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.
Ha Pussy Shel Lucy
Sagol 59
Skarate Kid
OSOG
Oh, Ozenbar! It's been a while. It's certainly been a while since any show vaguely punk related has happened here and tonight sees a show headlined by one of Israel's most legendary punk bands, despite having a name that implies it's purely reggae. It is actually an interestingly mixed bill tonight, with the crowd also being a mixture of street punks and reggae lovers.
OSOG
Starting tonight's proceedings off is On Shoulders Of Giants, more commonly known now as OSOG. I've been aware of the band and even know guitarist Shmida (HaPussy Shel Lucy) for quite some time but I still hadn't seen them. I checked out some acoustic videos online and didn't really know what to make of it.
Live on stage, OSOG perform as a seven piece, including a fiddler, a ukelele player and someone doing the ol' slide guitar. I suddenly realise that they are not the ska band someone had once described them to me as being. Throughout their set, the gang play a mixture of blues, country and folk which still manage to get some punks in the room having a boogie.
Personally, with the exception of the well crafted political number Government Is Organised Crime, it's all a bit "text book". Seeing as it's blues and country, they're of course sticking to the structure, meaning 8 bar blues, classic chord progressions etc.. Some songs even sound familiar. Keep Calm (He's Dead) is practically Johnny B Goode with different lyrics and Wake Up In A Jacuzzi takes its hook from the Everly Brothers hit Wake Up Little Susie.
As old fashioned as their style of music is, all seven of them manage to have a great deal of fun on stage. It could be said that they look like a pretty hipster folk band, but they somehow manage to add a bit of punk energy to the whole performance. Front man, Avital, seems to be a very natural leader and has a perfectly hairy presence.
OSOG's songs, despite being a tad unoriginal at times, are still undeniably catchy and they certainly make some great bar music. I just imagine that even to dedicated country/blues fans this is going to seem like nothing and maybe even a bit gimmicky. Do they really need that many people?
3/5
Skarate Kid
I have been meaning to review this band for a while. Skarate Kid are a new name in ska. Actual ska. Not ska punk, but 2-Tone influenced ska. And reggae. They just happen to include a few members of punk bands, including Itay (saxophone) and Gofen (bass) of HaPussy Shel Lucy and Doh Doh (guitar) of Mad Choice/Beer7.
The name already makes you smile, but seeing Itay arrive on stage in a "Karategi" is what really makes them special. The band's style of ska and reggae is something that this country, especially in this scene, hasn't really seen for a while. Their shows so far have already managed to get in a good crowd, but tonight they do the Ozenbar proud by getting a good amount of people into the main area to check them out and have a bit of a dance.
The band have well crafted songs, taking influence from some of the darker sides of bands like The Specials and The English Beat as well the more reggae side of bands like The Clash. In the same way as old school 2-Tone, a number of their songs have political or at least socially aware context but there is generally an aura of positivity and good vibes. That comes through in the performances too, especially as Itay bounces about on stage and gets the crowd riled up at every opportunity. As great as the rest of the band are, Tal (guitar/lead vocals), Doh Doh, Gofen and Liri (drums) are unfortunately upstaged by Itay. They all get into the spirit of things, dancing about on stage and joining in on vocals, but in comparison, they all seem just a little too chilled and reserved. However, the music is generally laid back, so Itay's antics sometimes seem a little out of place yet undeniably entertaining.
While watching Skarate Kid, especially tonight with Itay kitted out and Gofen dressed up a little bit, the band (in a similar way to OSOG) come off just a tad gimmicky. As well as playing saxophone, Itay does dancehall-style toasting and does it in a fairly strong Jamaican accent, using Jamaican colloquialisms. There's nothing wrong with dressing up and incorporating things into a stage performance to create a persona, but when you're essentially a serious band, putting on an accent can seem a little fake. Some people in this PC world of ours could describe Itay (a candidate for Hipster or Hasid) as almost mocking Jamaican toasting by putting it on in such a way. However, one could also say that the Israeli and Afro-Caribbean accents are not too different and that it's something that comes naturally to him, like with Matisyahu. They are playing reggae, after all. Either way, when he takes lead vocals on Sleng Leng, it's clear to see he's a born performer and the place goes crazy. Fake accent or not, man dem ga skillz.
Skarate Kid are definitely a band worth seeing if you have any interest in reggae, ska or even dancehall and I'm looking forward to a full record soon.
3.5/5
Sagol 59
I turned up tonight not having a clue about Sagol 59. I assumed it was a band. I was therefore a bit surprised to see a DJ and a rapper on stage. Not one to shy away from a mixed bill, I got myself a space near the stage to try and soak in the performance.
Israeli rap and hip hop is still a bit of a new territory to me, really only relating to acts like Shabak Samech and Peled who have a punk/alternative music connection to them. While watching Sagol 59 tonight, his style doesn't really do anything for me. It sounds like bedroom rappers; just the same sort of unimaginative flow throughout. Lyrically, from what I could make out (as I still have problems following Hebrew lyrics live), he has some good content, although he tends to overuse name dropping, especially in his freestyle, which comes across as a bit lazy and a ploy to gain some credibility. He evens name drops local punk band member friends of his. Although I did initially find that kind of cool to her names of people I personally know, it started to come across like slipping names into every other line is what he does.
Dj Popalova is on the decks, or technically the laptop and one turntable. His transitions, where there are some, ware pretty good but I'm not entirely sure what he's doing with the turntable. There is no outstanding scratching or interesting use of samples, only a scratch here and there which isn't too impressive. It sort of reminds me of the guy from Sleaford Mods who just presses play and then stands around bobbing his head and drinking a pint. The backing music in general sounds a little outdated, but Sagol has apparently been around for a while, so the tracks themselves might be from a while back.
Main highlight tonight is the guest rapper they get to come up (name?). He has a more interesting flow than Sagol 59, with changing patterns and a tougher, more convincing delivery. It also wasn't until he took the stage that people in the crowd start cheering and going "Ohhh" in between lines.
It was nice to get a little hip hop into tonight's show but, personally, it wasn't the best performance I'd ever seen.
2.5/5
City Rats
City Rats, eh? I'm not going to say much I haven't already said about City Rats in previous reviews. I start to love them more and more every time I see them. They're pure street punks but some of songs are hardcore to the bone, especially ever since they got Not On Tour's Gutzy on the drumming throne. I still stand fixated as he crosses his arms playing both the hi hat and floor tom at the same time.on the track 2012.
The crowd goes crazy as the guys smash through their set. You definitely don't need to be drunk to enjoy City Rats, but it does seem to be the protocol, as people of all ages fall over each other while these Russian-Israelis sing about life as they know it and, most importantly, beer and partying.
4/5
HaPussy Shel Lucy
Having seen this band about twice before, I've always enjoyed them but still never properly fell in love with them. HaPussy Shel Lucy also seem to have gone from being a very important band in the Israeli punk scene to more of a band just for diehards. Unless more people are going to their shows in other cities, the turn out tonight, compared to the almost full Barby show I once saw them at, is pretty small.
I unfortunately missed the very beginning of the guys' set, but entered to the sight of people already running around and pointing in the air. Although the band still plays punk rock, there's a hint more of a ska punk feel on the later stuff due to the band's inclusion of Itay on saxophone two years ago. Sometimes, it even goes into Dog Eat Dog territory, which, for me, is awesome!
There's a lot of crowd participation on big hits such as Vodka Redbull, Batlan (trans. slacker/bum) and Haruach Peudalit (unsure of the best translation for this). A friend of mine even leaves the show with his shirt completely ripped front and back. I'm not entirely sure what was going on to result in such destruction but whatever it was, it didn't seem to phase him or anyone else.
As great as the band's classic songs are, a personal highlight for me was fairly new song Sum Chadash (A New Drug?) which they play as a sort of encore at the very end of the set. It's a blend of punk rock and ska moments which bring to mind some of the heavier material by The Urge, an absolute favourite of mine.
If HaPussy Shel Lucy didn't bring a sax player into the mix, I am not too sure how I would feel about them. This addition gives something new to the Israeli punk scene and has almost helped the band reinvent themselves. I'm definitely looking forward to the new album.
4/5
(If anyone has any HaPussy Shel Lucy pics, please send them my way.)
Today is Black Friday. I've never really given much thought to Black Friday, mainly because it's an American thing, being traditionally the day after Thanksgiving, and never really used to be a big deal in the UK. Suddenly, it is and we even have it in Israel.
I was out in central Tel Aviv today to check out this expo at the Dizengoff shopping centre, where certain companies specified for the Anglo/Expat community were promoting themselves and giving out deals. After I popped into that, I was making my way to my bus stop and decided to go into HaOzen HaShlishit (The Third Ear) record/music shop. As it happens, the shop was taking part in Black Friday. So I thought I'd have a nosey around and see if anything caught my eye. I ended up buying 4 second hand CDs which were 50% off and decided last minute to get the new Prince album, fall or around £21/$33 altogether.
Purchases:
CIV - Thirteen Day Getaway (1998)
I seemed to be having difficulty downloading CIV albums. I'm not that massive a fan, although that's only because I'm not that familiar with all of CIV's work. Looking through the CDs in the shop, I just saw this and thought "This is only going to cost me about 3 quid". So I bought it. CIV are a New York hardcore punk band that was formed after the demise of the legendary Gorilla Biscuits. Thirteen Day Getaway is their second full length album.
China Drum - Goosefair (1996)
Another album that just jumped at me was the debut album by Northumberland rock band China Drum. I gained a sweet spot for this band some time back after discovering some music videos online and loving the fact they had a singing drummer. They had a few changes over the years. Singing drummer Adam Lee moved to full time vocal duties, a new drummer was added and they changed their name to The Drum in 1999 before later disbanding in 2000. They reunited in 2013 back under the China Drum name. I was also weirdly having trouble downloading China Drum's work so I'm hoping this isn't going to be a wasted purchase. I don't think so.
The Suicide Machines - Battle Hymns (1998)
The Suicide Machines are a ska punk/hardcore band from Detroit. Over the years, I have heard and downloaded the odd song, including popular songs like High Anxiety, No Face (one of my favourite skater/ska punk songs) and War Profiteering... Battle Hymns is their second full length and is said to be where they started to incorporate a more hardcore sound and writing shorter songs. I am already familiar with the track Give and I'm hoping the rest makes the rest of this 22 track (longest track 2:19, shortest 0:05) album worth the £3.20.
Suicidal Tendencies - S/T (1983)
Upon seeing the self titled debut by LA crossover thrashers Suicidal Tendencies, I thought to myself "ahh...go on, then." Having now checked my itunes, turns out a pretty much already have all the tracks on this album in the form of the Still Cyco After All These Years album. Whereas the tracks on Still Cyco... are re-recordings, this is the original first album. I guess there's no harm in having it. Not at Black Friday prices.
Prince - Art Official Age (2014)
I really did not want to overdo it by buying too much, but there was a 10% discount on new releases and I saw the new Prince album and was obliged to get it. I then realised that Prince's other album with 3rdeyegirl, PlectrumElectrum, was released at the same time. Not only that but the new Rancid album is out too. I thought to myself "just choose one, mate. You're trying to be more careful with your money." On further thought, I should have taken better advantage of Black Friday and bought some new clothes....Ah well! What's done is done. I've just been listening to Art Official Age while writing this whole post and I'm glad I'm in possession of it instead of downloading it for free. Although it is not a punk, metal, hardcore or even really an alternative record, I will get a review up in due course.
