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

Mirror Books

As I lay in my hospital bed there were times that I thought ‘This is it’ but listening to my press copy of Dodgy’s latest album Hello Beautiful gave me some hope!

Hello Beautiful is the perfect feel good factor album of 2026 and I don’t say that lightly either!

The wonderful indie-pop tunes draw you in giving you a wonderful experience from the very start of Hello Beautiful right through to its conclusion!

The soft guitars and bass work so well with the keys to deliver you that amazing sound that Dodgy are renowned for!

Then there’s that wonderful vocal delivery!

I love this album for sure!

Just have a listen to tracks such as the title track Hello Beautiful, Its Not The End, Summer Forever and Fall Into Me then try telling me these songs aren’t special!

Hello Beautiful is the perfect album!

You’re going to love it! 10/10

Flip Flop Records

This beauty fell through my letter box yesterday. Our mail service is getting slower by the day. I’m still getting mail from 2025!

As soon as I finished work this baby was straight in the player and for twenty five minutes all my problems went away and I was leaping around my front room enjoying every minute!

If you’ve not heard Grade 2 by now they combine street punk with a hardcore edge at times – A sound that you’ll enjoy!

Kicking off with Cut Throat you’re instantly drawn into this wonderful album and you’re left thinking can it get any better?

Yes it can!

For me Hanging Onto You which for me is classic and the best song on Talk About It! If some one like Rancid or Cock Sparrer had written this tune you’d be worshipping said bands for sure!

The quality doesn’t diminish – Just listen to tracks such as Better Today, the title track Talk About It and Smugglers Haven!

You’ll be lapping this up with an album filled with quality sing-a-long tunes and more importantly no fillers!

I was a sceptic of this band when they first started as they just seemed run of the mill street punk that I’d heard a thousand times before but album by album they’ve just gotten better!

Having seen them live twice I can safely say that Grade 2 are one of the best UK bands going and their latest album Talk About It confirms it for me! 9/10

Hellcat Records

Assert the UK hardcore band have been doing the rounds since 1995 and a band you’re either going to love or hate them!

I love what Assert are about!

The band have had various members over the years but the mainstay of Assert has been Britt and Ryan.

Despite there being a few line up changes over the years there always has been a no-compromise position surrounding Assert. In fairness that’s why the band have managed to survive and still delivering the goods with their seventh album The Great Resist!

What you get for your money is a thirteen track album with playing time of just over thirty five minutes!

The Great Resist kicks off with a banger called Prison Drug Song which is a powerful hardcore / metal crossover song which is so in your face it’ll have you wandering if a fist is going to come flying out your speakers!

The title track The Great Resist is my favourite track on the album both musically and lyrically. A song that would be a gem if released by some of the top HC bands doing the rounds!

The rest of the album consists of top tracks such as Stand For Nothing, Don’t Shoot Me, New World Order, Fear’s A Friend and On The Rope.

The Great Resist is filled with great socially aware songs that will have you moshing around your front room like a demon possessed.

Britt delivers the words with passion as the band deliver the music with so much passion!

If that wasn’t enough the production is bang on the button!

For me the best album of 2026 so far! 9.5/10

Engineer Records

This is a cracking album from this London based Emo / Hardcore band and fans of this scene are going to love what’s on offer here!

What you get for your money are nine kick ass tracks which are not just run of the mill hardcore tracks. There’s plenty of emotion in Death Of Youth’s sound – Fans of the emo sound will get off on this!

Desensitised is the opening number which grabs you taking you on a journey that you’ll enjoy!

Just have a listen to the likes of Rumination – That’s a tune and a half!

The album simply gets better with Fix Your Heart Or Die which for me if the best track on this album for sure! You wont get a better Emo / Hardcore song than this!

Keeping up the high standard of this album are The Inverse Of Patriotism and the closing / title track Nothing Is The Same Anymore!

There you have it – A solid album from start to finish!

The album cover artwork is worth the price of this album alone and its boosted by a kick ass studio sound! 9/10

Engineer Records

I’d been waiting for this show for ages.

After seeing a video of Taylor More Swiftly I mentioned them to Ross the promoter for Wolverhampton Punx Collective and he booked them in for a show!

Sadly on the day of the show I had spent most of the day in bed with colitis playing up but managed to get back to functioning normalish by 4pm.

Got rained on walking from the station to the venue then had to climb several levels of stairs to get to the venue!

Once there I managed one drink as I set things up on my camera!

First up was Lauren Marie.

I’d seen this very cool woman before supporting my friend Jesse Ahern at the Asylum venue in Birmingham!

Lauren delivered 30 minutes of her own songs and covers.

Great voice, look and rocks that acoustic guitar.

Well worth checking out!

Next up were Boom Boom Womb!

Everyone knows how much I love this band and haven’t seen them as much as I should have done due to illness!

Their take on the riot grrrl sound with some grunge / rock thrown in for good measure is a winning combination!

Having sup;ported The Subways the previous weekend they still delivered the goods to a much smaller audience!

The crowd loved them!

Its now they should be thinking of delivering an album – If they were American a label would have signed these up by now!

Top set and you should really think about seeing this Telford / Shrewsbury four-piece play!

Next band up were Fights And Fires who for a hardcore band took this gig to a completely different level with their tunes!

Why I hadn’t seen this band before is anyone’s guess!

They really did tear Birmingham a new one!

The vocalist was like a demon possessed really getting in to engaging with the audience and even having a mosh!

Meanwhile on the the band played their fucking hearts out!

At that point I was left wondering how Taylor More Swiftly were going to follow on from this fantastic set!

Final band of the night was Taylor More Swiftly a cool Taylor Swift tribute band playing Taylor’s songs pop-punk/ska-punk style!

Damn!

This four-piece were explosive and certainly delivered the goods from the moment they hit the stage!

The young crowd were loving it and having a good boogie to the Taylor Swift songs being delivered on that night!

Even I managed a little boogie myself despite feeling drained from the colitis!

Despite feeling rough I had a great night and would highly recommend Taylor More Swiftly if you want a fun night out!

I hope to see them again very soon!

Certainly the best band of the night for me!

Thanks to Alex from Boom Boom Womb for the lift home as by that point I was completely battered with pain!

Thanks also to Ross Law for taking a chance on Taylor More Swiftly.

Words / Photos: Kat Riot

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

Cadiz / Mortarhate

Release Date: 20th March 2026

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

Serial Bowl Records

Release Date: 27th February 2026

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

The Enemy

Release Date: 20th February 2026

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

Venn Records