With the sad passing of Colin Jerwood it was decided that Fiona Friel the co-vocalist of Conflict would fulfill all tour dates to promote their 2025 album This Much Remains.
This live album is a result of one of those dates – Bibelot, Dordrecht on 26/09/25.
I’m not a fan of live albums as a rule but this captures the spirit of Conflict and what they stood for!
He would be especially proud with Fiona Friel who really puts her heart and soul into this live recording!
The band really deliver the goods musically too!
Colin would be so proud of the band carrying on after his passing which anyone would agree must have been very hard.
For your money you get seventeen tracks which covers set of classic Conflict songs as well as songs from the 2025 This Much Remains album!
Tracks include Cruise, A Mothers Milk, No Power Without Control, Tough Shit Mickey, From Protest to Resistance, Berkshire, Whichever Way You Want It, This Much Remains, Mighty And Superior and The Serenade Is Dead!
Production and quality is on top form too!
Live In Holland is a lasting testament to Conflict’s achievements and message. 9/10
This is the third album from the UK’s answer to Fugazi and I love it!
Dealing With Damage influences on this album aren’t just limited to Fugazi either!
It’s fair to say that The London Particular is Dealing With Damage’s most creative record so far. Just have a listen to songs such as Nickey Nickey, But Fear This Art and Hymn For The Burned Goddess.
They’re cool as fuck tracks!
For fans of the more DC scene there’s equally fab songs such as The Inconvenience Of Democracy, Be Careful and Head Full Of Feedback!
Musicianship on this album is second to none and vocal delivery from Ed has seen him up his game as if that was even possible due to the amount of recordings this guy has been involved in!
There’s 15 tracks on this beauty and not one filler!
An album full of both traditional DC influences and surprises! 9.5/10
The Enemy are back with a new album called Social Disguises and its a killer of a record!
It’s The Enemy’s first album in a decade and I can assure you it’s been worth the wait!
What you get for money are eleven well crafted rock songs that just grab you by the throat with no compromise at all!
Social Disguises opens up with The Boxer which is a subtle but great song that leads you down a path where ten rock tunes take you on a journey of sheer pleasure!
Just have a listen to Not Going Your Way, Trouble, the title track Social Disguises,Pretty Face and the closing number Finish Line. You’ll realise you’re onto a winner with this beauty of a record!
I’ve played this record to death over the past few weeks and I’m still excited with everything about Social Disguises!
Tom Clarke and co certainly how to write a great record which will certainly stand the test of time and no doubt will be one of the best albums to be released in 2026! 9/10
Bratakus are back with a new album and its a killer release from start to finish!
Heavily influenced by the garage rock scene and bands like The Distillers, The Donnas and X-Ray Spex this ten track album will have you jumping around your front room as you get absorbed into something rather special!
It’s great to see Bratakus not only delivering great music but educating folk with issues about animal rights, feminism, media brainwashing and a lot more besides that!
The opening track Final Girls hits you like a punch in the face and the assault continues with Real Men Eat Meat,Hypocritical, Tokened, Behave and the closing track Cut Us!
Not only do you get a solid album musically, lyrically and vocally there also has to be much appreciation for the top production that captures the beauty of Hagridden!
If there’s one album to purchase this month its this baby! 9.5/10
To start with I think the band name is a bit of a mouthful but aside from that this is a pretty cool release from this Italian Indie-Rock outfit!
Low Standards, High Fives deliver an eight track album that wouldn’t be too far out of place if it was released through Dischord Records.
For me I think at this moment in time that the title track Everything Ends is my favourite number but that could change as there’s some serious musicianship throughout this release!
Just have a listen to Somewhere Too Far, Fortune and Well, I Wish You The Best to see these guys aren’t messing around!
Low Standards, High Fives have delivered the goods on this release not just musically but also the production is top notch as is the artwork on this baby!
Its fair to say the artwork drew me to this album first and once you play the music I for one hope you’ll be equally impressed! 8.5/10
Engineer Records are putting out some pretty cool stuff at the moment and this ten track album filled with melodic hardcore tunes is one of my faves!
I couldn’t wait to put this Jukebox Romantics on the album on my record deck but sadly I had to wait until I had it repaired!
This killer album opens up with Coffee, Cigarettes, And Damp Church Basements which is a belter and then it just gets with Packing Up My Knives, March 24, 1984 and The Walk To Heartwood.
The sing-a-long catchy tunes is just what’s needed for the monotony of the British winter – Just listen to She’s On The Run.
If this Downstate NY band don’t win you over then I seriously question your musical tastes!
There’s not only top music on this album – The production is bang on the button too!
I’ve never heard much from James Walsh as a solo artist or fronting Starsailor but I have to say I’m impressed with this solo album as the guy has done everything from a home studio so kudos to that!
What I like about It’s All Happening is the personal nature of the songs and the calmness James puts out even with the song Rachel where Rachel Corrie was murdered by an Israeli armored bulldozer as she tried to protect a Palestinian family home from being destroyed.
There’s other great songs on here such as The Great Northwest which tells of the story about the Liverpool community coming together as one after the car driver who drove into crowds of people during Liverpool’s 2025 title celebrations.
That song got to me personally as I knew people who were caught up in the madness and didn’t need to go through the madness of what one vile man did!
Other tracks such as the title track It’s All Happening, Moving Target and Broken Days really grabbed my attention.
I don’t say that lightly either!
James Walsh has written a deep album that shouldn’t be ignored!
It’s great to see Crispian Mills and Co deliver another album!
What do I think?
As usual these guys stand out from the crowd and for your money you get eleven neo-psych tracks fused with elements of Indian music as well as the traditional Brit-Pop sound.
For me personally I love the originality of the tunes played on this album. Lets face anyone with a love for music doesn’t want to hear repetitive albums that bore the pants of you!
From the opening moments of Lucky Number you’re in for a terrific journey through this album with tracks such as Charge Of The Light Brigade, Be Merciful, The Winged Boy, the title track Wormslayer and the closing number Dust Beneath Our Feet.
Crispian Mills vocals are on top form and the band deliver some well produced sounds that will captivate you throughout this wonderful listening experience!
Fans of Kula Shaker will love this one but anyone wanting to experience something very cool will enjoy this album! 9/10
Due to illness I almost forgot about this show! 5 months in and out of hospital and then to catch the flu and be hospitalised again has been hard on the body!
After rushing from work I quickly got showered and changed then it was off to the train station where for once there were no delays!
Once in Birmingham I headed off to The Fox and Missing for a couple of drinks and to see Meghan a friend before making the cold and damp journey into Digbeth!
Entering a pub in Digbeth I bumped into a staff member from Missing who was going to the same show. after a few minutes of chat I realised I remembered Hilli from the eighties as she went out with a friend.
How mad is that?
I made the short walk to the Crossing where I was very surprised to find a very cool venue which I fell in love with!
Never had a drink as they didn’t stock one of the few alcoholic drinks I consume these days!
After a natter it was time for the support act to hit the stage!
From the moment Block 33 hit the stage I was blown away with their Mod Revival sound fused with the energy of Punk Rock.
For thirty minutes my mind was taken away from all the health issues I had as this band delivered the goods!
I’d seen a couple of videos on-line a couple of years back but never got around to checking them out!
Huge error of judgement in my case!
From the set they delivered last night has me checking out for releases to purchase!
Yes!
Block 33 were that good!
After more chatting the time had arrived for Bruce Foxton and co to hit the stage and they did it in style!
I didn’t think I’d see Mr Foxton play again so was delighted to see him back on bass duties even if it’s for one last throw at the dice!
It was great hearing The Jam songs played again with Bruce Foxton being the main focus and I for one lapped it up!
Hearing songs like In The City, Down In The Tube Station At Midnight, The Eton Rifles, David Watts and Mr Clean really took me back in time to where I was just a youngster living a care free life!
Hearing All Around The World was epic as Bruce hadn’t played that live since the seventies. Not forgetting In The Midnight Hour either! A great song very rarely played live!
Ok so the vocalist messed up a few of the words here and there but it didn’t matter as the audience were taken back in time even if it was just for a hour!
As for the band its made up of the original drummer from Big Country, the keyboardist from Secret Affair and I can’t quite picture who the guitarist played for – Good though he was!
I like many left the venue happy and if you get the chance to get to see one or more of the gigs on this tour then you’ll have a lot of fun!
The sound was great last night and Bruce Foxton despite being very emotional at one point was very appreciative of everyone coming along!
Thanks to Bruce Foxton’s manager for sorting this out for me and thanks to the promote for allowing me to take in the camera!
On the morning of this gig I felt awful with some complications from the meds I’m currently taking but I managed to get myself sorted by the afternoon and was soon on the train to Birmingham.
On arrival in Birmingham I headed straight to Ignite Records to check out some vinyl and then off to Gay Village to see what hunky men were going to buy me a drink!
Only kidding – I popped in a couple of bars to see some friends before heading off onto the dark streets of Digbeth!
After walking down Milk Street in Digbeth for what seemed ages I had no idea where I was heading! Thank god I bumped into Proprioception otherwise I’d have been walking about for ages!
On arrival at the Centrala I bumped into Amber from Anaemia and had a decent chat with the bar staff who seemed pretty cool. There were also a great range of drinks on offer!
It was also great to be at an openly LGBT supporting venue.
First band on were Proprioception a hardcore band from South Wales who did the business. Their vocalist shocked me at how powerful and aggressive her vocals were. The band were on form with their drummer keeping it altogether. A band to look out for!
Next up were Arbiter from down South! They’re a deathcore band who blew the fucking roof off! They were as powerful as fuck! Personally speaking I thought these should have been main support they were that good. My ears were bleeding by the time they finished their set but in a good way!
Next up were Voidlurker from Birmingham and although technically brilliant musicians they didn’t really do a lot for me! Their songs were far too long for me – I prefer the shorter style songs the other bands were delivering. People obviously loved them as they drew a fair few in!
The band I came to see finally hit the stage albeit thirty minutes late!
Like the other bands I’d also never heard Anaemia from Wolverhampton.
I’d met their guitarist at The Dive in Wolverhampton as she was performing with an all-women band there! Having come across Amber on Instagram I had the mindset Anaemia were going to be pretty interesting!
From the very start and what I saw of Anaemia they were shit hot and with interesting too!
As they were setting up I knew this wasn’t going to be a band who were fucking around – They meant the business!
Everything went well for them and I’m pleased as it was the night they were launching their debut EP.
Anaemia did take things to a different level and their take on the metal sound was hard as nails and came at you like a punch in the face!
A band to look out for sure!
A top night at the Centrala and it was great to see the youngsters supporting all the bands instead of drifting off after their mates had played!
The walk back through the gritty streets of Digbeth was a mad one.
Not only did I get soaked but I also witnessed a nutter putting through a car window and a motorist stopped me and asked if I was a ‘Working Girl’!!!!!
Street Voice UK 