SCENE REPORT
By Mikhail

Woo hoo! My first column in punk globe. Took me long enough. First, a bit about me - I'm Mikhail and I live in Oakland, California. Best place on earth. Seriously. So what I wanted to accomplish with this is to have a few reviews, maybe an interview, some local "scene" news and finish it off with a little bit of self promotion (ponk111.com). Yep.

So anyway, on with the show. I've been doing reviews on and off for the last 8 or 10 years or so. Never professionally (zines) but you can go to *MY WEBSITE* (plug) ponk111.com to read those if you're bored. I havent done any new reviews in the last year or so, for various reasons, so I'm hoping I still got something original to say about bands. So yeah, the only new CD I received in the mail, for review purposes, was the HELLBILLYS "BLOOD TRILOGY VOL. 2" on SPLIT SEVEN RECORDS. Now, I reviewed (and liked) the first one. While, I'm not a big enough fan of the band to figure out any lineup changes that have occured since the band was first conceived, I do know that their singer was in Christ On Parade at one point. 14 songs. Yer standard rockabilly / psychobilly type of stuff. Lots of songs about hell and some dude named Stan. Satan? One cover (on the last CD theY did a bunch more including Code Blue which I liked). Pushead cover and not much in the way of liner notes. Like I said, this kind of music isnt my cup of tea, but you should buy this CD if you're into that sort of stuff. www.hellbillys.com.

Have you heard about BOBfest? No? Well, it's a punk rock festival that happens every two years in Bremen, Germany then Oakland, California, then Bath, UK. This year it's happening in Oakland and I'm helping with the preparations. The festival is happening July 26th through the 31st at various warehouses around Oakland (5 shows, one night of drunk karaoke). These bands are playing: America's Dirty Thirtys, Blown to Bits, Creepy, Cruevo, Death by Excess, Deathtoll, Ding Dang, Everything Must Go, Fleas & Lice (Holland), Fracas, Gunpowder, I Will Kill You Fucker, I Madman, Instant Asshole, Jesus Fucking Christ, Jewdriver, Malnourished, Motorama (Italy), Neoni Eagal, Nigel Peppercock, One In The Chamber, Retching Red, Schifosi (Australia), Seven Crowns (UK), Shining Path, Star Strangled Bastards, Strung Up, Strychnine and Verbal Abuse. We're not saying which band is playing when and where (there are shows on the 27th through the 31st) with one exception. The Gilman show (happening Saturday, July 30th) is Fleas & Lice, Star Strangled Bastards, Motorama, 7 Crowns, America's Dirty Thirtys. So you should buy tickets. Contact me for more info or go to ponk111.com/bob

Speaking of BOBfest bands, America's Dirty Thirtys (killer new Discharge influenced band outta Fresno) are taking 7 Crowns (who, until recently, were called Tiny Elvis) on a West Coast tour. America's Dirty Thirtys have a 6 song demo out. The thing rips. Creepy is a relatively new SF band with Dave Chavez (Sick Pleasure, Code Of Honor, Verbal Abuse, Hell's Kitchen, Ding Dang and even a few shows with Tales Of Terror) on bass. Could I name drop even more? Yep, Dave was also in Hot Rod Shopping Cart. Deathtoll is another Fresno band that I cant get enough of lately. They've been around for a while (ex-Capitol Punishment!!) and have several releases out. Ding Dang is getting back together for this festival. Almost all original members. Fleas & Lice have two new CDs out on Rodent Popsicle Records (Bill from Toxic Narcotic's label). One is a new recording, the other is a collection of old LPs and EPs. Jesus Fucking Christ (Oakland) is a new band with Larry (Rickets), Dave (Neurosis) and Jamie (Pitch Black) who play killer oldschool inspired hardcore (think DOA or Poison Idea). Motorama (from Italy) are doing a US or a west coast tour (I dont have all the info. Ask Scott Alcoholocaust). Check The List for California shows. Nigel Peppercock should have a new record out on Life Is Abuse sometime soon. Star Strangled Bastards (new CD - which sounds great - on Rodent Popsicle) are taking Fleas & Lice on a full US tour. Yay! Strychnine have a new LP out "Born In A Bar" (CD out on TKO) and it's so good. Way better than their last effort (there's also a "Live in Germany" CD available). And Verbal Abuse is sorta back together. Nicki Sicki started a version of Verbal Abuse in Texas (with ex-Humungous guys) and is moving the band to Oakland sometime soon. Cant wait.

This is it for now. Oh yeah, buy the new HARD SKIN CD (also TKO Records). Brilliant! And go see BAD NEWS. Best movie ever made.

Mikhail
ponk111.com

ponk111@gmail.com
PO Box 11588, Oakland, CA 94611
 

 

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