THE ANGRY ITCH EP



Angry Itch are back with a new self titled EP and this time they mean it maaannnn!

For just over 12 months Angry Itch have been gigging in and around Birmingham, and up and down the country, gathering support and getting quite a few rave reviews along the way.  To celebrate their debut appearance at the recent Rebellion festival in Blackpool they managed to find time to get into the studio and record another four songs for this, their second EP.

And boy have they upped the bar this time.  The four choice tracks here proudly display just how far they have come in a really short time. 

It kicks off with the frantic I Hate You More, a melodic thrash of a song (from day one I've always found comparisons with the melodic hardcore of early Husker Du, only with a trademark Birmingham punk element stamped right through their sound). 

I Hypocrite is in the same mould, and why not? 

The brilliant Rise Again, with the audience participation closing refrain "They got kicked out... they're gonna start a riot" really shows just how savvy these guys are at putting together great songs that will just get engrained in your brain at the first listen. 

Closing song 1st Floor is my choice track, starting slower than most of their songs, it's a call to grab a beer and enjoy the company of great friends, before really kicking into life - if this doesn't have you singing along by the end, then I think we probably need to call the crash trolley and check for a pulse.

Angry Itch - 1st Floor

12 months ago I thought this band were amazing.  I've been lucky enough to catch them quite a few times since and I'm always left feeling like I've just witnessed something a little bit special (their appearance on the new band stage at Rebellion was astounding and one of the highlights not just of that stage but of the whole festival). 

Definitely one of the releases of the year so far - start spreading the fucking word - ANGRY ITCH are coming!

Check out their Facebook page for regular updates on forthcoming gigs including an appearance at Birmingham Punx Picnic at the Wagon & Horses on 6th September.  And I'm sure if you speak to John, Richard or Luke nicely they'll be able to hitch you up with a copy of the E.P.

https://www.facebook.com/AngryItch?fref=ts

https://twitter.com/angryitchband 
   

Spirit Bomb / Angry Itch / Complete Dysfunction / The Nerks - Live 1st March 2014

If you are standing outdoors at the beginning of March sipping cold lager then it must be another punk rock night at the Wagon & Horses. 

Tonight was a special night being the debut gig by Spirit Bomb but more on that later. 

The evening kicked off with Complete Dysfunction, with a slightly different line up to the one I’d seen last September.  Despite a few on stage sound problems they put in a good performance with their politically tinged songs. 

Next up were Angry Itch and these guys quite literally are going places.  2014 has got off to a busy start, already playing gigs in Birmingham and further afield in Portsmouth and Derby and sharing stages with the likes of 2 Sick Monkeys and Paranoid Visions and other local bands such as Rotunda and Brassick.  They have been picking up some extremely positive live reviews even featuring on John Robb’s Louder Than War blog and the word is spreading so much so that they have been invited to play on the new band stage at the Rebellion festival in Blackpool In August. 

 

 

And tonight’s performance was excellent.   The songs come at you fast and frenetically but have a sing along quality that pulls you in then grabs you by the jugular, refusing to let up until the trio have expended every last drop of energy out of them.  If they are this on form come August, then the Rebellion weekend is going to get off to one hell of a start. 

Although not actually headlining the evening was all about Spirit Bomb, tonight was their debut gig and the entry fee included a copy of their Killer in Your Stereo e.p. (and it's a corker).  Made up from members of local bands Drongos For Europe, The Liarbilitys and Vincent and the One Pots.  They entered the stage like a band of bad mother fuckers and from the opening notes they sounded like they meant it. 



A large and enthusiastic crowd saw them plough through a set of high octane punk rock n roll blending elements of their other bands and in their own words they wanted 'to make the kind of music we love, with passion, power, rock 'n' roll with a punk rock soul" and on tonight's performance they succeeded.  Exciting times ahead with Spirit Bomb.

(the rather cool Spirit Bomb photos courtesy of T.C.B. Photography / Chris Hill Photography)

Unfortunately I had to dash for the last train so left to the opening strains of the Nerks but hope to catch them soon.

Tonight really highlighted that there is a really great punk scene in Birmingham at the moment with regular gigs at a number of venues with lots of newish band such as Angry Itch and Brassick mixing it with the old guard like GBH and Drongos for Europe.  If you need any further proof check out how many Birmingham bands are on the line up for Rebellion and on tonight's performance it's gonna be epic.  Bring on the Birmingham Invasion! 

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/SpiritBomb4
https://www.facebook.com/AngryItch
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Nerks/328504867170942?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/ChrisHillPhotographyuk  
 

2013 - A brief reflection on some of my live highlights

It’s that time of year when we reflect on the previous 12 months and what fun we had. 

In no particular order here are some of my gig highlights from 2013. 

The Stranglers / The Godfathers – Birmingham Academy – March. 
Proving the old guard still have it this was an amazing double header.  The Godfathers still got the passion for it and some great new tunes.  The Stranglers were spectacular, a career spanning set, an eager crowd, still one of the best bands around. 

Stiff Little Fingers / The Men They Couldn’t Hang / Eddie Tenpole – Bilston Robin – April. 
The queue to get in shows the demand that Stiff still have.  Crowd pleasing set from Eddie, TMTCH were great and Stiff blew the roof off with a mix of hits and classics from their back catalogue, even throwing in a cover of Staring At Rudeboys as a encore. 

Ruts DC – Rebellion Festival – August. 
By the end of 2013 I’d seen the Ruts DC four times in 16 months but this was probably my pick of the bunch.  Playing at the end of a brilliant Saturday at Rebellion in the slightly more intimate Bizarre Bazaar stage they delivered a great set of new and older Ruts DC material but it’s hearing those old Ruts songs once again that gets the hairs on the back of the neck standing on end.  Truly Brilliant!. 

Pete Bentham & The Dinner Ladies / Angry Itch – Adam & Eve – June. 
Well this turned out to be a stormer of a night.  I’ve seen Pete & The Dinner Ladies quite a few times in recent years, usually at the Rebellion Festival but I always seem to enjoy them more in smaller more intimate venues (like most bands I guess) and this was a storming performance.  Making the night even more special was the discovery of one of the support bands, Angry Itch.  They just blew me away.  The Birmingham punks are only recently formed  so the fact they deliver their catchy fast tunes so tightly only adds to the summation that these guys are something special and worth watching in 2014! 

Beans on Toast – The Rainbow Pub – October.   
I love the intimacy of this venue so when Beans on Toast joins the crowd to perform half his set you know it’s going to be something special.  Brilliant, funny, though provoking and some great in-between song banter made this one of the best gigs of the year.  And support Gorgeous George weren’t bad either. 

Shellac – The Rainbow – November. 
Playing in one of the larger Rainbow venues round the back this gig was nothing less than superb.  One of the tightest bands you will ever see, all members are just so tuned in with each other the impact of each song is magnified.  The attention to detail in the songs is outstanding and the in-between song Q  & A sessions add another dimension to the night and show the band in a totally different light. 

The Damned / Ruts DC – Wulfrun Hall – December. 
The Ruts DC were on form again but the night belonged to the Damned.  Atmospheric stage props and a more varied set taking in most periods of the band added with some great playing and a great sound meant this tuned out to be a bit of a corker. 

Toy Dolls / TV Smith – Birmingham Academy – November. 
It’s easy to gloss over TV Smith and assume he’s just another ageing punk rockers treading water but there is much more than just those old Adverts classics.  A quite brilliant acoustic set showcasing the best of his solo material too, possibly the best performance of his that I have ever seen, not bad for the support.  The Toys Dolls are often passed off as a one hit wonder novelty band.  Sure there is a lot of humour in their songs but that belies their musicianship and the songs are catchy as hell.   

Birmingham Punx Picnic – Wagon & Horses – September. 
I only managed the Sunday but this was a great day out.  Ten band for a fiver.  With Eastfield kicking off proceedings and Hardskin finishing off, it was a great atmosphere and will be well worth visiting the Punx Picnic 2014. 

Punk Rock Chaos 2 - Wagon & Horses – September.  Hosted by Angry Itch another great night of Punk rock all for a fiver.  Angry Itch were brilliant again (and I got a song dedication!) and local heroes Rotunda rounded off proceedings – as the night ran behind a little things ended in a bit of a blurrr but another great night of Birmingham Punk Rock

The Undertones / The Nightingales - Slade Rooms - May
Apprehensive about seeing the Undertones as Feargal has such a distinctive voice but any doubts were immediately cast away with a greatest hits and more set, such a great back catalogue of tunes.  And the Nightingales were brilliant!

Louise Distras - Rebellion - August
What a year it's been for Louise, globe trotting the world (well some of it) spreading her political and catchy acoustic punk rock message.  Great set at Rebellion playing the highlights of her then soon to be released debut, Dreams From The Factory Floor.  Cannot wait to catch her in 2014.

In fact cannot wait to catch a whole bunch of live music in 2014.

PUNK ROCK CHAOS 2 - WAGON & HORSES

If anyone needed confirmation that the punk scene in Birmingham is very much alive and kicking you needed to look no further than the Wagon and Horses in Digbeth last Saturday night. An evening headlined  Punk Rock Chaos 2 put together by the Angry Itch boys featuring six bands for a mere £5.  Here's a few short lines... 

 

Got to admit I’d only seen two of the bands before so it was bit into the unknown with the other four who I knew very little about. 

First of these were Complete Dysfunction, who have been going since May this year and reminded me a little bit of some of the early 80’s punk bands.  They completed a set of catchy protests songs ending with the excellent Gary Critchley Has Been Released.   The Knobbers were a great surprise.  Quite a young band, their in your face hardcore sound belied their youth and they were well received by an appreciative audience.  Waste of Organs also ripped through a set of catchy punk songs including thee thought provoking We Took Maddie about the tabloids treatment of the McCann’s.  Mangled were a recent addition to the bill and have a harder sound (not surprising considering they share a drummer with GBH).  They have a massive stage presence and the set included a cover of Peter and the Test Tube Babies’ Transvestite.  All of the above definitely worth checking out again.
 
Earlier in the night organisers Angry Itch blasted through a set that included all the tracks off their recent Scratch It Til It Bleeds ep and finished off with a brand new song, only written a few  days before with a sing along chorus that promises more great things to come from these Brummie punks.  Watch this space as I really think great things are destined for this band – remember where you heard it first! 
 
Finally it was the turn of headliners Rotunda, taking the stage after midnight (and after yours truly had downed several more pints than intended!)   With Louis's no nonsense heads down approach and a set full of classics they were the perfect end to another brilliant night of punk rock in Digbeth. 
 
Thanks to John and the Angry Itch guys for putting on a great nights entertainment at the Wagon & Horses.  I urge you all to support the local punk scene with regular gigs at the Wagon and Horses as well as the nearby Adam and Eve and other venues across the local area.

SEPTEMBER GOOD STUFF

20 GOOD THINGS IN SEPTEMBER

 

 

New discoveries, gigs, songs / albums on heavy rotation and general rock n roll influenced greatness.
 

1.       Dog Party – Lost Control.  Great new discovery.

2.       New Model Army – Between Dog and Wolf.  A brilliant new album.

3.       Louise Distras – Dreams From The Factory Floor.  Long awaited debut album finally released.

4.       Brum Punx Picnic 2013 – Sunday 1^st September.  10 Bands for £5.  Brilliant DIY day out.

5.       John Cooper Clarke / Mike Garry / Luke Wright – 17^th September live at Artrix, Bromsgrove. A classic night of poetry and humour. 

6.       The Hold Steady – We Can Get Together (from Heaven Is Whenever album).  Song has been stuck in my head for weeks. 

7.       Punk Rock Chaos 2 - Wagon & Horses 28th September with Rotunda / Angry Itch / Complete Dysfunction / Mangled / The Knobbers / Waste Of Organs 

8.       Sam’s 18^th birthday & epic tattoo!

9.       GTA V – Some great radio stations featuring, Off!, Circle Jerks, Adolescents, Black Flag, Lee Scratch Perry and others.  Oh and the games not bad.

10.   Get Dead - Bad News.  Another great new discovery.

11.   Beastie Boys – Ill Communication.  Dusted down and given a few spins thanks to Gregg’s top ten.

12.   The Fall – Rowche Rumble.  Man, everyone should love this song!

13.   Angry Itch – Scratch It Till it Bleeds.  Storming debut e.p.

14.   Marc Riley – 6 Music.  Well worth a listen

15.   The Clash – Sound System.  Not sure if it’s entirely a good thing but gives an opportunity for another listen.

16. Pixies - E.P.1

17. Joanna Gruesome - Weird Sister

18. Bad Sports - Bras

19. Chixdiggit - Double Diggits

20. XTC - Complicated Game

28TH SEPTEMBER 2013 AT THE WAGON & HORSES - BIRMINGHAM

 

Six bands for five quid. Sounds like a bargain to us. Get your arses down there!

ANGRY ITCH - SCRATCH IT TIL IT BLEEDS EP

 

Oh Boy, this is good.

Every now and then a band comes along who really grab you.  I was lucky enough to go see Pete Bentham & the Dinner Ladies at the Adam & Eve a couple of months ago (who by the way are absolutely brilliant) and was completely blown away by one of the support bands, Angry Itch. 

They have just released their debut EP, Scratch It Til It Bleeds.

 

Brought together through a love of loud, brash music and a mutual, burning hatred of Phil Collins, Angry Itch are an amalgamation of Great Barr punksters This Side Up and Knockout Ned comprising John Hoey - Guitar/Vocals,  Richard Ellis - Bass/Vocals, Luke Deakin - Drums/Shouting

And oh man, this EP is amazing.  The Birmingham punk bands such as GBH and Drongo's For Europe and even Rotunda seem to have developed a Birmingham sound over the years (and thats not a band thing) but these guys seem to offer something a bit different They are tighter than a nans habit on a celibacy stint and the lyrics are delivered with the enthusiasm of kid with ADHD on speed with all of the answers. I think a bit Blitz, Husker Du, Descendants, Leatherface, so no pressure dudes. 

 

9 Livers is an up two three four catchy as fuck punk rock steam roller drinking song classic.  All Locked Up is more of the same about the riots a couple of years ago and FROC (Fuck Right Off Cameron) is as political and fuck you hard as nails in your face as you are going to hear this year.  I think these guys could possibly be my new favourite band.

You can get to hear the other two songs on the ep Don't Be A Dick and Bailout on their soundcloud page and if you love these songs the other three songs on the EP are even better and the live experience even more so.

 

To get a copy of the ep catch Angry Itch at the Punx Picnic on 31st August at the Wagon and Horses or on 28th Sept at the Wagon & Horses as part of the Punk Rock Chaos gig headlined by Rotunda. Or speak to me nicely and I might be able to hitch you up with a copy.

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!)