Once again, I have taken myself along to a show for an act whom I previously was not really familiar with at all but thought could be interesting. Having checked out some songs of theirs already, I thought I'd give Russian party band, Little BIG a try.
Upon entering Gagarin, I notice a slight change in the place. Not only have they moved the bar to the other side of the room but they actually knocked a wall down to make more space for both the bar and actual floor space. There even seems to be a door or 2 on this side of the room which were not there before, so they've done some good renovations since I was last here. When speaking to someone I recognise from other shows, I find out that the event started earlier than I was lead to believe, thus missing opening act Shitty CT, a peculiar band from Akko, North Israel, that mix punk, rap metal and electronica. They are not everyone's cup of tea, especially on the punk scene, but I personally really like the style. Apparently, tonight was a special sort of electronic set as opposed to full live band, but it's still such a shame I missed them and I can only apologise. In the lead up to the main event, there is a mixture of drum n bass, edm, hip hop and even ska playing over the speakers. Whereas normally people would just be standing around talking in between bands, there is already a party atmosphere going on, as groups of friends and couples are dancing away. Even I can't help but nod my head and tap my feet a bit. It is interesting to see that there's a mixture of people out tonight, including metalheads, street punks and some proper ravers in bright coloured skimpy clothing. Music really does unite all sorts of people...
Eventually, the warm up music dies down and a guy in sunglasses comes on stage and you just know he's got to be with the act. Who wears sunglasses indoors? This turns out to be the band's DJ, Sergey "Gokk" Makarov, as he takes his place behind the decks. He is then followed by the tattooed and scary looking Ilya (Prusikin) and Olympiya (Ivleva), who is basically the "little" in Little BIG. They start the show off with latest album Funeral Rave's opening track, To Party. This is the perfect song to get things going, as its pounding techno beat and Olympiya's sweet vocals (although I can't say for certain how much of it was live) make a great combination for a proper rave anthem. The crowd is already jumping and the atmosphere is electric.
As the show goes on, the crowd gets treated to tracks from the band's debut album, such as With Russia From Love, We Will Push The Button and Pump It, all getting the crowd equally as hyper as the next. After a while, I think the band begin to realise that a majority of the venue is Russian, or at least Russian speaking, as they start shouting out things I don't understand that get a huge response from the room. This is kind of cool, as it must make both the band and the audience more comfortable. As well as the Russian, I start to hear something that I was so certain was Mr Plough (Simpsons, anyone?) but turned out to be a chant for band member Mr Clown, who then comes from the side entrance to the stage. Not only is he in clown makeup and a clown wig, but he is wearing a ice hockey shirt with his name on the back. This instantly makes me think of Juggalo acts like Insane Clown Posse, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. This addition to the show takes things up a level. Mr Clown really connects with the crowd, speaking mostly in Russian, and just brings this energy which we didn't even realise was missing. He's closely followed by newest live band member Sofia (or Sonya?), who adds to the sexiness that Olympiya had already brought to the stage, wearing tight spandex and gyrating about the stage. A "mosh pit" actually erupts as the song Dead Unicorns gets underway. This song, along with the next song, Fucking Asshole, again brought to mind the Juggalo rap genre. Whereas the former song has violent lyrical content and a darker electronic vibe, the latter relies on a circus theme-style loop while rapping obscenities. Both songs are ridiculously memorable and possibly the highlight of the show for me, along with the infectious Life In Da Trash and the anthemic Every Day I'm Drinking, which got people throwing their arms and legs all over the place.
Little BIG are basically the result of Die Antwoord and Scooter having a baby and giving it up for adoption to a poor Russian family. It's fist pumping party music with some pretty silly lyrics ("My dick is big. My dick is very big"). Their live show, at least tonight, is simple, with no backdrop or special effects or anything. They don't need it and we, the audience, certainly didn't need it to have a good time. All band members are engaging and full of energy, even Sergey, who jumps on the table of his decks now and again. He seemed to be mostly pressing play and throwing in the odd klaxon sound most of the show, so it was good to see him actually joining in on the fun. It could very well be that most of the crowd are drunk and/or high which adds to the high octane reception but as a sober viewer, I was still smiling from beginning to end and there was never a dull moment.
Finally! After years of perfecting their sound and playing shows, tough Tel Avivian hardcore outfit, Eternal Struggle, have released their debut EP, Breaking & Entering. Filled with five tracks of hardcore and groove metal inspired heaviness, this release is refreshing for both the Israeli hardcore and metal scene.
Proclaiming to take influences from hardcore big names such as Hatebreed, Terror and Madball, I also can't help but think of bands like London kings Knuckledust, Dutch hardcore outfit Born From Pain and even NY beatdown veterans Bulldoze (just a little bit). Although there is still a fair bit of standard one chord chugging here and there, it still sounds a lot heavier than most of the djenty "breakdowns" that so-called "hardcore" bands nowadays do. Most notably, in the track Lost, guitarist Omer plays a slow and heavy, hummable palm muted beatdown which will certainly cause ninja antics over in Europe if not in Israel, where it's not really the norm.
Throughout the EP, every song is groove heavy which makes me very happy. There's no "hardcore d-beats" on here, though. The fast bits seem to be mainly a simpler beat with the snare on every full beat and kick on every half (hopefully drummers know what the hell I'm on about. I don't know if there's a name for it.) It unfortunately makes a lot of the EP a bit samey and not as interesting as it could be. Normally, it could be a sign that the drummer is not up to it, but as the impressive fills in the likes of final track Pride Kills show, drummer Ori (aka Shiny) is certainly a more than competent drummer.
Vocalist Ori (aka Franko) has a very rough voice, reminiscent of previously mentioned bands, as well as sometimes touching upon the more shouting style of Lou Koller of Sick Of It All. Both the vocals and the lyrical content are not really anything new or ground breaking. There's even some pretty cliché sing along attempts, like in opening track Freedom Denied. Despite that, Eternal Struggle musically fill a gap that has long been empty in the Israeli scene.
For me personally, Breaking & Entering brings back memories of going into Camden almost every week to see the London tough guy bands and their European or American friends all playing crushing, groove based hardcore with beatdowns that saw everyone punching the air and spin kicking. I've sort of missed it. Hopefully, Eternal Struggle will reach the hardcore scenes across Europe and even stateside. They certainly have the music to do so but could do with a little bit more originality. 4/5
Things have been a bit quiet for Israel's biggest punk band, Useless ID, in recent years. All for good reason, though. Not only has vocalist and bassist Yotam Ben Horin been busy holding his own, doing solo acoustic tours and releasing another solo album, California Sounds, but the band has been in Colorado working on their 8th studio album, State Is Burning.
Before the album's official release, the band put out the We Don't Want The Airwaves EP on the famous punk label Fat Wreck Chords.
We Don't Want The Airwaves
The EP's title track is a Ramones' tribute anthem that bounces along in sweet punk rock fashion, speaking of how great the Ramones were and also singing praise to friend and fellow musician Brandon Carlisle of Teenage Bottlerocket who died late 2015. It's a little different to what the band are known for, as it really takes a more Teenage Bottlerocket rock n roll punk influence, even including a key change! The rest of the EP is 2 tracks that don't feature on the album and an acoustic version of the album's title track. Right Wing Fascist Killing Spree is an acoustic anthem for peace which only an Israeli could write, as it touches upon conscription and not wanting to be involved in the war. Although lyrically similar to classic track State Of Fear, it is done in pure protest song fashion, with the angry acoustic guitar giving the song more meaning. Tension is a song I recognise from Yotam's acoustic shows. Here, the whole band have come together to give the once soothing song more of a kick, making it a melodic punk song which could have easily been on previous album, Symptoms. The acoustic version of State Is Burning which finishes off the EP is something else I remember from solo shows. Its chorus is memorable and poignant and, much like Right Wing Fascist Killing Spree, is made ever the more intense being just guitar and raw vocals. 4/5
As well as including We Don't Want The Airwaves and a full version of State Is Burning, which takes on a more aggressive Living End meets Anti-Flag sound, this year's most talked about album (in the Israeli punk scene, at least) is full of perfectly written songs, some even exploring areas of punk that the band haven't really done before. Fans were already treated to the album's minute long opening track, Land Of Idiocracy, prior to release. Starting with an "Aaaaah", it's fast, it's frustrated and it's politically charged. Basically, it's pure punk! Although Useless ID have done fast songs in the past, this leans more towards the stylings of Bad Religion, 7 Seconds and Pennywise with a hint of street punk, as opposed to their usual style. This is certainly a great kickstart to the album. This faster, more hardcore sound is not a one off on this album. Following track Stopwatch, 45 Seconds and Without A Choice are the other more hardcore tracks on this record. Stopwatch could almost be an Ignite song, with its bouncy opening bassline leading up to high speed drums and powerful vocals. Both 45 Seconds and Without A Choice are short blasts of 7 Seconds style hardcore that run right by you but are so good you could have them on repeat. Without A Choice is a pro-vegan, animal rights song which you'd really only notice when reading the lyrics. It's melody is just so enticing that it becomes the focus more than the sentiment. Sometimes it's good to have to search for the meaning. Genetic, Lonely Man and Detune are still pretty fast but more melodic and pop punk. Genetic could nearly be a Not On Tour song, although the guitar solo is of a higher, more impressive standard. Lonely Man is almost quintessentially Useless and Detune has a Say It Ain't So-like slow beginning which then zooms into some fast melodic pop punk paired with lyrics about the band's real feelings towards war and society. All the faster songs aside, there are those like Borrowed Time and How To Dismantle An Atom Bomb which might have hints of heavier punk roots in the verses but the choruses are pure Useless. Borrowed Time is especially infectious, having been in my head ever since I heard it. ..Atom Bomb has an anthemic hook of "We are, we are.." which sounds a little bit dated but probably won't stop anyone from singing along. Creation, Novice and final track, Closer To The Edge, would all sit perfectly on previous albums like Lost Broken Bones or Symptoms. I can't help but find similarities within some of the choruses, such as Yotam touching upon Dave Grohl-like vocals a la The Pretender on Creation and Novice resembling Man Eater (Hal & Oates). That might just be me. Night Shift is the only other track on here like We Don't Want The Airwaves, with a more simplistic punk rock rhythm and Ramones style guitar parts. This makes it one of the highlights, along with Without A Choice, Stopwatch and Borrowed Time.
In a lot of places on the record, Yotam's voice sounds much harsher than before and sometimes even unrecognisable. It could have come with practice or naturally due to being older, wiser and more pissed off with the world. Either way, it does sound good but unfortunately lends itself to resemblances to other bands and singers. Musically, guitarists Ishay and Guy, drummer Gideon and Yotam (bass) are all on point. There are no standout riffs or drum parts, as such, besides the aforementioned solo on Genetic and the Stopwatch bassline. However, there is no song that makes you want to skip forward. Most of the lyrical content sticks to what the band knows best; life in a war-torn country and having to grow up too fast. For fans of the more mainstream Useless ID sound, there might be a few tracks here which go over their heads but for those who have always loved their skater punk side, they have delivered and then some! 4/5
Some years back, I was impressed by a fairly unknown band called Jeronimo after seeing them play a show (pretty much to no-one) at Koro. A few years, one EP and hundreds of shows later, the band are just moving up and up. They recently won the Kochav Met (A Star Is Dead/Dead Star) competition and are soon (I hope) releasing some new material. Instead of waiting for the next release, the film crew of Dybbuk Studio and the Garage rehearsal room in Tel Aviv bring to you Jeronimo playing 3 of their latest songs. Despite having a more garage rock feel on their self titled EP, the band's newer songs really showcase the band's more post-punk influences, adding more groove, jazzier chords and an all round darker edge. Dear Tee 'O almost touches upon stoner rock, with a massive pounding groove which suddenly involves into a more progressive sound while still being punk rock. Fast Walker manages to start off in a Fugazi fashion, with a solid bass line and shouting yet veer off into Muse-like operatics, courtesy of bassist and joint vocalist Auriya. Final song, Lions Suspended In The Air, is an erratic number, as it goes from being crazy to trippy and laid back, then to being more aggressive again.
Jeronimo have definitely evolved musically, garnering a maturer and more experimental sound. It's not all my cup of tea (just because I don't really like long songs too much) but they are certainly a band to look out for.
Nadav Ben Horin is a name that gets written a lot in this blog. That's because Nadav happens to have his hands in quite a few projects within the Israeli punk scene. Alongside his drumming stint in Sweatshops Boy and leading his vocal prowess to hardcore punkers SPIT, he also fronts other bands which really only tend to get together every so often for the odd gig here and there. With Uzbeks having done a one off show recently (didn't get around to reviewing it but it was fun), there are also Shifka Chiefs. Having to split their time recording and performing between Germany and Israel due to guitarist Assaf "Finger" Bomgard currently residing in Berlin, the band finally release their debut self titled album.
Some years back, I saw Shifka Chiefs on a couple of occasions. As entertaining as it was due to Nadav's legendary onstage antics, it never really blew me away. Now, I have been able to sit down and really take in what the band do through the 9 tracks that they serve on their first album. It starts off with Naked, which has a quite soft and indie-like intro but then explodes into some jangly garage rock, with a melody and groove that would make you twist and do the mash potato. After about 2 minutes of being instrumental, it then switches up into a more Dead Kennedys style punk. In a way, this sums up both band and the record's overall sound pretty well, as you can hear elements of Dead Kennedys, New York Dolls and the band's biggest influence, The Eat, as well as earlier bands like The Seeds, The Castaways and The Beach Boys. As with Sweatshop Boys, there are some really catchy songs on here. Gold Digger (not a Kanye cover) is reminiscent of a faster My Generation (The Who) through the verses. The chorus is simple and effective, inducing everyone who hears it to shout along. Ze Zaz (trans. It Moves) is the only Hebrew song here and a song I remember from previous shows due to someone pointing out that the chorus resembles the Presidents Of The USA song Lump. It's no rip-off, though, as the song itself has a totally different feel and holds up as a great tune. Hello, My Friend is a simple number that could have easily been written in the 70s. The guitar solo near the end of the song is impressive, as is that of The Snake, yet another catchy garage punk number. Wood stands out amongst the others as being slightly slower in pace and having a more Stooges vibe. I'm sure the song itself is meant to have some sort of deep meaning, but I'm really just hearing someone singing about wood. Nevertheless, it gets in your head.
Computer/Machine follows its subject matter by having quite an uptempo, almost robotic beat while still having a lo-fi punk sound. Like both Gold Digger and Ze Zav, its repetitive chorus is infectious. It is up there as one of the highlights of the record along with shortest track, Darkness. Running just over a minute long, it is also the fastest and most punk track on here. I'm unsure of the actual lyrics but there are moments where the vocal melody reminds me of the "Keep on trying. I can see the light" part of Frustrated by Kids Insane, as well as somehow bringing to mind Can You Picture That? from The Muppet Movie. Maybe this is just how my head works, but all of those things mixed together makes it a favourite of mine.
Shifka Chiefs are definitely one of those bands that target a particular market and probably would have been more suited in another decade. Not everyone nowadays might like this sort of thing. That said, the songs are short, catchy and fun enough to be listened to and appreciated. The jangly and echoey quality of the production makes it all raw and true; that's something to be admired. Also, for a record that was half recorded and mixed in Germany and half recorded and mixed in Israel, it gets extra respect for the hard work as well as the resulting product.
