The BGN News Archive

Nervous Eaters at Bellforge Art Center 9/22/24

The Rat Reunion show at the Bellforge Arts Center in Medfield was delayed a day because of rain. On Sunday the show went on and there was a few sprinkles just as the Nervous Eaters finished their set.

Bellforge Arts Center is far away from the usual haunts. There's plenty of space and plenty of parking which was a nice change.

There was a good crowd but there should have been double the people in our view. Oedipus began the show with some short comments and he was on stage between all the groups.

The crowd was older and one figured that they were indeed Rat people. We saw: Mach Bell and Julia, Rudi Childs and Lori, Arthur Freedman, Jim Botticelli, David Bieber, Captain Easychord, Steve Donahue, Brian Young and Marie and Rayboy. Also there was Judy Wilburn who set up the first Rat Reunion in 2007.

Tree	Steve and Oedipus

Tree opened the show. The group has been working hard since reuniting and they were impressive. Being outside did not diminish the sound of pummeling hardcore. They only have three instruments but when they lock in on a riff it's the balls. Dave Tree must have a throat of steel. He was fully growling it out for 45 minutes strait with no lessening of intensity. The new songs they have are all winners. We heard a lot of people who didn't know them (really?) and were much impressed. In a song about the evils of money Dave Tree burned a bill on stage. That was wild. One highlight, of all things, was a version of "This Land Is My Land" the old Guthrie tune done up hardcore style. Dave made that an urgent call for environmentalism right now. Stunning.

Dogmatics

The Dogmatics did a stellar set and that's what their usual is these days. The classics ("Gimme the Shakes", "Arishnikob", "Sister Serina", "You Say Alright") with the new songs that have given them a second career. After the set the buzz was on the newer song "Drop the Needle". They didn't play their latest release "Library Girl" but did play a new unreleased tune titled "Scarlet Letter" that was boss. Near the end was "Thayer Street" and then a surprise cover of "Ball Me Out" that DMZ did on the Live at the Rat album. The best idea of the night right there.

Bieber Archives

The David Bieber Archives set up the Stations of the Rat. It was a series of collages on displays that told the Rat story in fanzines, magazines, papers, posters, flyers, clothes and records. The BGN with Willie Alexander on the cover was there. The Bieber Archives has the goods, no doubt about that. There were some real rare things posted. The thing that hits you from this is how much was DIY. That's why the idea of archiving is so important. Many of these things had extremely limited copies. Oedipus said that he was going through his papers and donating some things. Joyce Linehan who booked Green Street Station and the Rat for a short while has recently donated her memorabilia.

Ruffian Dick

Then what we were all waiting for - The Nervous Eaters, the Rat house band. We could write about the long story of the Eaters but hey, that's a book at this point. Right now they have morphed into the current line up with Steve Cataldo, Jim Sullivan on keyboard, Carissa Johnson on bass, Adam Sherman on guitar and David McLean on drums. The whole set revealed the results of that. There was a lot of smiling on stage between musicians. We never saw much of that before. They enjoy and appreciate each other. Adam is a major asset. He expands the sonic palate and the song writing. His turn as lead singer was a highlight.

We have Arthur Freedman's video of the set below.

The group sound has expanded. The arrangements are not different than you are used to. It's all that it was and more. The background vocals had more moves to them. You could catch that as your eyes went between Adam and Carissa. They would sync with each other, then alternate with complimentary vocals.

The songs were new and old as you would expect. They began with "Wild Eyes". There was "End of the World Girl", "Why Are You Telling Me Now", "Last Chance", "Girl Next Door", "Just Head" and "Loretta". The Eaters are THE perfect group for a Rat Reunion and they have the perfect song too with "Rock and Roll Your Heart Away" which is a paean to the Rat and has a roll call of some of the colorful characters that inhabited it.

There's been a few Rat Reunions. There was the Live at the Rat show in 2003 There was the Rat Reunion in Davis Square in 2007. It was a series of Rat Beach Parties at the C Note done by Michael Weedle - there were at least seven of those. The difference this time is that it's the first one without Jimmy Harold. A note in the Bieber Archives display reminds us that Mitch, Mr. Butch are also passed. The reality is that this is a time both to celebrate and remember.

Punk poet John Cooper Clarke was at the City Winery last Monday. We had to go!

"Dr. Clarke" is a phenom! There's really no one like him! His poetry reading style is a headlong rush of words tumbling over one another. Listening requires your full attention.

Cooper was introduced with the soundtrack to Dragnet. He cuts quite a figure; thin as a rail, in a suit coat and magenta Beatle boots. He’s taken lately to wearing a big hat on his head.

His act was different in some ways since we first saw him in 2015. It seems he’s much more popular now than then too. Then he recited his poetry and the in between poem banter was low key. This time the whole show seemed preplanned. The in-between talk was all about setting up a series of poems. Like with a group of short poems, he was riffing on Short and Sweet for a time. At other times it seemed like a comedy act where he would tell a long stream of jokes that would go by fast without stopping. In fact he bills himself now as punk poet/comedian. And he IS hilarious!!

He read poems from his books ... heavy on his latest titled What. (which came after Twat) He also read unpublished poems straight from his various notebooks.

Cooper Clarke writes about things that are real ... real life... like the poem "Things Are Gonna Get Worse" about getting old. He's 75 now.

His did his two big hits; “I Wanna Be Yours”, which was recorded by the Artic Monkeys ... that song now has a billion streams…a billion!! And "Evidently Chickentown" which was on the final Sopranos show.

At one point he mentioned, and sang a line from, “Dirty Water” and remarked about how lucky Boston is to have a signature rock song like that. We agree.

The opening act was the English poet Mike Garry. Where Clarke’s poetry relies on humor, Garry’s is steeped in injustice and unfairness, and memories from a British childhood...which is to say it’s making serious points. The most touching being "Signify", his poem about Miss McCoomb, his primary school teacher, who opened up a new world for him, teaching him to enjoy reading and about poetry.

After it was over you realized that there is just no other way to get what JJC gives. He is truely unique! ... and that poetry is so cool and so versatile and can move you to tears and make you laugh like a fool. It was a great show!!

The opening of the new Great Scott will be in 2025!! To celebrate Great Scott there'll be a week of shows at O’Brien’s pub from September 22 to 28. And it's a great line up: Linnea’s Garden, Air Traffic Controller, Dutch Tulips, Black Beach, Salem Wolves, Zip Tie Handcuffs, Tysk Tysk Task and more. This is so great! Tickets here

The International Pop Overthrow is in town this year again. It will be held at the Square Root on November 30 to December 2. That’s four days with 21 bands. In there are: Hummingbird Syndicate, Corin Ashley, Speedfossil, Cold Expectations, Fezztones, Sal Baglio, Kelly Knapp, Girl With a Hawk and many more.

Facebook event page

VIDEOS......

The Prozacs are now touring Italy. They also have a video for the song “On My Own”. That’s a cover of a song by the Bates. The Bates, named after Norman Bates/Psycho, were a German band Here is the original song by The Bates

This song has a nice pace. It’s slower and not manic like a regular pop punk song. It’s got an emotional core and even as a pop punk song it comes out as contemplative. This is a real nice piece of work by Jay Prozac who is really on his game this year.

Parts Per Million (from Boston) are some raging bad-ass hard rockers. Their new video “Her Song” put all that power behind supporting women’s rights. Metal often dwells on hellish imagery and darkness. Parts Per Million again use those tools to present their message. It is way strong and uncompromising.

OMG! What a sweet video/song this is. We were charmed. The Daylilies song is “Petillant”. That sent us to the dictionary. Petillant - of wine : mildly and slowly effervescing. The lyrics talk about a relationship that is “another year on” and “one more day that binds my life to yours”. So you get the idea that the love is aging like a fine wine. (There is a promo where the band says this is about coming together after Covid but we are reading it different.) At the two minute mark they add bubbles to the shot of dancing people. Bubbles that signify the slowly effervescing love. That’s a magic moment. The vocals heighten it. They are so spot on perfect. This captures the joy of long term deep love, when you know it’s so right.

Joan Hathaway did this video. Be sure to notice the controlled color scheme. Joan keeps the reds in the shots. Red, the color of love.

RADIO......

Skybar’s Rising show has gone from one hour to two hours. He’s now on from 7 to 9pm on the same day Tuesday on WMFO 91.5FM.

This week he packed his two hour debut show with tons of new music. We heard Hilken Mancini’s new album and followed that to Bandcamp. It’s an amazing piece of work. We talk about it below in the new music section.

Skybar also had Chris Wagner from The Modern Day Idols. You get the groups history with some recorded tracks and live songs in the studio. We have that interview section below.

The Rising show is on WMFO 91.5 FM on Tuesdays at 7pm. After that got to the WMFO schedule page Hit the Rising show on 8pm on Tuesday, then hit the ‘archive’ button.

On his Wednesday Late Risers Club show, Mark Francis played “I Know I Know”. by Bad Moves from Washington D.C. The group does some interesting mix ups of punk/pop/indie through their new album Wearing Out the Refrain but Mark picked a good one with “I Know I Know”. It is poppy with some tasty fill in riffs. It’s under two minutes which makes replaying a must.

To hear the rest of the album go to Bandcamp We like the song “A Lapsing Into the Emptiness”.

To hear Mark’s whole show go to the WMBR archive page and hit the Late Risers Show for Wednesday 9/18.

PODCASTS.........

There was another excellent Elastic Glam show this week. In the old faves category they had Mud, Slade, New York Dolls and Nico (“These Days”).

In the new song category we loved Starcrazy with “I Ain’t That Crazy”. The group sound is banging and the vocals full. That has a video

Sir Prize and the Tomorrow Knights had the killer “Glitter Balls”. We can’t enough of that.

Brigette Calls Me Baby had a deep vocal ballad glammer “Too Easy” which reminded us of Gene Dante. Sethyspice the consummate DJ indeed followed it with Gene Dante’s “Love Is For Suckers”. Can anyone in this world sing the phrase “Love is for Suckers” like Gene? Sethyspice also played locals Looking Glass War with “Rumination House”.

To top it off there was Elvira singing about her “2 Big Pumpkins”

Here’s a new glam tune we found by Bobbie Dazzle from England. “Back to the City” is a digital single. The solo at 2:18 is a short snappy riff repeated six times without variation, that’s different. This is the only release so far. Here’s the Bandcamp page.

On Sonic Overload, Al Quint played a set of post-punk songs. They were by The Fall, Punishment of Luxury, Mekons and Mo-dettes. There’s something about The Fall that makes it a treat to hear them in any set and that’s been true since the beginning.

Later he did a local punk set with Mission of Burma (“Secrets”), Someone and the Somebodies with “People Are Dumb”, Limbo Race and Rifle Sport (from Minneapolis). The Someone and the Somebodies song was a demo that many might not have heard and the Limbo Race song “There Goes Kafka” was off a Wicked Good Time Volume 2 sampler that many may not have access too. We have that set embedded below.

Also in the last half of the clip is the memorial set Al did for the passing of Daved Hild of The Girls with “Jeffrey, I Hear You” and Lester Esser with songs from both his groups Primitive Romance doing “The Spirit’s Still There” and A Scanner Darkly with “This Is the Way”.

NEW MUSIC/CDs......

We found out about the new self titled Hilken Mancini Band album on Skybar’s WMFO Rising show this week. Skybar played “Weight” and that was excellent. As we listen to the rest of the album we were a bit overwhelmed because song after song revealed so much. The songs are all well written and well performed. They have tons of character. They seem to grow and add variety and development as they go along. The music has punk basics and indie details.

On the song “Erased” we’re sure we heard Thalia Zedek’s voice. Sure enough she’s playing bass in the group too. As it turns out J Mascis is on the album with Chris Colbourn and Tom Maginnis from Buffalo Tom. That’s got to be Mascis soloing on the final cut “Let U Go”.

We were going from one wonderful song to the next when we hit the eighth song on the album ”You Might Make Right” and that one was so good we had to stop and play that a few times. In any world that song is a hit. We have the song on our Top Ten Songs

This is a major album and an artistic success. We hope it gets play all over.

The Hilken Mancini Band will be playing Sonia on Friday, November 8 with Cujo and Mary Lou Lord.

A new song by Kurt Baker, it seems too long between songs for us. “Delusional” is a bit different for Kurt, It’s influenced by earlier punk bands Green Day, Descendents and Screeching Weasel. The song is streamlined with no transition from verse to chorus. Geoff Palmer’s solo is succinct. This is Kurt so there is a melody that can’t be denied. The recording is top notch.

Kurt says on Bandcamp that the lyrics reflect times when he felt unsure of his musical work but thankfully for us he kept going.

Rob Moss who was in Government Issue has been releasing singles off his album for close to a year now. That album titled Records is finally out. It’s the eleven songs that have been released plus a ‘dub’ version of the initial tune “We Just Don’t Know”. The thing with this album is that Rob has notable guest musicians who all put in standout performances. There are some locals in there like: Sal Baglio, Paul Armstrong (1-4-5), Dan Kopko, Jen D’Angora, Charles Hanson and Curt Florczak.

The Lambrini Girls (Brighton, UK) are back with some more pointed punk. “Company Culture” is about the toxic work environment that many suffer from. We can’t catch all the words, we wish we could. The angry punk tone of it says all you need to know. Punk was made for expressing aggro opinions like this.

The Beatersband from Italy has a new single that will be on vinyl. It's a salute to the friendship between Ronnie Spector and Joey Ramone. We could cry right now. “Bye Bye Baby” is a Spectorish sounding tune. No one does this better than the Beatersband, we have found. They have two lead vocals, one male and one female that simulates the Ronnie/Joey collaboration idea.

We talked about Leatherman’s (Australia) last single “Telephone” where they combined power pop, Thin Lizzy and Blondie vocals. With their newest single “Big Shoes” they have doubled down on the Thin Lizzy. It’s has the twin leads and a galloping beat. The lyrics are about having a fun party night and this song will set you up for that.

We really got into this unruly onslaught from Toronto’s Equator. The album is Hooligan. They tag themselves as soul punk and we hear that but they seem too intent on banging it out to get much soul in this. That’s good by us. “Blue Monday” is the song that has the identifiable soul in it. We like “Boogie”, “A Lotta Lotta”, “Brazil”, “Hooligan” and want to listen to the whole thing a few more times to get into it further.

After hearing the eleven songs we were converts, these guys rock…furiously.

To hear the whole album and we suggest that you do, go to Bandcamp

We are going to embed the song “Hard Times” below. In this they ride a short riff for half the song, rave it up raw in the middle and then intensify it in the last minute. That last minute is a doozy.

The Joplins from Australia have an insanely rough and rugged garage sound on their Teenage Lust album. It sounds like their amps have shit the bed. Ya, we like it!! We give you “This Ain’t a Love Song.” That has an identifiable 1-4-5 progression that you can hang on to. You can hear the rest of the album on Bandcamp.

Here's some good shows coming up .....

September 27, 2024 (Friday) Cosmic Unicornz & Mall Goth Trash at Die With Your Boots On for a pop-up-fashion shopping experience! Shop handmade festival fashion pieces and more! at 9 Church Street in Salem, MA FB page

September 27, 2024 (Friday) Ravagers, Midnight Creeps, Miracle Blood, Typhoid Mary - Fete Music Hall, Providence, RI FB page

September 28, 2024 (Saturday) Rich Mirsky is on A Crash Course for the Ravers on WMFO 1-4PM. FB page.

September 28, 2024 (Saturday) DRAGO 20th Anniversary Show with The Downhauls, Dead Like Death, The Blue Bloods at The Midway = this is a matinee at 3PM. FB page.

September 28, 2024 (Saturday) Grayskull Booking Presents : Gatecreeper, Frozen Soul, WORM at The Middle East FB page

September 28, 2024 (Saturday) Eddie Japan, Lovina Falls and Roxy and The Crisis at Faces Brewery

September 28 & 29, 2024 (Saturday & Sunday) Worcester Punk Rock Flea Market returns to Hotel Vernon on check the FB event page for vendors, times & bands.

September 29, 2024 (Sunday)Somerville Homeless Coalition Fundraiser Ancient Filth, Phagocyte, The Stress Balls, Street Trash, Neponset Monastery, and Get Ready, 4pm/$10-20 Suggested Donation, NOTALOF/All Ages. At the Warehouse XI, Somerville, MA.

September 29, 2024 (Sunday) Supersuckers, Downhauls, TJ Welch and the Wasted and Speedteeth (That's Jesse Meyers and Andy Excuse's new band!!) at Sammy’s Patio - Revere Beach - Facebook page

September 29, 2024 (Sunday) The False Positives, Norris The Terrible, Satch Kerans Band, 4-7pm at The Worthen Attic

October 3, 2024 (Thursday) Puffer, Rejekts, The Pump, Impulse, and GREM at Sammy's Patio, Revere

October 4, 2024 (Friday) Miracle Blood, Bedtime Magic, Sapling at Deep Cuts, Medford,

October 4, 2024 (Friday) American Ocelot, Charming Arson, The Lights Out, D-Tension & The Secrets at The Jungle

October 4, 2024 (Friday) The Only Humans, blindspot, Linnea's Garden, Kooked Out at Koto Lowell

October 4, 2024 (Friday) The Wyld Gooms (CA), Tiger Bomb, Shades of Night (NYC) at Geno in Portland.

October 5, 2024 (Saturday) Plymouth Punk Rock HALLOWEEN Market - Over 60 vendors selling Weird Stuff For Weird People and live music by Diablogato and Saint James and the Heretics, and there'll be a COSTUME CONTEST and tarot readings, Mayflower Brewing Company Plymouth - FB page for info

October 5, 2024 (Saturday) Music Farm, Happy Little Clouds, Daylillies, Ruby Grove at The Jungle

October 5, 2024 (Saturday) Dreadnoughts, Hub City Stompers, the Pourmen at Sammy's Patio Revere FB page

October 10, 2024 (Thursday) Davila 666, Las Nubes, Ladrones, Gossip Collar at Deep Cuts, Medford, MA

October 10, 2024 (Thursday) The False Positives, The Cynz, Freeloader, at The Burren,

October 10 & 11, 2024 (Thursday & Friday) Barrence Whitfield, Liz Proteau and Mach Bell star in Sci Fi Rock Opera “Beasties” World Premiere live on stage w/choral cast and band. Regent Theatre, Arlington 6pm doors, 7pm showtime.

October 11, 2024 (Friday) Linnea's Garden, Battlemode, Frogs, Mighty Tortugal at The Jungle

October 12, 2024 (Saturday) Warthog (Ramones tribute) and Social Destruction ( Social Distortion tribute) at Koto Lowell

October 13, 2024 (Sunday) Falsely Accused, Captain Easy Chord, Johnny Plankton, 4-7pm at The Worthen Attic

October 18, 2024 (Friday) The Fuzzstival at The Armory: Sweeping Promises, Babybaby Explores, Yhwh Nailgun, Bong Wish, Balaclava, Mingko, Nurse Joy, Lupo Citta, The Spatulas, Plant Fight

October 19, 2024 (Saturday) The Fuzzstival at The Armory: Doug Tuttle, Greg Freeman, Latrell James, Francie Medosch (of Florry), Paper Lady, Prewn, Clifford, War Machine, Corporeal, Pew Pe.

October 19, 2024 (Saturday) 5th Annual Punktoberfest music and craft beer festival at Thirsty First Lowell. Bands will be Nick Barbarian, Savor The Silence, Welch Boys, First Pick, Ruffian Dick, The Ghouls, OnlyThings, SOTAH, Sonic Bomb, CE Skidmore and the DFB and The Promised End - TICKETS!!

October 19, 2024 (Saturday) Stop Calling Me Frank's 40th Anniversary featuring Jay Allen, Stop Calling Me Frank (two sets!), State of the Union, The Piranha Brothers, The Spackles at The Midway

October 24, 2024 (Thursday) Stupidity, Cocktail Slippers and the Wynotts at Alchemy, Providence FB page.

October 25, 2024 (Friday) Moving Targets, The Long Wait, Spiller - Middle East Up - Facebook page

October 25, 2024 (Friday) Bootleg Dan presents Cocktail Slippers, Stupidity, The Chelsea Curve, DJ Sherman at The Burren

October 26, 2024 (Saturday) Tiger Bomb, The Cocktail Slippers, Stupidity, Muck & The Mires at The Bayside Bowl, Portland, ME FB page

November 1, 2024 (Friday) Coffin Salesman (Record Release!), Motel Black, Saeddyr, Squallie Greenthumb at Faces Malden.

November 8, 2024 (Friday) Boston Punk Rewound/Unbound. The Arthur Freedman Collection - "2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Rat, a location that looms large in both the Freedman Collection and in Boston lore. To mark the occasion, the Harvard Film Archive and the Loeb Music Library—who collectively steward the Freedman tapes in the collection—have partnered to bring you an evening celebrating the bands, venues and wider scene documented in the Freedman collection."

Read more here!! and see you there!! 7PM at The Harvard Film Archive 24 Quincy Street Cambridge, MA 02138

November 8, 2024 (Friday) Hilken Mancini Band, The Cujo, Mary Lou Lord at Sonia , Cambridge,

November 8, 2024 (Friday) Steve Conte, Tiger Bomb at Koto Lowell

November 9, 2024 (Saturday) The Pist, Grip Bite, Neighborhood Shit, Trollmilk, 1PM doors - Matinee All Ages Middle East FB page

November 9, 2024 (Saturday) Silver Screams, Black Helicopter and Jay Allen and the Archcriminals are at The Square Root.

November 9, 2024 (Saturday) TRAITRS, Dead Leaf Echo, Gretchen Shea and the Middle Eight at The MIddle East Up

November 16, 2024 (Saturday) Kal Marks (Release Show!) Paper Lady, Black Beach at Deep Cuts, Medford

November 23, 2024 (Saturday) Diablogato, The Long Wait, Speed Teeth at Faces in Malden tickets

November 23, 2024 (Saturday) Hi-End, Duck and Cover, Color Killers at The Square Root

November 30, 2024 (Saturday) Midway Matinee of Punk! with WORM, Presidential Disgrace, Screw Cart, Neponset Monestary - at The Midway for a 3PM Matinee!!

December 6, 2024 (Friday) Warrior Soul, All Sinners and Speed Teeth at Koto Salem

CONTACT US AT....misslynbgn@yahoo.com Send us your gig listings, your anything else you've got!! You want your CD reviewed?? Contact us for that too.