Live Review: '68 @ Pasaz, Tel Aviv [22nd December 2014]

'68

Barren Hope

The Werner Alarm

Pelefon Anak 

Tonight is a pretty important night for those in the Tel Aviv and even Haifa hardcore and punk scene. It's a monday night and people have still managed to force themselves out for a show. That only really happens with a big name act.

Pelefon Anak (Giant Phone)

Haifa band Pelefon Anak start tonight's proceedings. I am still not entirely sure if they are considered a duo. They consist of a drummer and a guitarist who are actually on stage and off stage using a laptop and some gadgetry I can't really identify is another gentleman. The result is a good 15 minutes or so of what seemed like pretty improvised, heavy, instrumental rock. The music is mostly drum led, with the guitars switching from being dreamy to distorted and making use of the pedals. It took me a while to realise that the samples that I could faintly hear were not just coming from the secret third member but he was actually projecting video clips on the wall behind the band. Whether this is a fixed part of their regular act or something done just tonight, it is always interesting to see this sort of thing. The improvisation nature of their act did make it feel like a random jam session, especially when the drummer hesitated over what he was meant to be doing and often looked confused. However, the combination of the music, samples and visuals was a good choice for an opening act.
3/5

The Werner Alarm

Next is a band who we are somehow supposed to know. They never say their name. No-one else really knew their name. Turns out these guys are The Werner Alarm. After a little research, these guys are a Tel Aviv band who have been around for quite some time. Verdict is: they're a bit mental. Their opening song, which I believe to be called Punk Ptichah (Punk Intro) is frantic with vocal parts reminiscent of the Farscape theme. I can't even describe that in any more detail; if you're not familiar with the show and its theme, you'll need to look it up. The whole band are energetic from the get go. The bassist, who looks like Moby if he continued playing in bands, is dancing around the stage as the guitarist projects his lyrics from somewhere deep inside his soul. The drumming is not the best I've ever seen. The snare is tilted away from the drummer, which makes things so much more difficult. He sometimes has one drumstick the wrong way round. The drumming just generally seems quite sloppy but the track still sounds fun. The next song is a bit groovier and is ruined a little bit by the ride cymbal hitting the floor tom microphone and even knocking it out of the microphone clip. I actually get involved and adjust the mic a few times. It just seems like a really awkward mic clip. I raise the ride cymbal a bit more so it would stop hitting the mic. This seems to have helped.
The rest of the set continues along fairly standard punk lines with some mental vocals at times. Personally, they seem like a fun band. One friend comes up to me during the set saying that they were putting him to sleep, but I have heard and seen worse. The drummer needs to work on a few things, the songs' structure need to be tightened up a bit and then they will be more enjoyable for everyone.
3/5

Barren Hope

As Haifa's Barren Hope start their set, I decide to forget taking notes and get down by the stage. Tonight, it is business as usual for the band, playing their dark hardcore off of their Anaffa record and some other tracks I do not quite recognise. Like almost every show they do ANYWHERE, the band have had some Haifa fans come down with them who are singing along and getting some push moshing going. I wonder if they came tonight because they couldn't make it to the Haifa show last night or if they are actually THAT "hardcore" they're doing it 2 nights in a row! All power to them if it's either, really. Somehow, the very sludgy, deep toned sound I normally enjoy from their sets is missing tonight. Not entirely sure what they are doing differently or if it is only because of certain songs they have left out. Throughout the set, frontman Gil gets lifted up a couple of times and the band on stage are giving it all they've got.
We later get told that the band will do their last show in Haifa some time soon. It was a shame to hear for many here tonight. The band has barely been around that long and already having to call it quits for whatever reason. Sad thing is, that's just how it seems to go round these parts.
Last two tracks of the set, Samsara and Footprints In Sand, get everyone going...especially me. Who can resist shouting "IIIII DECLARE WAR ON EVERYTHING!" or "BELIEVE ME I HAVE TRIED TO LOSE THIS BLOOD TASTE IN MY MOUTH" at the top of their lungs? I definitely can't. Hopefully I will get another chance at their last show.
4/5

'68

Headlining band '68 is the newest band from ex The Chariot/Norma Jean frontman Josh Scogin (guitar/vocals) with friend Mike McClellan (drums). As previously mentioned, this show is a fairly big deal. The band have already gained themselves quite a following over the passed year or so with the releases of their first EP Midnight and their more recent In Humor and Sadness full length. A good number of those that have forced themselves out on a Monday night despite probably having work or studies the next morning are those who have been following them for quite a while. Others here tonight may be curious The Chariot and/or Norma Jean fans; others, like myself, didn't know who they were until the Israeli tour was announced and enjoyed the tracks they heard.
We witness the duo themselves and the venue crew set up on stage. The drum kit gets moved from its normal spot at the back to being centre stage right  facing inwards and the vocalist's mic stand is now in front of the kit facing the other way. In other words, both musicians are placed facing one another, as most of us had already seen in their music videos. Both seeing them set this up themselves and having them quite close to us already gives it a very intimate feel.
The band eases us into their set with a bit of a slow and heavier Wipeout as a sort of intro/warm up. After quoting John Lennon's Imagine, the band bursts into the sludgy, riff heavy Track 3 g. Both musicians are ridiculously energetic. Drummer Mike is swinging his arms all over the place, even getting up on his feet at times as Josh rocks out the riff and pours his life out down the mic. I do worry that Josh might one day have a back problem as he constantly hunches over the mic as opposed to having the stand raised to face level. The crowd are encouraged to join in on the "woahs"... although they hardly needed much encouragement. The band's face-to-face positioning really helps them become one coherent unit. At one point, I was sure Josh was managing to continue on guitar with only his left hand..but upon reflection, he may have been looping via a pedal.
The duo sail through their set with a lot of passion, sweat and humour. Josh is often introducing them as a different band or act. "Hi. We are Johnny Cash!" "Hi. We are ACDC!" "Hi. We are Limp Bizkit!" Luckily, he only does it enough times that the joke doesn't get too old too quickly. He also throws in a few (probably fictitious) anecdotes and says other such improvised nonsense such as "we both lack the ability to fly...but we are waterproof". He manages to say it all with great comic timing and only breaking into giggles nearer the end of the set.

Track 1 R really gets the dancing underway. It's a chaotic hardcore song with varied drum rhythms raging from standard full throttle to more dnb-like beats, all which accompany mental vocals. Out of nowhere (or at least for me it is), Josh starts singing a line from At The Drive In's One Armed Scissor over some slow and heavy drumming. I went from sitting in my seat where I was taking notes to standing on the chair and screaming along. How necessary it was, I'm not too sure. The song itself is already enjoyable but having that thrown in was a nice bonus.
During a bit of "space filler", Josh asks for the strobe lighting to be turned off. "We're not that kind of band!" Strobe lighting can piss me off a fair bit too, so I was totally on board with this. They continue their set playing tracks from the full length, somehow barely running out of steam. Not really expecting a cover, they jump into an even heavier version of Nirvana's Tourette's. This results in absolute pandemonium as someone jumps on stage to dive off and parts of the drum kit start to fall over. This doesn't phase the band, for they battle on through as some of the crowd adjust the kit for Mike. Before finishing off their set, Josh gives us all permission to download their album as they didn't manage to bring any copies with them. After tonight....I might just go and do that! This is also a band I hope to see again as they incorporate many things I love in a great live band; energy, passion, a sense humour and, most importantly, great material.
5/5 

Live Review: Jeronimo and Bones Garage @ Radio EPGB, Tel Aviv [21st December 2014]

Tonight, I have come to one of Tel Aviv's more trendy "nightclub" type music venues, Radio EPGB. I have been here before for a couple of shows and there tends to be a mix of locals who come in for the bar's ambience and showgoers coming especially for the bands. Tonight is the same sort of thing. As soon as I pass the bar, I can tell that the American Taglit crew is in. A whole group of American girls telling the Israeli barmen how much they love Tel Aviv, despite having only been here for 5 hours.

Jeronimo

After a bit of a wait, young rock band Jeronimo take the stage. For those of you who follow my blog, you may have read a previous review of this band when they headlined at Koro. Despite impressing me and the handful of other onlookers that stayed to watch them that night, it was a disappointing night for them. The other acts they watched and enjoyed left without even apologising. I think we can all agree that's not on! Even if I have to leave early for whatever reason when performing or watching a show, I would explain why to the acts I was missing and try and see them at another show. I am here seeing them again because they are a good band and deserve the support.
There are luckily a few more people here tonight, not just the Americans surrounding the bar. Starting off their set with the slightly new wave sounding Doubt, there are a few people actually gathered paying attention and some of them were even dancing a little bit. As time goes on, more people are actively watching them and the venue itself fills up a bit more. We are treated to an array of fairly heavy tracks tonight including old skool rock number Scratch, groovy 'new' track Fast Walker and the full throttle rock track Aircraft Boneyard. The latter 2 both have dynamics within the song which help show the band's song structure abilities and that they're not just your average boring rock band. Frenzied track Geronimo doesn't quite get the reaction it should; a lot of people just standing around when they should at least be jumping or nodding their heads.
The band were playing well. Bassist Eilon didn't always sound precisely on point but he was moving about a fair bit. When a musician is physically involved in the performance, you have to allow the odd bum note or being out of time. Guitarists/vocalists Yonatan's and Auriya's shared vocals help set them apart from most other rock bands due to the difference in tones. Auriya has quite a British new wave sounding, raw vocal where Yonatam has a nice clean rock tone. Drummer Itamar sounded pretty flawless and kept the band together; played a few epic big finishes. Hopefully everyone here tonight enjoyed their set but I have been getting the feeling that a majority of people here tonight are here for the next band.
4/5

Bones Garage

Having not done any prior research on Bones Garage, I was surprised by the beginning of their set for 2 reasons. Opener A.D.D. starts with dreamy guitars and a pounding rhythm that eventually picks up the pace; has that 65daysofstatic vibe. Had a really nice guitar melody. Then out of nowhere, this girl arrives on stage and starts singing. I didn't see anyone else on stage so I assumed one one of the guitarists was going to sing. Ariel is the band's front woman and as soon as she starts we are treated by quite a low, mature voice coming from someone looking quite a lot younger than the voice suggests. It has an almost Nico (Velvet Underground) quality about it. At first, I was a little bit put off by her accent....but it grew on me. As the song went on, it grew into something more than just dreamy indie. Drummer Dor was banging out some trippy dnb type beats. Those familiar with my blog or who know me personally will know that I'm a bit of a sucker for these sort of beats. Anything danceable gets my vote. It was a great opening track, as my and most probably everyone else's attention was grabbed.

The rest of their set is full of dreamy guitars with sweet and catchy melodies, the odd noisy guitar effects, pretty dual vocals and moody vibes. They have a bit of an 80s sound with a hint of that of...well...more modern bands who are heavily influenced by the 80s. There are some catchy songs such as Equals, Losing Myself and Seasons Breaks which have you humming (if not singing) along. Stand out track has to be the song which sounds almost "horror punk" but softer....which is funny because it turns out to actually be called Horror Show. There are some beautiful vocal harmonies between singer Ariel, guitarist Edan and, although I couldn't see him, the magical extra voice coming from drummer Dor. A singing drummer...that's another plus!
The band did have a full house but it is not entirely clear if everybody there REALLY understood the band. I was pleasantly surprised by the band's mixture of styles. As interesting as the vocals were, it did seem a little off key at times. I did see Ariel cough a few times, so she may have not been on top form tonight. I hope to see them again on a bigger stage where they can have a bit more movement and where I can see the whole band.
3.5/5

Review: Cross Me - Paid In Full (2014)

While checking out the band Chained Down, I came across a band who they recommend. Cross Me are hardcore band that hail from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They put out a couple of small releases in 2013 and back in June brought out 5 track record Paid In Full on Flatspot Records. 
We start off with the crushing groove of the positive and motivative Warrior Spirit. These guys have good, albeit pretty standard crossover riffs. They manage to mix up the more groovy side of hardcore with straight forward thrash. The vocals are strong but I can't help but feel that they have been recorded in the bathroom on a very cheap microphone. The guitar playing is tight; the drumming is mostly good with the odd sloppy fill. The rest of the record follows along the same Backtrack/early Terror vibe with some parts reminiscent of Stampin' Ground, probably because of the vocals. 
The tracks get more thrashy as you go on. 4th track, Bad Company, sounding nothing like the band of the same name ("FEEL LIKE MAKING LOVE!"), starts off proper dance floor worthy. There's a bass lead groove that suddenly blows up into full throttle thrash. The song, like the record's opener, is somewhat motivational. You know when you're trying to help out a friend you care about but they're just continuing going down the wrong path despite what you say and you're ready to just give up? That's what this is about. At least that's how I see it....because I've been there. The final and titular track starts off sounding so much bigger and almost more professional than the rest of the tracks. A frenzied riff then opens up and gets you running around the room like a nutter. The very end is almost reminiscent of early Machine Head...and that's always good.
If this is anything to go by, Cross Me are definitely a worthwhile band to check out if you like your crossover hardcore and lyrics that you can relate to.
3.5/5

Review: Chained Down - Crossroads (2014)

While looking through another blog that I find very useful for finding new stuff, RottenYoungEarth, I came across a few records I felt like checking out and reviewing. This first one is a short album by Salt Lake City based band, Chained Down. The band was categorised on the blog as Youth Crew and they self describe themselves as "punk hardcore hardcore punk punk hardcore punk rock punkrock". Not sure if that is a typing error, but it's a pretty good categorisation. You also find out, after hearing the songs and reading the lyrics, that they are very much a Straight Edge band. Really, the cast iron chains laid in a form of an X/cross on the cover should have given it away. Doy!
Opening track, Doubt, really gives you an idea of what this band does, both musically and lyrically. It zooms passed you at breakneck speed in that typical "youth crew" way before getting into that hardcore groove that I love so much. The track is a song for the downtrodden. Kind of reminding me of stuff I used to try writing. It basically talks about one's acknowledgment of having lost their way in life and how they need to take the experience they have had and make a better future. In a way, it's quite "posi", and I for one can relate to it. The vocal delivery on this track and on the rest of the album is nice and raw. No growling, no unintelligible screaming and no "blechs". Although, I have a soft spot for those. The frontman (I can't seem to find members' names anywhere) is just loudly proclaiming everything he feels. That's real emo right there, folks.
The rest of the album continues on the same sort of musical vibe. Nice riffy, straight up hc with cool grooves thrown in. This is not just punk rock; this is punk rock that will properly get you pumped and ready to "mosh", 2 step, stage dive, back spin... Just about anything, really. I especially like the frenzied drumming in Vile, which will have your feet going mental!
Tracks like Impact, Strength Within and Set Aside help cement the "posi" attitude of this band. Identify is the not-so-subtle Straight Edge track. Other tracks Sham Life and Held Back are almost specifically targeted angry songs. The vocal delivery throughout, as previously mentioned, is just beautifully raw and..well...real. There are also times where there is almost a rapping quality about it. There's a bit of a mixture here of Youth Of Today and Trapped Under Ice. They might not be the tightest of bands or the most original, but is it good? Yes... Yes it is.
3.5/5  

Live Review: Republica @ The Barby, Tel Aviv [11th December 2014]

A few months back, I had a few days listening to and watching videos of bands and songs I used to love as a kid or in my teens. I was just suddenly in the mood for hearing bands like London pop-rockers "A", British rocking dance act Apollo 440, Scottish electro-pop punk trio Bis and one of my favourite ever bands Reef. Living in Israel, I had to get used to the fact that there are some bands I might never get to see out here. I then see an event posted for a band name that I hadn't heard in quite some time. I actually had to make sure I wasn't imagining things. It turns out that 90s British electro pop act Republica, of all acts, were actually coming to Israel....of all places. I was typing on Facebook in capitals for about half a week when I found that out. I was deadly excited for a bunch of reasons. Firstly, I love it when a British band comes here. Secondly, I love it when a British band I actually like comes here. Thirdly, I love watching bands from yesteryear...so this was a fantastic combination of everything. I already saw Republica around 4-5 years at the O2 in Islington, London. That was also a reunion tour and I really wasn't expecting them this time around to ever come here. 
Coming into one of Tel Aviv's most well known music venues, The Barby, just a little while after open doors, there is only a handful of people here as DJs from Tel Aviv's most popular Brit Pop line, Bigmouth, are spinning tracks by bands like The Libertines, The Futureheads, Franz Ferdinand and The Smiths. It helped set the mood for the night as slowly but surely, more people started to flow in. As the Dj set grounded down to quite a sudden halt, everyone knew this meant only one thing....

Republica

As the band, consisting of original members keyboardist Tim (Dorney), guitarist Jonny (Male) and now including drummer Conor (Lawrence), ascend the stage, the crowd begins to gather and we all know that the legendary Saffron is following closely behind. She then appears and she's barely changed; hairstyle practically the same as when they started around 2 decades ago. The band kick off the night with their second ever single Bloke. I love this track and its "I'm gonna take you on" refrain, so this was a very good start for me. Saffron seems in good spirits and is really rocking out. The rest of the band, on the other hand, seem as though this is just a normal day at practice; turning up in very plain clothing and barely smiling. Looking around the venue from my spot in the corner of the balcony, I can see some people familiar with the song bouncing and singing along. I can't help but think that maybe the rest here tonight are just here for the obvious hits on repeat. 
As the set goes on, the band plays their other singles Rush Hour With Love, Drop Dead Gorgeous and, of course, Ready To Go. The latter two especially get the venue heaving. Almost everybody is bobbing up and down, probably in the same way that they did when they first heard those songs all those years ago. If anything, the songs actually sound a bit heavier than they once did. For Drop Dead Gorgeous, the band have added an epic sounding breakdown at the end. Drummer Conor is rocking a nice slow groove; even has him nodding his head a bit more than before. Ready To Go just sounds amazing. They warm the crowd up with a pre-recorded acapella intro and then have everyone in a frenzy as Jonny plays that unmistakable riff. 

The band also play some older tracks from both the self titled album (Picture Me, Out Of The Darkness, Holly) and second album Speed Ballads (Try Everything, Millennium). There seemed to be a handful of people who knew some of these songs too. These are all new to me but sounded great, especially Try Everything and Millennium. Try Everything is a bit of slow 80s sounding rock number, a bit reminiscent of acts like Toyah, T'Pau and even Heart, just with a slightly more electronic vibe. I can see that some people aren't quite into it, but I was really liking it. The more I thought about it, I never noticed before how similar Saffron's singing style is to that of Toyah (Wilcox). Which is a good thing...
The band delight us with new and more recent tracks. Titular track of last year's EP Christian Obey starts off sounding almost like a Lacuna Coil song, with Conor's heavy hitting drums and Tim's choir synth, but then leads into being a bit of a dark electro pop number. Two very new songs, German Accent and Hallelujah, also get played. Hallelujah gets a great reaction, with its joyous uptempo vibe and "I saw you there....Hallelujah!" chorus getting into everyone's head and singing along. If this song gets released as a single and doesn't regain the band recognition then there is not enough people in this world who understand what makes a great song. 
There were times during some songs where I felt that the pre-programmed beats were not actually in synch with the drums and generally with the rest of the band. Luckily, they were kind of quiet anyway, but as a drummer, it bothered me a bit. That aside, it was really Saffron who made this whole performance worthwhile with her energetic performance, captivating voice, great crowd interaction and, of course, sex appeal. I can't help but feel that the rest of the band is just along for the ride as they seemed less enthusiastic. They could have just been tired, I guess.
Saffron continuously tells the crowd how much she loves us and how great a time they've had in Israel. She also thanks everyone involved in the show and all the fans. When they return for their encore, Saffron only very briefly gets political. She tells us how some people sent her hate mail for wanting to come to Israel but it didn't discourage her. She doesn't judge a country by its government; for that I applauded in agreement. 
For a band who are allegedly trying to brush off the "nostalgia" tag, I find it weird that they repeat both Drop Dead Gorgeous and Ready To Go for their encore. Everyone is still loving it. Due to the age range and amount of people here, there is a similar feel to some sort of high school reunion about 15 years on. Saffron ends the night with an incredibly heart-felt "Toda raba! Toda raba!" which has everyone even more in love with her. Over all, this show was not just a trip down memory lane but has hopefully shown people that Republica still have what it takes. 
4/5

Photos come courtesy of Yuval Erel. Check out his blog here. 

Live Review: Useless ID 20th Anniversary Show @ The Barby, Tel Aviv [4th December 2014]

Useless ID (+ guests)

Man Alive

Kids Insane

Tonight is a special night. This massive show at Tel Aviv's major rock concert venue, The Barby, is the setting for the celebration of Useless ID's 20 years of existence in one way or another. It is expecting to be an absolutely massive turn out. As I walk into the venue, I notice that they've opened a whole section of the venue with an extra bar which is normally curtained off. Is it really expected to overflow tonight?

Kids Insane

Shows in Israel have a reputation for never starting on time. If an event says it starts at 21:00, it's most likely to start at around 22:00 or later. Tonight, however, hardcore freedom fighters Kids Insane were scheduled to be on by 21:00 and they decide to go on almost a little bit prematurely. Didn't matter to me. I got there in perfect amount of time to say hi to the guys before they scuttled on stage. It was a bit too early for other gig goers, as there was only a splattering of people there, including a handful of people who actually know the band, some curious onlookers and a few already wankered who just want to push-mosh.
Already being a fan of the band, I discarded my writing duties and started dancing from the get go with first song Don't Need This from their All Over album. The song is a great starter to the set and a song that I personally relate to. They speak about the self-righteousness of the religious and how someone non-religious can feel belittled. The cry of "I'M ONLY FUCKING HUMAN!" is heavily poignant and has me (and possibly others) staring up at the ceiling and screaming it with all the breath I could muster.
The band then power through the rest of their set with frantic energy and buckets of sweat. Singer Corey knows how to work a crowd and is not put off when more arrive. If anything, it makes him better! He's running around from side to side, shoving the mic into the crowd, standing on monitors and just generally OWNING THE STAGE! I find it hard to actually hear his voice from time to time tonight. I don't think it bothered many others; those who know the words were singing themselves, anyway. Regular crowd pleasers Same Shit, Different Scene and Story of a Lonely Street have both fans and those familiar with the videos going crazy and singing along. Newer tracks from the Frustrated EP, such as Frustrated, Poisoned and tonight's set closer 28/12/2012, receive a more mixed reception....but give 'em time. I loved the fact I was able to get my "groove on" to their classics such as Fix It and Spread It All Over tonight. KI never really seem to disappoint. They have that obvious Black Flag influence in their performances despite having a more early Comeback Kid sound and even a hint of Fugazi in places. It all works fabulously, as their growing success in Europe and the UK is proving.
Their next show is what they're calling a "Pop Up Shop/Exhibition/Live Music" show at Koro on 25th December. So a christmas party, I guess! the show will feature artwork by Alon Bonder (dunno), Djing by Mad Appel (dunno), an acoustic set by HaAchim Zabari (The Zabari Brothers - mentalists!) and, of course, full set by Kids Insane.
4/5

Man Alive

After a bit of a natter with some friends and some new acquaintances, including a German volunteer and an American on a Masa program, I decide to get back to work for the next act. I go up to the balcony, stage left, and find a spot to rest my notepad and with a perfect view of both the stage and the crowd. As Man Alive, these faces that I don't recognise, arrive on stage, there is a warm welcome from the crowd. Like Useless ID, Man Alive have been around for quite some time and, due to their support from Useless ID, have toured fairly extensively in the past. In recent years, they have been fairly quiet gig-wise and do the odd local show here and there.
They start off with Laugh Along from their last album that came out last year, A Light Goes On. It's a nice happy track that gets some of the crowd joining in on the Mumford and Sons style "Hey" parts. As nice as this song is and as well as they are playing it, first impression is that they seem pretty static. Maybe they're just warming up. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.  

Photo by Useless ID

As the set goes on, the band plays a good amount of the newer material such as titular track sing-along A Light Goes On, the catchy Over and Done (possibly my favourite off the record), the sway-inducing A Can And A String and the emotional but still heavy hitting From The Inside. The new material still gets a great reaction from the crowd as much as older tracks such as Give Me A Sign and the fast paced Catch Phrases, Slogans and Chants. There are times when some of the girls near me on the balcony are having a bit of a boogie and people in the "pit" were jumping about push-pitting, so the music itself is definitely having the desired effect tonight. There were some songs that made me want to stage dive from the balcony where I was....I then decided against it. 
The previously mentioned "static performance" did not really improve. The band had some interaction with the crowd, giving their thanks to Useless for all their help over the years, but I just didn't get that feeling they were as into the show as the crowd was.  

3.5/5

Useless ID

And now to the birthday boys!! Useless ID are greeted by fans with an almost "heroes' welcome". The band arrive on stage to the chantings of "USELESS! USELESS!" This could have been for the band or they could have been pissed off about something. Haha.... Probably not that. All 4 members of the band, Yotam (vocals/bass), Ishay (guitar/backing), Guy (guitar/backing) and Gideon (drums) all seem ready and raring to go. Yotam's looking the most "punk" that I've seen him in a while, wearing a sleeveless denim jacket with band patches such as 7 Seconds and other smaller ones. (I couldn't make out what they were from where I stood). 
By now, the Barby was utterly full to the brim. Everything is frantic and energetic from the get go as the band begin their part of the evening with classic track State of Fear. The crowd are squashed in like sardines in a can, but still manage to jump about, start the odd circle here and there and sing along. Not only does the song have catchy "woah oh oh" parts that stick in your head until you die, the "I don't want to be a part of it anyway" line of the chorus rings true to so many of the people here tonight who never were/do not want to be associated with the army and do not agree with war. This is definitely one of their best ever songs, so I can't help but feel that playing this first was "blowing their load" too early.
As tonight celebrates the band's 20 years of existence, they have made sure to pack tonight's setlist with as many songs from their back catalogue as possible, up to and including last album Symptoms. Almost every song they play tonight has people singing along. Symptom's main hit song Before It Kills has all band members properly rocking out. Yotam stands legs wide apart, attacking the bass like it ate his last Oreo. (I wanted to say "Rolo", but that's a very British reference so I opted for something more international). As Ishay frantically headbangs like a bobble head on a bumpy road, Guy flails around the stage, whipping his curly locks back and forth, strumming along like his life depended on it. Drummer Gideon is holding it all together perfectly, spinning his sticks whenever possible....again! Show-off or showman? Who cares?! A blonde wig/hair extensions suddenly flies onto the stage. Not entirely sure where that came from or why it was thrown but it added to the craziness of the performance. The pop punk classic Turn Up The Stereo has everyone jumping, singing and clapping along as soon as the easily recognisable riff kicked in. Girls standing near me scream in excitement...I guess Useless ID are their One Direction. This is one of those songs that even pop punk fans around must know, due to the music video having had a bit of airplay back in the day. Songs like Manic Depression and At Least I Tried created stage diving and push pits galore. Because their albums vary in style, when watching Useless ID live, you hear elements of Ataris style emo pop punk and the more aggressive fast paced vibes of Rise Against. Guy and Ishay's backing vocals are not always clear in most songs, but that does not seem to put off the crowd. 

Photo by David Rosen 

Tonight, we have a couple of guests joining the band on the stage. Corey from Kids Insane returns to sing on probably the oldest and most hardcore song in the set, Is It Right. Corey has taken a bit of time to relax and gain his breath back since his set and is on total form; roaming about the stage, standing on monitors and energetically singing directly to the crowd. Another guest further into the set is Israeli legend Rami Fortis. I'm starting to get to know a bit more about him, especially since this performance. He is considered a forefather of Israeli punk rock/new wave. Tonight, the band back him up on his classics Hatul HaMifletzet (The Monster Cat??) and Red MeAl Masach HaTelevizia Sheli (Get Off Of My TV Screen). I hadn't heard these songs before and was incredibly impressed by how catchy they were and really enjoyed seeing the crowd members who knew the songs singing and dancing along. Both sides must be feeling honoured; Fortis for being invited to perform his own songs with them and the band themselves for the fact that he agreed and has graced them with his presence (or the other way round, maybe?) There is a chant going around; "FORTIS MESHUGGAH" (Fortis is crazy). This is incredibly apt as he is an absolute nutter on stage. Looking a bit like Phil Collins if he was a physics professor, Fortis dances about on stage like a rhythmless drunk uncle at a wedding. He is incredibly fun to watch. His vocals were not always audible but everything else made up for it. 
The pace softens down a little as the band comes off stage, leaving only Yotam for an acoustic set. Yotam plays a couple of songs including Blood Pressure. He's having to almost instruct the crowd NOT to sing certain parts yet. It's another great song from the band's repertoire that people can't help but sing along to. Yotam shows off his singing prowess more by holding a long note on "TAKE, TAKE, TAAAAAAAKE". This gets a well deserved cheer and applause from the entire venue. When the band returns to the stage, they play a few more classics before inviting Fortis back on to help them out with covering Blitzkrieg Bop. A punk show isn't a punk show until everyone is going "Hey Ho! Let's Go!" Every time a band does this, it's as if to say "This is why we do this." 
Useless ID's whole performance tonight was compelling. There may have been the odd bum note and there was an incident where the floor tom fell over, which was easily rectified, but everyone soldiered on and they gave the people what they wanted. The sad thing is....what happens now? Yotam is off to try and make it in the states as a solo artist. This could leave them to having just a fewer shows throughout the year than previously, but I hope that the band will still go to the states to tour and that Yotam will make his way back here from time to time to tour with them. 
4.5/5 

Live Review: Jeronimo/Sug Bet/Behemut HaAhava @ Koro, Tel Aviv [29th November 2014]

Jeronimo

Sug Bet

Behemut HaAhava

Today, I come to Koro for one of the earliest shows I've been to in a while that was not some sort of "all-dayer". All 3 acts on the bill, all Israeli, I have not heard of before or seen live. If making this blog has encouraged me to do anything it is to get myself to shows I wouldn't normally go to. To discover acts aside from those playing alongside bands I already know. This can already be seen in some of the reviews I've done already and after today, I hope to keep seeing new acts or acts that I had no previous idea of.

Behemut HaAhava (The Beast of Love)

A band called Krokodil Popular were meant to be playing today. For whatever reasons I wasn't properly explained, the band itself could not make the show. However, one of the members also performs solo as Behemut HaAhava and he stands in as replacement. At first, I didn't even realise it was one of the actual acts of the night. I didn't know that the band had pulled out and thought this was just maybe a random guy or a friend of the band who was maybe allowed to play a few tunes. As he plays, I soon realise this isn't just your typical "open mic" type performer. This guy has the "gift of the gab". Maybe it is because he knows a good amount of the (very small) crowd, but even so, he is talking to us, making people giggle, mostly purely by his charm. His first song sets the tone of the evening with a grunge rock feel. The song is in Hebrew and seems to be generally about "rocking out". I'm still not great at making full translations of Hebrew songs that I'm hearing live, but that's the general gist I got. He also name-dropped some legends like Jimi (Hendrix) and Kurt Cobain as examples of influences.  The song is mostly the same chord over again but then changes riff at the end. This guy exhibits his charm once again through his expressive vocal delivery. Moving from soft range to roof-raisingly loud, he knows how to use dynamics to great effect. Most of the set stays along a 90s rock theme with a hint of blues here and there. You tend to get a lot of people doing this sort of stuff but his songs just seemed to have a better structure and more interesting vocal melodies than what I've heard before. He is also a more fun performer than other acoustic artists. He makes a few jokes and makes pretend that he's going to play the drums but just turns the snare off that was vibrating throughout his set. He encourages crowd participation with clapping etc... but also asked us all to talk before the 4th song. That actually worked as a great intro. By the end of his set, I am sure he had gained some more fans such as myself.
4/5

Sug Bet (Type B/Second Class)

Next up are Haifa based rock outfit Sug Bet. Not being funny, but the name is quite fitting for the band. Throughout their set, the band pretty much come across as a bit of a college band. They play fairly grungey/90s alt rock but nothing really hits the spot. The songs are likable and get a bit of dancing from....I'm guessing, friends. The guitarist and singer Uriah plays some simple yet effective solos which help give the songs a little more umph! As a whole, the performance just seems very static. The bassist (Gil) is barely moving at all. I guess he's putting all his strength into moving his fingers that it's forgetting to go to his hips and legs. The drummer's (Tomer) fills also seem pretty sloppy which is off putting at times. In addition to their own material, the band do 2 covers; Nirvana's Aneurysm and The Stooges' I Wanna Be Your Dog. The Nirvana cover lacks the slow tempo swing that the original has. It just does not have any real backbone behind it. The Stooges' cover was a little better but probably because a) it's a classic and b) they were joined by a sax player. I looooooove the saxophone. I believe that the saxophone can make anything amazing. Seeing someone actually join in on sax for this was pretty cool. The sax player was jumping around and musically running up and down the scale which gave the performance a little bit more life. No other songs really stood out for me in this set and they didn't really leave a lasting impression on my mind. Hopefully with time, they might expand upon their work and learn to play more expressively. This could have just been an off day, too. You never know. Both Sug Bet and Krokodil Popular (as long as they don't cancel again) will play at Syrup in Haifa on Saturday 20th December.
2/5

Jeronimo

Finishing off the night is Tel Aviv based rockers Jeronimo. These 4 guys were definitely the right band for this position. They start off with heavy rocking number Geronimo (spelt the right way) and I see/hear straight away that these guys know how to play. As a refreshing change from...well, the last band, the drummer is doing some great fills. Both guitarists partake in singing duties which makes the band more interesting. They have quite different singing styles; one having more of moody talking style and the other quite a more traditional rock voice. As different as their voices may sound separately, they manage to make some cool sounding, albeit creepy harmonies on their second song. Their third song of the set, said to be a 'new one' (it's all new to me, basically), is possibly my favourite of the set. It starts off with the drummer doing a typical a swing rhythm and then slowly builds to a heavy riff with a cool groove. Everyone who knows me knows that I love me some groove. This tune had me headbanging and almost busting a move, if it wasn't for trying to write as many notes as possible.

The rest of the show continues along the same lines with great riffs and energetic playing. The guys come off stage and started rocking out on the venue floor. It is such a shame that ALMOST NO-ONE IS HERE! I don't know where they all went but they aren't here anymore. Not that it started out with a lot of people, anyway. Jeronimo were definitely the best of the night and I'm hoping to hear some good recordings soon. Their recordings on YouTube are not all that impressive. They might even have a different drummer as the drumming on the recordings are nowhere near as good as what I witnessed live. Jeronimo have the songs and the charisma which will helpfully get them more recognition in the scene. Like Sug Bet, they still come off a little college band-ish...but only a little. Keep an eye out for them. They have a show at Syrup in Haifa on Friday 19th December and also a show at Radio EPGB in Tel Aviv on Sunday 21st.

4/5

Live Review: Laila and Haziz Veraam @ The Zimmer, Tel Aviv [27th November 2014]

Tonight, I come to The Zimmer, the place considered Tel Aviv's hub of the weird and wonderful, to see a band I have not seen in quite some time.

Haziz Veraam

As I enter the Zimmer, albeit a tad early, there's not that many people here but the first act is already setting up. The whole performance area was filled with TV monitors of different shapes and sizes. In front of the monitors was a set up of a sound desk, modules and sound generators. I'm not going to pretend to really know all that gets used in experimental, noise and found sound performances. I still haven't much personal experience with those sorts of things. I studied sound recording, using computer software and a bit of akai sampling and tape looping but not the gizmos that I witness here tonight. Haziz Veraam is an ambient music project from Zimmer owner and half of Hetzi Moakh Al Ketamine. To be honest, I think I missed a good part of this performance. When I came in, I just thought it was a bit of a soundcheck or simply some background ambience as an introduction to the evening. I left the place for a while and came back to a slightly fuller Zimmer. As the ambient music of rapid bass lines played, there was static, spirals and all sorts of weird visuals on the monitors. If I had more of an understanding of how this sort of thing is done (and I will start looking into it), I probably would be more engaged in it. It is however a nice calming start to the night and the installations and the visuals were a nice change to see at a show.
2.5/5

Laila

Tonight's headliners Laila are made up of Maya on drums and lead vocals and Avishag on guitar and backing vocals. I have seen these girls a few times before and I always enjoy them. They play moody, almost sludgey "shoegaze" music. They start off the set with a slow, heavy hitting intro which builds along with Maya's vocals. From the get go, Maya has a lot of emotion in her voice. From what I can make out from the lyrical subject matter, she tends to sing about love and/or unrequited love. Her feelings show through as she spits her lyrics with every breath. Changing her vocals from dreamy and seducing one moment to sharp and aggressive the next, her vocals match their musical stylings. Avishag's guitar playing has similar dynamics, using her pedals to good effect. Avishag also helps with backup vocals, which are nowhere near on par with those of Maya's; it's better than just standing there doing nothing. It is a little disconcerting that the two girls are a fair distance apart on the..er...stage, which is really just the floorspace. It's normally nicer to see a band a little bit closer knit, but musically the girls still manage to keep it together.
Having been a singing drummer myself, I can say first hand that it's not all that easy. If you're doing too much complicated drumming, it can make you run out of breath and disrupt your singing. If you're concentrating too much on the singing, you can get distracted from your drumming. Maya manages to play simple enough yet still effective drum patterns that not only help accentuate Maya's meaningful lyrics, it also frees her up to sing melodically. Some of the songs nearer the end have an almost indie feel with "ooohs" and "wooohs", which in this case I found quite endearing.
Throughout the set, the monitors which were set up help add a bit of atmosphere and theatrics with varying visuals such as cowboys, trains, fish and space. Whether these visuals actually had any real purpose...probably not, but this is expected at a Zimmer show. The barmy lot! During a more frantic part of the set, the monitors flash rapidly, adding to the intensity of their playing. That I found impressive. At the very end of the show, the girls swap roles and end the show with a more heavy, dirge-like piece. It's always good to see band members' expanded talents.
Moving from dreamy, low-fi rock to more harsh and heavy styles, Laila are captivating enough to keep your head a-boppin' and you toes a-tappin'.
4/5

Live Review: SPAWNFEST @ Gagarin, Tel Aviv [22nd November 2014]

Magor

Spawn Of Evil

State Of The Fart

Arallu

Canine 

Mechanigod

In Israel, music festivals of the literal sense are very rare, if not completely inexistent. No real festivals in a massive field with 2 main stages, a local band stage and an acoustic tent. No selection of big name international bands all coming to perform together. No camping for around 3 nights putting up with mud and littering. To someone like me, the term "festival" gets used too freely out here and loses it's meaning. Tonight, the Israeli metal scene sees "Spawnfest" arrive to the hidden live music hub Gagarin. When I first came to a Gagarin show, I didn't even know that this yard which also includes a studio and a gym, amongst other things, was even there. It lies behind the Naim dance studio opposite where the Sublime venue once was. I am unsure if Gagarin was always here but it has certainly acted as a replacement since Sublime's closure/move. Sublime used to be one of the main places for metal shows and "festivals" of this ilk. Now I have the chance to see if the smaller Gagarin is able to cope with drunken Israeli metallers.

Mechanigod

First up tonight is melodic metallers Mechanigod. Like most of the bands on the bill tonight, I don't really know much about this band. Despite having technically been a band since around 2008-9, the band's first album "Realms" was released last year. I have seen their name floating around a fair bit and assumed they were quite a big deal, so I'm surprised that they are the first band on this bill of 6 bands. 

Their opening song has that sort epic vibe a good opener always needs. We hear from the start the vocalist's (Eylon) range, which can switch from gruff Lamb of God style vocals to almost mizrachi (Middle Eastern) style singing. Eylon's vocals are actually quite flawless. Throughout the performance, I don't believe I hear a single bum note, loss of breath or crack in his voice. Upon further research, I've discovered that Eylon's a Canterbury lad. Whether that has any relevance to him being a good singer, I don't know. It is, however, interesting to me, a fellow British expat. I'm guessing he's one of those "I moved here when I was 3" types. 

The Lamb of God resemblance continues with the band's actual music style. I also cannot really fault the musicianship of the rest of the band. For a considerably young band, they have that essence of a big band. The guitar playing and drumming is all just at the right level of complicated that doesn't come off as over the top. My main issue is that it just doesn't seem all that new. Eylon, as great as I said he is, even has a typical "metal beard". (Not literally a beard made of metal...that would be uncomfortable and unnecessary.) The crowd seem to be enjoying it, though, with an actual "front row" of fans and the odd circle pit here and there. Nearer the end of their set, they played something with a Middle Eastern flavour. Having not yet heard their album, I do not know if it is included on it or what it is called. Hearing that suddenly perked me up a bit as it was a little different, although not totally unexpected for an Israeli band. It did help demonstrate the vocalist's range and that was a pleasure to witness. Personally, I think they could have been put on further up the bill but they acted as a more than suitable opening band. 

3.5/5

Canine

I have a confession to make. Originally Modiin based metalcore outfit Canine are the main reason I am here tonight. Them and I have a bit of a history. Some time last year, I joined them on drums for about a month. In the end, I wasn't really the most suit....Ok, I was practically told I wasn't good enough for them. Despite that, I have supported Eliav and Yuval (guitars) over the passed year in their search for the right  new members. In this most recent line-up, they have (Ben) Sadda on vocals, Bar on bass and Matan on drums.  I really like Canine, not just because I was once a part of them but because I genuinely like their songs. It's metalcore, but it has a bouncy groove and some good breakdowns. Especially the stuff off their Degeneration EP. Tonight, however, seemed to consist mostly of new songs; some I am familiar from my time with them and others that were brand spanking new. "Silence Before Chaos" is a killer of a tune that I enjoyed singing along to. "Mutiny" and "With The Crows In Sight" are almost unrecognisable to how I remember them. In a good way! They've perfected the songs into solid arrangements and have come together as a tight unit. An even newer song, Last Words Live Forever, seems to have some people in the crowd singing along. I don't know if I am just ridiculously uneducated and this was a cover song or that they have played it at a few other shows recently and people have become accustomed to it. Either way, the atmosphere was great during that song.
One thing the band does which I really like is the breakdowns. Having been into tuff guy and beatdown since my teens, I'm used to that lull just before the "chug-chug". That lull where the guitars are ringing out and you know that in the next few seconds all hell is going to break loose. Canine don't quite do it in the same way that I am used to; they do more metalcore breakdowns rather than hardcore beatdowns. Being more of a metal crowd, this gains the typical Israeli metal scene reaction of headbanging all round.
Making good use of his wireless pack, guitarist Eliav loves getting amongst the crowd during the set and getting people even more revved up. I find this sort of thing in general sometimes a bit too much, but the crowd did need a little bit of encouragement. The only criticisms to make of the band tonight are the fact that some of their best work was missing from the set and also the quality of clean vocals. Now, I for one know how difficult singing can be, but unfortunately Sadda couldn't quite hit his high notes in songs like Mutiny. Yuval's harmonies luckily helped in the other songs. Sadda could have just been having a bad night and I'm hoping he'll sound so much better next time I see them and on record.
3.5/5

Arallu

Now we start the part of the evening where I am not familiar with any of the bands. It begins with Jerusalem metal legends Arallu. I say legends despite not having heard of them before. Just goes to prove how out of the Israeli metal loop I am as later research shows they have technically been around for around 13 years. Arallu perform with combat face paint stripes which help add to the theatrics of their thrashy, Middle Eastern tinged death metal. At times sounding like Slayer, at other times sounding like Behemoth, Arallu are simply heavy. Adding to the theatrics, they use samples that seem to focus around war. That seems to be the essence of Arallu at the moment. There are also posters all over the place in regards to the album launch show at the beginning on the new year for their new album Geniewar.
I can't really be specific about songs as I am still unfamiliar with their material, but what I loved the most about this band was the Middle Eastern flavours. The drummer even had a darbuka on a stand and made good use of it. This addition didn't seem forced. The metal and the Middle Eastern rhythms just seem to flow into each other seamlessly. It's actually a shame there aren't more people here tonight. It's a good crowd for an underground show, but these guys are considered legends. Not only that, but they're giving a legendary performance which, albeit still getting circle pits and headbanging galore, should be in front of a much larger audience.
3.5/5

State Of The Fart

I may have very well got the order of Arallu and State Of The Fart mixed up as I ended up getting distracted by the band and didn't make any notes. State Of The Fart are not as sophisticated as they sound. Haha. Once again, this is a band I didn't bother checking out before hand. Wanted to leave it as a surprise. And boy, was I surprised.
So, you know that friend of yours who has a party trick he's been doing since he was a kid? Imagine if he started a band that was based around that party trick. That is essentially what State Of The Fart are. Tonight, the band plays a short setlist of 4-5 (like I say, I didn't make notes) cover songs incorporating the frontman's talent of making fart noises with his hands. It took me a while to actually notice he was using his hands mic'ed up and it wasn't the keyboardist. As my Hebrew is still not brilliant, I was unable to tell if the covers were exact word-for-word translations or not, apart from the acoustic version of Slayer's Angel of Death which was in English. That was probably the highlight of the set. They are definitely fun, but I really can't help but feel that this is an idea that should have stopped after high school graduation. Their friends seemed to love it. I personally just found them as a weird choice for this line-up.
2/5

Spawn Of Evil

Although the penultimate act of the night, Hadera based death metallers Spawn Of Evil are the band tonight's "festival" seems to be named after. Once again, this is a band I have heard nothing about before but they have been in existence for around 14 years in one form or another. Not only is that a reason I should have heard of them but they are really good.
The main vibe I got off the band is that they remind me a lot of Napalm Death. Not in a rip of way, but just similar intensity, similar stylings and even a frontman who looks quite a fair bit like ND's own "Barney" Greenway. Well....more like Dom Lawson (ex singer of Matter, singer/guitarist in Oaf and Metal Hammer writer). Anyway, that's not a bad thing. I love Napalm Death. Spawn Of Evil flip between thrashy parts and grooves and are basically just bloody heavy. I've decided that I need to really to do some more research on this band and listen to more of their stuff. I've discovered that they have done a death metal cover of Therapy's Screamager. That gets a major thumbs up from me on its own.
4/5

Magor

Final act tonight is Israeli black metallers Magor. Black metal could be considered by many in this world as a joke, mainly due to the black and white make-up, how silly the subject matter can sometimes be and because the videos are almost always set in dark forests. Magor tend to normally perform without face paint which makes them easier to take more seriously as musicians. Tonight, they have decided to paint the bottom half of their faces a sort of brown colour, almost giving the effect of restraint masks a la Hannibal Lecter. I actually find it to be a good look. Looks aside, let's focus on the music.
I can give or take black metal. Once in a while, I hear a great track and really get into it. It is the same here tonight. Magor played a great mixture of blast beats, melodic keyboard parts and metal grooves. They have that Behemoth sound and the crowd love it. Pumping their fists and chanting "hey" at every possible moment. I normally find that quite annoying and think it should really only be allowed at stadium shows for really big bands. Tonight, however, it all seems fitting as Magor put on a great performance and their musicianship is bang on. Obviously, being black metal, nothing really sticks in my head, but the music is diverse enough that it doesn't just sound like the same song over and over.
The main stand out point was the use of the long shofar. The shofar is traditionally a ram's horn that is blown in Jewish culture to mark both the end of a year and the beginning of a new one. I spotted it hanging off the mic stand at the beginning of the set and was unsure if it was just for show. I then got my answer when the frontman, Aviv, plays the shofar mid one of the songs. As interesting as it is to hear a shofar amidst a black metal song, I don't really see its significance. The shofar pretty much just has one tone and I don't feel it added anything special to the song.
If you like black metal and want to check out something a bit different, Magor's debut album Drawn To The Dark came out earlier this year. They are also worth checking out live. They got to play Wacken this year and I'm sure will be touring other areas in due course.
4/5

Review: Last Crusade - Demo (2014)

Like the Beast Market EP by Relics (although I forgot to mention it), this 4 track EP (3 + Warrior Kids cover) was posted on a Facebook group I'm a member of. This time it was UKHC (Actual Relevant Stuff). Despite being a hardcore group primarily, this was a nice surprise. 
Last Crusade are self described "Boot Boy R'N'R from Northern England". Essentially that means rock and roll played by skinheads AKA OI! I went through a time period of trying to listen to more old school OI! This mostly included Cock Sparrer, Sham 69, The Oppressed and Perkele with the odd splattering of The Last Resort, 4 Skins and Argy Bargy.
Whereas bands like Cock Sparrer and Sham 69 are quite happy-go-lucky in their style, Last Crusade have more of a leaning towards bands like The Last Resort and Templars and even touch upon the more Oi influenced hardcore bands like Discipline and Blood For Blood. It's hard hitting angry punk rock, pure and simple. All 4 tracks on this EP are all fueled with venom. Deadbeat is one of those biographical songs which points out one's faults yet somehow makes it a thing to be proud of. Sort of a losers' anthem. Morally Bankrupt is an angry attack on people who think they can do whatever the hell they like and screw the consequences. Cycle of Terror, the most venomous of the songs, is a total "fuck you" to religious war and I'm guessing religion in general. Both Morally Bankrupt and Cycle of Terror seem to sung much gruffer than Deadbeat, so I can't tell if it's a different guy singing lead of if the one guy just upped his game. Either way, it adds to aggressiveness of the songs. All three songs have simple and catchy choruses that, once you hear it enough, you'll have stuck in your head. Finally, they cover Personne by French band Warrior Kids. It could be easily passed off as their own. Not only does it have the same tough vibe that the three original songs have already laid out for us but word has it that there is at least one French-Canadian in the band. This is probably why the entire EP has a feel of being "European" and not pure British Oi as we know it. Comparing it to the original, it's very similar to when Blood For Blood covered Ultra Violence by The Oppressed. All the same ingredients are there, there's just some extra meat and a few pints of beer thrown in for good measure.
Hoping it doesn't just stop here with this EP. Hope they bring out an album and start touring some more and can hopefully make more of a name for themselves in the punk world.
4/5

My spontaneous Black Friday purchases

Today is Black Friday. I've never really given much thought to Black Friday, mainly because it's an American thing, being traditionally the day after Thanksgiving, and never really used to be a big deal in the UK. Suddenly, it is and we even have it in Israel.

I was out in central Tel Aviv today to check out this expo at the Dizengoff shopping centre, where certain companies specified for the Anglo/Expat community were promoting themselves and giving out deals. After I popped into that, I was making my way to my bus stop and decided to go into HaOzen HaShlishit (The Third Ear) record/music shop. As it happens, the shop was taking part in Black Friday. So I thought I'd have a nosey around and see if anything caught my eye. I ended up buying 4 second hand CDs which were 50% off and decided last minute to get the new Prince album, fall or around £21/$33 altogether.

Purchases:

CIV - Thirteen Day Getaway (1998)
I seemed to be having difficulty downloading CIV albums. I'm not that massive a fan, although that's only because I'm not that familiar with all of CIV's work. Looking through the CDs in the shop, I just saw this and thought "This is only going to cost me about 3 quid". So I bought it. CIV are a New York hardcore punk band that was formed after the demise of the legendary Gorilla Biscuits. Thirteen Day Getaway is their second full length album.

China Drum - Goosefair (1996)
Another album that just jumped at me was the debut album by Northumberland rock band China Drum. I gained a sweet spot for this band some time back after discovering some music videos online and loving the fact they had a singing drummer. They had a few changes over the years. Singing drummer Adam Lee moved to full time vocal duties, a new drummer was added and they changed their name to The Drum in 1999 before later disbanding in 2000. They reunited in 2013 back under the China Drum name. I was also weirdly having trouble downloading China Drum's work so I'm hoping this isn't going to be a wasted purchase. I don't think so.

The Suicide Machines - Battle Hymns (1998)
The Suicide Machines are a ska punk/hardcore band from Detroit. Over the years, I have heard and downloaded the odd song, including popular songs like High Anxiety, No Face (one of my favourite skater/ska punk songs) and War Profiteering... Battle Hymns is their second full length and is said to be where they started to incorporate a more hardcore sound and writing shorter songs. I am already familiar with the track Give and I'm hoping the rest makes the rest of this 22 track (longest track 2:19, shortest 0:05) album worth the £3.20.

Suicidal Tendencies - S/T (1983)
Upon seeing the self titled debut by LA crossover thrashers Suicidal Tendencies, I thought to myself "ahh...go on, then." Having now checked my itunes, turns out a pretty much already have all the tracks on this album in the form of the Still Cyco After All These Years album. Whereas the tracks on Still Cyco... are re-recordings, this is the original first album. I guess there's no harm in having it. Not at Black Friday prices.

Prince - Art Official Age (2014)
I really did not want to overdo it by buying too much, but there was a 10% discount on new releases and I saw the new Prince album and was obliged to get it. I then realised that Prince's other album with 3rdeyegirl, PlectrumElectrum, was released at the same time. Not only that but the new Rancid album is out too. I thought to myself "just choose one, mate. You're trying to be more careful with your money." On further thought, I should have taken better advantage of Black Friday and bought some new clothes....Ah well! What's done is done. I've just been listening to Art Official Age while writing this whole post and I'm glad I'm in possession of it instead of downloading it for free. Although it is not a punk, metal, hardcore or even really an alternative record, I will get a review up in due course.

Live Review: Megason/Zaga Zaga/Mongar @ Koro, Tel Aviv [20th November 2014]

Mongar

Arriving a little bit late to the show (which i genuinely didn't think was possible for an underground Israeli show), I was told by those at the door that the band Mongar had just started. I had no previous idea who Mongar are. I could have checked, done a bit of research, watch the videos that were posted on the event page....but I tend to not do that so much anymore. Not for a brand new band. I like to be surprised and just see how well they can hold my attention in person. 
As I enter the stage area, I see a 2 man act on stage; a guitarist with a pedal board and a laptop and a drummer listening through headphones. I have definitely seen the guitarist around. Always assumed he was a German tourist or maybe a German volunteer living out here. Definitely looks German. Anyway.... I digress. The music these guys play is experimental instrumental rock. They swerve in and out of being more in the vein of 65daysofstatic to heavier vibes not too dissimilar to Lightning Bolt or even Animals As Leaders....only with less musical masturbation. Obvious instrumental bands references aside, there are moments that sound Tool-esque in timbre, and although I am not a massive fan of Tool, I admire the musicianship. Mongar as a team are absolutely flawless. Their laptop seems to be utilised as their metronome and providing backing tracks. The guitarist is relying on the drummer to keep time with the whole track and he doesn't disappoint. The drummer is absolutely incredible. He isn't just playing standard experimental jazz beats that you would expect in something like this, but he plays my favourite beats to play; Drum n Bass beats. I love just about anything that uses dance/dnb/jungle/sometimes even dubstep style rhythms into primarily more rock orientated songs. That is what truly classes as "experimental". When you bring different things to the table. These guys had me tapping my feet, nodding my head and in total awe of their playing, their melodies, their beats and their overall creativity. 
4.5/5

Zaga Zaga

What can I say about Zaga Zaga? They're just bloody nuts. They like wearing smart shirts when they perform. Nothing wrong with that. Tonight, they have made and hand drawn their own banner which they tape to the back wall. Nothing wrong with that either. Their music, on the other hand, is just barmy. Including members of Mad Choice, Knees Please (ex-Tape&Rape) and whatever else the drummer might be in (haha), these guys play something quite different to their other bands. They themselves don't even really know how to describe it.

Basically, if you ever liked The Locust or early DEP, you will like Zaga Zaga. They are a punk band, essentially, who just happen to play totally fucked up hardcore. The songs are really short and played really fast, apart from their opener which has an epic beginning where they are all shouting together. Every member gets to do vocals. Everyone. Sometimes in other bands, the drummer won't want to sing, sometimes the bassist doesn't. In this case, everyone is the frontman. This adds to their intensity and the enjoyment of watching them. They feel the music they play too. What's the point in playing music this chaotic and energetic without flapping about like a fish out of water? It took me a while to really appreciate this band from when I first saw them live, but I have begun to enjoy them for the mentalists that they are.
4/5

Megason

Tonight's show at the Koro finishes with psychedelic stoner rockers Megason. I have seen these guys a few times before....but seem to always forget that I did. I don't know if it was because I was quite tired or because I wasn't really in the mood for this kind of thing, but it didn't really do anything for me tonight. They are great musicians and their music is enjoyable to listen to, but when watching them live, there's nothing memorable about them. Maybe I just need to get more used to their material and watch them live a few more times to really appreciate them. 
3/5

Live Review: Mad Choice/The Driers/Yotam Ben Horin @ Levontin 7, Tel Aviv [19th November 2014]

Mad Choice

The Driers

Yotam Ben Horin

I am pretty sure I have witnessed this exact same line-up before, only not at Levontin 7 but at the Koro. Playing a show at a venue the size of Levontin 7 gives a band/artist the chances of gaining a larger audience. In theory....

Yotam Ben Horin

Tonight's show starts off with a solo acoustic set from Yotam Ben Horin. Yotam gained recognition with his pop punk band Useless ID and is also making strides as a solo artist. I actually think it's a shame that every time that I've seen Yotam play a solo set, and even some of Useless ID's shows in recent years, that there is a lack of audience members when the place should be filled. Yotam is actually a big name...I mean..he has a wiki page, for goodness sake! Best thing about him is that he doesn't act it at all. I will see him at shows and he's just hanging out. No hiding away in a back room or surrounded by an entourage, just chilling out on his own.
Although his solo work takes a gentler pace than his pop punk material, he knows how to structure a song and how to write memorable choruses. One of my favourite songs played tonight is a song called Tension. It has a very memorable and meaningful chorus and he even does his own echoing within the song which adds to the song's essence. I hear that Yotam is moving to the states soon...which sucks for the scene. On a positive note, he will hopefully gain the right admiration he deserves as a solo artist.
4/5

The Driers

Whenever I talk to people about The Driers, I relate them to Band Of Skulls. This might be a lazy description. They both have 3 members, they both have male/female dual vocals and they both have really good songs. Whereas Band Of Skulls are more classic rock riff-laden with a slight psychedelic vibe, The Driers play 90s style alt rock which gets you dancing. They still have riffs, though, as songs like Porchlight show. Their songs have a very commercial sound but not in a bad way. Tomer (bass) and Ronnie's (guitar) vocal harmonies give the songs a sweet edge on top of the guitar/bass harmonies and the ferocity of Gideon's (Useless ID) drumming. Speaking of the drummer, boy likes to twirl his sticks! He's inspired me to try and get better at the whole drumming theatrics. Still not entirely sure what I'm doing, though.

Like with Yotam, I feel that The Driers are not getting the right recognition playing quite American sounding alt rock in the Middle East. If these guys were either from somewhere in the states or the UK, they would be signed to something like Warner by now and touring the globe. I am hoping that when their album hits, they get more worldwide recognition and that there will be The Driers T-shirts being worn at rock festivals.
4.5/5

Mad Choice

To round off the night, we get to my boys in Mad Choice. I have a close connection to Doh Doh, Ben and Zipik. When I moved to Tel Aviv, I contacted a few bands in the punk scene in order to get my foot in the door and make a few new friends. After one of the first shows I went to, I ended up going to a house party at Doh Doh's apartment. I got to know all 3 guys individually over time and they have made me feel a part of the scene. They were also very supportive of my first band in Israel, Side Defects. Our first show was on the same night Doh Doh's old band Beer7 had a reunion show. He still came by our show for the beginning of our set, took some photos and then apologetically said his goodbyes and ran to his own show. I will never forget that, nor will I forget that they got us a show with them and German band Schuettrunde. Aside from being great guys, the band are, like the rest of the line-up tonight, totally underrated in this country.

For those unfamiliar with them, Mad Choice play skater punk. At least initially they did. Nowadays they've expanded beyond that. In tonight's performance, as well as playing their punk hits like album track Safety Net and new song (yet already a crowd pleaser) You're Married, they play their more hardcore songs like Born To Play Fast and 4 Down and new tracks like Blue, which has a bit of new age indie feel in places, and Standard Definition, which flicks in between being an uptempo number with a techno beat to a heavy hitting groove jam. They might be one of those bands that seem to be singing about youth problems despite being of....a maturer age...but that's only because that is their lives. They skate, they play punk rock, they work jobs they don't like and that's what they write about. There were some of my favourite songs of theirs missing from the set tonight, but as always, I loved it anyhow.
4/5

The down point of the whole night was that this show was on a Wednesday night, so almost nobody was here. Unfortunately, a lot of the shows I have seen all three acts at seem to also be on weekdays and therefore have the same turn out, or lack of. Hopefully, one day they will all play to packed audiences and gain new fans and the recognition they all deserve.