Archive for the ‘Streetpunk’ Category
Klubb Pogo, Malmö, 22/5/2010
Two of Sweden’s finest, Prins Carl and Saturday’s Heroes, gig together with up and coming band Oldafashioned Ideas at Klubb Pogo on May the 22nd.
The venue is, as usual, Bodoni, at Bergsgatan 20, Malmö and the entertainment starts at 9 pm. It’s bloody cheap as well, you have to fork out 80 Swedish krona to get in, which is a fair amount for such brilliant entertainment.
Be there, if not for the bands, then to buy me som lemonade, cos I’ll be there!
A few words with Saturday’s Heroes
Oftb: Finspång isn’t the biggest of Swedish cities, so how did a bunch of kids like you come up with the idea of forming a punk rock band?
SH: Haha no it isn’t. Maybe that was the reason for us to start listening and later on playing punk. The thought of that somewhere in the world people are just as bored and pissed of like you, it was the best of feelings i guess.
Oftb: You are obviously influenced by the Boston sound, are there any other bands, not from Boston, that is, you are influenced by?
SH: Well you know, it’s so hard to tell. I like to think that we’re influenced by everything we listen to, cause everyone in the band is listening to alot of different styles inside the world of punk. And of course we’re all listening to alot of music that doesn’t have any ties to the punkscene at all. For me the biggest influences is legends like Joe Strummer, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan for the songwriting and guys like Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards, Marc Orrell and Bruce Springsteen again for the guitarplaying. What really inspires me about all of these is that they use their music as powerfull weapons, guitars instead of shotguns. And of course we’re inspired by bands such as The Business, Voice of a generation, Rancid, Clash, Bruisers (sorry but i had to meantion atleast one Boston band) and of course Cock Sparrer.
Oftb: You caused a bit of controversy in the Swedish blogosphere when you said you’d like to have some unity with local metal bands, so what is your local scene like, do you have a place to play and do you get along well with other, non-punk bands? Are the Finspång kids proud of you?
SH: Well no we didn’t, we’ve never played for just one group. We love to see metalheads dance along with punks, skins or just people without connections to any subculture. And if that is concidered controversial, well that’s just sad. Everyone should feel that the music is being played for them, you should be able to sing-along without feeling that you don’t belong there. That is what it’s all about anyway, music in general. Cause that’s what it’s all about, the music.
The scene where we live is almost nonexistant. There are some happnings each year, but that’s mostly bands who compete in contests and stuff like that. We’re not like that, and our audience doesn’t like the sober gigs. So we have this place called ”Rockbageriet” where we sometimes arrange gigs, and there we have punkbands playing with metalbands and stuff like that. It’s really cool but the place is not well placed, it’s in the outskirts of this little town. And yeah, some people is actually proud of us. Thanks alot guys!
Oftb: I read on your (Alex) facebook status that someone is making a documentary about the band, tell us more!
SH: Yeah that is correct. Two girls are making a little documentary about us. They have taped one rehearsal and will join us at ”Rockbageriet” this saturday, the rest is a bit classified i think. But keep your eyes open.
Oftb: Tell us about the tour this summer and also about the coming album, what can we expect from it? Also, how have people outside Sweden reacted to your music?
SH: Well the tour we don’t know much about. We don’t even know if it will be any tour this summer. The only thing we know for sure is that we’re going to Germany in October with a big band from Sweden. And I’m really looking forward to play our tunes outside the borders, to see what people think about the music.
The album is finished and it’s being mixed right now (by Marcus from Down and Away and Voice of a generation). We have no clue about the sound, but we trust that guy! The songs are really different from eachother, but I still tink the album is our previous demos mixed together. Some songs have the more aggressive sound wich you could find on the first one, and some songs have the ”fight for your life” sound wich was the majority of the second demo. I’m really happy about the album, and the other guys are just as happy i think. We put our soul in it.
Oftb: ”Saturdays Heroes” is also the title of a song by The Business about football hooligans. Can you tell us a bit about your own interest in football?
SH: Haha yeah that is the source of our name, the Business song. Well I can only speak for myself and my football interest is growing I must say. A couple of years ago I tried to like it, but it died out you know. But nowadays I can watch football and maybe get 10% of the feeling out of it. I think i’ll be a fullblown fan when I hit my thirties or so, haha.
Oftb: What do you think of IFK Norrköpings chances this season?
SH: I have no idea, I haven’t followed them to much lately. The articles and talk around the team haven’t been anywhere near football, it’s just about arenas or money. That stuff makes my interest fade.
Oftb: What should mr Hamrén do to make sure Sweden qualifies for the 2014 world cup?
SH:Try to focus more on the game, the fun of it. That is the ticket I think, just like with music. When it’s not fun anymore, the band will suck!
Social Distrust, “Who is my killer?”
According to the same info that followed with the record, US Bombs are a big source of inspiration and, sure, one can hear some of them in their music. Musically, they sound like a blend of american old school punk, 77 punk and skatepunk, such as Offspring sounded inj their better days, that is to say well played guitars (sometimes too advanced), melodies and harmonies, as well as sing-along-moments.
The band is from Germany, but sings in english. Before I had heard the album, I was a bit afraid it wouldn’t sound good, I have heard plenty of good German bands make total fools out of themselves when attempting to sing in english, but except for the fact that IO thought the vocalist sang “here’s a picture of my ass” when he sang “I see pictures of my past” it sounds very decent indeed. Very american sounding English, which I like.
Saturday’s Heroes – “Brothers in beers”
Artist: SATURDAYS HEROES / Title: ”BROTHERS IN BEERS”/ Genré: STREETPUNK / Format: CD / Label: NONE (DEMO)
In my review of Saturdays Heroes first demo (in my old blog), I concluded that they didn’t miss beauty spots and that seems to be something the band has taken in, cos it’s bloody hard finding beauty spots at this demo. The cookie monster has signed off and been replaced by a darker and good voice, which even sings at Swedish at one track, accompanied by a near perfect handling of guitars, which at times remind me of American streetpunk, at times more “rockish” Euro-oi! and even at times 80′s RAC of the musically better cut.
This band deserves to be compared to no one, they really are that good. I knew the first time I heard them (on a really gritty recording) that they would grow big and according to what I’ve heard, they will embark on a tour this summer and I can only wish the audience the best, cos I think they can perform shamelessly good live, everything points to that!
If one should compare them with anyone else, though, then I think it should be with another Swedish act, Prins Carl. Prins Carl and SH share the throne of Swedish punk right now, they are the best two bands we have in this country. They are very different, but at the core of it, they express the same thing. Two bands from smaller working class cities who express one side each of the life of youth in Sweden today, only in different ways. Whereas PC brilliantly express the bitterness of a rejected and betrayed youth, then SH express the emotions of the same youth when he goes out with his mates for a pint or five.
Not much more to say, these lads have made a bloody good effort and I hope they will be successful now at delievering their music to thousands of skins and punks worldwide, cos they’re really worth it.
