Given the scarcity of Lee Ritenour’s official concert releases, each time the jazz guitar giant issues a stage report, fans have a reason for festivities. So while it would have been great to see an archival recording making its way … Continue reading
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“It’s like a dream, it really is,” says Jerry A, former vocalist with American hardcore legends Poison Idea, of finally recording with the Hard-Ons.
The long-awaited collaboration between them – titled simply Hard-Ons/Jerry A, was finally released in August.
LOUD: You’ve known the Hard Ons for a very long time of course
JERRY A: “I’ve been a fan of them since the Waterfront days. You sit around listening to music… Motorhead or whatever, and you think, ‘Fuck, wouldn’t it be cool to sing with Motorhead, or just band a tambourine, or whatever’… Then you hear the Hard Ons, and they’re a three piece and I know they have a singer, but wouldn’t it be cool if I could sing with the Hard Ons? Then, Wow!, here it is.”
L: I know you recorded with them back in the 90s before they split up the first time, but this is the first time you’ve done a whole album with them. Was that something you’d planned for ages or did it just coalesce after you toured together last year?
JA: “We played, and Blackie gave me one song, and we did it. Then he presented me with a dozen songs, and I got those and I listened to them for the first time and I was like ‘Wow!’ You know, if you get a song and you can hum along or sing along to it the first time you hear it, you know it’s a good song.”
L: Blackie has a strange gift of being able to write songs off the cuff like nobody else. He’s just an incredible songwriter. You know that he wrote 366 songs in a year once?
JA: “That’s amazing!”
L: I don’t know where that guy’s gift comes from, but I’m glad he has it.
JA: “Yeah. It’s like rock, it has an Australian rock flavour with pop sensibilities. It sounds radio, but it sounds underground at the same time. He’s a genius. He really is.”
L: What was the process of doing the album, because being the Hard Ons, it probably didn’t take that long.
JA: “Honest to God, I got these songs and I listened to them, and I listened to them all at one time. We still had three or four songs in the can. And I was like, “These are great songs”, and they said, “Well, you need to put vocals on them”. So I said “Sure”, then I waited for, like, two months, and then they said “Listen, we have to mix next week!” So I was like “Shit! I haven’t even started”. But let me take a song every day. So I took about a week and a half… I listened to one song a day, wrote the lyrics, went in the studio that night, came home, and did that for about a week… a week and a half, because we had two songs already. So I did eight songs in eight days. It was pretty easy. I was overwhelmed at first but when I took them song by song, they were pretty easy.”
L: What’s it like being on stage with them?
JA: “They’re like a machine. I don’t have to worry. It’s like a dream. It’s amazing. These guys are an absolute machine.”
L: It seems like fate that you got together with them because there are quite a lot of similarities between the Hard Ons and Poison Idea – very underground, very do-it-yourself, and the attitudes are pretty similar also.
JA: “Well that’s what we grooved on. We’re brothers from another mother.”
HM: Do you have a particular highlight from the album?
JA: “Every song is its own thing. I never thought I would be doing these songs that I could hear on a movie soundtrack. There’s a song that makes fun of corporate rock, selling out like The Sonics doing a song for Mustang… I can see that song being on a commercial for Virgin phones or something. It’s great. It’s riding a Harley Davidson at 120 miles an hour. It just feels great! It’s actually hard to describe.”
HM: I actually wish you had done something like this sooner.
JA: “I had the opportunity to work with these guys years ago. They had their stuff going on, I was out burning bridges, trying to destroy everything around me. It’s rare when you get to do a do-over. In life, they say you fucked it up, you ruined everything, that’s the way it goes. DOn’t let the door hit your ass on the way out. But, you know what? Twenty years later, you wanna give it another shot… thirty years later! What? You’re kidding me! I promise I won’t fuck up too bad this time.”
HM: I’m not sure we can give you another thirty years, Jerry, but I’m sure we’d still forgive you at some point.
JA: “We’re gonna keep doing it. I keep telling Blackie all the time, write me another good song! I don’t want to step on Tim’s toes. They’re a band, and they’re great the way they are. I’m just creeping in the backdoor like Howlin’ Wolf and I’ll take what I can get for now. I’m very happy and very grateful, and I’ll make the most of it.”
HM: Well I think Tim would be pretty happy too. He’s got his own other band and he’s a Poison Idea fan too, I’m pretty sure.
JA: “Well I asked him and he’s like, “You gotta be kidding me! I couldn’t give a shit”.”
Blueneck multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Duncan Attwood reflects on long-awaited album Moonlighting, which was created against a backdrop of personal crisis, as well as how it felt to be slapped with the post-rock tag and to play a slot at Glastonbury.
A key cog in Bristol post-rock outfit Blueneck, Duncan Attwood – alongside musical comrade Richard Sadler – has been among the leading lights of the British underground scene for more than two decades. It’s been 10 years since their last album The Outpost, but it wasn’t meant to be that way.
The Covid pandemic and serious illnesses put spanners in the works, all brought into sharp focus when Attwood himself suffered a stroke a couple of years ago. The cinematic, introspective left-leaning outfit are back in fine form on a record they felt they just had to release – even if the band’s future looks unclear.
New album Moonlighting has been 10 years in the making. How does it feel to get to this point?
If I had to pick one word, it would be ‘relief.’ The process was different this time: we started recording a year after the last album and it was going to be released a couple of years after. Everything was going well, and then the shit started to hit the fan. Mat Sampson, our long-term producer, his wife got really sick; luckily she recovered. But it meant we weren’t able to work as much as we could with him.
And then obviously there was a little thing called a global pandemic. Unlike other bands we just couldn’t work remotely. Finally, we got it going again, to the point that I was getting all the vocals done. A week later, I had a full-on stroke, and that obviously derailed everything yet again.
At that point we thought, “Fuck it, let’s just forget the whole thing.” And then I had this realisation that we’ve got basically a nigh-on complete album, and if we don’t release it now I could die and these tracks might never see the light of day, and that would be a shame because I’m of the impression that they’re pretty good.
The album went through three mixes. I think I pissed everyone off because I was a bit of a perfectionist – I treated it like this was our last.
Moonlighting has been described as Blueneck’s most honest and emotive album yet. What are some of its themes?
I write lyrics on two different layers. I write songs so they’re on a personal level, but I try not to make that really obvious. I don’t like songs that tell the listener what to think or what the song is about. Songs mean something personal to me, but then they also have this overall theme, which I hope translates to the listener.
I’ve always liked albums that go on a journey: Moonlighting has quite an angry and resentful side one, and then it becomes more reflective as the album progresses. Whether or not the listener thinks of it that way, that’s up to them – I’m ok with people thinking differently.
Influences for the album include everything from Mogwai and Cult Of Luna to Depeche Mode, Prince and Genesis. Is there a fairly varied melting pot of inspiration in Blueneck?
I spent a week on tour with Cult Of Luna, playing keys. It was the most terrifying week of my life
I think people always assume we are post-rock fans ourselves, and nothing is probably further from the truth. I grew up in the 80s; I was discovering all these sounds like Depeche Mode and Soft Cell. As I grew up, so to speak, I then got into rock music and completely fell in love with 90s rock, in particular Smashing Pumpkins. One of my all-time favourite albums is Siamese Dream.
This album is heavily influenced by that – not by songwriting, but by things like guitar sounds and drum patterns. The influences are always hidden. And then I’m adding in things like Cult Of Luna: I spent a week on tour with them, playing keys.
That was the most terrifying week of my life – they’re such talented musicians, and I’m far off from a talented musician. That was a week of me just trying to keep up with those guys, but I learned so much from one week with them.
Do you mind the post-rock tag?
I think music genres help you. Before we were given that tag, to be completely honest, I’d never even heard of it. It was 2005; we were playing in clubs and stuff. We were in Manchester and someone came said, “You’re a great post-rock band.” I went home and I was like, “What the fuck is post-rock?”
At that time you had chatrooms and message boards, and that’s how people discovered Blueneck, by saying, “There’s this new post-rock band.” That’s how we became, let’s say, popular. Without being given a genre, no one would have heard of us.
I’m sure some people would give their right arm to play Glastonbury. It looks good on your CV
Blueneck played Glastonbury in 2014 – what was that experience like?
It was alright; it was okay. I grew up going to Glastonbury when it was quite a different festival; Let’s just say people weren’t going there to be seen to be going. It used to be an amazing place and a really exciting festival to go to.
When we played, I felt there was quite a snobbiness to it. I’d much rather play a small club in eastern Germany where they appreciate the effort that you make to bring your music to them. But that’s just one person’s opinion.
Glastonbury’s 25 minutes up the road from me; I played it, I came home, I slept in my own bed. I probably sound like a bit of a dick for saying that, and I’m sure there would be people who would give their right arm to play Glastonbury. And it looks good on your CV.
This is not a “10 Best Songs About Drinking” list, and it is not even a “10 Essential Songs About Drinking” list. These are simply ten of our favorite songs about drinking, including several tracks that are not always associated with alcohol unless you really know the lyrics. We deliberately stayed away from many of the usual choices such as “Whiskey in the Jar,” “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer,” and “I Drink Alone” because those songs already dominate so many drinking-song lists. Instead, we wanted to dig a little deeper and choose songs where drinking becomes part of a
The post 10 Of Our Favorite Songs About Drinking appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.
AFI – The Observatory Festival Grounds – September 19, 2026
I discovered AFI shortly after moving to California in the early 90’s because my friend had one of their stickers on the window of his broken down and mostly-in-the-shop Corolla. I asked him about it, and a couple of his borrowed CDs got me started down the rabbit hole of all things AFI.
AFI
The Observatory in Sana Ana California is an institution – tons of famous bands representing all music genres have played the 1200 venue, but when a larger band rolls through Orange County, the streets surrounding the venue close down, the stage moves outside, and the capacity grows into the thousands. Food trucks galore line the closed streets, and The Observatory Festival Grounds really do feel like a music festival, complete with shuttle buses to move thousands of people from off-site parking lots to the location.
Saturday night’s event was completely sold out, and the grounds were as jammed with people as it could be. That overflow spilled into the photo pit – not just with crowd surfers of which there were many, but with more photographers than I’ve ever seen at one show – at least 30, not including the three videographers filming the show. Moving in the pit was madness, and trying not to blow someone else’s shot while vying for interesting angles and position was not an easy endeavor.
AFI went on at 9:30pm, and excited fans pressed up against the barricade. The doors opened at 5:00pm, and the area closest to the stage had been packed since then. The fans on the rail didn’t move and risk giving up their coveted spot, and stood in the heat of the day waiting for the sun to go down and the festivities to begin.
There is never a bad time at an AFI show – people are there to enjoy themselves, and the band always exceeds expectations. AFI delivers both great musicianship and intense energy, led effortlessly by frontman Davey Havok, who spent much of the night jumping off platforms, pacing the stage while singing passionately, and pushing ever closer to the edge of the stage to be as close as possible to the diehard fans. Despite being obscured by the stage right smoke machine and a westerly breeze, founding member Adam Carson clearly killed it on drums, while bassist Huntter Burgan moved with him in lockstep and held down the low end. Jade Puget was a whirling dervish with his guitar and great to watch as he seamlessly blended aggressive punk stylings with melodic textures.
The tour was in support of 2025’s Silver Bleeds the Black Sun, and four of the night’s seventeen songs were from it. The setlist at an AFI show changes every night, but Saturday’s offering seemed to be tailor-fit for the Southern California audience – the perfect balance of tracks to satisfy both the old-school fans and the newly converted.
This night was fun in every regard. Most fans in attendance had been to many AFI shows in the past and knew exactly what to expect, and AFI overdelivered. They played both the hits and deeper cuts from multiple albums, and gave their fans – some of the most passionate and loyal in music – a fantastic night of music that they’d remember for a long time, or at least until the next time the band rolls through town.
AFI are:
Setlist:
1) Strength Through Wounding
2) Girl's Not Grey
3) Love Like Winter
4) Holy Visions
5) A Single Second
6) Snow Cats
7) 17 Crimes
8) Killing Lights
9) Behind the Clock
10) Beautiful Thieves
11) Bleed Black
12) Marguerite
13) I Hope You Suffer
14) Nooneunderground
15) The Days of the Phoenix
16) Miss Murder
Encore:
17) Silver and Cold
18) Total Immortal
Brooks Robinson is an LA-based concert photographer, and 30+ year freelance camera operator for film, television, and music videos. He has photographed some of the largest film/TV projects in history, and hundreds of music videos in MTV's heyday.
Photo: David Randall/GRTR! The millennium has seen the revival of one of Sweden’s great melodic rock exports – Europe – and since their reformation in 2003 they have gone from strength to strength, reasserting their credentials and making some consistently … Continue reading
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Willian Shatner has made his debut performance as a heavy metal frontman. The 95-year-old Star Trek veteran performed with his backing band The *uckers at a Riot Fest warm-up show at the 1000-capacity Park West in Chicago, covering songs by Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica and Motörhead alongside three original songs from his upcoming album What the F Is Heavy Metal?
Shatner’s performance was a dress rehearsal for his Riot Show appearance on the final night of this year’s three-day event, which features headliners Twenty One Pilots, Tool and Pierce The Veil alongside Iggy Pop, Rise Against, Pixies, Morrissey, Alanis Morissette, Elvis Costello and many more.
Shatner’s backing band for the two shows includes guitar and musical director Marcus Nand (Mike Tramp, Candice Night), bassist Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Idol, guitarist Britt Lightning (Vixen, Cactus) and drummer Fred Aching (Kings of Thrash, Dead Groove, Fraxures).
“I’ve always believed that music, like space, is about exploration,” says Shatner. “Riot Fest is exactly the kind of place where anything can happen. We’re bringing volume, intensity, and a few surprises. With this incredible band behind me, I expect nothing less than lift-off. I can’t wait to share this experience with the fans.”
“William Shatner has spent a lifetime redefining expectations,” says Brian Perera, founder of Cleopatra Records. “This isn’t a novelty performance – it’s a real rock show featuring world-class musicians behind one of entertainment’s greatest icons. Riot Fest is the perfect stage for this next chapter, and we’re going to deliver a performance worthy of the festival’s incredible legacy.”
No release date has been announced for What the F Is Heavy Metal?, which reportedly features guest appearances from Brian May, Tony Iommi, Rob Halford, Dave Lombardo, Mikkey Dee, Vinny and Carmine Appice and dozens of others.
Below, Shatner can be seen performing Ozzy’s Crazy Train, Metallica’s Enter Sandman and Motörhead’s Ace Of Spades.
Taiwanese metal band CHTHONIC and Finnish artist Mariska have released a new collaborative single titled “Näin Määrättiin.” The track marks a unique milestone, as it is the very first time Mariska has appeared on an extreme metal song. Together, the two artists deliver a powerful release that draws on the tragic human stories and shared historical struggles of both of their countries.
The lyrical themes of “Näin Määrättiin” were originally inspired by the final words written by Taiwanese political prisoners to their loved ones before their execution. While researching the song’s subject, CHTHONIC vocalist Freddy Lim discovered that stories of Finnish resistance during the Winter War were frequently reported in early Taiwanese newspapers. These stories provided encouragement to Taiwanese readers, many of whom later became political prisoners themselves. Deeply moved by the idea that people on opposite sides of the world could inspire one another through similar heartbreak and survival, Freddy Lim connected with Mariska to bring her poetic songwriting to the project.
The post CHTHONIC and Mariska Release New Single “Näin Määrättiin” first appeared on FemMetal – Goddesses of Metal.
www.rosshardingmusic.com [Release date 28.08.26] Does this work? A big gamble from Ross. But you have to erase the original from your mind and treat this like it’s the first time you have heard it, then it works. It works big … Continue reading
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