The Paranoid Squirrel

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Sometimes when a band tries to take a second bite of the Cherry (Baby) they end up looking like a pale imitation of themselves, trying too hard and end up sullying their past. This is something Starz have managed to circumnavigate for two reasons. Reason one; even though Kerrang! Magazine listed their first two albums, “Starz” and “Violation”, in the most important Heavy Metal albums of all time with Poison, and Mötley Crüe citing them as a primary influence, the band only managed to lick the cherry. Main stream commercial success seemed to alluded them; all right the “Cherry Baby” 7” was a State side hit but they never managed to capitalise on it. In 2013 they finally made it over to the UK now with Alex Kane on guitar and a guesting Ginger Wildheart on bass. Fast forward to the 11^th March 2015 and Starz rolled back into the UK for three dates, Leamington Spa, Camden Underworld and the Hard Rock Hell Festival. London was my port of call and I have to say it was even better than The Garage with regular bassist George DiAna once again plucking the four stringed beast. Even Alex Kane thinks the current incarnation is “Magical”. He’s not wrong. The set was split into two parts as drummer Joe X. Dube needed a quick break having only six weeks earlier been in Hospital undergoing Heart Surgery. The Underworld was not a busy as it should’ve been under normal circumstances as Night Ranger were playing the Islington Academy and Jettblack were having their album listening party in Denmark Street, but for those of us who were there knew we had made the correct choice. As you will hear……

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I’m breaking out of the studio for the next few shows and what a finer way to kick things off with Hardcore Superstar recorded live at the Garage in Highbury at the beginning of their “When We Touch The Sky” tour. The band will be releasing their umpteenth album “HCSS” between April 21^st and 28^th depending where you live, unless you ask Mr Merch Guy very nicely and a promo version could be yours for a Tenner. Practically all 10 tracks were played live which shows the band have got real confidence in the yet to be released album. Let’s face it; normally a couple and at a stretch three new tracks are played when a band tours to support/promote a new product. Not Hardcore Superstar with the new songs welcomed like classics that they surely will become. A great 1¼ hours set had me wondering why on earth they hadn’t headlined over here since January 2010 playing second fiddle to the likes of The 69 Eyes and then Buck Cherry in the interim. Well worth the wait as you will hear!  

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Back into the studio after a two week live break with some top quality Rock and even some Roll. Kicking things off are The Hives with a Hellacopters cover then it’s onto Nicke Hellacopter himself and the James Williamson (Stooges, Sony Vice President) “Re-Licked” track that he played on. I then turn or point you in the direction of three Classic Bands that just so happen to have released new albums. Up first it’s The Scorpions with a track of their 18^th album “Return To Forever” that had me doing a double take as I thought they’d covered The Wildhearts “Sick Of Drugs”. Then it’s onto two of Britain’s finest in the form of UFO and Thunder with a track from “The Conspiracy of Stars” and “Wonder Days” respectively. Saddling up next are Black Star Riders with album number two “Killer Instinct”, still plenty of Thin Lizzy flavours but less former and more current if you catch my drift. Linking a Captain Sensible story to a Beckenham Night Club and Train Station via Status Quo is no mean feet but I manage it and to celebrate the fact I play the Quo song that brought them all together. As rumours of the UK premiere of The Damned Documentary “Don’t You Wish That We Were Dead” fill my head with potential glee a John Peel session Brian James’ Tanz Der Youth track is aired. Back onto new music with Sweden’s Blasting Fondas who had me thinking of The Nomads and The Boys with even a hint, large hint, of The Damned on the particular track that I play. Still in Sweden the Shemales are up next; The Stooges meets The D4? You tell me. The Diamond Dogs have a two CD set out in May called “Quitters and Complainers” which is going to be dedicated to their Sax play “Magic” Gunnarsson who sadly passed away last year. The first track from it has already been let loose on the interwebs so I naturally play it. Diamond Dogs’ vocalist Sulo’s other band The Crunch are also all set to release a new album, “Brand New Brand” in April via PledgeMusic. The rest of The Crunch consist of Terry Chimes formally of The Clash, Black Sabbath and Hanoi Rocks, Dave Tregunna, Sham 69, Lords of The New Church, Mick Geggus, Cockney Rejects and last but no means least Idde Schultz of Docenterna. I sneak you a listen to demo that will in a finished form appear on the aforementioned new album. Friend of the show and Squirrel associate Arkwright tipped me off over the next band who are based in Ashford. The band in question are called The Rash and their 4 track ep “Ashford Royalty” is so catchy it’ll be all over you like a….Rash. Winding up things this week is a classic, in all senses of the word, track from Gillan as The Squirrel and I finally managed, after a 32½ year wait, to hear Mick Underwood in his Glory Road guise play drums live once again.

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This week it’s an all live Paranoid Squirrel Rock Show courtesy of The Hip Priests and the Bitch Queens with the first gig of their short three date English tourette recorded at The Black Heart in Camden. The Bitch Queens, who hail from Basel, Switzerland, come across as the perfect mix of The Dead Boys and Hellacopters with a large smattering of Turbonegro attitude. The band consists of Mel Quitt (Vox/Guitar), Harry Darling (Drums/Vox), Danny Schönenberger (Guitar) and Marcel Colomb (Bass /Vox) and have been out on the road since 2008 finding time to record and release the “Female Shotgun”, “Suck It Up” and “Kill Your Friends” albums along with a clutch of spit singles. The Hip Priest as I’m sure you’re aware have been doing their brand of white trash, oversexed, inbred Rock ‘n’ Roll with the (God) Father figures of Iggy Pop, Johnny Thunders, Lemmy and Handsome Dick looking on with dismay since 2006. In this time the band have brought us countless 7”s, three albums, one Japanese compilation/rarities CD all topped of with the just released live DVD “FO IN HH”. However; live is where the band are best viewed or in the case of this week’s show, heard.

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The only known recording of Black Sabbath Mkii starts things off this week with the over looked Dexter Jones’ Circus Orchestra following with The Robot Lords Of Tokyo in a six degrees of separation, thanks to the BBC, straight after. Danko Jones have just released a new album called “Fire Music” naturally I air a track from it. In this day of the internet and social media when forming a band it’s pretty easy to see if your band name of choice has been already taken. Seattle based instrumentalists Audrey Horne have failed in this and recorded and released an album called “Teledidonics”. I play a track before the cease and desist order is served. I also play a track from Los Bastardos Finlandese sixth album “BMF Ball” which has just been released; no one can ever excuse them of name copying!  A band I’d not heard of until Head Glunk Recorder Dom Daley pointed me in their direction was FUKDUST4 who feature members of Wolfsbane/Jellys, a former UK Sub and  Drongos For Europe. It seems they only have one single out at the moment but what a great start! We pop over to Scandinavia for some Street Punk in the form of City Saints, Sleaze; Hardcore Superstar and emmm Dizzy Mizz Lizzy. Brighton based band Gang return us the UK, with Closer Records Recording artists The Dark Rags, Dum Dum Boys and Three Headed Dog ending this weeks show off.

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On The Paranoid Squirrel Rock Show; The Worlds Longest running weekly podcast (Allegedly, but prove me wrong) this week the very first single by AC/DC, with only Angus and Malcolm from any AC/DC I know playing on it, is aired. Then Chris Spedding he of “Motorbikin’” and Womble fame has a track from his very excellent “Joyland” played. I almost play a track by The Korgis but don’t instead I fresbie the CD over the houses opposite into the grounds of the the Psychiatric Hospital and play a Reeves Gabrels and his Imaginary Friends track instead. I made the correct choice! The International Swingers soon to be released single originally recorded by The Move gets played in an attempt to get their pledge passed 100%. Finland’s Waltari have a new album out at the end of the month so naturally I play something from it. New to the show are Barnsley Dark Punkers System Of Hate with a track from their very excellent “Insanity” EP. To celebrate The Damned’s “Don’t You Wish We Were Dead” Documentary being screened at next months SXSW festival I play a track from my favourite live Damned album. The UK Subs have a brand new album out called “Yellow Leader” it goes without saying that I play something from it. Then I take you over to Boston for Watts who have been described as “They play in a band built on a bedrock of riff-powered songs that have as much to do with swagger as they do melody. Watts also stoke the twin-engine guitar charge of Keith Richards and Ron Wood, although gruff-voiced singer-guitarist Dan Kopko sings better than both, and lead axe John Blout’s tough, blistering solos are closer in spirit to the knotty workouts of AC/DC’s Angus Young”  Well that was me sold. Chips Enuff bassist with Enuff Z’Nuff has just released a solo album with contributions from Steven Adler, Slash, Robin Zander with co writing credits from Trent Reznor and Paul McCartney. The Hip Priests cover Zodiac Mindwarp before I moan about the Jettblack listening party clashing with Starz at The Underworld. With the whole show finishing up with “Songs That Don’t Rock But Actually Do”.

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This week we return to the studio with some pre fame Motӧrhead who are swiftly followed by The Ramones who are in turn just before that “other” great New York band The New York Dolls. Which leads us nicely into a track by Dolls and Heartbreakers drummer Jerry Nolan in the form of Jerry Nolan and the Profilers. Bay City Rollers?! Why not, come on Dee Dee was into them and wasn’t Rat Scabies once Mouse Modem in the Tartan Hordes? On the new music front David Ryder Prangley of Rachel Stamp fame treats us to a present to mark his Birthday in the form of the blink and you missed it “Birthday Suite”. The Prima Donnas third album “Nine Lives and Forty Fives” is out on the 10^th, so to get you in the mood I obviously play a track off it. The Godfathers of Trash Venom (no Venom no Slayer) have just released a brand new album called “From The Very Depths” and prove that they still have plenty to offer, as you will hear. A band with a lot to prove are Jettblack, third full length album “Disguises” due for a Spring release, tour in February, listening party in March. Lead single “Explode” does just that. Expect the unexpected. The Hip Priests have just released their debut live DVD along with a brand spanking new 7”. Naturally the 7” gets a spin. At this point I talk about clashing gigs, which I avert whilst my daughter shoves a note under the studio door, putting me straight on two things, one of which involves Olly Murs and Social Distortion. Both the Von Hertzen Brothers and VLY, who sport Tormé and former Shark Island bassist Chris Heilmann have new albums out in the coming months. I guess it goes without saying that a track from each is aired. 

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Once again it’s an all live affair courtesy of former Girl, Tormé vocalist Phil Lewis. Obviously since 1988 Phil has been plying his trade in LA Guns and is just about to complete a short, low key solo UK tour. The show was recorded at the Camden Underworld during the midway point and covers most of his musical catalogue; plenty of LA Guns, naturally, some Girl, a couple of covers, London Cowboys and The Heavy Metal Kids. Sadly no Tormé even if Tormé bassist Chris Heilmann was in attendance. A great evening from a great singer.   

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The Who get things going this week then it’s The Claytown Troupe before we get into new music courtesy of Captain Powers and Mourning Birds. I also talk about finally getting my iTunes and iPod to work together before a pledge only track from The International Swingers, that’ll be Glem Burke, Glen Matlock, James Stevenson and Gary Twinn is aired. As I’ve also pledged on Marky Ramones autobiography I play a Motӧrhead cover from The Chuck Norris Experiment. More new music from one time David Bowie and John Lennon guitarist Earl Slick before I regale the story of locking out friend of the show and Squirrel Associate Arkwight at ten to one in the morning as he returned from seeing Paul Raymond at The Borderline. Naturally I play some UFO. A new segment this week is “Songs That Rock, That Shouldn’t” featuring Ella Henderson. With the show rounded off by some 30% slower Slayer!

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Welcome to the first show of 2015. Union Carbide Productions get the ball rolling after which I moan about iTunes 12 seemingly refusing to sync new albums on my iPod. Steve Conte cheers things up with a track from his critically acclaimed “NYC” album. Whilst in between the aforementioned Steve Conte and D-A-D I tell a hypothetical (sic) story about the perils of not owning an Oyster Card. The Whocares have a track off their overlooked, by me, album “Now In Full Stereo” aired before the first “Compare & Contrast” of 2015 comes into court. Prosecuting are the Lightning Seeds whilst the defendants are The Damned. The title track of Calabrese soon to be released 6^th album “Lust For Sacrilege” gets The Rock Show treatment before I tell you of the fantasy festival that was to be held in Stockholm on three impossible days at the end of next month. Underpinned by The last ever Gluecifer studio track. I moan about the TV being so dire over the Festive Period, the only high points being the non-Christmas films that are shown. Not forgetting the Clash Documentary that was shown on New Year’s Day on BBC Four. Obviously I play a song by them, which is swiftly followed by The Hellacopters. As we reach the home straight Thee Imperial Royales, with their second album of Surf, Goth ‘n’ Roll in 10 years are played and then it’s the turn of The Dime Store Haloes, oh the interconnectiveness. Rounding the show off are; The Drej, who have decided to call it a day and Motӧrhead who remind us of their roots.