Something of a regional treasure of the North East, Trev HAGL is a punk rock institution. For 25 years he’s been churning out fanzines from the former pit town backwaters of Co. Durham and haggling with second hand record shop owners across the region. Like Paul Calf in a flight jacket, he has no time for trendy bands and his top 5 recent songs are:
1. ‘Tourettes,’ — Barse
This North East punk band’s third album If You Can’t Fuck Em Cut Em Up was a slab of demented genius equal to Psychoville. Picking one song is nigh on impossible but with lyrics like “Your brother is a prick/I cut the brake pipes on his bike/And idle threats don’t bother me/Bring who the fuck you like/Urgh urgh woof woof meow meow/I’ve got tourettes” we’ll go for this one. Cracking music and great loud and dirty production. And if the CD itself wasn’t disturbing enough, main songwriter Gash Flaps went the same way as Ian Curtis a month after the album was finished.
2. ’16 On The Dole,’ — Running Riot
Boots & Ballads, the new album from this hard as nails (but equally singalong) Belfast Oi band is another one that is so full of classics it’s hard to choose, but this reworking of an old North East Miners Benefit comp LP folk song from 1984 just edges ahead of the rest. Imagine Ian Paisley fronting a punk band and talking sense for once. Great tune, brilliantly executed. You want one cheap? Contact me on trevhagl@hotmail.com
3. ‘Skinhead Not Bonehead,’ — Gimp Fist
With most new Oi bands veering towards the dark side (but not having Skrewdriver’s ‘honesty’), here’s a timely (and cracking) song from this Darlo Oi band who recently played with Last Rough Cause and Major Accident – and that gives you an idea what to expect. Great rockin’ guitars, singalong chorus and a message to match. Both their albums are chocca with anthems whilst this is out any minute on a split 7″ on a German label.
4. ‘Time To Wake Up,’ — Lurkers
With a lot of bands dragging themselves out of retirement merely for filthy lucre, Arthur has been keeping the band going in some form or other more or less throughout. A smashing bloke, and well sussed. This is a fantastic tune pouring ever more needed contempt on corrupt politicians, whilst avoiding the usual clich és. They sound better than ever.
5. ‘DIY Till We Die’ — Sloppy Seconds
Their latest album Endless Bummer has been largely ignored, though fuck knows why – it’s almost as good as Destroyed. Great snotty punk with the usual sharp witted lyrics, taking the piss out of trendsetting record company whores , and finding the time for a bit self-deprecation along the way “it’s hard to sell your soul when nobody wants to buy… DIY till we die!”. A song that pretty much sums up the alternative scene of the last 10 years.
