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
For many, this has been a long time coming. Despite all being busy with other projects, Useless ID have managed to make a new album. Before the album's release, the first 7", We Don't Want The Airwaves, comes out on May 6th. An obvious tribute to The Ramones, the song is also dedicated to the late Brandon Carlisle of Teenage Bottlerocket. The song goes back to the band's earlier style of pop punk as well as having quite a Teenage Bottlerocket vibe. Being fun and uplifting yet having a warm sentiment, the song is well crafted and should grab the attention of older fans who may not have liked the more serious style of last album, Symptoms. Check it out!
As some of you may know, Useless ID frontman Yotam Ben Horin has moved (back) stateside to help further his solo career. From his last solo album, Distant Lover, he has released a video for the song Sad. Filled with Hollywood Blvd street entertainers and great sights, we see Yotam following an incredible blonde to the subway where his heart gets a little bit bruised. Yotam has managed to still keep this LA filmed video an Israeli affair by teaming up with Israeli actors and film crew. For those already familiar with Yotam's solo work, it will not surprise you that this song is beautiful and melancholic; others expecting acoustic punk should still be pleasantly surprised. Both the song itself and the video hit a sensitive spot inside you. Yotam definitely knows how to pen a song. Yotam has been working on new recordings which I'm hoping we'll hear in the not so distant* future.
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
