Its Christmas Day 2024 and a special day but for one time only I sit here writing a review of a man’s music who’s been with me since the days of The Wildhearts. This album is the best thing to come out of the UK this year and these past couple of weeks has got me through some dark times.
Slots is a brilliant album from start to finish and I haven’t stopped playing it since CJ sent it through for review. The man is a rock n roll genius for sure!
This starts with the high tempo Another Big Mistake and then the high octane Punk n Roll continues with songs like the superb The Baddest Girl In The World which I think is the best track on the album! If that isn’t enough then you’ve got The Kids and the superb cover of The Jam’s In The City. And the tunes continue with You’ve Got The Best Part Of Me and closing this album is I Don’t Know What It Is!
CJ’s such a lovely humble guy and he lets the music do the talking! This is now out for general release and not only the best UK album of 2024 but the production and passion of this album is beyond words!
Buy It – Enjoy It!
The Gallagher brothers who I love say Oasis are the last Rock n Roll band but they obviously haven’t heard of CJ Wildheart! 10/10
I’ve sat on this album for a while due to health reasons. I simply didn’t want to give Mr Wells a halve arsed attempt of a review as this album deserves so much more!
Like Simon’s debut album this is completely different to what he did with Snuff and Southport. What you get here is a Sixties Folk influenced album which is a superb album from start to finish!
Kicking off with Skin In The Game you’re treated to something special and this flows throughout the entire album. Tracks include Pieces Fall, The Last Laugh, Snakes And Ladders and closing with Carrickfergus. The cover of My Girl by Madness is brilliantly done. I bet Suggs and Co would love!
For me though Go To Sea No More is the hi-lite of the album for me. This is powerful stuff both lyrically and music wise. I’ve played it hundreds of times since I’ve heard it!
What Simon and his fellow musicians have created here is a work of art. I thought his last album was superb but this is on a different level and certainly worthy of a place in your music collection!
Vocal wise in parts Simon is as passionate as the likes of Woody Guthrie and Joe Strummer at their best! Don’t believe me? Give this a listen and you’ll get it!
Perpendicular Universe is a magical album and I hope you support this baby! It’s wonderful! 10/10
Still recovering from a recent heart attack I’d stopped going to shows for a little while as recovery set in! I hadn’t planned on going to any shows until 2025 but The Almighty and Girlschool was a show I didn’t want to miss out on!
With trains heavily delayed I didn’t think I was going to make it to the venue on time to see Girlschool which was gutting but some how a miracle happened and I arrived at the venue as they were halfway through their second number!
From where I standing Girlschool sounded brilliant! The last time I saw them was back in the eighties and it was like they’d never been away! Their hared metal sound really was a pleasure on the old ears and I enjoyed everything they played including a cover of 999’s Emergency.
I wont be leaving it so long to see Girlschool again. None of us are getting any younger but what a pleasure to see these women rock their hearts out stage!
Despite the queues to the bar I managed to get a pint in and headed off back to the front of the stage where I bumped into Shane from the Gypsy Pistoleros and a few minutes later joined by one of Girlschool.
Had a bit of a chat then it was time for The Almighty to strut their stuff though I was getting a little anxious with the old ticker as KK’s was really filling up at this point!
Come 9pm it was time for The Almighty to hit the stage and they did it in style opening up with the awesome Crucify and the set just got better! Ricky Warwick and co certainly know how to entertain and they did just that with their infectious rock sound!
Song by song The Almighty were delivering the goods with Do You Understand, Wrench, Addiction, Praying To The Red Light, Way Beyond Belief, Jonestown Mind and many more!
There was little small talk in between the songs and that suited most of us as we were there for the music and everyone was really rocking out at this point!
I had to leave before the end of the set due to rail issues but I can safely say this was the best gig I’d been to in 2024! The bands were on fire, the venue and sound was fantastic and the atmosphere was second to none!
If you’ve not seen The Almighty or Girlschool you may want to right that in the not too distant future!
Thanks to Jack Taylor at Adam Parsons Entertainment for arranging the press pass. Thanks also to Ricky Warwick for pointing me in the right direction!
A few days after having a heart attack and a minor operation I must have been off my head to even attempt photographing a show let alone a huge one! However this was photographing Paul Weller and nothing was going to stop me!
On arrival at the venue I set up the camera and it was time to capture the supporting act Liam Bailey who quickly won me over with his cool sound which infuses reggae, blues, rock and soul. For thirty minutes this guy won over the majority of the audience with his personality and wicked band! One artist to look out for!
After queuing for almost twenty minutes I gave up and headed back to the photo pit to see the Modfather Paul Weller!
From the moment Paul Weller and his band hit the stage I and everyone else knew this was going to be a great show and they didn’t disappoint!
Paul Weller not only looked the part he also delivered his songs in style and from the opening number Paul had most of the audience like putty in his hands!
The last time I saw Mr Weller play was in the noughties but like a fine wine he had just gotten better with age!
Despite my chest playing up a tad I didn’t want to leave. One audience member thought I was joking when I said to him I had a heart attack four days earlier!
Song after song being delivered by Paul Weller left me feeling a tad emotional as I just wanted to sing my head off and dance my ass off but I knew for health reasons I couldn’t!
Paul Weller maybe sixty six years of age but there was no stopping this man from delivering one of the best live sets I’ve seen this year!
Lets not forget Paul’s backing band who were sheer brilliant and complimented Mr Weller. Two drum kits of stage too!
Soon it was time to leave and what I experienced live on the night was a brilliant artist still at the top of his game!
Paul Weller is currently on a UK tour. Check various sites dates as this is one show you don’t want to miss!
Thank you to Warren Higgins at Chuff Media for arranging Tuesday night.
The time had arrived to set off to Stafford on a hour long trip on the bus to party with the punks! There was a method to my madness as the bus came past my front door and it was only £3.80 return rather than £20 on the bus and a long walk to the train station!
Walking through Stafford town centre no one seemed to know where the Red Rum venue was so it was lucky to spot Karen Cockerton and her fella amongst the crowd to get me there.
To be honest on arrival at the venue I was surprised to find the venue half empty and that shocked me considering the strength of the line-up which included Ferocious Dog and Tony Wright of Terrorvison.
People you really do need to try harder to support independent gigs!
Here’s my memory of the day though I could have gotten then line-ups in the wrong order. Sorry Luke!
After a delayed start the first band were ready to kick the party off and Lennox And The Flawed delivered a great guitar driven sound that really grabbed my attention. It was a shame that they were a member down as they would have blown almost every band away. Fantastic set!
Next up were Meth Club 7 who I’ve seen around three times now and really do the business. In fact they’re one of my favourite bands on the West Midlands Punk / HC circuit. Their vocalist is a nutter who can’t stand still and really is a fun artist to watch. Their style of HC is catchy and a bliss to to the ears! One band to watch out for!
After a couple of drinks and a chat to PK it was time for Jif Not Cif to hit the stage. I’d heard of the band but never seen them and they delivered some pretty cool fast punk rock. Not too thrashy either so they didn’t lose the tunes. Thirty minutes of coolness. A band I want to see more of!
Next up was Tony Wright of Terrorvision fame doing an acoustic set. Some of this set was amazing but after 60 minutes wore a little thin with too much talking which at that point I’d lost interest. Having an acoustic attack after three kick ass bands was lost on me. Oh well!
Templeton Pek are a name I hadn’t heard in years and I was pleasantly surprised they’re still about playing catchy HC and for me the best band of the night. Just over thirty minutes they delivered some high quality songs oozing with power and tunes. How that drum kit never punched the drummer back after the beating he gave it I’ll never know!
Next up were the hosts of the beach party. The Skate Punx. They play both covers and originals song and pretty much the UK version of Green Day. These guys deliver some decent catchy punk / rock tunes that really get you in the party mood! And party people did with beach toys being thrown about then the delights of a bubble machine really had party going! Great band! You really need to check these out if fun and catchy punk is your thing!
Last band of the night was a stripped down Ferocious Dog who I really wanted to see but sadly wanted to see but with the delays I had to miss out as I had a bus to catch. Others were in the same boat too! What I did see were a three-piece FD delivering their songs in style even if they were acoustic.
All in all a great day though for punters in future I’d go for one less band as public transport from Stafford ends at 10.40pm or even go keeping one band for an after show party so people can see the headline act in full!
Sound was great and the bar prices ok so please do support these shows!
The entire day was great and big thumbs up to Luke who had the foresight to make this wicked day a day to remember!
Also a big thumbs up to Marco Ren who was the DJ in between the band who played some wicked tracks. Some I hadn’t heard in years!
Lee Scratch Perry passed away before this album was finished but thanks to Martin Youth Glover (Killing Joke) for completing this album with a little help from friends. Those friends include Boy George, Don Letts and Hollie Cook!
This is a wonderful tribute to the Lee Scratch Perry who passed away in 2021 and is one of the greatest artists to come out of the sixties Ska scene with his band the Upsetters.
For your money you get a a two-disc album. The first disc contains some great reggae tunes with other genres thrown in which I would think was Mr Youths influence. The second disc is filled with Dub mixes of the original album.
There’s not one filler on this album but the title track, Butterfly Sky and Bulldozer Dub do it for me!
On top of all that is a fantastic production and some brilliant art work on the cover with an added booklet.
If you’re a fan of Lee Scratch Perry or Martin Youth Glover then make sure you pick up this beauty! 10/10
The day had arrived and I was looking forward to this gig as there were some old faces coming out if only for one evening! Sadly I didn’t realise my lens was still faulty which saw some really poor quality photos shot hence why there aren’t any in this review.
On arrival at the Firefly I was shocked to see the place empty going on the quality of music Black Helium have been putting out over the years. Slowly a small but passionate crowd trickled in the venue. Mainly out of towner’s!
After having a catch up with a few friends it was time for Sweetpool to hit the stage. This were a last minute addition to this gig and they played a fairly decent show albeit a few mistakes here and there!
Sweetpool delivered a 30 minute set of Psychedelic Rock fused with Post Punk which grabbed the audience’s attention including mine.
What made their set more enjoyable was the added lighting being projected on the back wall. Some of that imagery was amazing to say the very least!
Soon it was time for a break and while I tried to sort out the problem with my lens it just wasn’t happening and my go to man for repairs was out of town to play his own gig!
Shit happens huh?
Black Helium were up next and I’m surprised this band aren’t much bigger. Their psychedelic rock sound just had to be heard which incorporates the best of Hawkwind and King Buffalo to name but a few.
I was blown away by the woman in the band who blew away the rule book and strutted about like it was last day on earth.
What a musician!
The guitarist and vocalist seemed was on top form despite hiding away in the dark side of the stage. I wish the Firefly would address the stage lighting.
On top was drummer who delivered in style and kept the timing bang on the button!
If that wasn’t enough the projections on the back wall just got better! I love how the projection person got this to work. The art work was simply amazing.
Both bands were bang on the button and Pale Fire Music / Left For Dead Records deserve credit for bringing top rock bands to a small market town in Telford.
Vicious Bishop are a new band to me so I wasn’t sure what I would be reviewing if the truth be known!
As soon as the postie pushed this through the letterbox and almost lost his hand to my dog this four track EP was straight in the player!
From the opening moments of Blood In The Water I knew I was going to enjoy this release and while there’s no stand out tracks this is a pretty solid release.
I for one think its a shame there’s only just four tracks on this release. The enjoyment ends far too for my liking!
Made up of former members of the Toy Dolls and Radio Stars with guest appearances from Mick Geggus (Cockney Rejects) and Dave Parsons (Sham 69) this EP reminds me of late 70’s punk with a modern twist.
You really can’t go wrong with this EP as the tunes are great and words bang on! On top of that the production is pretty hot too!
First off this review is a little different as my lens packed in and very few photos of the main act and none of the support act.
After arriving at KK’s I was surprised to find the gig was being held in the smaller room. I was expecting them to play in the larger room but ticket sales were low!
That blew my mind to be honest but not surprising seeing the poor turn outs at other shows.
Soon it was time for Canadian artist Madisson Galloway to hit the stage. I really didn’t know what to expect but I was blown away when Madison, her keyboardist and drummer were strutting their stuff!
Songs like Hatebirds and River really grabbed my attention.
Madison’s take on Roots/Rock needs to be heard. The delivery is second to none and the emotion coming from Madison’s voice just has to be heard!
Be sure to catch her live over the next week!
As soon as Madison Galloway came off stage it was time from The Commoners to set up. Once tht was complete this 5-piece kicked off their set!
They were like a lovely explosion from the moment they hit the stage!
I couldn’t believe how great this Canadian rock band were. I can safely say The Commoners are one of the best bands I’ve seen this year and I don’t say that lightly either!
The vocalist and some times guitarist really is a front man to be seen. I don’t think there was anything he did wrong! Then the lead and bassist really were at the top of the game. The drummer really blew my mind and the keyboardist added to the charm of this band.
The acoustic song was on a completely different level with so much emotion packed in to one song!
For a hour or so I felt like I was on a different planet. There was so much emotion poured into that song to be believed. One of the best acoustic numbers I’ve ever heard!
The audience were enjoying themselves but I felt sad for The Commoners playing to a small crowd but boy did they play their hearts out!
I recommend you all go and see this Canadian rock band play live.
They’ll blow your mind in a good way – I Promise!
Thanks to Peter at Noble PR for sorting everything.
After a long train ride I finally made it to the Sunflower Lounge in Birmingham just in time for the opening band Shut Us Up! I couldn’t find any music on line so was a little apprehensive to what they had to offer!
When Shut Us Up kicked off their set it seemed a little ropey but they soon turned it up a notch or two and delivered a pretty cool set! I think a few more gigs these will be a decent band to watch!
Their Riot Grrrl sound grabbed the attention of a few people and rightfully so!
One band to watch out for!
Next up were Boom Boom Womb who stole the show and I think the other two bands would admit that!
If these were around in the 90’s they’d be a legendary band now playing much larger venues and proof of that lay in their set last wednesday night!
If you’ve not heard Boom Boom Womb then you really are missing out and I hope in time these get to play much larger shows as they deliver the goods and much more!
This was a bit of a special show for them as their debut track ‘We Got A Grrrl?
Final band of the night were Verloren who a few people had told me to check out!
Another Riot Grrrl band who have the potential to take the band further but I think they need to re-think a couple of songs as they just didn’t fit the vocalist’s voice!
Most of the songs the vocalist had a wicked time delivering some great vocals and then bang then back to being wicked again!
The band are really good musicians and tore through their set in style and as they did the sweat poured off them! I’d have probably collapsed at that point but these carried on in style!
Certainly another band to look out in the future if you love the Riot Grrrl sound!
A fine end to the evening and then back to train hopping to get back home!
Street Voice UK 