Sunday, December 30, 2012

Best and Worst of 2012 (The 1,2, Fuck You List)

2012 I will remember as one of the best Punk Years ever. I doubt that I even back in the early 80ies during the punk and Oi! years saw as many good concerts as this. Both new fresh bands and old timers still going strong. There was both biiiiig events as the West Coast Riot festival and Dropkick Murphys, Iggy and the Stooges and The Hives filling up Gröna Lund to the max. As the were a few people showing up in a club or at Gula Villan for some amazing well played, whitty and hard punk. Infact there was so much going on that I missed some, didn´t had the energy to attend some.

What can we look forward to make it even better the next year? Well, the crowd could get bigger at many clubs. The bands deserve bigger crowds and you deserve to see theese bands.
There are new records comming next year with bands like Rancid, Vänsternäven and Dropkick Murphys. And Possibly will Ligisterna get it going as well. Not to mention all the bands that Im not aware of their struggle for the perfect mix for their next masterpiece, is Nej among those? Cheers all you Punx, Skunx, Muses, Chix, Skins, Progs, Metals and Others.

Tim and Lars from Rancid at WCR
Buy West Coast Riot Prints here


Best Concert
Rancid at West Coast Riot (Gothenburg)
Street Dogs at Debaser Slussen (Stockholm)



Best Concert Promotor/festival/club
West Coast Riot,
Pike

Best full length record 
Hyper Actives – Rock n Roll lives again

Best Single (Vinyl, CD or Digital)
The Dräperz – Välkommen till Råby

Records of other interests
Rebel Riot – Puppet Society (Full length CD)
Rancid – Fuck you (single)

Niklas of Ligisterna

Best bands
Rancid,
Street Dogs, 
Ligisterna, 
Asta Kask, 

Positive new discoveries

Rebel Riot (Bur), 

Louise Linggs and the Bombs (Fra),
Nej (Swe), 
Chix n Dix (Can)

Beorn of Nej


Best Singalongs
Mata asen med bly (Ligisterna), 
Staden Göteborg (Troublemakers), 
Ronka (Troublemakers)
Tobey Got a Drinking Problem (Street Dogs)



Iggy and the Stooges at Gröna Lund




Best Revivals
Alonzo and Fas3 (ex KSMB, Stockholms Negrer) , 
Bitch Boys, 
Iggy and The Stooges
Fjodor (Ex Ebba Grön) singing Staten och Kapitalet at Cellstock



Heaviest

Link (Bel)

Hardest 
Knark (Swe)

Ultimate Punk Heros
Pussy Riot (Rus)

Worst Disapointment
That I missed Hudson Falcons playing in Stockholm

Worst Let down
Social Distortion at Circus
Cellstock (Festival)
The Hives Live at Gröna Lund

Worst Pseudo Happening
The Refused reunion

Monday, December 24, 2012

Merry Shitty XXX-mas



Ligisterna - Arbete ger frihet (O helga natt Cover)

In Translation
The Thugs - Work For Joy (O Holy Night Cover)


Monday, December 3, 2012

Troublemakers - Staden Göteborg



Troublemakers - Staden Göteborg

at Fryshuset, Stockholm

Gatans Musik (Festival)  Dec 1st 2012
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Monday, November 26, 2012

The Casualties play at Linköping (Sweden)


The Casualties are coming to Sweden for the first time since 2007.

Where? L´Orient in the City of Linköping.

When? Friday nov 30


Some more bands will be added to the bill.

Door opens at 6pm. 



Troublemakers etc at Fryshuset dec 1st


Attentat, Troublemakers, Alonzo & fas 3, Bitch Boys and The Bristles


Will play a benefit concert for the homeless in Stockholm at Fryshyset, Stockholm.  Saturday Dec 1st

Door opens at 5pm (17:00) First band at 7 pm (19:00)




Sunday, November 18, 2012

Review - The Hyper Actives - Rock ´n´Roll lives Again!



An X-ellent cover by Mattan Arts.
Mattan Arts



The Hyper Actives are a Stockholm based band in it to restore the former glory of Rock´n´Roll. And to be able to do that they have to transform them self to 1960ies Marvel kind of comic book characters.
This could been a nonsense joke, by a bunch of lads trying to be funny, but!!! There are some sad things about the world of music today, that gives their comic book fantasy mission a legacy IRL.
They ain´t alone in their mission, The Australians in Airbourne are on to the world in a similar operation. And soundwise the Hyper Actives are in the same genre as Airbourne with some elements of early Hellacopters. If I didn´t knew that this was a HA record and heard a song on the radio I would certainly believe that it was either Airbourne or a previously unreleased Hellacopters tune caressing my ears. 

Is that a bad thing, you might ask? That they sound so similar to the two band mentioned. Definitely not, at least not on this record. In fact, where the Australians tend to be a bit the same all over the three piece Stockholm band never turn dull. The are a lot of both musical knowledge and Rock´n´Roll romantics in it to make it be a really listen friendly record. And when Hellacopters gave up, the The Hyper Actives picked up the banner. A perfect record for the car stereo on the high way to hell. All the songs are good, catchy in a Hyper Active way. The two Strongest tracks are the two opening tracks “The Promised Land” and “Rock´n´Roller Man”, The opening tune “The Promised Land” deserves to be a huge radio hit. But it ain´t and that proves them right in their mission.  Finally, Yes! You made Rock ´n´ Roll live again!  

New Rancid Song - Fuck You!


Rancid been on to make a new album, here is a first bite, a tasteful bite....pretty old school 77-kind off, pre punkish rock n roll. Looks promising!

The title is "Fuck You".



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Order big Photo prints of Rancid´s exxxellent concert in Sweden this summer here...http://rockfoto.nu/artists/rancid/20120726/17416/photos/136326


Thursday, August 23, 2012

Sellstock, 1970ies Punk Festival Restarts.

As I wrote yesterday there was a rumor in the air that the 1970ies punk legends Ebba Grön maybe would play again. Well that´s is exessivebly to say, but the fact is that the 77 punk festival Sellstock will be held as a celebration to the Oasen place. Sellstock together with Oasen was important parts of the Swedish punk scene in the end of the seventies. Notable band on stage is Tant Strul.

Where,


On Stage
Rågsved Allstar Band
Tant Strul
Farsta
Kjelle Käpps Band
Unga Bandet med Jimmy Nöjd
Johan Kvarnström med band
lilla Lasse

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Ebba Grön will play?!?

(Re edited 23/8 2012, the likly place will be at Perssons Betong)


Swedens most legendary original punk band Ebba Grön is rumored to play again!?!
They have turned a lot of money to do soccer stadium gigs in Sweden. 




Recently did one of the first Swedish punk scenes start up again at the legendary Youth Centre "Oasen" in the infamous working class Suburb Rågsved. They started having punk gigs with the original 1970ies punk bands such as "The Pain" and "Bitch Boys" who was the latest bands on stage. ( I wasn´t there so I cant tell you much about it more than the people who was there seemed to like it.


Ebba Grön´s Thåström at a gig at Oasen back in the days.




The rumors in the air today is that "Ebba Grön" will play again. Not for 40 000 people but for a hundred or so. Well, Im not sure that will happend, Thåström have turned down any such thought, except when the members of Ebba Grön performed with the Clash Mick Jones as a tribute gig soon after Joe Strummers sudden death in 2002.


Anyway Oasen will certainly be packed by this rumor not just this week end but the whole year after, just in case, haha.



(Edited thursday 23/8 2012)

After some research I found out that the place will be at the Sellstock festival at Perssons Betong in Rågsved as a celebration to Oasen. Read More here.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Pussy Riot “Putin Lights Up the Fires” lyrics translated to English




This state may be stronger than time in jail.

The more arrests, the happier it is.
Every arrest is carried out with love for the sexist
Who botoxed his cheeks and pumped his chest and abs.

But you can't nail us in the coffin.
Throw off the yoke of former KGB!

Putin is lighting the fires of revolution
He's bored and scared of sharing silence with the people
With every execution: the stench of rotten ash
With every long sentence: a wet dream

The country is going, the country is going into the streets boldly
The country is going, the country is going to bid farewell to the regime
The country is going, the country is going, like a feminist wedge
And Putin is going, Putin is going to say goodbye like a sheep

Arrest the whole city for May 6th
Seven years isn't enough, give us 18!
Forbid us to scream, walk and curse!
Go and marry Father Lukashenko

Friday, August 17, 2012

Free Pussy Riot, Fuck Putin!


Pussy Riot Manifistations in Sweden today


Manifestation to support Pussy Riot out side the Russian Embassy (Stockholm) today, ca 5-7 pm.


Even the Punk Citys Gothenburg and Västerås will have manidestations today.





Monday, August 13, 2012

Yello Biafra in LA Times about the "Nazi Punks Fuck Off" tune

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-jello-biafra-nazi-punks-hate-speech-20120809,0,3821100.story

Yello Biafra, former frontman and singer in the legendary American punk band Dead Kennedys
speak out about his classic tune "Nazi Punks Fuck Off".
The song was recorded in 1981 and on the "In God We Trust" record.

Why? Because the Sikh temple shooter was into white power music.
That have nothing in common with punk, even if the sound can be similar sometimes.


Yello Biafra are in the band "Yello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine" nowdays.





Saturday, August 11, 2012

Review - Iggy and The Stooges at Gröna Lund


At Gröna Lund, Stockholm Aug 10 2012


The Event
Iggy Pop often together with Lou Reed given credit as the Grandfathers of punk, was in town, last night on the amusement park Gröna Lund, a place that have seen many classic rock and punk bands onstage.  I´ve seen Iggy a couple of times. He has been brilliant, less brilliant and one time surrounded by a terrible band being a let down. Tonight he was back at Gröna Lund where he have been a busy visitor. I think I´ve seen him twice there before. And one of them was really a terrible experience.
This time he brought his old band, the Stooges. James Williamson have replaced Ron Asheton on guitars since he passed away in 2009. And it is logical because James replaced Ron in the 1970ies during the heroin years. James was Iggy´s and drummer Scott Ashetons (Ron´s Brother) drug pal so he took over the axe and Ron was to play bass replacing the Dave Alexander that got fired after being too drunk to play (!). Mike Watt and Steve MacKay are now in the band as well.

Iggy and the added value of the Stooges was a good reason to see the spectacle.


The Crowd
Everyone was there. The Swedish rock journalist (Swedish Television) Per Sinding Larsen claimed, on Facebook, there was 15 000 people trying to see Iggy and the Stooges. Note that Bob Marley´s unbreakable 1980 crowd record counting 32 000 visitors is legendary. 15 000 was an incredible and likely number of people it was paced! There were people everywhere. And I recognized half of them, haha. Everyone was there.

The Crowd might been big, but a bit stiff, not as vivid and lively as the Dropkick Murphy´s crowd at the same place a two month earlier.


The Band
Iggy and the Stooges
They couldn´t hardly walk. Iggy and bass player limping like some wounded wildebeest. But when they were there, on stage, they delivered one hell of a rock show.

What strikes me with most old rock, blues and punk legends is the lack of aggression in their playing in later years. Eric Clapton, Mick Jones gone soft by the years. Compare the solo´s played by Clapton when he was God and today you will get what I am after here. The Stooges and the Sex Pistols are exceptions. The Stooges proved last night that they still know how to be bad ass. Behaving like the mad man he is, Iggy is still going strong even if is 65 of age. OK, not as wild as during the crazy years, but still much more than most rockers and punk singers do together. The Bass player Mike Watt behaving like a drunk in a minefield, hilarious! The sax player Steve MacKay playing as mean on saxophone as John Zorn. After starting with three well known numbers, “Raw Power”, “Search and Destroy”, “Gimme Danger” the set slowly turn into a punk jazz festival with unpredictable jazz punk as in the early years, in the end of the sixties. With James Williamson in the band it is a guarantee the songs from his era in the band are played such as “Beyond the Law”, “Johanna”, “Shake Appeal” (with the crowd invited on stage) and “Kill City”, “Johanna” and “Beyond the Law” much faster and harder than on the original records.

Best songs? Well it would be easy to say all of them. But I think I choose Kill City, at least it made me get going.

One non Stooges song was in the repertoire, Iggy Pop´s  classic hit “Passenger”.  As well as Stooges classics as “No Fun”, “Cock in Pocket”, “Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell”, “1970” among more songs. Note that such brilliant songs “1969”, “Down on the Street” and “TV Eye” wasn´t played.


Worth the money?
With the “Grönan kortet”, a season card a 199SKr (20 Euros) I got to see all the concerts and free admission to the amusement park all season. I have already seen Dropkick Murphy´s (didn´t see Jimmy Cliff) and still the Hives left to see.  So that is a totally yes on that on that question, it was like  winning on the lottery, all this for this small amount of money? This was one of the better concerts this summer. Not top three but good enough.

As you might read, I complain about how the Grönan stage is an act killer, Not last night, Iggy knew how to both get a  good sound and put on a great show.

Friday, August 10, 2012

The Exploited - Troops of tomorrow



The Exploited  -  Troops of Tomorrow

From the Album Troops of Tomorrow (1982)

Review - Social Distortion at Cirkus, Stockholm aug 7 2012




This review is about the first of the two night´s Social Distortion and guests performed at Cirkus in Stockholm, Aug 7 2012.



The Event


As Social Distortion´s frontman and singer Mike Ness point out during the concert. That this indoor gig was a most welcome break in the summer festival circuit. It seems like Social Distortion preferred the old wooden building before rain leaking festival tents. As support act they got one Swedish punk legend and one young Swedish band on the rise.
After Rancid´s and Street Dogs fabulous concerts this summer it seems like unfair for the band´s to compete with that. But they had to. That is one of the thing Rock n Roll is about, to convince the crowd that they are the best.


The Location

Cirkus was built in 1890ies to host the circus companies in the Stockholm city. Since then it have been an atmospheric stage for artist like Bob Dylan,  As well as Tv Shows.

With the retro style that Social Distortion often play around with, it seems like the perfect location for Social Distortion to perform. As a crowd you get pretty close to the band anywhere you are placed.

But there is a bit of problem with that arrangement, the seats on the grandstand makes people sit and watch more than to be partying. For an acoustic set it would be great. For a rock n roll band with its roots in punk it isn´t optimal.

The bars however were pretty fast in serving beer thirsty visitors.



The Crowd

Social D have always been a tattoo studio music in Sweden. This night it was too obvious, I can´t imagine one open tattoo studio in the whole country this Tuesday. Everyone must been traveling to Cirkus. All look like they came straight out of LA Ink Tv show or something or the gym. Possibly too cool and macho to join a mosh pit or sing along? I mean there are plenty of easy sung chorus to sing along to in SD´s music.

It is the bad thing tonight, the crowd. The party mood I was in was slowly decaying with the sit as statue mood ruled the seated section. My Godess, what I wish I got a front row ticket. But there wasn´t much of movement there as well. A few tried however. Mike crowned the Sweden the best Rock n Roll country in Europe, “But Rock n Roll isn’t about the head, he said, it´s about moving your hips. Mikes irony seem to pass way over the most of the crowd. I can spell it out for you if you didn´t got it, Start to fucking dance you lot! (my note).  

As an art school buddy I run into in the bar, nowday´s a tattoo artist, point out (no kidding), there are some tough guys in the audience tonight, bikers and people that are into vintage American cars. Possibly all of them with a kevlar west under their Soc D and De Palma T-shirts and jackets (my note). You can call it a new breed of Raggare, not hostile to punks like the older ones, but still with that stiff kind of macho manner. Not really punks but still into it a bit.


The Bands

Alonzo & Fas 3

Alonzo & Fas 3. Micke Alonzo was one of two singers in one of Sweden´s first punk bands, KSMB. One of two bands that even got pretty big in the main stream as well. With his second band Stockholms Negrer he challanged the racists and the white power movment. Micke himself told me once that those day´s where crazy. 2012 saw the birth of his new support band Fas 3, something like a Swedish Punk All Star Team or something. With members from The Hellacopters and International Noise Conspiracy.

Before their set I spoke briefly with Alonzo about how he felt about it. And I learned that you never get the answer you think you will get from him. Micke was worried about his voice, would it last for two nights in a row? Micke is no singer, never was, he yells and screams and almost growls with anger through the classic KSMB and Stockholms Negrer´s songs.

The voice was no problem this first night. Possible did he left some voice for the following night. The band was accompanied with Nicke Hellacopter that was missing when I saw them at Gothenburg´s West Coast Riot. And Nicke Andersson did secure the sound qualliry. It might sound´s a bit rediculous but I think with Nicke in the band it has a better sound. Unfortionately the set was too short and they push three new songs proving that Alonzo isn´t in it for the nostalgia. The new songs like “Dansa som en fjäril”and “Jag vill ha ett meningsfullt liv” are good, but they can´t give me the chill like the older KSMB songs do. There are so many memories associated with KSMB. From the years when I was as well as the punk itself was young. When you have to watch out for hostile Raggare (50ies style rockers) on your way to the punk concerts.

“Tidens tempo”, “Atomreggae” (Aka Harrisburg) and “Klockan 8” was the KSMB songs performed. And I wouldn’t mind some more KSMB and I think the rest of the crowd wouldn´t mind some more of it as well.



Royal Republic


Royal Republic are much younger than Alonzo. And to be honest, I planned to sneak down to the bar during their set, but was kept there by curiosity. And what I saw wasn´t bad, tight and competent. much more raw and heavy than on record. I am no fan of their “Tommy Gun” song. After a few of their songs the was an certain urge for a beer. I better give them a better chance another time.







Social Distortion

I´ve been waiting a long time to see the So-Cal band.
To say that Social Distortion play´s punk isn´t correct, they got their roots in punk, just like The Clash had. Maybe to remind us about that, clash was the music they played while we were waiting for them to come on stage. Today SD are more like a regular Rock n Roll band with both some Country, Blues, Gospel and Folk music as inspiration. Still it is their punk songs that are the best, “Far Behind”, “Reach for the sky”, “Mummy´s little Monster” and “So far away” are classics. Over all, they surprised me a bit with playing a much harder and punkier set than I expected, “Cold Feelings” was one of the highlights. The Crowd seems to like “Story of My life” a lot. I knew there wasn´t going to be any “You can´t take it with you” when there wasn´t any black girls on stage, the great backing singers that he brought on last year European tour. But “Bakersfield” from the same last record “Hard Time and Nursery Rhymes”  was a perfect piss pause song, it´s not one of their best, so I sneaked away for a leak.
It is possible that I´ve seen a bit too many good concerts lately and that may be the cause that I don´t get the chill through their regular set. It is perfect but it doesn´t touch me. In the encores however “Reach For the Sky” semi acoustic gave me a bit of a shiver down my spine. And the closing Johnny Cash cover “Ring of Fire” was brilliant as expected. A bit disappointed that I didn´t got to hear the Hank Williams cover “Alone and Forsaken”.

As a last word I must say that the back drop was one of the coolest I ever seen, so Social Distortion, so right. The lightning was beautifully applied on their set.


Worth the money? 450Skr=45 Euros is OK, I wouldn´t missed it for anything in the world, but if it had been cheaper I would seen them the two dates I Stockholm.  

The Stooges - Search And Destroy tonight at Gröna Lund



Grandfather of Punk - Iggy Pop and his original band the Stooges
plays at Gröna lund Tonight. Original Guitarist Ron Asheton who died in 2009
is now replaced by the man who once replaced him in the seventies, James Williamson.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Swedish newspaper call for Russian boycott as support for Pussy Riot




What does this blog, Madonna, Red Hot Chillipeppers, Amnesty International and possibly you have in common? FREE PUSSY RIOT!


Now Swedish newspaper Expressen call for total boycott of all Russian music in support for the female Russian punkband Pussy Riot, rediculously accused for huliganism by the corrupt regime.
Sorry all Russians, you are now the new 80ies South Africans.


Michel Wenzer + Crass = True


Swedish composer and director Michel Wenzer and the classic Brittish punk band Crass in a collaboration at Swedish Rock and Film Festival Way Out West. August 2012 will Michel Wenzer´s dream come true. The uncompromising anarcho punk band that was on it´s height in the mid 80ies as one of the developer of the anarcho crust scene will be an interessting blend of artistic expressions.

Michel Wenzer won the Swedish film prize "Guldbaggen" for the best documentary, "At night I Fly" 2012.


Notable happening from this blog´s point of wiev at WOW will be Kraftwerk, Billy Bragg, Blur, Refused and a film about Bad Brains.







Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Monday, August 6, 2012

Social Distortion soon under the Boss reign?


Pict from Aftonbladet´s artichle



Well the Boss have taken over. He is everywhere. I blogged about his invasion of the city of Gothenburg. Where he was out spying on Rancids gig there. After a great part of both Americas, Norways and Swedens punk establishment lined up to be the Boss best friend. The following days the Boss owned Gothenburg. Now Social Distortion are in that line, queuing up for a possible Boss collaboration.

Read it at the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet.
http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/musik/rockbjornen/article15216674.ab

On tuesday I will see Social Distortion in Stockholm.
Possibly last time as an independent act (then they´re maybee under the rule of the Boss, haha).

"Ny Våg" a new book about the early Swedish punk




New book (or Bible) about the early Swedish punk scene.

The book can also be a dictionary as well as you can read longer texts.
The regional differences between the scenes in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmo are penetrated.

In Swedish only.

Pre order at Bengans


Peter Kagerland - Ny Våg Svensk Punk/New Wave/Synth 1977-1982




Thursday, August 2, 2012

Joan Jett - Bad Reputation ( uncensored )



Joan Jett and the Blackhearts - Bad Reputation

From the Album "Bad Reputation" (1981)


Bad Religion - Wrong Way Kids (New Video)

Have trouble to link or embed from vimeo here. So I post the song from the album here and then you click on the link "Find the vidoe here" and you will get the new video.

Find the new video here





Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Free Pussy Riot!

Russia a democracy? Hahaha, what a laugh, with the prosecution of the female punk band Pussy Riot
they prove Russia is nothing but a fascist police state!

Spread the word and let Mr Putin know that the world care about the
democracy and freedom of speach even in Russia.

wearepussyriot.tumblr.com












Monday, July 30, 2012

The good, the bad and the Street Dogs.

On Facebook Street Dogs thanks the fans for their best European tour ever. Now they fly home again.
Sweden thank Street Dogs.

I will reblog Toby`s frustration with a certain airline.

"A week ago @British_Airways lost 2 Gibson Les Pauls, 2 1970's Fender Basses, and a set of Zildjian cymbals. At this point @British_Airways have made no attempt to get these back to us. Also mind you we spent $600 in bag fees for this kind of service. Words can't express the impact that this takes on a band to not have your necessary tools of your trade. We are calling on all of you to retweet and repost this story wherever you can to hopefully get their attention and get our gear back. Thanks for all support you guys are truly the greatest fans in the world. 

Tobe"

Tobe got his guitars back after som pressure from fans. But, it stinks that airlines behave like they pissed their pants, over and over again.

Rancid - Fall Back Down



Rancid  -  Fall Back Down

From the Album "Indestructible" (2003)

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Rancid´s setlist at West Coast Riot 2012


Picture linked from GP



Radio
Roots Radicals
St. Mary
Journey to the End of the East Bay
Maxwell Murder
Last One to Die
East Bay Night
Dead Bodies
The 11th Hour
I Wanna Riot
Red Hot Moon
Hooligans
Old Friend
Nihilism
Black & Blue
Salvation
Bloodclot
Rejected
The Way I Feel
It's Quite Alright
Lock, Step & Gone
Olympia WA.
The Wars End
Something in the World Today
Adina
Hoover Street
Fall Back Down

Encore:
Time Bomb
Tenderloin
Listed M.I.A.
Ruby Soho

UK Subs-Warhead

In order to melt the Rancid concert and the whole West Coast Riot festival, I turn to UK Subs.
Then there is time to get ready for Social Distortion at Circus August 7.



U.K. Subs - Warhead
From the Album Brand New Age (1980)

Saturday, July 28, 2012

The day after I saw the light, walking in an occupied zone.

Note, this is ment to be ironic, if someone would miss that!


Anti-Flag among others become the Boss best friend,
Picture taken from the American Staff Blog by the Pittsburg Gazette  

The day after I saw the light aka Rancid at West Coast Riot I woke up in an occupied city. The Riot was over, now the troops of Bruce Springsteen fans invade. The media was already taken over, they cover every move the Boss take, Gothenburg have been declared as a vassal state to New Jersy. While deadly tired and happy punks check out at the hostel, the Springsteens fans check in. Not a Turbojugend to be seen today. Just people in Rancid, Anti Flag, Street Dogs tour T-shirts heading for the trains and busses. Its like a hostile takeover. The Punk refugees leaving the city. It starts already at the breakfast bufé. "Glory days" and other New Jersey tunes fill the air. Everywhere you turn in the city there are a Springsteen tune played in a stereo. There are Springsteen photo exhibitions and the news papers have the Boss visit at the punk concert on the frontpage. I had a few hours to kill before my train leaves so I walk withthe stream of people to the big soccer arena Nya Ullevi where the Boss shall have his Nurnberg rally. I walk right into the sound check. Born in the USA is played at an increadible volume. Its a take no prisoners operation the Boss are into. Already have his loyal followers started to line up, I don´t envy them, the heat were as bad as the day before. I understand them, I know what kind of ecstacy they are in for. I got mine last night. A few hundred meter away 12.000 or something Jehova Vitnesses have gathered for an gigant prayer session at the hockey arena Skandinavium. I can´t help thinking that they missed God, he was showing his face at the West Coast Riot last night. I saw the light. But I guess they might be pissed off because the Springsteen fans God are bigger than theirs. Or at least more attractive. Asta Kask however told us that God spoke to them and she was a pissed off black, lesbian woman.


I saw the light! a Review of the West Coast Riot



The Event

West Coast Riot is by any comparison Sweden´s biggest punk festival. Not the biggest rock festival, but the biggest just for punk. Fat Wreck record have dubbed it the best punk festival in the world….hm, I haven’t been to them all so, well…but anyway, it was one of the best festival I been to. Just the location this year, just at the sea side with the open sea in sight was stunning. And this year´s line-up was something extra. I havn´t bothered to go there the years before, but when I saw that Rancid was headlining, it was a must to go. And then one good band after another was added to the bill, I would say it was mandatory to attend. Good that people didn´t do that. It was enough with people as it was in the rather narrow festival area not really dimensioned for the size of the crowd. Normally it is just an empty spot next to the art museum Röda Sten. This sunny Thursday in July it was Heaven and Hell at the same time, at least hot as Hell.


The Crowd, the Museum and the Bridge


The Location


I have already been on about the marvelous placement by the seashore. The smell of the salty sea water made me in a good mood. It smelled like vacation, the Baltic Sea at Stockholm doesn´t smell as good.
The concert area was easily reached with the tram. According to some WCR veterans logistics was much better this year. It was surreal to spend the festival right under the huge bridge, Älvsborgsbron.
The only thing to complain about was that there was too few food tents so the lines was long, too long for me. I went outside the festival area for a Bratwurst. While eating it a Mohawk drunk decided to take a dump next to me, squatting down a few meters from me taking a shit. Well, that´s punk…or? It reminded me on a song we wrote in my band Streetwalking Jesus about the “Braune Bratwurst”. Enough of filth now.


The Crowd

There´s an expression about Gothenburg fellows, “Goa Gubbar” (Nice Lads), and that was a fact. The west coasters are so much friendlier and easy accessible that the east coast Stockholmers. It was like everybody was my best friend, or something. Not a meat head in sight. The bands was in for the same treat. Singalongs, mosh pitting, dancing, cheering from the first chord to the last. Rancid, Asta Kask, Street Dogs and Anti Flag pointed out that. The Swedish Punk veteran Alonzo took a photo of us in the crowd because he wanted to keep this moment in his photo book. Over all everyone was in a good mood, helping each other up when someone tripped in the sometimes rather wild mosh pits.


The Bands

Gatans Lag  
and Dystra Li

Both bands opened the festival in a tent each. The Oi! Skinhead band Gatans Lag didn´t take any prisoners. It was full aggression from the first chord. And the crowd was there. Dystra Li did show some hesitation. Maybe because their tent was much less attended then Gatans Lag´s. The playing time for all bands was rather tight so why waste it on doubts and “excuse us mentality” like Dystra Li did, The only disappointment this day. I ran back to Gatans Lag´s stage again to catch the last of it. 
Gatans Lag proved that their best song was "Skalla, sparka sluta aldrig slå". Not only because the Lyrics is venting some serious anger against the middle class that modern society is designed to please, the tune is catchy as well. This is the working class town of Gothenburg, welcome!


Asta Kask opening the main stage, Photo talen from Micke Blomqvist´s facebook


Asta Kask

Swedish punk legends Asta Kast got the honour to open at the main stage. It was as usual full throttle from the start. It took them only three chords to have me in the mosh pit. I am close to my 50ies now, beer bellied and with a strong refusal to both play Golf, get a Labrador or got to the gym. This was my exercise.
Best song? All of them, it´s hard to choose one.
The sound wasn’t perfect but fair enough. And Asta proved them self again, they are NOT any lame ass punk revival band, they got the punk in the blood and their hearts beating as fast as their drums.



Street Dogs

I was prepared to be a bit disappointed in Street Dogs after seeing them doing one of the best shows I ever seen, in Stockholm a few week ago. But I wasn´t let down. The Massachusetts lads showed that they master the fine art of Punk Rock. Best song? “Tobey´s got a drinking problem”, but all of they were as good. Rancid might be better because better tunes, but Street Dogs are terribly hard working leaving nothing to ask for.



Beer pause and some bands I didn’t cared for too much about.


After that I was onto a serious beer pause. A chat with both new found friends and some Stockholm people that’s in the Stockholm scene. Mr Kjell Hell, one of Sweden´s best punk bloggers told me sad news, that he didn´t update his blog any more. To bad.


In the background I hear Anti Flag, The sound is good, but they doesn´t have as good songs at the opening bands. I catch a bit of the end of their set and saw they were working as hard as the rest of the bands. And some thought they were great. I wasn´t expecting to much so there wasn´t any disappointment. The same goes for some of the other bands that I wasn´t too interested in or impressed by. And some bands was missed because they was playing at the same time as someone else. Gallows I should have seen, however, but you can´t have it all, can you?

Beer, sunlight, more beer, chatting, saying hello, just feeling fine I the heat. This is all what a vacation should be like.


Alonzo & fas 3

Next band was Alonzo & fas 3, the punk veteran Micke Alonzo was a singer in classic Swedish bands like KSMB and Stockholms Negrer, Micke´s vocals dominated the set or should I write his punk,top of the lung screaming. At the same time Against me played with The Boss, Bruce Springsteen and the E street Band in the audience. The Boss then stayed to watch Rancid´s excellent performance. At facebook, I later noticed, The Boss and Alonzo had a chat. About what? How to yell as a madman onstage? I´ll ask him next time I meet Micke.


Micke Alonzo entered the stage with barly any voice telling us to help him sing his songs. That he didn´t had to ask twice. Then the 50+ gentleman started to scream his lung out in a way that could scare even the most hardcore growler. The band seems a bit shellshocked at first and didn´t match the aggression Micke poured on stage. But they catched up and found themself and did a decent job in the end. OK, it was not like KSMB or Stockholms Negrer was back in the days. But fair enough. The new songs that I wasn´t too fond of on record, was excellent live. Best song? Tonight it was Atom Reggae, even if almost all his songs are a part of our proud Swedish punk history.






Picture taken from Rancids Facebook


Rancid

Then there was an end of a long wait. Not only that Rancid havn´t been here for ten years, and as one punk at the festival put it, the band we been following and liked for a long time but havn´t seen live. Also a long wait for the concert we were all there for. To be honest, this wasn´t a festival, it was a Rancid concert with a long list of great support acts. Almost all I spoke to was there for Rancid.

And then we met God. Divided into four entities
Tim, minus his iconc hat with his skull tattoo on display (shaved head) and a beard that made him look like he gonna join ZZ Top. Lars, with his new skin head look and with his constant pissed off look. Even when he expressed apreachiations he looked like he really ment to smash our faces in. Matt, the man who looks like he came directly out of the bowling alley, who´s fingers out speed most bass players around. And in the back Branden that took over Brett role in the band in an excellent way.


The four of them, with their different stage presents melt together to one big punk love that includes the crowd. I got the feeling that the security barriers annoys the band. Tim tries several times to build a bridge over it. And in the end they call up a guy from the front row to sing a song with them. Tim Armstrong just played his Gretch and let the boy sing it. Possible the moment of his life.


Me, the rest of the crowd, including Bruce Springsteen, the Swedish punk legends was in it for a holy moment. There was something beyond the music, their world class tunes that got me. I was in the mosh pit and singing along for the most part of the nearly two hours show. But there was something extra added to it just see them live, feel their mental enery. With the risk to sound like a hippy (like if I cared?), this was just what I in my wildest dream wished for but wasn´t expecting. How could I doubt in God? Best song? Well, I repeat myself here. All of them. but there was one line that refused to leave me after. “When I got the music, I got a place to go” from the Let´s Go CD. I looked at the face of God realizing that Tim not just sang it, he delivered the ultimate truth. The God incarnated in the bodies and music of Tim, Lars, Matt and Branden.


Turbonegro

After I was struck of a feeling of fulfillment, perfection and emptiness. Deadly tired, the beer was sold out, so a glass of wine had to do. Then one look into the tent where Turbonegro was up next as the closing band. a most unpleasant task if you ask me, was enough. Then I was on it a gain, when I got the music I got a place to go. The Turbojugend logo, the leather cap in Neon as a backdrop just made me wanna go and see them. The new singer that was to replace the egocentric Hank von Helvete, did an excellent job. Not as crazy and unpredictable as the good old Hank. But with a certain edge in the voice that was refreshing. Initially the sound was very good, at the end it was just loud. "All my friends are dead was the best song". The Turbo´s did steer the ship to the destination. They managed to do the impossible to match Rancid´s holy punk quest. If Rancid was the Light, Turbonegro brought us back to hell where you give them worms.


Finally

I was in heaven in a field hotter than hell. I saw the light it was great.

Worth the money? What a question! Just Rancid been worth the travel, the room, the expenses and the ticket of the ca 80 Euros. And I got all the other bands as well.


    

Monday, July 23, 2012

AIRBOURNE - Runnin' Wild / feat. Lemmy


Airbourne Featuring Lemmy . Runnin´ Wild
From the Album Runnin´Wild (2007)

Sunday, July 22, 2012

While I was away John Lord passed away. (R.I.P. John Lord)

Back in the civilization again. After ten days vacation in the Northlandian (Norrländska) wilderness.
Wild life, fishing and bathing. Now back to normal again, like updating this blog. First I have to update myself. Seems like a mad man played a little Joker at a Batman moivie opening. Seems like I should go back to the deep woods again. Still war in Syria, what did I expect?. And to my sadness, the legendary Deep Purple ex Organist John Lord passed away after a period of illness at age 71. For some reason rock legends die when Im up there in Norrland, Syd Barret did his final departure from earth a few years ago while I was fishing.




Few musicians have made an bigger impact on me than John Lord, Especially at young age. I tried to learn how to play the piano when I first heard Deep Purple. John Lord was the reason why I made my father to buy me an electric organ in the 70ies. Not an Hammond howerver. I never learned to play the way he did. But who did? Few keaboard players can say they made such an mark in hard rock history as John Lord. Matching up with guitar genius and virituoso Richie Blackmore in their band Deep Purple. Just listen to "Child In Time" and realize that that was one of the peaks in rock history. The blend of Barock classic musik, Jazz and Blues often played on a distorted Hammond organ was not only a trademark of Deep Purple, it was also one of the seventies best sounding hard rock. No, the best ever sounding hard rock.

Today he is replaced by Don Airey. in Deep Purple, that is doing OK, saw them last December.

R.I.P. John Lord!

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Fuck, shit and a misserable vacation start.

Im off to the Swedish Hillbillyland up north in the wildernes. I got a great start from it.
Food Poisoned, a cold and allergies...of yeah happy days!

Fishing, swimming and boat trips feels far far away at the moment.

And because Im in the middle of nohwhere, I can´t keep my eagle eye on the Punk Scene for another week,  ill or not. Updates will be when the elements let me do it.


Punk Eriksson
By the lake, in the deep woods.

Bad Brains Hard Core Lemonade


Monday, July 9, 2012

Susanne Berglund Krantz test Motörhead Vödka

SORRY IN SWEDISH ONLY



Swedish Punk and Wine expert test Motörhead Vödka.



A Swedish Punk Wine Expert tastes wine at the toilet.

Punkvin - Punk Wine

Swedish Punk and Wine taster Susanne Berglund Krantz try out some Bourdeaux and wants to find out if she can detect a Cheval Blanc
All done where it is easy to let go of it after.



Cheval Blanc möter en toa i Huddinge
(Cheval Blanc meating a Toilet in Huddinge)

Qoute "Don´t combine this with food, Just drink it and enjoy"

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Review - Street Dogs, Greta Kassler, Spotlicks and Twopointeight


Saturday July 7, two concerts roughly at the same time.
At Broder Tuck was the line up Spotlicks, Greta Kassler and STYGG
At Debaser Medis was the line up Two point eight and Street Dogs (US)
STYGG didn´t get any review because I missed them because of Street Dogs.


The Places

Broder Tuck


The Broder Tuck Restaurant is rather big, the concert room in the basement are small, very small.
The contrast between the gangster look´a´like door men, their general clientel on the ground level and the Anarchists, Metal Heads and Punks in the basement are striking. The sound is mostly terrible, and loud. Very loud.


Debaser Slussen
Debaser Slussen togheter with Debaser Medis, Strand and Rocks the only decent rock clubs in Stockholm City. Debaser Slussen and Medis are mainly built up around concerts. The Stage a Debaser Slussen are however a photographers nightmare because most of the light are pointed towards you, not at the band. But the sound are generally much better than most of the clubs and stages in the City. Debaser in general attracts mostly a rock audience, not necessary a punk crowd. Tonight there are a lot of punk fans in the bulding, along with rock n rollers.


The Crowds

Broder Tuck

If you consider that Street Dogs are giving a free concert two subway stops away and most people are away on vacation it´s amazingly much people at Broder Tuck this particular night. As I written before, Broder Tuck got a horrible little basement as their concert room. And the bands seem pleased that so many showed up.

Debaser

Not only were we blessed this last days with high air humidity, which isn´t too common in Stockholm, the Debaser Slussen club was packed and hot as well. When I arrived more than halfway through Twopointeight´s gig there were like an wall of warm sweaty air to team up with me when I enter. It was packed so I can´t say I have a very good place to see the end of their gig from.

When it comes to the Street Dogs I got a perfect spot just outside the moshpit, and If I been in better shape I would most certainly been in the middle of it. Even the Boston lads in Street Dogs complain about the heat. Where I stood there were a fan blowing so it was OK, but still I got a sweat soaked T-shirt after the gig.


The Gigs

Broder Tuck


Spotlicks


First out this lovely, warm summer night was Spotlicks. A three man band, or should I write two men and one woman band, a woman that  was the main singer even if all of them were on vocals. The style of their punk is mostly based in early Swedish 78 punk. The songs are built up around power chord riffing and Swedish lyrics. The sound was really bad and didn’t gave the band the chance they deserved, but got a bit better toward the end, it is a bit pity that the sound was bad in the beginning, the band was better than the sound. And it was mostly a loud treble that reach my ears. The song that stayed in my mind was about you are good as you are (Fatta att du duger) But the songs were good, they played it like I like it. No noncense here, no arty stuff, just riffs pretty fast and vocals and Clash and Ebba Grön style of drumming. I liked it and a better sound would been better, at least to more clearly hear the vocals.


Greta Kassler

Greta Kassler mix D-beat and Trall Punk. They played fast. Live that night they did it convincingly even if the sound wasn´t the best, but loud as the sound waves moved me physically a cm or something. Much better than the sound Spotlick´s had to cope with though. It was fast and tight and the two singers different voices gave the music a different feeling even if the speed was mainly D-beat. And they sang it, not shouted, not chanted or growling it. It´s political and angry. Tonight they convinced. Too bad I couldn´t stay for the last band ST. But then I had to hurry to even get in to see the Street Dogs. I didn´t have time to say goodbye to the people there.

Worth the money, 100Skr (10 Pounds)? Yes, but this came to be in the shadow of what the Street Dogs did.


Debaser Slussen


Twopointeight

There are a certain hype around Twopointeight, mostly because their commercial, radio friendly rock heavy influenced by the Clash and Rancid. And that´s what is bothering me with the band, it´s a bit to mainstream and radio friendly for my taste. Not only me BTW, other just hates themfor other reasons. They are trying too hard to be the Swedish Rancid so they lose any originality. On record the smart productions lack the energy or punk. With Greta Kassler still ringing in my ears, TPE are way too slow. OK, it´s unfair to compare a part of a gig with a full gig but tonight Greta Kassler wins, not because better voices or better tunes, but because Greta is fast and full of energy, Twopointeight was slow and seems to be too cool to get dirty, that and the total lack of energy was a let down on me, others seems to like it. Not even their best song, Red Eyes, worked for me that night. Gubbrock (Old Mans Rock) is a word they are dangerously close to it. But it seems like I am not in phase with the crowd next to the stage.


Street Dogs

It is a bit surreal to be seeing a class act as Street Dogs for free. The former Dropkick Murphys singer Michael McColgan quit the Murphys to fulfill his dream to become a fire fighter just as Dropkick broke in the punk scene. Since then he is a  Street Dog. It stood clear last night what Mc Colgan brought to the Dropkick Murphys debut record Do or Die (which is my favorite DKM record). The speed, the energy and the punk. Street Dogs lacks most of the Gaelic stuff that DKM based their career around, it´s more just punk.
First I have to take a deep breath before I go on and tell you about it, because the memory itself gives me shivers. And point out that sometimes you feel that you are in the right place at the right time. This gig was one of those moments. So seem the band feel about it as well.
I feel sorry for those suckers that ware at the Roskilde that night to see Bruce Springsteen, when it was at Debaser it was happening.
From the beginning the band showed that this was for real. The best sound all night, Loud but not as loud as during Greta Kassler. Fast and hard and mercy less! Most of their known songs, as well as a few covers and DKM songs. The two songs I missed was Power in the Union and Skinhead on MBTA (Will I ever hear my favorite song live?) but that didn´t matter tonight. Tight, heavy and fast (not D-beat fast but fast.) and with all the energy TPE didn´t showed.  
The best was the Dropkick songs near the end with old “Do or Die”  and “Get up”, the DKM songs and covers. Especially the song Do or Die (for a moment my eyes met Mikes as we were chanting out the lyrics as he pointed at me and I answered with a raised fist).
Wow, is the only word that describes it all. The Crowd did go absolutely mental from the first song. The band and the crowd ripped the place apart totally, I saw a bar table go wasted and the Gods only know what else broke, the blood was pouring down people foreheads, smashed bloody in the euphoria this night gave us. Energy, mosh pitting, sing a longs, stage diving, you name it, The good singer himself was crowd surfing as well. This was everything a punk rock concert should be about, it was there! The band seem to enjoy themselves, loving the crowd, the crowd loved the Dogs onstage. Some fans loved the Dogs onstage and was welcomed by a friendly band.
The band assured us that this moment will stay a long time in their hearts. I It will in my as well.

When the band as the second song in the encore burst out in Sham 69´s Bostal Breakout sung as Boston Breakout, then I thought both me and the whole place should explode. And so it went on throught the rather generous encore. What a night!. We all need a little Punk Rock n Roll.

It was pointless continuing drinking beer or chatting with old friends after. Because all I could think of was how blessed I´ve been to be there. So I went home rather quickly.

I went home with the worst Tinnitus in a long time, a big smile and a memory of seeing the light.
A light lit by some Street Dogs, Working class punk from Massachusetts.

Worth the money?……It didn´t cost anything, but let´s say this was one of the best concerts I´ve seen.      
Next chance for me to catch them is at West Coast Riot in Gothenburg July 26.