Tuesday 13 December 2011

Uniforms - Demo


Usually I’m a bit late to the show with any band Deeker has been in (only caught Joey T by their 2nd or 3rd last Dundee gig for example) however I’d like to think I was in the know on Uniforms before most, seeing as they were discussing getting the band together in my car when we went to see Iron Chic in weegieland back in May. To be honest though I have to admit to being a bit sceptical that a bunch of drunken eedjits from the east coast of Scotland could do anything that would come close to the likes of Red City Radio, Iron Chic, or any other American fest band, etc. And I was right. Well by right I mean wrong but that’s an entirely predictable set up isn’t it. It all seemed to come together quite fast too. They formed, recorded a demo and went over to Gainsville and played a pre-fest gig before even playing a hometown show. The demo is only three tracks but they’re all crackers, it kicks off with Schoolboy Errors which is a great sing along anthem, well anti anthem really if you listen to the words. Really reminiscent of RCR, the vocals are really raw and gravelled and it’s liberally sprinkled with wee widdly leads. I witnessed them play it at Book Yer Ane Fest recently and it was one of the best things I heard that day, barring Colorado Joe and Not Superstitious by Leatherface. I was stood at the side of the stage just thinking wow! Yeah, that was about all my brain would articulate at the time, wished I’d bloody filmed them now. Next song up on the demo is Photographs which seems to have a slower vibe to it, but that’s a purely relative statement as it still sprints a long at a fair old whack, this is punk rock, ken? The song is all about looking backwards, the futility of regrets and living your life now, and gets all shouty and noisy by the end, great stuff. I Won’t Forget You brings up the rear, originally a Tragical History Tour (Deeker’s acoustic alter ego) song, and on first run through of the demo this one was the song that really stood out for me, starts off with a bit of stuttered guitar and laid back vocal and then picks up the pace and explodes into a huge sing along of a song. If you’re in any way into the ‘gruff’ punk thing or just like good melodic songs you should check them out. I reckon they fill the empty spot for new local heroes quite nicely.

Get it here: http://makethatatakerecords.bandcamp.com/album/demo

Photos from BYAF5 in Dundee, Kage, 03/12/2011.








Saturday 17 September 2011

Dunderfunk - Brick Cat E.P.


From 1989 through to '95 The Venue on Carlton Road in Edinburgh, a darkened hole of a club with strange slime on the walls down the stairs to the unintentionally unisex toilets, a place that perpetually smelt of stale beer, nicotine, sweat, and unwashed hair was my destination every Sunday. Sunday night was the Moshpit which generally meant thrash or death metal bands would be playing host to our lemming like tendencies as we threw ourselves into oblivion, swung round The Pillar or hung from the ceiling like the headbanging little monkeys we were.Link
It was here in around 1990 that an Edinburgh thrash band upon hearing the slap of a bass guitar metamorphosed into best funkthrashparty band ever. Dunderfunk. Sunday nights at the Moshpit were never the same. Well they were, but we just danced worse than before and got covered in donuts and silly string and foam and used surfboards indoors, wore our hair in bunches and did kazoo solos, but apart from that...
Anyway, I was going to post the two demo tapes and the live set as the Australian Dunderfunk, oh yeah, that was another thing, didgeridoos, they did that too, but I'm going to have to redo the tapes as lost the files, so in the meantime here is their one and only vinyl release The Brick Cat E.P.
Dunderfunk -The Brick Cat E.P.


Ah yes, I remember them well, those schizophrenic party days...

Sunday 24 April 2011

Spanish Gamble and Sunset Squad - Live in Muckys, Perth, 23/04/2011

Good night out all round, took most shots in B+W as were coming out better that way.

Sunset Squad:









Spanish Gamble: