We’ve just been reading a great interview with Charlie Harper of UK Subs by Djordje Miladinovic for Thoughts Words Action punk-rock blog. They cover all sorts of subjects and as usual, Charlie is open and honest and has interesting answers. It’s a conversation you should definitely check out if you have a moment. You’ll find the interview here: https://thoughtswordsaction.com/2026/06/02/interview-charlie-harper/ Few figures have been as vital to the endurance of punk rock as

Punk poet and musician, Attila the Stockbroker, is set to perform in Sudbury at the Arts Centre on Friday this week, (5th June) bringing more than four decades of politically charged poetry, music and satire to one of Suffolk’s most striking cultural venues. He’ll be more-than-ably supported by our very own punk-poet, James Domestic, and they will both be bringing bags of poets day dreams, humorous verse, and fiery words for these hellish times. If you’re quick, you can still

Ten Poets, Volume Three by ANDREA JANOV, LAURA BRADLEY, JONATHAN ROTH, MICHAEL BAMBER, KIRSTY SMITH, DAVID MUSTILL, MATT CARTER, NATALIE KAY, HENRY LONG and DJORDJE MILADINOVIĆ is the third volume in our series of books showcasing a variety of poets producing excellent, if sometimes unnoticed, work. This collection is intended to act as a primer to check out their other work and / or book them to perform in your city, town or village. Poetry is everywhere and for everyone.

Alex Anesiadis reading from and signing copies of his new book, ‘Tear It Down: How Crossover Bridged Metal and Hardcore Punk’ in Stones Bar in Thessaloniki. The latest ‘Tear It Down’ presentation was in Thessaloniki, Greece, and took place at Stones Rock Bar with an intimate and friendly attendance of around 50 people. The presentation was opened by Apostolis Themelis of Asylum Crew, and Alex talked for a while about his great new book and signed copies for anyone wanting one

Here’s Christian Späth, the author of ‘This Is My Everything’ telling us about his excellent book and reading a quick excerpt in this video clip… ‘This Is My Everything’ is about one forgotten screamo band's travels into and out of the worldwide DIY hardcore scene in the late nineties and early noughties, with guest appearances by Against Me!, Shelter, Refused, Ink & Dagger, Yaphet Kotto, Snapcase and many more. “Starting a band is a lot like a romantic relationship. You spen

'THE SCENE POLICE STORY - A Story of Rebellion, Passion, and Financial Ruin' by Dennis P Merklinghaus will finally be published this Summer. Forget polished success stories and nostalgic punk rock mythology. The Scene Police Story is the raw, chaotic, and brutally honest account of a DIY punk collective that ran on conviction, friendship, sleep deprivation, and terrible financial decisions. What started as a reaction against scene elitism and moral posturing spiralled into

Ian Glasper has written about so many great bands in his exploration of punk in the UK since the millennium. His superb book ‘The Scene That Would Not Die: Twenty Years of Post-Millennial Punk In The UK’ features 111 essential bands from the last twenty years, discussing the challenges they’ve faced, the obstacles they’ve had to overcome, and how they think they still need to evolve to stay relevant in these troubled times. King Of Pigs hail from Nottingham and bang out solid

‘The Underground in China’ brings together more than 350 pages of photography, interviews, and first-hand observations from inside a thriving alternative music scene that rarely reaches Western audiences.’ In 2013, Ryan Dyer arrived in China with little idea of what lay beneath the surface of its music scene. Within a week, he found himself at an underground show featuring the band Rectal Wench. That night opened the door to a world few outsiders ever see. Over the next eight

Chris Wynne of InEffect Hardcore reviews Tear It Down An absolute beast of a book here at over 600 pages and 220,000 total words, “Tear It Down, How Crossover Bridged Metal And Punk” continues the strong underground lineage that the UK’s Earth Island Books has created over the years. Alex Anesiadis attacks the crossover topic in a DIY zine type of way with 180 interviews with bands that date back to the 1980’s to post-2000 and current day ones as well. A key takeaway here

Thoughts Words Action review ‘Not Just About The Fall: 50 adventures in a post-punk paradise’ Anyone who has spent a significant portion of their life immersed in the underground music scene knows that a subculture is only as strong as the people who show up. You can have the most revolutionary band in the world rehearsing in a garage, but if nobody is there to press the record button, buy the seven-inch, or stand in a cold, half-empty venue on a Tuesday night, the music ef

CHARLIE HARPER SOLO IN JUNE - SONGS AND STORIES Less than a month away! Saturday 13 June 2026 - Signature Brew, Haggerston, London. Charlie will perform an intimate 45-minute live song set, followed by another 45 minutes discussing and telling stories from his autobiography 'An Anarchy of Demons'... BRING YOUR COPY OF THE BOOK AND CHARLIE WILL GLADLY SIGN IT - OR GRAB A COPY AT THE GIG... DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS SPECIAL SHOW. TICKETS: https://dice.fm/event/v39mqd-charlie-h

Life after retirement for Bill ‘Toxic Shock’ Sassenberger is getting busier and busier. Check out the flaming hot book review of Wanderlust and Welcome Mats by Mick Rhodes from the Claremont Courier here: https://claremont-courier.com/opinion/transcending-grief-in-wanderlust-and-welcome-mats-88464/ This part joyful punk rock travelogue, part later-in-life love story, Bill Sassenberger’s second book, “Wanderlust And Welcome Mats: The Broccoli Chronicles,” is ultimately a celeb

TEAR IT DOWN - How Crossover Bridged Metal And Hardcore Punk by Alexandros Anesiadis - Earth Island To start with I should probably say that the music this book covers isn’t my thing, I’m not into metal at all. However, I do have records by quite a few bands featured here - GBH, Discharge, Verbal Abuse, The FUs, Broken Bones, English Dogs, The Skeptix etc, but it’s just their punk stuff I like; for instance I only really like the first English Dogs 12’, ‘Mad Puns And English

Former Liverpool ECHO journalist Paddy Shennan releases ‘Not JUST About The Fall: 50 Adventures in a Post-Punk Paradise’ via Earth Island Books. Serving as a prequel to The Talk of Liverpool, the book dives into Shennan’s teenage obsession with post-punk, The Fall, and the transformative power of music. A heartfelt memoir and cultural reflection, it features encounters with icons like Mark E. Smith, Pete Shelley, and Mick Jones. Part music history, part personal journey, Not

Here I am in London at a friend’s squat. Came down south to meet up with friends and most importantly to attend 3 punk gigs in three nights. I wanted to see the bands I’d taped off of my friend which introduced a change in my life to a degree I started to learn bass lines from some of them. Bands in question are Subhumans, Sears, Icons of Filth, Mau Maus, Anti-System, Devoid. That is not me of course, and that is not now. First of all, I cannot play bass and, most important

Oh, you know, no big deal - just our latest book hitting #1 on Amazon's hottest new music books. "All Good Cretins Go to Heaven: The Enduring Spirit of the Ramones" by Jenn L. Beckwith and Gary Clevenger. Get it on the devil’s own reseller, Amazon, in most good book and record stores, or directly through the publishers, Diwulf.com. in the US or A and Earth Island Books in the UK and Europe. Thanks.

Just a quick note from Alex Anesiadis to say a BIG THANKYOU to everyone who came out on Sunday to see his 'Tear It Down' book presentation at The Dev in Camden before the bands hit the stage. Good to see so many old-skool HC kids there. (Keep those elbows in Bod!) Alex says: "Thank you The Dev for all the beautiful moments today! So happy for my friends coming up, and hosting another presentation of 'Tear It Down'." There will be more events coming up where you can get Alex t

Fully back into the rhythm of gigging, James Domestic can be seen headlining Fen Speak in Ely on 20th May (Centre E, Barton Road). Doors at 7:00pm. Performances from 7:30pm – and it’s free entry too! The following night he’s at The Bell in Ticehurst (home town of Earth Island Books!), on the Kent/Sussex border the following night, supporting the brilliant TV comedy and film scriptwriter, Andy Riley. On the subject of Andy Riley, he’s also a widely published cartoonist and h

Punks In The Willows and Raccoon Starts A Band, for alternative kids of all ages. Alex CF’s beautiful and important book, ‘Punks In The Willows’ is a colourful guide to the punk rock community, told through the lives of animals. This forty page, A4 hardback collection of illustrations depicts the creativity, music, social justice and above all, friendship that is found in punk. With verses suitable for readers of any age, and gorgeous artwork that will be available as print

Paying four quid for a single can of warm cider when you could have bought four for the same price in an off licence is enough to negate any lingering belief in a benevolent god but seeing a room full of bodies moving and thrashing as one to the sounds of distorted guitars and bass that reverberates through every pore in your skin is enough to let that belief linger on a little longer. Take Me back To Babylon is taken from Martin Appleby's excellent 'In Pursuit of Expressio