Show #188 - Neil Crud On Louder Than War Radio

 

Some shows take on a life of their own, and this week’s felt like one big, noisy story unraveling through the speakers.

It began with TV Face, reminding us to Get What We’re Given – a timely mantra when the world insists on throwing curveballs. From there, old-school Teesside hardcore crew Dogsflesh marched in lockstep with their March Of The Damned, dragging us into darker territory where nothing is promised and everything is contested.

The Unknowns might have Lost Me, but that’s half the fun of radio – you’re not supposed to know exactly where you’re going, particularly when you lose your shownotes. By the time Vast Slug crawled in with the brilliantly titled I Look Forward To Reading All About Myself In Your Suicide Note, things had already become beautifully unhinged.

The brutality continued with Times of Desperation, who left us Skinned Alive, and The Skive, who dragged us back to reality with the rough-and-ready supermarket bargain bin brilliance of Bargain. Just when you thought you could breathe, Son Capsun was up there, a Sniper On The Roof Of Tesco, aiming barbs at the mundanity of suburban life.

The middle of the set went global. AM checked in to ask Co tam słychać?, before PESD prowled like Hieny and Polish punk legends Armia growled To Moja Zemsta. It felt like a whole Eastern Bloc uprising pressed into three quick punches.

Hearing Tests reminded us what it’s like to face down a Bully, then Derwyddon Dr Gonzo gave us a surreal ska detour with Chaviach. By the time Mr Huw took us through Ein Budreddi (our filth, our grime), my heart was sufficiently warmed and throbbing.

Punitive Damage then baptised us in flames with Baptism Of Fire, which felt like the perfect lead-in to Schkeuditzer Kreuz, who demanded we Keep Dancing even as the walls shook and the floor melted beneath our feet.

The endgame came thick and fast: Takers & Users served up Bombscare, Exaust ripped open an Open Wound, and GURT rolled in with the sludgy stomp of Sludge Puppies. And to sign it all off? J Pump & The Bulldozers flattened the night beautifully with No.1 Auto.

What a ride.

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The Playlist – Show 188

• TV Face – Get What We’re Given

• Dogsflesh – March Of The Damned

• The Unknowns – Lost Me

• Vast Slug – I Look Forward To Reading All About Myself In Your Suicide Note

• Times of Desperation – Skinned Alive

• The Skive – Bargain

• Son Capsun – Sniper On The Roof Of Tesco

• AM – Co tam słychać?

• PESD – Hieny

• Armia – To Moja Zemsta

• Hearing Tests – Bully

• Derwyddon Dr Gonzo – Chaviach

• Mr Huw – Ein Budreddi

• Punitive Damage – Baptism Of Fire

• Schkeuditzer Kreuz – Keep Dancing

• Takers & Users – Bombscare

• Exaust – Open Wound

• GURT – Sludge Puppies

• J Pump & The Bulldozers – No.1 Auto

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Next week I’ll be away travelling, so Martin from Noises From The Bottom Left Corner will be stepping in for me. He’s got impeccable taste and a knack for spinning chaos into gold, so tune in and give him your ears. I’ll be back the week after, hopefully in one piece.

Show #187 - Swamp Fest & Louder Than War Radio (01.09.25)

  

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

Show #186 - Louder Than War Radio (25.08.25)

 

I hate it when Liverpool are on Monday Night Football. Matches never finish on time anymore, and full-time seems to creep closer and closer to my show’s 10pm kick-off. Last night against Newcastle was a prime example: constant stoppages, niggling fouls, and the Geordies trying to blend cage fighting into their tactics. By the time I was playing the opening songs, the game was still going.

And then, it happened. In the 100th minute, 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha smashed in the winner for Liverpool. Our youngest ever goalscorer, and only the second 16-year-old in Premier League history to bag a winning goal (after Wayne Rooney). I was leaping around the living room like a teenager who’d just scored it himself. Safe to say, the adrenaline was pumping so hard that it took me a good 20 minutes into the show to settle down – so apologies if I sounded a little jittery. Just like Liverpool, I suppose.

The show kicked off with something rare and a little special: a mash-up from Swansea’s Head In The Shed, who many years back spliced Rage Against The Machine with Colwyn Bay’s Global Parasite. As far as I know, this mix is unavailable online, so you could call it a Crud exclusive – even if it’s a decade or so late! Oh, and happy birthday to Dave Global Parasite Cox.

With England still wrapped up in flag-waving nationalism and road painting, it felt apt to follow that with Mouthparts’ biting Flag Shagger and Anhrefn’s classic Swings a Rowndabouts. Context, people.

From there the set hurtled into old favourites and new bruisers alike: Crass with Rival Tribal Revel Rebel, Yung Rare declaring This Machine Kills Fascists, and CoVid 21 ramping things up with War Whores. Laced between those were gems like Gentleman Jesse’s garage-soaked I Don’t Wanna Know (Where You Been Tonight) and the blistering energy of AKU (Phase Me Out) and Father Stone (The Entertainer).

I’ve been talking up the new Schkeuditzer Kreuz record Swan Grinder recently (check out my review on Louder Than War), and it was great to get Keep Dancing blasting on the airwaves. Dark, dystopian, industrial-punk – one of the year’s strongest underground releases. Also in the spotlight: Scotch Funeral’s latest Ever & Ever (which I reviewed last week), and the new, sadly posthumous Eye Licker album And Now The End Is Here. 

Later on came a mix of international collaborations and local genius – from Mr Phormula’s bilingual Cymru i India, to the blistering satire of Joe & The Shitboys (Manspredator), and brutal heaviness from Mastiff and the pure comedy yet very clever Rabo De Toro sending up Russ Abbots' Atmosphere.

As always, most of what I play can be found on Bandcamp. So go on – buy the records, support the bands, and if they’re playing anywhere near you, get out and see them. That’s what keeps this whole scene alive.

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Playlist – Show 186

• Global Parasite Vs Rage Against The Machine – Head In The Shed Remix

• Mouthparts – Flag Shagger

• Anhrefn – Swings a Rowndabouts

• Crass – Rival Tribal Revel Rebel

• Yung Rare – This Machine Kills Fascists

• CoVid 21 – War Whores

• Gentleman Jesse – I Don’t Wanna Know (Where You Been Tonight)

• AKU – Phase Me Out

• Father Stone – The Entertainer

• Save Your Breath – Modern Slavery Institution

• Topper – Newid Er Mwyn Newid

• WAR//PLAGUE – Sacrifice

• Schkeuditzer Kreuz – Keep Dancing

• Mr Phormula – Cymru i India

• Joe & The Shitboys – Manspredator

• Eye Licker – Gag Reflex

• Scotch Funeral – Never See Me Again

• AM – Co tam słychać?

• Mastiff – A Story Behind Every Light

• Rabo De Toro – Atmosphere

Show #185 - Louder Than War Radio (18.08.25)

Back in the hot seat after a week away roaming the continent, I returned to Louder Than War Radio with another full-throttle set of tunes for Show 185. Big thanks go to Wyn, who held the fort in my absence with a cracking show of his own – if you missed it, go back and give it a listen. He’ll be back later in the year to cover for me again, as will Noises From The Bottom Left Corner (who you can usually catch on Louder Than War every Saturday at 4pm). Plenty of able deputies lining up behind me – all these people jockeying for position, eh?

It was a thrill to give Lancaster’s very own TV Face an early spin ahead of their upcoming album. The track Boots Pocket Coffin is as curious as its title – which, incidentally, sounds like a What3Words location. (I did wonder whether one actually exists – and yes, there is indeed a location tagged boots.pocket.coffin in the system! Somewhere in China, as it happens).

Another highlight was Sŵn Y Môr from Scotch Funeral, lifted from their brand-new album Ever & Ever, which is out now on vinyl. The band launched it last Saturday at Rascals in Bangor to a buzzing crowd. Keep your ears to the ground – they’re lining up a Wrexham date with Eitha Da very soon, which promises to be unmissable.

One record I’ve been absolutely loving is the new single from Irked – The Hardest Man In Billingham. It comes backed with two remarkable covers, which was almost too much temptation for me not to play in full. In the end, I restrained myself and gave the originals a spin instead – Dan Sartain’s Fuck Friday and SuperCharger’s Sooprize Package for Mr. Mineo. Both great tracks in their own right, but I’ll say it here: Irked’s versions are even better. Track them down and you’ll see what I mean.

To round things off, I couldn’t resist giving in to temptation one more time – this time with Pavel Chekov’s stunning Negative Progress EP. Five tracks in five minutes, the whole thing aired back-to-back. Urgent, short, and beautiful – the perfect way to close a show.

See you all next week for Show 186 – but in the meantime, here’s the playlist for this week’s broadcast:

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Playlist – Show 185

• TV Face – Boots Pocket Coffin
  Penny Coffin – March To The Grave
  Scotch Funeral – Sŵn Y Môr
  Spiteful Void – The Corpse of Hope
  Osees – God’s Guts
  Sweetpool – No One Believes Anything Anymore
  Rotunda – I Refuse
  Rotura – Al Otro Lado
  Bowandarrow91 – Surge Of Chaos
  Julius Seizure – I Don’t Get It
  HIATUS – End Is Near
  Mwstard – Scandal Broth
  Irked – The Hardest Man In Billingham
  Dan Sartain – Fuck Friday
  SuperCharger – Sooprize Package for Mr. Mineo
  Mr Phormula – Penill a Paris
  Big Jesse – Dave’s Song
  The Crash Mats – Kirk
  Pavel Chekov – Expropriate 
  Pavel Chekov – Reductionist
  Pavel Chekov – Social Imperialist
  Pavel Chekov – Left Capitalist
  Pavel Chekov – Deteriorate

Show #183 - Louder Than War Radio (04.08.25)

Neil Crud on Louder Than War Radio, Mondays at 10pm

Another Week, Another Show – and One Vinyl Sold!

This week’s show delivered everything from fierce punk blasts to bilingual hip-hop, with a healthy dose of nostalgia thrown in for good measure. And mission accomplished – one of our lovely listeners (and he is really lovely) grabbed a vinyl copy of Street Hassle by Puffer after I spun a track from it. That’s me on the Static Shock Records Christmas card list this year… maybe even a mug?

Puffer are I think from Australia, tho I could be wide of the mark. Street Hassle, out via the ever-reliable Static Shock Records, is as frantic and jagged as it is compelling. If you haven’t checked it out yet – do.

It was also brilliant to revisit Crapsons' gloriously brash 'Fuck Off...Again' – the Wirral-based trio mix humour, anger, and commentary in a way few can. Catch them at Rebellion Festival this year – always a riot, never a letdown.

Looking ahead, I was excited to share a track from the upcoming Mr Phormula album 'Cymraeg Worldwide', out August 15th. 'Celtiaidd Lydaweg' is a standout – fusing Welsh and French, with what sounds like a hint of Breton in the mix too. Mr Phormula is a true pioneer of Welsh-language hip-hop, blending boom-bap beats with lightning-fast flow and multilingual flair. Don't sleep on this one.

Had a bit of a Welsh wave early on too with two brilliant flashbacks:

• Genod Droog’s ‘Gwn Tatws’ – always a thrill. A supergroup of sorts from the early 2000s Welsh-language scene, blending hip-hop and funk with tongue-in-cheek Porthmadog attitude.

• Gruff Rhys’ ‘Gwn Mi Wn’ – sublime in a very different way. One of Gruff’s finest solo moments, full of surreal warmth and poetic flair.

Also had to dig out Blitz’s Propaganda – originally released in 1982, but its message feels just as biting today. That lyric:

"I can see many reds underneath my bed, but the fascists in my letterbox are messing up my head"

Still hits, 43 years on.

Closed the show with a classic from Y Cyrff – 'Cymru, Lloegr a Llanrwst'. A perfect homage to the People's Republic of Llanrwst and a reminder of the vibrant energy of the Welsh alternative scene in the ‘80s. Before frontman Mark Roberts went on to form Catatonia, Y Cyrff laid the groundwork and did all the hard work for Welsh-language rock to go mainstream.

That's it from me for this week – Wyn will be sitting in for me next Monday, so please tune in, support, and make him feel welcome!

Until next time – diolch!

Moscow Death Brigade - It's Us
Genod Droog - Gwn Tatws
Gruff Rhys - Gwn Mi Wn
All Consumed - Upon the Altar
Blitz - Propaganda
AKU - Phase Me Out
The Bordellos - You Vagabond You
ChePaa - La Rage
Mr Phormula - Celtiaid Llydaweg (ft Plouz & Foen)
WORN OUT - Deeper
Fucking Angry - Fuck Off
Crapsons - Fuck Off…Again
Body Maintenance - Broken Sculptures
Joe & The Shitboys - Drugs R’4 Kidz
Bruise Control - Bottom Feeder
Puffer - I’m Out
El Toro - I Wanna Know
AMASS - Gamekeepers Gallows
Sona - Gone But Not Forgotten
Y Cyrff - Cymru, Lloegr a Llanrwst

Show #182 - Louder Than War Radio (28.07.25)

Back on the Air, Back on Facebook (Whether I Like It or Not)

Well, here we are again — back on the airwaves and, reluctantly, back on Facebook.

Turns out one of my photo uploads apparently carried a virus, and after three weeks of silence, the all-seeing, all-knowing algorithmic overlords decided to let me off with just a warning. What the actual offence was, I genuinely have no idea — but hey ho, I’m back.

As much as I’d love to bin it off, Facebook remains a necessary evil for pushing this show and keeping the Link2Wales network alive. That said, I had to dust off my old personal account to get going again, which came with its own set of emotional baggage — mainly because it had a grand total of about ten friends on it and absolutely zero reach.

Even worse, my timeline was an absolute cesspit. And I mean utter bollocks. Just endless drivel. No wonder people quit the platform — if you don’t put the time in to sort your feed, all you’ll see is a constant stream of garbage.

A few years ago, I actually dedicated an entire weekend to cleaning the place up. Properly curating my timeline, unfollowing the nonsense, and turning it into something halfway decent. These days, it reads more like a music magazine — full of quality, interesting content, and barely toxic at all.

So yeah, it’s good to be back... albeit on Facebook.

Catch the show, tell your mates, and let’s keep the signal strong.

Pete Bentham & The Dinner Ladies - Holy Pictures
Slutch - Wake Up
AMASS - What’s The Government Scared Of?
BType - You Wanna Know Me?
The Unknowns - I Know That You Know
AKU - Aku Stomp
Awkland - Dead Air
CoVid 21 - Quid Games
Anti Vigilante - Skoliver
Cress - Travellers
Permanent Revolution - Brisbane City Skinheads
Petrol Hoers - You Can Give A Horse A Buckfast
ChePaa - Jovial Song
Burning Flag - Pay Me
Pete Bentham & The Dinner Ladies - Is There Life In Rhyl?
The Walk Offs - SATX
The Sporadics - Used To Be A Punk
Fight The Bear - El Toro
Inferno - El Toro
Split System - Forcefield (Live In Stockholm)

Pete Bentham & The Dinner Ladies

• “Holy Pictures” appears on the album Art, Religion & Chocolate Biscuits released August 2025 Louder Than Warmaximumvolumemusic.com+7ThePunkSite.com+7Audiomack+7.

• “Is There Life In Rhyl?” is also included on the same album Art, Religion & Chocolate Biscuits, which is the band’s latest as of mid‑2025 Darla Records.

Slutch

• “Wake Up” is a track from their No Way Out 7″ EP released on First Strike Records (Side B) in mid‑2025 Alans BMX+1SLUTCH+1.

AMASS

• “What’s The Government Scared Of?” is listed as a digital single or part of the Christ It’s Amass release in June 2025, possibly on a standalone release or EP titled What’s the government scared of? m.facebook.com+3amass.bandcamp.com+3amass.bandcamp.com+3.

The Unknowns

• “I Know That You Know” appears on their album Looking From the Outside, released 1 August 2025 via Drunken Sailor Records noecho.net+2theunknowns4.bandcamp.com+2drunkensailorrecords.bandcamp.com+2.

AKU

• “Aku Stomp” is featured on the album Evil Twin, released July 2025, where several tracks including Phase Me Out and Aku Stomp appear play.anghami.com+1open.spotify.com+1.

CoVid 21

• “Quid Games” is included on the album Everything’s Fucked released in early 2025 (14-track LP) by CoVid 21 facebook.com+2music.apple.com+2facebook.com+2.

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Show #85 - Louder Than War Radio

SHOW #85 (Broadcast 31.07.23) (listen)
[Resistance is futile…]

Rabo De Toro – Fake News Knobheads
TV Smith – Fake News
Revenge Of The Psychotronic Man – Fake News
Hoax – Fake News
The Crash Mats – Thundercats
Slund – Get Down With It
The Sewer Cats – Get It
Electric Press – Get Away
BBR – Get Away From Her, You Bitch!
The Mistakes – The Mourning After (*session)
Empty Mourning – Pride
Los Blancos – Christina
BUG CENTRAL – Another Vegan Hipster
Dishope – Hail Saitan Go Vegan
Dan Amor – Is This Reality
Snakes Among Us – Isolated
Sona – Gone But Not Forgotten
MC Mabon – People Are So Stupid
The Assouls – Stupid People
Evil Blizzard – Stupid People
Y Cyrff – Anwybyddwch Ni
Bring The Drones – Ignore The Bodies
Tystion – Yr Anwybodus
Knuckle Scraper – Pizza Suicide
1987tilpresent – Over Polite
Minus – Chaos
Beef – DNA
Rum Lad – DNA
Mr Phormula – Don’t Mind Me
Celavi – Neb Arall
The Dry Retch – Inside
Overpower – Overpower
Maines – Electric Eyes
White Ether – All Things Must Change
PRIMITIVE LIFE – Man Made Disaster Cwlt Draig – Y Ddraig Aur
Lullaby For A Unicorn – Alan Raiders
Ectogram – Byth Yn Bwrw Fel Hyn
Napalm Death – Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism

Radio Gaga

 

Just finished compiling my first Louder Than War radio show for 2022. It’ll be my fifth show for the station and the feedback has been very positive. Anyone who puts together a regular radio show will tell you how time-consuming and how much effort goes into doing so. Sure, I could rock up at 10pm on a Monday night and play two hours of random stuff off my hard drive, and probably get away with it. But that’s not really how it’s done…

No, I get sent loads of stuff – and it’s both a joy and an endurance test to trawl through it. I’m looking forward to airing forthcoming releases from Oorya and Tits Up on Monday, plus there are sessions to organise. I don’t have a studio where a band can broadcast live, so they have to be pre-recorded. Howl In The Typewriter recorded their recent session and sent it over, and Kieron Dyson has even invited me to his house to record his – which will air this Monday (3rd Jan). Looking further ahead, there should be sessions from Oorya, Rhys Trimble (Lolfa Binc) and Why Bother?

Why indeed bother… Because I loves it I do.

And speaking of love, music, and memories — my mind’s been wandering back to venues of the past, the ones that burned bright and then, sometimes quite literally, burned out. One in particular was The Dome in Caernarfon. Before it was a nightclub, it was a grand old super-cinema called The Majestic, opening in the early 20th century and seating more than a thousand people. In its day it was a plush palace of flickering light, but like so many single-screen cinemas, it couldn’t compete with changing habits. The Majestic closed in 1984, and after a short spell of limbo it was reborn as a nightclub.

In its final incarnation as The Dome, it became a familiar late-night haunt for a generation — a place of big nights out, questionable dance moves, and the sort of sweat-and-smoke atmosphere you just don’t get anymore. But its story ended suddenly. In 1994, a fire ripped through the building, leaving nothing but memories and rubble. It wasn’t just the loss of a club — it was the loss of a landmark, a piece of Caernarfon’s social and cultural DNA.

Places like The Dome stick in the mind because they’re tied up with youth, music, and the feeling that anything could happen after dark. They might be gone physically, but the stories keep them alive — in conversations, and in facebook posts, as Bangor's goth-industrialists Skinflick lay claim to burning it down after playing there, possibly the only time it was used as a venue?

See you Monday, 10pm, on Louder Than War Radio. Listen here.