Backdrop Falls is an up-and-coming melodic punk band from Fortaleza, Brazil. If you haven’t heard of these guys, their brand new single “Bury You Down” is will serve as a good introduction. We’re stoked to be premiering the song’s music video! Check it out below and, if you dig it, add the song to your […]
Backdrop Falls is an up-and-coming melodic punk band from Fortaleza, Brazil. If you haven’t heard of these guys, their brand new single “Bury You Down” is will serve as a good introduction. We’re stoked to be premiering the song’s music video! Check it out below and, if you dig it, add the song to your favorites on Spotify or wherever you stream music.
Talking about the new song, Backdrop Falls frontman Matheus Collyer said: “I feel like this song sums up everything that I perceive as our band: the aggressiveness, the angst, the melodic element… we love it, we’re proud of it and we can’t wait to see everyone jamming to it.”
It sounds like “Bury You Down” is the first in a line of dominos to fall for Backdrop Falls in 2024. Links to all their socials can be found here; drop ’em a follow and stay tuned for more to come!
This premiere is brought to you in part by Punk Rock Radar. If you’d like your band’s music video to be premiered by Dying Scene and Punk Rock Radar, go here and follow these instructions. You’ll be on your way to previously unimagined levels of fame and fortune in no time.
Tampa, FL pop-punks Lychee Camp‘s brand new single “Tell Me A Lie” hit all the major streaming platforms today. Dying Scene is excited to bring you this exclusive premiere of the track’s accompanying music video. Check it out below! Here’s what frontman Joe Marquez had to say about the song: “Tell Me a Lie has […]
Tampa, FL pop-punks Lychee Camp‘s brand new single “Tell Me A Lie” hit all the major streaming platforms today. Dying Scene is excited to bring you this exclusive premiere of the track’s accompanying music video. Check it out below!
Here’s what frontman Joe Marquez had to say about the song:
“Tell Me a Lie has been a journey! I first wrote this song back in 2017 but never let it see the light of day. Till now with the new lineup. We decided to take matters into our own hands and self-produce the song, and video. The lyrics are super personal and raw, and they’ve been a part of my life for a while now. It’s cool to finally share it with the world. Can’t wait to how people react to it and hope they connect with it just like we have.”
This is the second single the band has released this year, following June’s “Over and Over”. Check out the rest of Lychee Camp’s back catalog on Spotify and grab some merch here.
For the first time, Team Dying Scene had two photographers on the ground and in the pits in Chicago for the annual 3-Day Riot Fest. It was a blast to have another great photographer documenting RF. We both have our own perspectives. This is mine for day 1, Friday, September 16, 2022. On the […]
For the first time, Team Dying Scene had two photographers on the ground and in the pits in Chicago for the annual 3-Day Riot Fest. It was a blast to have another great photographer documenting RF. We both have our own perspectives. This is mine for day 1, Friday, September 16, 2022.
On the day 1 train rides to Riot Fest, I queried those headed to Douglass Park about whom they were most looking forward to seeing play. It would have taken several pairs of hands to count how many attendees on the nearly full CTA train cars of the red and pink lines responded with Sincere Engineer. Chicago area’s Deanna Belos, performing under the stage name of Sincere Engineer, has been on a rocket ship to national stardom these past several years. It’s not hard to see why. Sincere Engineer combines infectiously great tunes with a self-effacing wit and an utterly charming stage presence. This was not her Riot Fest debut, but it was her first on one of the event’s main stages. She blasted out a set list including “Trust Me,” “Bottle Lightning Twice,” “Dragged Across The Finish Line” and of course, “Corn Dog Sonnet No.7.” That last song was the inspiration for the “Corn Dog Mosh Pit,” in which participants held up corn dogs as they slammed into each other. Back to those fans on the morning “L” rides headed to Riot Fest? Eager as they headed to Douglass Park and left Riot Fest satisfied. If Belos ever asked “what am I supposed to do now?” I think a good response would be “pretty much whatever you want.”
Please look for an upcoming DS special feature on Sincere Engineer.
Carolsdaughter, aka Thea Taylor, from Temecula, CA, is just a couple of months shy of her 18th birthday. However, has already witnessed her song “Violent” featured in over a quarter-million TikToks. Taylor, as Carolsdaughter, has also amassed 882.7K followers on her own TikTok channel. That’s in addition to the 183K followers on her Youtube channel. But the musician/comedian demonstrated that she is no flash-in-the-pan influencer too many often assume of young people with such large social media fan bases. Her performance at Riot Fest proved this. With an appearance recalling Gwen Stefani in her No Doubt days, Carolsdaughter utilized the entire stage, running from one corner to the next, with a few pogo jumps sprinkled in whilst belting out haunting lyrics. This included the aforementioned “Violent”: “don’t make me get violent, I want my ring back, baby, that’s a diamond, You don’t listen anyways, I’ll be quiet I don’t really feel like fighting” was quite captivating.
As accomplished as she is at such a young age, it will be fun keeping an eye out for her future projects. We will be listening.
Boston Manor was founded in March 2013, in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. “Datura,” the band’s latest album is scheduled to be released on October 14, 2022, to critical acclaim. The record has thus far generated three singles, “Foxglove,” “Passenger,” and “Inertia.” As with the past Boston Manor releases, its sound is a fusion of punk, emo, dance, and electronica. The band’s Riot Fest set was intense as demonstrated through “Foxglove,” one of the above-mentioned recently released singles.
There was also a nice touch by guitar player Mikey Cunniff. Cunniff appeared on stage with a sports car yellow guitar emblazoned with Topo Chico branding and wearing a Placebo t-shirt. Placebo, one of the top billed Riot Fest 2022 artists, was forced to pull out of the festival, according to a statement the band put out, “…due to unprecedented visa and logistical issues beyond our control.”
Taking Back Sunday, from my native land of Long Island, was back at Riot Fest after performing at the event in 2021. The band played a solid set much to the appreciation of many fans in the crowd. Those fans eagerly sang along as TBS ran through “Set Phasers to Stun,” “Timberwolves at New Jersey,” “You’re So Last Summer,” and “Flicker, Fader’.”
Taking Back Sunday, a Riot Fest semi-regular, was yet again a reliable part of the event and I’m sure this will be far from its last performance there.
The legendary Descendents kicked off their set with “Everything Sux.” Considering that the festival’s long-time slogan is “Riot Fest Sucks,” this was a great choice. Through nearly 30 songs, the Californians held their fans in sway as crowd surfing fans continually made it to the barricades before being pulled to safety by security personnel. In addition to the opening tune, Descendents also jammed through “I’m Not A Punk,” “I’m the One,” “Coffee Mug,” “When I Get Old,” “Merican,” “My Dad Sucks,” and “I Don’t’ Want to Grow Up.”
Descendents may sing about everything sucking but the band itself has never earned such a description.
San Diego’s Rocket From The Crypt has long been a fan favorite. With all members dressed in matching black attire with white trimmings, the group brought to mind a Mariachi band. Rocket From The Crypt had a common Riot Fest musical assignment: Playing one of its best albums in full, from start to finish. In this case, it was the band’s penultimate album, 2001’s Group Sounds which features the very popular “Savoir Faire,” and also includes “Straight American Slave,” “S.O.S,” “Carne Voodoo.” RFTC also performed “Sturdy Wrists”, “Glazed” and “Don’t Darlene “ from its second album Circa: Now!
Rocket From The Crypt members Speedo, Petey X, ND, Apollo 9, JC 2000, and Ruby Mars provided die-hard fans what they were looking for and it’s hard to imagine they didn’t pick up more than a few new fans in the process.
Yet another great band from California played, Goleta’s Lagwagon. The band’s walk-on music was Theme from “The Warriors” (composed by Barry De Vorzon) and its set sprinkled with humor as frontman Joey Cape led Lagwagon through a set which included “After You My Friend”, “Falling Apart,” “Wind in Your Sail,” “Island of Shame,” “Razor Burn.”
Many fans at the very front wore Lagwagon attire and appeared ecstatic that their time waiting, often crushed up against the metal barricades, paid off with an experience they’ll remember for years.
Chicago’s own Alkaline Trio matched Lagwagon and perhaps even superseded them with choice of walk-on music. This time it was a tune that had stage and security personnel, the fans, and yes even us photographer singing in hearty unison. The tune which provoked this sunshiny moment in the darkness of just past the gloaming? One of the biggest hits by the legends (and Riot Fest alums) from just 85 miles west-northwest past Chicago. Of course the tune was “Surrender” by Cheap Trick. It was glorious.
Once on stage Alkaline Trio blazed through a set which included “Time to Waste,” “Calling all Skeletons,” “Sadie,” “Fatally Yours,” “Bleeder,” and “Radio.”
Matt Skiba, Dan Andriano and Derek Grant also had a couple of dedications to gift.
“How about a love song? How about a love song for Chicago? Tonight. Another one” proposed guitarist/vocalist Skiba as he introduced “Every Thugs Needs a Lady,” on which bassist/vocalist Andriano took the lead vocals. The conclusion of the song led to this delightful (partial) exchange between Skiba and Andriano as drummer Derek Grant sat back took it in:
Skiba “That, that was a 9 and a half.”
Andriano “Thanks buddy… see I’m getting better.”
Skiba: “I would have given you a ten I just don’t want you getting cocky on me right?”
Andriano: “I can’t be reading my clippings” …”…I get a little confidence boost though with that, thank you Matt”
Skiba: “…No problem bro.”
This was immediately followed by Skiba declaring “This song’s for the Descendents, it’s called “Mercy Me.”
Alkaline Trio capped an enjoyable day 1 for Dying Scene correspondents.
Coverage of days 2 and 3 coming soon. See below for more day 1 photos.
Sincere Engineer
Sincere Engineer
Sincere Engineer
Sincere Engineer
Sincere Engineer
Sincere Engineer
Sincere Engineer
Sincere Engineer
Sincere Engineer
Sincere Engineer
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Gary Kessler, manager of Liar’s Club, was named Best Music Venue Bartender in Chicago, 2022 by those voting in a Chicago Reader “Best of Poll”. Liars Club was also voted top dive bar in Chicago, in that same poll. Liar’s Club has hosted a tent at Riot Fest for years and also hosts weekend long event late night event called Liarpaloozer. Though the same weekend, Liarpaloozer is and independent event and not officially affiliated with Riot Fest.
Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday
Reading Plainwater by Anne Carson at the barricades
Rocket From The Crypt
Rocket From The Crypt
Rocket From The Crypt
Rocket From The Crypt
Rocket From The Crypt
Rocket From The Crypt
Rocket From The Crypt
Rocket From The Crypt
Rocket From The Crypt
Rocket From The Crypt
Rocket From The Crypt
Rocket From The Crypt
Rocket From The Crypt
medical staff member ready for service with a smile
Lagwagon
Lagwagon
Lagwagon
Lagwagon
Lagwagon
Lagwagon moshpit
Lagwagon
Lagwagon
Lagwagon
Lagwagon fans
Lagwagon
Lagwagon
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Lagwagon
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Lagwagon
Neon Us-ie
Shamus Mullen, of Staten Island, NY, enjoying day 1 of Riot Fest
Foxy Shazam
Foxy Shazam
Foxy Shazam
Foxy Shazam
Foxy Shazam
Foxy Shazam
Foxy Shazam
Foxy Shazam
Foxy Shazam
Foxy Shazam
Foxy Shazam
Foxy Shazam
Foxy Shazam
Foxy Shazam
Trying to both stay and look cool at the same time.
Boston Manor
Boston Manor
Boston Manor
Boston Manor
Boston Manor
Boston Manor
Boston Manor
Boston Manor
Boston Manor
Boston Manor
Boston Manor
Boston Manor
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Boston Manor fans
Boston Manor
comic punk guy
Carolsdaughter
Carolsdaughter
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Carolsdaughter
And yet they happily posed.
Descendents
Descendents
Descendents
Descendents
Descendents
Descendents
Descendents
Descendents
Descendents
Descendents
Descendents
Crowd surfer during Descendents
Descendents
Descendents
Descendents
Scott and his son Henry, 4, have a bit of fun between sets. Riot Fest ’22 is not Henry’s first Riot Fest. He and his father road-tripped it from their home in Florida to attend this event last year
This Alkaline Trio fan is stoked as he awaits the start of the band’s set.
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio bathed in blue and red light from the stage.
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
The Vann family, from left to right JJ, Justin, Tania, and Gabbie, await on Chicago’s State and Lake Pink line platform on their way to Douglass Park. The family traveled from San Antonio, Texas to attend Riot Fest 2022. Tania and Justin are festival vets but this year, they brought along their children, aged 12 and 13, so the younger members of the family could experience attending a large musical festival.
Riot Fest founder Michael “Riot Mike” Petryshyn is Ukranian-American, as are other high-ranking members of the festival’s crew. Riot Fest, in numerous ways, all strongly, showed its support for Ukraine as it battles back against the Russian invasion into its land. Per United 24’s website: “UNITED24 was launched by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the main venue for collecting charitable donations in support of Ukraine. Funds will be transferred to the official accounts of the National Bank of Ukraine and allocated by assigned ministries to cover the most pressing needs.”
Once again, it’s time for a festival, and once again, it’s time for us to see some music and think about it. This time, we are heading to Copenhell – Denmark’s biggest Rock and Metal festival, but after this year – I would call it Denmark’s biggest alternative festival. Copenhell takes place a weekend in […]
Once again, it’s time for a festival, and once again, it’s time for us to see some music and think about it. This time, we are heading to Copenhell – Denmark’s biggest Rock and Metal festival, but after this year – I would call it Denmark’s biggest alternative festival.
Copenhell takes place a weekend in June every year, and people from all over the world come and celebrate music. This year, Dying Scene found their feet on the ground, and it’s nice being home for stuff like this. Because as we know, I live in Denmark, but up north, and I have a special relationship with the festival, but I don’t wear any rose-tinted glasses when I’m here.
This year is special, tho, because it’s my first year as our EU/UK coordinator, and that means I have a team of three other amazing people. Peter Kirkeskov Rasmussen, Philip Onyx, and Sabina Hvass will give you some impressions of the festival and explain why we hope one of you, dear readers, will come along on the ride next year.
The first band of my day. Maybe not everyone else’s, but Underoath made their return for the first time since 2017. And I honestly can’t say I was disappointed one bit. While Underoath is a highly energetic band, sometimes the energy can take over and become a slight hiccup for vocalist Spencer Chamberlain, who was making sure that everyone in the audience was moving. But didn’t have the microphone with him for a few songs, which wasn’t his fault. I’m looking at you, sound techs. But after that minor hiccup, Chamberlain came back strong, while Aaron Gillespie continues to prove that he knows how to drum and supply the clean vocals flawlessly. I mean, come on, he wasn’t breaking a sweat. And it did help that they varied set list, considering that it was a festival. I have zero complaints about it. Either way, I’m looking forward to seeing a full concert with them.
Before they were announced to play at Copenhell, I have to be upfront and say I had never heard of Dvne before. But seeing they were from a prog-rock band from Scotland, I needed to check them out. So, walking towards Gehenna, which, in my opinion, will always be one of the best stages Copenhell has. The sound on that stage USUALLY doesn’t fail, but for Dvne’s instance, today was the day that it decided to play some games. Dvne will hopefully find their way back… Maybe sooner rather than later.
Empire State Bastard is a band that consists of Simon Neil from the rock/post-hardcore band Biffy Clyro, Mike Vennart from Oceansize, and Dave Lombardo, the former Slayer drummer. It was an odd experience. First, I’ll say that the stage, Hades, was too big for them. They would have been better suited on Gehenna or Pandæmonium. But it was as it was. Now, I enjoyed their debut album, but it somehow got lost in translation because, for at least the first four songs they performed, they sounded a bit horrible. But after that, it did clean up a bit. I’m not going to dismiss this band after this performance because it was a first-time experience.
I may be the wrong person to ask this. Wednesday was only my second time seeing them, but I can happily say that it was the best performance I’ve seen from the band itself. The energy that they all displayed. They were in sync. From the moment that they all came out on stage, I felt the audience was very much ready to sing along to their all-time favorites. I was prepared to get proven different from that horrible set at Slam Dunk last year, which left me utterly shattered.
But kicking off with “Come Out and Play”, I knew from that moment that I was not getting a moment’s rest. But then again, I am such a fan girl that I was with friends in the pit. From that song, until they played their cover of “Blitzkrieg Bop”, people were not standing still. They even gave us an encore; no way in hell would they be allowed to leave the country if they hadn’t played “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid” and “Self-esteem”. Dexter has been sounding amazing lately, and the rest of the band is just absolutely on fire. Noodles was even impressed that he hadn’t fucked anything up yet.
But jokes aside, this is a serious review. The Offspring are more than they have ever been, sound-wise, and they managed to put together the dream setlist. Is there a new one in there? Yeah, but that’s so fine. That gave us time to catch our breaths after partying in the pit. And I could see that the pit wasn’t the only one having a giant party; the hill was as well. They had the audience’s full attention, and we were hanging onto every word. The banter that Noodles comes with is funny; he continues to be one of the funniest people in music.” We broke the world record for attendance here”, likely they did. Likely he was taking the piss; who knows. But if you weren’t at The Offspring, that’s fine, but you missed out on the most insane concert ever.
Gosh, if I could see The Offspring once a year, I’d be happy.
It’s been 11 years since Dying Fetus played Copenhell, and somehow I found my way to Pandæmonium to check them out since my friends told me about how good their live shows are. Normally I’m not into death metal, and we don’t review it on Dying Scene. But I felt I had to say some words about their show.
Taking their steps onto Pandæmonium to the sweet song “The Boys Are Back in town”. Dying Fetus had no time to mess around, decending into fast riffs, and mean growls, it’s easy to fall into the mood of moshing. Even though I stood way back. There’s no beating around the bush with Dying Fetus. They are a class act, with some fast drumming, dirty growls and zero fucks to give.
If you’re into Death Metal, I suggest you check out a show when the band is near you.
Suppose you’re into electronic, mixed with a vocalist that reminds you of nothing less than a perfect vocal mix of Robert Smith, Siouxsie Sioux, and Ian Curtis. In that case, you need St. Digue in your life. I didn’t even know how much I needed it until I saw it last night. I admit that I can be lazy on the Danish music front, but let’s say I’ll work on it for the rest of 2024.The audience was there, alive, having the time of their lives, but it was the first day of Copenhell, and we had all been drinking, even though it was late. But all honestly, I haven’t had such a good time for a bit—just the moment to switch off and enjoy the music. Gosh, I finally understood why people around had been encouraging me to go to a show. Now I can’t wait to go more, and more.
That concludes the first day and only the beginning of our coverage of Copenhell.
Day 2, let’s go. That is what I told myself when I woke up at 6 am, after four hours of sleep. But screw it, you want to know why? Because it’s LIMP BIZKIT DAY!! For months on our Discord channel, I have been waiting and waiting for this day. I have zero shame if […]
Day 2, let’s go. That is what I told myself when I woke up at 6 am, after four hours of sleep. But screw it, you want to know why? Because it’s LIMP BIZKIT DAY!! For months on our Discord channel, I have been waiting and waiting for this day. I have zero shame if we need to dissect my music taste. I cherish Limp Bizkit and how silly they can be. But it wasn’t just Limp Bizkit that was showing up on the sunny and warm Thursday. Haha, no, no – Mr. Bungle found their way to Copenhagen, Thy Art Is Murder served up on hell of a pit, and The Hives proved they could play the main stage at Copenhell.
Usually, I’m good at time management; I know how long it takes me from my home in Lyngby to Refshaløen, where Copenhell takes place. However, I am not in control of public transport, so while my busses were delayed, our group chat was going off about how DeathByRomy was about to start. I think it’s an understatement when I say I was annoyed. Having missed a few songs, I arrived at the end of “Hellhound”. Romy Flores has brought a band with her, and wow, this was the perfect way to kick off Thursday. “This song is about crashing my car,” Flores tells us before kicking off the song “Crash.” on record, it’s already an intense song, but hearing it live had the hairs on my neck rise.
“No Mercy” got the energy flowing on stage and in the crowd. DeathByRomy usually is a one-piece, but seeing a band accompany her on stage, bringing a well-rehearsed ping pong between each member, just showed how this was one of the best bookings Copenhell gave us this year. And when it all ended with “Day I Die”, you are left wanting more; that high you are on from the set is a wholly different drug. Next up, I hit Helviti right next to the stage for Thy Art is Murder. [Karina Rae Selvig]
Sometimes, I get tired of my friends going to shows in genres I have zero interest in because our group chats are constantly filled with praise or funny stories about what the bands did or said. Now Thy Art Is Murder is one of these bands that I have found to be highlighted constantly, followed by the phrase, “Karina, you need to see them.” And being as curious as I tend to find myself at festivals, I did indeed head over to Helviti with my trusty pal Sebastian to see what the hype with this band was about. Finding ourselves in the pit, I was not mentally prepared for the hell that was about to be unleashed upon me. Advice: if you are going to see Thy Art Is Murder, do not go into an area where a pit might erupt. Because that’s what we did, and I need to admit, I felt very claustrophobic being pressed up against people, but at the same time… Oh, I wanted to be in the pit, but due to an unlucky episode a few weeks prior, my pit days are over until the dentist says so.
But let’s talk about Thy Art Is Murder; before hitting the stage, “We Like To Party” by Vengaboys was playing from the stage, and as soon as the band took the stage, we needed to prepare to step the hell back. Because as the first riff came out of the speakers, the pit was getting going. The band indeed ate up the energy that was coming from the crowd, but clearly not enough to get the band moving on stage. Maybe I’m too used to punk bands that go flying off the wall at shows; it was a bit of a disappointment. Did I maybe expect a lead singer to jump from speaker to speaker? Yeah, actually. They had the main stage, which proved to be too big for them in the end. Indeed, the audience was the highlight of this show. From a circle pit that was never-ending to people on the ground rowing, you would be amazed by how the audience lifted the band, while the interaction between the band and the audience felt limited. But honestly, I would see them again; it was cool, scary, and overwhelming. [Karina Rae Selvig]
The Baboon Show
Starting my day off with iced coffee and Swedish punk was a brilliant idea. The energy from four piece, The Baboon Show, was radiant. The songs were short, groovy, and filled with conviction. And the band celebrated oddballs that cursed out sexism, racism, and capitalism to joyful crowd surfing and compelled the crowd to join in a “middle fingers in the air-morning gymnastics”. Adding kazoo to the song “You Got a Problem Without Knowing It” really got the party going. As did the Pyro during “Playing with Fire”. The Baboon Show pretty much left everything on stage, confetti on the ground and hundreds of smiling faces ready to continue their day at Copenhell. [Sabina Hvass]
I actually don’t know how to review Mr. Bungle. My first time seeing Mr. Bungle, and I actually didn’t hate it. Mr. Bungle is an odd band; they are funny and have some titles that make you go “ok…” but overall, you cannot deny that the stage presence that they have is intoxicating. Because what the fuck did I witness.
Starting their set with “Grizzly Adams”, Mike Patton came dressed for the event, from the cool braids to the word “Neck” written on his neck. Nothing could divert my attention from what I had signed up for. I’d say that they sounded good; they played some of their popular songs, which we probably won’t write the titles to, but if you are a Mr. Bungle fan, you know which ones I’m talking about. And they did some covers, actually a lot of covers, to the point where I questioned why. They have such an impressive back catalog; it just got too much. But whatever, they sounded amazing, and judging by the crowd, I wasn’t the only one thinking that! Would I see them again? Fuck yes. [Karina Rae Selvig]
The Hives presented high kicks, high energy, and a friendly, neighborly feud between the Danes and the Swedes on the Helviti stage late this Thursday afternoon. With confidence reaching far back on the concrete floor, The Hives busted the myth that garage rock does not fit a vast Copenhell stage. With a surplus of humor and charm, the band delivered a tight set, with swinging fan favorites like “Walk, Idiot Walk”, “Hate to Say I Told You So,” and finale, “Tick Tick Boom”! [Sabina Hvass]
Legendary guitarist of Rage Against the Machine, Tom Morello, kicked off on the Helviti stage performing his songs like “Soldier in the Army of Love” and medleys of RATM tracks to scenes of people joyfully crying, jumping, and pleading for revolution. A touching version of Audioslaves “Like A Stone,” was beautifully placed mid-set. With the addition of Måneskin, MC5, and eventually a Bruce Springsteen cover, “The Ghost of Tom Joad”, tension was clearly building. Morello and his band played an improvised track, “Copenhell Rocks,” leading up to the powerful release of energy during “Killing in the Name of”. To close the set, Morello guided an attempt to get the audience registered on the Richter scale as we jumped to John Lennon’s “Power to the People”. I’ll finish as I started: Legendary! [Sabina Hvass]
Now Zulu Are Through With Me
Back in 2019, I fell in love with an EP called “Our Day Will Come”, and that became a part of my hardcore journey. When they released “A New Tomorrow” last year, it came in as my number 21 best album of the year, which, in hindsight, I regret to this day today. However, once I saw that the hardcore/power violence band was making their appearance at Copenhell, it felt like a dream come true.
Once again, we head towards Gehenna, and I find myself a bit on edge since Wednesday’s continual failure to secure proper sound for the artists throughout the day. Zulu took the stage and five right into “For Sista Humphrey”, but not long after, they were forced to stop their performance since they were experiencing some technical difficulties, which wasn’t their fault. As the show went on, they managed to get the crowd going, playing some of their biggest bangers from the album “A New Tomorrow”, and managed to get me dancing and screaming along. While I may have had the time of my life, it was an unfulfilled experience, but you know what? That’s how it is sometimes. But I’m still fangirling over seeing Zulu kicking ass at Copenhell. [Karina Rae Selvig]
Wrapping up the day with Danish post-hardcore band Lack – the band that delivered the soundtrack to angsty train rides in my college years. Recently resurfaced from a long hiatus, their new songs were performed with precision, intensity, and emotive strength that I could only have dreamed of. The punchy drums placed some really powerful and dynamic details onto hard riffs that were handed back and forth. Bass, guitar, and vocals ripped through the chilly summer air with lyrics leaning into the accompanying genre-bending music – call it emo, screamo, noise rock, or hardcore – this band is still gallantly spreading out in punk territory with guts and heart spilled and spewed over the crowd. Lack dove into their back catalog with the biting “Hund”, bisexual anthem ” Deserters,” and swinging “5 p.m.” standing out as highlights as I moved further and further toward the stage. As lead singer and guitarist Thomas Burø bravely proclaimed that ‘The future is female” and called out the half-hearted crowd surfing in the front rows, some of my fellow female audience members were also motivated to take a surfer view over the show as it concluded. A beaming performance by this band on the big stage, they always deserved. [Sabina Hvass]
As I mentioned earlier in the post, I have waited for a chance to see Limp Bizkit. As a matter of fact, I know they’ve been to Denmark a few times, but I never really had anyone to go with. But at a festival, everyone is there. This was one of those that I call a mandatory meet-up gig. The one where you expect everyone you know to make an appearance and have the best time with you, even if they don’t like the band that much, or as much as me.
As the song “Sweet Home Alabama” was playing from the speakers, my friends and I were making our way through the sea of people there to see Limp Bizkit in action when we found our other friends and the band came on stage; they dove right into “Full Nelson”. From then on, it was every person for themselves. I had told my friends earlier that I wanted to go to the pit for Limp Bizkit, and those who weren’t feeling it could stay back and chill. So, into the pit I went with two friends, and that’s where I discovered what I liked about the band. See, they actually sound good live. There is no doubt that Fred Durst & Co. still has a lot to offer. In between their songs, they did give us some covers, and that gave us some minutes of downtime before they started playing their hits like “My Way”, “Break Stuff”, and so on. The moment I heard the first notes to “Boiler”, I think my mouth dropped. What a pleasant surprise that came from Helviti, I swear – The delivery, the atmosphere, and every moment felt terrific, actually, throughout their whole show, which flew by in a blink of an eye. They can come back anytime, and it’s fair if you don’t like Limp Bizkit, but don’t be shit and hate on others that do. [Karina Rae Selvig]
With the sheer quantity of shows I’m seeing these days, very seldom do I recognize mid-performance, or even after the fact, that what I’m witnessing ranks among the best shows I’ve been to. Sure, somewhat recent examples may include my first experience with Frank Turner, or photographing Daikaiju inducing utter mayhem in a wall-to-wall packed […]
With the sheer quantity of shows I’m seeing these days, very seldom do I recognize mid-performance, or even after the fact, that what I’m witnessing ranks among the best shows I’ve been to. Sure, somewhat recent examples may include my first experience with Frank Turner, or photographing Daikaiju inducing utter mayhem in a wall-to-wall packed club. But this Codefendants show may rank higher than both of those, holding a more significant spot than almost any show of my recent memory, and for a variety of reasons.
I’ll be the first to reveal that, initially, I wasn’t super fond of Codefendants, for no other reason than I didn’t give them the time of day. I’ve mentioned in the past that my musical preferences are extremely closed-minded and, for the most part, I’m very set in my ways. So when I first caught wind of the project featuring the trio of Fat Mike-Sam King-Ceschi Ramos, I didn’t have much interest in exploring the newly termed genre of “crime wave”. It wasn’t until close to three weeks after their full-length, This Is Crime Wave, hit streaming that I gave it a chance. And when I say this record may be a game-changer for me, I’ll be surprised if anything dethrones this thing from the top spot on my ongoing Records of the Year list. Even now, nearly a month after finally giving This Is Crime Wave a fair shot, I find myself listening to it on the daily.
With this record came a newfound respect for all the artists featured on the release. This release, more so than really any others in my recent recollection, showcases an insane amount of songwriting dynamic, displaying a kind of musicianship that appeals to fans of genres that have seemingly no similarities to punk rock. I found myself holding the songwriting of Sam King, Ceschi Ramos, Fat Mike, and even Stacey Dee, to a higher regard, as well as diving into the legendary career of the DOC and digging into what Onry Ozzborn’s extensive catalog has to offer. This is one of those records that I can cite as helping to expand my musical taste a little bit further outside the strict confines of punk, a feat that is becoming more and more difficult to achieve.
After recognizing the grasp that this release took on my airwaves, I was already looking forward to this show. Any chance to hang with the Zeta dudes is time well-spent, especially getting to see them back a band that’s gaining significant momentum. Additionally, this would be my first in-person run-in with both Ceschi and King, two guys whose prior projects I’ve followed pretty closely as well.
This show had it all, blowing every expectation I had out of the water. Codefendants, featuring their mesh of hip-hop, punk, and just straight-up lyrical-badassery, had two openers that fit right in with fans of hip-hop or punk rock.
Rap Ferreira leaned more towards hip-hop, but gave me major Chris Farren vibes with his one-man-band type of performance. Armed with only a microphone and what I can only assume was a small table full of electronics that do tons of cool stuff that I don’t know shit about, Ferreira achieved a stage presence and flair that rivals many full bands I’ve encountered.
I continue to enjoy Zeta‘s live show more each time I come out, even with this being my fifth show of theirs in the last year, with at least one more scheduled for June. They’re a killer bunch of dudes that have poured their life into playing music and I envy the hell out of their dedication and motivation. I was beyond pumped when the announcement came of them playing this tour, and I was even with Juanchi (featured right) when the announcement came through.
Their musical style is hard to pin down, but I’ll settle on the experimental-punk label. I mean it’s hard to pin a band down to one genre when all their shows end with each member playing different percussion within a drum circle. But I hope to not spoil too much as I’ve got an interview with 50% of Zeta due out very soon.
Holy shit were these guys good. Codefendants sounded as professional as anyone I’ve seen and I was in pure awe watching some true professionals go to work.
What stuck with me more was seeing their emotion shine through, reinforcing how much they had previously revealed that these songs meant to them (interview due out very soon as well). I found myself once again realizing that punk’s honesty and genuine nature are what I truly love about the world’s greatest fucking genre.
Having had the pleasure of catching Codefendants first ever tour was one for the books, and I’m still riding a high from this show as I’m doing this write-up. Both Zeta and Codefendants are absolute workhorses, so do yourself a huge favor and catch them live. Codefendants has been on all the Punk in Drublic dates and were recently announced as openers for Avenged Sevenfold as well, so catch a show and have a ball just like I did. Zeta has an upcoming full US tour with recently announced Festers Sparta, so go say what’s up to four of the nicest dudes I’ve ever met.
As always, thanks for checking out the site. Cheers!
EXTRA EXTRA! Phoenix’ Ashes releases their first new single after five years! With the single ‘Oceans’, post-hardcore formation Phoenix Ashes officially ends a period of silence. With this, the band from Southern Netherlands wants to put themself back on the musical map. The band was hard at work before the global pandemic threw its veil […]
EXTRA EXTRA! Phoenix’ Ashes releases their first new single after five years! With the single ‘Oceans’, post-hardcore formation Phoenix Ashes officially ends a period of silence. With this, the band from Southern Netherlands wants to put themself back on the musical map.
The band was hard at work before the global pandemic threw its veil over the world. They opened for their musical heroes Funeral For A Friend (UK) and played at festivals such as Jera on Air and the Liberation Festival Limburg. In addition, tours were done through Southern Europe, Russia and Indonesia. Along with their release of their live album. Due to burnout, of several members of the band ended up in a hiatus from the music scene.
Five years after the release of ‘Live & Unplugged’, plans were made and the group dove into the studio to record an EP. Together with producer Erwin Hermsen from Toneshed Recording Studio, they worked on Oceans to make a statement to the world of their return to the music life and into the spotlight.
Phoenix Ashes already made their live appearance at metal festival The Rock Circus last autumn, and their single Oceans will be the final proof that they are back, and ready to take the world by storm.
Onto the review! These guys have been near and dear to my heart since I started shooting concert photography back in 2017. Arnout Lie (guitarist and backing vocals) and I have been friends for years and keep in touch so I can attempt to get them over to the US (specifically to my home state of Alaska) for a tour! When he reached out to tell me they were releasing a NEW song, I just about died. I eagerly waited for him to send me the press release for it so I could put it on repeat. These guys have NEVER missed their mark with a song, lyrically or instrumentally.
In the press release, they mention “The lyrics describe the feeling of drowning on one hand and the encouragement to find your steady ground on the other. This is a metaphor for the mental problems that various band members suffered during that period. With this track the band wants to draw more attention to the subject in a broader sense.” This was done BEAUTIFULLY by some of my favorite lines in the song. “Am I to drown in the deep // Or do I find the shores to steady my feet”. The instrumentals behind this line and the haunting intro and vocals to start this had me HOOKED. Easily one of my favorite lines due to its intense relatability. Having experienced single motherhood and drowning in the responsibility of keeping other humans alive while simultaneously trying to provide everything they need is seemingly never ending in that moment.
Leading into the first verse of being torn apart, the instrumentals get an electronic beat to break up that haunting feel and give you this anticipated buildup into a drop that had me head banging and hair swinging. “Collapsing under the weight // The weight that I was supposed to hold”, another relatable line for a cornucopia of situations, not just single motherhood. We all may feel some sort of crushing obligation to hold everything for everyone, to push our own well-being and health aside to make sure those we love around us are cared for, happy and healthy first. In the reality of it all, you can’t help others if you’re too sick to get out of bed. The heaviness is almost transformed into the energy of a mosh-pit (at least for me) and instead of putting me in my head, it gives me a much more uplifting and energetic feel. Also, the intense feeling of hope I feel when “You’ll find a way // Break out // Rise and be free” hits your ears. The song’s lyrics almost talk to each other, too, if you listen closely. There’s the side of them that’s drowning, struggling to break free from depression’s grip, and the other side that’s encouraging them to see they will break free and can be who they want to be (and be happy) they just have to fight for it. The fight won’t be easy, but “Change // Shifting winds on the horizon” tells us, the work is in how you move with the winds. Choose your own fate, before you’re convinced it’s too late to change. Heaviness aside, this song is written beautifully and the instrumentals are incredible.
Even if I’m partially biased with these guys having been friends with them, it’s undeniable that their music is good and everyone needs to RUN to streaming platforms to listen to Phoenix’ Ashes’ newest single in 5 YEARS, “Oceans, which dropped on June 21st.
Finally, it’s time to travel across the pond and hit up some festivals that aren’t in my backyard (nearly, you get the point). This year we’re eyeing up Slam Dunk, and after looking at the lineup, we are hyped to see so many great bands in one day. Look at the poster below, and if […]
Finally, it’s time to travel across the pond and hit up some festivals that aren’t in my backyard (nearly, you get the point). This year we’re eyeing up Slam Dunk, and after looking at the lineup, we are hyped to see so many great bands in one day. Look at the poster below, and if you’re already going, we look forward to seeing you!
Attending 2024’s Sick New World Festival was one of the most exciting experiences of my adult life. It was an 80-degree day with a perfect lineup. What more can a fan ask for? The festival was extremely organized and well run. The bands seemed to be having the time of their lives. This clearly wasn’t just […]
Attending 2024’s Sick New World Festival was one of the most exciting experiences of my adult life. It was an 80-degree day with a perfect lineup. What more can a fan ask for? The festival was extremely organized and well run. The bands seemed to be having the time of their lives. This clearly wasn’t just another stop on the rock festival circuit. This felt monumentous. Every aspect of the day had a grandiose feel to it. Sick New World is (one of, if not) the best, punk rock and heavy metal festivals currently.
Most people compare Sick New World to its sister festival, When We Were Young. While yes, they are managed by the same team, take place at the exact location, and have very similar business styles, I believe they cannot be compared. When We Were Young is more based on nostalgia. It’s literally in the name. Most of the bands on that bill already had their heyday. The 2024 lineup is actually just bands playing all their older records in full. There is nothing wrong with this. The festival plays classic bands that serve a purpose in their community. There will always be a space for those bands, and When We Were Young will always continue to have the coolest lineup.
The key difference with Sick New Word is that these are all the bands that are making a splash in the community NOW. Bad Omens’ newest record, “The Death of Peace of Mind,” is not only their biggest but also one of the most successful rock albums of recent memory. Sleep Token have ascended into amphitheater headliner status, something extremely rare in this genre. The last rock artist to really start playing areas of this size was Rise Against in the early 2010s. Knocked Loose is slowly becoming the biggest hardcore punk band to ever exist, playing Coachella and getting mainstream attention. They’re the face of the genre right now. In a different scene, Lorna Shore has become the most well known deathcore band in history. Will Ramos is appearing on covers of Rocksound and getting talked about in Loudwire the same way they talk about Corey Taylor. Ice Nine Kills are currently opening support for Metallica and proving they’re also the future of metalcore music. Most of the bands on the bill, have had their most recent album be their most successful. It’s not nostalgia bait; it’s the heartbeat of heavy music today.
A highlight set that needs to be discussed is the carnage that was Bring Me The Horizon’s set. The band brought their A-game in a massive way. As someone who has consistently seen the band for over 10 years, their set at Sick New World was a moment in time. It felt like their entire career had been building to that show. The band had Babymetal appear for guest vocals on their song “Kingslayer,” and every single person was on their feet. Video screens featured an AI named Eve trying to destroy humankind between songs. It added flair and personality. I felt like I was living inside an action movie by moshing. I would fly out to Las Vegas just to see that single set again.
Knocked Loose was so intense there were four mosh pits all going off simultaneously. The guitar tones sounded exactly like they did on the studio albums. The band connected with the fans live in such a strong way. Everyone was pointing screaming lyrics at Bryan and the band was giving the energy right back at them. They brought Poppy out to play the live debut of “Suffocate”. Knocked Loose should be a household name at this point.
Ice Nine Kills also played their first show of 2024 at Sick New World. This being my 18th time seeing the band, it’s safe to say I was excited. It was astounding, as usual. The band had a massive inflatable Silence Killer behind them as they performed. During “Meat & Great,” they rolled out a chained Hannibal Lecter, and fans got to watch him escape. Spencer did his classic American Psycho during “Hip To Be Scared” when he murdered Paul on the breakdown. It was a spectacle, it was extremely heavy, and more than anything, it was unapologetically Ice Nine Kills.
The festival also needs to work on its entrance. It had a capacity of 80,000 with only 4 gates to get into the festival. I waited outside for an hour and a half before I was finally allowed in. It was a brutal experience. This can be easily remedied with more entrances. It can also be fixed by having entrances in different locations. Everyone had to enter in the same parking lot area behind Circus Circus Hotel. Another possible solution to this would be having doors open much earlier. The doors opened at 10:30 am, and the first artist started at 11:15. Spacing out the time when doors open may allow for a more gentle flow of people.
A critique we’ve seen a lot about Sick New World is that the band’s set times were too short. While we understand the frustration fans have, we firmly disagree. Did Lorna Shore only play “Sun // Eater” and the “Pain Remains” trilogy? Yes. But in the span of 2 hours, you have seen four headliner-sized bands for the price of one. If fans go choose to see the smaller artists on the Diablo and Siren stages, that turnaround is even faster. In 3 hours (from 6-9pm) fans could mosh out to Drain, Vein.Fm, Code Orange, Better Lovers, Static Dress, and Incendiary. That’s a bucket list lineup right there; it’s just the last quarter of your night at Sick New World Festival. I did not understood the vision until I saw it with my own two eyes. It’s a sacrifice for the length of the set in exchange for the volume of artists. If the lineup is as good as it was this year, that’s a worthy trade-off.
There were no wait times to get food or beer. The food was delicious, and the alcohol was strong. The festival merch line moved quickly and efficiently. The artist merch line had a two-hour wait, but if you flew to Las Vegas to buy band merch, reevaluate your life! There were four bands playing at the same time! Go crowdsurf or run around in a circle pit! The bands have merch online after the festival anyway.
Overall, the title says it best. Sick New World is Coachella for heavy music fans. It’s THE festival for anyone who grew up playing guitar and trying to learn to scream. It was a mass congregation of every hardcore punk fan in the world. At the festival, I ran into people from Brazil, Canada, and every part of the United States. Sick New World 2024 is in the history books.
Hello everyone. This is my first feature for Dying Scene. So, to break things in gently I thought I’d do a simple listicle. A Top Ten type thing. They’re easy, right? I can just do a list of links to some stuff that I’m into right now and try to link it with some sort […]
Hello everyone. This is my first feature for Dying Scene. So, to break things in gently I thought I’d do a simple listicle. A Top Ten type thing. They’re easy, right? I can just do a list of links to some stuff that I’m into right now and try to link it with some sort of loose theme? That’s playing on Easy Mode. Yeah. Let’s go.
Except… fuck… this is a punk site and I made it through the initial gatekeeping process for contributors by pretending I got the site editors’ jokes about Pennywise, I’m really out of the loop about most punk bands and music that’s around right now. Are Pennywise even a right-now thing? I mean… I’m pretty sure I’ve seen them play at a festival when I was so wasted I was ordering slushies from the ice-cream van and then taking them to the bar and asking them to add vodka. Fuck. Now I want a vodka slushie again.
Anyway – point being, I’m an old straight dude that’s into punk rock but also kinda out of touch. But maybe I can write something for other guys like that about some aspect of music that I love as a sort of highly subjective one-oh-one, instead of some bullshit about best songs for drinking vodka slushies to (The answer is Jaya the Cat, by the way).
As I’ve mentioned, I’m a straight dude, but I feel a lot more at home in queer spaces than most straight ones. A sports bar is *not* my idea of a good time. I actively avoid places where there’s sports playing on TV screens. The homoeroticism of most male contact sports notwithstanding, I’m far happier in a gay bar or fetish club than any standard social third-space that men normally gravitate towards. I live in Britain where we don’t really have the titty-bar or lap-dance club scene that there seems to be in the USA, which American friends talk about as if normal, but the thought of a place like that horrifies me. However – I’ve been quite comfortable in places where puppies are led about on leashes by bears and the only answer to any question about how many genders there are is ‘infinite’.
And one point to make – most old straight punks can relate to the idea of sitting in their bedroom, listening to music on your own, and feeling misunderstood. Now, just imagine what it’s like to have parents, or a school, or a general social or home situation that’s actively hostile to something that’s at the core of who you are, and who you love, and not *just* your questionable choices of t-shirt.
Buuuut… how and why do I – or any straight old dude – relate to that? Or show that we’re cool and not a tourist or potential threat in queer spaces?
Music.
The answer is always music.
I’m not about to attempt some sort of overview of queer music, as that’ll take far longer than I’ve got the attention span for, and it’s not really for me, as the aforementioned old straight dude, to do.
But here’s *something* for you. Some places to start. Some feet in the door.
And you’re gonna realise you probably already know more than you think you do.
9. Laura Jane Grace – “SuperNatural Possession”
You maybe are aware of Against Me! already. Laura Jane Grace is the singer in Against Me! and I coulda chosen one of their songs as an example of modern queercore, but “SuperNatural Possession” is a fucking tune and I love it juuuuuuuuust a tiny bit more than “True Trans Soul Rebel.” So that’s why it gets in there as an example of fairly contemporary queer music that’s got an international profile.
8. Tuffragettes – “Tuffragettes Against Terfs“
This is a track that’s at the other end of the scale of awareness levels. The Tuffragettes are a band I saw when drunk at a festival, in that way I discover most of the new bands I end up liking, and they reeked of queer violexcellence. I think the band nearly broke up during their second song, as they fought on stage, but decided they couldn’t recruit another bass player in time for the final chorus, so had to make up and keep playing. I felt all protective of them in a way they’d hate, because they were like angry tiger cubs. We must defend bands like Tuffragettes at all cost. But, uh, in a way that doesn’t piss them off. As they bite and scratch.
I’m gonna say this is more of the same as the Tuffragettes, but that’s in no way intended to be an insult. Or even accurate. They’re coming from the same place except not at all. Young. Queer. Pissed off. I also saw them when drunk and loved them. It might even have been at the same event. Fuck. I can’t remember. Listen to them. Love them.
Drag. Leather. Spikes. Electro beats. Satanism. Fetish clubs. Boa Constrictors. Hearses for taxis. Licking bloody knives. Now, *this* is what it feels like when I go for a night out with some of my friends. Or at least, it’s what the filtered memories are like anyway. This is exactly what I mean when I’m talking about the kinds of queer spaces I feel right at home in. There is just so much here that crosses over with who I am that the gender and sexuality aspects are minor. Maybe that’s the same for you?
7. Dahli – “Cvrsed Images”
Okay, Dahli might need a little bit of context. Dahli won Dragula, also known as The Greatest Reality TV Show Of All Time. But also, in a past incarnation, was half of an emo/crunkcore (okay, I don’t even know wtf crunkcore is, but anyway) band who were kinda a thing for a while, but whose other member was a sexual abuser and who also prevented Dahli from getting the HIV medication he needed to, you know, stay alive. Fuck that guy. He belongs in prison. I’m not even gonna name him. But Dahli survived it and has become a wonderful independent artist and performer who embodies a kind of queer culture that’s the alternative to even the alternative. Go look up Dahli and Dragula and The Boulet Brothers, as I’m not gonna do any sort of big intro to them right here, but they’ve probably got way more in common with a Dying Scene reader than they have with RuPaul.
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Okay, now I’m gonna help you out a little. One straight old guy to another – and let’s face it, statistically that’s who you are, reading this site. Apologies if not. And a fuck yeah to you if you’re not just another one of those old straight guys too. We will defend your right to be here and in punk spaces.
However – talking of spaces, I’ve mentioned feeling happier in queer spaces than most straight ones. But – what if some queer person calls you out and questions if you’re a poseur and does the equivalent of pointing at your t-shirt and asking you to ‘name three songs’ by the band that on it?
Fuck people that do that, by the way. They’re arseholes. But anyway…
Let’s change the hypothetical situation then. Let’s, instead, say you’re in a queer space with a jukebox, and you’ve been asked to put in some coins and select some tracks that aren’t gonna mark you out as a clueless infiltrator, and which *may* get you some nods of approval.
If you went for Kylie or Gaga or generic Disco, then you *might* be okay. But let’s do a bit better, so here we go, your Cliff Notes, and the next tracks in my Top Nine Queer Songs for Straight Punks:
8. Divine – “Walk Like A Man”
Almost too obvious. But still the right way to go. Divine is naaaaaaaasty but also a total fucking icon. And. Punk. As. Fuck. Don’t even try to argue with me that Divine isn’t punk rock as you will lose and I got a few thousand words why that I’m not gonna type here and am saving until you come for me.
9. Crucified – “Army of Lovers”
Now this is something that might not be expected from an old straight punk but, despite the boobage on show in the video, is gay as hell. It’s so not gonna be expected of you to put this one on the jukebox, but it’s a total power move to do so.
10. Robyn – “With Every Heartbeat“
And here’s one for the ladies. Robyn’s ‘Call Your Girlfriend’ is basically the lesbian national anthem. But I like this one better, which is why I’m suggesting it instead as it’s close enough. And despite not being rock, it rocks, and does something to your brain to make it release shitloads of serotonin or dopamine, like a thousand Grindr or Tinder matches suddenly pinging into your phone at once. There’s something about it that hooks into our mental wiring to make us feel good. That stuff is something that the ravers have understood for a while, which punks sniffing glue behind the bike sheds didn’t really get, but don’t diss it. Just enjoy the happies and take note that if you’re in a queer space where there’s more girl-looking people than muscle bears, you’ll be safe putting Robyn on the jukebox. And if there are muscle bears about, they’ll probably be into it anyway.
23. Cyndi Lauper – “True Colours”
Talking of releasing brain chemicals that make you feel good, this’ll do it too. Maybe you’ll cry as well, as it’s just so lovely. And Cyndi is punk as fuck. Hard to believe maybe, but it was one of her songs that was cited in the list of degenerate filth that led to the need for the ‘Parental Advisory’ label on records.
Aren’t you reassured that children are protected from Cyndi Lauper songs by a sticker? Oh yeah, the people that campaigned for that shit sure had their priorities right, didn’t they?
I won’t hear for a fucking parsecond that Cyndi is anything but sweet and pure and also to be defended at all costs. In terms of her quiet activism and support for vulnerable people, she’s really up there with Dolly. If they come for Dolly or Cyndi, we fight hard, yeah?
vi. Bronski Beat – “Smalltown Boy“
Alright, moving away from the Jukebox recommendations, and going back to that bit in the intro about feelings of alienation and being misunderstood, this is the distilled essence of that sentiment poured into a sweet gay kid’s search for a place. In the original video, the moment where the dad pushes whatever little cash he’s got in his pocket into the hand of his kid, and then declining his offered handshake, is heartbreaking.
Remember, this was back in the 80s, in Britain, when the government tried to ban any discussion of homosexuality in schools and the prime minister wanted to eradicate it ‘except as an abstract concept’ and attacked people who suggested that anyone ‘had a right to be gay’. Yeah, really. That’s the background of this song, and the link between this and punk was how it used stripped back, simple instrumentation – even though it was electronic not guitar-based – to make political art. Heartbreaking, and thank fuck we’ve moved on somewhat from people writing songs about feeling like this.
42. Soft Cell – “Sex Dwarf“
However – at the same time, there were some people who decided not to give a fuck and just lean right into being unaccepted and unacceptable. I’m gonna try and link to the original video for this, which tends to get taken down when it’s posted on youtube, for its general DGAF wrongness. I fucking love it and again, it’s punk rock because the cheap and simple Boss DR-55 beat and one-finger synth was as accessible as three-chords on a Squier.
69. Judas Priest – “Breaking the Law“
This is the sound of a guy that’s mastered a genre that’s not ready for him to come out yet, giving us a million clues about his sexuality.
Again, a reminder that this is queer songs for old straight punks, not queer punk songs. Unlike some of his peers (Ozzy, I’m looking at you) Rob Halford’s voice and performances have stayed wonderful, and it’s lovely to see how accepted and comfortable being a gay metal god – THE metal god – he is nowadays.
Okay – a slight digression to make a point. In Rob Halford’s superb autobiography, he mentions his last meeting with Lemmy, just before Lemmy’s death, when he clearly wasn’t feeling good at all but was pushing on with touring regardless.
Now, once again, I’m not gonna give much of an argument as to why Lemmy is punk as fuck. He was in The Damned for a while, and no one’s gonna argue they’re not punk, so any other arguments are unnecessary.
Anyway… Rob mentions that he saw Lemmy waiting at an airport and went to have a chat with him. But he found Lemmy uncharacteristically subdued and not doing good at all. So Rob just sat with him and held his hand and kept him company.
Point being – if you’re a fucking metal god but your friend isn’t doing well and doesn’t want to talk, you can still just sit and hold their hand, even if there’s nothing else you can do.
And even if you’re a maelstrom of hard-living hetero-hellsangelhero-rocknfuckingroll legendary badassery like Lemmy, and your gay friend offers to hold your hand in public, you can set an example to literally the rest of the world that isn’t Lemmy, by just holding his hand and hanging out, to show you love and appreciate the support.
That shit made me tear up almost as much as Cyndi singing “True Colours,” or the Iron Giant saying ‘Sooooooperman’ or Robocop telling the old dude his name’s Murphy.
Holding your gay friend’s hand in public – punk as fuck. But shouldn’t be. It should be nothing notable at all.
8. Kiss – “I was Made for Loving You”
This is the sound of a guy that’s mastered a genre that’s not ready for him to come out yet, giving us a million clues about his sexuality.
9. Buzzcocks – “Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn’tve)“
I told you you already knew more than you thought you did.
Oh? So what did you think this song was about?
Falling in love with someone you shouldn’t? Sure, it’s perhaps a statement that can apply to all sorts of situations, but again, this was Britain in the seventies, not ten years since the laws against homosexual acts were repealed. For context, that’s less time than from now back to when the Avengers movie came out, or the Batman movie with Bane, or Teenage Bottlerocket’s Freak Out!. People in general were still not okay with gay stuff. Pete Shelley, of Buzzcocks, wasn’t gay. But he did fall in love with a man. And he felt he shouldn’t have. Or was made to feel that way anyhow. Punk rock was his was of turning that feeling into art. “Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn’tve)” is one of the seminal punk tracks. And it’s about being queer. Which, yeah, brings me right back to the point I was making originally about just how closely linked punk and queerness have always been, and how, although you should still be as respectful as fuck (and this is kinda what that’s about – giving you some notes on that) you’re already more of an ally than you even thought you were, if you’ve internalised this song and sympathise with the dude singing it.
So there you go. I lied about it being nine tracks. I lost count along the way. Whatever. But I hope this helps. However – ignore the fuck outta me if anyone that’s not just an old straight dude tells you I’ve got something wrong here. I’m fine with that.
NOTE:
Progress Pride Flag
Created in 2018 by nonbinary artist Daniel Quasar, the Progress Pride flag is based on the iconic 1978 rainbow flag. With stripes of black and brown to represent marginalized LGBTIQ+ people of color as well as the triad of blue, pink and white from the trans flag, the design is meant to represent diversity and inclusion.
Travis
Thanks for the write up! We really love all the support, thanks yall 🙂
-Travis (Drummer boi)