GIG 44 - Chester Live Festival

(with Louise Distras, Bogans, Mike West) at The Lock Keeper, Chester

Ghetto Scum / Pen Clicker / Fisting Simon's Red Setter / Nazi Line Dancers Fuck Off / Top Knot Go Fuck Your Wife / Life's A Bastard / Never Trust A Dentist / How Can You Die When You're Already Dead / Boys With Beards / Shit On My Shoe / Arseholageddon / Fatal Attraction

GIG 43 - Tivoli, Buckley

(with The Crippens, Emissaries Of Syn, Ballpein, Abominate)

Fatal Attraction / Fisting Simon's Red Setter / Ghetto Scum / Nazi Line Dancers Fuck Off / Top Knot Go Fuck Your Wife / Life's A Bastard / How Can You Die When You're Already Dead / Never Trust A Dentist / Boys With Beards / Shit On My Shoe / Arseholageddon

GIG 42 - Curiad Pulse Festival, Bangor

The Skerries, Bangor (Curiad Pulse Festival with Paul Henshaw, Rabo de Toro, Cane Toads, Dilation) Pen Clicker / Fisting Simon's Red Setter / Ghetto Scum / Nazi Line Dancers Fuck Off / Top Knot Go Fuck Your Wife / Never Work / Life's A Bastard / How Can You Die When You're Already Dead / Never Trust A Dentist / Boys With Beards / Shit On My Shoe / Arseholageddon / Fatal Attraction
*Llion Broadbent on drums

John Robb made a valid point when he approached Glove after a gig last week, they were all excited at the prospect of supporting his band The Membranes and he said, ‘No, there’s no support, we’ll simply play a gig together.’ That’s the good thing about a lot our bands, we leave our egos at the door. The bands who kick off wanting a ‘higher’ slot simply need punching back into reality. However, imagine my despair on seeing Spam Javelin going on after Rabo De Toro, ‘How the fuck will we follow that..!?’ – I guess, we did OK, everyone seemed to enjoy our own brand of shitness and we aired a couple of new songs.

SWEET BABOO Marc Riley session

Trefriw's Sweet Baboo is in session on Marc Riley's BBC Radio 6music show, which is such a regular occurance!

GIG 41 - Easter Alldayer @ The Pot, Rhyl

Rhyl is currently quite notorious for non-attendees. Once the hub of all things bright and musical during the Breeding Ground, Dudley Arms and Bar Blu days things have nosedived over the years with venues and bands struggling to justify the efforts involved in hosting gigs.

So today it was heartwarming to have a good attendance (although the majority of those present had travelled rather than walked) from the word Go and a pile a great bands to boot.

Burning Flag are one of my favourite bands and they are fast becoming that of everyone else too - what a great outfit! Loved Eye Licker, and Auralskit's set was the best I've seen them play. Good performances by all the bands - Emissaries Of Syn, Fuzzasaurus and the sublime Maines too.

We haven't played live with this core line up (Tracey, Gwion, Neil) since early December, and rehearsed just the once (2 days ago) - and I guess were we a little rough around the edges... But it's all punk rock innit! 

On second to preserve the instruments and stage from a drunken performance, we were pleasantly surprised by the sizable crowd this early in the day (5.45pm) and had a good laugh.

Also played new song Fatal Attraction - a rehash of an old PSST song with new lyrics about the new royal couple...

SET - Fisting Simon's Set Setter / Ghetto Scum / Nazi Line Dancers / Pen Clicker / Top Knot / Fuck Off / Life's A Bastard / Fucking Jerks / Dentist / Arseholageddon / How Can You Die / Boys With Beards / Shit On My Shoe / Fatal Attraction

GIG 40 - Spam Javelin, Red Or Dead, Velvet @ The Skerries, Bangor

What a great gig! Red Or Dead doing their album launch and Velvet being majestic. Llion filled in on drums and did a sterling job (despite being from Talysarn ha ha)
Big crowd and we sold 14 CDs.

20.01.2018 - The Skerries, Bangor (with Red Or Dead, Velvet) Fisting Simon's Red Setter / Ghetto Scum / Nazi Line Dancers Fuck Off / Top Knot Go Fuck Your Wife / Fucking Jerk / Life's A Bastard / How Can You Die When You're Already Dead / Arseholageddon / Never Trust A Dentist / Boys With Beards / Shit On My Shoe / Pen Clicker // Fuck Off *Llion Broadbent on drums

Review in link2wales.co.uk Finally, the notorious Spam Javelin to crank things up and freak things out.  I think back to Mr Crud’s origins in 4Q and the similar chaotic expectations, but now there is a bit more musical solidity and charismatic humour.  In fact, I think this is probably the best I have seen them (even better than when I played in them!) especially with a really hard hitting and precise random drummer addition. It’s all a short sharp blast of catchy raucous punk, with an encore that also tells us to leave in a sexual fashion, not following the example described in their new Arseholageddon EP hopefully

Yucatan's Iwan Huws - RIP

The death of Iwan Huws in January 2018 was a loss that resonated far beyond the foot of the mountains he loved. At just 34 years old, Iwan was a man of dual passions: he was the steady, rhythmic heartbeat of the band Yucatan, and an elite, experienced mountaineer who felt most at home on the rugged peaks of Eryri (Snowdonia).

On January 14, Iwan set out to climb his favorite mountain, Tryfan, via the North Ridge. Despite his immense experience—having trekked the Himalayas and the Inca Trail—and being fully equipped for the conditions, he tragically lost his footing on the West Face. Following a massive search operation involving over 50 volunteers, he was found the following morning. The tragedy was underscored by the fact that Iwan was training to become a mountain leader himself, intending to dedicate his life to helping others safely navigate the landscapes he adored.

Within the Welsh music community, Iwan was cherished as much for his character as his talent. As the drummer for the Caernarfon-based Yucatan, he was a vital part of a band that had earned the admiration of legends like Tim Burgess and Gruff Rhys. His bandmates remembered him not just as a musician, but as a "funny, chilled out, and lovely person" who brought a sense of calm and joy to every tour and rehearsal.

His legacy continues to live on through the Cronfa Iwan Huws fund. Established by his partner and family, the charity transformed a moment of profound grief into a force for good, raising thousands for the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team and providing musical instruments for young people in his home community. Iwan Huws remains a symbol of the adventurous, creative spirit of North Wales—a man who lived his life with rhythm, height, and a deep love for the land.

Enlli EP review

GIG 39 - Spam Javelin / Mutha Lovin Chimps / White Ether @ The Pot, Rhyl

Cold night, adverse snowy weather. Great venue.

White Ether's set seems to be getting harder in style; they're playing harder! Spurred on by a contingent of Denbigh Boot Boys who'd been on a football alldayer.

Mutha Lovin Chimps were good old skool punk, 1-2-3 chords and a hatfull of not too topical songs to boot.

Having been on a Chester alldayer the night before, I was feeling a little fragile - but I think we played ok - crowd seemed to think so.

Same set as last gig.

Set list: Fisting Simon's Red Setter / Ghetto Scum / Nazi Line Dancers Fuck Off / Pen Clicker / Top Knot Go Fuck Your Wife / Arseholageddon / Life's A Bastard / Fucking Jerk / Never Trust A Dentist / How Can You Die When You're Already Dead / Boys With Beards / Shit On My Shoe

GIG 38 - Flat Back Four / Spam Javelin @ The Salty Dog, Northwich

Always an honour to share a stage with Flat Back Four.
Great venue with real ales (pity I'm driving) and great sound. Good crowd for a Wednesday night - sold 15 copies of the freshly released 'Arseholageddon EP. 
Bloody venue has a blue spotlight and when it shines on me I can't see the fretboard on my guitar - I'm a shit guitarist anyway, and even shitter when I can't see it ha ha!

Flat Back Four were superb. 

Set list:Fisting Simon's Red Setter / Ghetto Scum / Nazi Line Dancers Fuck Off / Pen Clicker / Top Knot Go Fuck Your Wife / Arseholageddon / Life's A Bastard / Fucking Jerk / Never Trust A Dentist / How Can You Die When You're Already Dead / Boys With Beards / Shit On My Shoe // Fuck Off

GIG 37 - Bite Back / The Webb / Spam Javelin @ The Old Hall, Penrhyn Bay

Gwion had to hang upside down in a cave near Blaenau Ffestiniog tonight so Llion Broadbent sat on the bat stool...

This venue holds a special place for many as there were quite a few punk gigs here back in't day. Maybe those who organised it were a bit over-nostalgic as things (or, more sadly, people) have moved on.

So the attendance wasn't quite up to those halcyon days.

With Llion on drums, we went on first - played well.

The Webb then did their weird Alien Sex Fiend synth-thing with umbrellas !

Bite Back were good for the buck - great set.

Old Hall, Penrhyn Bay (with Bite Back, The Webb) Nazi Line Dancers Fuck Off / Top Knot / Ghetto Scum / Fisting Simon’s Red Setter / How Can You Die / Fucking Jerk / Life’s A Bastard (x3) / Dentist / Boys With Beards / Arseholageddon / Shit On My Shoe / Pen Clicker *Llion Broadbent on drums

GIG 36 - Bovver Bailey / Nosebleed / Spam Javelin @ Sound, Liverpool

Review on Louder Than War website

Spam Javelin

Sound, Liverpool

Thursday 2nd November 2017

A subterranean basement is an ideal location for the sub-hard core sound of Spam Javelin, the delicately named Nth Wales 3pc who tonight appear with a differing line-up to my previous encounter; still fronted by founder Crud, the band step onto the low Sound stage, to be gruffly introduced by Crud before he dons a Poundland wizard hat, and with a nod to bassist Tracey Howarth launches into an onslaught of frankly psychedelic hardcore rage splattered with wanton expletives that warms the inner child in all present;

Despite being hampered by some ropey acoustics, Spam Javelin attack the job in hand, delivering a ferocious set drawing from their previous EP’s ‘How Can You Die When Your Already Dead’ and the becoming an anthem ‘Nazi Line Dancer’s…Fuck Off’ each song being humorously introduced by Crud – the aforementioned ‘Nazi’s’ stemming from an encounter with a set of Rhyl based line dancers who turned down Crud membership application as he wasn’t a supporter of the Führer.

Spam Javelin deliver raw, uncompromising hard core; it’s a basic unsettling sound matched by obscenity laced lyrics, I reckon every song title has at least one “fuck” in it, on occasion we even get a “fuck” within a “fuck” and a few Welsh language barbs thrown in for good measure; Crud's delivery is riddled with urgency and anger that compliments the bands undeniable barrage of sound – there is little refinement, most of the songs are way too short to include such excesses as a breakdown, there are no blast or D-beats; however the basic song structures, and guttural lyrics ignite the modest crowd.

Spam Javelin deliver fast, straight forward, frenetic hard core…and do it very well, not to mention leaving the crowd with a smile on their faces.

Nazi Line Dancers / Fisting Simon’s Red Setter*/Ghetto Scum / Pen Clicker / Fuck Off / Arseholageddon / Life’s A bastard / Fucking Jerk / Dentist / How Can You Die / Boys With Beards / Shit On My Shoe (* new title for Service Resumed)

RECORDING MYNCIS

We spent the day recording some new material with our new bassist Tracey at Nant Y Benglog in the heart of Eryri. Making the most of the facilities at the studio / home of John Lawrence (he ex- of Gorky's Zygotic Mynci). We were set up in his kitchen and the control room was in a bedroom - proper feral recording!!

Laid down Shit On My Shoe / Fisiting Simon's Red Setter / Arseholageddon / Never Trust A Dentist / Boys With Beards

GIG 35 - Destroy All Monsters All-Dayer @ Comrades Club.Conwy

Comrades Club, Conwy (with Pete Bentham, Morffe, Flat Back Four, Lolfa Binc + more)

Pen Clicker / Arseholageddon / Shit On My Shoe / Service Resumed / Dentist / Nazi Line Dancers / Ghetto Scum / Life's A Bastard / Top Knot / How Can You Die / Boys With Beards

GIG 34 - Krank, Baltimore Gun Club, Spam Javelin @ Rascals, Bangor

Rascals, Bangor (with Krank, Baltimore Gun Club)
So tonight it was good to see a healthy turnout in Bangor and a good representation from the student nation bucking the trend for once!
Maybe they were high as kites as they seemed to really appreciate Spam Javelin despite us playing like a bunch of cunts! Big thanks to Krank for lending me their guitar when I broke a string mid-set.
Baltimore Gun Club were excellent

Nazi Line Dancers / Top Knot / Life's A Bastard / Shit On My Shoe / Fucking Jerk / Ghetto Scum / How Can You Die / Boys With Beards

GIG 33 - White Ether / James Phillips / Spam Javelin @ The Albert, Caernarfon

The Albert, Caernarfon (with White Ether, James Phillips)
Nazi Line Dancers / Arseholageddon . Fuck Off / Shit On My Shoe / Ghetto Scum / Fucking Jerk / Service Resumed / Top Knot / Life's A Bastard / Dentist / Hate You / How Can You Die / Boys With Beards

GIG 32 - Lolfa Binc / Teeth Crack / Spam Javelin - The North, Rhyl

Played a 'pop-up' gig at The North in Rhyl (7th time we've played there!). Thought it would be good to play soon after the European tour. So we jumped on board this line up.

Neil's first gig with Gwion and Tracey for a while. Very tight set, all songs introduced as 'classics' like Sweet Home Alabama, Dakota, Sex On Fire, Knocking On Heavens Door. 

Teeth Crack went on next and cleverly segued into Lolfa Binc's debut gig, which was something very special - incredible set.

Neil Crud - voc,gtr / Gwion Griffiths - drms / Tracey Howarth - bass

YOU MAKE ME WANT TO HATE YOU

FUCKING JERK

FUCK OFF

NAZI LINE DANCERS FUCK OFF

SHIT ON MY SHOE

GHETTO SCUM

TOP KNOT GO FUCK YOUR WIFE

LIFE'S A BASTARD THEN YOU'RE DEAD

HOW CAN YOU DIE WHEN YOU'RE ALREADY DEAD

BOYS WITH BEARDS

GIG 31 - 2 Sick Monkeys / Feral Existence / Emissaries Of Syn / Spam Javelin - Stö, Leipzig

Gatecrashed this gig as our Nuremburg dates had fallen through. Drove through the day from Podbor in the Czech Republic. Stö is a squat venue; the whole street is a squat. Great set-up and really nice people. Good to see Pete Butler of 2 Sick Monkeys again, and good to see him looking so well.

It was important that EOS had a good gig tonight to blow away their Czech blues, so I made sure SJ went on first. Due to us gatecrashing this gig, first band had to go on as the doors opened, so I knew there'd be a sparse crowd to begin with. Turned out to be a decent crowd anyway and Spam Javelin played a decent set with plenty of good humoured banter. Top Knot and Nazi Line Dancers went down a treat. The sound guys danced through the whole gig!

Emissaries Of Syn played a belter, probably the best I've ever seen them. Feral Existence were great fun and 2 Sick Monkeys simply took it to another level - excellent.
We drove overnight straight after this gig heading for Antwerp (unfortunately, that gig was cancelled)

Neil Crud - voc,gtr / Gwyn Jones - drums / Mark Watson-Jones - bass

FUCKING JERKS

GHETTO SCUM

NAZI LINE DANCERS FUCK OFF

SHIT ON MY SHOE

LIFE'S A BASTARD AND THEN YOU'RE DEAD (x2)

TOP KNOT GO FUCK YOUR WIFE

HOW CAN YOU DIE WHEN YOU'RE ALREADY DEAD

GIG 30 - More Noise For Life Festival, Podbor, Czech Republic

Having played last night, a band had pulled out of Saturday's line-up and Petr asked if we would fill the slot. Emissaries Of Syn had just played a disjointed set, it was OK but not their best and their tempers were frayed. With Mark and Gwyn from the band standing in for Spam Javelin I thought we'd be on a hiding for nothing. So I went onstage with a 'nothing to lose' attitude. 

Turned out to be a great set. Think we won over this grindcore crowd with our '80's Shit Punk' as the soundman described it! Good laugh and good to see people singing along to Nazi Line Dancers Fuck Off.

Neil Crud - voc,gtr / Gwyn Jones - drms / Mark Watson-Jones - bass

YOU MAKE ME WANT TO HATE YOU

FUCK OFF

FUCKING JERKS

NAZI LINE DANCERS FUCK OFF

SHIT ON MY SHOE

GHETTO SCUM

LIFE'S A BASTARD AND THEN YOU'RE DEAD (x2)

HOW CAN YOU DIE WHEN YOU'RE ALREADY DEAD

BOYS WITH BEARDS

GIG 29 - More Noise For Life Festival, Podbor, Czech Republic

Slept soundly til about 6am - quick shower on the campsite and then back on the road - 279km to Prague, where we are picking Lorraine at the airport.
We crossed the Czech border, listening to a new demo by Michael (our host last night), his band is called Lusca. it's a two-piece and really good stomp along, doom laden Godflesh-type stuff.
Gwyn has his headphones on, he's listening to my iPod and I thank myself for removing Toto's entire back catalogue prior to this trip. He's listening to Spam Javelin to familiarise himself with the songs before tonight's festival appearance. After four days of driving across the UK and Europe, we finally get to play..!

The countryside falls away; picturesque farms nestled among fields and forests. This part of the world is very green. Germany is huge; lots of space and Czech is a continuation of that landscape but with shitter roads and the odd Soviet style tower bloc blighting the horizon.

Lorraine joins us in Prague and injects conversation into the van... Someone new to talk to! We all share a common interest in music.
I lose myself for long portions of the journey in a Nirvana Tour Diary book that I picked up in Blackpool last week. It's well written by Andy Bollen (drummer of Captain America) who toured with Nirvana as 'Nevermind' impacted upon the world. It inspires me (as most books do) to get my diary out and write; something I find little time to do in this Buffer Age we live in.

Mark is back at the wheel today. His driving is like his manner - calm and polite. You feel at ease and put the seat into recline and enjoy the ride. We stop by at The Church of Skulls. A macabre place in Seldec Ossuary adorned with 60,000 skeletons, all arranged with decoration in mind by a mad priest a few hundred years ago. It's become a pilgramige for every death metal band that passes through Czech!

First gig of tour, although we've been on the road for 3 days..! A great DIY Grindcore festival. The soundman said the crowd were going to hate our shit punk and laughed at the size of my 100 Watt amp against all those huge Marshall stacks! It did take the crowd 2 or 3 songs to actually get what we were doing, but once they did, we had a good laugh.

Neil Crud - voc,gtr / Gwyn Jones - drms / Mark Watson-Jones - bass

YOU MAKE ME WANT TO HATE YOU

FUCKING JERKS

FUCK OFF

NAZI LINE DANCERS FUCK OFF

SHIT ON MY SHOE

LIFE'S A BASTARD AND THEN YOU'RE DEAD (x3)

TOP KNOT GO FUCK YOUR WIFE

GHETTO SCUM

HOW CAN YOU DIE WHEN YOU'RE ALREADY DEAD

BOYS WITH BEARDS

Neil Crud on TudnoFM – Show #70 – with Scapegoats in Session

Andy Bob Beaumont is one of the hardest working men in rock ‘n’ roll in North Wales. If he’s not on the circuit doing his solo stuff, then he’s out on the circuit doing The Beaumont Brothers or out on the circuit doing Scapegoats. There’s enough circuits to make mere mortals dizzy. 

Fellow Scapegoater Dave Andrews joins Andy in the TudnoFM studio for a great session. Check out their latest EP Helénè out now on Turquoise Coal Records.

Guests – Scapegoats
Gift – Selection of homegrown vegetables for Andy’s garden
Show Sponsor – Mudshark Records, Bangor

Valleum – Barrymore
Bogans – Murdoch
Hannah Willwood – He (*archive session)
Kardomah Gang – 12 Pound Pleasure Tour
Scapegoats – Wing Mirror (*live in session)
Skinflick – How Fucked Is Now
Chugga – Lego Brick
Delicasession – Soar [edit]
Art Of Burning Water – Prime Example Of A Lonely Child
Adwaith – Femme
Scotch Funeral – Young At Heart And Falling Apart (*archive session)
Scapegoats – Helénè (*live in session)
DELINQUENTS – Never Gonna Fit In
Mad Haven – What Ya Gonna
West Coast Sick Line – Literacy Gnome (Paul Hammond remix)
Peter118 – Wasted
The Bordellos – Tesco Chainstore Massacre
Wrongboy – Isyoufriendorfoebroidontknow
Griff Lynch -Tynnu Dant
Scapegoats – We’re On Our Way (*live in session)
Krimewatch – Cockroach Man
Chugga – Chugga 2
Get Greens – Bongwater
SPOONIDOLS – Unhinged & Somewhat Slightly Spaced
Y Cyrff – Trwy’r Cumylau
Ultrajungle – Onto You
Nicotine Pretty – Nicotine Pretty
Normal Shed Uses – Roundabout
Agathocles – More Patches Than Brains
Steve Crocker – This Town Burns Tonight
Sick Dastardlys – Train Wreck
Three Days Dark – The Wind In The Trees
Young Conservative – Shag Off
Thyrd Eye – Say Something