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| Steve Steve Steve of White Ether, harnessing that feedback |
Still recovering from the weekend when I hit the airwaves for this one. At the time, drinking all that Abbot Ale felt like the best idea in the world… but come Sunday, my head begged to differ and I spent a lot of the day in the recovery position.
Little Swamp Fest 2025
Saturday was all about Little Swamp Fest, a hidden gem of a festival tucked away in rural Ynys Môn. It’s not your average event – it’s private, run by friends, for friends, with bands made up of (you guessed it) friends. I’ve been going six or seven years now, and it never fails to deliver.
This year was meant to be extra special on a personal level, as my own band Spam Javelin was finally set to make our debut. Our host Nick has been pestering us to play for years, and at last the stars aligned… until the gods of misfortune intervened. Our drummer Llion pulled his back on the eve of the gig. Drummers, eh? Love ’em or hate ’em, you can’t play without ’em. Well, unless you have a few Abbot Ales in you and someone hands you a Strat.
So yes, I was coaxed into doing four or five Spam Javelin songs solo on Bryce Amps’ gorgeous Fender Strat and amp – and you know what? It was a nervous blast and a bit rubbish ha ha.
As for the rest of the day: Spears took us on a spaced-out trip and I enjoyed the blues of Serious Bizness and the fun of Black Sheep, while White Ether were the real knockout. Their extended set was spot-on, particularly enjoyed their newer material, and honestly, a debut album from them is long overdue. Once again, Little Swamp Fest proved to be the perfect collision of music, mates, and merriment. Here’s to 2026!
OK... on with the show -
With the weekend’s excesses still lingering, I fired up this week’s show with a dose of grit: Sleaford Mods’ Tweet Tweet Tweet. Hard to believe it’s ten plus years old already. The track raged against right-wing nonsense back then, and here we are in 2025, with even more of it to shout about. Some things never change, apart from roundabouts (apparently).
Also marking anniversaries was Wendykurk – 22 years since they released their one and only album Soft Meat. That band used to scare the living shit out of me (in the best possible way), and it was a thrill to dust them off again.
Big thanks, as always, to Garry Davies for digging up fresh treasures. His contributions are a backbone of the show, and this week he unearthed Potato Skins’ hilarious Diet Squad. That in turn gave me the excuse to blast Riot Squad’s Speed Cameras – perfect pairing. Garry also supplied Hearing Test’s sweaty sludge-punk energy and Grail Guard’s fiery Coventry hardcore.
Other highlights
Scotch Funeral – Sacrifice My Teeth kept their Ever & Ever momentum alive.
White Ether – All Things Must Change got a well-deserved nod after their Little Swamp Fest triumph.
Hearing Tests – Mob Rule, London post-hardcore at its noisy, dissonant best.
Tragedy – Enter The Void, Portland hardcore bruisers from their LP 'Fury'.
A scattering of global chaos: Fight The Bear, PESD, Gerinc – all firing on full cylinders.
Smarts – Golden Arches, lifted from their album Who Needs Smarts, Anyway?.
More Kreuz carnage: Schkeuditzer Kreuz – Trips & Trepidations, proving Swan Grinder is still shaking the rafters.
Split System – It Ain’t You (Live in Stockholm) kept the Aussie machine rolling and what about that TV Face track!!
Pete Bentham & The Dinner Ladies – Is There Life in Rhyl. The title says it all.
And finally, the grind onslaught: Internal Rot – Muted Destiny, from their blistering new split with Mutilated Cop (just out on Nerve Altar – go grab it on 7” or digital). I only managed to squeeze about 30secs in, but will play more next week.
The Playlist – Show 187
Sleaford Mods – Tweet Tweet Tweet
Antisect – Black
PESD – Co tam słychać
Fight The Bear – Sleazy Joe
Gerinc – Fogságban
Scotch Funeral – Sacrifice My Teeth
White Ether – All Things Must Change
Hearing Tests – Mob Rule
Grail Guard – Our Streets
Potato Skins – Diet Squad
Riot Squad – Speed Cameras
Wendykurk – Chain Of Daisies
Tragedy – Enter The Void
CoVid 21 – Everythings Fucked
Smarts – Golden Arches
Schkeuditzer Kreuz – Trips & Trepidations
Split System – It Ain’t You (Live in Stockholm)
TV Face - Boots, Pocket, Coffin
Pete Bentham & The Dinner Ladies – Is There Life In Rhyl
Internal Rot – Muted Destiny
1 comment:
yes yes - it's a Telecaster - I've been reprimanded by the Muso Police
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