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Tin Knocker - Mike Magrann and CH3’s suspended adolescence
‘Tin Knocker’ is a story about choices; choices that can find you in the worst throes of a suspended adolescence and force you to face impending adulthood. With a band that found a neatly defined success in the small, tight-knit LA punk family, both Mike Magrann and CH3’s trajectory should have raced past cramped, filthy vans and into catered dressing rooms and five-album deals. It was the ‘80s, after all. Excess was more common than oxygen and they were throwing deals at ban
david1170
Jun 211 min read


Hearing Sounds - photography and music
Tilman Dominka's book ‘I am already hearing sounds’ combines black-and-white photography and music. Closely connected to the DIY music scene, he travelled to various places to visit musicians he met at shows. In this book, which is dedicated to the close connection between photography and music, he has compiled images from the last 15 years and asked musicians and bands to provide a piece of music; there are 30 images and accompanying pieces of music, which can be accessed
david1170
Jun 212 min read


Fun in the sun
There’s so many great photographs in the new ‘Punk at Sea: A Rebellion Festival photo book’ by Michiel Blijboom. Over 130 pages of candid images, taken mainly of fans and punks just being punks by the seaside, at the big festival in Blackpool. The book is available in time for the big thirty year celebration – crass commercialism, or a celebration of the people and the scene we all love? Rebellion, the annual punk festival in and around the not so aptly-titled Winter Gardens.
david1170
Jun 181 min read


Priceless memories outweigh professional interviews - Record Collector review new Ramones book
‘All Good Cretins Go To Heaven: The Enduring Spirit of The Ramones’ by Jenn L. Beckwith with Gary Lynn Clevenger ★★★★ Earth Island/DiWulf £19.99 ISBN 9781916864948 280 pages Love letter from the fans Showing again how priceless memories can often outweigh professional interviews for fun and insight, children’s librarian Beckwith’s first book came from an idea with researcher Clevenger to honour the Ramones around their 50th anniversary that grew into an un
david1170
Jun 181 min read


Encyclopaedic knowledge of the underground
Thoughts Words Action review ‘Tear It Down’ by Alexandros Anesiadis Anyone who has spent a significant portion of their life digging through the dusty crates of underground music history knows that genres don’t just appear out of thin air. They are forged in the fires of friction, subcultural warfare, and unexpected alliances. Back in the early 1980s, if you told a die-hard hardcore punk that they would soon be sharing a mosh pit with a long-haired thrash metalhead, they pr
david1170
Jun 124 min read


Wonk Unit in ‘The Scene That Would Not Die’
London’s Wonk Unit are not only one of the most successful and prolific UK punk bands of the last two decades, but also one of the most original and eclectic, their irreverent take on melodic punk knowing few boundaries and their self-effacing humour coupled with an often- fearless honesty. “It was around 2005, and I hadn't made any of my own music for a few years previously,” explains vocalist Alex Johnson, who had enjoyed considerable success in the Nineties as part of The
david1170
Jun 1211 min read


The Godfathers of Punk with three chords and straightforward lyrics
Spill Magazine review ‘All Good Cretins Go To Heaven: The Enduring Spirit of the Ramones’ All Good Cretins Go To Heaven: The Enduring Spirit of the Ramones, by Jenn L. Beckwith, is a unique publication, and an interesting addition to the growing number of books about the fabled Godfathers of Punk. Billed as “an open love letter to Ramones from the fans and those closest to them, sharing their love in photos, artwork, and memories,” the book is part music and cultural histor
david1170
Jun 122 min read


The Underground in China - Genres at a glance and extreme bands showcased
‘The Underground in China: Metal, Punk, Hardcore and Noise (2013-2021)’ by Ryan Dyer showcases bands across the spectrum of genres in China. No Clean Singing have handpicked ten of the more extreme bands found within the book to showcase. Check out their choices here: https://www.nocleansinging.com/2026/06/09/the-underground-in-china-10-underground-extremities/ Another major asset of ‘The Underground in China’ is that the book covers many genres. Looking at the scene as a w
david1170
Jun 121 min read


A day, or two, out in Suffolk
The street-smart punk-poetry troubadour James Domestic has a couple of imminent events in Suffolk, on 20th June (with HENRY NORMAL) and 25th June (with ANDY RILEY) in Eye and Bury St Edmunds respectively. Both with some excellent supports. [Foreword Festival UK](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1210462116767562/user/100093839145255/?__cft__[0]=AZY20CKhmRvAgwtvq_3-q3POS645V4SAKGCTaR2n6wTSZerRJLS6y_eEhiR2CSpI3wDV1K7zqPDtNkYFx6c3K3cX6dyQgi5BCE3wggzuPtr9JjfxKXV7T0fIM7-2ZDjoDCCSbho
david1170
Jun 111 min read


Ten Poets readings and book launch
Five of the East Anglian based poets featured in the punk-poetry book, ‘Ten Poets, Volume Three’ will be holding a pre-publication spoken word gig to celebrate the book's imminent release. This event will be a reading and book-signing party at Bin93 Wine Bar in Ipswich (IP4 1JZ) from 7pm onwards on Wednesday 24th June. Entry will be free and we’ll have plenty of books there for you to check out and maybe buy. There’s more info here: https://facebook.com/events/s/ten-poets-boo
david1170
Jun 111 min read


Crass at Trinity Hall with unexpected guests
An excerpt from - NOT JUST BITS OF PAPER By GREGORY BULL and MICKEY PENGUIN TENTH YEAR ANNIVERSARY - FULL COLOUR HARDBACK EDITION From: Unexpected Guests – Crass, Trinity Hall, Bristol, 15th December 1983. …It’s a sea of punks here tonight. Some dressed all in black wearing raggedy clothes an old cardigans, black shirts, Shiny waxed black jeans, patchwork clothes. there are donkey jackets, leather jackets adorned with studs bands names and symbols that have been hand painte
david1170
Jun 76 min read


POlice from a poke in the Third Eye
Police (with ‘leveller’) Part 1 I’ve met some lovely police Who were kind, considerate and polite But mostly they were arseholes Who just wanted to start a fight A bunch of legalised criminals Who love to fuss and fight A good day’s work for them would be To see me put in prison It’s not ethics or morals they uphold But a corrupt and unjust system... Police they like to commit crime Without having to do the time Police will scream into your face Wit
david1170
Jun 73 min read


WE SHOULD PLAY MORE SHOWS LIKE THAT!
Praise for GUITARGONAUT… “I finished reading the excellent book GUITARGONAUT by Sluggo Cawley. I’ve known Sluggo since 1988, when Toxic Shock released an album from his band Hullabaloo, based in the Boston area. The late 80’s were an interesting time for punk rock. Major labels were just beginning to sign bands and soon ruin it for the underground. Sluggo has a knack for storytelling and remembering all the small details. The pages are filled with malcontents, losers, drunk
david1170
Jun 75 min read


An interview with Charlie Harper
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
david1170
Jun 31 min read


Fiery words for hellish times
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
david1170
Jun 31 min read


Ten Poets Volume Three publishes in JUne
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.
david1170
Jun 22 min read


signing books in the bar
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
david1170
May 301 min read


Chris reads an excerpt from 'This Is My Everything'
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
david1170
May 301 min read


Telling the Scene Police story
'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
david1170
May 254 min read


King of Pigs in 'The Scene That Would Not Die'
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
david1170
May 257 min read
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