rolling punk rock 2024

They didn't even play Gotta Getaway wtf is that about

yah I have been warned in advance:

"Though focused on their new material, they always play the old favorites at gigs."

aside from the obvious 1st album cuts I would love to hear "At The Edge" or especially "Doesn't Make It Alright"

https://wowhall.org/event/stiff-little-fingers/

Xp both bangers

OK that was fucking great, they played everything mentioned above and more, the new songs didn't suck, band was tight, good sound, packed crowd in a 300-person venue

as soon as "Suspect Device" kicked in, myself and a woman at least my age to my left went down immediately from pit madness, good times

Late night thoughts of an old punk after seeing Stiff Little Fingers in 2024:

I didn’t really hear much advance hype for this show, maybe I missed Instagram chatter, but it became clear as the day drew closer that this was a must see.

Like lots of other kids, i had my brain fried by “Alternative Ulster” back in the day, it remains one of the finest moments of incandescent punk protest to be put on record, by people who were living the words they sang. I love those first three albums, they hold up. (OK, really it’s the first one and the 3rd one, if there are any diehard Go For It fans out there I don’t know them).

Before I even went to the show, I was feeling that special high that one gets when you are fully aware that you are part of a community - I tried out a new restaurant (Yardy, for locals) and it turned out that I knew the bartender and a waiter already. Had some unbelievably great West Indies dishes, plus rum cocktails.

I had planned on just buying a door ticket, but it turned out that one of my oldest friends had a spare ticket. He lives here in town with me, although we both grew up in Virginia in the 80s. So it was him, me, his wife (a Eugene native and OG punk rocker), and their daughter’s fiance, her high school sweetheart but now it’s been almost a decade. The daughter herself had bailed, I was the beneficiary. I remember her being born, now I am going to her wedding, these are the kind of landmark events I think about all the time these days, the connections of community.

It turns out that Jake Burns had all that on his mind as well. During their (incendiary, awesome) set, he repeatedly returned to the themes of aging while still moving forward. They never thought the band would last more than a few years, yet here they are, in a packed room, with people singing along, 47 years later. At one point Jake talks about seeing The Clash for the first time, and I reflect that there are probably only a few people in the packed hall who ever even saw them - I saw one of their last US shows almost by chance in late 1982, when I had just turned 16. It makes me think of the Gabriel Garcia Marquez concept of how nobody really dies until the last person that remembers them from real life dies.

Before SLF took the stage, I was front and center with a bunch of other folks my age (i.e. old). About 10-15 seconds into their opening track “Suspect Device”, when the whole band kicks in, the pit went nuts and I got knocked off my feet (and on my ass) to my left, taking down another woman who was also around my age. Immediately, many hands reached for us to get us back up, and honestly this has always been a part of every punk show I’ve ever been to, maybe I’m spoiled by living in college towns all my life but the support has always been there, it manifests in many other ways as well.

Their whole set was great, I got to take it in from a few vantage points, even got back in the pit for “At The Edge” (the first song I ever heard/loved by them, thanks Spud). I kept seeing people I knew in the audience. By the time they finished the 1st encore song “Barbed Wire Love” even the toughest crusty guys were swooning like doo-wop soda counter pretty boys (which Jake commented on, to his credit).

And then we get to “Alternative Ulster”, their statement of purpose. Played by a guy who is clearly feeling his mortality, as am I, especially after the death of Steve Albini who was like 5 years older than me. I sing along at the top of my lungs, as does a much younger woman behind me, while a kid to my left who is maybe 10-11 years old watches the band intently, taking it all in. The memories continue through generations. I wonder if this kid will remember this SLF show 42 years from now the same way I remember The Clash in 1982. Punk is community at its heart, but yes also ritual and remembrance.

“And they say they're a part of you
And that's not true you know
They say they've got control of you
And that's a lie you know
They say you will never be free”

Great post, thanks sleeve.

more Billiam ... love this:

https://hiimbilliam.bandcamp.com/album/full-of-spots

yeah that one fuckin rules

glad you had a great night, Sleeve. had to miss them for the first time here (not that there have been that many chances in the past).

count me as a huge Go For it Fan, definitely ahead of the third for me (which I also love).

I was away and missed SLF show in Baltimore near me. Saw on Facebook that tour is billed as their final American tour. Oh well. Jake is living in the US these days.

yo UK folks

JUDY AND THE JERKS - Hattiesburg, MS / Atlanta, GA
SHITTY LIFE - Parma, ITALY

WHOEVER WINS, WE LOSE

~ SUMMER 2024 SHITTY LIFE / JUDY TOUR ~

07 JUNE - NYC, NEW YORK - Oh Bondage, Up Yours Fest*
09 JUNE - BRISTOL - ENGLAND - The Exchange *
10 JUNE - SHEFFIELD - ENGLAND - Delicious Clam *
11 JUNE - LEEDS - ENGLAND - Mabgate Bleach *
12 JUNE - LONDON - ENGLAND - Shacklewell Arms *
14 JUNE - ITALY - PADOVA - Yucca Fest
15 JUNE - SLOVENIA - ILIRSKA BISTRICA - MKNZ
16 JUNE - CROATIA - ZAGREB - Club Attack
17 JUNE - SERBIA - BELGRAD - Akab Okretnica
18 JUNE - HUNGARY - BUDAPEST - Kripta
19 JUNE - AUSTRIA - WIEN - Rhiz
20 JUNE - CZECH REP. - PRAGUE - Dragon H Fest
21 JUNE - POLAND - POBIEDNA - Izero Hardcore Fest
22 JUNE - GERMANY - BURGHAUSEN - Burgkellar Bar
23 JUNE - ITALY - TRENTO - Smash Fest!
*NO SHITTY LIFE

https://earthgirltapes.bandcamp.com/album/split

I am tempted by that one, next few weeks are already v busy though so not sure a mid-week trip to London is on the cards that week

NEW GOBS SINGLE

https://thegobs.bandcamp.com/album/pop-off

new Bootlicker K I C K S A S S

https://boot-licker.bandcamp.com/album/1000-yd-stare

"kicksass"

thought i had a space in there

oh well

killer. can we talk about how essential Will Killingsworth seems to be to this whole scene?

a/k/a "Dill Picklesworth" according to The Gobs

i actually *would* like to talk about that. i know nothing about him ... who is he and what role does he play?

he does all the mastering for these bands, idk who he is but his name pops up like "a porky prime cut" used to on cool records of all sorts

https://www.discogs.com/artist/495765-Will-Killingsworth?superFilter=Technical

almost 2000 credits for "Technical"!

the only other major vector I am aware of is the "jimmy" youtube channel, as per that egg vs chain meme

Haven't heard any studio stuff, but caught Bootlicker live a couple weeks backs and they did indeed kick metric tons of ass

Goner Fest lineup: https://goner-records.com/pages/gonerfest

Feels more stylistically varied than previous years, but I may be wrong about that.

Would love to go sometime ... not sure this is the year.

xps the UK equivalent would probably be Daniel Husayn, seems like half the records I buy have "mastered by Daniel Husayn at North London Bomb Factory" on them

Killingsworth was the guitarist in Orchid, and runs Clean Plate...I feel like he also used to do a zine back in the late 90s, when he was at Hampshire College, but searching is a little hard. I used to order records from him all the time, and obv Orchid are like an all-time band

The Sleeveens are at Gonerfest: the record is excellent, and their lead guitarist is an impressive Wilko Johnson style string whacker

I hadn't heard of Repent (from Chicago) but they're playing here this weekend so I looked 'em up. They're good! Loud and fast and rude.

https://repent666.bandcamp.com/track/y-cant-god-die-3

calling Col. Poo! this is funny. The Chisel played in Boston a few weeks back. watch what happens at 34:39. that was the end of it. a friend of mine was deejaying the show and he was bummed because he brought lots of heavy hitter 7-inches for after The Chisel. but they evacuated the place.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU5Gu8cFHNE

hahaha amazing, epic stagedive fail there

haha yeah I saw that on their instagram when it happened

https://gijinx.bandcamp.com/track/change-the-world-demo

after the demise of Static Shock Weekend, was wondering if someone else would step in and put something on like it, looks like they are:

https://dice.fm/event/2wlq7m-oh-what-fun-5th-sep-new-river-studios-london-tickets

slightly smaller scale as half of SSW was at New River Studios and the other half would be at bigger venues but looks cool

https://canalirreal.bandcamp.com/album/someone-elses-dance

Newish band featuring Los Crudos' Martin Sorrondeguy and members of Sin Orden, good Chicago stuff

nick sakes' (from dazzling killman/colossamite/sicbay) new band upright forms has a new album coming out on skin graft, sounding great

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgHExmbGEFA

amazing photos of punks young & old, together in Bloomington In at a street dance
https://bloomingtonian.com/2024/07/01/gallery-street-dance-bloomington-rewind-saturday-in-bloomington-indiana/

bonus shredding:
https://velocityhc.bandcamp.com/album/demo-2023

good afternoon,

i am enjoying the spiky and ever-so-slightly funky/no-wave-y sound of the rolex side of this rolex/grimly forming split

https://rolex.bandcamp.com/album/grimly-forming-rolex-split

also necron 9's flower children, FFO goblin cassette sounds. it may not be outstanding in its field, but it's out standing in its field, if you get my (humid, bad-smelling) drift.

https://unlawfulassembly.bandcamp.com/album/necron-9-flower-children-tape

Been playing this one today, nasty raw crusty shit that sounds like it was recorded in a fucking garbage can, my fave type of punk tbh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x4ET7xJjKA

their demo and the tracks above are name your price here:
https://arson6.bandcamp.com/

nasty raw crusty shit that sounds like it was recorded in a fucking garbage can

yes please

new Subdued LP is good if you want some bleak anarcho-punk.

some other 2024 faves so far:

Kriegshog - Love and Revenge
Pissed Jeans - Half Divorced
Vampire - What Seems Forever Can Be Broken
Planet On A Chain - Culture Of Death

and EPs by Violin, JJ & The A's, Mutated Void, Brux

Extreme Noise Records here in Mpls is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a bunch of shows and they are getting Urinals and Zero Boys to play

URINALS be still my fucking heart.

Citric Dummies aren't afraid of making music with a powerful message

https://citricdummies.bandcamp.com/track/look-out-world-im-eatin-arbys

new Media Puzzle "LP" (14:21) totally rules, god I love this shit

https://mediapuzzle.bandcamp.com/album/strategic-living

lol

Egg Norton
Bass and Vox

Blob Mold
Guitar and Vox

Grandt Shardt
Drums and Vox

lmao

two new HÄGÖL tracks, love them so much

https://hagol.bandcamp.com/album/dirt