Chasm - demo tape

Originating from Rhyl on the North Wales coast in the mid-late 90s, indie pop outfit Chasm featured Curtis Randles (vocals), Simon Boyton (guitar), Jamie Boyton (bass), Matt Davies (guitar), and Andy Barber (drums).

I chanced upon their five-track demo tape after inheriting a massive box of cassettes bequeathed to me following the death of a dear friend - a collection so full of questionable music that I occasionally wondered if it was post-mortem revenge for the time I accidentally knocked his tooth out. My best guess is this tape originally came courtesy of the late Martin Trehearn back when he was promoting gigs at The Bistro. Having sat on my desk for months, it finally piqued my interest simply because Chasm was a local name I wasn't familiar with.

After 30 years, the tape suffers from a bit of speed-wobble, drifting into a sluggish slow-motion here and there. Standard advice for ancient cassettes is to give them a full fast-forward and rewind cycle before hitting play to loosen the spools, but I couldn't be arsed.

It certainly sounds like a rough demo, featuring all the classic homemade quirks and erratic sound levels that jump wildly from track to track. Despite the uneven production, the band meanders through the lighter side of indie-pop, anchored by Curtis Randles’ smooth vocal delivery. A listed cover of The Beatles' Strawberry Fields Forever initially roused my curiosity (at least until I actually heard it), but the short, sweet track High Flying proved to be the standout favourite of the lot.

Following his stint in Chasm, vocalist Curtis Randles went on to carve out a successful DJ career spanning over 25 years. Known for his versatility, he held sought-after residencies for high-profile venues and promotional brands including Kanya in Ibiza, Garlands, and Godskitchen, and later hosted the Back To The Beach podcast.

Two Tonne Machete: Hold Up My Crown – EP review

Faintest Idea / Jet8 in Prague

Slept horribly in fits and starts, surrounded by a chorus of competitive snorers at the hostel (optimistically named Dream1 Hostel), although Declan told me I was by far the best snorer in this 8-bed dorm, and I have to be the loudest in the world... Ever!

Today’s plan: get out of Prague before coming back. We hopped on the slow train bound for Kutná Hora - or "Cunty Whora," as we affectionately dubbed it. Except, in classic fashion, we boarded the wrong train. Neither the ticket agent nor the station board felt compelled to explain the Czech system in a way a human could decipher. After what seemed like days, we ended up in Kolín, re-evaluated our lives, and eventually made it to Cunty.

A short walk led us to the Sedlec Ossuary. A place where a crazed 18th Century priest dug up the graves of 10,000 people and adorned the place with their skeletons, to celebrate their lives.

I came here back in 2017 while touring Europe with Spam Javelin; back then, there was no entrance fee and you were free to photograph the dead to your heart's content. Today, commercialism forbids such sacrilege! You must pay! And then, naturally, buy a tea towel! Still, I wanted Dec to experience the macabre glory of thousands of human bones tastefully arranged into chandeliers and decor.

After refuelling on goulash and beer, we caught the faster R9 train back to Prague. We checked into a new hostel - a bargain £10 a night, right off the main square. Took the metro and found a pub showing Liverpool vs. Man City. Considering City have spent the last eight years breaking the rules, the whole match felt like a farce - and Liverpool losing 3–0 certainly didn't do anything for our morale.

With our spirits thoroughly crushed by the football, we sought a dopamine hit at Klub 007 - a legendary punk basement hideout tucked away in the outlying district of Strahov. JET8 were on stage doing what I'm told they do best, tearing through an energetic set that effortlessly blended upbeat ska grooves with heavy hardcore resolve and hoarse gang-vocals. They’re the kind of band where it doesn't matter if you know every track; their energy instantly pulls you in and you're hooked.

We got chatting with the very entertaining Sami on their merch desk, where I picked up JET8’s 2015 CD Music Industry Sucks. As much as I yearned to grab their latest LP, Break The Silence, on vinyl, carting a 12" record around Europe in a rucksack was completely out of the question.

Then Faintest Idea came on and absolutely blew the roof off. Armed with a fierce brass section and politically charged, full-throttle momentum, they put on a gloriously relentless clinic in DIY ska punk - a massive wall-of-sound assault that left zero room to breathe. I own their excellent 2023 album The Road To Sedition (on TNS Records), and during the set I hadn't the faintest idea if I’d actually seen them live before. Subsequent research indicates I was indeed present when they played at Rebellion Festival in 2018 - maybe there in body, if not entirely in alcoholic mind. Either way, it was a proper, glorious assault that we didn't want to end.

We got a £4 taxi back to our new hostel for another snore-off. Faintest Idea were heading back to Norwich, completing their 3000 mile - four date European tour.

Read about the Spam Javelin 2017 tour here

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Reading: 'Question 7' by Richard Flanagan - not entirely sure what it's about, but was compelling enough to do in 4 days. Also started Ian Glasper's Subhumans biography 'Silence Is No Reaction' on Earth Island books.

Watching: Silo on Apple TV - S3 E3 so far, a great dystopian series.

Writing: Two Tonne Machete new EP review for Louder Than War.

Coming Up: Crapsons and Spam Javelin gigs in Oxford and Colwyn Bay.