GERRY LAFFY - "Just A LIttle Blurred" (Die Laughing Records) CD Review

Gerry Laffy has been about for a few decades now, but is no doubt best remembered as the co founder, guitarist and driving force behind Girl in the late 70s and early 80s. They are one of those bands that still have a small but loyal following, and it’s mainly for these loyalists that Laffy has self recorded and released this album of new songs, playing everything and recording it all by himself. Okay, so that’s not 100% true (get used to it) but I will explain later.

Those expecting a flurry of retro glam rock will not be appeased by ‘Just A Little Blurred’, as this is the work of a man who has been around doing other stuff for thirty years, and the last thing he needs is to try and recapture a cool yet out of date sound. What you get is ten fresh tracks that don’t conform to any pattern except the one that was in Laffy’s head when he was writing them. As a small bonus, there’s even a re-recording of Girl’s debut single ‘My Number’, (see! I told you I would explain) done for a bit of fun with longtime superfan Craig Bundy on bass. It’s slowed down from the original, but still a great song, and what’s the point doing a straight cover of one of your own songs? That aside, this is a very eclectic compilation of fresh material which contains, it has to be said, something for just about everyone except those who like thrashy shite with shouty vocals, and to be honest fuck the lot of ‘em is what I say.

There’s nothing too energetic on show, as the tracks are mostly mid range, although there’s certainly plenty of guitar widdling and some nice, chunky riffs. Opener ‘I’m Free’  is a very catchy piece, and there’s a very nice instrumental called ‘NHS’, whilst ‘Waiting‘ has a classic blues riff underpinning a catchy song. When Laffy slows things down I am reminded of Francis Dunnery‘s solo output, especially on the laid back and quite beautiful ‘Sunshine’ and the dreamlike ‘Love’. At the end of the album is a nice guitar led track called ‘Too High’ (and not in an altitude sense) that was recorded after the covers were printed, and it’s another one that shows that Laffy hasn’t lost any of his soul or guitar playing nous. It’s all quite refreshing in a way that a man trying to recapture his youth wouldn’t have been.

‘Just A Little Blurred’ is a very nice album, covering a variety of moods. It’s never less than entertaining and well worth a listen. If that’s not enough for you, it’s only a fiver from Laffy’s own Facebook page, and for that he will throw in a previously unreleased (and very, very good) live Girl album, recorded at The Greyhound in Fulham back in 1982. It’s a total bootleg and as such captures the intimacy and friendliness of the gig, down to some fine onstage banter and a definite crowd noise that a mixing desk recording rarely captures. Bargain of the century? Quite possibly, so go and buy it.

Buy from:  https://www.facebook.com/gerry.laffy

"I'm Free" - Official video:

IRON MAN 3 - SPOLIER FREE REVIEW

First up, let’s set the scene. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr - Weird Science) is a little fucked up from the events in The Avengers. Yeah, he got to go through a wormhole in space, fight freaky aliens, die a little bit and get touched up by The Hulk when he fell back to Earth (in true David Bowie style). Suffice to say, that’s gonna mess with your head a little. Things aren’t made better when evil terrorist The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley - Coronation Street) starts to bomb seemingly random targets in the USA. In a possibly insane move, Stark throws down the gauntlet and invites the most dangerous terrorist in the world to come and have a go if he thinks he’s hard enough. This is not a good idea…

The most noticeable thing about Iron Man 3 is the incredibly sparkling dialogue. This, I assume, can only be because the co writer (and director) is none other than Shane Black, the man who gave us the likes of ‘Lethal Weapon’ and the wonderfully profane and funny ‘The Last Boy Scout‘. With him on board, Stark’s witty lines get wittier, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow - Duets) is more bearable and there’s even a kid who is not annoying at all. This, people, is a first for Hollywood (and yes, I mean you, Short Round). So full marks for dialogue, but what about the plot?

Well, without ruining anything the plot is pretty good. It is loosely based on the ’Extremis’  comic storyline, one of the best Iron Man has had, but don’t look to that for any real clues. It’s a reasonably tight plot, and is hinged on a great performance by Kingsley, who is definitely the one you will be talking about when you leave the cinema. Robert Downey Jr IS Tony Stark, mind, and as usual his performance seems effortless. Even Guy Pierce (Neighbours/Home & Away) pops up as a complete dick and throws in a few surprises. There’s also decent interaction and character development for Jim Rhodes (Don Cheadle - The Bernie Mac Show), as his War Machine alter ego is upgraded to the sparkly red white and blue Iron Patriot. All in all, a good story that doesn’t disappoint.

‘Iron Man 3’ will not leave any fans wanting, as it ticks all the boxes we need. The first film set things up and was, in retrospect, okay. The second film improved on this with a much better story and villain, whilct Iron man three throws in plot twists, some genuinely thrilling peril and a villain that you can’t see Stark getting the better of. Thoroughly enjoyable, if not at The Avengers level, this is a great, fun film with lots of things going BOOM.

Oh yeah, and I suppose you want to know if you should sit through the freakin’ credits. First of all, the initial credits are a brilliant pastiche of 80’s TV action series, so watch those for a laugh. If you then sit through the standard trawl of credits (always fun to look for daft names) you will get a further scene that is quite fun, but it’s NOT a teaser of any kind. Up to you, true believer, but I was glad I saw it.

TV REVIEW - BANSHEE (Series One)

                                               A Nice Place To Visit? No.

As Banshee prepares to make it’s UK debut courtesy of Sky Atlantic on Monday 29th April, I thought it would be a good time to let the curious know what they will be in for when they take a trip to the Pennsylvania town.

First up, there are minor spoilers here, but nothing that will ruin your enjoyment of what is a surprisingly good show. I say ‘surprisingly’ because when you watch the first episode you will be wondering what the hell is going on. Antony Starr plays the un-named protagonist, released from prison and immediately running for his life, eventually reaching Banshee in search of his old girlfriend, now married to the local district attorney. Who is after him and why isn’t explained, suffice to say they mean business. Instead of entering the town proper, he settles in an old bar on the outskirts, run by ex boxer Sugar. The two get on, and are soon joined by a another newcomer by the name of Lucas Hood. Hood is also steering clear of town for now, because as it’s brand new sheriff he knows as soon as he goes in there will be no relaxing for him, hence a quiet stopover in the bar for a meal before starting. By the end of episode one the new sheriff has carked it and Starr’s character has decided to take a chance and steal his identity, therefore becoming the sheriff, as you do.

                                      Sheriff Wolverine At Your Service

This probably sounds highly unlikely to you, and that’s a fair shout, but it sets up the story perfectly, and by the third episode (which features the most brutal one on one fight I have ever seen on screen) you’ll have stopped worrying about it, so engrossing is the slowly unfolding story. We find out why Hood (the only name he is called, so we’ll use it from now on) is running, who from, and plenty of other stuff through very, very effective flashbacks, including some dark, powerful prison shit. Seriously, I can’t remember a programme that has had me wincing or mouthing “Oh SHIT” as much as Banshee. The violence is brutal and at times lengthy, and whilst you doubt anyone could actually take the punishment given there’s plenty of bloodied faces and broken limbs. Subtlety is for other shows.

                           Hint: This guy does NOT like to be fucked with

On top of a fantastic story and grimly captivating fights, Banshee also boasts sex scenes that could lead to uncomfortable viewing with elderly relatives. It’s a trend in adult shows that I wish would stop, as it’s getting quite boring now. It doesn’t add anything to the story, people, and we’re grown ups who can go out and get porn if we want it. For me, it’s the only downside in the whole show, much as in Spartacus.

                                          Kyle Proctor : Ex Amish and Proud

The cast is pretty good, with Antony Starr coming across as Wolverine’s long lost brother, snarling everywhere and walking like he’s got an invisible barrel under each arm. This is a man who has spent fifteen years in prison, having to learn to fight for his very life. Basically, he is one tough little bastard as well as being a very unconventional sheriff! The town of Banshee is unofficially rum by Kyle Proctor, a cast off from the local Amish community (who are used well throughout) who is unsurprisingly Hood’s second biggest pain in the arse. The biggest, of course, is the guy trying to kill him, but to give more info about that guy would be spoileriffic, so I’ll not go there.

                                           Yes, She Does Get Jiggly!

Banshee is about as adult a drama as you are going to get, telling a very well structured story and racking up the tension with every episode. It drip feeds information at just the right pace, and is full of action. The first series runs at ten episodes, and does not leave you with a cliffhanger (great idea, by the way). Series two has been commissioned, and hopefully will follow the same path, telling a single ten episode story. Naturally, it’s not going to be to everyone’s taste, but I was gripped week by week, and I would rate this alongside Spartacus and Game Of Thrones as one of the best adult drama series of the last decade.

Official Site:  http://www.cinemax.com/banshee/

THE fight of the series from Episode Three - If you like this, you really need to watch the show:

THE PSYCHEDELIC JOURNAL OF TIME TRAVEL - Review

Time travel has long fascinated mankind. From Enrique Gaspar y Rimbau's 1887 book El Anacronópete all the way through to Doctor Who, we blummen well love it, despite the headaches it can bring. Well, if you have a thing for bizarre time travel stories you should enjoy the latest production from the Crazy Fox stable, who have previously given us the top notch “Doctor WTF?” mags.

Now I should point out here that this review is based on a downloaded copy of TPJOTT (yeah, like I’m gonna keep typing that mouthful!), and as such I cannot comment on the quality of the physical issue. What I will say is that if it is up to the standard of previous publications (and I am assured that it is) then you will have no worries and can settle down to enjoy a glossy A5 publication that won’t fall apart like Lib Dem promises.

And so to the stories. There are twelve short bursts of creativity contained within, with the expected mixture of skill and storytelling. One thing to point out is there isn’t a duffer in sight. This is no amateur hour, and it’s astounding how detailed, complex and downright fun a three or four page story can be. We have some gorgeous as well as scripts. George Coleman takes the black and white crown for his work on “History Lesson”, skating perilously close to Dave Gibbons levels of greatness with great talent and clarity. The story itself is a neat and clever look at the affects of altering your personal history, a common theme in time travel stories but handled in an original fashion here. Special mention must go to “the Time Templars Vs The Daemonic Dinos, firstly for having an awesome title, secondly for being lots of fun and thirdly for some gorgeous colour art from David Broughton. Add a fun script from Oscar Maltby with a brave pun at the end and you’ve got a  winner.  Another story of particular note is “3000 Dollar Second”, a very smart look at localised time pockets, very well written by Mike Lynch and expertly drawn and coloured by Neil Ford. This one starts off the issue and was a very good choice from editor Owen Watts (who owes me a wig made from his lustrous locks for this review).

TPJOTT really is a first class collection, with enough variety to entertain everyone who likes a bit of good old fashioned time travel sci-fi. The quality of scripts and art is very high, with plenty of stuff you wouldn’t bat an eyelid at if it popped up in the likes of 2000AD. As ever, it’s a labour of love from the creators, who may get a bacon sandwich at the upcoming Bristol Comics Convention if they are lucky but sod all else. This is am love that deserves to be shared, though, so click on the link, part with your cash and enjoy one of the more enjoyable comic collections of 2013 so far. 

http://www.comicsy.co.uk/crazyfoxmachine/ 

FM - "Rockville" Album Review

FM are the group that never quite made it but never quite gave up either. Vocalist Steve Overland once joked about the number of top 50 singles they had back in the day, never quite cracking the charts like so many people predicted they were destined to do. Then, in the 90’s, grunge came along and kicked them in the bollocks. Grunge was like that, which is why normal people hated it. Today’s kids have David Cameron to hate, we had Grunge.

So FM disappeared for a while, but the rise of the internet allowed more and more people to badger them about getting back together, and so they reformed for a one off gig at Firefest in 2007, having so much fun and receiving such a great response that they decided to give it another go. The comeback album, ‘Metropolis’, was a corker, the band incorporating a more bluesy sound to go with their soulful AOR, most likely due to the recruitment of new guitarist Jim ‘Even His Shooze Are Blooze’ Kirkpatrick. Next month sees the follow up, for which the band have embraced the modern age by funding it through Pledge Music, something that was so successful they’ve actually recorded a second disc after getting more than double their target. For now, though, it’s time to visit ‘Rockville’.

The album opens with a muted guitar and muffled drums that take a few seconds to burst into stereo (yeah, it’s an old trick) and we’re off with ‘Tough Love’, a mid paced track that rattles along with a strong beat until the catchy chorus kicks in. If there’s something FM know about, it’s catchy choruses, and this one will have you singing along with no difficulty whatsoever. Steve Overland croons as well as he ever does, and to be honest it’s a pain writing about him because I tend to run out of superlatives to describe his voice. Let’s just say he’s jolly good at this singing lark, is Steve. The production is nicely in your face, allowing Pete ‘Don’t Call me Robert Lindsay’ Jupp to really shine at the back, as well as showing off the very tidy licks and solos from Young Master Kirkpatrick. This is definitely a textbook way to start an album.

Track two, ‘Wake Up the World’, is actually one of my favourites on the album. It starts off like a slow, soulful ballad, picking up the pace slowly and moving to a superb chorus that should have hands waving live. It’s got an ‘Only The Strong’ vibe about it, which can’t be a bad thing. The quality continues with “Only Foolin’, which fans should be aware of from the EP release last year, then it’s on to the first truly AOR track on the album, ‘Crave’. This is a guitar led, summery song with a great hook, and although it’s about a failed love affair the melody is so infectious you’ll be glad it failed!  Next up there’s a nice little duo in ‘Show Me The Way’ and ‘My Love Bleeds’, two tracks that bounce along very infectiously, although I can’t help thinking that in the latter Steve Overland is singing about ‘My Love Beads’, the dirty boy! It’s a good, chunky riff driven song, though, whilst ‘Show Me The Way’ has a little more fluff but is no less catchy.

The first ballad comes in at number seven, in the shape of ‘Story Of My Life’. As with any FM ballad, it’s lifted from potential obscurity by Overland’s soulful delivery. I have to say that I’m not a massive ballad fan in general, but this has got an amazing chorus that will keep it on the playlist for sure, even if the opening piano bit is almost lifted from Heart’s ‘Alone’. ‘Better Late Than Never’ kicks off with a solid, bluesy riff from Jim, morphing into a more standard AOR track which will keep your toes tapping and your fingers clicking with it’s infectious beat and a groove that flirts between melodic rock, blues and a little honky tonk thanks to Jem Davis on the keyboards. I think my favourite track must be ‘Crosstown Train’, where FM finally get to let loose with some truly big riffage and a faster pace than elsewhere. Jim gets to play with fills, riffs and a great rock solo, and probably the best comparison would be the storming ‘Bad Luck’ from the ‘Tough It Out’ album, more for the feel of the thing rather than the actual tune involved.

The album closes with another two great tracks, marking a full house for the album, quality-wise. ‘Goodbye Yesterday’ and ‘High Cost Of Loving’ both score high in the melody stakes, with the former treading familiar melodic rock territory and the latter with a more soulful edge. Together they wrap up what may well be the bands finest effort, certainly up there with the likes of ‘Tough It Out’ in terms of melody and power. I’m certainly intrigued as to what ‘Rockville II’, the ten track disc to be released on March 25th, will bring.  Suffice to say, this is an album FM fans will adore, and if you spread the word through social media with the video for ‘Tough Love’ freely available they may just pick up some new devotees. Either way this is a must, so Buy Or Die, true believers.

www.fmofficial.com/

SAXON - "SACRIFICE" CD Review

37 years and twenty studio albums… you’d think that Saxon didn’t have any more heavy metal left in them, but faced with the mammoth task of following up the excellent “Call To Arms” they’ve stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the fookin’ park yet again.

Whilst I enjoyed Saxon’s more heavy metal output that kept them afloat for much of the late nineties and noughties, I always preferred their more melody led output, where they mixed ball achingly heavy riffs with catchy choruses and a natural flowing style. As with their previous release, “Sacrifice” takes what’s best about Saxon in their NWOBHM days and Saxon as a heavy metal band and squeezes them together to hopefully keep everyone happy.

With that said, you’re not going to get anything really new here, as Saxon are one of those bands that aren’t prone to too much experimentation. Regardless, whilst bands like Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath have their copycats, I have still never heard another band that have a sound quite like Saxon. This is partly due to Biff Byford’s unique vocal sound, a sound he will be lending to Avantasia in a couple of months. He sounds as good as he ever has here, and I can vouch for the fact that he can also carry it off live as well, a true metal god if ever there was one.

The only skippable moment on the whole album is that old bugbear the unnecessary intro. A pointless minute and a half at the beginning of the album, all “Procession” manages to do is piss me off, but at least it can be skipped rather than being bolted on to the first song proper, the belting title track. It kicks in with a crunchy riff, some neat wah wah work and Biff riding the lot like a surfer on a wave. It’s a heavy song, but never sacrifices (no pun intended) melody for simple power. From here on it’s non stop, without any ballads or plodding metal grinders in sight. “Warriors Of The Road” is worthy of extra attention, a fast and very melodic piece that should kick ass live, and even when things slow down a bit for “Night Of The Wolf”, it’s all about atmosphere, bringing to mind the likes of “Dallas 1pm” or “Crusader”. I have a felling that this one might just get it’s claws (pun definitely intended) into the live setlist for a few years to come. The only sort of let down is the album closer “Standing In A Queue” which is a good song musically but is let down by some pretty naff lyrics about, well, standing in queues.

In closing, “Sacrifice” is as good as any Saxon album of the last thirty years (and a bit). It’s everything you love about the band musically and lyrically, and it really is astonishing that they can keep making such exciting music after all this time without sounding tired or repetitive. Simply put, this is a must buy for any Saxon fan, even those who drifted off years ago. Saxon are still here, so stand up and be counted with them.

www.saxon747.com

THE LAST STAND - Film Review

It's been a while since I updated this blog, and I'm sorry for that, but stuff will be along soonest!

It’s been quite a wait of you don’t count “The Expendables” films, but The Austrian Oak is back, attempting to out act the scenery and shooting big guns like he’s not a billion years old. “The Last Stand” is not a film for film buffs, but it’s certainly one for those who appreciate a good old 1980’s style cheese fest, the natural successor to the likes of “Commando” or “Eraser”.

The plot, such as it is, sees a big shot terrorist escape from custody in spectacular style, then steal a high performance souped up car to race to the Mexican border. Such is the speed at his command, the Feds can’t catch or stop him, especially when they realise he will be taking a route through a small Southern town where his mates have bridged a canyon. If only there was a small town sheriff the size of a small truck who saw plenty of mad action during his time with the LAPD, preferably with a dumb accent and ginormous muscles. Well, as luck would have it…

Yep, it’s down to Arnholdt and his luckless deputies to fight off Mr Terrorists gang and also stop the man himself making it over the border. They could, of course, just stand aside and pick their noses for a few hours and not get at all killed, but Sheriff Schwarzenegger don’t play it that way, as we well know. Also, it would be a shit film.

So we get Arnie in full flow, Forest Whitaker as an FBI agent who isn’t sure what the heck’s going on and Johnny Knoxville as a loopy local with plenty of firepower he’s happy to play with. Subtlety is thrown out of the window, and this really should be a massive excuse for reviewers to make jokes about the fact that this sort of thing doesn’t really work any more, especially with old Governatots wheezing about in the desert and making self referential “I’m old” jokes. No siree, that shouldn’t work AT ALL… but it does.

“The Last Stand” has been sneaked in post Christmas with minimal long term advertising, and despite all these classic “Bad Movie” signs it’s a lot of fun. There is a definite need to leave your brain at the door, but at least this is a film that never pretends to be anything other than it is, and tie that together with a decent script and good direction  and you’ve got a fun night out. I expect more these days from Stallone and Willis, but this is the sort of thing that Arnie does best, so sit back and enjoy it.

Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTB-gbC4gkY