Dead Hope - The Ginger Quiff

Lungleg and bis live in The Classic Grand

December 11, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

I recently went to a gig by a band with “leg” as part of their name. I left the gig feeling uninspired and despondent as I felt I’d witnessed the result of a band being hyped to the nines on the strength of one (maybe two) songs, a band that could undoubtedly play, but felt like they had no soul. (I know Manda will disagree with me on this…)

Anyway, my final (planned) gig of 2022 was headlined by a band whose name included the word “leg”, and with a support from the mighty bis, I was in no doubt before either band played a note that this was going to be a special night, there was something in the atmosphere, an air of anticipation in the venue that was palpable.… Read the rest

LNFG Review special: bis – Systems Music for Home Defence/Lungleg – Maid to Minx (re-issue)

December 10, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

Ahead of a very special return this weekend with a gig to support the re-issue of the superb Maid to Minx album from Lungleg with the mighty bis in support, promoting the release of their own latest long player, Systems Music for Home Defence, it seemed appropriate to review both albums in one go…

I’ve always hated the word iconic as I feel it was one of those words that became overused and lost its meaning, much like the word literally, which is literally used incorrectly just about every time I read it somewhere or hear someone say something stupid like “I literally died on the spot”.… Read the rest

Buzz Cutz Pt 1 – Ian M Bailey, The Bobby Lees, His Lordship & Poster Paints

November 18, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

In an attempt to play catch up with the many outstanding albums I have for review, I’m going for some short cuts to try to cover as many of the albums I’ve been listening to over the last few months as I can. The full quiff has not gone, just proverbially shaved it off for convenience on the short term…

Ian M Bailey – You Paint the Pictures

After their previous collaboration on the sublime Songs to Dream Along To, Ian M Bailey has teamed up with the inimitable Daniel Wylie once again to bring us another collection of retro 60s style jangle pop anthems.… Read the rest

Diablofurs – Dream Skies – single review

November 14, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

In my opinion one of the most overlooked bands of the late 80s/early 90s was Birdland who burst on the scene with their suicide blonde peroxide locks burning briefly but brightly and vigorously with their firebrand energetic shock of punk rock.

Fast forward to now and whatever you do, don’t let Birdland frontman Rob and the rest of his Diablofurs motley crew slip away from you. For those of you who have been unfortunate to miss out so far, or maybe you could just call yourselves lucky that you now get a chance to discover one of your new favourite bands.… Read the rest

Pizza Crunch – That Serene Age – EP Review

September 28, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

Pizza Crunch are undoubtedly one of my bands of 2022, so it is no surprise that their new EP, That Serene Age, which comes out this Friday, cements my love for a band who I nearly didn’t listen to initially because of their name. A name which I incidentally now love for a variety of reasons.

You may be familiar now with some of the singles that have preceded the EP, Wilting Youth is a particular standout for me and, I’d hazard a guess at it being one of my most listened to songs of the year. The titles of the other singles, Young Excitement and Romanticised Past, may give an indication as to the subject matter tackled on the EP.… Read the rest

Junk Pups – Live in Mono, Glasgow

September 4, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

After being highly impressed by their brace of funky post punk singles, Front Yard Flamingo, opening the set tonight and the magnificent Miss Behave, I finally managed to haul my arse along to a Junk Pups gig. Last night they were sandwiched on a bill in Mono between Pinc Wafer & Lloyds House, and while both of them played strong sets, I’m going to focus all my attention on the extraordinary talents of Junk Pups.

I believe you could still count the number of gigs the band have played on both hands, despite this, they already have the assured confidence of a band that has been playing the circuit for a lot longer.… Read the rest

Pizza Crunch, Vansleep, Tina Sandwich & Static – Summer Sessions live in King Tuts

August 28, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

I used to be a regular visitor to Tuts, but my visits now seem to be few and far between. I first ventured there when it was still called Saints and Sinners for a 40th birthday party, attended the opening night as King Tuts Wah Wah Hut (before half of last nights audience was born probably…) and I’ve been to some pretty special nights there over the years – Suede, Radiohead supporting Kingmaker, Scamheads (secret Skunk Anansie show), Trashcan Sinatras, Fatima Mansions…the list goes on. I’m what you could call a long in the tooth gig goer now, or just old, but that doesn’t mean I just go to gigs by what i hear called ”heritage” acts (who makes these things up?)… Read the rest

Lemon Drink, flinch., Sacred Noise & Miss the Occupier – Live in the Hug and Pint

August 1, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

What better way to avoid the Sunday night blues than to attend a gig in one of my favourite little Glasgow venues with four (count em!) brilliant bands. Part of the series of the Endless Summer gigs in the venue, the line up was set to make this a very special night, and one which stuck two fingers up to the festivals that continue to lean heavily on white male guitar bands (says the aging white male who can’t play the guitar… but ), a fact which did not pass flinch. by… making a tongue in cheek comment about the line up being made up of white female electric guitar bands instead… Seriously though, on a night where England and Germany were battling it out in the women’s Euro’s, well done England… it was refreshing to be at a gig where male band members were outnumbered 2 to 1.… Read the rest

The Dead Thatchers – Nae Pasaran Ya Bass/Perfect Vision – album/EP review

July 29, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

Taking nothing away from the band or their deeply engrossing and engaging music, it is actually embarrassing that a band such as this needs to exist in 21st Century Britain. It’s almost like 1979 never happened and we’ve not learnt a thing. Rising interest rates, poverty, food bands, a summer of discontent, strikes left, right and centre, a Tory government that is doing its best to increase the gap between the rich and poor and to top that off a pair of clueless Thatcher-lite puppets who just seem to spend their time arguing about who will be the worst Prime Minster for the country.… Read the rest

DITZ – The Great Regression – album review

April 21, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

The second great album of 2022 that I’ve picked up from Alcopop! Records so far. On the back of January’s superb release This is My World from Helen Love, comes the debut album from DITZ, in the shape of The Great Regression, an album title which is unerringly accurate for the dystopian post Brexit times we are currently living through.

Brooding

An entirely different beast from the Helen Love album, DITZ produce an unsettling blend of abrasive post punk, mixed with often vicious and seemingly threatening metal guitar grooves and riffs, nigh on industrial in places. Elsewhere the mood is much more brooding, on the likes of Instinct, with a low key vocal backed by an equally low key, but incessant guitar line, the song does, however, rise to a cacophonous clamouring finale.… Read the rest