GIG - Rascals, Bangor

Inferno, Bad Dog, Braxton Hicks, Jed is Dead, I Fight Lions

Dinosaur Garden didn't show up, and were meant to provide a drumkit. It turned out to be a good thing really as 6 bands was far too many for one gig, and Inferno had their set cut short anyway as time was running out (1.20am).

This was the launch night of our new EP 'The Bench' - we sold 9 copies, which, by our standards is pretty impressive - was a good turn out too...

We were a bit worse for wear due to the evil drink. Gwion was out on the town on a HMV staff party, so he turned up 20 minutes before we were due on.

Sound was poor due to karaoke mics. Lots of good banter between songs lots of interaction between band and audience - good fun..., oh and Neil bit Joe's arm.

Set list.. Macho Man / I Don't Wanna Be You / Depression / I Won't Take The Blame / Depend On You / This Song Was Never Written / Never Kill Yourself / All In / Gone Fishin' / Poison By Rancid

We were supposed to open with a new track Belly's Gonna Getcha but because our rehearsal room had been double booked, we took the safe option and did Macho Man instead. Did play 2 new tracks Depend On You and  All In which we played ok. Funny not playing  Government To Be and  Get Outta My Head.

Neil and Joe went to a party in Tregarth afterwards where Slayer, Hendrix and AC/DC was played at maximum volume... Joe finished the evening hugging Neil's toilet...

Joe wrote this on our facebook page... 'Great gig last night in Bangor and fantastic audience (until you started chanting 'Weasley! Weasley! Weasley!' at me....bastards.) You know its been a good night when you wake up hugging the toilet bowl and lying on Neil Crud's bathroom floor completely unable to move! great times. We flogged 9 EPs last night, hope you enjoy it (its like hearing us play live but better.....) Hope the guys that lost their jobs at HMV get one soon, in the mean time Gwion says he'll share his wage packet with you all.'

 The Bench EP only came out today but its already making children violent..!!

The Bench EP - out today..!!!

This 4 tracker is the follow up to last December’s debut ‘Never Kill Yourself EP’ on Secrets of Sound Records and pays homage to the bench where the band’s (and this site) friend, Johnny Williams would while away the hours fishing.
Featuring 4 tracks – Gone Fishin’ / Poison By Rancid / This Song Was Never Written / Depression-Scream It Out.
Available on CD copy for £2.50 (inc p+p) by clicking this link
L2W 002

Price: £2.50

STATEMENT BY JOE HOVIS

When I formed Braxton Hicks, I made the conscious decision not to be a political band. Now that doesn't mean ignoring it completely, but i wanted to focus the band on having a laugh and enjoying a few beers. Plus I don't know enough about politics for us to be political and there are 100's of bands already doing it (not knocking them, in fact some of my favorites are bands of this ilk!) but having watched this documentary on Monday night I felt I couldn't just sit back and not say anything.

I have tried to watch documentaries about the Hillsborough disaster before, but have found them too upsetting and had to turn them off but i made myself watch this one. I was shocked. I was only 9 months old when it happened and I had never appreciated the size and impact that day had on so many lives. My words can not do it justice the damage that had been done on that day And this is before I talk about the police and government cover up.

If corrupt policemen and government employees can cover up an incident that happened on national television, with thousands of football fans as witnesses, what can they/do they cover up in private? It's sick.

I don't care if you don't support Liverpool FC, hate Liverpool FC or can not stand football in general that is irrelevant, you must watch this.

If you didn't see the documentary please click on this link.

Once you've watched it, please sign this petition to get the Chief scumbags knighthood removed. That seems like nothing locking him up would be the answer.

https://submissions.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/47770

Thanks
Joe

GIG - Mello Mello, Liverpool

LINE UP - Vermin Suicides, Braxton Hicks, Toby Parker & The Suitcase

(from Crud Blog) - It’s a shame I have review my own gigs!! But I guess most people are lost for words after seeing Braxton Hicks (ha ha!). We turned up at what is essentially a cool / studenty / place-to-be-seen cafe, that transforms into a venue, with stage, lights, great sound and brilliant vibe. Couldn’t hear a fucking thing during the first song, and Bentham was quick to realise and got the engineer to throb my bass up in the monitors. Joe & Gwion thought we played well, crowd did so too, so I guess it was a good performance. Nice to see Phil Newall endure us again, also Hockey & Richie (Bite Back), that dude from Dead Class and Carl Gintis (Wobbly Hearts) amongst the crowd. Set list – Government To Be / I Don’t Wanna Be You / Get Outta My Head / Macho Man / Song Was Never Written / I Won’t Take The Blame / Poison By Rancid / Gone Fishin’ / Never Kill Yourself.

GIG - Blue Sky Cafe, Bangor

LINE UP - Addicted To Fish, Braxton Hicks

(from Crud blog) - It was organised by Bangor Youth Group, who, in hindsight may not have allowed us to play because of said references and smuggled Port, but without people like themselves who dedicate their time and efforts for the greater good and not for profit then the world would be a far worse off place.
We played our usual 25 minutes, and like BYG, offered our services and effort at our own expense for the greater good. Joe was on top form despite breaking a string and despite not being able to hear each other I guess we did okay – they seemed to like us, and the kids who got up with their guitars at the Open Mic Session beforehand put our abilities to shame. The difference being, we are up there playing as a band, playing our own songs, which have been released and played on national radio, we’ve got ourselves on the covers of national magazines, we’ve supported ‘name’ bands. That is by no means bragging… That is quite simply stating that a band with our limited capabilities can go out there and get our name in small print on the poster, and time and time again it shows that it’s the bands/people with drive that get somewhere. Britain may very well have talent, but it’s up to you to see beyond a panel of arrogant sneering judges and make a name for yourselves. It’s your decision… ours was to be an unambitious punk band, I think our job is done on that front, and I’m now quite happy to take up Anhrefn’s sub-manifesto.

There was a bit of 'afters' a day later when we received a message from BYGS...

'we hope you all enjoyed playing tonight. We had expected a bigger turnout,but exams have just begun so I guess some stayed away because of that.
Thanks very much for playing. We appreciate your time. Unfortunately though you put us in a bit of an uncomfortable position - with all the swearing and reference to drugs etc (I really hope I'm not going to have to answer to anyone about it)...and the empty bottle of port didn't go down too well when the member of staff found it in the toilets either...
We are a volunteer group that are trying to establish youth events in Bangor and to shine a positive light on young people. So far we have a really good relationship and level of trust with the community and we work hard to maintain a 'clean' image and to sustain the ethos of the venues we use e.g Blue Sky Cafe.
That aside, I can say that we all really enjoyed your set - you're very talented and you have a great stage presence.
I think the guys (Loui Bryn and Jonny) are really keen to invite you to some of the over 18 gigs they organise. All the best with the rest of your gigs.'

Joe replied, 'Apologies i did mean to move that bottle of port from the toilet, but forgot about it.... I wasn't being a rebel without a cause, port genuinely helps my voice and at the gigs where i havent drunk it I've lost my voice mid set! we tryed our best not to swear and did apologize where we could, as you can imagine we are not used to playing to under 18s! We censored a few of our lyrics too... but I can imagine they hear far worse language in the playground. We hate drugs and never use them or advocate anyone to use them. I would hate to think that we would ever get you shut down, if that is the case I would be happy to fight your corner and will take full responsibility for any offense we caused on the evening. Other than that glad you liked our set and hope we can play again in the future, to under or over 18's!'

And BYGS replied, 'Thanks very much for your message. I'm sure there won't be any come back at all, but I wanted to highlight it -just because we were put in a bit of an awkward position once you'd gone - I mean you did make reference to Speed and the port you'd drunk too much of.you're right the children will have heard (and used) much worse language before. I appreciate you did make the effort and thanks for cencoring your lyrics!its just, I have to maintain the aims and objectives of the youth group in any night we put on - we sometimes have people of interest drop in on our nights to see how they're going.
Thanks very much for your apology, it's appreciated and accepted wholeheartedly.
You guys'll do really well (can't believe you've only been going for 6months) - a good number of people turned up solely to see you play last night (even in a cafe!) which was ace.'

RADIO INTERVIEW

On Storm FM, recorded after our show at Bar Uno in Bangor Uni back in February.

GIG - Railway Club, Holyhead

LINE UP: ArtisFiction, Inferno, Braxton Hicks, Atlas Will Atone

(from Crudblog): We were due to play at another venue in town, while this gig was on, which was silly. One horse towns have enough trouble hosting one night, let alone two. The gig was thankfully pulled and as an olive branch we were given the opportunity to bake under the stage lights and face a difficult audience at this metal night. That’s exactly what happened, they were a tough audience, or at least didn’t know how to react to Joe’s piss-taking banter, ‘We went down like a lead balloon,’ he later said. I think we lasted 20 minutes, a great diet though, as I lost about half a stone in the heat!

NEWS - Vive Le Rock compilation CD

Braxton Hicks are featured on the cover CD of this month’s Vive Le Rock magazine, alongside the likes of Killing Joke and Wilco Johnson. Available from WH Smiths and other good newsagents, the magazine has a print run of 15,000 and specialises in punk, garage, primal rock’n'roll, new wave and 80s hardcore.
Braxton Hicks track is Never Kill Yourself taken off our debut EP of the same title and is described by Vive Le Rock as ‘a slightly unhinged collision of The Minutemen and Snuff.’ – On hearing the description, Joe Hovis said, ‘Two fucking ace bands, one of which is quintessentially British which is a bonus.’
We are soon to release their follow up ‘The Bench EP’ on link2wales records, and plans are afoot for the label to reissue ‘Never Kill Yourself EP’ which has now sold out. There is also a debut album planned for release in September… Vive Le Rock

GIG - The Continental, Preston

LINE UP: Goldblade, Evil Blizzard, Braxton Hicks

(from Crudblog): First up it was Braxton Hicks (pic by Emma Barry), pretty sad when I have to review my own gigs, but hey! It’s my band and I’ll type if I want to, and no other fucker will write about us! We came, they saw and we played conkers with the crowd. A decent enough set, plenty of mistakes from me as usual and plenty of good humoured banter with the locals, who seemed to like us… And a huge hats off to Rob Talbot, the promoter who made tonight, and many other excellent nights past and future possible at this great venue. Without people like Rob, events like these would not be possible; we’d be left with shitty pub gigs, awful tribute and covers bands or ‘big’ gigs where the money making whores take your wages. There is a need for venues of this size that are independent of any corporate pressures, they are perfect for bands of Goldblade’s stature, not just perfect, but an absolute necessity, and also a springboard for cruddy bands like mine who normally have to play those shitty pubs to 4 people (3 of them bar staff).

GIG - North X North Wales Mini Egg Festival, Skerries, Bangor

LINE UP: Wobbly Hearts, Mexican Walking Fish, Heldinky, Electric Valves, Braxton Hicks

(from Crudblog) I was initially nervous at playing in front of people who are my peers, but who are far better musicians than myself; Duncan Black, Dewi Gwyn, Chris Combi Markwell, Carl & Rob Gintis just to mention a few. The nerves soon ebbed away and we gave as good as we could give, and judging by the response I guess they enjoyed it, and the Bryce amp that Joe plugged his guitar into blew me away – amazing sound.

RECORDING - The Bench EP

Spent the day at Rockcliffe in Llandudno recording the 3 remaining tracks to go on The Bench EP Depression, Poison By Rancid, This Song Was Never Written.

Neil doing his 53rd take of Depression and getting depressed about it...

VIDEO - Gone Fishin'

Here's our new video for the song Gone Fishin' which'll be out on May 31st

REHEARSAL - new songs

We've been busy learning / writing new material. Here Gwion gets his teeth into the new song, Neil struggles with the longer words and Joe wonders what the fuck he's doing with these two tards.

GIG - Bar Uno, Bangor

LINE UP: Arcade Avenue, His Finest Hour, Braxton Hicks, What The Dickens?

(review by Combi Chris) With all the subtlety of a shotgun blast to a nun, Braxton Hicks (pic above) are next up, and are a spitting, swaggering salute to the classic days of punk. The Christian Union meeting must’ve seemed like catnip to guitarist/vocalist Joe, who decided to address them directly: “If you’re Christian, give us a shout!” A meek, terrified response followed, but hey! it’s the meek that’ll inherit the Earth, right? Well played, Christians. Well played.
These punks are really fast: Joe’s strumming skills are a lesbian’s wet dream, Neil Crud becomes a Tourette’s sufferer when he straps on his bass, whirling, twitching and capering his way everywhere, yet somehow not managing to miss a single note. Getting flipped off by him mid-song was just lovely – cheers, mate! Haha! As for Gwion, the drummer? An angry, pale, technically-proficient musician, his battering of his poor drumkit can only be truly described as musical spousal abuse.
Their set was a roaring, frenzied statement of musical intent, punctuated by their amazing closing song, ‘Never Kill Yourself’. I have to admit, I did sing and bang my head to this tune: it’s just too catchy not to. Punk’s not dead, people: it’s still as weird as ever.

(from Crudblog) We played our set, we dripped our sweat. We got a good response, hell, some even knew the words! Which ain’t bad, as the songs will be alien to the vast majority and not a cover to be heard; more so because we lack the talent to master anyone else’s tunes! Our 28 minutes of making a racket consisted of Macho Man / I Don’t Wanna Be You / Depression / Get Outta My Head / Poison By Rancid / Gone Fishin’ / Government To Be / This Song Was Never Written / Never Kill Yourself.

GIG / VIDEO SHOOT - Offas Tavern, Prestatyn

 

It was cold on the promenade in Old Colwyn, the fishermen lined up in thermals, hoods and gloves gave it away as Gwion and myself pulled up alongside Johnny's Bench. 'I bet they didn't get body paint, I bet it was car spray.' I muttered as we climbed out of the car. My reference was to spraying our hands orange, paying homage to one of the madcap things Johnny used to do, simply for a laugh. The days when this gang of punks lived carefree lives, throwing each about and throwing up at The Dudley Arms have long gone, some have grown up, some have moved away, some have had kids, some have to work, some have fallen out big time and some have died. This is why Joe organised this day to shoot a video for Braxton Hicks' next single Gone Fishing which is, of course about Johnny, he who died six years ago after a night out in Manchester. It would've been brilliant to have had everyone there, the whole gang there, but, like I've just said... Those days have long gone.

4080 Peru is aired in Bangor

The film - 4080 Peru – is aired in Bangor featuring a soundtrack composed by Mank.

4080 Peru is an experimental multimedia project created by James Ray, the industrial-rock pioneer known for his work with The Sisters of Mercy and James Ray’s Gangwar. Far from a traditional cinematic release, the project is an avant-garde soundtrack film designed to be an immersive, sensory-heavy experience rather than a narrative story. Ray famously envisioned the work as the "soundtrack to the best horror movie you’ve never seen," creating a haunting, atmospheric loop that clocks in at approximately 52 minutes. The film serves as a visual canvas for a dense "wall of sound," utilizing black-and-white, dreamlike imagery that leans heavily into dark ambient and industrial aesthetics. It features surreal motifs, most notably slow-motion footage of koi carp, ethereal ghost-like figures, and abstract nature scenes intended to evoke a sense of dread and mystery.

The musical score for the project marks a significant departure from Ray’s typical hard-edged rock roots, favouring drone-heavy, trancelike compositions built from deep electronic soundscapes and layered samples. 4080 Peru first gained notoriety through live performances in the mid-2000s, specifically at The Garage in London in February 2005, where Ray performed the music live against a massive projection to create an overwhelming auditory and physical environment. The project resurfaced years later at the Industrial #18 Festival in Cannes in 2014 and through collaborations with the 25men collective (which where Mank came in). While a physical DVD titled Empty Hearts Break was produced in limited quantities featuring the film with multiple audio tracks, it remains an extremely rare collector's item. Today, the work survives as a cult piece of underground history, with fragments and visual loops occasionally appearing on Ray's official digital channels or fan-run archives.

All things Mank on link2wales

GIG - Vegas Bar, Rhyl

LINE UP - Afterglow, Dressed Naked, Braxton Hicks

We had to leave straight after our set as the snow was blocking the A55

DEBUT EP - Never Kill Yourself

The debut EP by Braxton Hicks is out now on Secrets of Sound Records…
Featuring 4 tracks – Never Kill Yourself / Get Outta My Head / Government To Be / Macho Man.
Available on iTunes on Thursday 6th December
or for a CD copy for £2.50 (inc p+p) [NOTE - CD now sold out]

Wobbly Hearts in the Daily Post

 

There's something very special about this band - they're like an unshackled Gintis

GIG - Vices, Face of Christ, Braxton Hicks @ Vegas Bar, Rhyl

LINE UP: Vices, Face of Christ, Braxton Hicks

I curse my car for not being big enough, had no intention of being in a band again, Joe caught me at a weak moment when he posted online that he was looking for like minded people to form an unambitious punk band. I approached Gwion cos he’s a good drummer and works with Sarah and you could say Braxton Hicks are a manufactured band! But, that aside, I should’ve got a bigger car to lug the gear round instead of driving with a hi-hat stand sticking in my ear.

This is only our fourth gig, and yet I feel like a veteran and not someone who’s been without a band for over 12 years – but it is good, Joe writes the songs and me ‘n’ Gwion play ‘em – simple, and it feels good. When it stops feeling good you should stop doing it. And if you wanna do it for the money and chuck any potential cred you may have down the swanny then learn Sex On Fire, Purple Haze and all the other shit, or be in a tribute band.
I did have this argument online yesterday, and my opponent said he got paid more for being in a tribute band than he ever did for playing in a ‘proper band’ and said he owed rock ‘n’ roll nothing. Point taken… There again, some of us are born a rocker and will die a rocker…

As Braxton Hicks (pic above by Huw Williams) we did toy with Warhead, Fuck You, California Uber Alles (UK Subs, DOA, DKs) when we first got together, but quickly learned (after one rehearsal) that the holy ground should be left untouched and, as angels we should dare not tread upon it. If covers are to be covered they should be the unobvious, or the obvious done in an unobvious way; as Vices did with R.Kelly later on.
‘You’re not famous anymore!’ Was shouted at me last time I played here, and although I never was famous, the contrast of having played continental festivals and Radio One live sessions to finding yourself in a backroom of a pub in Rhyl may have a detrimental affect upon some souls – and yet I was uplifted. I was buzzing (again). I dunno how Jimmy Case felt playing for lowly Brighton & Hove Albion having relished the European Cup glory days at Anfield, but I guess he did it because he enjoyed it.
I enjoyed it – every second of it. Every note, every beat, every screamed lyric, every bead of sweat that stung my eyes, the cramp in my hands, the nervous glances when we fucked up, the muted applause from the people not too sure what to expect from us and the nodded appreciation from those who did.
We added three new songs to the set tonight; Depression, This Song Was Never Written and Poison By Rancid (not a cover) – and the duration was still only 20 minutes (with 5 minutes of added ad lib banter). Maybe the heady days of people coming out in their droves to see unknown bands play live are gone forever, so I guess it’s our job to remove the un from unknown.

GIG - UK Subs, Last Gang in Town, Braxton Hicks @ Tivoli, Buckley

LINE UP: UK Subs, Last Gang in Town, Braxton Hicks

The floodgates opened and the dogs of war unleashed the wrath of god upon us. Basically, it fucking pissed it down all day. So much that I got a call at 3pm to say the A55, A5 and North Wales coast train line were closed due to flooding, and our drummer, Gwion was the wrong side of the water with no paddle. Fuck!

Main-man, Joe and myself are sat in the Marine [sic] in Old Colwyn; it’s my birthday and were drowning [sic - again] our sorrows with a pint of Kronenberg. I can’t go home to Bangor as the roads are closed. We can’t do the gig as Gwion is marooned. We asked ex-Sons of Selina drummer, Cumi if he’d stand in, but he doesn’t know the songs. What a downer…

The decision was made to go to Buckley anyway and enjoy the gig. We may as well leave now as to ensure we got in as a ‘band’ rather than a punter.

The journey was pretty silent… Yeah we wanted to see the Subs, but we were supposed to be supporting them too…
Last Gang in Town and UK Subs were milling around backstage when Joe and myself turned up; bits of drum kit were being set up and amps were being rolled in. I saw soundman (he is a sound man), Chris White and told him our bad news and he said, ‘There’s plenty of drummers knocking about, see if Last Gang’s will stand in for you.’ It’s not that simple though as our songs are not that simple. We met up with Subs mainstay Charlie Harper and relived tales of yore. He was telling us they played on the south coast last night and spent all day travelling up here and then a long journey to Glasgow tomorrow, he was concerned as the weather may have prevented them from getting here today. We said how gutted we were that Gwion was stranded and we couldn’t do the show. Charlie quipped, ‘Ask Jamie, he’ll do it. He’s a great drummer.’
Joe and me were still dubious, no one can learn your songs in an hour and we didn’t want to make cunts of ourselves.
The UK Subs did their soundcheck, and we thought, ‘Fuck it, let’s ask him,’ and approached Jamie with Charlie’s suggestion. ‘Yeah, of course I’ll do it! Get me a copy of the songs and I’ll learn them.’ (!!!)
With 4 of our tracks on Soundcloud, Jamie sat in the dressing room nursing a hangover and taking in our songs as we tucked into curry and rice. Last Gang sound-checked and their bassist and guitarist are probably the two friendliest band-persons I’ve ever met, letting us use their amps, helping us get the right sound, even tuning our guitars! Jamie came down and we soundchecked Get Outta My Head – fuck me! He’s nailed that song in 5 minutes, the beat, the stops, the changes!! – he said he’ll have the other 3 learnt with the half hour that we’re due on stage.

He wasn’t messing – a makeshift Braxton Hicks got on and slammed Never Kill Yourself, Macho Man, Gone Fishin’ and Get Outta My Head in ten minutes; not a beat misplaced! Plenty of bass notes all over the place though ha ha – but it was a great buzz.

Last Gang in Town, to be fair to them are the right band in the wrong place. They’re a covers band, a punk tribute band, which is fine if you’re at a party, or a wedding, but not at a punk gig where a real band could be playing. Despite this they belted out New Rose, Holidays In The Sun, Pretty Vacant, California Uber Alles, Alternative Ulster, If The Kids Are United etc etc, to much aplomb.

UK Subs are masters of their game. Was chatting with loudethanwar.com writer Phil Newall, and we both agreed they’re not just a punk band; there’s a lot of blues under-currents in those songs, which have been accentuated since early 80s bassist, Alvin Gibbs rejoined the ranks. The set is shorter than when I last saw them (at Rebellion – see review), but they are relentless and tight as fuck, only occasionally pausing for breath.

Braxton Hicks new drummer Jamie Oliver (heh-heh!) took on an added interest, and you are sometimes distracted from the man at the back when you’ve got legends like Charlie Harper and Alvin Gibbs upfront, flanked by the tireless and slick as fuck guitarist Jet. Yet Jamie is a machine and smashed that kit into the podium. Top class.

UK Subs tour relentlessly, from small back street clubs to huge arenas and festivals worldwide, and the one main thing about them is they keep it punk rock. There was/is no primadonna, holier-than-thou or an ounce of pretention about the UK Subs – you’re born a rocker, you die a rocker, you live on the road, you play your punk rock, you live your punk rock… I’m green with envy.

I was earlier reminding Charlie that I once put a gig on for them in Colwyn Bay in 1987 and the ‘guaranteed accommodation’ I offered was actually my living room floor! He raked his memory banks and quipped, ‘Was it at a bikers club?’ – He was almost right, I actually had the local Hells Angels do the security at the gig! Not a bad recollection when you consider he’s probably done something in excess of 5000 gigs since then. Here’s to the next 5000…

UK Subs

VIDEO - Never Kill Yourself

Here it is...! Our new video for what will be our new single - Hope you like it...

VIDEO SHOOT - Colwyn Bay

 

Dead simple video for a dead simple, but very catchy song - Never Kill Yourself (the video) took about an hour to record. We cleared a space in my works warehouse, locked off a section, lined the floor where we could play within shot and set the camera up to be in one position. We filmed ourselves playing the song 4 times with the idea of cutting back and forth to make a simple vid.

GIG - Brookers Bar, Chester

LINE UP: Braxton Hicks, Jed is Dead

(review n pix by philip milton) – Up next are the recently formed Braxton Hicks featuring local legend Joe Hovis on lead vocals and guitar, alongside the infamous former 4Q / Sons of Selina member Neil Crud playing bass and Vladimir Fuxleep Nightshade on drums. The first thing that came across upon hearing them was that they were bucking the more conventional trend of hardcore styles by playing fast but clean. By this I mean Joe was rocking a clean twanging guitar sound and vocals that are determined to be heard to the last syllable. And Crud who played a fast but melodic style of bass that you just couldn’t help bobbing your head to. The next thing was how together they were as a group, ok all three of them have been in bands and the crowd wasn’t huge, but the easy candour, jokes (normally aimed at Vladimir’s super fast paced playing) and the tightness at which they played for a group that only formed in July this came as a true surprise, and with only one gig the Friday before under their belt it shows promise that they’ll be a force to be reckoned with for a great time to come.

Now to the music; they still have only a short set list but it is of their own material, it’s a fast paced social commentary of the things around them that they find disappointing. Whether it’s the government (Government To Be), a former love (a lot less romantic than I think they thought) (Get Outta My Head) or the loss of a dear friend still sorely missed (Gone Fishin’), each song is played full on with an intent to be felt and understood. The playing style reminds me of the Dickies and a little of their influences being Bad Religion and the Dead Kennedys (for more information on these influences go to their website). Of the vocal stylings I’d definitely agree with them that they’re in the same vain as the Subhumans and the Inner Terrestrials, but with Joe as their front man they do have a practised biting vocal styling that is all of their own. I’m going to enjoy watching this band evolve and expand their material, and whole heartedly recommend to people that are looking for something slightly off the wall and original to check them out.

GIG - Vegas Bar, Rhyl

(blog by neil crud - pics and vid courtesy of paul hammond)

OK - it's pretty hard to review your own gig and a bit shit to do so and use my own website link2wales as a platform for my new band - but what I can do is give you a blog account of the evening. Not been to Rhyl for a couple of years (apart from visiting family), faces/people change - except Steve Rastin, that labourer of love who seems to live for live music. Unfortunately Arcade Avenue had to pull out and Aire (from Prestatyn) simply didn't show up. Having played over 120 gigs over the years and been to thousands, I anticipated this situation and made sure we brought the whole kit rather than just the breakables, as I envisaged scooting around town looking for drum parts, spare microphones and hard drugs.

NEW SONGS

We've been in the studio to record demos for our forthcoming debut EP -

New songs by Braxton Hicks

RECORDING - 1st demos

Spent the day at Rockcliffe Studios in Llandudno and recorded these songs 'live' - Never Kill Yourself, Government To Be, Gone Fishin', Get Outta My Head, Macho Man, Crack The Safe.
Some, or all of these will end up on our debut EP.

Simon Gardner (the man in control)