With Just A Hint Of Mayhem

Music reviews, gig reviews, fun trivia and extra added random stuff!

Under The Covers With Mayhem – Chapter 7 September 23, 2024


It is time for Under The Covers With Mayhem Chapter 7. This is a cover of the Bob Dylan classic “Blowin’ In The Wind”, by Neil Young. In many ways, it stays similar to the original but has a seriously dark undercurrent and some pretty heavy guitar lines. Young’s Crazy Horse hit the heights on this version which can be found on the magnificent live album, ‘Weld’ from 1991.

I have said before that my ideal cover version has a different slant from the original rather than just a facsimile-style cover. So the generic boy bands are probably never likely to feature, but you never know, right? Feel free to recommend any songs you think should be included in Under The Covers With Mayhem. I want to stay clear of the mainstream ideally, but off-the-wall covers by major artists might work too 🙂 Oh, and there will, of course, be an Under The Covers With Mayhem Playlist soon!

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“There Ain’t No Future” – The Virginmarys September 22, 2024

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 9:35 pm
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I first encountered the Virginmarys through witnessing a blistering set from them on the Main Stage at Leeds Festival in 2016. Now this rather excellent British band, from Macclesfield, are about to release their fifth album ‘The House Beyond The Fires’ on the 1st of November. “There Ain’t No Future” is the second single from the album and it oozes class. These boys encompass classic rock, punk, blues, metal, and grunge to note just a few. This band has a true social conscience and wears it on its sleeves. The song is a dark and heavy rock banger that turns its anger up to Rage Against Machine levels and has riffs and backing vocals that Led Zeppelin would be proud of. Meanwhile, Ally Dickatay’s voice makes his rage, passion, and empathy super clear all this is supported by Danny Dolan playing his drums so hard that he might accidentally summon millions of long-dead spirits from their eternal sleep!

Photo by Debbie Ellis

Ally said of the new single “This is a track for the uninspired, for the unheard, those who crave truth and all that’s real. Those struggling day to day to make ends meet, yet still have love in their hearts to fight the good fight. Those who see the system is broken and choose not to punch down. We’re really proud of this track, musically, we haven’t released a song like this before, it’s a further glimpse into an album we consider our best work to date“. If the new album is just half as good as this single it will be stunning. The lyrics are passionate, and compassionate and throw rightful barbs at the powers that be and society in general. For example, the power in these four lines is spectacular. “No intervention, just dead air and tension, No redemption, no sick pay, no pension. Put up or shut up, subliminal lessons, The hills are alive with the sound of depression.” The Virginmarys are truly a band for our times and you need to listen to them!

They will be embarking on a European tour soon, which includes some UK dates, check the dates below and the band website for how to get hold of tickets:

28th Sept – NWOCR Live, KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton
2nd Nov – Cinemac Cinema, Macclesfield **Headline Tour
3rd Nov – Bodega, Nottingham **Headline Tour
4th Nov – The Garage, Glasgow **Headline Tour
5th Nov – The Cluny, Newcastle upon Tyne **Headline Tour
6th Nov – The Waterfront Studio, Norwich **Headline Tour
8th Nov – Bear Cave, Bournemouth **Headline Tour
20th Nov – Café V lese, Praha **Headline Tour
21st Nov – Durer Kert, Budapest **Headline Tour
23rd Nov – Legend Club, Milano **Headline Tour
26th Nov – X-TRA Musikcafe, Zurich **Headline Tour
28th Nov – Blue Shell, Cologne **Headline Tour
29th Nov – Molotow, Hamburg **Headline Tour
1st Dec – Rahuset, Kobenhavn **Headline Tour
2nd Dec – Badehaus Berlin **Headline Tour
3rd Dec – Feierwerk Orange house, Munchen **Headline Tour
4th Dec – Kulturclub schon schon, Mainz **Headline Tour
5th Dec – Willem Twee poppodium, Den Bosch **Headline Tour
7th Dec – Exchange, Bristol **Headline Tour
8th Dec – Oslo, Hackney London **Headline Tour

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On This Day Radiohead Crept Into The Chart, But Not Like A Bat Out Of Hell! September 21, 2024


On 21st September 1992, Radiohead released their debut single, “Creep,” on Parlophone Records. They had initially recorded other tracks for a potential debut but were not satisfied with any of them. In between takes at the studio, they began jamming out another song, which eventually became “Creep.” Thom Yorke had written it years earlier while studying at Exeter University. Producers Paul Q. Kolderie and Sean Slade were immediately taken with the track and fought to make it a single. It was a real chart sleeper until it became a huge global hit in 1993. Today, it remains the group’s most successful single.

Meanwhile, on 21st September back in1977, Meat Loaf released his debut album, ‘Bat Out Of Hell’, alongside songwriter and composer Jim Steinman and producer Todd Rundgren. The epic record, which features such hits as “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” and “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” remains one of the best-selling albums of all time. What is even more incredible is that this was at the height of the punk era in the UK.

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Wow That’s What I Call Mayhem – Volume 3 September 17, 2024


With humble apologies to the creators of the iconic NOW series of compilations that began in 1983, I posted and compiled the first WOW That’s What I Call Mayhem collection back in March, with volume 2 following just a few weeks ago. So are you ready for volume 3? I certainly hope so, because here it is! This includes the third 20 singles we reviewed in 2024 in another maniacal eclectic playlist for your listening pleasure! With 70 minutes of music, click here and lose yourself in the music!

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Play It Again Mayhem – “Saturday Gigs” – Mott The Hoople September 15, 2024

Filed under: Play It Again Mayhem — justwilliam1959 @ 9:51 pm
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Here comes the 28th song in the Play It Again Mayhem series. It is “Saturday Gigs” by Mott The Hoople, from 1974. This is the nineteenth 70’s single in the playlist so far. It was the last studio recording that Mott The Hoople ever made as Ian Hunter left shortly afterwards. This song also became the final Mott The Hoople single and the only one to feature Mick Ronson after he replaced Ariel Bender. Sadly it only made number 41 in the UK charts, which I believe was a chart tragedy. The band continued for a brief period without Hunter and Ronson, but they never reached the heights that Mott The Hoople achieved in the early 70s. The song was played live during the 1974 European tour as the set’s ending but also at the Mott the Hoople Reunion shows in 2009 with it being the closing song of the final gig. I often wonder what might have happened if Ronson and Hunter stayed with Mott The Hoople, based on “Saturday Gigs” I think the future might have been very bright indeed!

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On This Day Ford Race Around 8 Tracks, Nobody Wants U2 And One Man Can’t Even Hear Bono And The Boys!

Filed under: On This Day — justwilliam1959 @ 9:07 pm
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On 15th September 1965, The Ford Motor Company became the first carmaker to offer an 8-track tape player as an option for their entire line of vehicles in the USA. This then very modern audio technology was only offered in auto stores at the time and was still a year away from being sold to consumers for home use. Did any of you have an 8-track player?

On 15th September 2014, Apple released a tool to remove U2’s new album from its customers’ iTunes accounts just six days after giving away the music for free. Many users had complained that the latest U2 album ‘Songs Of Innocence’ had automatically been downloaded to their devices without their permission.

Bono makes a tit of himself again!

Meanwhile, on 15th September 1997, a 34-year-old man was awarded more than £20,000 by a French court after he lost his hearing when he stood too close to loudspeakers at a U2 concert in 1993. Let’s hope he didn’t receive a free U2 album from Apple 17 years later!

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‘Evil, Hate Filled Female’ – Delilah Bon September 14, 2024

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 10:55 pm
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Delilah Bon’s sophomore album is about to hit the streets, will it be one of those difficult second albums? Read on to find out! Album opener “Hey World” kicks off with Delilah introducing herself to the world over a synth-like orchestration and repeating a piano pattern reminiscent of Eminem in his prime. If you are new to Delilah this might me more to you, but either way it is a perfect start. next up is the previous single “Maverick” from March this year on International Women’s Day. It is another incendiary blend of rap and metal on which Delilah is in explosive form. Once again misogynists will be pissed off, but who gives a fuck about them? Delilah has this to say about “Maverick” “It is a song about self-worth and reclaiming your confidence, reminding yourself that you belong in the rooms you don’t always feel welcomed in. It’s about looking yourself in the mirror and believing in your power without needing the approval of others.” As always Delilah is absolutely on point as the definition of maverick in my dictionary is “an unorthodox or independent-minded person“, Delilah Bon is clearly both of those!

The title track “Evil Hate Filled Female” came out in May this year. It is an anthemic metal masterpiece with buckets of punked-up funk underlying it. Some of the drum fills sound like a full-on machine gun attack. Meanwhile, Delilah’s words spit more venom than an Inland Taipan. If Delilah’s anger and passion could be bottled it would power the planet for ages. She unleashes her deepest rock growl on this track and it will scare the living fuck out of misogynists, homophobes, and all haters! The metal riffs are more metal than most metal bands could even hope to achieve. The “la la la” hooks were so obviously created in pop heaven. Some of the music in the verses has a warped far-eastern horror film soundtrack feel to it. If music could kill sex offenders, abusers, and misogynists then “The Internet”, would be a lethal weapon. Delilah has some sharp punk and rap influences but since her arrival, she has developed into one of the most original artists on the planet. This was the fourth single from this album. It is a brooding dark beat with the best Delilah ciphers so far. Speaking in the guise of female-hating keyboard warrior Harry Dick Delilah bares her fangs and aims her venom at the vile individuals that spout pathetic and worthless hate. For lines like “All these people offended by transgenders send your children to church to god-loving sex offenders” it is way above the competition and the glorious dig at professional sweaty nonce Prince Andrew is sublime. I love the way that Delilah continues to turn all the shit she takes and uses it to fight back.

From the fly buzzing sound that introduces this song to the weird horror vibe of the music to the deeply personal and inspirational lyrics, “Finally See Me” is Delilah Bon at her best. The song deals with Delilah/ Lauren being bullied at school and appears to be a paean of her triumphing over those who bullied her by becoming the incredibly talented artist that she now is. She passionately stands up for the bullied, the misfits, and the outcasts and she deserves huge respect for that. Musically this shows her starting to cipher as well, if not better than, Eminem. Meanwhile, this track has a feel of Jonathan Davis, Korn frontman about it. Delilah takes on old-school rap bragging style with “I Am The Best (Ask Your Momma)” and it works perfectly, this epitomises perfect rap with a sublime pop style. She has just released a video for this song and it is one of her best film moments! I was reminded of Eminem by the beats and instrumental hooks used on “Villain” but lyrically it is pure Delilah. This one has a dark musical tone and the music moves nicely into a creepy clown carnival vibe toward the end. “My Girlz” is a bouncy, brass-laden track with Delilah delivering one of her best rap performances to date.I also felt that this had some hidden Beyonce style lurking in the background.

I can imagine all the grown-ass misogynists getting their panties in a twist if they ever hear “Grown Ass Men”. When Delilah is angry everyone needs to fucking listen! “Freak Alert” has a great electro sound underpinning it and a repeated bass pattern that stays with you long after the track has ended. What is it with high-profile artists, well almost any artists, being so fearful of speaking out against the likes of Epstein and his ilk? Delilah has no such fear and she lets us know on the stunning “Epstein”. Meanwhile on “Volatile” she is brutally honest about how this world makes her feel but on top of that she ciphers about what is wrong with the state of the world. When her rhymes express anger the Bon bile is directed at misogynists and haters everywhere. (“Cos Mr Industry thinks that every woman’s the same”). This song is a slow and dark metal rap that only Delilah Bon can do as adeptly as this. It describes many of her negative experiences in the music industry. Sadly we don’t live in a perfect world, but if we did then “Drop Dead Delilah” would be a huge hit. I love the carnival sound from the keyboard. If you like a warped undercurrent of electro-ska punk and horror comics then the album closer “Committed A Crime” will be right up your street, it is weird, wonderful, and shows just how good Delilah is.

Delilah Bon’s sophomore album, “Evil, Hate Filled Female”, tops the heights of her first and is easily a contender for album of the year! Sexist pricks in the music industry and in society should fear the level of venom directed at them throughout the record, but sadly they will not, so it is up to all of us who believe in fairness and equality to join the Bon Bon Battalion and fight for it. Delilah is an inspiration to women and oppressed minorities everywhere, despite her own fears. Let us all stick up for those who are oppressed and can’t stick up for themselves. Let us be there for Delilah too. Minorities, those of you who have been abused and put down, we’ve got your back, and we stand up for Delilah’s punky, rebellious clarion call. Men, we know you mean well when you say, “It’s not all men”, but that doesn’t change anything does it? I am an old white male and I support equality for women, LGBTQ+, and all decent humans.

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Plastic Factory – Album Launch – Fulford Arms – Friday 30th August 2024 September 10, 2024

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 9:12 pm
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I am always interested in seeing a band that I have never seen before and Plastic Factory are new to me. Are they named after the Captain Beefheart song of the same name I wonder? But I have seen and enjoyed both support acts before. First up it was Eugene Gorgeous, they are like a swampier, slightly less frenetic, but definitely still a tad bluesy Dr. Feelgood. They have some great songs, particularly the cannibal track. That one was hilarious, entertaining, and like no other band. There is a slight undercurrent of Nick Cave in their sound. They can be quite funky at the same time as showing their post-punk chops! Eugene Gorgeous creates gorgeous music for gorgeous people and not-so-gorgeous people too!

Victory Samosa have a complete arsenal of original pop-rock hooks. There is so much to like in their music which draws on some of the finest British artists. At times there were elements of the early Dire Straits, Rockpile, and Nick Lowe. Their songs are classic and well-thought-out story songs that are hard not to like. When they really put the pedal to the floor they sound like a more edgy Killers. Will Evans’ voice has hints of both Elvis Costello and John Lennon. I am still hoping that there will be a Victory Samosa album someday. Oh, and I have to say that the man on drums for Victory Samosa seems like the happiest drummer in the world. A truly great band!

Plastic Factory were here to give a formal launch to their album ‘Forgotten Dreams’ which was released a couple of days previously. They have a jingle jangle indie style with some cool ’60s vibes thrown in, think maybe the Byrds and the Hollies. The featured harmonica adds a fabulous extra dimension to some great songs. “The Bluest Eye” is based on Toni Morrison’s first novel, published in 1970, and is a stand-out track. Maybe I need to read the book now! “Tough Decisions” was a fine slice of funky rock which was like a polished Stranglers demo just missing the organ work of Dave Greenfield. My favourite track of the night was “Hollow Gesture”, a song which I believe is a smart takedown of that ridiculous clap for the NHS thing during Covid. The crowd participation, which was obviously clapping, was ace on this one! The closing cover choices were sublime and perfect; “Let’s Stick Together” (Bryan Ferry) and a magnificent take on the Feelgood’s “Down By The Jetty”. Plastic Factory played a blinder and I got to make two Dr. Feelgood references in one post, so all in all a great night of music!

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On This Day The Dame And Mick Underperform While Zep Begins And Zippo Lights Up! September 7, 2024

Filed under: On This Day — justwilliam1959 @ 10:12 pm
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On September 7th, 2010 Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” was voted the greatest “lighter in the air song of all time” by lighter company Zippo. I am guessing that that would be the phone-in-the-air anthem nowadays! Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven”, was voted in at No. 2 and Meatloaf’s “I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)” was at No. 3 in the survey.

Meanwhile, in 1985 on 7th September David Bowie and Mick Jagger were at Number 1 on the UK singles chart with their version of the Martha Reeves and The Vandellas 1964 hit “Dancing In The Street.” The song was recorded to raise money for Live Aid/ Band Aid. The original plan was to perform a track together live, with Bowie performing at Wembley Stadium and Jagger at the JFK Stadium, but someone recognised that there would be a half-second delay making the idea impossible to achieve. But aside from all that satellite shenanigans stuff, is this one of the worst-ever cover versions? I certainly think so!

7th September 1968 saw Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham make their live debut, allegedly, as Led Zeppelin, albeit billed as The New Yardbirds at the Teen Club in Gladsaxe (a suburb on the outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark). Around 1,200 young folks attended the show at Egegard School. Teen Club President Lars Abel, while introducing the New Yardbirds on stage called Robert Plant Robert Plat!

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“Ballad 2 (Skin Off My Back) – HerOrangeCoat September 6, 2024

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 10:35 pm
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HerOrangeCoat has released the second song from her forthcoming EP, ‘Ballads for this Age’. It is called “Ballad 2 (Skin Off My Back)”. It is a divinely dark slice of modern folk. It feels like a deeply personal song and Georgia delivers it with controlled emotion and finesse. This is a majestic and heavenly tune and suggests once again that the EP will be beyond sublime!

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