Aim Higher

Kevin Seconds is best known as the vocalist in Sacramento hardcore band 7 Seconds. He is also slightly less well-known for his art and his acoustic songs, but this is a new hardcore side project.

Christmas Songs

If you know me you might be aware that I'm not exactly the largest fan of the Yuletide season. In fact you would probably go as far as to describe me as the least Christmassy person you know and say that I would run that green Dr Seuss character pretty close in terms of dislike of all things Festive. I don't mind, it's true.

Sum of Your Achievements

Sometimes a band are an embarrassment. Sometimes a band can be a guilty pleasure. And sometimes you just have to say fuck it.

Suburban Discipline

In the 90s there used to be a late night rock programme on ITV once a week called Raw Power (later rebranded to the much less rock-sounding Noisy Mothers). This was the only source most of us who didn't have MTV (in the days when they actually still showed music videos) had.

Veal Isn't Fucking Wild

This week's look back at a classic album incorporates two of my favourite things: metal and comedy.

My Head Really Hurts

I'm going to be controversial. I've chosen a band that everyone should have heard of, but I've chosen an album that doesn't feature their must successful line-up. The album is also a compilation full of material available elsewhere.

Not Ready to Step Down

Finding out that Sick Of It All would be releasing a 5-track EP filled me with the same kind of joy as an unexpected day off work or finding a tenner down the back of the sofa.

I Want to Be Stereotyped, I Want to Be Classified

Regular readers of this blog (yes, both of you) will be aware of my love of the Descendents.

Uke Hunts

I'm sure many of you are aware that I play the ukulele. I may have mentioned it on several occasions.

I might even have directed a few of you towards YouTube clips and stuff that I've recorded.

S.O.D. Off

Sometimes band members like to step away from their day jobs and create something totally different with a new group of people.

GWAR! Hurrr! What Is It Good For? etc...

Ever heard of GWAR? Their name reputedly stands for Grotesque, Weird Anal Reprobates which sums them up nicely. They wear peculiar costumes and have a back story about coming from another planet and being frozen under the Antarctic ice for some time. Imagine Norse mythology with a sci fi twist mixed with thrash and hardcore and you'll not be far off.

No Rust for the Wicked

Megadeth were my favourite band between the ages of 16 and 18 and I must have owned about 10 of their t-shirts in the early 90s.

You Couldn't Handle the Truth

In this new, possibly regular (if I can be arsed), feature I will take a look back at some albums I believe to be classic. If Oasis' Definitely Maybe is now considered such then I have plenty of faith in my selections.

Crossover the Road

And here is the third part of my Bands I've Discovered trilogy.

The Importance of Bigwig

In keeping with the bands-I've-discovered theme I suddenly remembered after my last post that I had discovered another hardcore band earlier this year and neglected to write about it. We can't have that – you could all be missing out on something here.

I Really Think So

After years of research and listening I sometimes think I'm aware of all the bands, that I've heard everything ever released that I could possibly like. And every now and then something pops up to prove me wrong.

Rebellion Festival 2016 Day Four

Day Four. The final day. Sad times.

Rebellion Festival 2016 Day Three

And before we knew it Day Three was upon us. At this point people are traditionally running out of steam. My feet and toes hurt due to standing upright in a poor choice of footwear for days and my kidneys hurt, having been punched a bit hard by £4.50 bottles of Newcastle Brown Ale. But you have to power on.

Rebellion Festival 2016 Day Two

Day Two was always going to struggle, being that Day One had been one of the greatest Rebellion days ever and going into it thinking that it wouldn’t be good wasn’t the best way to approach it.

Rebellion Festival 2016 Day One

The years keep passing by faster and faster and it’s time for Rebellion Festival again.

Uke-lear Assault

Not to oversell it, but yesterday was the highlight of the year for ukulele players in the East Riding of Yorkshire and in some cases beyond.

Bonded by Blood

It had been a while since my last metal gig (possibly around two years), so when I heard that titans of thrash, Exodus, were going to play in York, I texted an old friend had said we simply had to go.