we had no real outlet that we were aware of.

cut to 7 years later and the quality of bands I was playing in got a lot better. mostly due to me getting better (see my previous post on that) and being able to interact with more talented musicians. This was not an overnight thing. I was passionate about music for several years and it took me a long time to learn the ropes. I have been through several bands with several differing levels of motivation and have scores of EPs to show for it but still I have never had a promoter actively look to put on upcoming talent, even though the songs I was playing went from crappy to more like this:



Well now people are offering that opportunity. 13 Stitches and Ipswich Punk Shows are giving that opportunity to bands that was like gold dust and still is in most instances. If you aren't sure of how to transition from playing in a shed with your mates to playing an honest to goodness show with established bands then this is where you need to be. For the first time since I started handing demos into venues there are promoters in the world who will take a brand new bands hand and walk them through the process, giving the best advice they can think to give along the way. There is a network of established and up and coming bands all willing to have a new band take up a support slot and gain experience in all sizes of venue. It's there for the taking and if you enjoy playing the music you love then it's your best opportunity to get out there and do it.

Some bands may be scared from hearing stories about the Mondo culture and pay for play shows and you should be because that sort of nonsense is rampant and preys on brand new acts. But there are promotions companies out there that will actively fight against this and teach you what to look for in the process. They are only an instant message away and they are totally on your side.

So record yourselves on your phone at a practice. Get a mate to take a few photos of you and make yourself a Facebook page. Get a Soundcloud account and putting your crappy demos on there. You can worry about improving things and having better quality everything once you're out there and getting things done. Believe me when I say there's nothing better than having people stand and appreciate your music. Everything else is secondary.

Why punks make the greatest parents

Although a lot of my music is very specifically about being a father I don't think I've ever done much more than mention Summer in passing in this blog, but as I've been a punk rock dad in a band for a while now and since many of my friends of a similar age are or are becoming punk rock parents themselves I thought I'd reflect a little on my attitude towards Summer and why I think it is that I, like the other parents I know, am so devoted to my child.

This whole thing is based on my own life experiences and of course is purely opinionated but I think it will ring true for the many of us that joined the Parent 'Hood.. Of course if you wildly disagree then that's fine, why not put your opinions in the comments and we can have a chat about it, but for the sake of writing something here's my two cents:

So I want to start with my own childhood. As is the case with many of my friends I grew up in a slightly dysfunctional family. I never knew my dad. He didn't die, he just didn't give a shit and didn't want to be a dad and had no interest in being a part of his sons life. My mum did, and continues to do the most she possibly can for me but that meant working as hard as she possibly could in order to give us both a reasonable life and that left me without family around the majority of the time. I've always preferred alternative music, initially getting myself into Metallica and Motorhead and anything fast and heavy. When I found Punk in the form of The Offspring, Blink 182, Mxpx and The Ataris (amongst others) I felt I had found my home. Every second of my life since then, no matter how much it spiraled out of control had this one constant. Punk. Tim Armstrong and Mike Herrera became the father figures I never had for long enough growing up and I turned to those people standing on a stage singing of real life to find my path and on occasion put myself back together. Eventually becoming the proper human being I am today.

I am in equal measures completely indifferent and impassioned by the fact I had no father growing up. I don't

blame him for any of the multitude of mistakes I've made and would rather have one parent who loves me with all their heart than have a matching pair and one of them be a tool. Then again if I had the father we all as children deserve then maybe I wouldn't have crept so close to the edge of death and insanity before I found a way to fix myself. Shouldn't all kids have a guiding patriarch that will bring them back to redemption when they've strayed too far down a dark path? I think so yeah, because I have romanticized the idea of what it truly means to be a good father in my head over the 30 odd years I haven't had one.

So anyway enough about me, what about punk rock parents? Well my point is that I know a lot of people in the punk community may not share my dysfunction story but they sure can relate to it or have another story of a troubled or broken home that would fit as easily into this story. The one thing we all have in common is that we never want to be that broken link in the chain, because we've felt the pain that it causes and though we find solace in those who have had similar experiences we would never willingly wish that on anyone. Especially when that person is born of our own DNA! We that have lived through difficult emotional turmoil or worse and are compelled not to let that happen to the offspring we so dearly love. Their circumstance will not be our own and whether we can bestow riches and fortune or not we will always provide love and care and nurturing to the utter limit of our abilities.


To me this means being as hands on as I possibly can, I will answer every question and attend any and all child social functions that are demanded of me. It has meant that I have been able to bath, change, feed and generally care for my daughter since day one. It means I keep another private blog that I write to her in the future so that she will know when she is older that I have always loved her with all my heart. All the parents I know are similarly devoted in their own way and it's my hope that we all raise a generation of humans who have known love all their lives and become excellent people in return. 

I'm not saying broken homes are exclusive to punk and I'm not saying that every punk is a fantastic parent, but what I am saying is that we will always do everything in our power to mitigate the pain of our formative years.

5 things they dont tell you about being a front-man

I was the lead singer, and later lead singer/rhythm guitarist of a punk covers band called The Valves. I was in the band for roughly four years until we separated due to band members leaving the country and in that time I went from a cocky kid with a bit of talent to a functioning, engaging front-man. I was not born excellent (although I was pretty close to be fair) and there were certain hard lessons I had to learn. These I learnt through jeers and shitty feedback and the odd damning conversation with bandmates who did not want my actions to ruin the reasonably large amount of money we pulled in for playing to loud drunk people for 2 hours a go. It is my wish to impart this knowledge in written form so as to benefit all humanity and those few who may nor may not care what it takes to hold a stage.

1. You suck dick under the influence

original article

It's the rock and roll mantra that you need to be twatted when you're on stage. The coolest, greatest most legendary players/singers of all time were totally off the planet when they played. Right? No. The fact is that the legends were legends first and could then be forgiven for being fucked a couple of times until people got sick of them puking on stage and forgetting what was happening. Jimmy Hendrix was awful once the acid kicked in and people eventually just went to see him smash another guitar because it wouldn't make the correct noises. Shane McGowan gets towed off stage at pogues concerts and replaced because he can't stand up and no body gives two shits that Shane isn't singing anymore. You may find that alcohol or your good times of choice help you write great music but when you're standing on stage slurring into the mike and forgetting what song you're playing it gets old real quick.

2. You need the rhythm

If you are a lead singer then chances are the majority of the eyes in the room are on you. Sure there's the odd muso checking out the guitarist, and other bass players and drummers maybe checking out their respective counterparts but for those people who don't really care about music you are the centre of attention. That means that the flow and vision of the song needs to be found in the way you move and act on stage. You need to know the momentum of every song and your actions need to convey that to an audience. Simple things like punching the beats or a jump to denote a breakdown/double time event are like an orchestral conductors motions to the people you hope are dancing in front of you. If they can't follow the music then you aren't doing enough to spell it out to them. your third ear should always be with the bass and drums and you should be a conduit for them to let people know what's happening. Standing stock still or being out of time will confuse the people staring at you and they will disengage from all the hard work you and your bandmates have gone through to hold their attention.

3. You need to know what you're saying

Original source

A lot of people seem to think brilliance will spill out their mouth in between songs, or that because they are so awesome at doing the vocal bit in songs that they don't really need to care about the stuff outside of songs. That isn't how the audience see it though. They have come to be entertained for the full thirty/fourty five minutes/two hours you are up on that stage and that means every second that you're stood there not engaging them is a second they don't care about you being there. Some bands will default to another member talking instead of the singer which is totally fine as long as one person is keeping everyones attention, but on the whole that will fall to the front-man. We are not the cream of stand up comedians, we cannot all perfectly read a situation and come out with something funny or astute or deep. Instead preparing what you are going to talk about beforehand is the simple, obvious and most effective solution. Depending on how bad you are with public speaking (and to be fair if the answer is "horrific" then you may want to rethink being the central focus of a band) then you can spend time a few days before going over relevant things to say that will flow well between the songs you are performing. You need to consider the style of your band, the political and/or religious stances you collectively wish to portray as a band and also take into account the likely reactions of the audience to your statements. It's best to work these out along with your band as they can let you know how long it will take to prep for the next song (tuning etc) and also arrange to take a turn at the mic if you yourself need to prepare/take a drink. For audience members who have never seen your band before they will likely remember the words you choose between songs far better than any lyric you utter.

4. You need to cultivate your image

Did you get dressed in the dark before coming on stage? Do you want people to think you got dressed in the dark before coming on stage? Exactly what snap judgement do you want people to make of you based on the t shirt you're wearing? Are you mirroring the people that are watching you?  These questions and more are honestly important ones when you are asking a group of people who haven't met you before to like and associate with you and your bandmates. The tshirt (or other top/no top) you choose alone will convey a thousand messages to the people watching. If you happen to endorse a band or label that they too think of as something linked to their own personality then you instantly have 80% of a fan. If the way you look is the same as the people in the crowd then you are letting people know that you are part of the scene that they have chosen. All of this may sound shallow and superficial - and it is - but expecting a stranger to take the time to get to know you and your stance on life and the messages you wish your band to convey is selfish and egotistical.  If you only have half an hour of distorted noise to show the audience who you are why not put the effort into giving them as many visual clues beforehand as possible. The quicker someone decides they like you the quicker they can start appreciating your music.

5. You are not the band, but you are their monkey

Original source

God I love the gig nutter. That one guy who was in a band/roadied/babysat Sid Vicious who now spends his time hanging out proving to people that he is indeed the drunkest person in the bar. He(she) probably fell over your monitor or into your mic stand and likely spilled beer on something expensive. Well guess what it that guy/girl wants to be your bestest friend in the whole world and as the front-man it is your job to be that friend/son to them. The guitarist and bassist will be busy talking to real musicians and the drummer will be busy with merch and the promoter so that leaves you as the spokes person to all the very drunk people who want a signed copy of the album they just bought. They will have advice for you and tales a plenty and your reputation as a band all rests on your reaction to them. If they find your endearing then you will have one of the staunchest supporters of your band around, if you piss them off or act like a douche then you may as well forget playing that venue again because your name will be shit to all within that guys exceedingly loud vocal range. Remember that to others you are the poster boy for why people should give a shit about your band over every other million bands out there and it's your job post show to persuade people to your cause. I can't tell you the amount of times I'd had the same goddamned conversation about what a 20 something kid was doing playing punk music with a bunch of 40 something original punkers but by the end of every conversation I was slapped on the back given all the anecdotes and demanded to return as soon as possible. 

p.s. A couple of pre-emptive apologies here: 

- I realise I have written this article mainly in the masculine but that's because I'm talking from specific examples in my own experience. Please feel free to swap the word front-man with whichever gender neutral term who wish.

- I make a few casual joke about drummers and bass players in this article. I would like to assure you that I am not prejudiced towards bass players and drummers and fully appreciate them as the foundations of any group without whom everything would sound terrible.

- Whenever I have made light of the weight lead persons within a band hold I am speaking of my experience as someone who auditioned to join a group where my only creative input to start with was to stand on stage and sing. If you write the music and lyrics and the band was yours to start with of course all these things make your role within the group more important, but no less replaceable.

More Awesome than your mums macaroni cheese!

A lot of people think I have really narrow taste in music, and to be fair if you look through my music library it's about 95% blisteringly fast punk rock. But that doesn't mean I hate other music and it certainly doesn't mean that I can't be totally blown away seeing one of the most unique and totally off the scale shows I've seen outside of that narrow genre.

I'm talking about Eat The Evidence, who I saw (for free no less) take the roof off Bar Solo in Camden last night. It's easy for me to be biased about them, most of them have been friends of mine for well over 10 years and drummer Mike also plays in The Apostates, whom I also like a hell of a lot and he records my EPs. But I'll try to remain as objective as possible for the sake of hopefully making sure you all take notice of them as your eardums deserve.

I say totally unique because I've yet to hear an  accordion  driven, streets inspired, ska/two tone/heavy rock/reggae band in my life. That may sound like an odd and bitter mix if you're trying to imagine it from nothing but trust me when I say it works. I remember when rum lemonade and pineapple juice sounded disgusting by I sure showed someone that time when there was nothing left at 8am after a house party the night before!!

Everything works so well because each and every member of the band is a veteran of at least a decade of bands. that's around 50 years gigging experience between them all and it comes across in spades when they play. Frontman Tom is as  charismatic, charming and energetic as any lead could possibly hope to be. Wrapping a packed room of people round his little finger all whilst firing off lyrics which swing from politically volatile to toilet humour at breakneck speeds whilst swinging from the rafters. Never missing a beat in between. He is backed up by, and shares vocal  contributions from a set of musicians who with every note let you know that they are as talented as they come with nary a shred of ego about it. The music is deep and multi layered and you would have to spend a week with each song to pick up on every clever lick and nuance. Jack, Toms brother in particular is more talented than I have ever seen and the chemistry between the two brothers sparks and sells their set even more.

I find it a crying shame that they aren't massive and bigger than any middle of the road shite that might win a Brit award or have a video on MTV Rocks. I hope they blow up soon because I feel that it's not fair that only the room full people packed in to see them get to hear them and not the rest of the world.

It was the best of times.... that is all

Goddamnit! So where do I begin to start? Well let's start with expectations. Anyone who read the write up of the last show will know I was kind of a fan of the original More Of This! Fest punk rock all dayer which was back in the distant pasts of November last year. Having a huge of selection of great bands was one part of what made the day so amazing. But the thing that really got me in the heart strings was the community that was created. I made new friends that i genuinely liked and still keep in contact with and we all had so much fun over the course of 12 awesome hours of punk rock that coming into this day I was just a little worried that it wouldn't be the same. The sense that some intangible element would be missing from the day that I could only think of as the magic glue that held it all together.

Of course I was entirely unjustified in my concerns it seems. More Of This! II was in my opinion one of the greatest days I've had, barring the birth of my child and my wedding day. Not only were all of the elements

that made the first day present but they seemed amplified, more potent and just as exhilarating. From meeting more new friends to listening to such impossibly high quality music I was almost brought to tears, this took what was an incredible one off event and turned it into a real culture, a movement. A chance for those sick of their home town scenes to say "IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY". For people used to being outcasts to find a place where belonging isn't just a chance occurrence, but the motto on the door. This is Thirteen Stitches, this is our vision, this is what we wanted our whole lives and collectively we made it happen. A lot of love went out to 13SX godfather Steve Todd on the day and all of it was heartfelt and entirely warranted, as he managed to organise yet another blinder of a day. But equal amounts of praise can be bestowed on all who attended, because it takes all of us to make this so special and by the nine we did make it special. Here's to our little revolution, the one where we allow anyone and say if you're a good person then you're alright by me.

Anyways, onwards, lets talk about bands since we have some time to kill, I'll go along chronologically, so it's easier to find a particular act if you don't want to listen to my waffle. As before I unfortunately had to go and eat at some point in the day so I only caught the last chorus of Chapter Eleven, but I know Asher is the nuts and would have been as awesome as last time.

Sam Moloney

What do you do when your band decides it doesn't want to go on tour? Do you sit in a corner and cry about it or do you say screw that, grab your guitar and go play by yourself because you love what you do just that fucking much. If you're Sam Moloney you opt for the latter and give a beautiful opening to the day. There may have only been other acts in the New Cross Inn at half twelve but all of us in attendance love every second of Sams set. Playing Mixtapes Saints songs by himself you couldn't tell that there should've been a whole extra band behind the songs, Sams melodic style and slightly haunting vocals had us all bowled over in a way that probably wouldn't have happened with a full backline.

Luke Godwin

I'm not going to lie. I google stalked Luke for a few weeks before the show and slightly fell in love with his

album. A fully produced effort with Luke on everything it meant that I had some pretty high expectations and maybe just a tiny guy crush. I wasn't let down for a second either as even though he was on the point of exhaustion (mostly through constant outbursts of awesomeness) he delivered an incredible set on his own with nothing but an acoustic guitar. Luke has a beautiful voice and can do that thing I've seen somewhere where he can actually play his guitar really well and and top of that writes catchy tunes that get the words red wine stuck in you head for a week after!

Red Rag Front

It's a shitty thing when you are about to go on stage and the preceeding act was phenominal. I was suddenly wracked with self doubts and loathing and didn't think anything was good enough anymore. On top of that this was the first show I've played without Drew doing all the good bits for 9 months and the carefully rehearsed set I had handily stored in my head went right out the window. Despite all that I think the set went well enough, I especially enjoyed playing a Demon Smiles cover which is now the best number in my set. Afterwards I was told I reminded a few people of a young Brendan Kelly which is the absolute highest praise I have received in my adult life. So I'll chalk this up as a win.

The Real Quaid

Terrible. Awful in every sense!! Not only did they attempt to shatter my delicate eardrums with melodic pop punk at three in the afternoon, they sung about vulgar topics such masturbation!! Not content with a single voice ruining my earl grey quiet time they had quintuple booming gang harmonies assaulting me and left me with hooks that to this very moment wont leave my head!! There were screaming solos and hardcore songs and not one song with contrived lyrics about some romantic thing. I suppose if you love that sort of thing you
could have said that they were exceptional and that they were one of your new favourite bands. I guess.

East End Riot

East End Riot look awesome. East End Riot sound awesome. East End Riot can be found next to the dictionary definition of awesome! They are a band that wears their influences on their sleeves (tattoo sleeves, awesome tattoo sleeves) but when those influences are Hellcat esque hardcore and Lars Frederkison and the Bastards you can hardly go wrong. The guys had a lot of variety to offer despite hardcore/oi/old school crossovers often sounding samey after a while. Choked with super cool charm, irony and all of the punk rock not-giving-a-fucking-shitingness you'd expect from a band with hellcat inspirations/aspirations they kicked all of the asses despite it being early enough in the day for it to not to be silly wearing sunglasses inside!

On A Hiding To Nothing

On a Hiding to Nothing were my favourite act of the day, despite the fact that I thought the same

thing about every other act as they came on. It's so hard to say that because I don't want to take away from just how incredible the other bands that I could also easily say were my favourite were, but if someone put a gun to my head and said "Dan, judging on your taste in music, who was the best of the day" I would be siding with these guys. They are everything I like in a band musically and they were tight as shit and everything sounded crisp and perfect and apparently the lead singer was ill but now I'm worried about seeing them on a good day because it might make my head explode!! Jack Wiseman (no relation to Demon Smiles Joe - I think) also gets the award for absolute most charismatic person on the stage all day and possibly for ever.

DROP THIS

Damn. I already used my "favourite" badge up. Well also in that category were Drop This. If you had to ask them what music genre they want to be pigeonholed into they would probably say up yours and kick you in the nuts till they turned purple. After that they might say 90's So Cal, Fat Wreck hardcore. That's the type that is Blisteringly fast, melodic and better than all other hardcore ever invented. I literally loved every second they played and could've just watched them play for the rest of the day. If these guys are new to you and you haven't seen them then your world is just a little darker than mine.

The Holiday Plan

It's a dangerous thing eating cheap food before playing a show because you never know when that crap is going to repeat on you. However if you're lucky or excellent or both then you will still be able to crank out massive tunes and bust gorgeous harmonies and keep everything sounding sweet like bosses. This I learnt from The Holiday Plan who may well have had a run it with Weatherspoons crap but didn't let that interfere with bringing the place down with probably one of the most popular sets of the evening.

My Third Leg

I love a bit of ska, as long as it's mixed with generous amount of punk rock and that is what was delivered

during My Third Legs set. Everything that is right about ska-punk was there, it was catchy as hell, had breakdown and speeds up and enough variety to make every song interesting and a joy to listen to. A special mention here should go to Dave the bass player. Not because I have a bass player fetish, but because I freaking love ska walking bass lines done well and he knocked out belters everytime, he also seemed to have his own fan section which is awesome because all bass players need their own fan section!!

Shooting Fish

Sometimes a band with a beautiful lead singer spends too much time worrying about how hot their singer is and forgets to kick ass at the same time. Throughout the history of bands with hot female leads (or at least the ones I'm thinking of in my head) they've always seemed to end up a little more watered down than fully male bands. I'm not sure if this statement makes me a pig or an awful human being but the point of all the pre

ramble is that Shooting Fish haven't let the fact that I fancied the lead singer interrupt them being totally kickass.....

God that sounds bad. Let me start that one again. I loved Shooting Fish, they were all awesome, their songs rocked and I especially loved the Rise Against cover at the end. They all seemed like totally excellent people and the reason I was too nervous to go and chat to them properly is only down to that fact that I am a tool.

Dynamite Dynamite

Dynamite Dynamite may very well be the best band in the UK right now. I challenge anyone to find someone better, and whoever you come to us with as your suggestion will immediately be shown the door as we down at 13SX HQ believe this with extreme prejudice. I do not pretend to be a particularly good reviewer of bands, and it is painfully obvious to anyone who reads these blogs that I'm not good at it. In this case I really think it's a shame because I wish I could find the right words to explain the unadulterated joy I felt watching these guys in musical terms. Were they tight? Yes. Am I still singing all their songs? Yes. Were they the coolest

people in the world? Yes. Did they own the stage like fucking bosses? Yes. There's something good and right and perfect about their sound and I'd spend all of the money I have (which is like £3 right now) making sure I could see them play every day if I could. I dunno what else to say except go listen to them right now and make your life complete.

Demon Smiles

I did a calculation the other day, this calculation determined that I have seen Demon Smiles play a minimum of once every month for the last 8 months. That's a lot of times and I guess that mere fact is testament to how much I love them. Recently they had had the odd technical difficulty here and there but there was no such distraction this time. This was the pure DS experience. When they play on a good day planets move into position and Khonshu smiles on the world. Demon Smiles are just exciting to watch. They love what they do so much that you can't help but become affected by their enthusiasm for super fast melodic punk rock. This was the best I've seen them, and it was humbling. Watching them tear up the room made

that small detail of them fast becoming one of the number 1 punk bands of this generation that much more obvious. Their potential spills from every chord and every beat as they storm through a set on pure balls of steel.

SEEHEARSPEAK

Sweet Jesus. I expected nothing from this band, them having been one of the unknowns (for me) of the evening and from this low vantage point I had my soul torn out my lungs and shown to me in all its glory. That probably made no sense so let me try and elaborate. See Hear Speak are as close to musical perfection as I would dare to guess. I can't begin to find the right amount of positive adjectives to describe them so instead I'm going to go use a thesaurus to help me out. Mind Blowing, astonishing, hallucinatory, staggering, stunning, wonderful, over-whelming, breathatking, wonderous and stupefying. These don't even come close. I wouldn't dare to put them  in a category such as melodic hardcore because the images that may conjure up wouldn't do these guys justice. Every note, syllable and snare crash spoke to me in a thousand languages and all of them told me that this was the greatest moment in existence. My entire outlook of life shifted after listening to See Hear Speak and now my

main goal in life is to try and feel that again. They are my new heroin and I will throw away my pride to seek that hit again.

N.B. I do not, nor have I ever taken heroin and was meerly being poetic and not publically admitting to a drug addiction!!

Real Life Version 

How much can one man give to a show. If you are the drummer of See Hear Speak then that answer if one fucking hell of a lot as he didn't move and stayed to kick out the beats for Real Life Version. Whilst not the all consuming powerhouse that is SHS, Real Life Version do the other half of music with as much precision and excellence as the previous band. And that is writing incredible songs that stay with you and leave you wanting more. All at once they are soulful and powerful and deep and

carefree with a dash of technicality in their melodies recalling such other standout bands such as Thrice and Alexisonfire when they are at their most melodic and not just screaming into a mic. Even without being in their own country and in a dive on the outskirts of London they still had the whole venue jumping and were a perfect climax to the evening.

And there you have it. If you were there let me know if you agree with my roundup of your favourite acts. If you weren't hopefully you can see the unbelievable amount of quality punk rock that was squeezed into one day and you'll bee a part of the next one. If you've made it this far down the blog then thank you for taking the time to read this. I'm just a guy with a guitar who says what he sees when out at gigs and it honestly make me happy to know people read and/or care about what is written on this screen. 

As I'm not the only person anymore who helps with this blog I'd like to thank and give to links to the following:

Chris King who took the incredible pics of the first half of the day. You can find his projects here.

Steve, who presides as king over 13SX promotions. He's my best friend but also now an exemplary business partner. You can see what we're up to on our website.