Recently released is the fourth album from Folk- Punk artist Simon Wells and as usual this is pretty much a faultless album from start to finish!
Most people know Simon’s musical history from a founding member of Snuff to several years with the punk/mod/soul fusion band Southport!
Simon Wells then went solo and roll on 2026 sees his fourth album Slow Mornings finally released.
Kicking off this fourth album is Part In Parcel which is a tremendous start to this release and this album just gets better with the likes of Peace Now, the title track Slow Mornings right through to the Shape Of Time to covers of Cable Street by the Young’uns and Streams Of Whiskey written by the late Shane McGowan for the Pogues.
Ten tracks in all and every one a winner!
Simon has some help from various musicians from Ed ‘Shred’ Wenn and Steve Cox from London band Dealing With Damage. In fact there’s seven musicians on this album and they all play a part in its greatness!
Production is top notch and I love the love the art work on this album!
If you want something very cool to listen to Slow Mornings is the album to buy! 10/10
It’s certainly taken a while to read this as there’s over 600 pages dedicated to bands, labels, magazines from all over the globe talkingh about how crossover bridged metal and hardcore punk!
Alexandros Anesiadis certainly has done his homework and I swear the level of writing and research is on par with what Ian Glasper has done with his books.
You get to listen to the bands themselves ranging from Agnostic Front to DRI to Discharge to the Crumbsuckers yo Cryptic Slaughter to the Electro Hippies and much more!
It’d be easier to tell you who’s not in the book!
It’s not just the well known bands who are featured either!
There’s bands who’ve been over looked in the past such as Legions Of Parasites, Sacrilege B.C. and Lethal Aggression!
There’s more than 180 interviews from bands from the 80’s to the 2000’s to the current day and they’re cool in their own ways.
On top of that there’s flyers and bands / live photo’s on top!
Anyone in to the crossover scene will get a lot from this bible!
A brilliant read that needs to be picked up! 10/10
I don’t usually review albums I purchase but I was listening to this 2026 album and was bouncing around the room so I thought why not give it a write-up!
Not The Face! are Brighton based and they play a mean Ska/Punk sound similar to bands such as No Doubt and Save Ferris but with a lot more social awareness about them!
There’s twelve tracks on this album and they rule!
Kicking off with Not The Face! you’re treated to some very cool songs such as Don’t Preach To Me, Oh No! It’s You, Jack Off, The Other Morning and closing with Secondhand Boy!
This is where it’s at and Not The Face! are one of the best Ska/Punk bands doing the rounds in the UK at present!
This is a top notch recording with some brilliant music played along with some superb vocals from Cat Goodman.
After spending the day in Birmingham taking photos it was time to head off to the Hare And Hounds in Kings Heath! The journey was fine and I found the venue with ease!
Once at the venue I had a chat with a few people and took in the great vibe surrounding the venue!
Come 8pm it was time for Mega Fishy Four a tribute to the legendary Mega City Four to hit the stage!
This was the third time I’ve seen Mega Fish Four play and they delivered a tight and wonderful set which pleased everyone in attendance!
For 30 minutes you’d have thought it was Mega City Four back on the stage with songs such as Rose Coloured, Iron Sky, Messenger, Shivering Sand and closing with the epic Stop!
I loved every moment and I believe the late legend Wiz from Mega City Four would have love these lads playing his songs!
Next up were the UK’s answer to Fugazi – London’s own Dealing With Damage led by the legendary Ed Wenn!
To be fair to these guys they’ve added more to their early sound which really does need to be heard. Yes the Fugazi influences are but there’s lots more going on and the keyboards seem to feature much more!
Guitar wise you wont meet a better guitarist than Andy Myers who took it to a new level which complimented Ed Wenn’s unique rhythm guitar approach!
James Sherry was his usual crazy self on drums keeping everything in time along with the bassist who also played a blinder!
Some great tunes played by these London lads such as Wrong Sometimes which was the first single release from their most recent album The London Particular. An album certainly worth picking up! In fact one of my favourite albums so far in 2026!
Dealing With Damage delivered 30 minutes of solid Punk / HC (Whatever you want to call it?) with a set list that also included Alienation and Be Careful also from the new album!
A set I didn’t want to see end!
You must see this London based 5-piece for sure!
Final band of the night were the mighty Midway Still who for a three-piece know how to deliver the goods with the power most bands couldn’t handle!
On the night Midway Still were on top form with some top playing from the band and some banter from Guitarist / Vocalist Paul Thomson who really takes his craft to an entire different level! This guy is a pleasure to watch!
On bass was Russell Lee who really rocked out complimenting Dec Kelly the drummer – Both of whom really add the greatness of Paul Thomson!
Alternative Rock or Pop-Punk?
You decide!
Between the three of them they are one top band who I’d love to see doing more UK shows because it’s simply a pleasure watching them strut their stuff!
Their set included the likes of Daynight, What You Said, Fuck You and Counting Days.
The crowd were loving what was on offer and that’s down to Midway Still being one of the most entertaining guitar bands doing the rounds in the UK!
Sadly I had to leave after 40 minutes due to the last train being cancelled as I was miles from home!
What a great night for live music and what a top venue the Hare And Hounds Is!
Thanks to all three bands making it a magical night for live music!
The Scene Police book is a story of rebellion, passion and financial ruin!
Dennis-P Merklinghaus who founded the collective also saw the collapse of said collective / label tells his story with some bits filled in by friends!
A mental story too!
So much madness but hey that’s the way things went back then and still to a certain extent happens now!
This is the story where madness was the order of the day where the conclusion lay in the collapse of the collective / label in 2003 owing thousands and in the process pissing off a lot of people!
The story surrounds itself with the release of music, touring, DIY ethics the lot and it’s an enjoyable read as I knew some of the people in said bands back then!
There’s some great stories about the bands involved with The Scene Police. Bands including Couch Potatoes, The Babies Three, Lockjaw and Strike Anywhere!
I read this book in one sitting and loved every moment of it especially the chaos and drama something that wasn’t unique in the Punk / HC circles at the time!
Certainly a book to pick up if DIY Punk and HC is / was your poison! 10/10
Having walked around Digbeth backstreets for most of the afternoon taking photos it was time to head to the venue. It was a good job I checked which venue this gig was happening as I thought it was at the Carling Academy the other side of town!
Eventually I arrive at the venue and I wished I’d purchased a drink outside as almost four pounds for a can of fanta / tango was pretty much day light robbery!
Come 8pm it was time for Philly based pop-punk band Don’t Panic to hit the stage. I’d never seen this band before and record wise I’m still not too sure about!
Live though Don’t Panic take gigging to a whole different level and I don’t say that lightly either! I’d say that Don’t Panic are one of the most entertaining bands I’ve seen in the past couple of years!
For 30 minutes the stage was theirs and the crowd loved Don’t Panic’s set as much as the band enjoyed delivering an electrifying set to their fans!
Currently on tour in the UK – Be sure not to miss them!
Come 9pm it was time for American Hi-Fi to do their stuff and these guys didn’t disappoint either! To be honest I thought they’d struggle to beat Don’t Panic’s set.
American Hi-Fi managed it!
Kicking off with Surround from their 2001 debut album American Hi-Fi steamrollered through other numbers such as Bigger Mood, Hi-Fi, Allison and one of my faves Acetate.
American Hi-Fi were loving playing and they played their hearts out! Fair play to them in this heat as the venue was pretty much packed out by the time they hit the stage!
Having seen these play a couple of times now I can see why Miley Cyrus has a couple of members in her band!
Last night American Hi-Fi played pop punk to a mixture of both you and old!
It’s been a long time since I listened to the Dwarves so hearing this new album was a pleasant surprise from start to finish! The tunes are still there as well as the madness in form of the lyrics. The only thing missing is the controversial covers the band are known for!
Jenkem kicks off with the awesome Confused then its a cool punk rock journey all the way with the likes of We Are The Scene, Drug Lust, Too Messed Up, IWish You Were Dead and Melania which I presume is about Trump’s wife!
All the tunes here. catchy punk rock numbers played at various tempos with sharp vocal delivery throughout! Production bang on the button too!
In all these years the Dwarves haven’t compromised and this 2026 album is proof of that!
One of the best albums I’m heard this year for sure! 9.5/10
A week or so getting this review on line but I’ve been out and out of hospital and had more tests than the Cyanide Pills have released records!
This is a double album which contains 33 tracks taken from all the bands singles released to date!
I didn’t even realise funky Leeds punk band were still going let alone them releasing so much material!
There’s some great punk numbers on here such as Break It Up, Suicide Bomber, Hooked On You, My Baby’s Become A Right Wing Extremist and many many more!
Filled with catchy hooks and top vocal delivery you can’t really go wrong with Singled Out!
Cynanide Pills and Damaged Goods have delivered a top feel good factor punk rock album which everyone can enjoy at a BBQ / Party this summer! 9/10
I’d read Kate’s first book and since then I have met her at a gig I was photographing at! My impression was and still is a warm and kind woman. I actually wanted a press copy of this book to review but alas over the past few months I cut down on a lot of work because of ill-health, many visits to hospital, continued tests etc.
A few days prior to reviewing The Patchwork Girl I ordered a copy through Amazon and even on it’s arrival I was unsure if I could review it as I’m still pretty much exhausted from the latest health issues!
Anyway it’s Kate Elysia and she’s some brave woman waving her right to anonymity to talk about her experiences as a teenager being raped / sold by the Telford Grooming Gang. So here I am reviewing this book and giving my honest opinion.
The Patchwork Girl covers Kate’s story from childhood where its starts off great but then her parents split up, her mother asks her to leave the family and ended up living in a Sheltered Accommodation Unit!
It was just a few weeks that the grooming / rape started by a guy called Shahmeel and life for Kate took a dark turn.
A life that saw many men degrade Kate to the point she just became a sex thing. No longer considered Human but now merely an object used for sex.
However this wasn’t sex it was rape!
Not just rape but the taking of alcohol and drugs!
What happened was a real eye opener and shocking to say the least!
Kate also talks about the court cases that came about through Operation Chalice and what she experienced! though one of the cases Kate along with the Prosecution successfully convicted Mohammed Ali Sultan.
What a nightmare to have to experience after being made out to be a liar through the defence.
Kate Elysia also talks about life after the court cases.
Getting through university to work in Mental Health and be part of the team told the Nation Inquiry regards grooming!
This is the most terrifying and powerful book I’ve read on Child Exploitation / Child Rape.
The Patchwork Girl is a damn good education on Child Grooming / CSE and comes highly recommended. 10/10
Street Voice UK 