Video: 'The TSG Always Get Their Man' by Steve White and the Protest Family

New video and single! 'Monkey Boots' by Punks Not Dad, featuring Peter Bowles

This Thursday, a blues-punk double bill: Bermondsey Joyriders & Taurus Trakker in Whitechapel

This Thursday 12th July at the Rhythm Factory in Whitechapel, forming part of the venue’s ‘Vintage Rock’ season, there's a double dose of blues-punk in the form of East End rockers, the Bermondsey Joyriders, and slide ‘n’ sax-fuelled West London punks, Taurus Trakker.

The Joyriders are a ‘77 supergroup of sorts, comprising of Gary Lammin (vox/guitar, formerly of Strummer protégés The Little Roosters), Martin Stacey (bass, ex-Chelsea) and Chris Musto (drums, ex-Johnny Thunders’ Oddballs). In May the band received an very approving 8/10 review from Classic Rock for second album ‘Noise & Revolution’ - an ambitious concept piece which features spoken word narration throughout from 60s counterculture icon and MC5 manager John Sinclair. With John now home in Motor City, the band have drafted in NME legend Charles Shaar Murray to do the honours on stage and provide live narration at The Rhythm Factory on Thursday, which is pretty cool.

Taurus Trakker are led by Martin Muscatt, a man inspired to pick up guitar after seeing his cousin Mick Jones onstage at some of The Clash’s earliest shows. The band is fleshed out live by the visually captivating presence of Allison Phillips (ex-Raincoats, Alternative TV) behind the kit, Chris McDonald on bass and X-Ray Spex man Dave Wright on saxophone.

See you there!

Peter Bowles is To The Anarchy Born in Punks Not Dad's new video

Suave British sitcom legend Peter Bowles has sold his soul to punk by appearing in ‘Monkey Boots’ the latest single and video by ageing anarchists Punks Not Dad. The actor, best known for his string of sitcom roles in hit 70s and 80s shows ‘To The Manor Born’, ‘Only When I Laugh’ and ‘The Bounder’, provides a 'Thriller' style voice-over on the record and introduces the video from his shed.

Having previously tackled sheds and Ikea furniture in their previous YouTube hits, the Cardiff based punk legends turn their attention to the iconic punk footwear, monkey boots, which with patronage from the likes of Jarvis Cocker are now set to make a comeback.

Set in an alley outside the school gates in 1981 the video is a 'West Side Story' style turf war between Adam and the Ants fans and the punky Monkey Boot Gang. The gang leader is Scrapheap Challenge and Scrum V Live star, Lisa Rogers, who has appeared in all Punks Not Dad’s videos to date.

A sneak preview of the video is available here.  Click here, too, to hear the song in full . Both are released on Monday 9th July, the video on YouTube, and the MP3 on iTunes and Amazon.

The Dads play a launch gig tonight, 6th July, at the Moon Club (upstairs), Womanby Street, Cardiff at 8pm. Support comes from Sunshine Riot.



Peter Bowles: ‘In all my years on stage and screen I have never worked with anyone as good as Punks not Dad. They are my heroes. Now, about that brown envelope…. ‘ 

Lisa Rogers: ‘Punks Not Dad? Who the fuck are they?‘ 

UK Subs, Discharge, Anti-Nowhere League, Goldblade + at 100 Club, London

London Punk Festival: Tickets and Details

All my old faves - well, some of 'em: Anti-Pasti, TV Smith, Peter and the Test Tube Babies. See you there :)

Details:

The 1st London Punk Festival is being held at 229 the venue in Great Portland Street, Central London on Friday 28th, Saturday 29th & Sunday 30th September 2012.

There will be 30 bands playing in two rooms over the three days with a mouth-watering line up of exclusive shows and classic acts with some up and coming new artists thrown into the mix for good measure.

The confirmed line up so far includes the following: RUTS DC ANTI PASTI GLEN MATLOCK & THE PHILISTINES THE BUSINESS INFA RIOT DISCHARGE PETER & THE TEST TUBE BABIES MENACE VICE SQUAD ED TUDORPOLE DEPARTMENT S CASE ABRASIVE WHEELS TV SMITH ( THE ADVERTS ) WARRIORS THE PRICE & many more to be announced.

Weekend tickets will be exchanged for a wristband upon arrival at the venue. Opening times are as follows: Friday 28 ( 6pm - 1am ), Saturday 29 ( 6pm - 1am ), Sunday 30 ( 6pm - Midnight ).

The Grapefruits celebrate our 'special relationship' on 4th July at The Comedy

Photo: The Outbursts last night at Camden Calling, the George Tavern, London E1

The Outcasts are coming!

As a schoolboy, my older cousin Richard fed me compilation cassettes that he had lovingly made to help me on my journey of discovery into punk music. There were about twelve or thirteen of volumes of them, which are sadly no longer in existence because - not realising their future nostalgic value - during the early-80s I must have taped over them. What was I thinking?! I do however remember that track one of Volume One was a song called Justa Nother Teenage Rebel by The Outcasts. 

I had already heard punk that had appeared in the charts - Sham 69, The Ruts, The Stranglers etc - but  Justa Nother Teenage Rebel was the gateway song that led me into the more obscure realms of the genre, to the likes of Crisis and The Last Words. It also led me to explore the whole Northern Ireland punk scene around the Terry Hooley's Good Vibrations record label and the legendary Harp Bar in Belfast, and to watch the documentary films that John T Davis directed about the scene, including Shellshock Rock, which is a must-see for any old school punk fans. 

So I was thrilled when I heard that The Outcasts were reforming, and even more thrilled to hear they are coming to London in June. 

See you there.

Next time: More nostalgia, this time about Derby punk band Anti-Pasti, who will be reforming and playing the first London Punk Festival in September. 

Trailer for Punks Not Dad's new video 'Monkey Boots'

This is the official trailer for Monkey Boots, the long awaited new single and difficult third video from mid-life miseries and friends of ROCK-TIL-YOU-DROP, Punks Not Dad. The video stars Peter Bowles (out of To The Manor Born) and Lisa Rogers (off of Scrapheap Challenge), and the single and full video are scheduled for release in July 2012. Watch this space.

The Lone Groover: New Gig Dates

Our favourite folk punk troubadour, The Lone Groover, has just announced a string of dates for 2012 seeing him all the way to Christmas:

26th April - The Metropolitan, 60 Great Western Rd, Notting Hill W11 (Portobello Acoustic Sessions)
4th May - The Torriano, off Camden Rd, Kentish Town NW5 (a Trashville Night)
16th May - The Boogaloo, Archway (Zac Stephenson's Voices)
25th May - The Sun Tavern, Covent Garden (Supporting 'Milligan' at their EP launch night)
2nd June, The Hope Festival, www.hopefestival.co.uk
22nd Dec - The Windmill, Brixton, SW2 - (Strummerville)

Here's a video clip of a recent performance filmed in Boston, Lancashire, at a gig in aid of Punk 4 The Homeless:

Introducing London punk covers band, The Longdicks

A big PUNK-ROCK-TIL-YOU-DROP WELCOME! to London covers band, The Longdicks.

Formed in south east London in early 2007 by Mr Dickie Adams and Paul Long, the Longdicks have been 25 years in the making. The delay seems to have been caused largely by a need to get as much Fosters down their necks as younger men, which left them short of the cash they needed to buy guitars and learn to play just three chords. The whole punk soap story of their formative years - which should "never be divided" - is here on their RTYD profile page. Eat your hearts out, the Cockney Rejects!

Now Streaming! Two New Songs by 14 Carat Grapefruit

Now streaming! Two brand new songs - 'Tamara Never Comes' and 'Let's Get Fuckin' Pissed' - from the Grapefruits' 'difficult' second album - if it ever comes! Follow this link to the ROCK-TIL-YOU-DROP-RECORD-SHOP to have a listen.

The band play The Dublin Castle in Camden, London, this coming Wednesday. On stage at a sensible 8pm.

RIP RTYD Michael Davis, bassist with the MC5

Michael Davis, who played bass in seminal Detroit punk band the MC5 (and later in a version of the group called DKT-MC5 with ex-members Wayne Kramer and Dennis Thompson) died on Friday afternoon in Chico, California, where he had been hospitalised with liver disease.

Davis was a sought-after bass player and worked as a producer. He also co-founded the non-profit Music Is Revolution Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting school music programmes in the US. Davis was a keen painter, too, and had recently returned to art school to complete the BA in fine art that he dropped out of in 1964 to pursue his musical ambitions.

Sex Pistols Perform Country Life Butter Advert

Somehow I missed this!

Phil Martin's debut solo album 'Before We Go To Paradise'

Phil Martin released his first solo album Before we go to Paradise on 31st January 2012. Hard copies of the album are available now from record shops and online at Amazon, Virgin and every other website that sells CDs, with iTunes and other MP3 downloads coming very soon.

Phil has played in a number of bands over the years, including the Shanakies who supported Blur on their Parklife tour, and The Men they Couldn’t Hang. As well as performing solo, he is currently playing with a handful of musicians and acts including, The Bitter Springs who have shared a bill with Vic Godard as the Subway Sect, Swill Odgers (of The Men They Couldn't Hang fame), Jowe Head and the Demi-Monde (Jowe Head of Swell Maps/Television Personalities fame), Valerie and her Week of Wonders, Kindred Spirit, The Talesmen  and The Long Decline.

Phil learnt to play the violin as a young boy and also sang in a church choir. His mum gave him his first guitar lesson at thirteen and ten years later he finally played a proper electric guitar in public. As well as singing playing the guitar and violin, he can now also "get a sound out of various instruments including viola and stylophone". Not bad!

Phil's next solo gig is on 15th March at the Troubadour in Earls Court. For more news on Phil's live activity you can visit his website.

Here are links to reviews of Before we go to Paradise:

Fatea
Mudkiss Fanzine
Whisperin' and Hollerin'
Amazon

A wave of leading artists will reach their 65th birthday this year, first among them David Bowie: http://ping.fm/QX5CO glam punk 60s

A message to you, from the Lone Groover!

Dear friends, 


The last gig of the year sees THE LONE GROOVER (that's me!) returning to my spiritual home, The Windmill, 22 Blenheim Gardens, Brixton SW2 on Thursday 22nd December. 
It's gonna' be a blast so come and have an end of year shandy....... 1) It's Xmas! 2) It's the anniversary of Joe's death so expect a Strummer tribute or two. 3) I'm taking along DJ's TOLLY & SUPERBREAKER for some moral and spiritual guidance in the form of vinyl 45's from the vaults (punk/ska/northern/indie). 4) I'll be unveiling my latest weapon in my ongoing 'war on rubbish'....all will be revealed!...... Oh! and it's FREE!!! On stage 9.15pm. Also appearing, Senor Al & the JJ's 
Peace 'n' Luv 'n' Haight, TLG 

www.reverbnation.com/thelonegroover
www.facebook.com/lonegrooves

"Not a soul cares what your class is, or what your race is, or what your income, or if you're a boy, or girl, or bent, or versatile, or what you are - so long as you dig the scene" - Colin Maccines

Video: She's Still Got It by Mark Handley

Singer/songwriter and RTYD member Mark Handley's song She's still got it, from the album The boy who never grew up. ©Mark Handley 2012

Cockney Rejects - East End Babylon, KOKO, Camden, 26th April 2012

I have been a fan of the Cockney Rejects since I was 14. I have my older cousin to thank for including them on a series of a dozen or so compilation cassettes he lovingly made for me from about 1980 of some of the best of his British punk collection, which included a fair amount of street punk and Oi! 

Along with Sham 69, the Cockney Rejects were one of my favourite of that second wave of punk bands. I was too young to be allowed to travel to London to see them play live, and by the time I was old enough, I had moved on to listening to and going to see more contemporary early-to-mid-80s bands that were less punk and more electronic. But I have never lost my passion for punk rock, and still listen to the first two Rejects albums regularly - albeit not quite as loudly as I once did.

Thankfully, over the years I have got to see many of the bands that I missed the first time around; I saw the Damned for the second time last month playing their 35th anniversary show at the Roundhouse in Chalk Farm, and it blew me away just how good they were - just as Stiff Little Fingers, the Stranglers, and others have. I'm sure the Rejects will leave me feeling the same.

I remember driving around Godalming, where I grew up, with my cousin playing Police Car by the Rejects at full volume on his car stereo. I though it was so cool. I was a rubbish punk, though, I wasn't angry, scary or hard - I spiked up my hair, wore the drainpipes turned up, and the DMs, but I was far too sensitive to be a convincing street punk. But it didn't stop me loving the music, and if it wasn't for punk, maybe I would never have started writing songs and playing guitar. 

Since setting up ROCK-TIL-YOU-DROP I have got to meet  a couple of my teen punk idols: TV Smith and Gaye Advert (I was even invited by Gaye to the private view of her art show Punk and Beyond, recently); Captain Sensible has tweeted about RTYD, and the Cockney Rejects are following me on Twitter. It might not seem like much to you, but it means a lot to me.

So say 'hello' if you're going to Koko in Camden on 26th April next year for the preview of East End Babylon, the punk-rocumentary based on singer Jeff 'Stinky' Turner’s biography 'Cockney Reject'. The film promises to tell the real story of the band, and give a true picture of the East End of London in the late 1970s; and what's more, it is followed  by a performance by the Cockney Rejects themselves.

I can't wait.