Busted - Glasgow Hydro - 14/05/16

I've been to the year two thousand and sixteen.

Not much has changed but we look a little older.

And in some ways it’s true, but in others that’s not the case at all.

Busted are back, and while it would be easy to cast a jaundiced eye over the reformation to fit with the stereotype of the older -, but still trying to be hip - curmudgeon music fan looking down my nose at the teenybopper icons, I just can’t find it in my heart to do so.

Why?

Well to put it in very simple terms there’s not a lot that anyone could comfortably hang a critique on.

A claim of not liking what they are doing is the airing of a subjective view, but to say they aren’t cutting it musically, or in the delivery of their material, would be a downright lie.

From the Blade Runner styled reboot of the Pink Floyd pig balloon floating past, to the darker dystopian angle on the animal farm pig masks that nudged the playful ‘pigs can fly’ tour title out of the frame, the band have stepped up and coloured their brand with much darker adult tones that eases visually towards Roger Waters territory.

The new music doesn’t reflect that, but it is far more introspective and mature as it veers into the adult orientated niche that the Goo Goo Dolls have such a firm grip on.

That tiny step musically does however make sense, as to go away as Busted, the teen dream scream of yesteryear, and come back reflecting all the ugliness of adult life without a slicker veneer would be career suicide.

So instead the visuals are a little ahead and the music is still transitioning, while the over all impression given is that they know exactly what they are doing.

Listen to new single ‘I’m Coming Home*’ next to ‘Crashed the Wedding’ and there’s nothing to link them, but with a careful eye on the running order of the hits and newbies the band avoid any jarring clashes, and there is arguable not even a hint of a dip in the crowds reaction as they lap up everything thrown at them.

Busted literally have this nailed down.

The crowd is of course still largely made up of young women.

The preteens and teens of over a decade ago, - yes over a decade ago – and they are still enthralled by Matt, James and Charlie, but the hyper response that they keyed into has now been tempered by their own maturity and they are ready to be taken by the hand and guided towards the reality that will be Busted 2.0.

This changing gears career wise from a band that’s core audience is largely young and female into something that has a wider demographic appeal has proven to be far too difficult a stumbling block for so many others, and only time will tell if Busted can do it, but all the pieces are most certainly in place and if they fail to secure a second bite of the apple then there can be no blame laid at their feet as it will be more a case of wrong place and wrong time rather than a reflection on their efforts.

On leaving the cavernous Hydro there was only one thought that reared up in my head, and that was ‘well that just kicked the awful taste of McBusted doing that truly fuckin offensively pop punk by numbers abortion of a track ‘Air Guitar’ out of everyone’s mouth.’

Not a bad thing really.

*On listening to the electronica version from the studio it fails to come close to the guitar driven live rendition.   

itsaxxxxthing diary dates - Eureka Machines, Scaramanga Six, The King Lot, Rank Berry.

As promised here's another announcement on the gig front.

Drum roll please...........................ratatatatatatatatatatata.

It's Eureka Machines.

You may know them from their Wildheart and Ginger Wildheart supports, or maybe from their rather excellent headline slots.

Last time was in Audio, and previous to that it was in Pivo Pivo.

Now they are back in Audio and it is my distinct pleasure to be promoting the show again.

Not only that, but this will be the third time of working with Scaramanga Six who will be coming along to offer their support.

Between Eureka Machines and Scaramanga Six you don't get any more bang for your buck on the gig circuit.

Oh, but wait a minute. 

Where are the Scots bands I hear you ask as I hold my hand to my ear panto stylee.

Okay, well talking bang for your buck we also have both The King Lot and Rank Berry on the bill to.

(Due to circumstances outwith my control The King Lot will no longer we performing. Instead both The Scaramanga Six and Rank Berry will extend their sets)

Tickets will be available from Tickets Scotland from next week, but right now, right this very minute you can get them from the New Hellfire Club, and apart from getting them that bit earlier you can also get them at the bargain price of a fiver rather than the face price of seven quid.

Last time the gig was very well attended, and this time as soon as the band announced their tour dates and provided links to get tickets they started to sell before I had even started to promote it myself.

Now I could wax lyrical about the band, but here's what the mainstream press have to say. (not often you will get me agreeing with them, but occasionally they do get it right.)

‘Oh that magical and rare occasion when you hear an album and know you’ll still be playing it a decade later…. a triumph for the band, their fans, the PledgeMusic concept…. and rock music as a whole (5/5) – The Sun

‘grandstanding, impassioned and ambitious, it’s multi-layered, intricate and still hummable’ – Classic Rock magazine

‘razor-sharp riffs…. an effin’ riot of colour’ – Rock Sound magazine

‘power-pop perfection – a dazzling debut (4/5)’ – The Sun

‘power pop stomp…. brilliant vocal harmonies…. ridiculously catchy’ – Classic Rock

‘locating the sweet spot between Green Day and 10CC’ – Spin Magazine

‘an enjoyable album from start to finish (4/5)’ – Big Cheese magazine

‘impossible to listen to without grinning like a loon…. it’s ridiculous that Eureka Machines could be the best band you've never heard (4.5/5)’ – The Sun

‘the suited and booted foursome hark back to the glory days of Britrock…. hard-hitting drummer Wayne Insane could be Dave Grohl in disguise (8/10)’ – Rock Sound

‘Beach Boys harmonies, Joe Strummer’s guitar…. what’s not to like? It’s a rare gift Eureka Machines have; celebrate it’ – Classic Rock

‘Imagine if the Beatles and the Beach Boys met Motorhead, jammed with the Cardiacs and created the best band you’ve never heard. Until now.’ – Sandman Magazine

‘a glorious cacophony of power pop noise that distills the best bits of Jellyfish with a dash of early Manics and even tosses in a smidge of Beach Boys chorus catchiness’ – Classic Rock

‘will have you clapping along on first listen, singing along on second listen and leaping around your room on third listen (4/5)’ – Leeds Guide

‘a collision of riotous rock, punk energy and orchestrated heavy metal guitars welded to solid vocals, Do Or Die explodes with a regiment full of harmonies and the pummelling power of bass and guitars that feed off the supernova sounds of both QOTSA and MUSE…. purely and simply, class’ – www.manchestermusic.co.uk

‘it is an album that staples Chris’s name in the histories as a genuinely super superstar of British music and one that gets better with every single listen…. wonderful stuff (8/10)’ – Subba-Cultcha

‘an album which you can just scream at the top of your voice in your car or even in the shower…. a really immense guitar rip roaring work of art’ – Mark Moore, contactmusic.com

So what else could I add?

Links I suppose.

Here's the pledge campaign. Buy the new album, get the updates, download the free ep and live album. Click me.

You want a ticket? Then click me.

And here is the event page right here.

Against Me! - Transgender Dysphoria Blues

I fuckin’ love this album.

I love the bare nerve endings that are on display, the raw power of its brutal honesty, the unflinching challenge to what is perceived as the norm, the unapologetic public lancing of a lifetime of pain and confusion, and I love how it provides an alternative voice within a genre of music that can often pander to a jock mentality.

Today, right now, right this very minute, Laura Jane Grace is my heroine.

Over recent years the critical voices of the mainstream music press have managed to strip emotion from pretty much every single word that is written.

No one may dare say how much they love a song, or how it impacts on them, or how it makes them feel.

It’s seen as uncool.

It is something that has to be avoided at all costs.

Everything is judged from a distance and the emotional tactile nuances of music are ignored.

Well I have to say fuck that.

Seriously, I mean fuck that, because the honesty displayed on this album deserves an honest response.

It can’t be wrapped in a discussion about chord changes and it has to be reacted to in a similar manner to how it was written and performed, and the response should be from the gut.

After all we are all in this game together, and we all feel, and we can all empathize, and we can all love, and we can all want to be accepted as the person we are, and that is fundamentally what this album is about.

It’s about living, breathing and existing.

It is about the abrasive journey we are all on.

It is about the need to be seen as a worthwhile person who can be loved.

It is the outsider opening up and letting everyone see how damaging it is to be held at arm’s length, passionately sharing how hurtful it is to exist on the fringes because society embraces strict parameters that keep them locked out, and pushing that into the faces of people should be lauded. 

Here I am, a forty something who is creeping ever closer to cashing in on a half century chip, a heterosexual father of two, and for all the differences that there may appear to be between a transgender person and myself I feel an affinity to the message expressed and the questions asked.

I fundamentally get it as Laura Jane Grace is the bearer of truths.

There is a right and a wrong aspect to it all to.

Is it right to create a word where transgender people are fair game for hate to be spewed in the direction of?

Of course not, and what close minded arsehole can ever defend hate.

So far the punk word have embraced this release, and rightly so to.

Just as US birthed pop punk was edging every closer to being a parody of itself here we have Against Me! saving the day, even if it was unintentional on their part.

In opening herself up like this to the world I hope that the biographical content touches others and in some way opens the doors to a future that accepts transgendered people with open arms.

I'm going to say it again.

I fuckin' love this album.

Eddy and the T-Bolts – A t-bolts campfire singalong part one

New songs from Eddy and the T-Bolts are always welcome around these here parts.

Especially when the guys in the band decide to take the less well trodden path and strip their rock and roll pop punk ramblings down to the bare acoustic bones.

When the word reached most peoples ears it resulted in a raising of the eyebrows, but perversely I couldn't wait to hear it and now I feel rather smug as it's sounds as if the band were made to do this.

It's KISS and the Supersuckers at summercamp drinking an illicit carry out behind the portaloos.

Yes. It is that good.

What we need now is to hire a mini bus, fill half of it with beer, and then drive to a secluded beach where we can all meet up with the band and let them perform this in its entirety around a very large bonfire, but keeping in mind that this is Scotland, and it's October, we should also remember that even with the bonfire ablaze that thermal underwear and a coat that is registered as appropriate for scaling Everest is worn.

High fives all round for the reworking of 'Prophets on electrified guitars' from Medium Rare.

It's getting an A for awesome.

http://eddyandthetbolts.bandcamp.com/album/a-t-bolts-campfire-singalong-part-one

The Kimberly Steaks - Terminal Boredom

There's a few bands based in Glasgow and the surrounding areas that have stood resolute in their love for short sharp bursts of punk pop that wouldn't sound out of place if you heard it howling forth from 924 Gilman Street at the height of it's legendary fame.

One of them is The Kimberly Steaks who have just returned with a new album 'Terminal Boredom'.

An album title that similar to the music could have come right at us from the cover of a release that rode the crest of the US led pop punk explosion of the late eighties and early nineties.

That's not to be taken as a criticism though as the nine tracks that they rattle through on the album do far more than breath some life into the memories of those who are easing closer to forty and still remember wearing skate pants and such.

This isn't a nostalgia trip, but instead a reanimation job, and once listened to I could very easily shout......IT'S ALIVE in a non piss take style.

Everything is pretty much free of any bells and whistles. It's a lean and mean take on the genre that has no intention of taking any prisoners.

If you wanted to consider that the two biggest bands that came from the scene and conquered the world are Green Day and Rancid then The Kimberly Steaks are the band that have more street smarts and rough edges to them than Billie Joe and his boys, and more polish and pop coolness than Rancid.

They're the band that are covering the no-mans land in between and pulling the threads together.

I hope someone is listening.
Think Jawbreaker with Glasgow accents and you're driving into the ball park.

Get it here on a pay what you want deal, but don't be a meanie.