kirkt

Sonic Boom Six have came a long way these last few years to opening the main stage of Reading and Leeds last week... Quite a contrast between the 2 Rebel Alliance bands, The Skints bring such a chilled vibe to any venue they play, while Sonic Boom Six is a complete sound-riot!

Sep 2000-Feb 2003: Welcome To Joetown Me and my mate John spent years mucking about on guitars and learning surf songs and occasionally writing some angsty teen songs or I did, he wanted to play Chuck Berry. It made for quite an interesting mix. We eventually played 2 gigs...the first one we got booed off, most notably cos it was in a Working Man's Club and we covered Red Hot Chilli Peppers but I didnt learn the words. Our 2nd gig was actually really good at the Hull Adelphi but we got banned as we let too many people in and someone smashed the fire exit and put a bottle down the toilet. I got replaced by the drummer from the Paddingtons best mate and they started sounding like a proper band. Oct 2002 - Feb 2003 Sound of Echoes Pretty straightforward indie rock. Played 2 gigs. I joined on bass, having never played one before and had to play it upside down. Had to leave both bands when moved to Hull for Aberdeen... Dec 2003 - August 2004 The No Pints Met guitarist Andy a couple of times and spoke about forming a band. Found Paul on Aberdeen-Music but hadnt yet practised when I told Sharon that my band would be perfect support for The Real McKenzies...wrote some pop punk songs real quick and 5 weeks later was ready to go! I remember someone on here made the comment years ago that we had good songs but couldnt play them....thats a fair definition. Musicially it was like Screeching Weasel/Green Dayish with a bit of gruff-oi in there. Did a little tour and almost ended disastrously when I got wrecked on white cider, slagged off the band before "We're even worse than that last band and they were shit", fell out with the rest of the band, the venue (in Tayport) and the neighbours of the venue who complained about the noise. Nov 2004 - early 2006 Spike Piledriver Joined on bass when they were the most hated band in Aberdeen. Enjoyed the drinking cider and listening to noise at Jakes which was more frequent than practising, recorded 2 split CD-Rs but didnt have enough time to commit to it in the end. Memorable moment: turning up to Captain Tom's absolutely wrecked and passing out in front of the amp while they continued to play...oh dear! The Planeteers Nov 2004 - July 2006 Another band that doesnt do much favours for the ol' CV. 3 chord punk n roll superheros that was more memorable for our daft costumes. Good laugh tho and we had a lot of adventures including getting banned from the Megabus (Camie), Bobby being so wrecked before a gig in Leeds he thought he needed hospital (once he threw up he was ok), and me drinking too much at Drummonds I had to give up playing the guitar cos I couldnt even see it but remember offending a lot of people. The Planeteers on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads Did 2 split 7"s, some comps, played with loadsa bands we loved...shame we were rubbish The Usuals Feb 2005 - May 2005 Perhaps my most embarassing moment ever was describing The Usuals as "truly awful" in The Fly magazine, not knowing who they was, before meeting the drummer Dave a short while after. I ended up joining on bass for a while and after really enjoying playing for them, they sprung it on me that theyd known all along Id gave them the bad review (I didnt know it was The Usuals I'd seen at that point) and so did every friend and family member of the band it seemed. That isnt why I left though, I was too busy with GFN? and playing in other bands at that point to commit to play Drummonds every week even though I really liked them! Nov 2005 - Feb 06 The Butchers of Bakersfield Shambolic Arnie-loving thrash. Amazing! Getting this lot to leave the Moorings to practise was virtually impossible though. June 2006 - present Escape To Victory And I' finally formed a band I've been content in for a long while! There was a lot of gaps and line-up changes before we finally played in May 2007, we've just released our first proper CD of melodic hardcore punk...check it Escape To Victory on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads I can't believe I've just wasted half an hour typing this up!

I'm still eagerly awaiting Barloff

GFN presents... REBEL ALLIANCE RECORDS package featuring... Sonic Boom Six From Manchester's dynamic musical landscape comes the most compelling soundclash to rise from the underground for years. Few bands can so smoothly mix dancefloor-savvy elements of reggae, jungle and ska with the rigorous commentary of hip-hop whilst retaining enough grit and aggression to be an active fixture of the UK's punk scene. A true product of their environment - the sound of a thousand city-centre clubnights and student party mash-ups invigorate the righteous fury of distorted guitars and dubby grooves SB6 create a sound as authentic as it is unique. Looking as at home on a festival stage as they are playing at a warehouse party, the band are retaining their grassroots ideation and positive, unifying message as their music steadily permeates a wider international audience. Sonic Boom Six return with their third album City of Thieves, the fifth record to be released on their own Rebel Alliance Recordings. Whilst SB6's eclectic punk soundclash staunchly remains far too down-to-earth to ever being described as prog', the album follows the concept of a collection of songs that explore and examine life in a large UK city. From crass consumerism to traffic congestion, lawless youth culture to homelessness, binge drinking to street violence, Laila and the guys cast their pragmatic critique on the state of the nation, embellished by their characteristic positivity and humour. City of Thieves is built on the bedrock of the band's unique ska-core/hip-hop/jungle hybrid but (in keeping with their original ethos of expanding the boundaries of what a punk band can be) adds dubstep, electro, dub and even glam rock to the mix, all the while retaining the snarling live edge honed by recent tours of the UK, Europe and the US with acts such as Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, Bad Brains and Big D and the Kid's Table. The first class collaborators involved in the record include production duties by Peter Miles (The King Blues, The Steal), artwork courtesy of Dan Mumford (Gallows, ADTR) and guest appearances from Al Rumjen (King Prawn, Asian Dub Foundation), Robin Leitch (Random Hand), and New York City ska legend King Django (Stubborn All-Stars, Skinnerbox). SONIC BOOM SIX on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads The Skints Rebel Alliance Recordings are as pleased as punch to be releasing The Skints debut album, 'Live. Breathe. Build. Believe.' Is it just possible that with this album The Skints have created the classic debut album? All the hallmarks are here; raw, unbridled energy and unflinching sincerity over the bedrock of an exciting new musical voice. Fresh yet familiar, The Skints bridge the gap between early UK reggae classics (think UB40s Present Arms and Steel Pulses Handsworth Revolution) and the contemporary, conscious street-sounds of The King Blues and Sonic Boom Six while adding a cheeky twist of Lily Allens Alright, Still modern ska-pop. In any other hands, dub-soaked tales on the options and outlook of London youth from violence and drugs to job-prospects and the telly - could fall very far of the mark but 'Live Breathe Build Believe hits the spot because were hearing it straight from the real thing; the London youth themselves. The Skints were formed in 2005, then London teenagers knee-deep in a music scene ruled by ska-punk kings Capdown and King Prawn but it wasnt long before they had reached way back to the likes of Augustus Pablo and Max Romeo for their altogether more rootsy inspiration. Having spent the last year gigging hard and writing their debut album, the band have managed - under their own steam - to rack up an impressive set of both headline and support shows across the UK, including tours with The King Blues, The Slackers, The Aggrolites and many others. The Skints [are now on Rebel Alliance!] on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads + local support from GFN?'s own melodic hardcore outfit Escape To Victory Escape To Victory on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads @ The Tunnels, Carnegies Brae, Aberdeen Monday 19th October 2009 8 (+BF)/ 10 on the door GFN? Promotions on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads Tickets will be in One-Up in the next week or so...

Ayisha Tandoori in Balnagask is the bee's knees for food when they get your order right. I'm particuarly fond of their Pakora Curry. Yum! Can't wait to go back to Bollywood again too (next to Bruce Millers/Howff)...5.99 for starter and main course and great service. Worst experiences in recent months was with Cinnamon and Triple Kirks.

Not usually one to dig up old threads but was at Bollywood the other week and can not recommend it enough...for 5.95 at lunch time you get a starter, main course with rice or naan and tea or coffee and is delicious! Service is much better than the overpriced Cinnamon...no idea how that place won so many awards but my experience there wasnt great.

Oh dear...

King Liar & The Brutes The Sultans of Cripple Vomitus Fiction/Action

Martin Henry provides, perhaps the best cover version (bar The Leisure Society) on Mojo's tribute to Abbey Road covermount CD this month. I'm very excited for this gig!

What a fantastic series, with a great ending...my only regret that I missed the end as with 5 wickets remaining at 5pm, saw no hope of it ending so soon!

If McCleish didn't mess up against Georgia then Scotland would have qualified for Euro 2008 and might have still had a decent manager rather than that absolute buffoon that is Burley.

Yep, it's a promising read...Damien is bad-ass in issue 2! Detective Comics is really good at the minute too

Aye he's too much of a liability. For the Oval I'd pick: Cook Strauss Key Ramprakash Prior Flintoff Broad Swann Anderson Harmison Onions or possibly drop one of the seam-bowlers for Panesar (which would have to be Harmison as much as I wanted him in the squad). I know dropping Collingwood is a bit harsh but Flintoff and Broad are more than capable of filling the void of all-rounder (and Collingwood hasn#t made much impact as bowler)

It's in Glasgow

Well Broad was great today, and a promising start for the England openers before it all went rong...I think Bopora has had far too many chances this series and has consistently been the worst batsman (more than Onions, Anderson and Swann)

Is the Cavern still open? It looks like it's been closed last few times I went down...I feel bad if it has cos it had some real good stuff, specially 60s/psych stuff but I could never afford to buy anything

Yay! Slow Club are well good

GFN? presents... Punk rock from... Escape to Victory Escape To Victory on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads Escape Today Escape Today! on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads A Guy Called Guy A Guy Called Guy on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads + 1 other band possibly @ Cellar 35, RosemountViaduct,Aberdeen Friday 7th August 2009 7.30pm

The problem with Belhaven Best and John Smiths is not the drinks themselves but it's a right struggle to find a pub that actually serves a decent pint of it (Mannofield Cricket Club is the place to get the best John Smiths around on evidence of last week) Old School House have a good selection of ales just now including the deliciously fruity Trade Winds, as well Greene King's LBW and Belhaven's Twisted Thistle Ale.

Aye, book it yourself, it's not rocket science

Oi! Where you going?

Truax at the Moorings?

Brilliant news that it's free! Yeah at last years you could bring your own beer in too so super cheap day out!

Anyone any idea how much the Scotland v Canada ODIs will be next week? Was 25 for the New Zealand game last year but presume this wont cost as much...

What happened? I can't find anything about this on NME.com or Mojo website...