The Paranoid Squirrel

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 459

Well today got off to a great start with the Gas Board digging up our side path to fix a Gas leak at 12:30 this morning. No Sleep ‘til Hammersmith indeed. Consequently if I sound like I’m on speed towards the end of this nearly two hour show, you’ll know why.

On the musical front Russkaja, the Austrian equivalent to The Leningrad Cowboys, start things off, then it’s some Classic Backyard Babies in demo form who are swiftly followed by some up to date UFO. A track from Operation: Mindcrime’s debut album is aired and then it’s a live in the studio song from Bernie Torme to promote his new album, Blackheart and subsequent tour. Compare and Contrast is back with The Boys prosecuting The Towers of London. Now when I started this podcast back in 2007 I never in a million years thought I’d be playing a Prog Rock track by The Pope. Yes The Pope as in his Holiness Pope Francis, but today on this episode I do. How do you follow the Pontiff? You follow him with some Barbe-Q-Barbies and a track from their new album “Driven”. (It’s a good job I’m not Catholic, how many Hail Mary’s?). Darren Birch, Walter Lure’s European bassist, e-mailed to tell me that it was in fact Ozzie who was drumming at The Jazz Cafe and not Martin Ashston as I claimed. Darren is also in The Black Bombers who are head to head with The Hip Priests tonight in Digbeth and it’s only a Fiver to get in. So Get In!  New to The Paranoid Squirrel are Swedish Garage Merchants The Deadheads with a track off their second and new album “Loadead” On the Pledge front Mustasch’s new album arrived last week, signed. Well when I say signed the CD lid was, not the actual booklet. Obviously I play a track which for some reason had me think of Sabbath. Queensryche also fan funded their latest album “Condition Human” however I bought the regular version. The band certainly seem to have found their Mojo which has been absent for most of this century as hopefully you’ll agree on hearing it. Uber Rocks’ Dom Daley pointed me in the (one) direction of The Shondikes. Who he says and I quote “If you still have a shred of life in your rock 'n' roll heart and you want to hear a great record then take a chance on The Shondikes because if you're true to yourself then you will love this record like your first born” On that review I purchased their self-released album “Psychotic Make Out Music” CD and share a track. A band that has got me all excited is from Vancouver Dirtbag Republic featuring Sandy Hazard and Mick Wood formerly of Grandma Moses. Think Rolling Stones, Cheap Trick, NY Dolls, Sex Pistols, Aerosmith, Hanoi Rocks and The Ramones. Now you know why I’m excited. They even cover a Professionals track! Michael Monroe’s latest album “Blackout States” is released next Friday. Wanna sneaky listen to a track? Oh all right.....Joyous news reach me last week that the Bay City Rollers are to reform, well three of the classic line-up are. Pre-Christmas gigs have been booked which sold out in seconds. Hopefully a London date will be forthcoming. To mark this news from 1975, The Tartan Horde’s one and only single “Bay City Rollers – We Love You” is played. If you are scratching your head as to why.....Nick Lowe and a pre Rat Scabies Chris Miller aka Mouse Modem play on it, which leads nicely into the new single by Giuda. Up next are two tracks from The Bones, one is in Germany whilst the other is the English equivalent. Rattling towards the end of this week’s show we have new music from Tank, Graveyard who are due over here with Imperial State Electric and finally it’s The BossHoss who add the full stop to proceedings.  

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 458

Following on from The Bermondsey Joyriders Mid-Week Special comes the headlining Walter Lure; the last remaining member from the classic Heartbreakers, recorded at The Jazz Café 17^th September. Joining Mr Lure were Jez Miller, Darren Birch and Ozzie (although I mistook him for Martin Ashton) with, from The Jim Jones Revue, Jim Jones himself and Robert Orton who joined in for a couple of numbers. Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers were never renowned for their tightness live and Walter doesn’t do anything to dispel this, with Jez, Darren and Ozzie seemingly knowing the material better than the man himself and that isn’t a criticism. Obviously choice cuts from the Heartbreakers and The Waldos one and only albums are aired, that’ll be “L.A.M.F.” and “Rent Party”, with a couple of covers sneaked in. It seems that new music is on the horizon from Walter courtesy of The Last Ditches that also features Binky Philipps and Randy Pratt. I can’t wait to hear that! But in the meantime................

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 457

Welcome to Wednesday and what a better way to get over the middle of the week by listening to The Paranoid Squirrel Rock Show and a live gig featuring The Bermondsey Joyriders. The band are relatively new forming around 2007 and at one time Rat Scabies was their drummer of choice. Chris Musto formerly of Johnny Thunders is now the sticksman with Gary Lamin, ex Cock Sparrer, on guitar and vocals with Martin Stacey ex Chelsea on bass. The band is quintessentially English and looks like they’ve been rummaging around in Noddy Holders dressing up box. Sound wise there’s still is a nod to Cock Sparrer, with Guitarist magazine’s Charles Shaar Murray feeling that the band had achieved a “unique spin on punk-blues”. Three albums down the line in the form of their self-titled, “Noise and Revolution” and “Flamboyant Thugs” the Joyriders are gaining quite a solid following and not only from fans of their previous outfits. The threesome are also getting some choice support slots like guests to Walter Lure at the Jazz Cafe last Thursday. Both I and friend of the show and Squirrel associate Arkwight commented on how good they were, but don’t take our word for it, have a listen for yourselves.

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 456

As a tribute to Bassist Bryn Merrick who passed away last Saturday The Damned open this week’s show. Keeping it in a “Punk” mood; Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers along with The Ramones, well it would’ve been Dee Dee’s Birthday yesterday, sweep us along into Type O Negative. This week’s clashing gig situation involves The Boys at The Pipeline in November. As Honest John Plain will be back playing guitar with his temporary stand in Chips Kiesbye from Sator also rumoured to be accompanying his fellow band mate Kent over for the gig this trumped any other gig that I was supposed to be going to. As a soundtrack to this news a track from The Boys last album “Punk Rock Menopause” along with a Sator 7”are played. New music comes from Devil City Angels self titled debut album. Who as you know, if you listened to the last mid-week special, features Tracii Guns and Rudy Sarzo. The Hollywood Vampires whose core members are Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp and Joe Perry have just released their first album with some help from Dennis Dunaway, Bob Ezrin, Perry Farrell, Dave Grohl, Brian Johnson, Charlie Judge, Robby Krieger, Abe Laboriel Jr., Paul McCartney, Orianthi, Slash, Neil Smith, Glen Sobel, Zak Starkey, Joe Walsh, Kip Winger, Bruce Witkin, Tommy Henriksen, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum. The album consists of all but two covers, three if you included Sir Christopher Lee’s intro, and comes over as a cross between a classic Alice Cooper Band album and a musical, as you will hear. The Black Bullets have a new EP out later this year called “Bombshell” but to wet your musical palette I let you have a sneaky listen to one of the tracks. The Browns are a Canadian band who have been around since January 1998 but I only got to hear of them thanks to Muscle Car who championed their soon to be released new album “Return Of The Browns” on Facebook, a track of which I play. Looks like I’ll be playing “Catch Up” this weekend. The Bones new album “Flash The Leather” is now out in a standard and a limited Digi-Pack. Being the tight wad that I am I bought the standard release then discovered that the limited edition had two bonus tracks, one of which was the English version of “Die Wilden Jahre”, that I required so as I could play them back to back. Even after I bought the up-grade version I played something completely different, a cross between AC/DC and Hardcore Superstar......I then talk about two former Wildhearts members; Danny McCormack and Stidi’s new bands. That’ll be The Main Grains and Drama Club Rejects respectively. Bloodlights, who include former Gluecifer guitarist Captain Poon, new EP “Somebody Else’s Nightmare” is out on the 9^th October. So I play the title track. Also out on the 9^th is Gluecifer’s back catalogue on Vinyl. Get in! More talking from me but this time it’s important as the London date for Eddie Spaghetti’s “Give Cancer The Middle Finger” fundraiser is being finalised. As soon as I know and it’s all confirmed, I will let you know. Onto the two last songs this week which are both new. First up it’s The Cruel Intentions, who feature former Vains Of Jenna frontman Lizzy DeVine with their latest single who are swiftly followed by Reckless Love with theirs.

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 455

It’s Wednesday; the middle of the week and it’s a peak not a trough. To celebrate I bring you Gunzo recorded at the Underworld in Camden last Friday. “Who are Gunzo?” I hear you cry. As the name implies the band feature Tracii Guns and Rudy Sarzo, two real bone-a-fide heavyweight musicians whose collective CV reads like a fantasy; LA Guns, Dio, Whitesnake, Ozzy Osbourne, Guns ‘n’ Roses. Joining our two superheroes were Michael O’Mara on vocals and Shane Fitzgibbons on drums who more than meet the task in hand. So what did we get? More to the point what are you going to hear? Over an hour and a quarters worth of Rudy and Tracii’s back catalogue, with even some Montrose thrown in for good measure at the request of Michael O’Hara. I knew the evening was going to be good but I hadn’t banked on it being THIS good. It’s like the nineties never happened with me airguitaring, something I haven’t done since the days of the Saxon Tavern in Southend Lane in Catford. This was what Friday nights were made for and if you’re quick and in Northern Ireland the band are playing the Voodoo in Belfast tonight which just so happens to be the last gig of the tour.

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 454

So last Friday, that was the 4^th September, the Von Hertzen Brothers hot from their Prog Award acoustic appearance, played the Underworld in Camden. I did think this was rather a strange choice of venue as the last time I saw them, which was only in April; they played the much bigger Dome in Tufnell Park. I did challenge their Record label boss as to why, and the short and easy answer was that it was the only available London venue. Not that I was complaining as there is a club on afterwards so there is a 10’o clock curfew, which meant I was tucked up in bed on the same day as the gig! Now I’m not sure whether it was because the Underworld was packed to the gunwales but the sound was gloriously spot on. Siblings Kie, Mikko and Jonne who were joined, as usual, by drummer, also called, Mikko and keyboardist Juha, looked like they were having a whale of a time, especially Mikko, the brother not the drummer, although.....and is it just me but aren’t the Brothers starting to look like the Bee Gees? Jonne is Robin, Mikko is Barry and Kie Maurice.

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 453

Welcome to this Paranoid Squirrel Mid-week special otherwise known as “The Armitage & Moose Show” (hence the quickly cobbled together Rocky & Bullwinkle artwork) or to call it by its actual real title “The Team Rock Breakfast Show Friday 4^th September 2015”. So last Friday I sat in with Moose on the Free Spin Friday part of his and JRock’s Breakfast Show. J Rock unfortunately was sided lined which was handy as there were only two chairs in the studio. Over the course of the show I cast the odd pearl of wisdom in the direction of Moose that he managed to successfully deflect and I give poor advice on how to increase podcasting listenership. All this whilst music that you always hear on the radio is played, well is Free Spin Friday. I also discover that the studio has no CD player meaning my **ahem** gift of the new Sick Livers and Role Models albums go un-played. If you want to hear all this for yourself the show is currently available to stream here for a limited time or if you wish to download it to listen on you mp3 player or iPod you can on my regular platforms. (For iTunes change it from Music to a Podcast file so you can flip flop between other music and pick it up where you left off, not that you’d want to but the choice is there).  

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 452

For all the wrong reasons Motӧrhead are making the headlines at the moment, however I play what I think is a rather relevant track from the band’s new album “Bad Magic”. The Breakdowns, who were played live on last Saturday’s show, as promised have a track from their soon to be released Record on Ghost Highway played. Staying with Ghost Highway; the label in October will be putting out a live album by the Nomads a track of which I air as a teaser. The Dead Sea Skulls, who I wish I had recorded when they supported The Diamond Dogs a couple of week’s ago as they were that good have a track from their debut ep played so I can make amends. The Godfathers recently celebrated their 30^th Anniversary with a gig at The 100 Club and the release of a new 7”. This is the first I believe to feature the new line-up. Obviously I play something from the single. New to The Paranoid Squirrel are DVL, although main man James Thomas is no stranger having been in The Drej. Naturally I track from them/him gets an outing. More new music comes courtesy of those Smell City Five heroes Märvel, whose album “The Hills Have Eyes” is already for release on the 18^th. I got a message to check out Brighton based band Tusks new album “Embers” which I did and play my findings. Friday saw me up at Team Rock Radio Towers to sit in with Moose on the Breakfast Show. Hear what did and didn’t happen to the soundtrack of the new Michael Monroe single, The Role Models, The Sick Livers, Public Service Broadcasting and a new track from Slayer’s “Repentless” album.

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 451

On today’s show the “Taking Liberties” Tour which rolled into London yesterday was recorded for your listening pleasure. With a rotating headline of The Sick Livers (Wales) and The Disconnects (New Jersey) The Breakdowns were brought in to get everybody Power Popped up. After The Breakdowns The Disconnects came to the fore. You know in “Back To The Future” where Marty McFly does Johnny B Goode? That’s The Disconnects all the time. The Sick Livers have just released their new album “Mid Liver Crisis” (on Glunk Records) hence tour to promote said album. “Turbonegro playing The Backyard Babies” and “The best songs Hanoi Rock never wrote” are two quotes which have been bandied about The Sick Livers. Fair enough.

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 450

Welcome to the Thursday Night Paranoid Squirrel Rock Show Special. On today’s show I talk about gigs that finish late without coming to a conclusion on why. Feel free to throw in your two pennies worth. Maybe I’m too old to “Rock ‘n’ Roll”? One thing I’m too old to do is untrained Roof repairs two stories up in the rain. The main, and much more interesting, part of today’s show comes courtesy of the Diamond Dogs live gig for the release of their umpteenth CD “Quitters & Complainers”. Steve Conte of The Michael Monroe Band, who featured live on Episode 448, joined the proceedings playing four numbers with the band. The Diamond Dogs for the uninitiated were founded in the early nineties by Sören “Sulo” Karlsson (who can also be found these days in The Crunch along with Dave Tregunna, Mick Geggus, Terry Chimes & Idde Schultz) and Anders “Boba” Lindström (who later joined The Hellacopters). The current line-up features Sulo, Lars Karlsson, The Duke of Honk, Martin Tronsson and Johannes Nordell. So without further ado here’s some great Rock in the manor of The Faces/Quireboys with the help of a former New York Doll.