The Radio Russell Show…where anything goes.
Playlist
1. John Zorn – Batman – Nonesuch Records (USA)
2. Butthole Surfers – Human Cannonball – TouchAndGo Records
3. King Missile – Detachable Penis – Atlantic records
4. Butter 08 – Degobrah – Grand Royal Records
5. Ween – Tried and True – Sanctuary Records
6. Beach Boys – When A Man Needs A Woman – Capitol Records
7. Devo – Whip It – Virgin Records
8. Johnny Cash – Ring of Fire – CBS Records
9. Son Of Dave – Goddam – Husky Records
10. STP – Hey Bastard – Rough Trade Records
11. Wayne Carson – Soul Deep – Casual Records
What a difference a year can make. A year ago The Magic Numbers were just entering the studio to record their debut album, enjoying an ever growing cult following playing low key shows. Fast forward 12 months and the band have played every major festival, supported Brian Wilson, played a sold out tour of the UK and had their eponymous debut album nominated for the Mercury Music Award. Not bad for two sets of siblings from West London. Fronted by Romeo Stoddard, flanked by his sister Michele on bass, Sean Gannon on drums and his sister Angela (melodica and vocals), the ‘Numbers have been described as the feel good band of the year, combining a laid back west coast Mamas and Papas vibe (by the by the Mamas and Papas were once known as ‘The Magic Circle), and beautifully penned songs of love, heartache and loss.
‘The eighties are over, get over it,’ someone shouts from the front as Municipal Waste steam into yet another slab of prime thrash metal from an era before things were Nu and metal was metal and metal was fast. Yes, the eighties are over but the crimes that have been committed against metal over the last few years by bozos like Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park and Alien Ant Farm means that it’s time to start looking back to a time when metal was at it’s most vital and start drawing on the energy and enthusiasm and injecting it back into the music today. Municipal Waste draw their inspiration from a period in heavy music when the extremes of metal, hardcore and punk merged to create a genre then described as Crossover. By fusing the raw attitude of punk with the speed and simplicity of hardcore and power of metal, bands like Agnostic Front, Corrosion Of Conformity, Crumbsuckers, D.R.I. and Nuclear Assault created a whirlwind of energy as the bands played faster and faster. Combine this with the influence of speed/thrash metal like Exodus, Megadeth, Slayer and the like and you had a scene that rivalled the first wave of punk in the energy and attitude stakes.
But first, the incredible Horror lay waste to the entire venue tonight, showing us all exactly how this hardcore thing should be, and used to be done before somehow lame chugga-chugga metalcore started getting passed off as hardcore. From the moment they hit the stage they are lightning fast, stupidly tight and just so fucking powerful it makes you want to grab every other two bit hardcore band in the UK roughly round the back of the neck, shove their faces in it and scream ‘look, this is how it should be done!’ One minute they’re so fast you think they’re going to become air-born, then the next they kick into a comparatively more mid-paced stinging riff that just makes you wanna go wild and break stuff. The Horror are as good as any band from the golden age of eighties UK hardcore (Ripcord, Heresy, The Stupids) and their next album will peel your skin off. You have been warned.
Municipal Waste’s sense of fun is utterly addictive. They hit the stage amongst a barrage of flying bodies, lager and sweat. At one point someone surfboards off the stage before trying to surf across peoples heads as the band bombard us with crisps from their rider saying we all look too skinny and need fattening up. And all around everyone is thrashing and smiling and just getting off on the fun and energy of it all. This is how metal gigs should be. This is how metal gigs used to be. A riot. Thank you Municipal Waste for bringing the feeling back.
NYC has had its fair share of cool bands over the years and there is always room for one more. We welcome Diamond Nights to the zine as their debut album Popsicle is a taster of some very classic rock albums to come.
Tony Hawk arrived in London to skate at Bay 66 skate park and promote his new Tony Hawk game coming out on Activision. He was joined by Pete King, Mark Munson and Aussie rider Jake Brown on the vert ramp in the midst of hundreds of excited kids. Hawk has recently visited 3 European countries on this tour with London. Congrats to Mr Hawk as he is set to marry his wife Erin in Fiji in January..
The venue is rammed meaning that the current single The Great Escape has done it’s duty and turned heads, not really difficult though when you have a tune that good but hey, better ones have not even touched the sides in the past but these guys are lucky, they were in the right hands at the right time.
When the American Element team dropped their video, I was less than blown away- with the utter exception of Brent Atchley- so when I heard Element Europe were next to drop a video, my emotions were mixed to say the least… Would they over do it on the ecological front? Would it resemble an above average Puzzle video? Would the best skater have an unpronounceable name..?
Wow, this book is a real treat. If you skate then you may already know that Andrew Pommier has designed insane graphics for Toy Machine Skateboards and also Momentum Wheels over the last 2 years, and if you do not skate, this book has to be read for some of the most twisted art you will see out there. Pommier’s sketches come across as being, sad, lonely, oppressed and pitiful, but this is the view from the artists eyes, that maybe after a deep interview will come to light just how they did eventually end up on paper. With the use of animals including rabbits, squids, bears, dogs, bumble bees and deer’s Pommier creates images of humans connecting with these species like you have never seen before, all with a subtle message added for confusion and thought.