THE THREE JOHNS - ATOM DRUM BOP

The brilliant Three Johns are back on the road and playing the Adam 'n' Eve in May. 

Atom Drum Bop is included below.

 

 

The Three Johns - Atom Drum Bop

 

D-BEAT IN DIGBETH

 

Potteries noise merchants bring D Beat to the Adam & Eve. 

The weather outside was frightful, but there was an altogether more enjoyable storm reigning indoors.  It’s easy to overlook just how influential Discharge were.  Possibly the first British hardcore band, it’s disappointing that it’s mainly the American bands who get all the plaudits and mentions when it comes to setting the blueprint for punk at the noisier end of the punk spectrum but Discharge were instrumental in inspiring a whole generation of hardcore and thrash bands. 

The venue was busy with an enthusiastic and good natured crowd and Discharge didn’t disappoint.  With only Royston Wainwright and Anthony Roberts on bass and guitar from the original line up the band don’t seem to  have lost any of their spirit or sound, the distinctive D Beat drumming style still very much in evidence courtesy of David Caution.  The line up is completed by Varukers lead singer Anthony Martin and although he has a different delivery to original singer Cal, his voice complements the overall Discharge sound. 

And as for the music?  It was as loud and glorious as you would expect and hope for.  Songs such as Decontrol and State Violence State Control oozed forth with passion and delivered a sonic storm that kept the front half of the venue in a constant frenzy for the entire gig.   Playing for around an hour, the set drew upon songs from those first few E.Ps right the way through to more recent releases. 

If you prefer your punk towards the hardcore sound then you could do a lot worse than checking out Discharge who, for these ears anyway, still sound as vital and exciting as they did in the early 80’s. 

Another great gig at the rather splendid Adam & Eve. 

LOUISE DISTRAS - STAND STRONG TOGETHER

 

Coming up at the Adam & Eve soon the rather wonderful Louise Distras

 

 

 

Louise Distras - Stand Strong Together

 

Punk Rock Dabauchery at the Adam & Eve

A couple of weeks ago we ventured out to the Adam & Eve pub on the outskirts of Digbeth for a night of punk rock debauchery!  The journey to the gig was comprised of a dreary train ride into Birmingham, exchanging album reviews and overhearing the transvestite on the next seat arranging their steak and chips tea for when they got home.  We then had to walk from the Moor Street station next to the bullring out to the venue as the station we were aiming to get off is apparently only open part time (and looking at the station later that is being generous as it looked like it  had not be open since around 1989!).  Aided by a google map printout and a terrible sense of direction we meandered through the streets of outer Digbeth, Sam limping on his crutch and all of us feeling various degrees of bladder pressure. 

We finally arrived, got the beers in and settled down with a keen anticipation – the only band we had seen before was Pete Bentham and The Dinner Ladies so we were keen to see what else was on offer.  The Adam and Eve is the kind of venue I love, compact & bijou with the small stage and the bar almost tripping over each other in their pleas for your attention.
First up were Hung Like Hanratty – a band that clearly don’t take them selves to seriously and have a certain shock value.  They targeted various aspects of society, the overweight in their electric buggies, religion, trans-sexuals, the police, record label bosses with varying degrees of vitriolic and humour.  Not really my cup of tea but they seemed to go down well with the younger elements of the crowd and did a fairly rousing version of the Dead Kennedy’s ‘Too Drunk To Fuck’.

Next on were Angry Itch, a three piece outfit who caught me by surprise and really blew me away.  They were fast, tighter than a ducks undercarriage and blasted out songs with a great melodic undertow.  These guys are just recoding an ep “Scratch it til it Bleeds” which should be out soon and I seriously suggest anyone in and around Birmingham check them out soon!

Then came the Boggingtons, another three piece with father and son sharing guitar, bass and vocal duties.  They looked a bit modish but the singer was wearing an Angry Samoans t-shirt so with that thrown in the mix you knew to expect something a bit different, and they didn’t disappoint, thrashing out edgy new wave tinged tunes aplenty and another great new discovery to boot. 

Finally the headliners, with Pete employing a squad rotation system tonight and bringing in the Dinner Ladies reserve team, perhaps lacking a little match fitness but making up for it with bucket loads of enthusiasm.  Pete and the Dinner Ladies are always one of the first bands on our must see list at Rebellion and never fail to impress and tonight was no different.  Pulling together a varied set list from the albums New Underground and Hip Potato and the new Space Punk ep they had the crowd on side from the off and there were certainly a few song along moments (from our side of the room anyway!!)

All in all was truly a great night’s entertainment – all for a fiver, (okay that does exclude beer and taxi ride home cus we’d missed the last train – and I did buy a copy of Space Punx too!)