Tag Archives: musical taste

Pentre Fest 2026

Posted on by
Reply

Pentre Fest 2026 

Friday 27th and Saturday 28th February 2026 

Mcleans Pub, Deeside, North Wales  

Pentre Fest – it’s no secret that I’m a fan of this two day Metal festival held in a pub/club down the road from me. Organised by the hard working and hard rocking people at North East Wales Metal Productions, it’s a non-stop feast of fine tunes, the very best of underground Metal from around the UK.

Here’s my write up my experiences from this years event. You can read a full account from Team Ever Metal over at their site.

Day 1

Hiraeth 

My excitement had been steadily rising for weeks ahead of Pentre Fest.  You just can’t beat this mini two-day festival in North Wales, it really is the gig highlight of the year for me.  I arrived just in time to catch Hiraeth, a great Black Metal band who originate from not too far away in Wrexham.  Taking the Black Metal template and weaving tales of ancient Welsh folklore and history, these sword wielding warriors bring a positive, inclusive vibe with their increasingly accomplished musicality.  A great band and a real high point to start with. 

Attic Theory 

Liverpool’s Attic Theory were up next on the main stage, and though they were new to me, they really made a good impression.  Full on, hard hitting alternative rock, Attic Theory ploughed through the room with a big riffs and anthemic vocals.  I love me some Grunge and these guys had the power and a magnetic groove.  Unfortunately they buggered off home before I could buy their delightful album on sexy vinyl! 

Battalions 

The band I was most excited to see at this year’s gathering was Battalions, who I’ve developed a bit of a fanboy adoration for.  They’re on APF Records so that’s a mark of quality right there.  Thankfully, Battalions’ monstrous, doomy, fuzzed out riffs were even more satisfying than their quite brilliant album ‘King of a Dead World’.  They warmed my ancient, jaded soul with a sludgy set that really was a Pentre Fest highlight. 

Miserable Sinner 

Outside, the cold drizzle made viewing the Keymo stage a bit of a challenge – never mind actually playing on it!  I did catch Geordie of Bad Earth performing his Miserable Sinner solo acoustic set in defiance of all the mighty Thor could unleash upon him, with AC/DC’s “Whole Lotta Rosie” being a particular favourite! 

Basement Torture Killings 

A brutal, Death Metal Grindcore band of lunatics who’ve watched too may serial killer documentaries, Basement Torture Killings certainly know how to entertain.  It was a case of “Netflix and kill”, as they tore through a visceral set and eviscerated a huge cuddly teddy bear.  Not my usual type of O Positive, but BTK served up a memorable, blood soaked show.  Time for bed.   

Day 2 

Firefly 

Running late as per usual, I actually wasn’t punished too badly this time as apparently Edd Case had declined his opening slot!  Instead I arrived just in time to see Firefly, who had only just started their set.  An amazing start to the festivities, Firefly brought their own brand of Industrial Goth Metal to give everyone a big wake up call.  Like a mix of Rammstein, NIN, Gary Numan and Sisters of Mercy with the smoky vocals of Marianne Faithful (like what Mare said), this was pretty damn unmissable.  Check ‘em out! 

Victim of Damp 

Opening proceedings on the outdoor stage was Victim of Damp, alias Pentre Fest die hard Frank Williams.  His amalgamation of gentle covers and humorous originals improves with confidence every time.  A free shot of the old alcohol helped warm us all up too! 

Losing Light 

This band sounded like an interesting premise, and indeed they were.  Four guys from fairly close by, they have plenty of experience but are a relatively new proposition as Losing Light.  Usually, their set would include a couple of covers, but these were dropped for this first Pentre appearance.  Very confident and excellent musicians, their own self written songs were more than capable – Losing Light gave us an electric performance.  Let’s hope they return soon. 

Oliver Carins 

Quick, no time to put your feet up – get out to the Keymo stage!  Oliver Carins, usually part of Scarfoot (who are a hell of a band anyway) gave us a superb acoustic set with fine vocals and masterful guitar skills.  Folky and warm, the songs still had that signature epic Scarfoot edge. 

The Raging Mabels 

Sadly, Any Given Reason were unable to play this afternoon, so the daring Raging Mabels parachuted in to save the day.  And boy did they rage!  A set of powerful yet tuneful rockers, the Mabels played an energetic non-stop set that rattled by like a rocket riding coyote chasing a roadrunner.  Equally at home playing for fans of Motorhead or the Ramones, it’s no secret that this pretend rock journo is a mega fanboy – the Mabels are pure joy!  And they (finally) brought some merch!!! 

Chain of Survival 

Theigns and Thrawls did a brilliant acoustic set oustide next, but more about them later.  Let’s skip forward a little to Chain of Survival.  Another Liverpool based band, this time we have a Hardocre Thrash Punk four piece who are utterly uncompromising.  If you ever played DRI or Sick of It All casettes from a boombox while skateboarding in a local supermarket carpark (as I still do) then you’ll love COS too.     

Fallen North 

These guys have played McLeans gigs before, but they showed up in full force – this was not a dress rehearsal!  Full on, no apologies modern metal with crunchy riffs and soaring vocals, Fallen North soon had the crowd won over.  They stepped down from the stage to join a fan on the dancefloor, still playing, and giving one of the most heartwarming moments of the weekend.  Well played all round. 

Kevin Plant (Cry For Mercy) 

Blues rock royalty Cry For Mercy weren’t playing this weekend, but vocalist/bass maestro Kev Plant braved the elements outside on the acoustic stage for a solo performance.  Great playing augmented with Kev’s trademark soulful, Paul Rogers like voice was an oasis of calm.  It takes some cojones to tackle Chris Cornell’s vocals, but Kev’s version of Audioslaves ‘I Am The Highway’ was respectful and stirring. 

Ogun 

The world needs more authentic Thrash Metal.  Thankfully Liverpool’s Ogun delivered a rousing set of the genuine article at Pentre Fest.  Not dated or old fashioned in anyway, just modern thrash in the spirit of Testament, Exodus and even Slayer.  Speed but without compromising on songcraft or melody, there’s plenty to enjoy in Ogun’s set.  Not their first time here and hopefully not their last either. 

Bad Earth 

OK, so I’ve seen Bad Earth before – but they’re always exciting.  And loud!  Playing their own, patented Rockcore (TM), this three piece always seem to be ready to decimate wherever they play.  It’s dirty biker rock dialled to eleven and kept up way past it’s bedtime, as Geordie, Karl and Ben assault their instruments like they’ve insulted their mothers.  Always a pleasure to be in the crowd for a Bad Earth gig! 

Edd Case 

Closing the Keymo stage outside, this wasn’t the first I’d seen of Edd this Fest.  He’d already played a blinder the day before, and this time gave us a very welcome rendition of ‘Mother’ (note to bands everywhere: play more Danzig) amongst some select covers.  Original material also got an airing, including the magnificent ‘Letters Back Home’, a moving and sadly still relevant masterpiece.  Edd, you truly are a poet. 

Theigns and Thralls 

Earlier in the day, I witnessed an eye opening and refreshing performance by Theigns and Thralls on the outside acoustic stage.  I always enjoy a trip into different genres at Pentre Fest and this folk set was a definite highlight.  In the evening, they plugged in fully to give us a real taste of Folk Metal, the energy of which had the audience jumping and dancing around.  Glorious fun for all!   

Fury 

This year’s esteemed headline act, there was a fair buzz around the venue for Fury’s set.  And to be fair, they were worth waiting for.  Specialising in the unrecycled, sheer joy of Heavy Metal in all its Iron Maiden/Judas Priest glory, these guys were undoubtedly on top form.  The dual female/male lead vocals of Nyah and Julian help the band transcend any Hard Rock cliches with an outstanding, individual sound.  Fury are undoubtedly excellent musicians, and have the performance and songcraft to back up their reputation.  I can’t really think of a bone to pick with them.  Other than if they don’t make a return visit one day, we’ll all be very upset. 

And that’s it: the end of another Pentre Fest.  A wonderful weekend of fine music and great company, I’m already counting down to next year.  I’ve definitely got post Pentre Fest blues.  

Read the full report on the Ever Metal website.

Check out the Pentre Fest Facebook page and North East Wales Metal Productions page too.

Singles Night at the Virtual Hot Tub #40

Posted on by
Reply

Singles Night! Singles Night! At the Virtual Hot Tub, yeah!!! Yes it’s that time again, hot tubbers – grab yourself a drink and let’s enjoy the latest Singles Night playlist!

If you’re not sure what’s going down, it’s like this: your Old pal Platinum Al has a big pile of unplayed, sexy 7 inch vinyl records – and they need to be played. So we’ll spin ’em, A side then B side, one after the other, and have the rad time while we do it.

Sound like fun? Ok, here we go…

  1. The Stylistics – “You Make Me Feel Brand New” / “Only For The Children”
  2. Scott McKenzie – “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair)” / “What’s the Difference”
  3. Sylvester – “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” / “Was it Something I Said”
  4. Nik Kershaw – “Don Quixote” / “Don’t Lie”
  5. The Mighty Wah! – “Come Back” / “The Devil in Miss Jones”
  6. Blondie – “Dreaming” / “Sound Asleep”
  7. Bryan Adams – “Can’t Stop This This We Started” / “It’s Only Love (Live)”
  8. Muddy Waters – “Mannish Boy” / “I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man”
  9. The Creatures – “Mad Eyed Screamer” / “So Unreal” / “But Not Them”
  10. Los Lobos – “La Bamba” / “Charlena”
  11. Kate Robbins – “Run Wild” / “Cassie’s Song”
  12. Kim WIlde – “I Can’t Say Goodbye” / “Sanjazz Megamix”
  13. Crystal Gayle – “When I Dream” / “Someday Soon”
  14. Samantha Fox – “Aim to Win” / “Holding”
  15. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Achy Breaky Heart” / “I’m So Miserable”
  16. Boney M. – “Gotta Go Home” / “El Lute”
  17. Nina Simone – “My Baby Just Cares For Me” / “Love Me or Leave Me”
  18. The Monks – “Nice Legs, Shame About Her Face” / “You’ll Be The Death of Me”
  19. Transvision Vamp – “Baby I Don’t Care” / “Time For Change” / “Strings of My Heart”
  20. Sinitta – “love on a Mountain Top” / “Don’t Tell Me Not to Cry”
  21. The Alarm – “Unsafe Building” / “Up For Murder”

Now that’s a pretty eclectic playlist. Covering all manner of genres from pop, soul/disco, rock, punk, country, blues and more.

The absolute cream of the crop is the Muddy Waters single – “Mannish Boy” is one of the greatest songs ever written. This version came from a late 80s Levis commercial, always a handy way to pick up reissued classic songs. Similar with the equally awesome Nina Simone record.

The Stylistics are one of my Dad’s favourite bands and something I grew up with. Any Disco records on these lists are a result of upbringing

Sinitta crops up again, due to the fact that I always had a crush on her. Likewise Sam Fox, Kim Wilde and Crystal Gayle and of course Debbie Harry. Though I never fancied Wendy James of Transvision Vamp. Good track, though.

No absolute stinkers this time round, either. “Achy Breaky Heart” is a kitsch classic and I love it – stoked to find that one in a charity shop!

And we’re done. Another pile of 45 rpm goodies played – stay tuned for more, very soon!

Singles Night at the Virtual Hot Tub #39

Posted on by
Reply

Are you ready for more rock’n’roll?  And very possibly lots of other genres of music too?  In that case, pilgrim, you’ve come to the right place.  You know it – it’s another Singles Night here at Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub!

Now, for any of you brave readers who are muddled and befuddled by what a Singles Night involves, here’s the lowdown.  You see, I  possess a huge collection of 7 inch vinyl singles, none of which have been listened to (yet).  So the concept is to spend an evening playing these records – both sides – and have a grand old time doing so.

During the course of the night, we’ll hear a variety of music, old and new, with plenty of surprises.

That’s not so scary, is it?

Grab yourself a drink and let’s check out the latest playlist:

  1. Cheap Trick – “The Flame” / “Through the Night”
  2. Stiff Little Fingers – “Silver Lining” / “Safe as Houses”
  3. Belinda Carlisle – “Live Your Life Be Free” / “Loneliness Game”
  4. Salt-N-Pepa- “Let’s Talk About Sex (True Confessions Edit)” / “Let’s Talk About Sex (Super Crispy Mix)”
  5. Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass – “Up Cherry Street” / “Numero Cinco” / “Mexican Shuffle” / “The Girl From Ipanema”
  6. Magazine – “About the Weather” / “In The Dark”
  7. The Lotus Eaters – “The First Picture of You” / “The Lotus Eaters”
  8. James Brown – “Rapp Payback (Where iz Moses?)” / “Rapp Payback Pt. II (Where iz Moses?)”
  9. Huey Lewis & The News – “World to Me” / “It’s All Right (Live)”
  10. Dannii Minogue – “This is it” / “It’s Time to Move On”
  11. Queen – “Bohemian Rhapsody” / “These Are the Days of Our Lives”
  12. The Kinks – “Tired of Waiting for You” / “Come on Now”
  13. Big Country – “Wonderland” / “Giant”
  14. Timbuk 3 – “The Future’s So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades” / “I’ll Do Alright”
  15. Derek & The Dominos – “Layla” / Eric Clapton – “Wonderful Tonight”
  16. Jesus Jones – “Right Here, Right Now” / “Move Me” / “Damn Good at This”
  17. Big Country- “In a Big Country” / “All Of Us”
  18. Electric Light Orchestra – “Don’t Bring Me Down” / “Dreaming of 4000”
  19. The Belle Stars – “The Clapping Song” / “Blame”
  20. S’Express – “Hey Music Lover” / “Have a Nice Day”

Not a bad evening’s entertainment at all.  A thrilling exploration through several genres, from pop to punk, rock to funk, and more.  The only song I wasn’t a fan of was that hideous Clapton claptrap, so that’s a pretty decent result.

Lots of highlights, and I’m shouting out SLF, James Brown, Big Country, The Kinks and Jesus Jones as particular favourites.

Hope you enjoyed that list of killer tracks.  More soon!

Singles Night at the Virtual Hot Tub #37

Posted on by
Reply

You wanted it – you got it! Another Singles Night at the Virtual Hot Tub. This is where I spend an evening playing 7 inch singles that have found their way into my vinyl collection, from any number of different sources. None of the records have been played before, so I spend a few hours playing both sides and working through that pile.

There’s usually plenty of variety in the stack, with songs old and new, from any genre. Anything can happen, so just enjoy the ride.

Grab a drink and let’s check out the latest playlist:

  1. The Beatles – “Now and Then” / “Love Me Do”
  2. The Dickies – “Banana Splits” / “Hideous” / “Got It at the Store”
  3. S.S.S. – “CDC” / “Bath Night” / “Thrash with a Small Moustache” / “Black Night White Light”
  4. 999 – “Little Red Riding Hood” / “Wait For Your Number to be Called” / “I Ain’t Gonna Tell Ya”
  5. Roxy Music – “Jealous Guy” / “To Turn You On”
  6. Ram Jam – “Black Betty” / “I Should Have Known”
  7. Bee Gees – “Tragedy” / “Until”
  8. ABBA – “One Of Us” / “Should I Laugh or Cry”
  9. Sweet – “Love is Like Oxygen” / “Cover Girl”
  10. The Alarm – “Spirit of ’76” / “Where Were You Hiding When the Storm Broke? (Live)”
  11. Nancy Sinatra – “Love Eyes” / “Coastin'”
  12. Kool & The Gang – “Joanna” / “Tonight”
  13. Rick Dees & His Cast of Idiots – “Disco Duck (Pt. 1)” / “Disco Duck ({Pt. 2)”
  14. Matthew Wilder – “Break My Stride” / “Break My Stride (Instrumental)”
  15. Bee Gees – “Night Fever” / “Down the Road”
  16. Dire Straits – “Romeo & Juliet” / “Solid Rock”
  17. Nilsson – “Without You” / “Gotta Get Up”
  18. Sinitta – “Right Back Where We Started From” / “I Just Can’t Help It”
  19. Sabrina – “Boys (Summertime Love)” / “Get Ready (Holiday Rock)”
  20. Oceanic – “Insanity (Legendary Mix)” / “Reality”
  21. Charlie Pride – “The Most Beautiful Girl” / Johnny Cash – “Ring of Fire” / Crystal Gayle – “Miss the Mississippi & You” / Tammy Wynette – “Stand By Your Man” / Bertie Higgins – “Key Largo”

Twenty one records this week, and enough variety to keep anyone on their toes. Disco, punk, pop and rock classics – this was one of my best Singles Nights yet.

Notes:

The Beatles single is their last ever song, released recently and backed with their first ever single. A must for the collection.

That Dickies single is on yellow vinyl, naturally. The 999 record is plain old black vinyl, but I’ve been after that for a very long time. It was one of the songs on the first punk/new wave compilation I heard, it confused me as it didn’t sound “punk” (or what I thought was punk at the time). Great song.

SSS stands for Short Sharp Shock, a hardcore/skate thrash band from Liverpool that I can’t believe I never saw live. The last track is dedicated to Metallica bass legend Cliff Burton.

That final 7″ country record i picked up for 50p in a charity shop. Plain sleeve, so very little information – some fantastic songs though. not least my all time hero, Johnny Cash.

Singles Night at the Virtual Hot Tub #35

Posted on by
Reply

For the first time of 2025, let’s indulge in another Singles Night. A night of spinning records, having a few drinks and enjoying the vibes.

The “singles” in the event title refers to vinyl singles: the 7 inch, 45 rpm discs that were once the pocket money swallowing masters of the weekly music chart. Now I have a massive stack of said singles, and on some nights I dig a load of ’em out, and play ’em. Both sides – A then B – and onto the next.

There are many wonders to be found amongst the hefty pile of 7″ records. And a few oddities. But the randomness and variety always an entertaining night.

Grab a drink and settle in with my latest playlist:

  1. Generation X – “King Rocker” / “Gimme Some Truth”
  2. David Bowie – “Modern Love” / “Modern Love (Live Version)”
  3. Motorhead/Girlschool – “Please Don’t Touch” / “Bomber” / “Emergency”
  4. The Alarm – “Presence of Love (Laugharne)” / “Knife Edge”
  5. Depeche Mode – “See You” / “Now, This Is Fun”
  6. Dana – “All Kinds of Everything” / “Channel Breeze”
  7. The Steve Gibbons Band – “Eddy Vortex” / “Little Suzie”
  8. Shirley Bassey – “So In Love” / “As Long As He Needs Me”
  9. Darts – “Don’t Let It Fade Away” / “Early In The Morning”
  10. Elvis Costello & The Attractions – “Oliver’s Army” / “My Funny Valentine”
  11. David Bowie – “Blue Jean” / “Dancing With The Big Boys”
  12. AC/DC – “Guns For Hire” / “Landslide”
  13. ABC – “The Look of Love” / “The Look of Love (Part 2)”
  14. The Jam – “Start” / “Liza Radley”
  15. Jimmy Cliff – “Reggae Night” / “Love Heights”
  16. The Sweet – “Little Willy” / “Man From Mecca”
  17. Propaganda – “Duel” / “Jewel”
  18. Patrick MacNee & Honor Blackman – “Kinky Boots” / “Let’s Keep It Friendly”
  19. A-Ha – “Hunting High and Low (Remix)” / “The Blue Sky (Demo Version)”
  20. The Creatures – “Miss The Girl” / “Hot Springs in The Snow”
  21. Queen – “Somebody To Love” / “White Man”
  22. Ike & Tina Turner – “Nutbush City Limits” / “Help Him”

Twenty two records this week, and a few strange ones are still creeping in – some are the remains of a bundle of singles I bought at a car boot sale for a fiver. I kept Dana in the collection due to the Eurovision connection, but Shirley is a superstar.

Punk and New Wave genres are nicely represented in this selection, with great songs from Generation X, The Jam and Elvis Costello. A-Ha, Depeche Mode and ABC bring in some pop classics, while good old rock’n’roll is delivered by AC/DC, Motorhead and Girlschool.

Two great 1980s Bowie discs made the playlist and there’s a favourite from Queen (though it’s one of my least favourite songs of theirs). Adding to the 70s vintage is a cheeky number from Sweet, which never fails to raise a smile!

Another successful night spinning vinyl. More to come soon.

Don’t Be Cruel – Album Review

Posted on by
Reply

Jamie Spilsbury – Don’t Be Cruel

Self released

Every now and again, some thing lands on my desk that I’m compelled to write about. Something out of the ordinary and different. Unexpected, even. And it doesn’t need to be something from a well known artist, or from a genre I’m familiar with. Sometimes, something arrives completely out of the blue and demands attention.

“Don’t Be Cruel” by Jamie Spilsbury is in that category. Jamie is a man of many interests, though I had no idea that he’d made an album. This album, wrenched from Jamie’s creative impulses and filtered through numerous pop culture references and electronica, can only be a document of his journeys through multiple realities and dimensions…

Some of what you will hear is music, some of it spoken word, dramatisations and skits – but all of it is experimental and different. It’s a journey into the abstract that takes in dozens of reference points. Starting with ‘The Letter M Song’ the listener is taken by surprise with a pleasant little tune that sounds like a long lost Sesame Street excerpt, but backwards. ‘Ballroom Memories’ is a delightful, relaxed big band/swing number that’s like a missing Glenn Miller track.

‘Stayin’ Together’ is a clever tribute to 80’s synth pop movie tunes, it’s Debbie Gibson at the Mall playing arcade games. The best song here is no doubt ‘Voidness’, a quite lovely piece of ambient electronica that’s perfect to chill out to.

Surrounding these musical adventures are the comedic skits, which range from spoof news bulletins to a genuinely creepy spoken word Lovecraft piece. There’s weird science fiction, Pulp Fiction style armed robbery, and Indiana Jones – literally nothing can be predicted here, it’s a startlingly varied mix of influences and ideas.

Jamie spent only a small amount of time putting this album together, in what must have been a fever of activity. And it’s the ingenious assortment of thoughts and concepts that really makes an impact here. I’m not sure I understand everything that’s going on (yet), but the sheer exuberance and commitment to create is very impressive. Strap on your ear goggles and get ready for a crazy adventure. You might be inspired to make your own musical journey…

Follow Jamie on X for more info, and a link to “Don’t Be Cruel”.

Singles Night at the Virtual Hot tub #34

Posted on by
Reply

Here we go with another Singles Night! Just like Kool and the Gang said – no wait, that was “Ladies Night”. Totally different event altogether. Well, don’t let that be any concern for you, good reader – let’s spend an evening of musical fun and adventure anyway!

What, you may well ask, is “Singles Night at the Virtual Hot Tub”? If you know, feel free to skip this bit. Otherwise, I’ll explain.

Singles

In essence, I have a huge stack of 7 inch vinyl singles that I haven’t played yet. And they need to be played before I can add them to my super sophisticated filing system. So on Singles Night, I grab a bunch of these records and play ’em, A side then B side, one after the other, whilst having a wee drinkie or three.

It’s great fun. It rocks. Here’s the latest playlist:

  1. The Rezillos – “I Can’t Stand My baby” / “I Wanna Be Your Man”
  2. The Rezillos – “Top of the Pops” / “20,000 Rezillos Under the Sea”
  3. The Ruts – “Something That I Said” / “Give Youth A Chance”
  4. Sweet Dreams – “Honey Honey” / “I Surrender”
  5. The Steve Gibbons Band – “Tupelo Mississippi Flash” / “Till the Fire Burns Out”
  6. Showaddywaddy – “You Got What It Takes” / “Showboat”
  7. Goombay Dance Band – “Sol de Jamaica” / “Isla de Suenos”
  8. KC & The Sunshine Band – “That’s the Way (I Like It)” / “Ain’t Nothin’ Wrong”
  9. Dollar – “Mirror Mirror” / “Radio”
  10. Siouxsie & The Banshees – “Hong Kong Garden” / “Voices”
  11. Suzi Quatro – “I Go Wild” / “I’m a Rocker”
  12. Rose Tattoo – “Rock’n’Roll is King” / “I Had You First”
  13. Deep Purple – “Black Night” / “Speed King”
  14. Elton John – “Blue Eyes” / “Hey Papa Legba”
  15. Berlin – “Take My Breath Away” / Giorgio Moroder – “Radar Radio”
  16. Motley Crue – “Primal Scream” / “Dancing on Glass”
  17. The Damned – “White Rabbit” / “Rabid (Over You)” / “Seagulls”
  18. Booker T & The MGs – “Green Onions” / “Boot Leg”
  19. Bobby Brown – “On Our Own” / “On Our Own (with Rap)”
  20. De La Soul – “Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)” / “Pile and Piles of Demo Tapes Bi-Da Miles”

And there we go, mes amis. A right old concoction and no mistake. But you know what? The odd dud in the playlist only makes the good stuff sweeter. And when you’re having fun, those duds ain’t so bad anyway.

The odd horror from the fabled car boot box of doom still lingering here, but they’re slowly dying off. Instead, a veritable feast of punk rock wonders, from the Rezillos, Ruts, Siouxsie and The Damned. That Damned track is, of course, a cover of the Jefferson Airplane song, and not one of my favourites – though the two songs on the B side are absolutely wonderful.

Plenty of other delights with Rose Tattoo and a double sided banger from Deep Purple, not to mention a Crue song I actually really like.

I hate the film Top Gun – never managed to see it all the way through – and not a huge fan of the Berlin track, but hey, it was a freebie. Likewise, that Bobby Brown song from Ghostbusters II is a huge drop in quality from the Ray Parker Jr classic. Some pop genius from KC & the Sunshine Band and Booker T keeps us on track nicely, though.

All in all, another successful night’s entertainment. Stay tuned for more soon, folks – I’ve got loads of these discs for ya and they’re itching for a spin!

Singles Night at the Virtual Hot Tub #29

Posted on by
Reply

Yo! Here we are again, tout le monde – a treat for lovers of music on vinyl! That’s right – another Singles Night at Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub, where I play my way through a big ol’ stack of 7″ singles and have a big time knees up whilst I do it.

There are literally dozens of 45 rpm records chez moi: some classic, some crap. I love ’em all. With a few drinkies to ease things along, we’re in for a great evening.

Here’s the latest playlist:

  1. The Mission – “Severina” / “Tomorrow Never Knows”
  2. Joe Fagin – “Back with the Boys Again” / “Get it Right”
  3. Samantha Fox – “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Me Now” / “Dream City”
  4. Samantha Fox – “I Surrender (To the Spirit of the Night”) / “The Best is Yet to Come”
  5. Lacuna Coil – “Our Truth”/ “Without a Reason”
  6. Paul McCartney & The Frog Chorus – ” We All Stand Together” / “We All Stand Together (Humming Version)”
  7. Slade – “7 Year Bitch” / “Leave Them Girls Alone”
  8. Demon – “Wonderland” / “Blackheath”
  9. Sex Pistols – “Silly Thing” / “Who Killed Bambi”
  10. Bad Manners – “Can Can” / “Armchair Disco”
  11. Doctor & The Medics – “Burn” / “Captain Frazer”
  12. 2 in a Room – “Wiggle It” / “Take Me Away”
  13. Slade – “My Oh My” / “Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply”
  14. T’Pau – “China in Your Hand” / “No Sense of Pride”
  15. Belinda Carlisle – “I Get Weak” / “Should I Let You In?”
  16. Madonna – “Crazy for You” / Sammy Hagar – “I’ll Fall in Love Again”
  17. Billy Ocean – “Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car” / “Showdown”
  18. Scorpions – “Wind of Change” / “Restless Nights”
  19. Jack Parnell & His Orchestra – “Galloping Home (Theme From Black Beauty” / “Hawaii Five-O”
  20. Then Jericho – “Big Area” / “The Big Sweep”

Wow. From the Sex Pistols to the Frog Chorus – as always, it’s an eclectic night at the Virtual Hot tub on Singles Night! That might not be Paul McCartney’s greatest moment, but to be fair, I loved Rupert the Bear when I was a toddler, so consider me a fan.

Some notes:

The first Sam Fox single is credited as the “Samantha Fox Box”, as it comes in a carboard boxset thing with a poster. The second Sam Fox single is a Limited Edition blue vinyl single, in a gatefold photo pack. Pretty cool, and both from bargain bins.

Also from a bargain bin, the Lacuna Coil single is picture disc – and only cost me £1. Crazy bargain!

Lots of songs I loved in this evening’s playlist: the Pistols easily being my favourite. The worst was that Scorpions song, that was rubbbish.

Variety is the spice of life, and this Singles Night playlist was indeed spicy. Great tracks. More soon!

Singles Night at the Virtual Hot tub #27

Posted on by
Reply

I promised we’d revisit Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub for another Singles Night, so here we go! Another evening of playing 7 inch singles and having a few cocktails (or beers, or whatever you thirst for). There’s a massive pile of these 45 rpm records to get through, so prepare yourself!

As a quick recap for the uninitiated, I have a stack (or several) of singles that I haven’t played yet. Some have been gifts, some have been picked up – usually very cheaply – from record shops, record fairs, charity shops and carboot sales. The idea is to play through the stack of vinyl one at a time, A side the B side, and enjoy the tunes.

Now I present to you my latest playlist:

  1. Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Taste the Pain” / “Show Me Your Soul”
  2. The Stranglers – “European Female” / “Savage Breast”
  3. The Wee Papa Girl Rappers – “We Rule” / “Rebel Rap”
  4. Salt-n-Pepa – “Shake Your Thang” / “Spinderella’s Not a Fella”
  5. Vanilla Ice – “Ice Ice Baby” / “It’s a Party”
  6. Motley Crue – “Girls, Girls, Girls” / “Sumthin’ for Nothin'”
  7. Neil Pepper (Elvis) – “Stairway to Heaven” / “The Beatnix – “Stairway to Heaven”
  8. Sham 69 – “Hurry Up, Harry” / “No Entry”
  9. Kenny Everett – “Snot Rap” / “Snot Rap (Part 2)”
  10. The Turtles – “Happy Together” / “Like the Seasons”
  11. Aerosmith – “Janie’s Got a Gun” / “Voodoo Medicine Man”
  12. Don Fardon – “Indian Reservation” / “Hudson Bay”
  13. Cerrone – “Je Suis Music” / “Rocket in the Pocket”
  14. Marty Wilde – “It’s Been Nice” / “Bad Boy”
  15. Taja Seville – “Love is Contagious” / “Mama”
  16. B.A. Robertson & Maggie Bell – “Hold Me” / “Spring Greens”
  17. Fiddler’s Dram – “Daytrip to Bangor” / “The Flash Lad”
  18. Bob Geldof – “The Great Song of Indifference” / “Hotel 75”
  19. Gary Shearston – “I Get a Kick Out of You” / “Witnessing”
  20. Mr. Mister – “Kyrie” / “Kyrie (Extended)”

A note on disc number 7 above: Neil Pepper is an Elvis impersonator, and The Beatnix are a Beatles tribute band. On this record, both have covered the Led Zeppelin classic in the style of their inspirations.

The latter half of this playlist started to wander in to some strange, unknown territory – along with featuring some decidedly dodgy songs. A while back, I purchased a box of about 100 singles at a carboot sale for a fiver, quite a lot of which was quality music. Here though, some of the dregs have started to float to the surface.

It’s not all bad though, and there’s a fair spread of awesome tracks scattered through out the list to make it a fun listen. Plus a lot of variety too, from The Crue’s dumb party metal, to classic 60’s pop from the Turtles, 80’s pop with Mr. Mister and some great old school hip hop.

I’m favouring Sham 69 and The Stranglers as particularly fine songs. And of course the Red Hot Chili Peppers, which I bought because although the A side I have on an album, I wanted the B side to add to my collection.

Singles Nights are always a cool way to spend an evening. I’ll update you with another killer playlist soon.

Singles Night at the Virtual Hot Tub #26

Posted on by
Reply

Welcome, music lovers! Yes, we’re back at Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub for another leisurely evening of spinning 45 rpm records and drinking a hell of a load of cocktails. It is on, brothers and sisters!

So what’s going down? It’s pretty simple. I have a stack of vinyl singles (hence “Singles Night”) and I’m playin’ ’em in order, side A then B, just for the heck of it. Because it’s fun. And you might just hear some great tunes. No cheating: play each single in the pile, with no skipping (even if it’s a dud).

Here’s the latest playlist. Grab a drink, this is gonna be fun…

  1. Dread Zeppelin – “Stairway to Heaven” / “Jailhouse Rock”
  2. INXS – “Suicide Blonde” / “Everybody Wants U Tonight”
  3. Creedence Clearwater Revival – “Bad Moon Rising” / “Lodi”
  4. Rainbow – “All Night Long” / “Weiss Heim”
  5. AC/DC – “Heatseeker” / “Go Zone”
  6. INXS – “New Sensation” / “Do Wot You Do”
  7. Budgie – “Keeping a Rendezvous” / “Apparatus”
  8. Eagles – “New Kid in Town” / “Victim of Love”
  9. Free – “My Brother Jake” / Only My Soul”
  10. Village People – “In the Navy” / “Manhattan Woman”
  11. Mike Post ft. Larry Carlton – “The Theme from Hill Street Blues” / “Aaron’s Tune”
  12. Sammy Davis Jnr – “What Kind of Fool Am I” / “Gonna Build a Mountain” / “Someone Nice Like You” / “Once in a Lifetime”
  13. Giorgio Moroder w/ Philip Oakey – “Together in Electric Dreams” / “Together in Electric Dreams (Instrumental)”
  14. S’Express – “Superfly Guy” / “Funky Killer”
  15. Sting – “Demolition Man (Soulpower Radio Mix)” / “Demolition Man (Film Version”
  16. Slade – “Far Far Away” / “OK Yesterday Was Yesterday”
  17. Shakatak – “Feels Like the Right Time” / “Corina”
  18. Roy Orbison – “Only the Lonely” / “Here Comes That Song Again”
  19. Earth Wind & Fire – “In the Stone” / “Africano”
  20. Little Eva – “The Loco-Motion” / “He is the Boy”

And were there any duds in this selection? Well, nothing disastrous, though “Hill Street Blues” was a bit of a mood changer.

But just look at the strength of the list over all: some absolute beauties from AC/DC, Free, Rainbow, CCR and double INXS. Plus that Budgie single (which is a really nice 7 inch picture disc, by the way) is totally cool.

Some great pop classics in there, too. Village People and Giorgio Moroder? Floor fillers!

Thanks for joining me for another Singles Night at the Virtual Hot Tub. Let’s do it again soon. In the meantime, keep your media physical and your drinks cool.