Bane of My Life - Tales from Rock'N'Roll's ashtray

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Bomlpodcast

Ladies and gentleman, Ben Hannah is a man with his fingers in many pies.

Adding grooves and grit to Leeds Punk rock n rollers, Nosebleed, polishing your turds as the production talent at The Organworks, throwing the renowned DIY shindig the Pie Race festival and doing, something, at Merch Stall

Inexplicably we managed to not mention Pie Race once during this session but I will not see the chance for puns go begging. Hopefully the gaping wound of that omission is salved by instead feauring Ben’s experiences with his arm down a blocked pub toilet.

Here at BoML we’re always a fan of ballsy moves so very much approve of Ben jacking the day job and pursuing his Producing calling. The testimony is starting to build up that he was right to do so as per this glowing testimony from the Bar Stool Preachers following a recording sesh in Blackpool with him

“I want to take a minute to sing the praises of Ben Hannah.

I’d met Ben a few times on the road, and always enjoyed his company. His band Nosebleed absolutely fucks and I always put their name forward to support BSP whenever I could. It was only the last year or so though that I started to take real notice of his production skills. As a relatively untrained musician, a lot of my critiquing of music comes from feel and direction, and practically all of Ben’s production work is lathered in vibe and so often, the aesthetics of the music were spot on (check out Casual Nausea’s latest album for a great example of that). I got lost in a little Ben Hannah rabbit hole for a while, and it’s one I’m glad I did.

I decided to go out on a limb and ask him to come and capture our ‘demos’, knowing full well it might be a bit ambitious to expect everything to come together. But Christ on a bike was it one of the best decisions I ever made. Especially when our other options were huge producers out of huge studios.

Ben is a great producer. Always keen to say yes, but still always keeping an eye on how egged the pudding is. He’s got a fantastic ear and a genuine enthusiasm for his work. Hilarious and creative, he was a fucking delight to be around, even on the 18 hour days we were pulling together. Even though he and I are very different people, this process reaffirmed for me that pure hard work and inspiration can lead to life affirming relationships and incredible output.

Ben, if you’re reading this, thank you so much my mate. I’ve got no idea what’s going to happen with this album yet, but thanks to your ability to translate the bands ideas and songs into audio gold, I’m sure it’s going to go far.

Full of love. 10/10, would bang.

Xxx”

Other notable work (to me anyway) includes “Demons” by Casual Nausea. Most intriguing, he’s been making waves on the Leeds pro wrestling scene by jazzing up the all-important walk on music. There’s absolutely no reason why he wouldn’t be able to tidy up your piece of shit thrashing so pick up that phone.

Another solid Leeds man, Ben’s dad, gets a mention, which is not as uncool as it sounds. I can indeed confirm that he does have a book called Big Ed’s which you can check out here

https://www.tnsrecords.co.uk/shop/paul-hannah-art-big-eds-book/

Nosebleed have been on ice like almost everything else during 2020. At the time of recording they almost had a band practice but i’ll let you have a listen to see how badly that went awry! They will come back blazing no doubt as they were seriously busy before the enforced lay off. The Police bothering vid where they drag around pretend dead bodies made of Motorhead T Shirts should be compulsory viewing and found here

https://youtu.be/q8KaxTy2PbQ

Tunes in order:

Nosebleed - Time and Time Again

Nosebleed - Make Up Your mind

Acid Drop - Mary How We Tried

Nosebleed - Scratching Circles

Nosebleed - Kick Me When I’m Down.

Johnny Holt, drummer of Fair Do’s, here’s the need to know factfile:

Sour beers, wry humour, big veg, tanning banes, doing drawing under false names and the devastating reveal that Danny is not the most important one in the band. Bane of My Life has got the lot.

When i’m thinking Fair Do’s, i’m thinking of extremely broad accents as well as tekky skills. The following hour will subject you to both in no small degree, but come through it and you will be changed.

There are four characters within that outfit, some more vocal than others, although a lack of verbosity, or not, is no indicator of crucial contribution to the rockin’. Something I discovered in the course of this Lancastrian odyssey.

Mr Holt was the weapon of choice in this instance, having demonstrated some keen extra-curricular activities via Instagram over the last year or so. At the time of writing (Feb 21), no band is up to anything particularly fascinating so I needed answers from other avenues of inquiry. Namely his big veg and long line of impressive breads i’m getting hot under the collar about on a daily basis.

As is only right, John’s magnificent moustache has its brief moment in the sun too. His place amongst the greats assured by pulling off a look that most just dare to dream of.

Fair Do’s album, “Leopards” is available now on Lockjaw Records and on the usual streaming platforms

https://lockjawrecords.bandcamp.com/album/leopards

Fair Do’s tunes in order appearance on the show

Candleman

Closing In

One of Life's Great Lessons

Hostile Company

Both to Blame

Bane of My Life Podcast would be a sorry shitshow without the aid and charity of the following:

Mike Irving - web design and general nous. https://www.mike-irving.co.uk/

Producer Will - Rescuing the sound from my butchery https://www.pressuredropstudio.co.uk/

Ian T - Intro music, jingles

Matt Wray - Logo design https://bollingtonprintshop.co.uk/

Expect the unexpected goes the line. Yet what would you expect from an hour or so in the company of the Wonk Lord himself?

Searing honesty?

Tales of triumph and tragedy?

I got exactly what i bargained for and it’s my pleasure to bring it to you

There's true rock n roll heritage here going back 30 years or more. Wonk Unit having been active for the last 15. Alex’s starting philosophy for Wonk was if you book them, they will come. Well now if you get the Wonk in your town you’ll likely get a few hundred people through the door too. What is screamingly apparent though is that even if twos or threes were turning up, Alex would be doing it all anyway.

I could call it the Wonk Empire but there’s no contrived business plan here. Just an organic growth of artwork, music, videos, gigs and poetry that are coming from a dude that needs to get it out somehow. It's a common theme from several BoML guests. They don’t do this stuff for our benefit but we benefit all the same.

By way of a payoff, just listen to the joy as he describes the touring, especially around America. Locked doors that have been swung wide and off the hinges by the Wonk appeal.

When it comes to the songs he’s not into polishing turds. This no turd policy remains steadfast over a solid 6 albums now and the early gestation of number 7, expected in 2021.

https://wonkunit.com/

https://www.facebook.com/BOMLPOD/

Wonk Unit tunes (in order)

Lewisham

Go Easy

Elbows

Told you so

Day Job Wanker

Cyclists

There’s an amusing event, harkened back to during this podcast,which resulted in me elbow deep, fishing around in the combined filth of tens of people.

Rich in both excrement and metaphor, a desperate fish into a dark chasm of filth, seeking to find a precious nugget in a world of shit.

Enter Dirt Box Disco, a jewel in the crown, a light in dark places. 10 years ago they quickly started putting the rest of the competition in the shade. A thundering carnival of fun and rock n roll.

I had the pleasure of seeing them in the sort of early spit and sawdust pub shows that get any band misty eyed when harking back. DBD's big sound had the roof tiles rattling in these places and it was clear enough they couldn't be contained for long.

Now a Dirt Box show is a deservedly packed affair, with the connection between band and crowd operating on a rapturous, quasi-spiritual level.

The key elements to this in my mind are twofold:

A free-flowing tap of bona fide hits. Ones that demand the participation of several hundred throats.

An infectious spark of mischief. Brought about by a band operating right on the edge of the sweet spot between chaos and good order.

Both of these can be traced directly back to my Episode 20 guest, Russ, AKA Spunk Volcano.

Even prior to the recent departure of original frontman, Weab, Russ was an irresistible focal point. A huge spikey shouting thing, as he describes himself, will do that. Now he’s front and centre, a natural, hand in glove, succession. This new phase is ushered in by 2020’s album, “TV Sex Show” which this episide is riddled with tunes from. Much has been written about this record elsewhere so i will simply echo, this is a proper collection of rock n roll songs.

One of the main things that flabbergasts me about Russ is the seemingly inexhaustible hit tank than he siphons from. The songwriter for Eight (EIGHT!) DBD & Four SV and The Eruptions albums to date. As he mentions, he wrote twice as many songs as needed for the new record alone. However, with a creative process that involves getting hammered the night before, I think we can all see the appeal.

DBD have released TV Sex Show but sadly are unable to tour it at present due to “you know what”. SV and The Eruptions are just casually sitting on a new album, recorded and ready to drop whenever they see fit. That, my friends, is productivity.

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did making it. As well as here you can find it on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Soundcloud and a growing list of random places too. Once listening is complete i would instruct you to make haste to the following destinations:

https://www.facebook.com/BOMLPOD/

https://dirtboxdisco.com/

https://spunkvolcano.com/

Tunes in order:

Unstoppable - Dirt Box Disco

Insomniac - Dirt Box Disco

Football in The Sun - Spunk Volcano & The Eruptions.

Count of Monte Cristo - Dirt Box Disco

Peepshow - Dirt Box Disco

Bane of My Life here. Breezily skipping through a global pandemic and serving up the antidote to being trapped, with only your own mundane thoughts for company.

For a truly authentic experience, Ep 19 has hooked up with Dean Moynihan. A man who voluntarily isolates, 365 days a year, from his home in the hills of Diggle. What this Village of The Dammed lacks in genetic diversity it sure makes up for in pent up rocking energy as he’s joined by fellow locals Daz and Matt to form his newest bag, The Big I Am.

Anyone within a 90 mile radius of Oldham is now very much in the “At Risk” category, of some pulsating Punk Rock n Roll being visited upon their personage. As you'll hear, the band were agonizingly close to completing their entire reason to be within 18 months of forming. God said no however meaning on the fine day we get the all clear, The Big I Am will be back stalking the M6 in search of trouble.

Punk Rock N Roll is a term I can dig. You can feel confident in what’s being served up in terms of big riffs, big hooks and well proportioned choruses. The Big I Am have smashed out two EP’s thus far which Spotify tells them is exclusively listened to by over 50’s. That was of course, until partnering with the achingly cool demographic of Bane of My Life which should pull the average somewhere closer to mid life crisis territory. And always remember folks, something can't be a midlife crisis if you've been doing it since 16.

Back to Deano who's thrived in both hemispheres of the promoters / bands circle of love and cooperation. Our story dates back to 2007-ish when messages appeared from the wonderfully named SLit Promotions, featuring a cool knife logo because knives were cool back then. Satisfied this wasn’t the herald of further internecine Cheshire band violence we engaged with this rakish newcomer and the rest is history. Although never topping the compilation CD featuring “Punk Not Profit”, SLit did go on to become a real player in Manchester punk gigs, setting Dean on the path of doing some proper nationwide promotion, for real bands. Highlight of the episode for me is when he lifts up the moss covered rock on some of the grubbier realities of the circuit. To quote my own Podcast from Episode 17, it’s a shit business.

Clearly neither The Big I Am or The Kirkz are hitting stages in the immediate future so get your fixes here:

https://www.facebook.com/thebigiampunkband

@thebigiampunk

https://www.facebook.com/BOMLPOD/

Tunes on the Podcast (in order), all by The Big I Am

Deadbeat Derelicts

Nikki’s Going Down

When The Penny Drops

I Want it Some More

Hold Your Own

Big BAD BOML blasts back for 2020 In the company of Jimbo Baxter. The mouth that launched a thousand ships. In a lot of ways a dream guest as I all I had to do was turn the mic on. Underneath that little chassis there's a growling hotrod brain. Jimbo is a one off and a ball of creative energy that must not contained. Have you seen this mans wallpaper?

Most recently that energy is thriving in the happy, madcap, home of The Fucking Glorious, who are as rum a set of characters as you're gonna find. If you want to talk about impact on UK punk though then you just can’t deny the Freaks Union and the Dead Pets that he’s played a huge part in. Stellar names and Bane of My Life has the lot.

BoML also has a website now at www.rockradiobit.ch where each episode is supported by an article with pictures, vids and a bit of extra commentary. I'm also posting gig and album reviews at unspecified intervals. Check it out.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Camden Town has gone down the shitter!

Where once you may have found The Clash lost in the Supermarket, now you’ve gotta keep watch for The Randy Savages, pouting in the Muesli aisle. Using more than just lucky charms to be a fresh breath, amongst all the hot air in the Big Smoke.

The wit & cunning of one Liam Revenge is put through the wringer in BoML episode 17, proving that whilst the knees may be failing, the mind remains sharp.

Like all esteemed BoML guests Liam used to be much younger and from such humble beginnings as Tim Bevington’s wingman, his rock n roll experiences have seen him slay the stage in two hemispheres.

Recoil at the temerity of taking up a tour on double bass, having first picked one up mere weeks before

Gasp as he gives the nation of South Africa the same sort of glowing review an atomic bomb would leave.

In the here and now he’s laid down some dam roots in the Randy Savages and the budding shrubbery of rock seems to be flourishing. He gives us some insight into the secrets of band success and massive spoiler, its hard fucking work. Why does it always come down to that…

Still, there's a healthy chance of cross-pond Royal Rumble as another outfit over there sport the same moniker. This is the third time in BoML history there’s been some shared name action and i will get some of these son-of-a-bitch of doppelgangers to fight if it’s the last thing I do. Listen on and weep.

MJ

Tunes are provided by The Randy Savages, Yosser & The Hyperjax

http://www.randysavagespunkrock.com/

https://bomlpodcast.co.uk

Thirty minutes with the irrepressible villain, Mr Badaxe. Living legend of the UK toilet scene.

Get the full low down here:

https://bomlpodcast.co.uk/biff-talk/?id=3

Enjoy.

There’s only one Flat Back Four in my life and stalwart soldier of misfortune, Ste Lingard has been living the blood, sweat and beers of UK underground rock n roll, hard, over the last 15 years.

BoML pins him down and gently pries open the treasure chest of tales from the, least and most, rewarding job in the world. I had a mint time with Steve and i feel we only scratched the surface so he’ll have to come back whether he likes it or not. This episode is interspersed with fine Flat Back Four tunes and stick around to the end for a new tune from The Kirkz. More poignantly there’s some excellent words from Steve in recognition of Kathy Rocker who sadly left us recently. We love characters here on BoML and we just lost one.

Linkz:

BoML Homepage - Now featuring articles with Words From The Biff Dimension.

https://bomlpodcast.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/BOMLPOD/

Flat Back Four

https://www.facebook.com/flatbackfour/

https://flatbackfour.bandcamp.com/

Couple off massive shout outs to Eddie Swirve and Will Farley for helping me with the behind the curtain stuff. You little belters.

Holy Smokes BoML fans it’s the Tinman, legendary content creator and a big noise in the North Wales Punk Rock scene (NWPR) that The Kirkz were lucky enough to ghost in and out of back in the naughty noughties. Always a man in demand Ton’s drummed in several Kick-ass outfits such as Seize the Day, Instant Agony and Face of Christ. Now, with his partner in crime, Steve Brute, they’re smashing out bitesize hardcore gold in Chugga. The one true Chugga.

If that’s not enough he’s hosting YouTube Horror-score Vinyl show Splattered Plastic and making screened documentaries, including one about NWPR if my plan to guilt him back into action worked here.

Final word from me, released an Episode in Jan from Pressure Drop studios in Stockport, we’re rocking that place at their Summer party on June 02nd. Down in Coalville for the Unholy Messtival July 12th and then back in black in Birkenhead at Molly’s Chambers on the 13th courtesy of Lord Hockey. Don’t fuck this up, be there.

Here’s your must have links:

Splattered Plastic

https://www.facebook.com/Splatteredplastic/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuh97nSttmFr2qgMe_ykjEg

Chugga.

https://deathbychugga.bandcamp.com/

Upcoming Gigs

https://www.facebook.com/events/1581691958627373/

https://www.facebook.com/events/265684544186095/

https://www.facebook.com/events/1300642013411781/