21st August 2002Bob's homework
Urm, Okay, this is my column. There should be a drum role, should be, but it's seems to have got lost. Ohh dear. Never Mind. Okay, I really don't know how to start this off, but I was told this was my "homework", so I thought I'd better do it, sooner or later. Doing Homework is odd, because it's been a long time since I was at any sort of education establishment, and an even longer time since I've brought any "work" "home". Hopefully in the future I might have something more interesting to write about, but not now, no.

To be honest, I was pretty flattered when I was asked to write a column for this site - you see, I've always wanted to write a zine, along with putting out a record, and singing in a band - and when I tell people, they get so excited, so appreciative, and think it's going to be like the best thing yet - because, according to them, I come across as a completely different person on the internet. Some people think I'm really intelligent, and extremely political - which is both flattering and worrying at the same time. But yes, enough with the cynicism: As I come from Laaandann Taaawn, I will write a small scene report covering the bands from Laaandann Taaawn, well, not all of them, just the DIY punk/hardcore bands.

Nailbiter play a lot, well, I guess they play a lot of Paco's shows. They're a threesome playing the usual bass/vocals, drums, and guitar/vocals line up. Originally the members are from all over the place - the drummer from Brazil, the Bass Player from Italy, and the Guitarist comes from Spain. Musically, they sound like an old Extreme Noise Terror type band playing the usual racket of hardcore noise, covering both the old Japanese Punk and Swedish D-Beat style. I feel they're a little lifeless for a hardcore band, but I guess they all can't be Youth Of Today, especially as Ray Cappo didn't have to stand behind a microphone stand while performing. They've got a split 7" out on Fight Records of Finland. I forget whom it's with, but their name's long and uprenouncable. Also, Paco, the Spanish sex machine, is putting out a split 12" with Discharge Worshippers Destruccion from Spain, on the other side. Bands who worship Discharge are awesome.

Another one of Paco's house bands is Trencher a grindcore trio who recently evolved from just a drummer, and a bass player - but now, they have added a keyboard! Their sound is pretty hard to pin-point, it's proper lo-fi grindcore, in the punk sense of the word, not the Relapse sense, but it's more evolved than Godstomper or Abstain. Maybe a comparison to The Locust, but with out the shit politics, crap songs and stupid customs is fair. They put on a good show - lots of screaming, blast beats and red faces - I enjoy them though, and they always go down pretty well.

The last of Paco's unholy trilogy is Scalplock - proberly one of the most well known bands in England. Featuring Peter Giles of Unseen Terror fame on guitar, and proberly the most death metal man in the world ever - Gorkas - on bass, they make ears bleed regularly playing a high speed technical form of blistering thrash violence at unstable levels. Loads of material out - most notably: their amazing third LP, "On Whose Terms?", on Sound Pollution Records. Their new LP, "Pour The Germs…", has just come out on their on label, On The Verge, with a Compact Disc version to follow on Cacophonous, the label that did the first two Cradle Of Filth records, although, I reckon it would be more at home sitting in the racks between Slap A Ham and Relapse releases.

Rabies Babies are from the East End, and the only London band made up fully of women, I think. Saying that - comparisons of Red Monkey and Submission Hold, along with all the other pioneers of the female riot-grrrl sound are far off. Not too sure about what they've got out - but I assume it's pretty much like their live experience - dull shabby street punk with snarled vocals about heroin addiction, and all those other usual punk things. Lots of leopard skin prints, glitter and studded collars - if you can imagine that picture. Check them out on line at www.rabiesbabies.com

Intensive Care are another load of East Enders, but they're even worse - they're fucking cockneys. They've been entertaining The Crowd's of Back street pubs since 1985, and now they have Clara of Zero Tolerance on bass! Hilarious Cockney Street Punk/Oi with a natch to skin head two tone, with an extremely provocative singer! Throw Bricks At Coppers, Or TBAC are another band who have been kicking around for donkey's years. Proper old school Britcore in the vein of Extreme Noise Terror and Bolt Thrower but with more of a scandicore feel. They're right little anarchists too - all this "burn the rich" class war rubbish!

Active Slaughter are my favourite out of the lot - fun piss up anarcho-street punk lead by the one and only, ever charismatic, Jake Lavar. With songs about animal rights, the Ministry Of Defence and the Government in general - they sure give a good aural battering. The quality I admire the most about the boys from Active Slaughter is the amount of benefit gigs they do. EVERY time they play, which is regularly, they donate their profits to good lefty causes, such as, recently: The HSA, No Sweat Anti-Sweat Shops, SHAC, and The Haringey Solidarity Group. A Great 5 track demo, and a compilation tape of new songs, live tracks and leftovers is available from www.activeslaughter.com. Punk Fucking Rock.

The Restarts have a fair few releases out, including a new compact disc only album on Active. Can't tell you much about them - because the only time I saw them was at the end of a long all dayer, where I was sitting at the back drunk - never mind. Personally, I thought they sounded like one of those street punk/two tone reggae cross over bands but some one told me, at a later date, that they don't. Anyway: who cares?- I'm sure they're very good - www.therestarts.co.uk.

Just out side of London, come Left For Dead, an amazing three piece who play the very finest in melodic hardcore/street punk. Think England's equivalent of The Distillers, but with some style, and some fucking manners! Superb band, I can't rate them enough, really I can't. 10 out of 10, and all that jive. Check out their site here: http://home.btclick.com/leftfordead: where you can find out about all their releases and tour dates and all.

On the "more arty hardcore - less piss head punk" front comes Soon The Darkness, a "screamo-violence" band from Croydon who have been getting a lot of good press recently. Can't say I'm too down with the "Screamo-Violence" sound, so I don't really know how to review them, but they often describe their sound as "a faster pace In/Humanity", maybe that makes some sense to the people who have actually head In/Humanity and not just me. Their live shows are not to be missed - the singer, Tim, is a right head case on stage, Last time I saw them I was physically scared - lovely bloke though. They've got their own 7" out on the bassist's own label - I forget it's name, but it's unpronounceable, Waksui or something. Also, a fantastic split 7" with Southampton Bandanna thrashers Parade Of Enemies, with a split 12" with indie-punkers Wheels to follow. www.soonthedarkness.co.uk. Punk Rock.

K-Line are another arty-hardcore band, and are the new band from none other than Ed Shred of the Stupids! A great live bands, with a lot of energy and dynamics, and they catcher the post-hardcore DC Late 80's sound wonderfully. Their first single "In The Red" which was the follow up to their demos, has received brilliant reviews from across the world. If name dropping is your thing, they also have (ex)members of Toast and Done Lying Down. Check out their posh website at www.k-line.org.uk.

And for the vegan crusty squatter type people, anarcho-dub legends Inner Terrestrials will be your thing. Featuring the drummer of Conflict, Inner Terrestrials play some of most inspiring, heart opening music ever - it's a cross of reggae-dub, and melodic anarcho-punk, with anarcho-primitive, anarchistic lyrics about the earth, and all that other tree hugging crap. www.innerterrestrials.org.uk - there you have it, if you don't check these guys out, then you're a fool.

Right, I can't remember any other bands, fuck you. Other online places of interest with relevance to the London scene include:

www.activedistribution.org - a huge political punk distro. with loads of cheap records and books.
www.eroding.org.uk - a listing magazine covering events in the capital.
And www.londonpunks.co.uk - an online magazine covering punk and animal rights.

Also, the above sites will have all the info on good places, squats, cafes, gig venue's and social clubs that cater for all the vegan, homosexual, feminist/riot grrl, DIY punks on the dole. Punk-fucking-rock.
If you wish to help build an "anarchist" autonomous social centre in London, just like the lovely 1 In 12 of Bradford, get involved at www.emmaz.org.uk.
Maybe next column I'll have something more interesting to write about, like shoes or something, maybe. Till next time: smell ya later.

Bob