Live Review: Toy Dolls + Aviv Mark ve HaNetzach @ Reading 3, Tel Aviv [9th December 2016]

Once in a while, a legendary act will come to Tel Aviv. Normally it's a 60s/70s rock band or a singer/song writer but on the odd occasion like today, we get to witness one of the oldest British punk bands. The Toy Dolls might not be all that relevant in the scheme of punk rock nowadays but a lot of the bands that are would tell you that they were a big influence. Therefore, there are a lot of punk fans, both old school and new school, attending tonight's show at Reading 3, a pretty swanky looking venue in the north of Tel Aviv by the sea.

Aviv Mark ve HaNetzach

   Opening up tonight's event is local band Aviv Mark ve HaNetzach (which I think stands for "Aviv Mark and The Eternity"). Previously known as Aviv mark ve HaMavet ("Aviv Mark and The Death"?), it's a pretty typically mature-aged Israeli "alternative" group. With two drummers, they come off a bit like Melvins but just not as heavy or as interesting. There's the odd good riff and sometimes the two drum kits are put to good use by playing different patterns at the same times but it does also get a little messy. With my attention to Hebrew lyrics never really at its best in a live setting, I can't really say much about lyrical content but the vibe is mostly dark. It's more 80s new-wave meets 90s grunge and just similar to quite a few bands I've seen/heard out here before. It is still fun to watch, especially the energy of both drummers and the bassist, but out of all the acts in Israel who could support tonight's main act, this choice doesn't really make sense.

2.5/5

The Toy Dolls

   To some, The Toy Dolls are a joke punk band only famous for their version of Nelly The Elephant. Tonight, there is many a fan who knows that they are more than that and the band prove it.

   Arriving on stage in their grey and red suit-like attire with tiny red ties and iconic sunglasses, Olga (guitar and lead vocals), Tommy (bass) and Duncan (drums) are met with raucous applause and cheering. I personally clapped the loudest for Duncan (Redmonds), for I am a Snuff fan and admire him for being a great singing drummer.

   Being a band with a repertoire spanning 30+ years, it's hard to get every song and every hit into a set. Although the band doesn't supply the likes of  I Got Asthma, James Bond Lives Down Our Street or The Devil Went Down To Scunthorpe, they still do the fun Spiders In The Dressing Room, the rocking Idle Gossip and their superb and almost metallic rendition of Bach's Toccata in D Minor.

  Seeing and hearing The Toy Dolls in person is actually quite an interesting experience. Alongside silly songs like the catchy The Death Of Barry The Roofer With Vertigo and the infamous crowd-pleaser Nellie The Elephant, the latter of which unsurprisingly getting the greatest reception, they also play comparatively more sentimental songs such as Alec's Gone and She'll Be Back With Keith Someday. Using more melody and having deeper lyrical meaning than some of the others, these are personal highlights for me as I found myself singing along.

   As the band play through their set, that is practically all they do. There doesn't seem any need for too much banter, jokes or self indulgence, they basically play one song, say "thank you" and then crack on to the next one. Normally I would criticise a band for not being engaging enough but I can't accuse The Toy Dolls of that. Olga and Tommy are always looking at the crowd and encouraging them to sing along. The two also have good chemistry on stage, often jumping about and swapping places, doing Status Quo style synchronised guitar swaying and just seeming to be full of life. This rubs off on the crowd as even people standing at the back and the sides start to dance. Although the crowd aren't as rowdy as what I've seen before, the few that do find themselves on stage get quite heavily escorted off by security. Sometimes this makes sense if a crowd member is getting in the way of a performance or interfering with the musicians. That didn't seem the case this time and came off as unnecessarily aggressive.  

We hear more covers nearer the end of the set, including the instrumentals Wipe Out (The Surfaris) and the timeless classic When The Saints Go Marching In, but it's the final encore where we get the bouncy "la-la la" sing-along of She Goes To Finos to round off a fun night.

  Everyone has a different interpretation of what punk is. The Toy Dolls might not be as tough and serious as Sham 69 nor as fast and aggressive as Discharge but they do what they do well, with charisma and from the heart.

4/5

All photos courtesy of Miguel St Labao

Live Review: Punk Afternoon - Tune In TLV Showcase Party @ Ozenbar, Tel Aviv [14th November 2015]

Not On Tour

Let Us Be Spoken

SatuRated

The Driers

Zoo Harmonics

Document

Saturday, the Sabbath. Meant to be a day of rest, where you pray in the morning, eat, sleep in the afternoon and then go out and party at night. However, this afternoon sees the last show of the four day Tune In TLV Festival; the punk rock battle of the bands. 

   The afternoon actually starts out with a showing of the music documentary No Room For Rockstars (which I didn't see), followed by the fight to get a song onto the next Vans Warped Tour compilation. Kevin Kyman, founder of 4Fini Inc, who produce the Warped Tour, is here both for a Q&A after the documentary (I missed that too) and to be the one to choose the winner. Despite being a "punk afternoon", today's line-up is pretty mixed. 

Document

  I've reviewed post punk/new wave band Document before and I have to be honest, it probably wasn't the most positive of reviews. Despite that, the band respected my views. I was expecting the band to have maybe taken some of my pointers into consideration but today's performance doesn't really seem to differ too much from the previous one, besides being one member down and a whole lot shorter set.
  Being titled a "punk showcase", the band have comprised their setlist of their more upbeat numbers, including Where U Are and Weeks from the Reset Your Mind Ep. Newer songs, such as the appropriately named New Song and Made A Mess, are darker and slightly more electro in style. All in all, they seem to have picked the right setlist today.

  Their performance on stage is still a bit static, bar drummer Amir, who is still the most enthusiastic. With frontman Nir now on second guitar duties, this may also be hindering their opportunities for some movement and better crowd interaction. Speaking of which, it is still early and not many people have turned up. Those who have bothered to come in and watch them seem to be satisfied. I think that kind of sums Document up; their songs are pleasant enough but there is still nothing in their live performance to really grab you. They are much better on record and I am still looking forward to hearing a new album.
3/5 
    

Zoo Harmonics

  Zoo Harmonics have been around for quite some time already and, in my eyes, should have already broken the UK and American pop punk market with the debut album Business In The Front...Party In The Back. With a new bassist, Gal, in tow, the band have been working on new songs and set to release a new album.
   With Dror (lead singer/guitarist) having now cut his hair, a slightly new sound seems to have come along with it, as the band play a short set of mostly brand new songs. The band already previewed Signs From Above through a live video they did for another showcase and a lot of the crowd, including myself, already like it and are digging it tonight. As the band themselves state, it has a more "stoner" flavour compared to their previous material. Personally, I've always considered them a mixed bag and not just pop punk, so I would have been more concerned if they weren't experimenting more. 
  The other new tracks are also really promising, including the comeback of Obsessions, which will hopefully be on the new album. Throughout the set, the band rock out as usual, although it is weird seeing Dror unable to wave his hair around. There is still the masterful Ron (guitar/backing vocals), who manages to always make his present known with some high octane antics to energise the crowd.

  As interesting as hearing brand new material is, it is the closer of oldie Henry And Claire which really gets me and other Zoo Harmonics fans going. It would have been nice to have heard more from the first album, but having been given a short time slot, the band understandably wanted to showcase their new material. I think they've done a good job and I am so looking forward to the new album.
4/5

The Driers

   I'm going to keep this short because what can I say about The Driers that I haven't said before? They are a fun trio who play a mixture of alternative 90s rock and a little bit of electro brit pop to boot. Basically, they play the kind of music that brings out the inner child in me and use male/female vocal harmonies that simply make me happy. 
  Despite having released their first proper EP recently (see review), their short set mostly consists of non-EP tracks besides the brilliant Who Doesn't and Lipstick Buds. Some are already classic tracks from their repertoire, including the punky Fifty and the bounce inducing Delayed. Others I didn't really recognise but were interesting to hear and I'm hoping they'll turn up on a new record in the near future.
  As much as I love them, I still stand by my opinion that Ronnie (guitar/vocals) and Tomer (bass/vocals) could act a little more excited on stage and interact more. The speaking duties in between songs are mostly taken on by drummer Ben. It could be good to hear what they have to say for once....plus, Ben talks faaaar too much for a drummer. (סתם)
4.5/5

SatuRateD

   I'll hold my hands up! I had no idea who SatuRateD were until tonight. I was actually outside before they started and walked in a little of the way through their set. I was happily surprised to see Dror of Zoo Harmonics back on stage, this time on drums. He was joined on stage by Shirel (guitar/vocals) and they make a pretty damn good team. I believe the band was originally a trio but it seems to work perfectly well as a duo.
   In complete opposition to what I had originally thought they might be (metalcore), this duo play a mixture of garage rock and grunge. Some of it is pretty standard (but still enjoyable) Nirvana/Mudhoney-esque material, but a song like Someday Blues really stands out due to it's more unconventional beats and generally just sounds more original. The band also do a cover of These Boots Are Made For Walkin', which is normally a staple of ska or Oi! shows. It was nothing spectacular as far as covers go. Their originals, despite at times sounding a little too formulaic, still hit the spot if you're no stranger to pure "grunge".
4/5

Let Us Be Spoken

  

  Another band I didn't know much about, Let Us Be Spoken take the stage next and totally change the tone of the evening. This punk show is getting its first dose of metalcore. Whaa??

  I technically have no problem with metal or metalcore. I proudly wear my nu-metal beginnings on my sleeve and still like some metalcore and groove metal. What bugs me though is how metalcore bands act. Although I say that I like a lot of interaction and movement on stage, sometimes acting like you're some massive touring band who's been around for decades just seems really unnatural and over-the-top when you're a fairly unknown band. Metalcore bands tend to do this and Israeli bands, in particular, know how to put on that sort of spectacle really well.
   Let Us Be Spoken give us all the usual metalcore catchphrases (mostly in Hebrew): "I want you all to sing along on this one", "I want to see you all go crazy" etc.. The look, the jargen and the melodic metalcore is all there. The clean vocals sound like Killswitch Engage and are not all that terrible. However, I'm still not entirely sure how many times I can hear this type of thing. 
  As unoriginal as this may sound, they are certainly an entertaining band and they do get me punching the air a bit. Maybe I'm just in an openminded mood tonight, but the breakdowns, the thrash parts and even some of the choruses have me a little bit sucked in. There are also a few metalcore fans in tonight who are getting swept up in all the excitement. Let Us Be Spoken may have been a bit out of place tonight, but I like variety.
3/5

Not On Tour

  Last band of the night is the amazing Not On Tour, whom I have spoken of many a time on this blog, I'm sure. Like all the other bands tonight, they have a much shorter set than usual but still manage to get the crowd going with their mixture of high speed hardcore punk and catchy melodies. 

  They do not have their usual crowd here tonight. This could be a mixture of the show not being hyped up all that much and the fact that many Not On Tour fans may not have bothered going due to the rest of the line-up. That aside, there is still a few of us who have come to give our support in this battle of the bands. 
  The band are on point. Sima's amazing voice, Val's melodic riffs, Nir's heavy bass and Gutzy's crazy fast drumming are ever present, as always. I can't really say much else, to be honest. I got a little bit too wrapped up in the show, including blindly head butting someone by accident (turned out to be a friend and they were fine about it), so I didn't really pay attention to the setlist. Knowing Not On Tour, they more than likely played songs off the new album, along with a few from All This Time and the N.O.T On Tour EP and maybe only one from the self titled debut, like one of my favourites, Silly Thoughts. Personally, I love hearing their older material, but they do know how to chose the catchiest and more crowd pleasing ones at every show.  
4.5/5

   Straight after Not On Tour's set, I went for hummus nearby and, upon leaving, ran into Val of Not On Tour. I asked him if a winner was announced and he said that they had won. It was rightfully awarded and hopefully being on this compilation will give them much further international success than they have already been getting. 

  It was great to see Zoo Harmonics with new material and SatuRateD were an interesting and pleasant discovery. The show as a whole could have done with a whole lot more attendees but those who were there still had fun and hopefully, like myself, discovered a few new bands.


For more photos, you can also check out Yahel Galili's photo album, Tune In TLV - PUNK Showcase. 

New Order release video for recent single, Restless

 

  When it comes to bands having to live in the shadow of it's predecessor, there are a few that people can say have done it right. The demise of Operation Ivy gave us punk rock legends Rancid, Jimmy Page essentially turned The Yardbirds into Led Zepplin and Dave Grohl has had a good thing going on with Foo Fighters since the death of Cobain. Another name to add to that list is New Order. Factory Records didn't even think the former Joy Division members had a chance of making it without Ian Curtis until the success of the now legendary Blue Monday.
   The band have been greatly influential to many bands throughout the decades, including The Killers, who lifted their name from the fictitious band featured in the video for New Order's 2001 hit, Crystal. 

Their new single, Restless, which was released for download on 28th July, comes from the upcoming album, Music Complete, due for release 25th September. 

   The song has that sound that electro/new wave sound everyone is familiar with but whether it's a future classic, I'm not too sure. The video, on the other hand, is quite memorable as it is arty and, quite frankly, a bit confusing. There seems to be a hint of historical storytelling but with a modern twist thrown in. I have a feeling this was directed by the same guy who was trying to get me to incorporate tank and machine gun sounds into a production of King Lear. 

  The song will definitely please long time fans and hopefully the album will do very well. Check out Restless below. 

Some more new videos and songs by Israeli bands

  Once again, I bring you a compilation of new videos and songs from a variety of Israeli acts.

Free Sergio - So Far Yet So Close/Hate To Break It To Ya

   I am starting off this post with pop punkers Free Sergio as I stupidly forgot to include their song So Far Yet So Close in the previous instalment. They have brought out another song Hate To Break It To Ya, so this seemed like a perfect time to mention them both. The former is what could be considered an "easycore" track, with metallic riffs and melodic punk vocals. Although the Israeli accent is pretty prominent, the actual vocabulary is intelligent and the lyrical content itself is positive and relatable. It has a sort of Rise Against meets Millencolin feel to it, which is the impression I got of the band when I saw them do an acoustic set some time ago.



   Hate To Break It To Ya showcases the band's ska sound, again, similar to Millencolin or even Less Than Jake without the brass. The vocals on both tracks might be a tad weaker than I'd hope for, the band musically have the genre down and I'm looking forward to seeing them play as a full band some day.  

The Meatballs - Don't Waste My Time/Frowning Face

      Here's another 2-in1. The Meatballs are an Israeli band who have been in existence since '09. The band plays old fashioned rock and roll, pure and simple. Don't Waste My Time takes its influences from more the 50s blues based rock and roll, whereas Frowning Face is very much in the 60s surf/B-Movie vein, with the video even including scenes from what seems like a real 60s B-Movie. I've been told these guys are fun live, as can be seen in the first video. I'm still yet to see them. 

Both songs are singles from the forthcoming album Cut To The Chase.

Document - Disposition

  A while ago, I went to see a band called Document, after hearing about them from friends and thinking about adding them to a show. Admittedly, I may not have given them the best live review but I did believe the band to have well crafted songs. Their latest single Disposition is good example of that. It is heavier than their previous work and generally well produced. Whereas the band can initially be considered indie and/or new wave, this has an almost post-punk sound and is simply captivating. The video is arty and quite dark, which works perfectly with the song itself. 

Bones Garage - Birthmarks

    Sliding perfectly into the next video, the friends who informed me of Document were the band Jeronimo. My second time seeing Jeronimo live was with another young band, Bones Garage. Bones Garage recently released their album Massacre/Dance, which I must get around to reviewing soon. This is their latest video for the song Birthmarks. When I saw them live, I appreciated the band's style although wasn't 100% into it at all times. Birthmarks, however, is beautiful. It's one of those songs which would definitely get tons of airplay and would intoxicate people with the "Aaahh" and "Wooaah" parts as well as with the song's simple beauty. Both the song and the video are incredibly professionally produced, which is surprising for such a young band. The video itself is like a short movie, showing two separate lives of a boy and a girl all the way from birth to when their two worlds collide at a record store and we then see their relationship progress from thereon in. If you like really good indie music and/or dark pop, GET ON THIS! They starting to really make a name from themselves in Israel's underground scene. 

Heartrates - Rapunzel (Live at Keoss Studios)

   Finally, I am compelled to post a live video from a show I actually witnessed. Heartrates are an Israeli metalcore band who I saw as the opening act at an event at Keoss Studios in Tel Aviv. As readers of my blog may already know, I am not the biggest fan of israeli metal/metalcore, but sometimes a band comes along who just hit the right spot. Heartrates' style reminded me of some of the UK metalcore/hardcore bands back in the early '00s, such as Funeral For A Friend, Incoherence and Hondo Maclean. Not only was the style good, but the band had great energy, especially the frontman, who must already have girls swooning all over him. Looks aside, he has a great connection with the crowd and, in my opinion, wasn't heavy on the metal clichés like some other frontmen out here are. I'm hoping to see them some more times and am looking forward to any future releases.