Hated – Wrong Beach – and The F@gz – at Tiki Bar Oc – Costa Mesa, CA

So I'm off to the Tiki Bar Oc in Costa Mesa, I have been looking foreword to tonight because all the bands tonight are comprised of great and seasoned players. Tonight's list of bands are The F@gz, Wrong Beach, and Hated 

 

I walk into the Tiki ,The F@gz just started their set, on stage Kelly Kaos looking hot and sounding hot! This band stands against censorship or suppression of ideas and that definitely come through in the music.

Next up is Wrong Beach, The energy this band puts out is because of the heavy line-up this band it has several of my favorites players: A.J. Das Clown, Rikk Agnew from Adolescents, Christen Death, and that list goes on for miles, Greg Watson/ bass, Justin Time /drums, Johnny Barrios / rhythm guitar, Dwayne Lyon/ keyboards. This monster of a band from Long Beach plays all my favorite tunes from bands that originated from Long Beach , Funeral, The Crewd, Rhino 39, Redd Kross, and Das Clown.

The final band of the night is a Hated a band that has been around since 1978, The Hated were a large part of the Punk Scene in the 70's and 80's, they played with such bands as Dead Kennedy's, J.F.A., The Damned, Social Distortion, T.S.O.L., Black Flag, Circle Jerks, 45 Grave, Fear, and The Crowd. Recently reformed in 2012 the band : Steve Real - Vocals, Curt Smith - Guitar, Chalmer Lumary - Bass, and Hank Jacobson on drums. 

 

 

 

                             More photos of the show can be seen HERE

                                                                         

                                                                          

-Pix Tracy-
Big Wheel Contributor 

 

 

 

 

Go HERE to see all the latest show reviews

 

Send your comments to the editor HERE

 

Mark Lanegan with The Creature with the Atom Brain – at The Garage – Aberdeen, UK

 Lanegan leaves Aberdeen crowd screaming for more……Last night’s sold out ‘one off’ show at the newly re-opened Garage venue by the largely underground and underrated artist Mark Lanegan and his band was a gig fans had been waiting to see for quite some time.

 

The one time Screaming Trees, Queens of the Stone Age and Gutter Twins frontman has played numerous gigs in the central belt over the years but never travelled this far North to share his wily wares as a songsmith and second- to- none singer. A talented old boy is Mr Lanegan, regularly collaborating with some of the best artists around.  I mean, PJ Harvey sang backing vocals on his last album, Slash played guitar, and Scotland’s premier spooky singer Isobel Campbell of Belle and Sebastian fame has recorded many a tune with him, notably the fab album, ‘Hawk.’  He is a prolific collaborator almost shirking his own genius to share with other talented folks to make a ‘body of work then move on.’ (His words not mine).These are hugely talented folk in their own right, but happy to share a song or two with Lanegan, who is one of the most original singer songwriters to grace our ear-waves for many a year. 

Enough about the past, last night was all about the present and being ‘in the moment’ with ‘the man’.

 

The support for the evening was the Creature with the Atom Brain, and I really liked them.  Somewhere between the 13th Floor Elevators, ‘mellow’ Butthole Surfers (if such a thing exists) and a more psychedelic Beach Boys.  These guys were good.  I couldn’t help being transported back to a brilliant Julian Cope gig I had been to many years back during the Peggy Suicide years, when Cope swayed, jammed and funkily rocked his way through about ten years of great gigs.  But it could also just be that the lead singer really reminded me of Cope, who knows, safe to say they were good.

Anyhow, the support band did their job…the sound was trance rock with layered guitars and build up vocals and they were worthy. They have a new album out called The Birds Fly Low. I’ve listened to a few tracks this morning, on the back of last night’s show, and realised that in fact these guys are better than good, they are excellent….so I am sending out many successful music vibes to the ‘brains bunch’ as we called them last night, because we deemed their name ‘too long’ for comfort…we are lazy I guess, two words tops for a band name is my formula, and I’m sticking to it.

 

Now to the main event, Mark Lanegan, the guy with the gravel voice who can write songs about dark things, love stuff, light nights and birds.  The first thing you notice when Lanegan gets on stage is that he isn’t entirely comfortable there.  I have found this with truly extraordinary artists, they don’t strut and stomp, they don’t have to, they have this humble ability to just ‘be’ and let the music speak for itself.  

Lanegan is painfully shy, although I wouldn’t want to antagonise him in any way, I think he has had  his battles to fight over the years and faced some ‘situations’ is his life, but that said there was no aggression here, just all out performance.

It’s remarkable really that a guy that feels this uncomfortable in the spotlight would stand centre stage and sing his heart out for 90 minutes for a crowd of hard to please Aberdonians, but he did just that, winning the crowd over with a luscious set of ‘ let it rip’ laments and melodies.

I am not a set list person, I can never remember song for song what was played, in what order and how folks reacted, because when a gig is this good I am in it with them, the performers I mean.  

There were some personal ‘stand out’ tracks for me.  Namely ‘One Hundred Days’ and ‘Hit the City’ from the Bubblegum album, ‘Ode to Sad Disco’ from current album Blues Funeral Lanegan’s slightly uncomfortable take on an almost there ‘dance’ track. ‘Sleep with me’ from ‘Here Comes that Weird Chill’, a preview EP to Bubblegum, was salacious in its delivery to say the least. ‘Harbourview Hospital’ also from the new Blues Funeral was excellent.

The full set and encore pulsed along, helped greatly by the immense backing 

  More photos of the show can be seen HERE

 

-Angela Michael-

Music Lover and Big Wheel Contributor

 

 

 

Go HERE to see all the latest show reviews

 

Send your comments to the editor HERE

 

Riot Fest 2012 Preview Featuring – Iggy And The Stooges – NOFX – Descendents – Elvis Costello – plus more – at Humboldt Park and Congress Theatre – Chicago, IL – September 14-16, 2012

In less than a month, the Windy City will be blown over by spiked and studded punks of all ages. Yes, that’s right folks—Riot Fest, is back for its 8th year. Each year has brought bigger and better line-ups, and to date, 2012 promises to be the best one yet!  This year they’ve expanded the reach of the ‘Riot’(s) from previously only using The Congress Theater, to setting up a full festival at Humboldt Park. Not only will the 3-day festival include some skull kicking headliners, they also have after party shows lined up at smaller, more intimate, venues. If you don’t have tickets yet, you might be able to pick up some 2-day and single-day passes (hurry though, as they are this close to being sold out). As of this writing, most, if not all, of the club shows are sold out. .

Some festivals may only have a handful of bands that you want to see, so scheduling will be easy in those cases. However, Riot Fest 2012 is the complete opposite—each band, from headliners to support, are all pretty fuckin’ phenomenal. You have to choose what band you could live with missing out on seeing. I mean, c’mon! Just take a look at this…Dead Sara, GWAR, The Offspring, Descendents, Dropkick Murphys, Frank Turner, The Adicts, Larry and His Flask, NOFX, Fishbone, Reverend Horton Heat, Elvis Costello, and Iggy and The Stooges? You can’t beat this line-up. I’ve already started counting down the days until September 14th as this Fest promises to be one boot stompin’, body slammin’ helluva time! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Iggy Pop, well known in the mainstream for his solo work from the late 70’s through the 90’s, began his rise to prominence fronting The Stooges. The Stooges are the seminal band of the punk / underground / garage genre and their first 3 albums helped shape that sound. Iggy’s antics and stage diving are part of what makes The Stooges’ live shows so engaging and raw. Due to some recent injuries (and aggravations of old injuries), I don’t expect to see the same sort of high-flying acrobatics out of Iggy this time around, but that won’t matter as I’m sure they will play a good mix of some of the best songs from both The Stooges and Iggy’s solo career. Iggy Pop and The Stooges will close out the festival as the headliners on Sunday night. 

Elvis Costello, one of the greatest singer/songwriters to come out of the late 70’s, will bring his genre-crossing music to Riot Fest, backed by The Imposters. Will he break out his spinning songbook, where the audience members can spin and whatever song the arrow lands on is the one they will perform? One can only hope! Even if that is absent, I’m absolutely certain Mr. Costello will amaze the audience with his intelligently blunt lyrics, smooth vocals, and brilliant instrumentation and musicianship.

After more than 20 years of all out rocking, NOFX still brings the same ‘kick yer teeth in’ energy to the stage when they perform. These guys are a mainstay in the punk scene and are no strangers to playing sold out festival tours. Will Fat Mike play tricks on the audience, ala the “urine in the tequila” incident? Show up as Cokie the Clown? Or will he talk politics more than playing songs? You’ll just have to catch their set to find out. Their club show, with The Adicts and The Dickies, will probably be one for the record books. 

Speaking of ... favourites of Bigwheel, The Adicts will also be playing! The guys always, ALWAYS, put on an amazing show, and I'm sure their appearance at Riot Fest will be no different. Well, except for the fact they will be playing some new songs off of their upcoming release "All The Young Droogs". Expect slammin' pits, stage shenanigans, and going home to find confetti in places you never thought would have confetti. 

 

Milo and Co. have ‘Descended’ on Riot Fest before, having played to a sold-out crowd at Riot Fest 2011, and I’m sure they will do the same this year. The Descendents have seemingly been on tour non-stop for the past couple of years, and I couldn’t be more thrilled (mainly because of the dozen times I've seen them, their set is always solid). 

Frank Turner. What can I say about him? His lyrics are smart, self-deprecating, at times funny, sad, angry, or just introspective. If you think you'll catch a breather by watching his set, you'd be wrong. He's recently added a backing band, The Sleeping Souls, and that's just punched up his already energetic live shows. If you can't catch him in Chicago, he will be playing shortly after in Los Angeles. 

 

Below is the complete festival and club show line-up. Just looking at this list makes me jump up and down and make "fuck yeah!" noises. 

Friday, September 14

Congress Theater (Festival)

The Offspring
Neon Trees
Pegboy
Dead Sara

 

Empty Bottle (After party show)

Alkaline Trio
Brendan Kelly

 

Subterranean (After party show)

Naked Raygun
Dan Vapid & The Cheats

 

Cobra Lounge (After party show)

Frank Turner

 

 

Saturday, September 15
Humboldt Park (Festival)

Rise Against
Descendents
Coheed and Cambria
Dropkick Murphys
Slapstick
The Gaslight Anthem
Andrew W.K.
Hot Water Music
Minus the Bear
August Burns Red
GWAR
Frank Turner
Cursive
The Adicts
Nobunny
Of Mice & Men
A Wilhelm Scream
Teenage Bottlerocket
Off With Their Heads
Deals Gone Bad
Larry And His Flask
The Story So Far
Fireworks
Environmental Encroachment   

 

Congress Theater (After party show)
NOFX
The Casualties
The Adicts
The Dickies

Cobra Lounge (After party show)

Fishbone

Sunday, September 16

Humboldt Park (Festival)
Iggy And The Stooges
Elvis Costello & The Imposters  
A Day to Remember
Gogol Bordello
NOFX
Alkaline Trio   
The Jesus and Mary Chain
AWOLNATION
The Promise Ring   
Less Than Jake
Chiodos (original lineup reunion)
Built To Spill
Imagine Dragons 
Reverend Horton Heat
Fishbone
Screaming Females   
White Mystery
The Henry Clay People
Sister Crayon
Japanther 
The Infected
Environmental Encroachment

 

-Anni Thyme-
Big Wheel Staff Journalist

 

Check out more show previews HERE

 

Send your comments to the editor HERE

 

 

DMF – at The Killer Clam – Bakersfield, CA

 Saturday night brought me to one of the last true DIY venues in California. Nestled snuggly in the South Central hood of Bakersfuck lies a two story home/Punk commune of sorts called The Killer Clam.

Bands like Bad Antics and DMF as well as many other badass Punk bands are regular visitors to the Clam. As you walk through the side gate  and into the back yard, you get an instant feeling of community and family. A friendly pit bull wagging his tail, kids riding their scooters around the patio and a blue haired house mom tending to the kitchen where a home cooked meal awaited hungry Punks.

 

The real excitement was in the garage that had been converted into a sound proofed band room with set lists, art and graffiti adorning the walls, as Orange County natives, DMF also known as Dirty Mother Fuckers rocked for an intimate crowd of Punks that spanned 3 generations.

They played two fast, loud, and agressive sets that included almost every song they have through out the night. Their setlists included delighfully offensive tunes such as "Redwings", Fuck Pay To Play", "Emo Fags", "Camel Toe" and other crowd favorites.

As the cops started making their presence known in the area (not an unlikely thing on a Saturday in this hood) It was announced that the last song would be played for the night and the smaller children were 86'd from the room for the encore.

The show may have been cut short but that didn't stop the party. The Ipod was plugged in, the kids were put to bed and the drinking continued til past 3 in the morning. All in all, it was a night of family fun and great music for the Bakersfield Punk community.  

  More photos of the show can be seen HERE

-J.Moncrief-
Big Wheel Journalist

 

 

 

 

Go HERE to see all the latest show reviews

 

Send your comments to the editor HERE

 

Show Preview: The Adicts – All The Young Droogs Tour 2012

In a surge of guitar riffs and light-hearted lyricism, droog-inspired Punk Rockers The Adicts are at it again with a new generation of fans at the foot of the stage. They're not the 20-somethings that they once were during the 1980s, but their cult following remains and to accommodate they're slated to perform at The House of Blues in San Diego on Sept. 6th and the Anaheim House of Blues Sept. 7th as well as the Key Club Sept. 10th and 11th as well as many dates all around the country. 

The Adicts' legacy lives on with timeless tracks like "Viva la Revolution," an anthematic tune that speaks to the youthful sentiment of outrage and rebellion. That's Punk Rock in a nutshell folks: it's an attitude -- style should be an afterthought compared to the raw and wreckless emotion of urgent guitars and fast-paced drum beats; The Adicts combine both of these along with an innate sense of musical connection to their audience. We all want to belong and The Adicts simply provide an outlet that allows us to pour our outrage into the atmosphere in the form of flailing arms and showers of sweat in a mosh pit.

The Clockwork Orange fashion adds to their playful stage performance and odd sense of humor. Frontman Monkey is known for his onstage antics and is a character that lives up to Punk standards. He's the kind of guy that looks like he's having just as much fun as the audience as he stands there onstage in a glitter vest and make-up.

There's no doubt that The Adicts will whip out some of their best like "Joker in the Pack" and "Numbers" for their beloved fanbase on the Sunset Strip. Earlier this year they played a couple of dates at the H.O.B and since then fans have been clamoring for more action. The Adicts never fail to deliver with playing cards tossed about, confetti and the overall commotion of the band caused by a flurry of gang vocals, violin sounds and and the raw energy with every word sung into through the microphone.

   Here is video that will let you know the good time you are in for



Over the years the band has found a sliver of commercial success through UK Indie charts, but still they remain more of an underground group that everyone and their mother has probably heard of. Their music appeal extends to a broad spectrum of listeners and not just Punk Rockers. They've got catchy riffs and sing-a-long choruses that might not be heard regularly on the radio, but you'll recognize it instantly the second you hear it. It was Songs of Praise in 1981 that brought them into the spotlight and has since contained some of their best work. Their last release Life Goes On in 2009 was their eighth studio album and fans on this tour will be treated to the sounds of a new Adicts record titled "All The Young Droogs" which is scheduled to hit the streets on September 11th, so you can surely pick up a copy at the shows.

The setlist this year has included "Ode to Joy," Spank Me Baby," "Life Goes On," "Chinese Takeaway," "Steamroller" "Naughty Girl" and dozens of other tracks from their collection of releases.

It's gonna be a party, Adicts' style, that you won't want to miss.



-Breanna Fields-
Big Wheel Contributor

 

Check out more show previews HERE

 

Send your comments to the editor HERE

 

 

The Dickies – Angry Samoans – and The Victims – at The Key Club – Hollywood, CA

Things got a bit wild over the weekend at the Key Club during a special night of southern California punk rock with The Victims, Angry Samoans and The Dickies. It was quite the show and one to remember as hundreds of fans converged on Sunset blvd for one wacky night of slam dancing and vulgar sing a longs.

 

The show openers were The Victims, they’re young and fierce and more pissed off than any other band you’ve seen in a long while, they mean every word they scream, and they are constantly screaming which is probably why they go by the name they do. Their vibe reminded us of bands we grew up seeing at backyard gigs in the ghetto, they are raw and intense but can also rock a proper stage. If you’re a fan of street punk then you’re probably familiar with them or will like them if you do catch them at a show. Judging by the way the crowd loved them I’m sure they’ll be playing on the strip again opening for one of your favorite old school bands, they are the new blood. The Victims managed to play a short set and rock the growing crowd, a crowd who were hungry for the two legendary bands up soon after.

After a short changeover the Angry Samoans took the stage to club now twice as packed with fans pushed up against the barricade less stage (one of our favorites in LA). It didn’t take long for the Samoans’  music to get the place moving making the Key Club a circle pit free for all, which very well would remain through out their 45 minute fast paced set. Tracks like They Saved Hitler’s Cock, a Samoans classic’ made the 2012 crowd seem right out of a 1980’s hardcore documentary footage like Decline Of The Western Civilization, fans came to dance and that’s what they did. The Samoans’’ could have very well been headliners it seemed with the crowd response they received Friday. For a main support band they killed it with such ease and intensity, it would be difficult for most any band to follow up with such gusto.

Thankfully for The Dickies, they can follow the hardest of bands and still bring an energy of their own that will go unmatched any night of the week. Opening with the cult classic Killer Klowns (Killer Klowns From Outer Space soundtrack) the band set the tone for the evening, a tone that is unbelievably brash and silly unlike any other band ever. Much like the set before theirs, the pit resembled a war zone where combat boots reigned supreme. Fans as young as 16 and some as old as 40 something’ were in the vicious circle doing their thing together in unison. Fan favorite tracks like Manny Moe and Jack, Stuck in a Pagoda, Fan Mail and Magoomba kept the front row choir singing while the pit behind them kept a spinning wildly out of control.

Never ones to disappoint, The Dickies threw in their infamous classic rock covers with Black Sabbath’s Paranoid  as well as some Neil Young thrown in for a good measure, they are performed in a way that is comical but serious, more than not it is fun. One of their biggest tracks saw lead vocalist Leonard put on a gorilla mask during You Drive me Ape (You Big Gorilla) as well as bringing out a blowup doll, penis puppet and snorkel mask for added camp. Can you think of another band who are as fun as The Dickies and can get away with such wild stage antics without looking like a bunch of fools? Let us know if you do, because in our minds The Dickies do it best.

Unusual stage props as well as an assault of fan favorite hits mixed in with a packed house helped make this one of the more memorable Dickies shows in recent times. We didn’t happen to notice any fights, security didn’t rough up the fans in the crowd and the show didn’t end in a riot like a previous TSOL/Youth Brigade gig at that same venue. A new breed of fans made up a large percentage of the audience while the older crowd who are old enough to almost be grandparents still support the bands that they grew up with in the 70’s and 80’s, only in LA do you see this happening. Things went over great and made for a rad Friday night show. We happened to spot Goldenvoice promoter Gary Tovar, Adicts guitarist Pete Dee, BYO’s Adam Stern and 80’s actor Josh Richman hanging about as well with fans. With a lineup featuring The Angry Samoans and The Dickies on a Friday I suppose it’d be crazy not to expect a nutty crowd as well as punk rock alumni mixing it up with their fans. All in all it was seriously such a good time.

 

 

                             More photos of the show can be seen HERE

                                                                         

                                                                          

-Louie Bones-
Big Wheel Staff Journalist 

 

 

 

 

Go HERE to see all the latest show reviews

 

Send your comments to the editor HERE

 

Next Page »