Johnny’s Place Playlist

Posted on September 15, 2015 by platinumal

Johnny’s Place, Parga, Greece

My holiday this summer was another visit to Parga in Greece. It’s a very beautiful town on the west coast; nestled snugly amongst beach and harbour. In the bay there is a small island with white church resting on top; above the town is an ancient fort – it’s real picturesque stuff.

Parga features many excellent tavernas, restaurants and bars. A bar I’ve now visited a few times is Johnny’s Place, where the cold beer is “cheap as chips” and the welcome is warm.

Situated in the middle of town, the people watching at Johnny’s Place is second to none. It’s a relaxing atmosphere with some great tunes.

Over the space of a few visits to this bar, we compiled a playlist of songs that were heard. In the spirit of reminiscing about another fabulous summer holiday, here are the songs that take me back to that time and place.

Imagine enjoying a cold Mythos (and a plate of meze, as provided gratis here!) and let the everyday stresses melt away…

Survivor – “Eye of the Tiger”
Bee Gees – “Staying Alive”
Boney M – Bahama Mama”
The Beatles – “Come Together”
The Beatles – “Here Comes the Sun”
Aerosmith – “Dream On”
Journey – “Don’t Stop Believin'”
Metallica – “Nothing Else Matters”
Pink Floyd – “Comfortably Numb”
The Eagles – “Hotel California”
Pulp – “Disco 2000”
Duran Duran – “Save a Prayer”
Madness – “It Must Be Love”
The Cure – “Lovesong”
Manic Street Preachers – “Your Love Alone Is Not Enough”
Rod Stewart – “Baby Jane”

If you visit Parga – and I highly recommend you do – don’t forget to pay Johnny’s Place a visit.

The website for Johnny’s Place is here.

The Facebook page is here.

Thanks to Colin for the menu board photo!

Bring Your Own Vinyl Night #3

Posted on September 3, 2015 by platinumal

Bring Your Own Vinyl Night

Queen’s Head, Mold

Friday 21st August 2015

And we’re back spinning wax in the Queen’s Head pub in Mold. The crew and I made the trip, armed with stacks of vinyl, for our fifteen minutes of fame playing records. The premise is simple:

Two turntables and all the equipment to spin your discs, plus PA
A 15 minute slot to play whatever you like, so long as it’s vinyl

Plus there’s a bar for drinkies, which helps if you need a bit of dutch courage to get up and get your DJ on.

The crew and I – Adam, Greeny and Ben the Swede – made sure we got there early this time. Good job we did, as the throng of vinyl faithful had grown and the list of would be DJs was growing. Nice to see this event gaining popularity – the cult of vinyl grows ever stronger.

Here’s my set:

Killing Joke – Pandemonium

The title track from Killing Joke’s classic 1994 disc of the same name, this tune boasts a devastating bass and rhythmic rumble. “Pandemonium” erupted from the speakers and announced the start of my set in crushing style!

The Stooges – I Wanna Be Your Dog

This slice of messed up Detroit proto punk is a Stooges classic. Ron Ashetons wah-wah guitar and Iggy’s snarl show just how great this band were. I first investigated the Stooges as other bands I was a fan off (Sex Pistols, The Damned) had covered their songs – so I picked up this compilation to learn more. I was instantly smitten by this dirty racket and never looked back.

Killing Joke

The Stooges

Descendents – Clean Sheets

I first heard the Descendents on an old Vision skateboarding video, soundtracking a fantastic Gonz section. This was the late 80’s, and with no Soundhound I had to work out from the credits what I thought the song was. I figured it was “Coolidge” by the Descendents. A while later I found some Descendents albums in a Manchester record store, and took a punt on the “All” album as it contained the aforementioned track. Luckily, I was right. For this occassion though, I decided to play another piece of US pop punk genius from the same album, “Clean Sheets”.

Temple of the Dog – All Night Thing

To finish off the set, I brought the pace down with a mellow number from this Seatlle grunge super group. Featuring members of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, this LP really takes me back to the early 90’s. A must have for any fan of alt rock from the period, you can read up online how this recording came to be. Chris Cornell’s vocals are sublime here, showing to great effect how he would become the best vocalist of his generation.

Descendents

Temple of the Dog

Greeny hadn’t organised any vinyl (again), so it was Adam up next with another varied and entertaining set. His was unfortunately cut short, due to the number of people who’d turned up necessitating a reduction in playing time.

Natalie Prass – Violently
David Bowie – Absolute Beginners
Otis Redding – (Sittin’ On) The Dock of theBay

I have to say, I’d forgotten how good that Bowie tune was.

Finally Ben the Swede took to the decks and span his tunes, with a “guess the odd one out” theme. He played:

Jimi Hendrix Experience – Wait Till Tomorrow
Fleetwood Mac – Isn’t It Midnight
AC/DC – Girls Got Rhythm

I believe the last song Ben intended to play was A rainbow song, with Ronnie James Dio on vocals. Can you guess the odd one out? Answer below…

So another superb night of music at the Queen’s Head. We heard some great music, made some new friends and went away to scout for more quality tunes. Here’s to next time!

The Halcyon Dreams blog is here, where you can find listed (very helpfully) all the songs played on the night.

The Halcyon Dreams Facebook page is here.

Download Festival

Posted on June 27, 2015 by platinumal

Sunday 14th June 2015

Over the years I’ve been to Reading, Leeds and Rewind Festivals – even Chester Rocks. Though I’ve never been to a full on outdoors Hard Rock/Metal festival, much to my regret. Thus when the opportunity arose to get my rockin’ self to Download, the epicentre of all heavy rock fests, I seized the chance with gloved fist. And then did the devil horn salute.

Due to time and financial constraints, it would only be a one day escapade with my buddies Ben the Swede and Coben. Sadly this would mean missing such favourites as Faith No More, Clutch, Judas Priest, COC and many more. But never mind – the gods of rock threw down their gauntlet and we would charge into the melee.

After a right old slog from the car to the main gates, we eventually entered the stadium like gladiators – ready for the first spectacle of the day. The first band we saw were Tremonti, who I’d never heard of before. Halfway through their set, the band were actually heavier than I thought and I enjoyed what I heard. Worth further investigation.

At this point the heavens opened and the rain poured. No matter – we were already making our way to the third stage to catch a “secret” set from The Darkness. It was packed – everyone had the same idea, or at least decided this was better than drowning. The set began with a monstrous riff that went on forever and did a good job of pumping the crowd up. This intro enabled singer Justin Hawkins to make his way from the back to the stage, in true over the top style. The Darkness then delivered a raucous set that roared at the sky – opener “Barbarian” accompanied by a load of Vikings on stage was great. The hit singles “Growing on Me” and closer “I Believe in a Ting Called Love” were real crowd pleasers. “Black Shuck” was my personal favourite, in a set that became the first true event of the day. Not a secret, but surprisingly good.

The next event was witnessing one of my all time heroes, the one and only Mr Billy Idol, live in concert for the first time. I’ve been a fan of Billy for years. In all honesty, many of his songs are too pop for this audience; so hits like “Hot in the City” and “Catch My Fall” (both personal faves) are sadly omitted. However, with old pal Steve Stevens providing the guitar onslaught there’s plenty of rock to be had. “Dancing with Myself”, “White Wedding” and “Rebel Yell” all provide quality entertainment and I have to admit that I was thrilled to see this old warrior in action. A great warm up for the rest of the evening.

Now with four stages and dozens of acts spread across the Download field, the only down side is making tough choices on who to watch if bands clash. Especially as “a quick trip across the field” becomes a gruelling endurance test when it’s uphill in a muddy hell. The first major casualty of the day was Eagles of Death Metal, whom I love dearly and have never seen live.

But I made a choice to see L7 instead of Slash, and boy am I glad I did. Recently reformed, the four grungettes of L7 played a fantastic set. The sound was great on the second stage, perhaps because I was closer? Either way, “Andres”, “Fuel My Fire” and “Shitlist” were truly great. Though “Everglade” was absolutely bonkers. The riff that kills! L7 are heavy! I smiled a lot. “Pretend We’re Dead” wasn’t bad either. Fuck it, band of the day!

I caught the last four and a half songs by Slash. He was pretty cool, but no L7. “Anastasia” is a great song, and I have to say that Myles Kennedy has an awesome voice. “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “Paradise City” were both better with Kennedy and without Axl’s screeching. Can I count this as having seen Guns’n’Roses live, as there’s only Axl left in that band? Why the hell not!

Next up on the main stage was Motley Crue. I wasn’t a fan of the Crue back in their heyday, other than one or two songs. I’ve grown to appreciate them over the last fifteen years or so, much like I’ve grown to love Priest and Maiden. Now on their final tour, the show promised to be big. Motley Crue didn’t disappoint, delivering a punch in the face set that was one of the best of the day. They played their cards right, delivering all the hits: “Wildside”, “Primal Scream”, “Dr. Feelgood” and “Shout at the Devil” were superb. The only less than impressive moment was an unnecessary, but well intentioned, cover of “Anarchy in the UK”.

There was spectacle in abundance – sexy backing singers in tiny shorts; flames that were hot enough to give me a Hollywood sun tan from a hundred feet away; dear old Vince Neil looking less than svelte. “Girls Girls Girls” and “Kick Start My Heart” both built the set to a red hot climax. “Home Sweet Home” was a fitting encore, ending a triumphant appearance.

And so last up we have head-liners Kiss. A band I’ve loved ever since I fist saw adverts for their t-shirts in old 1970’s Marvel comics – though I had no idea if they were rock stars, superheroes, or what. I’d never seen Kiss before so this was something to look forward to. Full make up, all the pyro – I was hungry for the experience.

Kiss explode into “Detroit Rock City” and “Deuce” – songs that lesser bands would have saved for the encore. The show is a visual feast; lights, huge screens, explosions all attack the senses and create Las Vegas in the English Midlands. I get to hear my two absolute total favourite Kiss songs ever – “I Love It Loud” and “Calling Dr. Love”. That was me happy right there.

The Kiss set did wander a little bit though. Obviously gearing their songs to a heavier crowd, we get three songs in a row from “Creatures of the Night” – their heaviest album. The songs “Creatures of the Night” and “War Machine” are great, but not top of the Kiss list. Plus there’s newer numbers “Psycho Circus” and “Hell or Hallelujah” which are just OK.

A little too much solo spot indulgence was my cue to take a comfort break. On the way back, I dived in to catch Suicidal Tendencies on the smallest stage. I only saw five songs, but ST were incredible. “I Shot the Devil” and “War Inside My Head” tore the place apart. I couldn’t make out all of Mike Muir’s between song banter, but he was fired up and intense as hell. Hearing “Possessed to Skate” was an unforgettable moment. Muir dedicated to everyone who skates – thanks Mike – and it took me back to loving ST back in my early skate days. Absolutely mental punk thrash, I need to see Suicidal Tendencies again.

Returning to the main stage area, I caught the last few Kiss songs and was very impressed with what I’d seen. Minor gripes aside, it was a privilege to see the band and experience a Kiss show first hand.

So there you have it. Download 2015 was hampered by bad weather, and a poor layout that abandoned stupid amusement rides in the middle where the bar (and another toilet) should have been. Yet despite being forced mercilessly to choose between too many bands, I got to see some great rock’n’roll and enjoyed a cool, fun atmosphere. Oh yeah, and the festival staff were pleasant and friendly. On the whole a good job.

Interview in the Kerrang! tent

Hey Kerrang! Journos, get this!

No more questions!

Stipe – Live at Alexander’s

Posted on May 12, 2015 by platinumal

Stipe

Friday 24th April 2015

Alexander’s, Chester

OK, so I know I’ve already written about this band once this year. But I went to see them again, and I think a brief write-up is in order.

The last time we saw Stipe – R.E.M. tribute band extraordinaire – you may remember, was in Chester’s Live Rooms. A larger venue than I’d seen them in previously. It was a great gig. This time around, we were back to Alexander’s, also in Chester, but a smaller, more intimate place. How did the band fare?

Well Alexander’s is hardly a downgrade. It’s a very cool, laid back venue with a positive vibe. Though in this smaller room, the close proximity of the band really makes the experience a welcoming one.

The music sounds clear, sharp, immediate. Stipe are not merely a carbon copy tribute band; even if I forget about the brilliant musicianship, they manage to accomplish much more than just replicate the music of R.E.M. There’s a love for the original material that can really be heard in this venue, and makes the songs that bit more true and warm.

Unfortunately there’s no keyboards, so still no “Nightswimming” (sad face Mrs Platinum Al). But the absolute total highlight for me is a sublime rendition of “Drive”, one of my favourite R.E.M. songs, delivered gracefully. Blinding version of “Losing My Religion”, too.

Another fine gig from Stipe. This band are authentic, sincere and able to create a genuine atmosphere. Thank you.

The Alexander’s website is here.

Stipe’s Facebook page is here.

Stipe’s website is here.

Saltwater Injection Single Release

Posted on March 31, 2015 by platinumal

Saltwater Injection

“Vinegar”/”Cuntryfile” (Antipop Records)

The new single from Saltwater Injection, “Vinegar”/”Cuntryfile”, succeeds in capturing their live ferocity and innate ability to smuggle a tune in with the noise. Like Henry Rollins wrestling an angry grizzly bear – for a laugh – this two-piece hurl out lead track “Vinegar” and drag, rather than invite, the audience along. Pounding, dirty bass; vicious drums and urgent vocals give the listener a couple of minutes of aggression that you can’t help but nod along to.

There is a school of thought that says times of austerity and right wing governments create the ideal environment for the best anti-establishment punk rock. Saltwater Injection’s “Cuntryfile” certainly upholds that premise. Just over a minutes worth of furious, filthy mouthed fun – this tune is ridiculously infectious. I defy you to not sing along!

For fans of Black Flag, the Melvins, and 1980’s cross over punk-thrash who also like a bit of tuneful Nirvana in their musical diet.

Out 30.03.2015

Available from iTunes, Amazon and Spotify

http://www.saltwater-injection.com

saltwaterinjection@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Saltwater-Injection/134989273346640

https://soundcloud.com/saltwaterinjection

https://twitter.com/SaltWaterInject

St. Patrick’s Day Playlist

Posted on March 17, 2015 by platinumal

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

As a tribute, I have compiled the playlist below to celebrate some of the best Irish music.

Now before anyone gets upset, I know that the artists listed below are a mixture from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (as well as other countries). I understand that these are two separate countries and mean no offence by creating this list. This playlist is in honour of St. Patrick’s Day, so admittedly I have bundled them all together. No disrespect meant to either nation.

Anyway, the only offensive thing about this list is that Van bloody Morrison managed to weasel his way into my music collection. Still, at least it’s not “Brown Eyed Girl” (piece of crap song)…

Thin Lizzy – “Whiskey in the Jar”
Stiff Little Fingers – “Alternative Ulster”
The Dubliners & The Pogues – “The Irish Rover”
Therapy? – “Screamager”
Flogging Molly – “If I Ever Leave This World Alive”
Ash – “Burn Baby Burn”
Gary Moore with Phil Lynott – “Out in the Fields”
The Undertones – “My Perfect Cousin”
Imelda May – “Sneaky Freak”
The Answer – “Too Far Gone”
The Dubliners – “Seven Drunken Nights”
Van Morrison – “Madame George”
U2 – “Pride (In the Name of Love)”

Dead Wolf Club and Saltwater Injection Gig Review

Posted on March 4, 2015 by platinumal

Dead Wolf Club + Saltwater Injection

Thursday 26th February 2015

The Compass, Chester

Back to the Compass in Chester for some more rock’n’roll! I was able to catch local band Saltwater Injection again, plus new discovery Dead Wolf Club.

Saltwater Injection makes a reliably noisy racket with just a bass guitar and a drum kit. The bass stirs a sludgy broth of Melvins style aggressive punk, while the drums thrash away relentlessly. It’s not all noise – beneath the cacophony, the audience can define melodies as well as crushing riffs. Catchy, sing along melodies, even!

The set gives us original songs in this vein, plus a Beatles tribute infused with a punk Monty Python spirit. Add in a song written on the spot, following a title suggestion from the audience; and genuinely funny, self deprecating stage banter and you’ve got a concoction that is quite infectious. Great band and one to catch!

Up next are head liners Dead Wolf Club, a four piece with a similar punk rock approach but different delivery. This band offers an intense, swirling sound that develops from a Joy Formidable accessibility to a crushing Joy Division cinematic scope.

It’s post hardcore performed with an admirable earnestness and honesty. Dead Wolf Club’s songs – part Steve Albini, part Fugazi, part grungey indie – build and build, showing a sense of scale and ambition. Unfortunately it’s over too soon, and everything suddenly seems far too quiet…

Another blinding night at the Compass, which has grown into an intimate venue for in-your-face rock music. Good beer, friendly staff and a fantastic AC/DC pinball machine don’t hurt either!

The Compass website is here.

The Saltwater Injection website is here.

The Dead Wolf Club website is here.

Saltwater Injection

Dead Wolf Club

Bizarre Magazine Playlist

Posted on February 28, 2015 by platinumal

The most recent issue of that misfit of British publications, Bizarre magazine, was sadly the last.

Over the years, Bizarre magazine featured articles that astounded, amazed, and entertained as it explored the fringes of popular culture. Sometimes gross, sometimes weird, always entertaining – each issue offered content that would never be published elsewhere.

Amongst the counter culture oddness and thought provoking investigations, I found many an interesting film to track down in their review pages.

Bizarre also covered many musicians/bands that strayed from the familiar paths. Whether in the regular monthly review section or in the excellent “Bizarre Albums” features, I found a few favourites and some new treasures.

This playlist is comprised of just some of the bands featured in the magazine over the years, in some form or other. As a sort of tribute (hell, I’ve even got the first issue lurking around in the garage…).

Bizarre Magazine Playlist

Christopher Lee – “The Impossible Dream (The Quest)”
Fantomas – “One Step Beyond”
The Moog Cookbook – “Basket Case”
Mr Bungle – “Chemical Marriage”
Jean Jacques Perry – “E.V.A.”
Lord Sitar – “I Can See For Miles”
Alice In Chains – “Heaven Beside You”
Yma Sumac – “Malambo #1”
Spike Jones – “Power House”
Hanna-Barbera – “Tra La La Song (Banana Splits Theme)”
Christopher Lee – “Act V: Starlight”
Zombina and the Skeletones – “Punk Rock Vampires Destroy!”
Electric Eel Shock – “Goodbye Peach”
Ween – “Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down)”
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – “Stagger Lee”

There are tons more bands I could add to this list. Many more covered by the magazine can be found in the catacombs of my iPod. But this will do nicely for now.

Thanks and goodbye Bizarre magazine. In particular for the wonder of Christopher Lee’s albums; not to mention Zombina and the Skeletones and Electric Eel Shock – two of the best live bands I’ve ever seen!

Winter Rocks – Canada

Posted on February 12, 2015 by platinumal

Way back when I started this blog, the very first post in the Music section was about Scandinavian bands/artists. I was inspired by the cold weather in early 2013 to listen to music from Scandinavia as a theme for the winter months.

Two years on and I needed another theme for this winter’s music homework. So despite no (or very little) snow, I went with another northern country and chose Canada.

Now I’m sure that the summer weather in Canada is very nice, but without falling prey to stereotypes, the theme fits. Plus there are loads of artists from that country to fill my playlist.

Here they are:

Alanis Morissette
Annihilator
Bachman Turner Overdrive
Black Mountain
Bryan Adams
Cancer Bats
Cauldron
Death From Above 1979
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
The Guess Who
Neil Young
Nickleback
Rush
Shania Twain
SNFU
Steppenwolf
Voivod

There you go: a fairly eclectic mix of everything from country to thrash metal.

My thanks to Matt Barnes, who introduced me to quite a few artists on this list (but not Shania or Alanis…).

Did I forget anyone? Leave further Canadian music suggestions in a comment below.

Stipe – R.E.M. Tribute Gig Review

Posted on January 28, 2015 by platinumal

Stipe

Saturday 24th January 2015

The Live Rooms, Chester

The great thing about tribute bands is the ability to witness music by defunct groups that you wouldn’t otherwise get to hear. Unfortunately REM have ceased to exist, so an evening with Stipe goes some way to filling a void. As the premier REM tribute band, they offer up authentic, exciting versions of songs that, nowadays, you can only hear on your music player of choice.

I’ve seen Stipe a few times before, always at Alexander’s in Chester, which is a much smaller and intimate venue. So it was going to be interesting to see how they fared in a larger venue like the Live Rooms. There was no need to worry: Stipe performed brilliantly, bringing their versions of classic alt rock tunes to an eager audience.

The set was split into two sections, enabling the band to delve into the REM back catalogue and dig out gems from across their career. It says a lot that Stipe are able to entertain both the more casual fan and the die-hard aficionado like my mate; he sang along with every single line, no matter how obscure.

Where this band succeeds is in the accuracy of the sound. Though the lead singer certainly looks the part, his voice is a fairly uncanny likeness of Michael Stipe’s. He may have the moves down to an impressive level, but the voice is what really works, especially on “Orange Crush” (with megaphone prop!) and “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?”

The other musicians also manage to create a brilliant rendition of the songs, fully convincing and delivered with confidence and enthusiasm. When they bring out a mandolin for “Losing My Religion”, it’s like welcoming an old friend who isn’t even on Facebook.

Any minus points? Well “Shiny Happy People” has never been a favourite of mine, and it gets a rare turn in the spotlight tonight. To be fair though, it’s a faithful version and I enjoyed it! It would also be nice to see a live keyboard player added to the line up again, so we’ll get to hear classics like “Nightswimming”.

All in all, it’s another success for the Live Rooms. No disrespect to other venues, but it’s nice to see Stipe doing so well in this larger environment. Stipe did not fail to deliver: they can be relied on to accurately recreate the sound of REM and entertain an audience. Close your eyes, and it could almost be the real thing. And that’s how a tribute band should be, right?

Let’s hope they’re back soon.