It's been a while since I've done a live review and I am a bit behind with some that I have planned to do. To get things started again, here's a review of Punk Rockers Unite, a ska/punk/Oi show I went to recently at Jan Jack, a rehearsal rooms and studio in Tel Aviv that has also been putting on shows for quite a while now.
Hystericus
Starting off the night is ska punk trio, Hystericus. The band is essentially a continuation of guitarist/lead singer Doh-Doh's previous band Ska-Be-Us but with new members Liri (drums) and Matan (bass). Despite singing in Hebrew, both the old Ska-Be-Us songs and the soon to be released newer ones have a vibrant and internationally appealing sound to them. Sometimes Israeli accents can be off-putting (personally) whether in English or in Hebrew but Doh-Doh's vocals are always fun to listen to.
With songs deeply rooted in the Israeli skating culture such as Hummus Skateboard and Geveret, Ze Lo Tayelet (Madame, This Isn't a Promenade(?)) as well as more personal songs like Ani Ohev Lehagid 'Ani Ohev Otach' (I Love To Say 'I Love You'), the music is very uplifting and well executed. Although the turnout for tonight's show is a bit low, there's still people skanking about and even some regulars (like myself) singing along to songs they recognise. Definitely a fun start to the evening and a band to keep an eye on.
Can this new album come out already?!
Free Sergio
They've been on a bit of a break, but melodic punk 4 piece Free Sergio are back in town (they've actually all now moved here from "somewhere up North") with a bunch of new songs from their upcoming album Arrows.
As much as the new songs stick to the band's staple No Use For A Name/Flatliners inspired sound and the playing in general is tight and pretty faultless, nothing really stands out for me in this set. And I'm not the most familiar with No Use For A Name so even the song they cover doesn't do much for me.
I'm personally a bit disappointed that they didn't play anything off of their Take Control EP, especially the infectious So Far Yet So Close and Block The Entrances (it's heavy breakdown near the end was always a favourite of mine at their shows). However, they're still a technically talented bunch who have been and I'm looking forward to giving Arrows a proper listen when it drops.
Shortfuze
Finishing off the night is Shortfuze, basically the only Oi band in Israel (besides the cover band Oi Lo and a handful of others that contain some influences). I have already written about the band before and my opinion has only slightly changed.
As much as I love Oi, it can get a bit samey if you reuse common topics and phrases. Unfortunately, there's just too many similarities to other bands and even particular songs to be able to rate Shortfuze on their own merits. I thought they were maybe attempting a cover of The Business' Suburban Rebels but it turns out that their chorus for The Power of Oi just happens to be quite similar to that of the aforementioned classic. This could very well be an artistically intentional throwback, in which case I admire the creativity, but...you can never really know.
Although not groundbreaking, the music is nevertheless fun, good old fashioned oi. I still think Oved Shaot (Working For Hours) is a great song and guitarist Ran's solos really brighten up each song. I'm interested in hearing a full body of work, however I do still feel a little uncomfortable with Israelis using British phrases (e.g. "Come on, you wankers") and talking about being "working class". It's not that I find it "offensive", but it does just feel a tad inauthentic. If they can focus on writing more songs based on personal experience (whether in Hebrew or English) then they could be on to a winner.
