Regular readers will have read about York’s Drop Dead McPhee on these pages before. I reviewed their support slot for Asylum last month, check that out here. They have just released their first single, “Hand In Hand”. When I saw them last month I likened them to Brinsley Schwarz and I think the new track also reflects that with and added abundance of American west coast rock, particularly in the guitar sounds which are majestic and the harmonies are delightfully Byrdsian. The B-Side/ 2nd track “Ignorance And Bliss” took me back to the early days of Aztec Camera. It is a wonderful slice of bright, tasteful acoustic rock. This is a great release from a band with great potential. I expect them to appear on these pages a lot in the future!
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Chloe Munt a.k.a. Pick The Flowers has just released another single, “Wednesday”. This is around a year since her last release and oh boy has it been worth the wait. This dark, haunting, mesmeric, chilled, trance-like, cinematic anthem is her best yet. The soft electro sounds wash over you and just when you think you are drowning the beat kicks in and Chloe’s gorgeous emotional vocal drags you back to the surface. This track has huge depth and ambition and it scores a perfect ten on every count. “Wednesday” would make a great addition to the soundtrack of a 21st century British folk horror film soundtrack. One of my favourite tunes of the year so far!
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David Judson Clemmons has been an incredibly inventive musical artist for many years he is not afraid to try new things musically. He currently lives in a small town just north of Berlin, Germany, where he works as a full-time guitar teacher, an experience he describes as his greatest source of inspiration to date. He released his first solo album, ‘Life In The Kingdom Of Agreement’ back in 2004. Later this month on 28th March he releases his new album ‘Everything A War’. In advance of that he has just issued the second single from the album “Songs In The Key Of You”.
The track is anthemic and cinematic and heavy with emotion. I love the way it slowly builds from a soft start to a monumental crescendo. Clemmons vocals hold enough power to light a small city and the guitar solo is a stunning piece of work. The song made me think of Biffy Clyro and Pink Floyd among others. Lyrically it is mega powerful. I love the refrain “For those who live to break the hope of others. This song’s in the key of you“. Is this a message to so many of the vile leaders in the world today? I hope so. Based on just this song the album will be something special.
The tune is accompanied by a gorgeous music video directed by Stefano Mastronicola. The landscapes alone are stunning and surprisingly the monochrome seems to add depth and colour. Yes I know that sounds weird, but that is how it made me feel. You need to listen to this beautiful song and watch the video NOW! That is an order!
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Most people, particularly Americans, assume (or are absolutely certain) that rock and roll began as a distinct musical style in the United States during the mid-1950s. It drew heavily from rhythm and blues, blues, jump blues, boogie-woogie, up-tempo jazz, and swing music. Clearly some elements of its make up existed earlier in the 20th Century but it began its continued rise with the likes of Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Fats Domino, among others. But what if that history was wrong, or didn’t go far enough? This is the premise of a wonderful new book from Elizabeth Sharkey. It is called ‘Why Britain Rocked – How Rock Became Roll and Took Over The World.’ She traces the history of rock music back to points hundreds of years earlier. The evidence she has uncovered suggests that rock music has its true roots in Scottish and Irish folk music and African music. Eventually the two styles and histories met in Appalachia as the Scots and Irish immigrants headed west and freed slaves of African descent made their way north to states that were more open the end of slavery. This history takes a journey that includes Henry VIII, the Celts, Bob Dylan, the Quakers, and Paul Robeson to mention just a fraction of the people and lives included.
Elizabeth is a music historian, author, columnist, and media commentator. The research she has undertaken for the book looks like it took years, and it looks incredibly thorough. As to why Elizabeth authored the book she said “Growing up, music was everything to me: my home, my thrill, my escape, and my understanding of the world. If you love certain songs or pieces of music to the very core of your soul – then you might, as I was, be curious to look a little deeper into just why, how, such magic came to be.” When I saw her in Pocklington as part of the book launch tour, she also said that her curiosity was piqued as to how British bands were able to take on “American” music so readily and so skilfully in the early sixties. She argues that this is highly likely because it was already in our musical DNA via generations of handed down songs.
The book covers a huge spectrum of the history from incredibly early folk music to modern pop and murder ballads. The latter are narrative songs that often explore themes of justice, revenge, and the consequences of violence. Often the songs protagonist is killed by another of the songs characters with revenge a regular motif. Usually, the murder might have arisen through a love gone wrong and jealousy. When I saw her speak, I was quite amused when Elizabeth suggested that in fact Benny Hill’s huge UK hit from 1971 “Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West)” is a murder ballad. I believe that she is correct. It has two men vying for the love of one woman. One suitor kills the other and the murdered character comes back to haunt the living.
I can imagine that many Americans and music scholars might see the book as some kind of music blasphemy. But that would be just to protect their own entrenched positions. Having read the book I am convinced that Sharkey has an extraordinarily compelling argument and the more music I listen too the more I can hear the “forgotten” histories she writes about. The book is quite easy to read given that in some ways it leans towards academia. I love that she has added a brief playlist at the end of each chapter in the book. But even better than that she has created them all as extend playlists on Spotify. As a result, I have listened to songs that I haven’t listened to for years and some that I don’t believe that I have ever heard. I have embedded one of those playlists, my current favourite, below. Classic Rock magazine described the book as “a treasure trove of exploration, academic rigour and a welcome, bold attempt at re-framing the history of British pop music.” It would be hard not to agree with that summation. I would add that I believe that this book should be made compulsory reading for all music journalists and anyone studying rock music. I am also intrigued as to where Sharkey might go with her next book. Has she already begun researching for it? After reading ‘Why Britain Rocked’ I will definitely read whatever comes next from Elizabeth Sharkey! In the meantime if you would like to order a copy of ‘Why Britain Rocked’ just click here!
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Liliths Army are Sylvie Studente on vocals and guitar, Tommy Mayo on bass and Sam Sherwood on drums. They are based in the UK in Northamptonshire. Their new single, “Eat My TV” is the finest slice of lo-fi British punk that I have heard for a long while. The song bemoans the fact that, in the bands opinion, music on TV is pretty shit right now. That is why they have suggested that they might eat their TV rather than watch shit music videos on it. I feel the need to make this a core part of a playlist aligned with Bowie’s “TVC 15” and Springsteen’s “57 Channels” for starters. The song is a taster for their album ‘Doll’ which will be out on Criminal Records later this month. The song was written by vocalist Sylvie and contains some rather ace lyrics, such as “I’d rather chew on a sweaty flip-flop, Than listen to fucking hip hop“. I understand the sentiment, particularly for some hip hop, but I also believe that there is still some good hip hop in the world. I am also sure that only a British band could include flip flops in a lyric! I love this song and I am really looking forward to the album! You can catch them on tour this year too. See the list below. I hope to be at the York gig in September!
28th March – Album Launch Party @ The Water Rats LONDON 22nd April – The Horn ST ALBANS 26th April – The Bear BEDFORD 31st May – Alice’s Wicked Tea Party Alternative Festival DORSET 6th June – The Victoria BIRMINGHAM 27th June – The Pipeline BRIGHTON 28th June – The Hope & Anchor LONDON 4th July – The Soundbar SKIPTON 25th July – Northants Rocks WELLINGBOROUGH 26th July – The Brunswick BRIGHTON 31st July – Moseley Punk Festival BIRMINGHAM 8th August – The Queen DONCASTER 9th August – Crank Studios LEEDS 12th September – Burton Lane Social YORK 13th September – Network 2 SHEFFIELD 4th October – The Shire Horse KETTERING 9th October – The Subside Bar BIRMINGHAM 15th November – Scruffy Murphys BIRMINGHAM 22nd November – The Puzzle Hall SOWERBY BRIDGE 30th November – Dan Fest @ The International LEICESTER 19th December – Percy’s SHROPSHIRE
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The volume of gigs so far for 2025 is simmering nicely. This was a bill with three bands and only one, the headliners Asylum, that I have seen before. First on stage were Rejected Reality a classic power trio playing punky power pop seething with emotion. The band were tight and played off each other really well. A huge shout out to the drummer who smashed it like a boss! The vocalist has a great range of emotions that fit like a glove with the bands ace original songs. Their Billie Eilish cover was brave, bombastic and brilliant. I am not sure which alternate reality rejected this band but in my opinion they are more than welcome in this reality!
All photos of Rejected Reality by Mia Scudds: @mfshots
Drop Dead McPhee were up next. They are another trio with some real rock finesse. They reminded me occasionally of Nick Lowe, particularly from the Brinsley Schwarz days. They also offered some fine slices of later period Fleetwood Mac in some songs, particularly the Mick Fleetwoodesque drumming. Their vocals and harmonies were divine. All three of them seemed to be having a great time on stage and that, for me, always adds an extra level to some already great songs. I don’t believe that any of them are called McPhee but I am also confident that they are all very much alive! Drop Dead McPhee are definitely a band to watch out for. They will appear in these pages again very soon!
All photos of Drop Dead McPhee by Mia Scudds: @mfshots
I last saw the headliners, Asylum back in December last year and they were good then. They are even better now. This was another absolute banging, funky, heavy and fun set from the band. Like the earlier bands Asylum seemed to be having a great time. If ever a band was able to easily defy being dropped into a genre box then Asylum do that really well. “Trombone Alone” has a jazz element thanks to said trombone. Meanwhile “Move Along Down The Line” is a controlled and chaotic punky classic. At times they sound like the Kinks in their full 60s pomp. Then you can hear a Clash influence in “It’s All An Illusion”. The new song continues in a Clash vein evidenced by some thundering Paul Simenon style bass playing and even more added trombone. The crowd were completely enthralled by Asylum. This is the only Asylum you need in your life and with them there is no need to wear a strait jacket or live in a padded cell, unless that kind of thing floats your boat! Get some Asylum in your life now!
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I try to never pass up the chance to see a band or artist that I have never seen before, so this was an easy choice. There were four bands on the bill, none of which I had seen before. This was another gig put together by the delightful human known as Simon P for Northern Radar. I have been going to Northern Radar gigs for many years now and Mr. P has never let me down with the bands and singers he puts on. Did that change with this gig? Read on to find out!
The first to take the stage was the Expression, vocally they made me think of Lene Lovich and Siouxse Sioux to name just two. The band were as tight as hell with a dark post punk feel to their sound. Their original songs were good and show a potential for greatness with perhaps a little more work. The cover of the Stone Roses “I Wanna Be Adored” was superb, but the Mazzy Star cover was an absolutely sublime highlight. They closed their set and nailed their grunge credentials to the wall with an immense cover of Nirvana’s “Heart Shaped Box”. This was a great set to kick the night off.
Next up it was the Fruity Pebbles, a band largely born from the remnants of some Huntington School 6th Form bands from recent years. A truly eclectic range of covers which ranged from Abba to Chappell Roan via Stevie Wonder, Amy Winehouse and others. Their original tune “Smooth” is a neat, summery, jazzy pop song which is likely to get better and better the more they play it. They showed their chops as a great band, once again very tight. But it was the brass section that showed themselves to be tighter than the proverbial duck’s arse. Front man Oscar, who wasn’t meant to be fronting this set, is a true trouper and a born performer. If he is not working in music or entertainment in the future then frankly the world is fucked! The Fruity Pebbles know how to party and they party hard!
Strip were next and they are full of effervescent pop punk energy. While their originals were good their covers were truly stunning, especially the bombastic opener, a fiery run through of Green Day’s “American Idiot”. Who knew that song would still be so relevant now, some twenty years later. Strip delivered perhaps the best mosh fest of the night. This lot are fucking good indeed!
Finally it was the turn of Catch! to hit the stage. They are a York Uni band that are talented purveyors of melodic pop rock with an undercurrent of prog in some songs. They have an additional vein of classic 90s bands like Republica and Elastica running through a number of their songs too. Overall they have a wealth of close to awesome songs in their cannon. Sadly by the time Catch! arrived on stage the crowd had shrunk a little. Why do so many people up and leave after “their” band has played? But who cares, Catch! truly captivated everyone who chose to stay. The vocals were perfect as was the more than tidy rhythm section. A special mention to the lead guitarist who never dropped below stunning with his magnificent arsenal of riffs and solos. Party driven fun made the moshing last a long while and the A Simple Plan cover was anthemic and delightful. Apologies in advance for the bad Dad joke/ pun, but you really need to catch Catch! soon! Click here to check out their latest EP on Spotify.
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David Hepworth is a talented, world class music journalist. He began his career in journalism writing for the NME and Sounds (two of the classic UK music “inkies”). He joined Smash Hits magazine in 1979, and having turned it around financially and made it profitable, became its editor. He was behind the launch of a number of very successful music related magazines including, two of my favourites, Q (1986) and Mojo (1993). He has written for the UK newspaper The Guardian. He was a presenter of the long running BBC music show The Old Grey Whistle Test. He has been on other TV productions too, more of that later. Hepworth has also written some great books about music and the social history associated with it. I have read many of them; ‘Never a Dull Moment: 1971 The Year That Rock Exploded’ (2016), ‘Uncommon People: The Rise and Fall of the Rock Stars 1955-1994’ (2017), ‘A Fabulous Creation: How the LP Saved Our Lives’ (2019), and ‘Overpaid, Oversexed and Over There: How a Few Skinny Brits with Bad Teeth Rocked America’ (2020)
Now he has a new book, ‘Hope I Get Old Before I Die: Why Rock Stars Never Retire’. This is a tome that describes rock music’s third act. This is the sense that rock and roll never died, as predicted in the fifties and early sixties, but neither did so many of the young people (mostly men) that played a part in rock’s continued longevity. Back in 1965 when a 21 year old Roger Daltrey sang a 20 year old Pete Townshend’s classic line, “I hope I die before I get old” in the Who’s biggest hit single in the 60s, “My Generation” who might have guessed that they would still be performing the song in the 21st century. Daltrey is now 81 and Townshend is 79. Hepworth was one of the anchor’s of the broadcast of Live Aid in 1985. Hepworth’s new book begins at Live Aid with the sight of Paul McCartney closing the British leg of the show. Macca was seen as the grand old man of rock. Back then he was just 43. Now, 25 years into the 21st century we have many rock stars that are way beyond pensionable age. This is definitely not something most of us imagined back in the 60s and 70s. As a result many rock stars have become a part of the establishment with many receiving knighthoods and other royal honours.
I have loved all the books by David Hepworth that I have read so far, especially this new one. I love his take on the world of music and his immense depth of knowledge of the subject. Many times I have pondered on the fact that rock stars are living to ripe old ages and still performing and producing new music. In some cases this music is the finest of their long careers. Will today’s younger rock stars last as long as the rock ‘n’ roll pension brigade? I suspect that they will and I think Mr. Hepworth believes the same. In fact he talks of the possibility of technology giving rock stars a kind of immortality. Take a look at Abba Voyage for example. If you love great music, great music writing and if you have ever pondered about how rock stars are getting so old you will love this book! Click on Diversion Books to find a place to buy it for yourself!
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Austin, TX via Bolgatanga in Ghana uber talented hip-hop artist Dr. Pushkin has just released a new single featuring Isolirium and Ataman Nikita. The release precedes his SXSW performance on March 12th. The track includes a great blend of Ghanian Kologo guitar with some great Hip-Hop and R & B beats. The lyrics seek hope but also highlight the tough journey that finding peace will take. It is an inspirational tune and I love it, especially the vocal interplay between Dr. Pushkin and Ataman Nikita! Pushkin cites 2Pac and Nas as key influences and I can hear that throughout this wonderful song. the lyrics take some perfect and well primed shots at those in power. Get “Peace” in your ears and your life now!
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I am more than two weeks late with this post, humble apologies to everyone who played. But I am old school and write my notes in a paper notebook. Said notebook was misplaced, but now I have found it! This was to be the first time I had seen GOO and who would turn down the chance to see a band with such a great name? Certainly not me. But before I tell you about GOO, let me tell you about the first support band. They are a classy four piece band called Juku which according to my limited knowledge is a Japanese word meaning a school offering intensive education outside normal school hours. Juku are the new band formed by Dan and Naomi who are the duo that made the Snakerattlers such a great musical force. This is quite a change of direction for the Snakerattlers pair and they have created an immense new sound. I found them reminiscent of some of the finest 90s female fronted bands such as Lush and Elastica. I had to agree with Mr. Tuke on that point. Whilst they reminded me of those great 90s bands Juku have a much harder, punkier edge to them. I guess that the lack of interaction with the audience was deliberate, after all their socials are clear in their REJECT FAME message. It certainly added some mystique to a band that is hard, dark, deep and frankly simply fucking awesome! Such a great set despite Naomi suffering from a cold!
While the poster shows GOO as headliners they played second rather than last. This is done as a means of keeping punters in the venue when a band that is new to York plays at the Fully. What, sadly, often happens is that people come to see “their” band and then fuck off somewhere else and miss the headliners. Personally that kind of behaviour pisses me off, but hey if that’s what people want to do then fuck ’em! Keighley band GOO have endless, boundless energy and a bag, that might be deeper than Mary Poppins’ bottomless carpet bag, loaded with great songs. If you put Bis, Garbage and the Eels (when Mark Everett is in a happy mood) into a huge melting pot and then add some 21st century Beach Boy style harmonies then GOO would be the result if the pot was simmered over a light pop punk heat for an hour. The band were clearly having fun and smiling became infectious while listening to them. Later in their set they showed their versatility with a shift to a majestic post punk sound that evoked the sound of early and very raw Blondie. The lead guitarist has a latent talent for adding a gorgeous vein of classic rock vibes to the band’s sound. “Call In Sick” is wonderfully warped, weird and wacky with a chorus that I am still singing in my head two weeks after the gig!
Suspicious Liquid closed the show. They are a very talented York Uni band with an incredible guitarist in Danny Durie and vocalist Vanessa Toyn’s voice is spot on. Her singing made me think of what might happen if you spliced the voice of Siouxse Sioux and Dolly Parton and sent them in a psych punk direction. The vocal washed across the venue in a proggy, punky heavenly projection. Their cover of Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” was operatic and outstanding. Suspicious Liquid are often epic, cinematic , anthemic and at times mesmerising. I have one small criticism, on some of the earlier songs Stephen seemed to be playing a different tune. I am not sure whether that was a sound issue or not. The highlight for me was their amazing cover of Frank Zappa’s “Muffin Man”. I had heard them play this at last years Battle Of The Bands contest at this venue. Covering Zappa takes skill and guts and oh boy did they pull it off with this take of one of my favourite Zappa tunes. Their closing song (which might have been called “Shadow Boxing”) was spilling over with finely balanced emotion and had the whole band on their best form of the night. I felt that this was a set that began without a great spark, but they warmed up and by the end they had lit their own musical Olympic torch!
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