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

Check out Codename Colin's ska punk cover of a Feeder classic!

Therapy? release new EP along with new video Tides

 It's been almost a year since the release of Therapy?'s Disquiet album (see my review here), and now they release the Tides EP. The EP features the Disquiet track Tides, as well as 2 new songs and a remix of their track Insecurity. Along with the EP's release, the band release a video for the title track.
 The track takes in a little bit of influence from bands like Husker Du, with a catchy chorus and fuzzy guitars throughout. The video is a little complicated for me to fully understand, but is probably open to interpretation. It aptly takes place at a seaside, in keeping with the song and the song's back story of how frontman Andy Cairns would watch waves from a pier when in need of inspiration. 

 As a side note, this song, after listening to the Disquiet album pretty much on repeat for a good part of last year, subconsciously influenced some of my newer material for Woolly Boy. They might not be a typical punk band, but there are elements of it in there. More importantly, they know how to write a hook!

New video from noisemakers HECK (ex Baby Godzilla)

I'm a bit late on Baby Godzilla as it is, despite having liked a few songs/videos. Having had to change their name to HECK by the Japanese monster franchise, the Nottingham four piece are due to release their first album, Instructions, under the new name on 11th March. 

Good As Dead is a noisy and fun ball of angst, as is now typical of the band. The video starts off as a fairly standard white set performance video but we soon get a taste of a Single Ladies type dance routine. The video is so simple that it almost seems as if it is purposely meant to symbolise a new beginning.

If you like crazy, noisy hardcore like RETOX, Dangers and Zaga Zaga, and even a bit more melodic like Million Dead and Let's Talk Daggers, then you need to check out HECK.

Reef cover Aretha Franklin on new single

True - this blog is called Punkalovich. True - I mostly write about punk and hardcore. However, every now and then I will just write about something I want to write about. Maybe a band close to my heart for whatever reason. Brit rockers Reef are precisely one of those bands.

Like many people of my generation, and actually a little bit older, I was blown away by Reef's Place Your Hands; a hard rock song with a gospel flavour. That Glow album was just my favourite record for ages. Their debut Replenish and the soulful Rides also got excessive play on my cd player back in the day and I also got to appreciate Getaway in its entirety quite a bit later in life. They've just always had something about them that I found refreshing yet also familiar at the same time. They're basically RHCP meets Black Crowes and I've always dug it.

Although still touring every so often and having side projects (front man Gary Stringer and bassist Jack Bessant's acoustic duo, StringerBessant, and their sister band, Them Is Me), Reef finally return with some new music, first single being a cover of Aretha Franklin's version of the Clara Ward penned gospel song, How I Got Over.

 I'll admit, I was not initially aware that this was a cover if it wasn't for reading a YouTube comment, so I had to look it up. This version is a tad less "gospel" in lyrical content as the original, omitting "Jesus" and "God" to make the song a little more relatable to all, but the musical structure is practically exactly the same. The real difference is Stringer's unique voice. It would have been nice for it to have been a lot more different but sometimes there are songs that don't need to be touched and just played as they are, which Reef do perfectly. It's the same with their I Just Walked In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) cover, although their cover of The Jam's That's Entertainment had more of a Reef bounce and their energy to it which makes it more interesting.

When looking at the YouTube comments, there are a few people saying that it's a "different direction" for Reef. I think these people may not have actually listened to them before. Even their biggest hits had a gospel feel. Judging by some of the other songs they have previewed in live shows (that I've seen online, as I haven't seen them live since 2010), they've got other material which sticks to a more stoner rock-like sound as heard on Replenish and parts of Glow. Being a hard rock band, they're always going to have that blues/soul influence in them. It is certainly interesting to hear how soulful a few white West Country blokes can be.

All in all, I am still stoked they are back and I will certainly be checking out the new album. The single will be released on 11th March, as will the Live at St. Ives album which features new songs Just Feel Love and Ball & Chain amongst a mostly Glow filled set.

Review: Diabolus - Wasted Air (2-Track EP) [2015]

 Every now and again, I am fortunate to get my blog noticed simply via the wonders of the internet and a bit of facebook promotion. Recently, I got sent a 2 track EP by Diabolus. Hailing from Andover, UK, Diabolus play a mixture of first wave black metal and death metal with just a hint of hardcore reminiscent of bands like Liar and Arkangel.

   The title track, which already starts off sounding like a very professional recording with a spooky sample of, what sounds like, a dripping tap, creaking doors, girl screams and some intense build up music, is about 4 minutes of pure evil. For those into black metal and death metal, this is familiar territory. Vocalist Luke (if indeed it his him doing all parts) supplies brutal low pitched growls and the slightly more "possessed by the devil" style shrieking. It's so good that it makes you wonder if he's actually Scandinavian. There's fast riffing (Adam - lead guitar, Tim - rhythm guitar) and thunderous drumming (Kurt - drums), as is signature of death metal, but there is also slow heavy grooves, including a pretty heavy "beatdown" and a keyboard accompanied melodic section near the end. The melodic part, instead of making them sound like any other black metal band, is more reminiscent of an old British band called As She Screams, who used to incorporate keyboard into their mixture of death metal and hardcore.
  Second track, The Bay Harbour Butcher, starts off soft and melodic but then the blasts and growling join in and it's a scary ride from there on. As well as sounding far more black metal than Wasted Air throughout most of it, it also keeps in with modern metalcore, with the use of a slow, simple yet effective spacious groove which would make some people want to break things.

There's definitely something here which is a bit new compared to other bands out there, at least as far as I'm aware. As well as being perfectly suited to a black, grind or death metal show, they have something about them that would also go down well with hardcore fans, especially those of the early more metallic European sound. This EP is brutal and just polished enough to sound both professional and gritty at the same time. Although this isn't what I'm normally into and I'm not 100% taken in by the name, I'm hoping the band get themselves an album out soon and more people will become aware of Diabolus.

4/5

KULA SHAKER RETURN!! NEW SONG!!

Who are Kula Shaker, you ask? Well, I'm guessing you weren't an indie/rock kid during the 90s, then.

Kula Shaker are a band from London, UK, fronted by Crispian Mills, son of award winning actress Hayley Mills and director Roy Boulting, who had great success in the late 90s with their throwback Indian inspired psychedelic rock. I was quite into them as a pre-teen, having liked their classics such as the more Indian influenced Tattva and Govinda and the more classic rock songs Grateful When You're Dead, Hey Dude and their cover of Deep Purple's Hush (although admittedly unaware for a while that it was a cover).

The band split in 1999 but came back in the mid '00s. I'm actually pretty sure I won tickets to and went to see them at the ICA in London but it's all a bit hazy. 2016 sees the release of their long awaited 5th album, entitled K 2.0, in honour of their massive debut, K.


The band have treated fans to a new track, Infinite Sun. Whereas the Indian influence was a little lost in later records, it seems to be back, as Infinite Sun uses sitars and chanting as well as pure rock to create a catchy song which harks back to the band's old sound. From this song alone, the new album sounds promising. Kula Shaker might still be playing a style which can be considered dated by some, but good music is good music!

New video from all girl punk band, MAID of ACE

MAID of ACE hail from the East Sussex (UK) town of Hastings. Made up of sisters Alison, Anna, Abby and Amy, all with the cool initials of ACE (hence the name, I'm guessing), they've technically been rocking out together since their first gig at school in 2005 but only released their debut self titled album in 2014 and have slowly but surely been making a name for themselves in the punk circuit.

I believe I discovered the girls through their video for Bone Deth, which sees the girls cycling around town while shouting along to the song. The video is incredibly well shot and, although I may just be stupid, it took me a while to notice the trickery involved. Comparisons to bands like Civet and Distillers are obvious but still valid. As well as that raw, female punk rock style, the song itself was ever so slightly reminiscent of the punkier side of Japanese band Mad Capsule Markets. MAID of ACE don't really do the electronic/digital hardcore thing but there was something in it that made them stick out from straight up punk rock.



Stay Away comes off the new album due for release in the new year. It mostly has that straight up punk rock feel but also has a crushing groove in the chorus. The video is a little simpler than that of Bone Deth, with the band playing their track in what seems to be an abandoned house/squat.

For those who like dirty punk rock, MAID of ACE will not disappoint. They've got some European dates in the new year and will also be playing the magnificent Rebellion Fest in Blackpool in August (4th-7th).

CHECK THEM OUT!

Skunk Anansie go clubbing on new track and video, Love Someone Else

In a similar vein to some other acts I have written about on here, such as Incubus, Alanis Morissette and Republica, my fondness for Skunk Anansie goes way back to first hearing the song Weak. It was really when I saw the video for All I Want that I knew this was a band for me.

Over the years, the band has experimented with styles and kept more of a leaning to their softer side than that of their heavier, groove-based material. The bass lines are still there and Skin's strong vocals might never ever fade, but I personally haven't been able to connect too much with more recent material, such as the Wonderlustre and Black Traffic albums, despite still having beautifully well written songs and the odd uptempo rock out number. 

Love Someone Else comes from the forthcoming album, Anarchytecture, and incorporates that rave feel, that has been present in the band's later years, which is supported by the video being set in some sort of squat party. Normally, the electro pop would be mixed in with some heavy parts, but this track is pretty much a straight forward dance track and very MTV friendly. Skin still belts out the chorus which is sure to be able to get a crowd going, but it makes you wonder if this would have been better as a Skin solo track, if she was ever to go back to that.

With enough publicity, this song has the potential to get the band's name out into the UK charts again, which they have failed to do in recent years compared to in the rest of Europe. I'm still intrigued to check out the rest of the album, hoping to hear a mixture of styles, funky bass lines and Skin's unmistakable high notes.

Review: Seas Of Mirth - Esmerelda EP [2015]

  From the murky waters of Nottingham comes the pirate themed folk band, Seas Of Mirth, who have been..err..making waves (sorry) in the music scene for some years now.

While I was living and studying in Derby, I remember seeing Seas Of Mirth at a very early stage with what I believe is almost a completely different line-up to now. The fiddler was a friend of mine from class. I can't remember if it was the same time, but two other "future" friends were also in the band and are there to this day.

  I never really got the whole pirate theme thing and I am not a fan of folk in general but the band's sense of humour still grabs me. Having grown to a nine piece band, consisting of instruments such as cello, accordion and bouzouki (!), they are still active 8 years, which is both admirable and impressive. 

  The Esmerelda EP, the band's latest offering, delivers 3 different tracks of their weird signature style of folk. The title and leading track is quite a romantic sounding song. Bearing in mind the band's persona and theme and paying closer attention to the lyrics, it seems to be more of an ode from a pirate to his wench. It still has a sea shanty vibe that the band are known for due to the violin and vocals but with an added spaghetti western rhythm. The vocals, sung by Fruitshoot Pete, bring to mind that of Nick Cave, especially in the softly sung parts of the verses.

  The EP changes pace with Hands Off My Chest. As soon as it begins with an a cappella voice declaring "...you will never get your hands on my treasure chest", you know this is going to be a fun song. It bounces along in an almost ska punk way, at times, but ultimately has a very Zappa feel. The midway change not only brings to mind Zappa but also Mr Bungle, as it explores jazz and progressive rock. 

  Final track, Even A Bull Needs Milking, has a catchy accordion hook (first time I've written that sentence) along with a galloping, early Broadway type rhythm a la Putting On The Ritz. The mixed male and female vocals are pretty and the musicianship is spot on, but the song generally isn't as punchy as the previous two, even when it goes frantic. 

  

  Compared to previous releases, the production on this record is immaculate and proves that the band really mean business. They're obviously going to make some people scratch their heads but seeing as folk stylings made a comeback with the likes of Mumford & Sons and Laura Marling, there is certainly more of an audience now who will respect Seas Of Mirth's direction and musical experimentation. I'll certainly be looking forward to the next album. 

3.5/5

New single and video from UK's Let's Talk Daggers

   I came across the name Let's Talk Daggers some time last year when I saw them listed to play a London show with Israeli hardcore band Kids Insane. The three-piece from Eastbourne, UK, play chaotic music, mixing elements of hardcore and experimental.
  Today, they have released their video for latest single, I Love You Dad, But I'm Mental, the first to come from their upcoming debut full length, A Beautiful Life. Both the song and the video are all over the place. It has a hint of Mr Bungle/Fantomas about it in general but switches between punk, disjointed hardcore, jazz and even latin music.
   If you like your music jam-packed full of changing time signatures but still angry and energetic, then check this out. If you like this, then you can go and see them for FREE at The Unicorn in Camden, London, tomorrow night (just in case I actually have any London readers.)

Review: Ironed Out - Us and Them EP [2015]

   For those who don't know me, my "hardcore" background comes from being introduced to the band Knuckledust through a Terrorizer compilation CD and then being taken by friends to my first London hardcore show. Since then, up until I moved to Israel, I have been going to London shows and supporting Rucktion Records' releases. Ironed Out is a new band on the scene; kind of a super group, including members of some of my London faves such as the previously mentioned Knuckledust and 50 Caliber.
    For those familiar with the whole Rucktion/LBU scene, this band has that same tough-guy London swagger with more of a "rap" emphasis, similar to that of other London band TRC's earlier work. On this EP, they also incorporate something which, to me, is pretty closely associated with London hardcore bands; using samples from British movies and TV. We can hear it in the EP's intro as well as in third track ACAB (which is a sample from British sitcom Only Fools and Horses about the police aka "the old bill").   
   Unlike more popular rap-hardcore bands like Biohazard and Madball, Ironed Out take more of a leaf out of E-Town Concrete's book, using melodic guitar parts as well as groovy riffs. Penultimate track on the EP, Built To Last (not a Sick Of It All cover), even has singing in the chorus. Personally I love that, but I remember a time when this side of the London scene made fun of Your Demise for introducing singing on their later material. On the other hand, Your Demise's sound pretty much completely changed so that was probably more the issue.
    Built To Last stands out as one of the EPs best tracks, along with final track Survivors. The whole EP is heavy and groovy; totally my sort of thing. However, there are a few issues. When the music kicks in on ACAB, especially when listening on headphones, the first guitar's chugging seems a little off which is a little distracting. Luckily the rest of the track compensates for that. There is also a section nearer the end of the Never Gonna Change, where the guitar part and the drumming seem out of sync but once again, everything sorts itself out and the groove is back on track. One other criticism is, as much as I've always loved the scene, the whole shouting "LBU" thing every so often and talking about the scene just doesn't really do anything for me anymore. It's like when a rapper says his name quite often. That aside, this is a perfect band for fans of E-Town Concrete, Fury of V, TRC and most things Danny Diablo has had a hand in. With bands like Hacktivist and TRC having gained popularity over the years, there's a possibility that Ironed Out will not just remain a hidden gem.
3.5/5

BRAND NEW TRACK FROM THE PRODIGY

THE PRODIGY - NASTY

I've just seen/heard this BRAND NEW track by The Prodigy, Nasty. Nasty comes from the new album The Day Is My Enemy due out March 30th. What do we think? It's pretty typical of The Prodigy that we've known and loved since Omen, so shouldn't really disappoint most fans. 

Promo and Interview: Yawning Dog

   For my first promo and interview article, I have the honour to bring to you YAWNING DOG!! The band have had the privilege of being named 2014 Breakthrough Artist of the Year by Musically Fresh, a well-known music site that this dummy has only just found out about!! 

  Yawning Dog hail from Hemsworth in West Yorkshire, UK and like loading peoples' ears with crazy, distorted grunge. I sent a few questions to guitarist and vocalist Sam and lead guitarist Ryan and they were willing to cooperate.

...Sort of....

1. How and when did the band form?
   
   Ryan: We all met in a room 1 day before our 1st gig and played some music, and we saw that it was good.
2. What kind of material were you playing around with at the beginning?
   
   
   Sam: Cloth.
3. Where was your first show?
   
   
   R: First Show..
   S: Snooty Fox in Wakefield, with Penguin
   R: We were rubbish.
   S: Penguin we(re) awesome.
4. What and when was your first release or upload?
   
   
   R: We have nothing to say on this matter.
   
   :/
5. Who is the main writer of the band?
   
   
   R: We complete each other..
   S:  We're like 4 nuts in a ball sack
   R: Any idea that anybody has is channeled through the inner spirit of the dog and comes out mangled and with more fuzz and shouting.
6. What is the Hemsworth/West Yorkshire scene like?
   
   
   S: We're half of the bands in Hemsworth, and the other is better.
   R: Yeah, Jam Abraham are an awesome band
   S: Hemsworth is a very small town though
   R: The West Yorkshire scene in general is great though.
   S: Check out Allusondrugs, Forever Cult, Treason Kings, NARCS, Valours.
7. What are your dreams for the band?
   
   
   S: I want to win X Factor
   R: I once dreamt we'd play and people would turn up, and then the next week they did… Spooky
8. What's the weirdest thing to happen to you or that you witnessed at one of your shows or on tour?
   
   
   R: Playing in a prison
   S: Thats how we met
   R: I was in for insider trading
   S: I was a Cheese thief
9. What is everyone's aftershow snack of choice?
   
   
   R: We're all too full from the big fat grungeyness
10. What's your poison?
    
    
    S: Arsenic
    
    (They probably would have said that even if I just asked "Favourite drink?")
11. Best venue you played at?
    
    
    R: Probably Parish in Huddersfield, for our single launch
    S: 360 in Leeds is great as well, we want to play there again at some point.
12. Worst venue you played at?
    
    
    R: 'Castonbury'; it was a fundraiser for a rugby club in Castleford and we were really out of place.
13. What was your favourite kids' show growing up?
    
    
    S: Teen Titans
    R: Thomas the Tank Engine
14. What's your favourite show now?
    
    
    R: Collectively we all enjoy Trailer Park Boys
    S: Breaking Bad and Simpsons
15. Pearl Jam or Soundgarden?
    
    
    S: Smashing Pumpkins
    R: Sonic Youth
16. Rancid or NOFX?
    
    
    S: The Clash
    R: Minor Threat
    
    ("Neither" would have sufficed, too, you know?)
17. What's your favourite recent chart/pop song?
    
    
    S: They're all too good
    R: We're all massive fans of Nicki Minaj and you can hear that in the music.
18. What was your favourite release of 2014?

           S: Allusondrugs EP

           R: Led Zeppelin Re-issues

For any of you dotted around the UK, these are Yawning Dog's upcoming dates, including a tour with Bi:Lingual.

17th Jan - Santiagos Bar, Leeds
29th Jan - Mulberry's Tavern, Sheffield*
30th Jan - Players Bar, Wakefield*
31st Jan - Carpe Diem, Leeds*
1st Feb - Parish, Huddersfield*
19th Feb - South Sea, Sheffield
26th Feb - Spread Eagle, York
*Bi:Lingual Tour support

Here are all the links where you can check out the bands work and follow them on their merry journey through life..:

Don't Be Shy, Vlad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGKXSMq71Rc

I've Only Got One Ghost

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgCrMpGJO1c

https://www.facebook.com/yawningdogtheband

https://soundcloud.com/yawningdog

https://twitter.com/Yawning_Dog

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. 

Review: Relics - Beast Market

Metal band Relics hail from Huddersfield in Yorkshire (pr. yaaarksheeer), UK. For those who don't know where that is, it's halfway between Manchester and Leeds. For those who don't exactly know where that is, look at a map. (It's what I had to do. Haven't been that far north of Sheffield in some years.)
First things first, the artwork of the Beast Market EP really grabs you. The whole concept of beast, skulls and other weird things plus the drawing style itself makes you hope that what you're going to hear is heavy as hell. They also self proclaim that they love "riffs". And that....that they've got.
Opening track Death By Lead definitely helps set the tone. We start with distortion leading into thumping snares and toms and are then met with rung out guitars and the rough exclamation of the titular DEEEEEATH......BYYYY.....LEEEAAAD. And then it begins....the riffs. Heavy hitting verses that, like all good stoner, make you want to bang your head and throw horns. The vocalist is very reminiscent of Ben Ward (Orange Goblin) and even Phil Anselmo (Pantera/Down/Superjoint Ritual/everything else he's done) in places.
All 3 songs on the EP provide the riffs we are promised "on the tin". These guys understand both riffs, groove and the importance of diversity. As similar as the vocalist is to the aforementioned frontmen, he does it flawlessly. I especially love him in 3rd track The Circus. There is the powerfully sung "LOOOOSER"and the Fantomas/Maximum The Hormone style ramblings of...whatever the hell he's saying at that point. It sounds amazing, whatever it is. There's even a "gangstyle" chant in this song, which, in my experience, you don't really get in much stoner. Then again, these guys don't even consider themselves "stoner". They describe themselves as "metal, riff, rock and roll, punk and hardcore". Rock and roll is a definite yes. This is "heavy rock and roll" and I'm totally down with that. Anyone else who is will love this too.
4.5/5