by BBG

The Damned @ F F F Fest

Day two of Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 was definitely more taxing than day one (pics here and here), in part due to the unrelenting dust storms. But despite a case of brown lung and some fatigue, it was still a blast and I managed to catch most of the sets at the Black Stage, as well as select shows at the Blue Stage and even popped over to checkout M83 at Orange for a bit. Highlights for the day included the Death Grips, the crowd going bat-shit crazy and creating human launch ramps during Paint it Black, Cold Cave blasting out destructive white noise, the return of Hot Snakes and watching The Damned rip through favorites like "New Rose" and "Smash It Up" from their first two albums while making jokes about Danzig (who played a notorious set the night before on the same stage at the same time). Completely different vibe from the night prior (and not the only time a Danzig joke was heard).

The rest of my pictures from Saturday (with more to come) are below...

Continue reading "Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 -- Day 2 in pics (part 1) -- The Damned, Hot Snakes, Negative Approach, Death Grips & more"

Slayer at Izod Center (photos by Samantha Marble)

Slayer, Thee Oh Sees, Public Enemy, Girls, Danzig Legacy, (Danzig + Doyle von Frankenstein playing Misfits, Samhain & Danzig), Hot Snakes, Diplo, Major Lazer, Henry Rollins, Ted Leo & The Phramacists, Spank Rock, Murder City Devils, Hum, Lykke Li, Passion Pit, Four Tet, Rakim, The Damned, Austra, Purity Ring, and Flynt Flossy are just a few of the acts announced today as part of the Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 lineup. Another amazing year! Check out the full lineup below and stay tuned for more announcements coming in August and September.

The new additions to the Austin, Texas festival, which takes place from 11/4 - 11/6, are in addition to the the previous "lineup leaks" that included Brian Posehn, Odd Future, Okkervil River, M83, X (performing "Los Angeles"), Reggie Watts, Flying Lotus, Tune-Yards, Ra Ra Riot, Kid Dynamite and others

2011 is the festival's sixth year, but first at its new home Auditorium Shores (no more Waterloo Park). Tickets are on sale now.

Slayer also has a NYC performance coming up with Metallica, Anthrax and Megadeth as part of the "Big Four" show at Yankee Stadium on 9/14. Tickets are still available.

Fun Fun Fun 2011 flyer and almost-full lineup is below.

Continue reading "Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 lineup (Danzig Legazy, Passion Pit, Slayer, Lykke Li, The Damned, Henry Rollins & much more)"

photos by Konstantin Sergeyev

Hard Skin at Bruar Falls on 10/25/10

There are few punk/hardcore shows on the way in the next few weeks, but we'd be remiss without mentioning the surprise Hard Skin show that took place at Bruar Falls on 10/25/10. The show was one of two NYC shows for the comedic UK Oi band, as they also played Europa with Forgetters on Friday, 10/22 with The Rival Mob.

"Fat Bob had mentioned at the forgetters show on Friday that Hard Skin were playing on Monday night before they skipped back across the pond. Given the the rarity of their shows and the proximity to Drew's place, it seemed prudent to make it across the water to Colonial Williamsburg....

...The Hard Skin boys took the stage around the 11 o'clock hour and stirred the room up with a whole lot of Oi! Bruar may be a little small to contain such friskiness, but it was a pretty polite crowd despite the large drunk punk contingent and truth be told, the JS-NYC/ab rock Voltron was no paragon of sobriety by this point either. I had a good time, even given the curious tire deflations I returned to find on my iron steed when we got outside. Luckily, they were deflated and not punctured and Drew had a pump, so the good guys lived to ride another day. Good times all around. Not sure where/if HS are maintaining the web presence in this day and age, but you would do well to spend your weak American dollar on some of their swag and bring them back. Set to Googling, fresh-cut, and remember Hard Skin are good clean-cut fun." [Jaded Scenester]

Pictures from the Bruar Falls show adorn this post. Forgetters will play Bruar Falls TONIGHT (11/2) with Younger Lovers and Little Victory.

The Rival Mob is next scheduled to play with Sheer Terror at Webster Hall on November 28th. Breakdown, The Templars, Stigma, and Seizure Crypt are also on board and tickets are on sale.

Madball will play The Studio at Webster Hall on 12/13 with Lionheart, Bitter End as part of a string of dates for the trio. Incendiary will join them as local support. Ticket info is forthcoming, but full tour dates are below. Madball recently dropped their new LP Empire and parted ways with drummer Jay Weinberg (son of Max Weinberg).

Easy Action, featuring John Brannon of Negative Approach, will team up with The Men to play The Acheron on 11/15. The all ages show kicks off at 8PM. Easy Action tour dates are below.

The Queers will play Mercury Lounge on Jan 22nd. Tickets are on sale. The show is part of a short string of East Coast dates in 2011 that also includes Maxwell's one day before NYC; additional dates are below.

In a show dubbed "Brooklyn's Finest" (though BBG would beg to differ), Life of Agony will team up with Biohazard and Vision of Disorder to play Best Buy Theater on 12/16. Tickets are on sale.

And finally, LA's Youth Brigade (not the DC one with releases on Dischord) will play Mercury Lounge on 11/14. The show will be proceeded by a documentary on BYO Records and the band. Tickets are on sale.

All tour dates and more pictures of Hard Skin at Bruar Falls are below...

Continue reading "Hard Skin played CMJ (pics) w/ Forgetters ++ more upcoming punk/hardcore shows (Madball, Easy Action, LOA, Queers, etc) "

August 25th, 2009 (Austin, TX) - Transmission Entertainment is pleased to announce the lineup for the 2009 Fun Fun Fun Fest, taking place on November 7th and 8th at Waterloo Park in Austin. Fun Fun Fun Fest made its first appearance on a cold Friday evening in 2006, offering a unique approach to festival booking, filling stages with talent bubbling from the underground: what sounded great, and what was making an impact, regardless of what mainstream media said was cool. What started out as a show for a few touring acts and local favorites has become a movement -- a festival that fans and bands alike realize needs to be experienced year after year.

Now in its fourth year, Fun Fun Fun Fest has made a significant impact on the country's winter calendar, successfully combining the vast worlds of indie, punk, rap, electronica and comedy while showcasing some of the city's most unique local businesses.

Greatest. Festival. Ever...

Continue reading "Fun Fun Fun Fest 2009 lineup (Jesus Lizard, Of Montreal, Gorilla Biscuits, LSF, 7 Seconds, D.R.I. & DANZIG!! & more)"

words by Black Bubblegum, photos by Justina Villanueva

The Casualties

If it wasn't for Trash Talk, July 3rd's bill of The Casualties and Leftover Crack would have felt more at home at ABC No Rio or C-Squat - if they could contain it. But alas, Gramercy Theater (instead of Irving Plaza) held down the fort as the trio of bands bid adieu to a larger tour, saving the fireworks for NYC - literally and figuratively.

Trash Talk, who spent their July 4th at Woodsist Fest, is seemingly forever on the road and has scheduled an appearance at Sound & Fury. The band recently self-released their East of Eden 7" featuring Circle Jerk and punk legend, Keith Morris.

Next up for The Casualties, a tour with Krum Bums and Mouth Sewn Shut that kicks off in August followed by another quick jaunt with Off With Their Heads and Youth Brigade that includes a NYC date at Europa on Sept 29th. Tickets are on sale.

After Youth Brigade and Off With Their Heads play Europa, the bands have a Canadian Tour lined up with The Bouncing Souls (who are on their way to NYC with 7 Seconds). Youth Brigade is also scheduled to play the kick-ass Riot Fest.

Full Casualties and Youth Brigade tour dates, and more pictures from Gramercy Theatre, are below...

Continue reading "The Casualties, Trash Talk & Leftover Crack - Gramercy pics, 2009 tour dates (shows w/ Youth Brigade)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Cock Sparrer - "Spirit of '76" (MP3)

First of all, Riot Fest Chicago is not a celebration commemorating the riots at the 1968 Democratic Convention. There are no cops in attendance (unsympathetic ones anyway), and no one is there to "set the record straight".

In 2005 Mike Petryshyn started Riot Fest... With one eye on the legendary Chicago punk scene and the other on the bands that inspire them, he started building the festival, with an ambitious multiple show/venue format despite his inexperience. He put special emphasis on reuniting influential punk and underground bands who hadn't shared the stage in years and Chicago's rich punk history has always been a huge part of the Riot Fest roster, this year 11 bands from the area are confirmed so far.

Year five of Riot Fest in Chicago is systems-go from Oct 7th-12th and with an enviable punk rock lineup of Butthole Surfers, Naked Raygun, Cock Sparrer, Dead Milkmen, Murder City Devils, NOFX, 88 Fingers Louie, Screeching Weasel, Pegboy, Off With Their Heads, and many many more. Full lineup and flyer (with New Bomb Turks not listed) is below.

Besides the obvious awesomeness of Naked Raygun, who played their first reunion gig at Riot Fest in 2006 (and who are playing NYC soon, tickets on sale), and a few key others, one exciting band on the lineup is the UK's Oi! pioneers Cock Sparrer:

Cock Sparrer (initially Cock Sparrow) are a punk rock band formed in 1974 in the East End of London, England. Although they never enjoyed much commercial success, the band is considered one of the most influential streetpunk bands in history, helping pave the way for the late-1970s punk scene and the Oi! subgenre. Their style was influenced by pub rock, glam rock and raw 1960s beat music as delivered by bands like The Small Faces and The Who. Their lyrics mostly dealt with topics related to the daily lives of working class people.

Cock Sparrer recently played Chaos in Tejas. Riot Fest and a two night stand at The Great American Music Hall in San Fran are currently the only US dates that the band has lined up for the future (dates below).

Cock Sparrer just released their first album in 10 years, Here We Stand, which washed up on US shores last month via Pirates Press. The 14 track LP was recorded by Pat Collier (The Vibrators) and mixed by Lars Fredriksen (Rancid) and includes "Spirit of '76" which is downloadable above.

Meanwhile, Riot Fest is also spreading it's wings out west to bring Los Angeles it's own taste from November 12-14. Lineups are to be announced, but look for those bands at the participating stages of The Palladium, The Wiltern, Key Club and The Roxy. More details are to come.

Continue reading "Riot Fest Chicago - 2009 lineup (Cock Sparrer, Dead Milkmen, Butthole Surfers, Naked Raygun, Murder City Devils & more) "

NXNE has announced its lineup for the 15th edition of the festival, taking over Toronto from June 17 - 21, 2009.

NXNE will be taking over Toronto with live performances, films, and conference sessions in neighbourhoods all over the city. The hub of this invasion is Yonge-Dundas Square, where a huge shot of adrenaline will slam straight into the heart of downtown with four days of free concerts on the NXNE Mainstage, featuring performances by Black Lips, Burning Brides, Wintersleep, The Sonics, Youth Brigade, The Cool Kids, GZA and more.

A one day music and film/no conferences ticket to the festival costs $25, while a 5-day pass runs $50. All details, with schedule, below...

Continue reading "NXNE (North By Northeast) 2009 lineup"