Punk! [#595]

Well, The Shadow League, Bricks, Admiral Ackbar’s Dishonourable Discharge, Nurnberger, I Am Duckeye, Liquor Snatch, Bombs Are Falling and The Fckups have all just been added to the line-up for the Vic leg of the Up the Punx! festival. They’ll be joining Cult Killers (NSW), Strawberry Fist Cake, Hopes Abandoned, Glen and the Peanut Butter Men, Citywide Wildcats, the Murderballs and the Revengers (Bendigo) at The Tote in Collingwood on the 11th of October. Yowza!
Also happening is the second annual Nevermind the Warp’d Tour show at the Brunswick Hotel on December 6. Sooo many bands (over 30!) taking part, including Forte-territory flag flyers (phew!) Agent 37, Hopes Abandoned and metallers Vendetta. Full line-up next issue – I promise.
Melbourne female-fronted hardcore outfit Outright (pictured) have dropped their new record, Avalanche, via Reason and Rage Records. It’s an intense listen, and will definitely float your boat if you like this sort of stuff.
KILL TV has unleashed their brand-spanking new EP, Soulcatcher – and it’s a corker! While the band will probably always draw comparisons to the likes of Magic Dirt and The Breeders, there are some extremely welcome bursts of energy here that brings to mind bands like Spiderbait, too. Seek them out. Now!!!
The Circle Jerks are all set to release a live album via KungFu Records. It was recorded a decade ago, incidentally!
Emo pioneers Say Anything and Saves the Day are heading out on tour with special guests Reggie and the Full Effect.
Sooo many bands these days seem to be dominating the “scene” without actually being punk. Once upon a time I thought punk rock was about attitude and passion, with an associated sound that resonated with people, but I guess I was wrong. One of the biggest bands in the country, who have a pretty long name, is far from punk. If anything, they’re nothing more than a hipster trend, beards and ratty hair to boot. Another Melbourne band snapping up just about every major support slot plays Regurgitator-style alternative pop with splashes of ska. While these bands have every right to be out there killing it, they certainly are not punk. Actual punk bands are struggling to stay afloat in a scene that is smaller than most people actually know. Sooner or later actual punk rock will make a resurgence – and the public won’t know what’s hit it.
It’s also troubling to see 5 Seconds of Summer being referred to overseas as pop-punk (a label that was once used to describe the likes of Green Day, The Offspring, Blink-182 and MxPx). Seriously, what is going on? Please, I’m begging you all: no more boy bands, no more hipsters, and no more acoustic guitars in punk rock – coz it’s not punk rock!
Bicker and Breathe is the name of RVIVR’s new EP. Check it out on their Bandcamp page now!
So, not only do we get to see Faith No More at Soundwave, it turns out we’re getting a brand new studio album! Hells yeah!
Stay tuned for more next time, kids!
By Christopher Cruz (photo: Phillip Hatton)