Band Spotlight: Victory

If you are any kind of fan of hard-hitting punk or Oi music, chances are you already know Victory. Maybe you saw them at the 20 Tons of TNT festival in Hartford last year with Poison Idea. Maybe you were lucky enough to get a copy of their debut EP, Laced Up, before it sold out 90 minutes after going up for pre-sale.

But just in case some weird twist of fate has left you in the dark, consider this your guiding light.

Victory hail from the Midwest, specifically the St Paul area, and they play raw, straight forward American Oi. Ok, I know American Oi has suffered more than a few black eyes over the years, but this isn't some crop of 42-year old fresh cuts, or millionaires writing songs about being working class. Victory are former members of Pist & Broke, Subversives, and Vigrgin Whores, among others. They are fathers and Afghan war veterans, they are working class, they struggle, and they are pissed off. 

PHOTO BY BARBARA BULLEMER

And that's where Victory's strength lies. Everyone loves a good knees-up, and singalongs about how much we all love beer, or how much fun it is to be a skinhead will always be a cornerstone of Oi, and "Laced Up" definitely pledges the usual "skinheads will never die" refrain. But Oi is having a laugh AND having a say, and Victory have something to say, and you're going to want to listen. "Our country 'tis of thee, but not of us. Take a look around, who can you trust?... We've not living the American Dream, one step away from poverty. We're all living the American Nightmare. They don't care about you and me." Victory knows everything's not ok, and they're not going to pretend it is. They're going to lace up, and scream their frustration in your face. So, are you going to run and stay out of the way? Or are you going to scream along?

PHOTO BY ADAM DEGROSS

If you're in or around the Northeast, Victory are on tour with The Warriors from the UK, playing

Dusk, Providence, RI 3/20/14

TT the Bear's, Cambridge, MA 3/21/14

The Place Bar & Lounge, Brooklyn, NY 3/22/14

and keep an eye out for Midwest dates as well.

 You can follow the band HERE

 

-Jo Problems-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter

 

 

Check out more show previews HERE

 

Send your comments to the editor HERE

 

 

Band Spot Light: A Pretty Mess

Its no secret that the underground Punk Rock scene is a tough market. There are many die-hards that still attend Punk shows, but let's face it, the scene just isn't the way it was in the 80's. One band is on a quest to keep the spirit of Southern California Punk alive and that is exactly what they have been doing for the last 8 years. 

 

Lead singer, Dee Skusting, formed A Pretty Mess in 2006 and since they have been steady on their path to "reclaim the the underground scene". Meghan Mattox, who is also known for playing in a band you may have heard of called Naked Aggression, provides sick baselines, while Dirty Dan shreds lead guitar and Aaron Austin kicks ass on drums. The rhythm section coupled Dee's powerful vocals, makes for a performance that will grab you by the balls and have you eating out of the palm of their hands. A pretty Mess delivers a new spin on the classic Punk Rock sound we all have come to love, while still maintaining their own style.

Even though this band has only been around for less than ten years, A pretty Mess was invited to share the stage with old school Punk heavy hitters Bad Religion, T.S.O.L, Youth Brigade, Sin 34, and The Grim at Gary Tovar's GV30 (Goldenvoice 30th Year Anniversary) concert in December of 2011. It was a true testimony to the respect they have gained since the bands inception. 

Releases by A Pretty Mess include "We Are The Damaged Youth (2008)", "Filthy Poor (2011)", and their most recent "Wasteland". You can give the albums a listen as well as order a copy HERE

A Pretty Mess have some awesome shows lined up in February, so if you're in the Los Angeles area, you definitely want to mark you calendars! Also if you plan on attending Rebellion in Blackpool UK this year, keep an eye out for their performance, you won't want to miss it.

 

http://www.aprettymess.com

http://www.reverbnation.com/aprettymess

 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Pretty-Mess/154296944666

 

 

-J.Moncrief-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter

 

 

Check out more show previews HERE

 

Send your comments to the editor HERE

 

 

Band Spot Light: The Mormons

If you are active in the Los Angeles music scene, there is a huge chance you have seen The Mormons perform. They have been a staple Punk band in the underground scene since their inception in August of '98. They are most well known for their "Mobile Unit", where like real Mormons, they take to the street to spread their word.

This is their Mission Statement

"We don the image of Mormon missionaries symbolizing the dedication, the sacrifice, and the obsession common in most artists. the musician is as fanatical as any religious zealot bent on achieving his or her own individual purpose. while some have chosen to dedicate their lives to Christianity, Islam, Judaism, etc., THIS is the path WE have chosen and it is indeed a "religious" experience in itself. our generic uniforms- helmets, white shirts, ties and backpacks- act as a fashion-neutralizer and a 'fuck-you' to the fashion show that conceals the mediocrity that is most mainstream music today. Our mission is simple- to rock out correctly. and if you leave with a feeling of excitement and enjoyment, then our purpose is validated. We are the band known as- The Mormons."

They got the idea for the Mobil Unit when they couldn't get on the bill for big music festivals. The Mormons have crashed many fests including SXSW, FYF, Warped Tour, and Punk Rock Bowling as well as other gatherings like the farmers market (where they weren't received as well). As you can imagine, they always cause a scene and have built up a considerable following of fans with their tactics and talent.

Last spring Big Wheel Magazine was able to capture The Mormons return to Amoeba where they were banned from in 2006 for playing music inside the store.  Here is the footage!

This band has survived 15 years and gone through many line-up changes (16 different members to be exact). Whether you catch the Mormons on stage, in the street, or just rock out to their music on your IPod, all platforms are entertaining. Aside from a unique image and stage performance, The Mormons play their own bitchin' brand of Punk Rock music!

If you would like to hear more or keep up with The Mormons, here are links to multiple social networking sites.

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/themormonsrockband

Bandcamp - http://themormons.bandcamp.com

YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/user/TheMormonsTube

Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/TheMormons

-J.Moncrief-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter

 

 

Check out more show previews HERE

 

Send your comments to the editor HERE

 

 

Movits!

A couple of months ago a close friend of mine told me that I really needed to give this new band a listen. The album name; Äppelknyckarjazz (Apple Swiper Jazz) by a band called Movits! When I first put the album on I was taken aback by what I was listening to; Jazz and Swedish rap. I don’t generally care for rap music, but man was this stuff cool!

Im a big fan of swing music, and generally a purist when it comes to how its played, but these guys were able to create an album of songs that are very unique and complementary to this great old jazz music. My friend called me last month to tell me that Movits were doing a U.S. tour and better yet would be playing at Spaceland in Silver Lake, CA. I went to buy tickets fully expecting that they would be no less than $25, but to my surprise it was only an $8 show!

The doors opened at 8:30, so we decided to hang out and have some drinks before the show started. To our surprise the show did not start till 11pm, at which time Movits took the stage. It was worth every second of the wait. The crowd was psyched, dancing around and having a great time. Movits had an amazingly fun stage presence dressed in Tuxedos with their own personal band crest embroidered into the breast pocket of their jackets. They played most of their songs off their first album, and introduced a few new songs as well. At one point they invited Zacke, a Swedish Hip-Hop artist they were touring with, to do a few songs with them.

Movits played a nice full set and were visibly exhausted by the end of their set. Im definitely going to catch these guys next time they come back to the states, but I fear next time I really will have to pay $30 to see these guys at the House of Blues. No matter, they are worth it.

Addendum

After the show I was able to have a little chat with Jocke, the sax player of Movits and we talked a little bit about how they came to be as a band. Based on what he told me Movits was not a planned band, the idea for the band came to be during a discussion after a party, and thus Movits was born. I also asked him about their popularity in the United States vs. Sweden and he said that after they were invited to perform live on The Colbert Report, their U.S. following skyrocketed overnight. Many tanks to Jocke for taking the time to talk to us after an awesome show.

-Matt C.
Editor-in-Chief


Band Website: www.movits.se


 

Out Cold

After twenty years Out Cold recently announced that the band has split due to "internal problems." The announcement came with little fanfare, which is not surprising when considering the fact that Out Cold were never really known as self promoters. In their extensive career the band released six full lengths, three seven inches, and split E.P.'s with six different bands. Over time they reached a cult status, often being referred to as "The most underrated band in the history of hardcore." While it's true that Out Cold never received too much hype here in the United States it is certainly not because their recordings or live shows lacked any sort of intensity. They managed to channel the anger, rawness, and energy of bands like Poison Idea, Negative Approach, SOA, and early Black Flag while also showing a level of musicality that bands in such a raw vein rarely possess.



Out Cold formed in 1989 in a small suburb of Massachusetts called Dracut. Dracut, which borders the mill city of Lowell (check your American history books) is a mostly middle class town which has no landmarks beyond perhaps a farm that makes its own fresh ice cream. Their original singer was named Kevin Mertens, and he was joined by bassist Mark Sheehan, drummer John Evicci, and guitarist Fred Evicci. Mertens and Fred Evicci played together in a band called Worse Than Useless who recorded a seven inch and were known for being sort of miscreants. Mark Sheehan also played bass with the G.G. Allin and it was Sheehan and John Evicci who would become the binding glue of the band throughout the years. In fact in 1994 Mark Sheehan took over vocal duties after the two members of Worse Than Useless left the band. Considering that Sheehan sang in the band for fifteen years it became inevitable that his voice would be the one that people think of when they hear the name Out Cold.

What was truly remarkable about Out Cold was that they never changed their sound. When they formed Boston hardcore's legend was mostly a memory. Slapshot and Wrecking Crew were playing, but there were no bands like SSD, the FU's or DYS playing around. The 1980's were becoming the 1990's and metal had a firm grip on hardcore. It may be because they formed at a time when their sound was already out of vogue, but Out Cold NEVER watered down their sound with metal. Every record that they put out was raw hardcore punk. Considering the fact that it is almost unheard of for a hardcore band to ever record a second L.P. before morphing into either a metal, rock or an art band this is a pretty impressive feat. In Out Cold's catalog there is no equivalent to "One Voice," "Soul Force Revolution," "Quickness," "Blast Furnace," "Revenge," "Balboa Fun Zone," or "Break It Up." What's even more phenomenal is that they improved with every record. Their last L.P., "Goodbye, Cruel World" was the best record that they ever put out! Prior to this their last two full lengths were "Will Attack If Provoked" and "Two Broken Hearts Are Better Than One," which are also great records. "Two Hearts" in fact featured "Crawlspace" which was probably the band's most well known song.

Over the years Out Cold absorbed members of many different bands. It seemed like if there was a relevant band that played hardcore punk in the Boston area that eventually members of the band would end up paying dues in Out Cold. This included members of Cops and Robbers, Last In Line, Fit For Abuse, and Anal Cunt. Members of the band also went on to form side projects like the surf band, 13 Ghosts and C.J. Ramone's Bad Chopper. While Out Cold never got much recognition in the States they were often more well received in Europe and the few people who caught their live shows knew that seeing Out Cold could be like being hit by a train and somehow surviving. They played short sets with no in between song banter and no intermissions of any kind. After they played ten to fifteen songs audience members were left trying to figure out what happened.

Hearing that Out Cold had broken up was a bit of a surprise. They had threatened to do so many times, but it seemed like every time that they talked about breaking up the band, Mark Sheehan would start talking about how he was writing new material within a few days. Out Cold had become a pillar of consistency and it seemed like they would just always be around, recording amazing records and playing shows every once in a blue moon. However with twenty years under their belt, they managed to put almost every other hardcore band in history to shame.

-Ditch-
Asst. Editor


Band Website: www.acmerecords.net/outcold/


 

Government Warning

Its been a few years since I first heard this Richmond, Virginia band on a recommendation from a friend. From the moment I put their LP “No Moderation” on, I realized that I was listening to a very special band, the kind of band that only comes along once in a generation. As much as this band holds a special place among my favorite bands, it is rather unfortunate that I have only seen this band play live three times, once on a west coast tour and then twice at the two following No Way Fests the following two years in Virginia.

As an avid music listener, I find myself to be very critical of bands and don’t find myself easily excited by music that I feel lacks talent or thought. If it wasn’t apparent before, Government Warning proved that there is still heart in the punk music that is being written today. That is not to say that Government Warning is the final word when it comes to new hardcore punk rock, but they are definitely leaders in the direction that this genre of punk rock music needs to be going in.


Government Warning at No Way Fest in Richmond, VA June 2009

As far as their sound goes, Government Warning can best be described as a band that would have existed and thrived 25 years ago, much like the Adolescents, who many people draw comparisons to. Fortunately we are lucky enough to have this band for ourselves without the older generation having bragging rights to say that they got to see them back in the 80s. Give this band a listen, pick up “No Moderation” and work your way up from there. If you are anything like me their records will spend more time on the record player then in their sleeves.

This summer Government Warning released a new LP as well as an EP on No Way/Grave Mistake Records.

1. Rot and Decay
2. Nowhere to Go
3. Urban Warfield
4. Endless Slaughter
5. Stop Again
6. Revolving Door
7. Blurred Yellow Line
8. Disengage
9. Hour After Hour
10. Glued
11. Factory Line
12. Shot Full of Holes
13. Global Warming
14. Paranoid Mess
15. Enough is Enough

Band MySpace: www.myspace.com/governmentwarningrva



 

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