Punk Rock Academy Fight Song – Freaks In Uniforms

I have a confession to make and I’ll just come right out with it- I was a high school football player and damn proud of it. Not quite as heavy a admitting to having been a junkie or having spent time in prison but sill a significant revelation considering the unwritten rule that punks and jocks go together like whores and church. But that's the thing about unwritten rules they’re unenforceable and in reality no one really knows who came up with them in the first place-so that makes them that much easier to cast aside. our popular mythology would have everybody believe that a real punk would never play organized mainstream sports(too much rules regulations and uniforms) and anyone who played sports and listened to Punk was just a meathead co-opting an righteous underground movement and forever tainting it with Gatorade and sweat. While there is always some essence of truth in all myth Im calling bullshit on ours. Contrary to what John Hughes films would have you believe jocks and Punks are not mutually exclusive no ones gonna revoke your membership into our club for having thrown around a football or sacking a quarterback-in fact it just might give you a little more cred.
 
I always loved sports as a kid and played AYSO soccer and Little League Baseball. The trouble was I wasn’t very coordinated and there fore not very athletic. In soccer I was the equivalent of a hockey goon not a lot of skills but maybe i could take you out. When it came to little league I had a lot of hustle and a lot of heart but the biggest problem was that I didn’t whine and I wasn’t a blood relative of the coach. And don’t get me started on the politics. So after a while my interest in playing organized sports waned and by middle school I focused on cooler pursuits like reading about history and listening to KROQ -you know that little radio station in Pasadena that played weird music once upon a time. However I still loved watching football-especially the Raiders and Howie Long.

Now by the time I got to high school I loved Punk rock and alternative music, rode a skateboard and read Tom Clancy novels -yeah I know he’s kind of right wing but since I'm being honest here I gotta own it plus this was 1989 and there was still that nagging threat of Soviet domination. Sorry for the digression. Anyway these three facts made me a prime candidate for the type of kid that according to popular culture should get picked on zealously by the jocks and cool kids or so you’d think. So I turned things on their head and joined the football team. I had three main reasons. #1- if I was part of the team then the guys most likely to kick my ass and make fun of me would have to embrace me as one of their own-sort of #2 I might get to date a cheerleader-c’mon who among us hasn’t had the dream of being the outsider who gets the popular girl  and #3 I really did like playing football-a sport where its encouraged to run around and smack people. Well as luck would have it my  most dominant physical traits are absurdly long arms, a hard head and the uncanny ability to absorb obscene amounts of punishment. Oh yeah and the ability to run incredibly slow for a skinny kid. Not exactly the portrait of an all American athlete but it didn’t matter because the football team at my high school to put it bluntly sucked. Also the football team was made up of gangsters, hoods, metal heads assorted screw ups and yes a few bona fide pretty boy jocks. The great thing was the older and much bigger guys took me under their wing and looked out for me-nobody would fuck with me in there presence. Despite my awkwardness I busted my ass on the field and never backed down from anyone despite almost always being over matched and that earned respect out of guys that otherwise would have thrown me in a trash can or just plain ignored me. Yeah they still made fun of me and one of my best friends on the team asked me if I was gay because I liked that you know gay music. But I loved it I took some poundings and even dished a few out and I played varsity for three years. I even got a letterman jacket that I proudly wore with a mohawk-even though we never won a game. No one really thinks about me as an athlete but they do know I was a football player. Playing football didn't make me into an asshole jock but it did expose me to new people and helped develop my personal strength and character. playing team sports might be one of the most Punk rock things any of could do. As for uniforms I'm sure nobody else owns a leather jacket, Ramones t shirt, or studded belts right?
 

 

-Daniel N-

 

 
Read more from Punk Rock Academy Fight Song HERE

 

 

Music play list for the week ending January 31, 2010

Top 25  - In no particular order -

Tsunami Bomb - Say It If You Mean It
Pearl Jam - Last Kiss
These Lies - Bad Blood
The Kids - This Is Rock N Roll
Government Issue - Hall of Fame
Aus-Rotten - Poison Corporations
Deadbolt - Truck Driving SOB
The Freeze - Bodywrap
The Eyes - Disneyland
Gang Green - Another Wasted Night
The Skulls - Life Aint So Pretty
Loretta Lynn - Portland Oregon
Rollins Band - Civilized
Slade - Mama We're All Crazy Now
Poison Idea - Underage
Save Ferris - Spam
Muse - Starlight
Warzone - Skinhead Youth
The Jook - Crazy Kids
Aquabats - Danger Woman
One Way System - Give Us A Future
Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
The Sarcastics - Orgasm Anthem
The Trouble - This One's For You
Reagan Youth - No Class

The above list are some of the top played songs amongst our staff this week.

Download the above songs HERE at the iTunes Music Store

Message of the week:
I'm sick of just liking people. I wish to God I could meet somebody I could respect.
-J.D. Salinger

 

Get the albums that these songs are on HERE

 

The Offenders – aka SKA – at Dexters – Dundee, UK

Dexters in Dundee is a venue I’d never been to before so 15 of us set of by mini bus and, like football grounds, I’ve always liked experiencing establishments I’d never been to so I’d looked forward to this event for a few weeks. None of my associates had ever been there, actually most hadn’t even heard of it. Once inside and facing the stage you find the venue is more wide than it is deep so a good view of the bands performing is guaranteed. The lengthy bar runs along the wall across from the stage. For comparison I think the stage and dance floor was a good bit wider than Drummonds and The Tunnels, which was good for a wee venue. The bar was closed off (for the bands) tonight but any bar that has silhouettes of the London Calling album cover and Liam Gallagher gets the thumbs up from me!

First up tonight is the Aka Ska who I've seen a number of times before and always have a large crowd out when they play in the Granite City (nick name for Aberdeen). In short, they are a ska covers band. Now, in my opinion, if you want to be successful covers band, and I mean absolutely no disrespect by saying that, then you have to be good. People know the songs, the lyrics, the little bits of music, the brass, the drumming and so on that make it all up so you're putting yourself in the firing line constantly playing tracks that a good number of the audience is already familiar with so it'd be so easy to not quite get the quality they need. Their set consists mainly of songs from Madness, The Selecter, Bad Manners and The Specials, squeezing 19 songs into their hour long set.

Vocalist Stephen Rafferty seems to enjoy the slightly bigger stage than he's used to delivering with passion classics such as Nite Club, Monkey Man, Deceives the Eye, House of Fun, Hey Little Rich Girl (an excellent version), Little Bitch, Too Much Too Young (big crowd pleaser), and as always some ‘Manners songs which included just a Feeling, Special Brew, Inner London Violence and of course the customary Lip Up Fatty. The ska-d up of Geno always goes down well, especially to those who haven’t heard it before. Night Boat to Cairo closed their performance for the night, to warm applause from the crowd.

The main band for tonight are The Offenders, two Italians and two Germans and very passionate about their music. I’d already sampled some of their work so sort of knew what to expect on the night. Just to put my thoughts into perspective I have to try to imagine a Scottish band singing in Italian and then playing a gig in Milan… in Italian. I mean, how brave is that? Singer and vocalist Valerio was a much more stationary figure than his predecessor but his powerful guitar playing soon got the audiences attention. In fact this was a very powerful performance with the two guitars and keyboards all fitting in well together. Sometimes I felt the accent was hard to make out but that was probably just me (not having spoken to many Italians in my life!). An 18 song set list covering many topics that you'd probably guess such as Ready Steady Go, Police Oppression, For the Rude girls, Live Fast, Call It Justice, Wake Up Rebels, and even an interesting version of I Fought The Law. One that seems to have stuck in my head is 1969 Brigade.

I thoroughly recommend you catch these guys at a show and hopefully they'll be back in Scotland (well, Aberdeen to be precise) next year.
 

 

Review by: Still Burning

Photos by: -Dod M.-
Big Wheel Overseas Correspondent

 

More photos of the event can be seen HERE

 
                                          Go HERE to see all the latest show reviews

 

 

 

Choking Victim – No Gods No Managers

There are many bands that classify themselves as maintaining both Ska and Punk influences in their music, fusing both styles to create what most call "Skunk". While Choking Victim is a band well known for combining both genres in their music, their style and method is unlike most "Skunk" out there. The majority of Ska out there sustains both upbeat natures of what makes Ska: upbeat tempos and upbeat lyrics. What separates Choking Victim from the majority of Ska bands is both the lyrical content of the band's music, and even the musical nature. Released through Hellcat Records in 1999, Choking Victim's stand on everything that is wrong with America and mankind is manifested through the music found in "No Gods No Managers".

The lyrics found throughout "No Gods No Managers" appear to possess a "Crust Punk" nature, but the band's music is anything but. Choking Victim constantly challenges authority and the ideals of society that seem to corrupt individuals and morality more than anything else. The band uses satire, humor, and irony in their lyrical content to demonstrate their anarchistic point of view and enlighten anyone who's willing to listen. Throughout the album, the band uses excerpts from speeches by political scientist Michael Parenti to further push the ideas of the songs. "No Gods No Managers" purposely provides anti-Christian lyrics and even Satanic artwork in the album for the mere function of offending people. Witty, informative, and enlightening, "No Gods No Managers" possesses ideals of its own which are persuasive and even oddly logical. The album ultimately provides what most music today fails to administer to its listener: truth.
 

 

-Stephanie M.-
Big Wheel Online Magazine
 

 

 

Music from the Used Record Bin

 

 

                                                     Check out other records in the used bin HERE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1st Annual Art Los Angeles Contemporary – at the Pacific Design Center – Los Angeles, CA

Anthony Kiedis and Neil Patrick Harris turned a few heads at the Art Los Angeles Contemporary opening night gala, but the real star of the evening was the extraordinary exhibit of contemporary art on display at the art fair.  Hosted in West Hollywood at the iconic Pacific Design Center, the art fair takes place January 28th – 31st and features works of more than 50 established and emerging galleries from around the world with a strong focus on Los Angeles galleries.

Los Angeles is home to the movie capital of the world, we are a very visual culture yet few Angelinos seem to know about the wonderful art scene offered in their home city. Art Los Angeles Contemporary is the perfect event to begin to dive into what Los Angeles has to offer.  As I walked through the exhibits it struck me that this was perhaps one of the best contemporary art exhibits I have toured in Los Angeles.  The talent was extraordinary, the art goers were a diverse mix of art enthusiasts and the curious, and the environment was very accessible, not stuffy like so many exhibits and art fairs I’ve attended in the past.

Some of my favorite gallery names exhibiting included; Starkwhite (Auckland, New Zealand) which featured stacked canvas blocks with words painted on them, “Artificial Lust”, “Amorous Learn-ing”, “Neo-Con Futur-Ology”, “The Mourning Paper”, a fantastic piece!; Kate Werble Gallery (New York) exhibiting very large kitchen knives and a make your own knife art; and Kim Light/ LightBox (Los Angeles) beautiful mixed media and waterbased paint on 9 x 12 envelopes.

Art Los Angeles Contemporary is the perfect art fair for both seasoned art lovers and those looking to see what kind of art scene LA has to offer.

About the Fair:
Art Los Angeles Contemporary is an international contemporary art fair featuring the 55 top international blue chip and emerging galleries from around the world, with a strong focus on Los Angeles galleries. The fair provides a sophisticated yet accessible environment for art collectors, curators, and patrons of the arts alike to enjoy. In addition, the fair hosts a comprehensive programming series, including world class artist talks, panel discussions and an artist film screening series all on site at the Pacific Design Center. The art fair takes place January 28-31 at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. For tickets and more information visit: www.artlosangelesfair.com
 

 

-Natasha Bishop-
Big Wheel Arts and Lifestyle Correspondent

 

More photos of the event can be seen HERE

 
                                          Go HERE to see all the latest from Around Town

 

 

 

 

The Tinglerz – Peccadilloes – Helltown Harlots – Thee Swank Bastards with Mizz Szandora – at Double Down Saloon – Las Vegas, NV

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect Friday night. The only band I had ever seen on this bill was Peccadilloes, and they always put on an awesome show.
So the first band up was "Thee Swank Bastards" They totally surprised me ! I listened to some of their music on the internet and thought wow this is different. Their sound is like "Surf And Soul" they sound like the Ventures, Jan and Dean, the surf music from the 60's. They have something going for them that The Ventures didn't have "Mizz Szandora" She Hula Hoops during their entire set. I got exhausted just watching her. She is amazing!! To be able to Hula Hoop for that amount of time in itself is amazing. but she can work that hoop. and it goes so well with the music. To explain their music a little more to me it's like Black Sabbath Meets The Ventures.

They use no vocals just Jesse Del Quadro on guitar, Shaun "Beelzebozo" Coleman on bass, I'm not sure who was drumming this particular night and Mizz Szandora on hula hoop. They cover a wide variety of songs my favorite was when they covered "War Pigs" by Sabbath, just outstanding. check out their tunes on my space www.myspace.com/theeswankbastards it will amaze you. What a great band, I highly recommend them.

Next up was Local Psychobilly, Rockbilly favorites "The Helltown Harlots" This was my first time seeing them and unfortunately it would be my last, As lead Vocalist Miss Pirate is moving to Los Angeles. along with her vocals you have Katie on stand up bass, Wolfman on guitar, A Shark on drums. They slammed through their set with all the energy of a hardcore punk band !! The psychobilly sound is really incredible, what sets it apart from hardcore punk in my opinion is the stand up bass. I love the way it is incorporated with the electric guitar it gives the music a very unique sound. This band really rocked The Double Down !! I was in front photographing and beleive me I took my share of Hard Knocks from the people in the pit. Thank God for balance or I would have been picking myself up off of the floor. They put on an outstanding set, I wish that it was not their last. By this time the crowd was totally warmed up for the next band.

Up 3rd was "Peccadilloes"  This band never disappoints me. They always give 110%, Playing songs from their 4th full length c.d. entitled "CHAOS SHOW" They totally kicked major A$$. but that is to be expected when you see Peccadilloes. They recorded a song for the yet to be released soundtrack for the yet to be released movie " One Long Day" I will keep you updated on the release date for this movie. I can't say enough about this band, they are becoming my favorite local Las Vegas Band. Whenever you go to a Peccadilloes show you are guaranteed to have a great time !!  And Friday night was no Exception. Excellent Show. They are playing again next Saturday and I will be there Camera in hand.

Last up was another very cool local Las Vegas Hardcore/garage/Punk band,  "The Tinglerz"  With Kei on guitar, Joe on drums, and Eric on bass, with songs like Revenge Beer, Into the sun, and Fancy Heart, They cooked The Double Down with their hardcore punk sound. Fast and Furious. I hope to see them again soon as they really impressed me. You can find all of these bands on MySpace, They have some of their songs on their pages so you can get a little taste of what they are all about.
 
Once again The Double Down put together an incredible line up of bands each band complimenting one other.  A great night of "PUNKABILLY"
 

Bob Mandoki
Big Wheel Music Scene Reporter

 

More photos of the show can be seen HERE

 
                                          Go HERE to see all the latest show reviews
 

 

 

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