Left Over Crack – Druglords Of The Avenue – Rats In The Wall – Bum City Saints – at Thee Parkside – San Francisco, CA

I showed up to this event just as doors were opening, there was a huge line of Punkers that went way past the venue and down the street of the quite industrial like surroundings of Thee Parkside. The show sold out a few hours before bands were due on and it caused some panic for a lot of gig goers but as far as know little or no one was left behind and everyone got it just fine.

 

 

First on was San Francisco's Bum City Saints, I've heard of these guys a million times since coming to the city two years ago but never got a chance to see them so I was totally stoked. I made sure to push my way up front in the already packed bar to catch these guys and they were awesome. Right from the start the energy was high and their catchy fast paced Punk songs full of aggression had everyone moving. This Punk Trio really got everyone into it and started the whole night with a great bang. There were killer riffs, lots of bass and lots of gang vocals. I loved every second of it and can't wait to see them again. My favorite moment of their time on stage was a rad Punk cover of Survivor's “Eye of The Tiger” it was faster, rawer and really really good. Bum City Saints just released a cd thats for sure worth checking out and are playing Gilman Street later in month.

 

Next up was Rats in the Wall, I had never heard of these guys but excited all the same and especially so when Brad Logan of Leftover Crack came on stage and I realized he was part of the group. They had a mix of fast and slow dark Punk songs and the singer was rad. Their set was short and I really enjoyed it, lots of noise, but good noise.

Second to last on stage was Drug Lords of the Avenue, like the other bands I had never seen them live but was stoked for what was in store, like Rats in the Wall there was members from other bands including Johnny from Swingin Utters who I recognized instantly. They played a string of catchy Punk songs that were fun and exciting and I can't wait to catch these them again at Punk Rock Bowling this year.

At this point the venue was more packed than I've ever seen it ever, and I've been to a million Parkside shows in the past, the heat in there was nearly unbearable and everyone was shoulder to shoulder waiting for the legendary band to take stage.

As Brad, Alec and the others took stage and tuned their guitars, it wasn't long before the front doors swung open and Stza made his way in. He squatted on the ground for some time looking over the set list and screaming into the mic, testing it out I guess, a minute or so passed and everyone was ready he got up and it was time for The Good, The Bad and The Leftover Crack.

They played lots of classics from all of their albums and threw in lots of Chocking Victim and other songs from past bands and the crowd couldn't get enough. Luckily i was side stage and didn't get too smashed but I seen lots of moshing, and beer being splashed everywhere and the heat was something else.

The band were so energetic and I love watching Stza perform, he is for sure one of my favorite vocalist and the way he changes his voice and screeches those amazing anthems is nothing short of awesome. My favorite songs from the night were “Rock The 40 oz”, “Life is Pain” and “500 Channels” but every single song was good and full of raw passion. Watching Brad and Alec swing their guitars around was great too, those guys rule, they all do.

I was so stoked on seeing LOC, a few years ago when I was living in Ireland. My band Cut The Reins had the pleasure to play with them in Galway, Ireland and in London, England so seeing them all on stage brought back some good memories. I do miss Ezra alot in the band but the new guitarist and vocalist was also very cool. It's no surprise the venue sold out and I'm sure any show they play sells out, these guys rule and if you haven't heard of them, buy their records and read their lyrics, their as smart as their are amazing live.

       

 More photos of the show can be seen HERE

-Brian Mc Cann Jr.-
Big Wheel Contributor

 

 

 

 

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Days Of The Dead Convention – Review – Los Angeles Convention Center – Los Angeles, CA

Last weekend we had the pleasure of spending time in downtown LA at the Los Angeles Convention Center for one of the coolest events to hit our city this year. If you care even the slightest about horror movies then you are likely familiar with The Days Of The Dead Convention and how it is the perfect replacement for Fangoria’s Weekend of Horror’s which was laid to rest a few years back. 

 

 

Days Of The Dead is now the main horror convention in town and stands up there with the best sci-fi fantasy and comic conventions around today. It was a no brainer as to why the event had such a strong turn out throughout the weekend as it’s fun as hell and affordable! The entry price was relatively low despite the number of horror celebrities on site and the fun didn’t stop once you got through the doors. It’s by far the best gore for your buck and as far as location it couldn’t be more convenient.

Opening night (Friday) was a real thrill for fans of the “Halloween” film franchise as Alan Howarth who served as composer to Halloween 2,3,4,5,6 and numerous other horror film scores played from his synthesizer a number of his best known compositions in a fashion that was audibly entertaining to everyone in attendance. Part of his presentation included stories from working with other artists, and directors in the genre, namely John Carpenter and those at 20th Century Fox. This even included British musician Brian Eno of Roxy Music who he had the pleasure of meeting twice throughout his musical career.

The number of horror stars we saw both Saturday and Sunday outnumbered the late starting Friday. Some of our favorites included Bill Moseley, William Forsythe, Sid Haig, Traci Lords, Dick Miller, Brian Peck, Thom Matthews, Kane Hodder, Rick Mora, Camden Toy, Naomi Grossman, Nivek Ogre (Of Skinny Puppy) and John Philbin who all signed more autographs for fans and collectors than you can imagine. 

Some of the best special fx artists were on hand to transform lucky guests into monsters themselves!

There were a large number of vendors selling some of the coolest items and props we’ve seen in a long time. You could have spent your entire savings account that weekend as there was no shortage of awesomeness in every direction. Many fans we met traveled from a far to attend The Days Of The Dead, some even coming from other countries like Mexico and Canada, others came from neighboring states like Nevada, Oregon and Arizona. Our favorites were those fans who dressed up undead for the event. There was no shortage of monsters and creatures throughout the weekend and we’ve come to the conclusion that both Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers are never going out of style.

The FearNet table had a photo booth setup with movie props and go-go girls ready to pose with eager fans looking to mix gore and glamour together for a memorable time. Monster A Go Go had their specialty Vampira shirts for sale, and other items you might see at their store located on Melrose in west Hollywood.

It’s no mistake that Days Of The Dead continues to grow every year and how this convention put on by fans is becoming the most talked about horror event of the year. We cant wait to see what horror magic they bring with them this time next year. Support a great convention and best of all a great time by attending Days Of The Dead next time its head rolls into your town!

            More photos of the show can be seen HERE

-Louie Bones-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter

 

 

 

 

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The Casualties – Goatwhore – Havok – Hysteria – and Bloodshot and Dilated – at The Oakland Metro – Oakland, CA

I was interested in this show from the moment I seen the flyer, firstly because I've been a hardcore fan of The Casualties for as long as I can remember and secondly because the idea of a Punk and Metal Tour intrigued me. Personally, I have never been much of a Metal guy but as a Punk guy I'm always willing to give any band, yes, any band, an open ear.

 

I showed up to The Oakland Metro a little before doors opened, I was super stoked because I hadn't seen The Casualties since “Resistance” came out last year, and I was really excited to hear their new songs live. It's amazing that even after all these years these guys can still put out amazing records, tour heavily and put on a hell of a show. I was stoked.

As I mentioned earlier I didn't know any of the support bands but I was willing to give them all a listen, and just as the doors opened and the spiky headed crowd made their way in the Crusty Hardcore Punk sounds of East Bay's Own Bloodshot and Dilated were being made. I think of all the support bands that night these guys were my favorite, there was lots of screaming vocals and their mix of Hardcore Punk, Dbeat and Crust for sure caught mine and everyone theres attention. I'll look out for this band on future flyers and I hope to see them again soon.

Next up was Hysteria, these guys kind of reminded me of Iron Maiden, they were super talented and even though Metal is not my thing I have to say these guys really put on a great show and played the hell out of their guitars.

Than it was time for Havoc, a Thrash Metal band from Colorado. If you like Thrash Metal and have long hair this is totally the band for you, these guys rule at what they do and put a lot of energy into their performance and a lot of the crowd were really into it.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2nd to last was GoatWhore, These guys were more Death Metal than the previous Metal Acts and it was pretty cool how every band had something totally different to offer everyone. Goatwhore have been around for some time and have a lot of touring under their belts so their set was tight and fast with lots of bone crushing riffs and gravel throated vocals. It was a fun and exciting set.

As Goatwhore finished up and cleared the stage, the place started packing in and everyone couldn't want for NYC Punk Legends The Casualties to start. For me personally I got that really excited feeling when I seen there backdrop and seen guitar cases, drum pieces and other various items being set up around the stage with their iconic logo sketched over it. As the bullet belted Punx made their way out cheers from the whole venue could be heard. Jake and Rick quickly threw their guitars on as Jorge waved the microphone back and forth chanting and shouting to an already totally stoked crowd, than Meggers started thrashing that kit and the whole thing just took up.

I'd seen The Casualties a few years ago and they haven't slowed down one bit, if anything they are more energetic and powerful now than they've ever been, which is inspiring. They started their explosive set “My Blood, My Life, Always Forward” this was the perfect song to start with, The powerful drums and guitar riffs intro got everyone moving and when Jorge began to sing there was kids running on the stage, diving off the stage and lots of moshing, it was awesome.

They played all their classics like “Tomorrow Beings To Us”, “Unknown Soldier”, “Punk Rock Love” “Get Off My Back”, “Ugly Bastards”, “Made in NYC” and “We Are All We Have” mixed some great stuff from their new release. They played on for about an hour and every song got more and more intense, there was so many Punx jumping on and off the stage, singing into the microphones with the band and having a lot of fun. It was hit after hit with a solid set that had everyone on their feet or on their boots. I never seen so many beers splashing around at show than this one, the kids there knew how to party.

These guys are probably the most energetic band ever with everyone sweating and running back forth, you can tell they are playing their with everything they have. I love the way Jorge screeches and screams into the microphone and with other added backing vocals from every member there songs are fun and exciting and that classic The Casualties Punk Sound is nothing short of Legendary.

After the show I had a look at the merch tables, The Casualties are known for always having awesome designs and there was lots of new shirts, hoodies, beanies and other stuff I haven't seen yet, the coolest being a new cd boxset of their latest album “Resistance” that looked awesome. The other bands had a lot of merch too, my favorite being the GoatWhore undies. The Casualties also had a super cool flask and a coffee cup, so if your going to see these bands soon, bring some cash.

So to some up this night, overall it was amazing, The Casualties put on an incredible show and the support acts were cool. If this tour is running through your area I highly suggest you make it. I can't wait to see The Casualties again at Punk Rock Bowling, these guys kick ass.

       

 More photos of the show can be seen HERE

-Brian Mc Cann Jr.-
Big Wheel Contributor

 

 

 

 

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The Casualties – Goatwhore – Havok – Mass Terror – Politikal Decline – at The Vex – Los Angeles, CA

The Casualties have a reputation in the Punk scene especially one in our local LA scene, and it’s a reputation that has followed them since they starting touring out west in the 90’s. Part of what has come to be expected at their shows is complete chaos set to high speed anthems of youthful angst and rebellion paired with no holds barred fans who are also just as involved with the show as the band.

Their performance Thursday night at the Vex in East LA was a reminder that The Casualties always fire on all cylinders in a live setting and their crowd remains amongst the rowdiest in the scene today.

 

With support from Goatwhore, Havok, Mass Terror and Political Dekline both legions of LA Punks and Metalheads gathered to dance and thrash in unison to the unholy sounds of the aforementioned bands. Whether it was in your face street-Punk or heavy metal riffage the kids who showed up early were treated to some of the best local sounds around.

It was during Denver Colorado’s Havok that the crowd began to fill in and rush towards the stage. Having toured with The English Dogs and Casualties last year many of the Punk audience were already familiar with Havok and their brand of thrash metal. Their approach was real as was the reaction from the crowd who started to slam dance to them which was the first slam pit of the night. It is fair to say that many unfamiliar kids were converted into Havok fans after their performance. Their merch area was flooded and their shirts were on fans in every direction you looked, they even sold Havok branded yoga pants; sadly enough we did not see anyone wearing those during the show.

Goatwhore’s unholy metal sound was a great follow up to what Havok had to offer. Their sound although a bit more heavy welcomed the same kind of crowd response which saw even more head banging and slam dancing. Their one hour set served as the best crowd warm up for what was to come with the headliners set.

The Casualties took the stage before a packed Vex and a crowd looking to drink beer and bring the chaos to a whole new level. Vocalist Jorge Herrera hardly had to sing into his mic as fans stage invaded through most of their set and shared vocal duties with him. Things weren’t just crazy on stage, the crowd slam danced, pogo’d and set it off during their entire set which lasted well over an hour.

A hand full of new tracks off “Resistance” found their way into the set list, however the majority of it came straight from their back catalog of fan favorite albums. Tracks like “Punk Rock Love” and “40 oz Casualty” were huge hits with the latter inviting a stage invasion that overwhelmed venue security and ended the show on the “Punkest” note imaginable. 

The Casualties, Goatwhore and Havok brought extreme music to LA and the LA audience gave them each an energy only the most deserving bands could receive. It was real and a real good time at that. 

There are a ton of gnarly Punk shows coming up at The Vex both this Spring and Summer and if they’re anything like The Casualties show then The Vex will with out a doubt become everyone’s favorite local venue in LA.

With that said we can’t wait to see The Casualties at Punk Rock Bowling next month! And we hope to see you there too.

            More photos of the show can be seen HERE

-Louie Bones-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter

 

 

 

 

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The Casualties – Goatwhore – Dr Know – Havoc – The Schitz – and Child Abduction – at The Observatory – Santa Ana, CA

The Observatory in Orange County is a venue that serves its patrons with the kind of pure concert experience that is rare in today’s world, and last Wednesday night was no different. Upon arriving to the venue it was immediately apparent that fans of The Casualties had come from all around Southern California to witness the New York Hardcore Punk-Rock legends grace The Observatory with their performance.

 

The night promised a unique musical combination of Metal and Punk-Rock and with bands like Dr. Know, Goatwhore, and The Casualties it’s easy to overlook the group of opening bands for the night’s festivities; however the opening bands that included: Child Abduction, The Schitz, and Havok all deserve to be recognized for their individual and equally stellar performances.

Child Abduction was the first band of the evening and like all bands that start off a night they were tasked with bringing an audience together; a tough task for any band yet Child Abduction succeeded. They played with the same reckless abandon that was seen in their musical forebears of the 1980s Hardcore Punk-Rock scene. Barrett (Child Abduction’s Vocalist) kept the audience involved in the show by taking song requests and at one point stage diving into the circle pit. Barrett even opted to bring a friend of theirs by the name of Taco from the crowd to the stage. Child Abduction’s set finished strong as they thanked the audience and the venue for the opportunity to be sharing the stage with The Casualties.

The Schitz were next to grace the stage. Wearing a peacock emblazoned polo and wielding a harmonica Chuck Schit (lead singer of The Schitz) introduced the band along with the other members Jack Schit, Holy Schit, and Dawg Schit. They played songs like We are the Schitz, Hey Slick, and Mini Van. Throughout their set The Schitz brought their own take on Punk-Rock to the observatory allowing the night to progress as seamless as possible. After the set Chuck Schit took time to comment on how he felt about the show and talk a little bit about his band “We have been doing this for about five years now, and it gets better with every show. We love what we do, and are pumped to play for this packed house with The Casualties.” Chuck went further to talk briefly about the history of the band’s name “A guy we started the band with, Curt, had a bunch of shit stories and because of that many of our songs have to do with shit.”

Havoc was the next band to perform, and if their immense fan-base in attendance wasn’t enough of an indicator of the level of showmanship they would bring to stage. Then their entrance alone was enough to convince even the most skeptical of Metal fans. The lights dimmed and the smoke covered the stage and when the audience excitement was peaked Havoc stepped onto stage delivering a Metal set worthy of the venue.

David Sanchez (lead singer of Havok) wore a Casualties shirt the lead singer took command passionately screaming lyrics to an enthralled audience, and took time to thank The Casualties for the opportunity to go on tour with them. Sanchez then took some time to answer a few questions. When asked about how the tour was going on what was currently in the works for his band stated “The tour rules. We have toured with both [The Casualties and Goatwhore] before they are both awesome bands and we love touring with them.” When asked what fans can look forward to, Sanchez stated “Our new album Unnatural Selection will come out in June.”

Dr. Know was up next. A no frills kind of band; they began playing with no introduction opting to delve into their Metal style with a hint of Punk-Rock angst. They played all the song they are known for like: “Piece of Meat,” “Boys Life,” and “Emergency Room.” Dr. Know finished their set with “Watch it Burn” right afterwards Kyle Toucher (vocalist for the band) exclaimed “Thank you all for coming out on a school night.” And just as quietly as they entered they exited stage left; setting the stage for Goatwhore.

As Goatwhore was setting up the air of anticipation was evident. Some audience members flocked to the stage floor, while some choose to cheer for them. They played a set that brought the level of intensity up throughout the venue. Playing tracks that included “Alchemy of the Black Sun Cult,” and Collapse in Eternal Worth.”

Their set was full of head banging accompanied by hair flailing; not to be daunted by the Punk-Rock crowd they played their straight up Metal style to no abandon to a packed house. Goatwhore finished their set with “Apocalyptic Havoc.” Ben Falgoust (vocalist for the band) then stated “Thank you all for being here with us late, now stick around for The Casualties.”

The room went dark as The Casualties walked on stage and immediately began playing. Sporting his signature head of liberty spiked hair the Jorge (lead singer of the band) screamed out their song “Tomorrow Belongs to Us” and the crowd reacted appropriately; by swarming to the floor as a huge circle pit was spawned in the chaos. Their set included their classics such as: “Unknown Soldier,” “Fight for Your Life,” and “Ugly Bastards.” They also played “Warriors on the Road” as well as a few other songs from their new record entitled Resistance. Bringing an energy that only they are capable of bestowing upon any audience they play for.

Though their entire set was astounding, a few key moments of note occurred throughout their performance. Right after the first song of their set Rick (bass player for the band) pleaded with the audience “Orange County, I’m disappointed! We went through all the trouble of removing the barricade so you guys can stage dive and enjoy the show, and no one has taken advantage of it. I hate barricades. Now get up here and let’s do this Orange County.” Shortly afterwards the audience began to jump onto stage and sing along with the band or just dance and this trend continued throughout the show. The last moment of note and the most somber one of the evening happened when Jorge regaled his past and how growing up in the New York Punk scene during the mid-1980s.

Jorge thanked the audience for being there with his band on a week night and stated “It’s because of you guy that we have been able to perform as long as we have.” The Casualties finished their show with a chaotic performance of “We are All We Have,” along-side a stage packed with their fans; bringing the night of Punk and Metal music to an end.

            More photos of the show can be seen HERE

-Ryan R.-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter

 

 

 

 

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Show Preview: Killing Joke – at Fonda Theatre – Hollywood, CA – May 5, 2013

One of the most prolific Post-Punk bands to emerge out of the 80’s British scene will be touring North America this spring and are set to play at The Fonda Theatre in May. If you’ve already heard the rumors, then you know we are talking about Killing Joke, and you can rightfully assume that we are very excited about this!

After cancelling their tour and appearance at the 2011 Punk Rock Bowling Festival it’s great to see that the Post-Punk pioneers are back on tour with a stop at one of the best venues in all of LA and on one of the coolest holidays of the year. The last time they played in town was at the House of Blues in October 2008 which seems like a lifetime ago now.

Jaz Coleman formed Killing Joke nearly 35 years ago in Notting Hill London England and has been the main face of the band over their 3 decade plus career. Fifteen studio albums later they remain in the elite group of Post-Punk bands to still record, perform and tour on the regular. With a world-wide fan base, Killing Joke have been performing to crowds outside of America for the last year in support of their newest album MMXII and will be bringing that same energetic live show to Los Angeles for the first time in nearly 5 years. Fans who have caught Killing Joke over the years on previous tour know to expect a show that is amongst the best and will want to be there in the flesh to witness what Killing Joke has to offer up in 2013.

Expect to see Jaz go wildly insane on stage to classic favorites like “Wardance”, “Requiem”, “Pssyche”, “Love Like Blood”, “Blood Sport”, “Eighties”, “Chop Chop” and many more that have made this band a must see act for years.

Tickets are on sale and this show will definitely sell out, so get tickets now before they’re gone!

-Louie Bones-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter

 

 

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