Buying band merchandise can be a stupidly expensive affair, especially if, like me, you’re in to old Punk and Hardcore. Aside from trawling the merch stands at gigs (which can turn up some gold) you’re at the mercy of import/postage/mail order prices. Generally speaking these can cost more than the items in question, which is annoying and has been a major factor in stopping me from buying stuff in the past. That along with the overly-inflated prices of the merch itself can create a sad state of affairs… So, like every dirt poor Punk out there, I feel a massive sense of victory when I find a DIY site that’s selling nearly everything your heart could desire! So, over to these folks at Negative Reinforcement! Based in the US, they’ve got tons of shirts, shorts, a few records, etc listed at solid prices. Even though the price of postage is a bit crazy, it still works out a hell of a lot cheaper than the other internet based competitors and most alternative shops. This is a truly wondrous day for every broke punk out there!
So, that worked out to be a whole heap of fun! Two afternoons of vintage motorbikes, great food, fine booze, rawkus noises (coming from a big ol’ wooden wall o’death barrel, who incidentally put on a first class show!) and flashing lights from a big stage at the back of a small field! It was a great spectacle and really well attended, which means the event team deserve a big ol’ slap on the back for putting it all together and pulling it off this very first time! Here’s definitely looking towards a second! The rest of the time we were just buzzing around the busy city, trying to catch a few bits that we missed on our last trip. Hit up a few galleries, sat on an inner-city, riverside “beach”, stumbled upon a bizarre little food festival in an old factory complex… It really is THE city for finding awesome stuff to do and see at every turn. Two thumbs up from this bozo! 🙂
It’s exactly two weeks until I head off to the awesome city of Berlin again for the Pure and Crafted Festival. This has got win written all over it! Refused, The Hives, Blood Red Shoes and some others will be punishing my delicate little earholes as I work my way, for the second time this year, in and around that completely nuts city! Let’s hope it’s a tad warmer this time, eh?
The come down from the weekend was a long, hard one… Many miles were put on the old clock and many bands were enjoyed (mostly through a fog of G&T) over the day and a half that made up Out Of Spite 15. I only managed to take a handful of photos, only one of which was usable… Damn you Gin! Still the whole event was way more fun than I expected and every band that played did it with pure gusto! Good on you all. Here’s to OOS16, eh? I’ll probably have to stay in a different hotel next time though… Things got a tad rough on that front.
Ok, It’s up, up and away to the Northern lands this afternoon. OOS15 will be kicking off and I’ll be there to drink in all the glory. I’ll try and get some photos of the entertainment/debauchery and as soon as I work this thing out, I’ll get them up…No promises though.
Right then! The *secret* Spy Versus Spy gig was a full feast for the eyeballs and earholes of the 80 or so that managed to make it down. I managed to catch up with a few faces from the past, which was truly great. All the bands (the four out of five) that I caught were outstanding. Can’t say a bad word about any of them, to be honest (the sound/venue however… Well, that’s a sad story). Second up and the first one I caught was Grover, from Manchester. Great live band having a good old shouty time of things! Their bass player broke his van somewhere up north and couldn’t make it, but they pulled it out of the hat and gave it their all. Next up were a local band, Only Strangers. They totally held their own in the lineup, breathing fresh life into that Ye Olde Gruffe Punke Sounde (think Leatherface) and not once appearing phased by the others! Good on you, boys! Keep up the good work. Next: Does It Float… These guys hail from Japan, fully grabbed the crowd’s attention and held it for the entire set! It was amazing to see them (well, flashes of them between a sea of bodies and bobbing heads) belting the kind of sounds out that the likes of Braid or The Get Up Kids would be more than proud of. They even furnished us with a cover of a Leif Ericsson classic which got the happy hoards bobbing away! Top stuff! Finally Spy’s got up and kicked things off by being super polite and arranging the crowd for the better visual aspect of the wee’uns (and creating a tier system within…). Bless them. There’s not a great deal to say that hasn’t already been said about Spy Versus Spy though. They were and remain still a truly remarkable band, both live and recorded. They knocked out songs they haven’t played for 15 years like it ain’t no thang, playing up a total stormer and completely slayed the evening… It was like reliving the 90’s all over again! Anyway, I’ll leave you to dust off the old vinyl, print your tickets and pack a bag for Out Of Spite 15, this weekend, where we get to do it all over again! Once more with feeling, eh? GET IN!
CZYNKOV 
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