Day 1 of Riot Fest 2024 kicked off on a hot Friday morning. Festival organizers announced a few months back that the annual weekend Chicago event would be moved to the nearby suburbs. That caused a bit of a kerfluffle, with some applauding the move, and some vehemently opposed to it, often depending on where […]
Day 1 of Riot Fest 2024 kicked off on a hot Friday morning. Festival organizers announced a few months back that the annual weekend Chicago event would be moved to the nearby suburbs. That caused a bit of a kerfluffle, with some applauding the move, and some vehemently opposed to it, often depending on where those reacting lived. But in the end, the festival once again took place at Chicago’s Douglass Park.
While change-ups and new offerings are an annual occurrence, this year, there were more than in past years. This included the renaming of some stages, as well as the change of location for at least one. The carnival rides were still on-site, as were the wrestling ring, skate ramp, and Wedding Chapel. That last feature was, this year, in an enclosed Church like structure (offering softer, better lighting for photographers) in a new area called Riot Land. In Riot Land, attendees were treated to, among other things, a version of Logan Arcade, a Riot Fest history museum built into an homage to the iconic Fireside Bowl and a convenience store. There was also the Strip-o-Rama and Helzapoppin’. Though this may seem a lot, I am sure I have missed a thing or two during my time on the event grounds. Aslas, hooting from the photo pits again this year kept me away from partaking in many of the aforementioned sites. Perhaps next year, when my fellow Dying Scene Team Chicago member Mary Sunde is in the photo pits again and I am documenting the “Characters of Riot Fest.
.Riot Fest also served as the Chicago send-off for NOFX, now on its Farewell Tour. The band headlined all three nights of the festival. I was there for its Night 1 set, which took place on the stage named in its honor, NOFX World Stage. The band came onto the stage doing the Time Warp from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Mike “Fat Mike” Burkett spent a few minutes joking with the massive crowd on the grounds and a significant number of fellow musicians flanking the band just off the performance area of the stage. Finally, the band kicked off a generously long set, which included “Backstage Passport,” “Don’t Call Me White,” “Franco Un-American,” “Idiots Are Taking Over,” “Timmy the Turtle,” “Linoleum,” and “Six Pack Girls.” It was a raucous set, demonstrating that NOFX is still able to bring the energy.
Of course, Burkett kept the jokes going throughout the set, telling Chicago “you’re the biggest city in Illinois.” Poking fun at the crowd members he told them they looked old and that fellow headliners Fall Out Boy were probably telling the crowd they looked young, throwing sly shade to FOB’s lead singer. That was followed by provocative references to Israel and God (Burkett has been described as a Jewish Atheist) prompting Eric Melvin to interject with, “That reminds me of the next song we should be starting right now.” Burkett assured his bandmates that “…I can’t get canceled again, it’s only six more shows,” adding that “whatever I say on my fucking golf course I can’t get in trouble for,” to which Melvin replied, “Look, in like ten years you’re going to care, I swear.”
All par for the course for a NOFX set and one the fans relished. It was also obviously emotional for more than a few of its most ardent fans, many of whom were seeing their beloved group for the final time. If providing closure to its fans was in order, NOFX served it up marvelously and gave them a particularly lasting memory among years of lasting memories.
As is always the case, there are conflicting sets, and choices need to be made. Shooting The Warning was one of the best decisions of the weekend. It’s a propulsive sister-punk act out of Monterrey, Mexico. You might say that the family that plays together stays together (and slays its performance together as well). Blasting through the set, The Warning introduced itself to the Riot Fest crowd in an explosive way, and the crowd loved it. Spotted just beyond the barricade, a fan was swelling with pride as he waved a large Mexican flag during a set which included “S!ck,” “Qué Más Quieres,” “Six Feet Deep,” “Hell You Call A Dream,” and “Automatic Sun.”. The only warning I can give about this band is you may regret missing your chance to catch this band.
New Found Glory made Riot Fest a stop on its “Catalyst 20 Years Later Tour.” The Riot Fest performance was listed as a non-Catalyst setlist. Of course, the band still roared through some of the album’s tracks including “Downhill From Here,” “Truth Of My Youth,” and “Failure’s Not Flattering.” NFG also treated the crowd to “Something I Call Personality,” and “Head On Collision,” from Sticks and Stones. There was a celebratory feeling both on stage and in the crowd. Two decades later, NFG continues to go places, downhill not being one of them. New Found Glory resumes its tour, with special guest Sincere Engineer, on October 11, 2024, in Dallas, Texas.
One of the first bands to kick off Riot Fest weekend delivered a wallop. Winona Fighter, out of Nashville, TN, whipped through a high energy and fun set which included “Hamms In A Glass,” “I Think You Should Leave,” “I’m In the Market To Please None,” and “You Look Like A Drunk Phoebe Bridgers.”
Post-RF, the band is scheduled to play Aftershock in Sacramento, CA on October 11, 2024, and Ceremony Festival in Nashville, TN on December 14, 2024.
Three members of The Descendents, ALL sans Milo Aukerman (yeah, I had to), pulled double duty during Riot Fest 2024 weekend: Stephen Egerton, Karl Alvarez, and Bill Stevenson, with Chad Price on lead vocals. Riot Fest veterans, The Circle Jerks, The Exploited, and The Lawrence Arms, were back and very welcome, delivering terrific performances.
Great music and strong performances on the first day of Riot Fest made roasting under the sun a bit more bearable than it might otherwise have been.
Be on the lookout for my Day 2 and Day 3 coverage as well as the take from my fellow Dying Scene Team Chicago member Mary Sunde. You can also head to our IG thread to see more shots from Day One!
Mad Caddies almost did not make its headlining gig at Reggie’s. The band had been stranded in an airport in Halifax for nearly 18 hours due to a canceled flight. But of course, the operative word is “almost” because the band did make it to the venue as the opening bands were on stage. Those […]
Mad Caddies almost did not make its headlining gig at Reggie’s. The band had been stranded in an airport in Halifax for nearly 18 hours due to a canceled flight. But of course, the operative word is “almost” because the band did make it to the venue as the opening bands were on stage. Those opening bands, Something To Do and The Iron Roses provided strong support. What a terrific evening of music!
Mad Caddies, out of Santa Barbara, CA, brought the punk/ska fusion to the S. State St. stage. Perhaps due to the aforementioned travel issues the band members arrived ready to bust out. And bust out they did, with an upbeat and energetic performance. The set included “The Dirge,” “Reflections,” “Backyard,” “Tired Bones,” and “Lay Your Head.”
Mad Caddies has a run of September shows with Ballyhoo! on deck. In November, the band hits the road with Authority Zero and Belvedere.
Perhaps the most exciting show will occur on October 5th in San Pedro, CA as part of the Punk In Drublic Festival. There, the band will provide support on “Faturday” for NOFX‘s penultimate show. That should be a blast.
The Iron Roses is a fairly new ska/punk band composed of veteran musicians. Nathan Gray of Boysetsfire and Becky Fontaine share lead vocals. The band put on a snappy, boisterous performance with both singers taking leave of the stage to groove in the center of the crowd on the floor. The rest of the group killed it as well. Tight yet fun work.
Iron Roses complemented Maddie Caddies perfectly. The band’s showing at Reggie’s makes me look forward to the next time I can catch the band.
Iron Roses has North American tour dates scheduled for September and October. The band is also on the lineup at The Fest 22 in late October, in Gainesville, FL.
Something To Do out of Milwaukee had something to do at this show and they did it marvelously. That is, kick off the show with a bang. With all members seeming in perpetual motion, the band tested the attendees’ stamina. The horn section was particularly kinetic. The entire group was both in grand unison, with each member’s personality shining through.
The rowdy set included “Sweet Caffeination” and “Draw Me Like One of Your French Girls.” Both of those tunes are off Something To Do’s new album called Here Comes the Panic!
This month Something To Do will be sharing the stage with Mustard Plug and Authority Zero a few times. If you need something to do…well you get the idea.
As so often is the case, Reggie’s was the cool place to be for a hot show on a warm summer night. Cheers!
Bowling For Soup stopped at The Vic on its A Hangover You Don’t Deserve 20th Anniversary Tour. Eternal Boy and Keep Flying were on hand and stage for support duties. Bowling for Soup, hailing from Witchita Falls, TX, is on the road celebrating the anniversary of its 2004 release A Hangover You Don’t Deserve. Unfortunately, […]
Bowling for Soup, hailing from Witchita Falls, TX, is on the road celebrating the anniversary of its 2004 release A Hangover You Don’t Deserve. Unfortunately, it was down one member. Chris Burney, still recovering from a foot/leg injury, was still resting on his doctor’s orders. The band released a statement making one thing clear,
“We will not be enlisting a sub guitar player…you cannot replace a legend.”
However, the band still brought the good times as it ripped through the tracklisting of AHYDD. It was a fun set with the highlights being “1985,” “Ohio (Come Back to Texas)” performed with Eternal Boy, “Shut Up and Smile,” “Next Girlfriend,” and “High School Never Ends.” BFS also invited an audience member onstage to spin a wheel which determined which non-AHYDD tune the band would play. In this case, the winner was “Emily.”
Scanning the audience revealed a crowd of multiple generations and it appeared in many cases a family affair. And it seemed those families sure were having a blast.
There are still many chances to catch Bowling For Soup on the road through October in the United States. The band then heads to the UK in February 2025.
Eternal Boy, from Pittsburgh, PA provided strong support as it ran through its set. That set included, “Freak Show,” “Awkward Phase,” “Version Of Myself,” and “Katie.”
The band also did a respectable and cheeky cover of Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.”
Solid set, solid band.
Keep Flying, from the Northeast region of the United States, barreled onto the stage and through its performance. Several members of the band took its name seriously as they repeatedly went airborne.
The high-energy, entertaining set included, “Late Reply,” ”Left Behind,” “Candy Cane Forest,” “High Cholesterol,” and “Miranda,” among others. I was exhausted watching Keep Flying, but a good version of exhausted.
One of the third-wave ska’s stars, Save Ferris, out of Southern CA, hit Reggie’s Rock Club in Chicago. Lending support was a trio of Chicago area bands: Burn Rebuild, and Blood People from the city, and Bumsy and the Moochers from the Chicago suburbs. Grammy winning ska outfit Save Ferris takes its name from an […]
Grammy winning ska outfit Save Ferristakes its name from an iconic Chicago set film, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,”
The band showcased its latest single “Lights Out in the Reptile House.” The tune was released less than a week before. It tore through “What You See Is What You Get,” “Turn It Up,” and “Spam,” as well.
Save Ferris also performed a couple of covers, Dead Kennedys, “Too Drunk to Fuck,” and “Come On Eileen.” The band is particularly well-known for performing its version of that latter tune originally recorded by Dexy’s Midnight Runners.
Monique Powell, with her blazing red hair and fierce vocals, is a dynamic frontwoman. Powell, who has lent her vocal prowess to many groups, including No Doubt, Goldfinger, and Foxy Shazam, among many others, is a marvel to watch. Witnessing her move on stage it’s hard to believe that just under a decade ago she underwent high-risk surgery to repair a broken neck.
Powell and her terrifically talented bandmates topped off a fun weekday evening on the near southside of Chicago.
Save Ferris continues with its summer tour. Check its upcoming dates here.
Burn Rebuild played an entertaining set, roaring through “Monsters,” “Skin And Blood,” “Therapy,” “The Beginning,” and “Save The Date,” among others.
Reggie’s has been a main spot for the band and this show was special. Per lead singer and bassist Frank Tsoukalas [he fills the same roles for Much The Same]:
“We’re really grateful to Brendan [Joyce, booking for Reggie’s] and the whole crew there for always giving us a place to play. As I said at the show, it was also the first time I played a show with other bands where the majority were fronted by women, and it’s nice to see that more and more.“
Tsoukalas also revealed what Burn Rebuild will be up to in the near future,
“We have plans to record in August and hopefully release 2-3 songs by September. We also have two shows coming up in October. One at Tivoli Bowl the 5th with Take The Reins and the 26th with The Hallow at The Irish Legend.“
If you get an opportunity to check out this band, I’d advise you to take advantage of it.
Blood People blasted through a robust set including “Phantasmagoria,” “Recluse,” “Teeth Thief,” and “Shapeshifter,” among others. The band describes its music as heavy punk. It’s a fitting description. The muscular performance was a complement to the other band on this bill. I’ll be on the lookout to catch them again and you should be as well. Hopefully sooner than later.
Bumsy and the Moochers, from the Chicago burbs, was the first of the ska bookends on this night. The rollicking set included, “Stupid Habits,” “IOWA,” “Hey Margarita,” “Rewind 99,” and “Cathy Anne.” When you see Bumsy and the Moochers in the bill you know you are in for a blast of a time. A multi-horns blast at that.
For singer Caitlin Edwards, there was a cinematically special connection to the headliner, but not the film related to its name.
“I loved how they were in 10 Things I Hate About You. That scene was iconic.“
Edwards added:
We used to cover their version of “Come on Eileen” in the early Bumsy days. We’ve never shared the stage with them before, but they always been an influence of ours especially in our early days of being a band. They’re a staple in 90s ska for sure.“
Bumsy and the Moochers recently was in the recording studio. The group can next be seen at Punk Rock Paradise 2 on August 17. They also have a Cobra Lounge show on September 29, followed The band is also participating in a domestic violence awareness show in October, in honor of a friend of the band All the proceeds are going to Guardian Angel Community Services in Joliet, IL. Oh, and a little event known as Fest 22 on October 26.
If that was not enough, Bumsy and the Moochers has a 7-inch vinyl coming out soon. There are two new songs plus a digital download bonus track. It will be released by Sell the Heart Records.
Lawrence Fletcher founded Motoblot, the motorcycle rally and music fest in Chicago. The three-day festival melds music, motorcycles, and a nod to the 1950s. Professionally, Fletcher works in Marketing and Events for Royal Enfield. Royal Enfield began production in 1901in Redditch, England, and is the oldest continuously manufactured global motorcycle company. I caught up with […]
Lawrence Fletcher founded Motoblot, the motorcycle rally and music fest in Chicago. The three-day festival melds music, motorcycles, and a nod to the 1950s. Professionally, Fletcher works in Marketing and Events for Royal Enfield. Royal Enfield began production in 1901in Redditch, England, and is the oldest continuously manufactured global motorcycle company.
I caught up with Fletcher during and after the festival as he reflected on how his passion for motorcycles and love of punk converged to create Motoblot.
Mer Gold: Let’s start with the basics. Where are you from if not from Chicago? When did you come to the city?
Lawrence Fletcher: I am from Germantown, Wisconsin, just North of Milwaukee. I moved to Chicago in 1984.
How did you get into motorcycles and what do they do for you?
I rode motorcycles growing up in Wisconsin. I started on Mini Bikes and Dirt Bikes on trails around my house in Germantown. “On Any Sunday” came out in the Summer of “71” and was definitely a big influence on me.
I know it is a cliche, but it has always about freedom, when I was young, and it still gives me that feeling today.
(Pictured: Lawrence Fletcher, L, and Kevin Dunworth, Motoblot MC)
How and when did you decide to start Motoblot?
Motoblot basically evolved from an event called Mods vs Rockers Chicago which started in 2005 on Lincoln Avenue in front of Delilah’s. It began as a Motorcycle and Scooter show where like-minded enthusiasts gathered to salute the rival youth cultures of early 60’s England. The event steadily grew over the years and we basically outgrew being a renegade street party. In 2014 we rebranded as MOTOBLOT to be more inclusive of all things Moto and I teamed up with the legendary Sean McKeough and brought the fest to Fulton Street and Cobra Lounge. This year’s MOTOBLOT was the 20th anniversary of the first Mods vs Rockers Chicago.
Where does the name of the festival come from?
“BLOT” is a Norse/Pagan word which loosely translated means “a Gathering with Sacrifice”. I borrowed Blot from my friends in the Ton Up Club London who host a WINTERBLOT every January.
What was your original vision for it and has it changed since the first festival?
The early years, we were just hosting your basic Motorcycle and Hot Rod Show and we slowly added more vendors and bands and it really evolved into a lifestyle event where the music and fashion are as big a part of the festivities as the machines.
Was Miss Motoblot and a nod to the 50’s always part of it?
Yes, the Pin-Up contest has always been a nod to the 40’s & 50’s… and we also consciously knew we needed to reach a wider audience and attract more female attendees. The Pin-Up contest has always brought a bit of color and glamour to the festival. It wouldn’t be MOTOBLOT without it!
(This year’s crowned Miss Motoblot is Carla Panico.)
Music-related, many punk and punk sub-genre bands are always on the schedule. Does that reflect your own musical tastes?
Punk is in my DNA. I was a teenager when Punk broke in the mid seventies and it was the soundtrack of my High School years. I always strive to book the best Punk, Psychobilly, Country Punk and other sub-genre bands that I think our moto-community will enjoy.
(Dozer also won the Valhalla Custom Motorcycle Show. As a trophy, Dozer was awarded the GUNGNIR (The spear of Odin) forged by Marcin Matlakowski.)
Why do you think punk music and motorcycles go so well together?
Punk music and motorcycles are both inherently rebellious, Punk rockers, hot rodders and bikers share similar tastes in music, fashion and attitude. It is what makes Motoblot a unique festival.
This year, Rick Dozer, an extra in the acclaimed film The Bikeriders was at Motoblot. How cool was that? Another cool coincidence was that the movie about a Chicago motorcycle club opened the weekend of Motoblot.
It was an awesome coincidence. The Bikeriders book has always been highly regarded in the motorcycle community. The photojournalist/author, Danny Lyon is legend, and his book perfectly captured a unique moment in motorcycle culture.
Funny story, When I first heard that the movie was opening Motoblot weekend, I originally contacted the Music Box Theater to try and set up a screening. I was speaking to Rebecca, a very nice woman who works in events and programming at the theater.
We were having a conversation about a potential Bikeriders screening and she drops “Danny Lyon” is my Dad”… I said “WHAT!” I was blown away that I was talking directly to his daughter. The Bikeriders screening didn’t work out with The Music Box so we set up the “Quadrophenia” screening in honor of the 20th Anniversary of Mods vs Rockers Chicago. Later, I was contacted by the studio behind The Bikeriders and I was also able to work with them on a Chicago screening of the film during Motoblot week. It made for a fantastic kick-start to the festivities!
(Pictured L- R: Builder Josh Longfellow/Gashawk Customs, Kevin Dunworth (Motoblot MC and Valhalla Coordinator) Rick Dozer (Valhalla Winner), Lawrence Fletcher, Brett Conway of Torc Helmets (Valhalla co-sponsor), and Marcin Matlakowski.)
Back to your love of riding motocycles. Your favorite rides and destinations?
I am very lucky that I am able to ride motorcycles for a living. My job with Royal Enfield takes me all over North America doing demo events and marketing rides. Every corner of the country has great and unique riding opportunities. From California’s Pacific Coast Highway to the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina / Virginia and everywhere in between.
Do you prefer riding solo or in groups? How do they differ and what does each do for you?
Nothing is better than riding in a group with your friends, that feeling is actually very well depicted in a scene in The Bikeriders.
Were you ever part or are you a part of a motorcycle club?
I started a Chicago chapter of the Ton Up Club back in 2005 with a few of my friends and it has grown to 30 plus members. The Ton Up Club is an international enthusiast club inspired by the Rocker era of 1960s England and the motorcycles of that era.
What bikes do you own and how often do you ride?
Like most of my friends, I have a garage full of motorcycles and projects. My favorite bike is a 1960’s era Triton, a London-built custom cafe racer that features a Triumph 650 motor in a Norton frame. It is considered a Unicorn in Rocker culture.
You have family in the Motobot biz as well correct? Your daughter?
Motoblot is definitely a family business. I couldn’t do it without the help and support of my wife [Marya Fletcher] and daughter [Tenley Fletcher]… and they put up with me and my obsession to host a great fest and the 365 days I spend planning for next year.
Finally, Other than The Bikeriders, what do you believe are some of the best films, about motorcycle riders/culture?
The obvious classics are The Wild Ones, Easy Rider, and On Any Sunday. The Wild One, in particular, inspired all of motorcycle culture that came after it. One gem that has always been below the radar is The Loveless (1981) directed by Katherine Bigelow and starring Willem Dafoe. Check it out if you can find it.
The annual Motoblot weekend is not the only motorcycle and music-related event Fletcher organizes. He also organizes Motorcycle Mondays, a monthly event, at O’Donovan’s; Pints & Pistons, a monthly event, at Montrose Saloon… and Hexe Moto, once a month at Hexe Coffee. He also is working on a Motoblot Holiday Party on December 13th at Cobra Lounge. Bands have not been announced but he has confirmed Hillbilly Casino and The Rumours. You can find the schedule of upcoming events here.
Thanks Lawrence! We’ll see you at Motoblot 2025. Cheers!
Feature Photo by Paul Natkin The death of Steve Albini on May 7, 2024, due to a fatal heart attack, sent shockwaves throughout the music world. None more so to those who called Albini a friend, a mentor, or a collaborator in making their music. CHRIS CONNELLY Scottish-born, Chicago-based musician Chris Connelly has known Steve […]
Feature Photo by Paul Natkin
The death of Steve Albini on May 7, 2024, due to a fatal heart attack, sent shockwaves throughout the music world. None more so to those who called Albini a friend, a mentor, or a collaborator in making their music.
CHRIS CONNELLY
Scottish-born, Chicago-based musician Chris Connelly has known Steve Albini for decades. He recalls the 2 weeks spent in Minnesota, in 1991 with Albini. He sent me this reflection and calls this time the Mouse and the Elephant.
“In the summer of 1991 I went to Pachyderm Studios in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, about 40 miles outside of Minneapolis, to record what would be the first and only album by the somewhat volatile Murder Inc, a band which was basically Killing Joke minus Jay Coleman, and with the addition of myself and original drummer Paul Fergusson along with later drummer Martin Atkins. We had toyed around with some song ideas in Chicago and Steve was going to record us.
I already knew Steve, through my friendships with various Jesus Lizards, Butthole Surfers, Naked Rayguns, etc, this was Chicago in the very early 90’s, it was a hotbed of vicious talent, it was a great place to be after fleeing the often baffling blue eyed major label soul boys of the Scottish music scene. Chicago had teeth and fangs.
I was not a part of the music writing or recording: My choice, I would go into the studio late in the day and listen back to what we had done and write accordingly. It was just myself and Steve, he was honest to a fault, blunt, not rude, not opinionated, I soon learned that he was serving the record, not me, not the band, but the album: truth be told, I had worked with many engineers who were often yes men, so this was refreshing. I have repeated this phrase Steve said to me once whilst recording and I mentioned something I wanted to try “SURE! It’s your album! If you wanna go ahead and ruin it, go right ahead!”, to which I laughed so hard…
The “title” song “Murder Inc.”was a long groove, about 6 or 7 minutes of organic sounding angular lopsided funk, and I wrote the lyric and came into the studio and told Steve it was “kind of a rap,” his face fell and he said “oh GOD!”, but I went ahead and tried it, a little sheepishly, understandably, we were hovering at the border of rap/metal, it could have been a horrible idea, BUT after I did the pass, Steve was noticeably relieved, more John Cooper-Clark than Ice T, …the day was saved.
We spent many a night having a great time, he had me sing a vocal lying on the ground, another one where he rigged a 3-foot square of plywood unevenly balanced on a couple of bricks whilst I jumped up and down on it as if throwing a toddler tantrum, and another one where he found the most expensive vocal microphone in the place and had me swing it around my head as if I was trying to coral a wild horse. This became the song “Mrs Whisky Name,” an ode to my favorite whisky, which at the time, I was too drunk to remember, so that’s what Steve wrote on the tape box…
Late evenings were spent with the band and Steve having dinner and drinking (not Steve, no, but the band, YES) stories were swapped and jokes told, Steve had an endless supply of great ones, including the legendary MOUSE AND ELEPHANT joke, which I cannot for the life of me remember, but it was a great one (if you know it, let me know!)
Honest, adventurous, inspiring, and a hell of a storyteller, these are some ways I would describe Steve, and in my very long career in music, these 2 weeks in rural Minnesota were a shining highlight for me. Thank you Steve!
MARC RUVOLO
Author and Musician Marc Ruvolo shared numerous memories of his friendship with Steve Albini. He permitted us to share them here: Posting those memories here as he did on Facebook:
COMPILING ALL MY ALBINI MEMORIES INTO ONE PLACE AGAINST THE DAY MY BRAIN FINALLY BRICKS (Not in chrono-illogical order). My heart goes out to Heather Whinna, and anybody else that adored him. ????
1. Steve recording dOUBT in his original home studio. We were in the basement and he was upstairs. Never heard a home studio sound so good. His house was like a dragon’s hoard of cool shit: books and records and movies and posters and porn (erotica!). I looked on the back porch which was filled with records and saw a box of the limited edition Big Black “Headache” EPs with the original shotgun suicide cover.
2. Steve introducing me to Fluss, his cat, he credited much of his production work to. He also used these producer aliases, which always made me laugh: A Skinny Bespectacled Guy, Arden Geist, Buck Naked, Ding Rollski, Don Moist, Engineer, Frank Francisco, Harry Schnell, King Barbecue, Lenard Johns, Mr. Billiards, Reggie Stiggs, Robert Earl Hughes, Some Fuckin’ Derd Niffer, Terry Fuckwit, The Li’l Weed, The Proprietor, Torso Man, Whodini.
3. Steve flying back early from recording Bush’s “Razorblade Suitcase” to finish the Traitors record because he promised us the date and then we of course didn’t have all the money to pay for the session so he kindly put us on a payment plan.
4. Steve, Heather, Ethan, Kim and Kelly Deal and I sitting around playing wholesome party games, eating snacks and laughing our asses off before the Breeders show because Kim and Kelly wanted to stay away from drugs and alcohol.
5. Steve letting me bang on his Travis Beans through his amps and play with his vintage mellotron. When he recorded dOUBT I was kinda embarrassed to be playing through a Peavy Bandit but he was stoked to record it and said he loved Peavy because you could beat the hell out of them. He even made it sound kinda good.
6. Steve inviting Traitors to play shows on a Shellac tour he booked where they only played in Comedy Clubs and had standup comedians for an opener. In SF, he and I were sitting outside some pizza place shooting the shit when he said he was going back to his hotel. As soon as he walked away, some weirdo ran over and grabbed the plastic chair he was sitting on and ran away yelling, “I got Steve Albini’s chair!” Earlier at the show, people in the audience were spitting (gobbing?) on him while he played and he stopped playing and said, “What the fuck? Stop that shit. This isn’t 1978!”
7. Seeing Big Black reunite at the Hideout Block Party (Touch & Go 25th) and after they were done Steve saying to the crowd, “See? They’re just songs. You didn’t miss all that much not seeing it until now.” or something to that effect.
8. Steve giving Gar Brandt a free car. Steve was incredibly generous with his money and time and loved 80s Subarus and would drive them until they were about to die and then sign the title over to whoever wanted them. The back seat well of this particular one was filled with hundreds of unmarked black tapes, all various mixes of bands he was recording. You could just pick one up at random and pop it in the tape player and try to figure out who it was. A bootlegger’s dream, and we had such a ball driving around listening to that shit.
9. Steve taking dOUBT to record for an overnight session at Chicago Recording Company (where they recorded Eye of the Tiger, turned out it was designed more for commercials than music= no fun) and when we didn’t like the way it came out he told the studio we were some crazy Belgian band who stiffed him on the bill and skipped the country so we didn’t have to pay.
10. Steve generously helping me try and salvage the only copy of a No Empathy song from a broken DAT tape, failing, and then gently telling me what an idiot I am for not making a backup and that DAT tapes were not meant to sit in a moldy box for ten years.
11. Steve blowing off firecrackers on stage at Metro and getting banned.
12. Steve keeping the actual physical copy of “Two Nuns and a Pack Mule” porn magazine on his toilet tank so anyone could read it while they took a shit.
13. Shellac playing Fireside not on New Year’s Eve, but on New Year’s Day–at NINE A.M. in the damned morning. It was sold out, of course. Steve bought coffee and pop tarts and asked if we would man a table, toasting them and handing them out, which we did, feeding the whole crowd.
14. Steve showing us around the under-construction Electrical Audio [Albini’s Chicago recording studio], culminating with the incredible reverb bed he was having built in the basement.
15. Shellac playing on Halloween as the Sex Pistols (with David Yow as Johnny Rotten) and Steve wearing a handkerchief hat like Glen Matlock. Steve was amazed I could play full barre chords for so long. I never realized he didn’t play almost any barre chords. He said he never built up the stamina in his hand. On tour Traitors relentlessly made fun of Shellac because they had a Sex Pistols chord book to learn these three chord songs. I asked Steve to show me the chords to “Copper” once and he showed me these jazz chords and I said “can’t you just play it as barre chords like this?” And he said, “Where’s the fun in that?”
16. For some unknown reason, Traitors appealed to Steve. I remember one show he attended and in the midst of the usual sweaty drunken stupidity orgy that was our “music performance,” I saw him sitting in the back, drinking an espresso, with a big smile on his face. When we played with Shellac he always seemed to sit behind the Traitors merch reading a book so that anyone who wanted to talk to him had to look at our records first. We never discussed it, but I believe the now-famous silkscreened Electrical jumpsuits were inspired by the Traitors jumpsuits (you can see Steve wearing what was probably one of the first in the pic below. This was a sound check at Lounge Ax). We both liked the idea of putting on the work clothes to do the job of making music. Chicago in a nutshell. Godspeed Steve, it’s a real kick in the nuts when good, honest people go early while the evil asshats seem to live on and on.
NICK NOVAK
Steve Albini and Nick Novak. Photo by Tash Cox.
Nick Novak, Lead Engineer at Smashed Plastic, and Staff Engineer at Mystery Street Recording Company, once worked for Steve Albini at Electrical Audio. In his Facebook bio, Novak describes his role at that time as “Steve Albini’s Minion.” For Novak, Steve Albini was a great and generous mentor. Novak shared his reflections on the time:
I interned for Steve several years ago. I was there for maybe 7 months [2017-18].
I was very fortunate to have learned from him. He was always very generous with his knowledge. Any question he would have a very thorough and well thought out answer. Steve’s technical knowledge was incredible and he had no hesitation to share what he had learned over his decades in the studio. No question was a bad question to him.
I don’t think Steve got the credit he deserved for how humble he was. He went to great lengths to not ever take or accept credit for the success of any project he had worked on. He saw himself as a facilitator for bands. His goal was to capture an accurate representation of the music and allow musicians to achieve what they wanted with their music. He refused to ever take any credit for other people’s art.
He truly believed that every single client matters. When on the topic of how he handles working with major bands and artists he made it very clear that every client, big or small, should be treated the same. He felt he could be doing a “disservice” if he treated any of his clients differently from any other. This client could be recording for their first time ever, recording for the last time ever, or this could be their only opportunity ever to record. So he needed to treat every project, every client, with the same level of care, skill, and professionalism.
Steve was a person who showed me that you can run a business ethically in an industry that often isn’t. It was always his goal to serve the band. He made sure that everyone who entrusted their music with him got their money’s worth.
Steve was great. He was truly a “no dumb questions” guy. There’s nothing you could ask him that he wouldn’t give a thorough and well thought out response to. I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from him.
DARYL WILSON, M.D.
Daryl Wilson, founding member and singer for The Bollweevils, is also a medical doctor in the emergency department at Edward Hospital in Naperville, IL. He sent us these recollections of Steve Albini, including the time The Bollweevils recorded with him:
The recording session was pure Albini. He believes you sound like you sound. Bob [original bass player Bob Skwerski], and Ken [guitar player Fitzner] were fighting the whole recording session. I was just fascinated talking to Albini about life and anything but music. He was big on everything being on physical media because he was adamant about things being real. Digital stuff was just vapor is what he was preaching. He is so right. He had me record vocals in a bathroom shower. The first mix sounded pretty good, then Albini hit some stuff on the board and the mix sounded horrible to Ken and Bob. He just said, “that’s how you sound”. I find that funny as hell looking at it. We played straight-up punk rock. We weren’t some 80s hair metal band or anything like that. What were we supposed to sound like? A punk band. He was spot on. RIP.
There are some great stories about him hearing our cover of Naked Raygun’s “I Lie”. He was in Reckless Records and it was playing over the speakers. He looked up and just shook his head. Hahah.
He called out folks on their bullshit and that is the best. He was real. 100% of the time. That is the most admirable quality a person can have.
STEVE SILVER
Writer Steve Silver and Steve Albini had a complicated relationship at the start. But eventually, it was one of mutual respect. Silver recalls the invaluable advice he received from Albini.
Steve and I did not like each other when we met. For sure. I was the muscle head door guy at Exit and he was the pretentious prick band guy who wrote nasty shit in fanzines.
But those were titles other people had saddled us with, and soon after we met through mutual pals, he was the first to drop the curtain on all that foolishness. He decided I was ok, and I did the same for him, because we actually talked about dumb shit, and we liked that the other guy wasn’t backing down from his opinion.
He told me once he pushed people just to see if they would blink because he was using his intelligence OR band shit to intimidate them. And if he did cave too easily, he never really forgave that much. He liked strong opinions. He and other people.
I sit in a weird spot in all of this. I wasn’t what I would ever call close to Steve, we just knew each other forever. And it wasn’t always fun being around me. I had some bad years of my own doing and I sort of disappeared for a lot of years. But, when we reconnected, it was nice and Steve actually at the beginning of our reunion, said he had no idea how bad I had been and he was so glad I could put it behind me. Which was really my first time noticing that HE had really changed for the better since our long-ago days.
Everyone is talking about how Steve would do the most unexpected, nice things to help musicians and engineers get better at the craft. Or, how he would answer the phone or door at his studio and spend a ton of time giving his perspective on things (I think he hated to use the word advice, it sounded condescending to him I think) but the world is filled now with stories like this about him.
Steve and I never, ever had that kind of relationship for a simple reason…..I wasn’t in a band, I was never going to produce or engineer music. I did a long stretch as a roadie or security for a bunch of bands, then I became a tour manager. It’s going to sound too simple, but the truth of the matter is, we never were going to need anything from each other like that, and I think it freed us up to just be our idiot selves when we were young and appreciate where we were when we reconnected later in life.
Here’s the funny part though….. he did completely ALBINI me at a time when I really needed it.
I had just finished writing my first book, and because it was a DIY publishing thing, and because I had no fucking idea how things worked in the business of being a writer, after it came out, other than Facebook, I had no way of getting it out there.
I sent Steve to the book page on Facebook and he wrote back in seconds that he was happy I had finally done it. And he asked how it was going. And I told him bookstores didn’t want me to do events and literary events only cared about letting writers with publishing deals do their showcases. I was basically lost with what to do next. I should have been out of my mind with happiness and I was so fucking angry and frustrated I couldn’t see straight.
He asks me…“you want to be famous or do you want to be a writer?”
A writer.
He proceeds to explain to me that I have the opportunity to do the whole punk rock work ethic thing but for my book. He reminds me of how the first punk shows weren’t in established places, we used gay bars or rented cheap nights in the week at VFW halls and bowling alley lounges. We made our spots until it made sense for the people with money to let bands play at their places or sell the records. He tells me, I am sitting on a goldmine that is only available to me as a writer and really no one else. “You know everyone who owns nightclubs and bars. You know some gallery owners. you know all the bands from the old days. Read there, tell stories before they go on, MAKE THE SPOT FOR YOURSELF.”
And, I do. Slowly but surely. And one night at Live Wire he catches a few minutes towards the end of my reading. Smiles at me and says “I fucking told you so!”
He continues to give me the same as he gives bands…. “Do it yourself, don’t follow the money, own the entire process. DON’T SIGN ANYTHING with a publisher who says they know what’s best to sell you. Fuck that.“
Write, tell stories, pester your friends to open, sell books at bars, sell your t-shirts. Build what you want on your own.
When he first told me this stuff, I told Claudia my wife and editor, a writer of her own, and she lit up immediately. She knew he was right. He fucking was.
And later, he would tell me, “All these writers running around, you have something the will never have.
He was fucking right. Again.
We chatted online a bit. We got into fights with trolls on Twitter a lot, which I loved and when my friend John invited me to Bluesky. John was my first connection and Steve was my second. I didn’t add anyone else for months.
Recently, I was asked to tell some stories before Deep Tunnel Project played for the vinyl release of their album. It was a huge honor for me. John Mohr is an old friend and this record is as Chicago as fuck. John had a lot to do with the trajectory of my new book, and that happened at the service for our old friend John Kezdy after I spoke.
And then, four days before that show, Steve passed away. The world, especially Chicago was stunned. A huge hole was ripped out of our lives and we were adrift in disbelief and absolute shock.
The four guys in Deep Tunnel Project were all very close to Steve, had all worked, played, argued, and yelled with him for decades. Actual friends. Lifelong.
We weren’t sure that the show would happen. The decision was made by the band to go ahead.
And that’s how I found myself in a great record store, packed to the rafters, band standing right there, telling some Steve stories, and just some in general stories I thought fit. I spoke for what seemed an eternity, hoping to ease some pain. Then, the band played this amazing set of beautiful, loud, magnificent music that has Chicago and Steve stamped all over it. A grown-up punk rock gathering that helped everyone there heal a little bit.
John Mohr used the word “prescient” several times to describe that show that day.
First of all, nice to have a smart rockstar around.
Secondly, and more importantly, he was right.
And, because Steve was Steve, he really did set those wheels in motion. If I never do anything else with my writing, I will have that day when we all came together and healed a tiny bit. Just a tiny bit.
He’s going to be missed. He already is. His kindness and generosity will never be forgotten, and we all will try our best to pay back the debt we owe him.
Im gonna miss that Jagoff. You are too.
Yes, we will.
One more thing to add: in 2015 Steve Albini wrote about Christmas with his wife Heather Whinna and how Letters to Santa came about. Whinna is the president of the non-profit whose mission statement is:
“Poverty Alleviation Chicago is a nonprofit organization on a mission to use Art as a conduit to transform passive compassion into immediate assistance through the distribution of money given, without expectation or judgment, directly to families experiencing poverty.”
All of us at Dying Scene extend our deepest condolences to Steve’s wife, Heather Whinna, and all of his family and friends.
Stiff Little Fingers (SLF), the legends from Northern Ireland, are presently on their final coast-to-coast tour of the United States. Barring any future festival or one-off appearances, this show at the iconic Metro may have been the farewell to Chicago. It was especially poignant as SLF founder and frontman and his wife, Shirley Sexton, called […]
Stiff Little Fingers (SLF), the legends from Northern Ireland, are presently on their final coast-to-coast tour of the United States. Barring any future festival or one-off appearances, this show at the iconic Metro may have been the farewell to Chicago. It was especially poignant as SLF founder and frontman and his wife, Shirley Sexton, called Chicago home for several years. The couple moved to rural West Virginia in 2023. In addition, the tour’s name comes from the “Hate Has No Home Here” campaign here in Chicago.
SLF brought along fellow Northern Ireland musician Ricky Warwick for a fun acoustic solo set.
Jake Burns recently spoke with Dying Scene about this coast-to-coast tour of the United States being the last the band will be doing. He left the door open for possible one-off shows and festival appearances.
And what a show this night at the Metro was. Look in one direction there were many friends from the Chicago punk scene, including members of Pegboy and Naked Raygun, as well as many other musicians. Look in another direction and you saw people representing Liar’s Club and other venues in which Burns, with SLF or with other musicians performed. The show also brought fans from across the country and the Pond. Right up front was Martin, a fan with a large SLF tattoo on his arm. Martin informed me he had just flown in from Belfast, the city in which Burns was born and raised.
Following some introductory music, the band – Jake Burns, Ali McMordie, Steve Grantley, and Ian McCallum – tore into one of its most famous songs, “Suspect Device.” The song is from the band’s landmark album Inflammable Material. Stiff Little Fingers’ roaring performance of the song set the mood for the night.
Burns also spoke of how special it was to be back in Chicago and the campaign that inspired both the title of the tour and the song they then launched into — “Hate Has No Home Here.” The song also indicates the powerful music the band is still capable of producing.
Stiff Little Fingers put in a solid 75 minutes. The set included the classics, “Wasted Life,” “Gotta Getaway,” and “Tin Soldiers.” Burns spoke of how Joe Strummer of The Clash inspired SLF as an introduction to “Strummerville.”
The band closed out the night with a fiery rendition of its most famous and greatest song, “Alternative Ulster.” With the crowd singing loudly along, there was no doubt this was a special night for the band, and for all those in attendance. I felt so fortunate to witness Stiff Little Fingers retiring from regular touring on such a high note. Stiff Little Fingers is one of the pioneering bands of punk music from the genre’s first generation. The band’s power never wavered.
Thank you gentlemen!
Ricky Warwick, from Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland, kicked off the night with a blasting performance. Warwick has a long-time affiliation with Stiff Little Fingers, having performed with the legends in Glasgow in 1993. The performance appeared on the live record Pure Fingers in 1995. Warwick listed his favorite SLF songs in 2016. Warwick, also a member of The Almighty and Black Star Riders, among other bands, took the stage with just an acoustic guitar and his powerful voice.
Warwick ripped through a set including the Black Star Riders’ “Kingdom of the Lost,” and songs from his solo work, the rousing “The Arms of Belfast Town,” and “The Whiskey Song – Feckin Whiskey.”
Warwick performed a stirring rendition of Thin Lizzy’s “Jailbreak.” Ricky Warwick, in 2009, joined Thin Lizzy as its lead singer. In 2011, he toured with the band in Europe as it commemorated the 25 years since the death of lead singer Phil Lynott. Warwick was a charismatic and compelling presence and a great opener for Stiff Little Fingers.
House of Blues welcomed Bayside back to Chicago. Winona Fighter and Armor For Sleep lent support. Finch, with the penultimate set, was billed as a special guest. Bayside, named for the Bayside, Queens neighborhood of its origin, brought its There Are Worse Things Than Being Alive tour to Chicago at the end of April. The […]
Bayside, named for the Bayside, Queens neighborhood of its origin, brought its There Are Worse Things Than Being Alive tour to Chicago at the end of April. The tour name doubles as the title of the band’s brand new album from Hopeless Records.
It’s an album garnering positive reviews and it pulls no punches. “The Devils” haunting intro sets the mood:
“We are the trade-ins, the souls that needed saving Counting on a tired god who didn’t really want the job If he’s on vacation, as I wait to be taken Then nothing really matters now So what am I so worried about?“
As for the Monday night show, Bayside’s powerful performance was a 21-song salute to its 2-plus decade history. Included in the set (not in order of how played at the show) were “Devotion and Desire” from Bayside’s 2005 self-titled record, “Sick, Sick, Sick” off of 2011’s Killing Time, and “Prayers” from 2019’s Interrobang.
Of course, the band also peppered the set with cuts off of the new album, including, “Castaway,” “Go To Hell,” and “The Devils.”
Bayside will be playing the Not Just A “Phase” Fest in Kansas City, KS on June 2nd. The band will then head to The United Kingdom to play a couple of headling shows, in Brighton on June 11th, and in Huddersfield on June 12th. On June 14th, Bayside will hit the Avalanche stage of Download Festival, at Donington Park, in Leicestershire, England.
Finch, out of Temecula, CA, returned to playing shows in 2023 for its What It Is to Burn 20th Anniversary Tour. The band played shows in NYC, Chicago, Boston, and Anaheim. Being the special guest of Bayside this year has allowed even more Finch fans the opportunity to see the band live again or for the first time.
Finch’s set, including, “Rainy Day,” “Letters to You,” “Post Script,” “A Piece of Mind,” “New Beginnings,” “Insomniatic Meat,” and “What It Is To Burn,” was a throttling one. The reception the band received made it clear that its fans are glad to see it back on stage.
Teaneck, New Jersey’s Armor for Sleep, disbanded in 2009 and reunited in 2020 for the 15th Anniversary of its album What To Do When You Are Dead. The band then released a new album, The Rain Museum in 2022. This year the band is spending a great deal of time on the road. Along with providing support to Bayside, Armor For Sleep will be joining Hawthorne Heights‘ 20 Years of Tears tour. That second tour celebrates the 20th Anniversary of Hawthorne Heights’ debut album, The Silence In Black And White.
Blasting through a set including “Remember to Feel Real,” “Dream to Make Believe,” “Williamsburg,” and “Awkward Last Words,” Armor For Sleep gave a solid and tight performance. When the band returns to Chicago on June 28, on the above-mentioned tour, no doubt many of the same fans at this House of Blues show will be amped up to see them at The Salt Shed.
The fantastically named group, Winona Fighter, from Nashville, TN, kicked off the evening with a massive bang. The highly energetic lead singer Coco utilized all sections of the stage as she led the band’s propulsive performance. Winona Fighter ripped through a set including “Hamms In A Glass,” “I’m in the Market to Please No One,” a cover of Blur’s “Song 2,” and “You Look Like A Drunk Phoebe Bridgers.” She got her first taste of punk in Boston, MA before moving to a city more famous for country music. Winona Fighter, formed in 2022, was the revelation for me on an evening stacked with decades-old veteran bands. I am looking forward to seeing the band again, whenever that might be. I am also curious to find out what other punk bands call Music City home.
The punk community around the world is mourning the loss of Steve Albini, one of its iconic figures. This is especially true for Chicago, where he helped shape the punk scene, and where his Electrical Audio recording studio is located. Staff members at Albini’s Electrical Audio confirmed to Pitchfork that Steve Albini suffered a fatal […]
The punk community around the world is mourning the loss of Steve Albini, one of its iconic figures. This is especially true for Chicago, where he helped shape the punk scene, and where his Electrical Audio recording studio is located. Staff members at Albini’s Electrical Audio confirmed to Pitchfork that Steve Albini suffered a fatal heart attack late Tuesday night, May 7, 2024
Albini’s death also comes on the heels of the announcement that Shellac, one of Albini’s bands would be opening for OFF! at that band’s farewell shows in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago in July. Shellac is also scheduled to release its first new album in a decade, To All Trains, next week.
Steve Albini was born on July 22, 1962, in Pasadena, CA. While Nirvana’s In Utero and The Pixies’ Surfa Rosa are among the most famous of the classic albums he recorded, he also worked with such musicians and bands as PJ Harvey, Jesus Lizard, Breeders, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Helmet, Low, Dirty Three, Slint, and Brainiac.
As a musician, Albini founded Big Black in the early 1980’s. Naked Raygun’s Jeff Pezzati and Santiago Durango were members of the band. Pezzati left the band, replaced by Dave Riley before Big Black’s two most seminal albums Songs About Fucking and Atomizer.
Albini, Bob Weston, and Todd Trainor founded Shellac in the early 1990’s. The aforementioned To All Trains will be the band’s sixth studio album upon its release, and Shellac was scheduled to join Off! on its farewell tour, sharing the bill with Fucked Up and Surfbot as well.
Albini was also, at times, a controversial figure, especially in years past. In more recent years, he expressed regret over some of those things.
Outside of music, Steve Albini had another noted talent: championship poker player. Albini won two World Series of Poker bracelets.
All of us Dying Scene send our deepest condolences to Steve Albini’s family, friends and fans. Stay tuned for more Dying Scene coverage of Steve Albini’s life and legacy in the near future.
John Reis, best known as the guitarist for Rocket From The Crypt, brought his brand new band Swami and the Bed of Nails to Chicago’s Subterranean. In support was Meat Wave, the Chicago group riding a massive wave of acclaim. It was a night of double delight. Swami and the Bed of Nails, is making […]
John Reis, best known as the guitarist for Rocket From The Crypt, brought his brand new band Swami and the Bed of Nails to Chicago’s Subterranean. In support was Meat Wave, the Chicago group riding a massive wave of acclaim. It was a night of double delight.
Swami and the Bed of Nails, is making its new band debut with a series of shows. Though John Reis is mostly known for being a member of Rocket From the Crypt, he has also been a part of Drive Like Jehu, Hot Snakes, The Sultans, and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, just to name a few groups in which he has played an integral role
In SATBON, he is joined by other well-known punk veterans: bassist Tommy Kitsos (Night Marchers and CPC Gangbangs); Lady Dottie and the Diamonds’ Joe Guevara on piano and synthesizer, session player Richard Larson on drums; and Mark Murino (of Radio Wendy and Dirty Sweet) also guitar.
The band entranced the crowd with a set including, “Do You Still Wanna Make Out?,” “Rip From the Bone” “When I Kicked Him in the Face,” “Vape in the Dark Alone.” While all of those songs are off of Reis’ solo album, Ride the Wild Night, the group also performed its first single, “How Are You Peeling?“
Swami and the Bed of Nails’ lively performance inspired hope in me, and I’m sure in many others in the crowd, that we will be enjoying more music from this group of punk vets.
The band kicked off the night with a raucous performance. Sutter’s growling vocals and guitar playing were complemented by Ryan Wizniak’s pummeling work on drums, and Joe Gac’s fierce bass playing.
The band was runner-up to the legendary Naked Raygun in the 2022 Chicago Reader’s Poll Best Punk Band category. That same year it released Malign Hex with the driving single “10k.” The combination of the two introduced the band to even more listeners, no doubt growing its number of fans.
If you have yet to check out Meat Wave, I recommend you do so soon. The band is just another reason why Chicago’s punk scene stands strong.
This show was a lively and fun one and on a night when the city hosted concerts all over the place, SubT was a pretty good place to be. Thanks and Cheers!
