Ten Years of The Wankys - Our Future Issue 3

Issue 3 of Our Future is out now!

here's the blurb:

This issue has UK ‘noise punk’ heroes THE WANKYS as its focus and celebrates the band’s tenth anniversary. The zine includes lengthy interviews with guitarist/vocalist ‘Mr Wanky’, drummer ‘Mr Beat Meat’ and SPHC label boss Dan McGregor as well as a broad selection of articles which look back over the group’s first decade together.

24 A5 pages. PRICE = £1.50 each + postage via bandcamp

Now then, while you await the arrival of your copy I would like to share some photos of The Wankys from 2008. These rare early shots of a London gig were shared with me by Tony Gunnarson of More Noise fanzine and label fame and I think really capture the feel of a fresh faced band ready to take on the world with their noisy guitars. Some of these snaps made it into Issue 3 of Our Future but here is the full set for your perusal - enjoy!

Mob 47 and The Wankys - Northern Noise Mangel February 2018

Friday 16th Feb - the Lughole - Sheffield
w/Ratcage + State Funeral

Saturday 17th Feb - Pop Records - Sunderland (12-2pm Matinee) 
w/Prolefeed

Saturday 17th Feb - Nice N Sleazy - Glasgow
w/Grieve + Droves

Sunday 18th Feb - Bansee Labyrinth - Edinburgh
w/Grieve + Iron System

Mob 47 #5 - Mob 47 - the Agoni connection

The Swedish hardcore scene has always been recognised as one of the world's powerhouses with wave after wave of distortion wielding viking wizards choosing the medium to express their anger. From first wave artists such as Shitslickers and Anti-Cimex, through 90's heroes like Disfear and Totalitar, to present day bangers 偏執症者, the country continues to punch way above is belt in terms of the quality, and quantity of bands it produces.

So what would be more powerful than a Swedish hardcore band you might ask? Two Swedish hardcore bands of course! For a brief couple of weeks back in early 1984 such a world collision occurred - Per, vocalist with Agoni, found himself fronting Mob 47 long enough to lay down a couple of tracks, but sadly not long enough to take part in the recording session for the legendary Karnvapen Attack EP. Luckily for us the ever fantastic Insane Society label decided to press these Agoni/Mob 47 crossover tracks as a flexi disc in 2016 so that we might all enjoy this unique crossover - and what a rager it is!

Sadly Per passed away earlier this year, but his legacy lives on in wonderful recordings such as these, hopefully inspiring young punks for many generations to come.

Enjoy the sounds, order the record directly from the label, and check out the northern UK tour dates below!





Mob 47 and The Wankys - Northern Noise Mangel February 2018

Friday 16th Feb - the Lughole - Sheffield
w/Ratcage + State Funeral

Saturday 17th Feb - Pop Records - Sunderland (12-2pm Matinee) 
w/Prolefeed

Saturday 17th Feb - Nice N Sleazy - Glasgow
w/Grieve + Droves

Sunday 18th Feb - Bansee Labyrinth - Edinburgh
w/Grieve + Iron System

Our Future Issue III - Ten years of the Wankys

Issue III will be out in the next few weeks - you can take out a subscription right now to guarantee your copy - www.ourfuturerecords.bandcamp.com  

Mob 47 #4 - a short interview with Iron System

Ironsystem are a relatively new hardcore band based in Fife, made up of various scene veterans who still have something to say and I'm very pleased to say they will be opening the night for Mob 47 in Edinburgh. Cheers to guitarist Jim for taking the time to tell us a little about the band and what we can expect from them on Sunday February 18th 2018.

Tell us a bit about Iron System then, I know we are talking about some fine Fife punk heritage with members of Japs Eye and Acid Tongue involved but who else have we got and how did it all come together?

Ironsystem is made up of Jacko, (Japs Eye) on bass, Jim, (Acid Tongue) on guitar, Kev, (Overspill) on vocals and Gogs, (Down to Kill) on drums. A mixture of Fife and Livi attitudes really. It came together with Jacko, giving me (Jim) a phone call, asking if I fancied playing guitar for a new project he was starting. I was up for it, so we start writing songs, got Kev involved, who in turn asked Gogs if he was up for a bit of drumming. It all just kinda slipped into place with everybody being available at the same time. 

You've just completed your first recording session, how did it go, are you happy with the results, when will be able to check out the tunes?

Yeah, we recorded our new EP, “Dead Time” at Vulture Studios with Jim Threat in the summer there. We had a blast. We recorded 5 tracks and we’re, very happy with the results. Recording at Vulture studios was a very positive experience for everybody. We’re at the nippy stage of cover designs, but we’re almost ready to unleash it. It’ll certainly be available for the Mob 47 gig, just the wee things to iron oot. 

What was the inspiration behind the bands name, for some reason i think of Thatcher and 'The Iron Maiden' - am I totally off the mark?

You’re a wee bit off the mark with the Thatcher references, but not too far. The name is taken from an essay by Marxist philosopher Theodor Adorno. The iron system is the system that allows the ruling elites to dictate the culture for the masses, whilst continuing to make money for themselves. In other words, get the masses more interested in the plots of soap opera’s and pop music, then they’re not looking at the elite robbing them blind. As big Theo states, no-one can escape the rhythmic throb of the iron system. 

You're opening for Mob 47 at the Banshee in Edinburgh on Sunday Feb 18th - what can the audience expect from you, are you ready to shake it up with the might Mob 47?

We are definitely looking forward to the Mob 47 gig, the Edinburgh crowd will expect we kick the fuck out of it as we do with every gig we play. So, what can we do but thrash and kick the fuck out of it, be rude not to. 

Whats next on the bands agenda, any plans to play further afield?

Ironsystem hope to go South into the rest of the UK at some point to spread the throb of the hypnotic rhythm. But we’ll also continue to gig in Scotland for all the great people we’ve played gigs for already. We’ll also be looking to record more tracks for release next year. It’s all looking exciting where we’re standing with the release soon of the Dead Time EP and gigs on the horizon. We cannae wait really, bring it the fuck on. 

Finally, were can we check out your music and do you have any other upcoming gigs?

We’re hoping to have the EP on as many formats as possible. Take advantage of the digital age. But we’ll also have CDs available at our gigs when it is released. We’re playing with Sanction This, Razor Sharp Death Blizzard and Subvision on the, 1st of December at the Banshee Labyrinth in Edinburgh, which is gonnae fuckin rock the shit out of it. We’re also supporting Dogflesh in the Windsor in Kirkcaldy on the 16th of December, another one to wet, the appetites. Looking forward to seeing, Rob, Tim and the boys again for an ear bleeding evening of mayhem. As for next year, keep an eye and ear out for ironsystem coming near you.

Mob 47 and The Wankys - Northern Noise Mangel February 2018

Friday 16th Feb - the Lughole - Sheffield
w/Ratcage + State Funeral

Saturday 17th Feb - Pop Records - Sunderland (12-2pm Matinee) 
w/Prolefeed

Saturday 17th Feb - Nice N Sleazy - Glasgow
w/Grieve + Droves

Sunday 18th Feb - Bansee Labyrinth - Edinburgh
w/Grieve + Iron System

Mob 47 #3 - Hail to Sweden - a short interview with Bri Doom

Doom's 1994 EP 'Hail to Sweden' may have been born out of nothing more serious than a cider swilling session (is there anything more serious to a young punk?) but its lasting impact has been enormous, serving as a gateway drug to the Swedish scene for young crusties such as myself in the pre-internet era. Doom managed to stamp their signature sound onto all of the tracks featured and create a ferocious record which does not let up from the moment the needle hits the wax, with their devastating version of Mob 47's animal rights anthem 'Stop the Slaughter' being a particular highlight.

With the Mob 47 tour of The North coming up fast I asked Doom guitarist Bri would answer some questions for me about the origins of the EP and the influence of Mob 47 on their early work. Enjoy and see you at the gigs!



What was the initial inspiration for the ‘Hail to Sweden’ EP? Well, of course we all love Swedish punk/hardcore & it was my obsession in the early days of Doom to try to sound like those bands. So we talked about doing a tribute to those bands that influenced us. I guess it just started as a bit of a drinking/talking session. The more we talked about it (got drunk) the more the idea grew & then of course the chance to use the Manowar cover art & subvert it...

How did you go about choosing particular bands and songs for the EP? Did all members choose tracks or was it more down to one or two member’s choices?
It was all of us at the time, but there was never any question of leaving bands like Discard or Anti Cimex off it. Were there any tracks which the band wanted to cover which just didn’t work or you couldn’t agree upon? Not that I recall. It was probably more of a question of whether or not I could actually play the songs. I mean the guitar string bend on “Take a Look at Tomorrow was at the very limit of my guitar playing ability (touch & go) & still is.

Mob 47 are returning to the UK this February for dates in the north of England and Scotland, do you remember where you first heard their song ‘Stop The Slaughter’ and do you have any thoughts on what makes it such an enduring anthem?
It was more than likely on a cassette tape that Nik Napalm had done for me. Thats where I first became obsessed (its his fault). I have always (since being into Punk) been concerned about animal welfare/rights & we’d done anti vivisection songs with the Subverters too, so I guess this song always stuck out to me lyrically.
Are there any plans for Doom to record another covers EP, a hail to Japan or a hail to Bristol for example?
No, nothing planned. Although a Hail to Trump's dead festering corpse perhaps?

Mob 47 and The Wankys - Northern Noise Mangel February 2018

Friday 16th Feb - the Lughole - Sheffield
w/Ratcage + State Funeral

Saturday 17th Feb - Pop Records - Sunderland (12-2pm Matinee) 
w/Prolefeed

Saturday 17th Feb - Nice N Sleazy - Glasgow
w/Grieve + Droves

Sunday 18th Feb - Bansee Labyrinth - Edinburgh
w/Grieve + Iron System

Mob 47 #2 - bringing the filth - a short interview with GRIEVE.

The Mob 47 gigs in February are shaping up nicely not only to be a celebration of legendary hardcore but an opportunity for DIEHARD fans to check out some of the raw talent that is cutting a path for itself through the patch covered, pyramid studded woodwork of the hardcore underground. Over the coming months I'll be taking the time to catch up with some of these groups and hopefully give you all a flavour of whats in store during the Northern Noise Mangel 2018 tour. First up we have a new group who's members hail from many corners of our fair country, Grieve. An impressive demo from earlier this year meant that when the band approached me about joining Mob 47 and The Wankys for their Scottish dates the decision was a no-brainier. Anyway, as Mr Dibergi himself would say 'enough of my yakin' - I'll let vocalist/guitarist David fill you in on the rest - enjoy!


Can you give us a brief history of the band? What was the initial inspiration? Me and Stevie (Bass) had been talking about forming a d-beat band for about 2 years but could never find a drummer. I eventually got my act together and started coming up with some riffs. Then slowly but surely got round to recording the first demo, Atrocities. I played everything on the demo, just to save time and get it done as quick as possible. I actually recorded the drums while at a recording session with another band. Inspiration was the usual suspects; Discharge, Doom, Extinction Of Mankind...
You released a demo 'Atrocities' back in April with a sound very reminiscent of 90's groups such as State of Fear and Disfear - what sort of sound were you aiming for with the demo and how will you be developing on this with your next release? We were definitely aiming for a really noisy Disfear kind of sound without going to the extent of completely ripping them off. When it came time to lay the vocals down I had no plan, they just came out the way they are on the demo. Our next release is a 5 track EP and it will be more of the same but with the full band playing this time. At this point all the music is down, I'll be laying the vocals down before the end of the year and it SHOULD be out by the time February rolls around.


Grieve is now of course a fully formed group ready to rip it up with Mob 47 in February. How did the band come together, was it difficult to find members who shared your vision as I know this has been a problem for you in the past Vuil and the revolving door of drummers. The idea to get the demo recorded as quick as we did was so we could show the people we had in mind and see if they'd be into it. Luckily the 2 people I had in mind were. There was only one person that I wanted to play drums in Grieve, so if Sned didn't say yes we wouldn't be doing gigs and the 1st demo is all that would exist. Grieve is not going to be a crazy active band on the live circuit, we will maybe only see each other and play a couple times a year and maybe get together for the occasional recording session. I can't imagine there will ever be a Grieve tour, that's just the way it is.
How excited are you to be playing with Mob 47 then? Do you have any favourite songs or tales connected to the band you would like to share? We are all quite exited to be playing with Mob 47! It's good that a punk band of that caliber is playing 2 shows in Scotland, we can't wait. Obviously the 84’ EP is a classic in Swedish hardcore, It’s solid from start to finish. No tales as yet, wait until February!
Are there any other d-beat bands locally or nationally you'd like to give a shout out to at the moment? Which groups are currently crushing your eardrums? Mainly the return of G.A.T.E.S!!!! Nightwolf from Malaysia and International metal punk steel Indian Nightmare! Finally, whats next for Grieve and where can we check your stuff out? Who knows what will be next after the EP and the Mob 47 gigs? there's been talk of some split releases, maybe one of them will materialise but no future plans have been made as of yet. Check out the demo while it's still up on bandcamp, it will probably come down once the EP is ready. www.grievepunk.bandcamp.com







Mob 47 and The Wankys - Northern Noise Mangel February 2018

Friday 16th Feb - the Lughole - Sheffield
w/tbc

Saturday 17th Feb - Pop Records - Sunderland (12-2pm Matinee) 
w/Prolefeed

Saturday 17th Feb - Nice N Sleazy - Glasgow
w/Grieve + Droves

Sunday 18th Feb - Bansee Labyrinth - Edinburgh
w/Grieve + Iron System

Mob 47 #1 - Discharging their frustration.

Mob 47 is a name that is no stranger to back of a leather jacket, and although inactive for almost 20 years after their initial demise in 1986 the band remains an incredibly important and influential force within the underground hardcore underground. I am beyond excited to be bringing them over for their first ever Scottish gigs under the Our Future banner next February and will be putting up a number of posts about the band over the coming months in anticipation of this historic event.

I thought it would be nice given issue II's focus on the Grave New World LP to give a nod to both Discharge and the year 1986 with the first Mob 47 post. By 1986 Mob 47 were in their third year of activities and already had quite a sizeable discography as the compilation CD/LP Back To Attack proudly attests. Quite uniquely for the time, and to be fair in general, Mob 47 decided during this period to record not one cover by Stoke on Trent's favourite sons but a collection of eight Discharge classics! Clocking in at almost 14 minutes  this would be considered a full LP by many of today's d-beat pretenders. For me personally the beauty of these tracks is that they predate the trend of heavier guitars, guttural vocals and chainsaw guitars - what we get is just pure hardcore mania from a group of OG diehards.

Will the band treat us to any of these classics come February, only time will tell!

Mob 47 and The Wankys - Northern Noise Mangel February 2018

Friday 16th Feb - the Lughole - Sheffield
w/tbc

Saturday 17th Feb - Pop Records - Sunderland (12-2pm Matinee) 
w/Prolefeed

Saturday 17th Feb - Nice N Sleazy - Glasgow
w/Grieve + Droves

Sunday 18th Feb - Bansee Labyrinth - Edinburgh
w/Grieve + Iron System

Taste the Burning - one last look at Discharge '86

Our final look at Grave New World era Discharge concerns the one that got away, the first track recorded for the LP which for whatever reason didn't make the grade, Taste The Burning. Certainly one of the most tantalising pieces of information from Fish's interview in Our Future issue II, the idea that there is a complete, studio quality outtake from the LP session out there somewhere in the ether is as frustrating as it is exciting.

Assuming Taste The Burning was never copied from the original reel to reel the likelihood of this track ever seeing the light of day are slim indeed, however thanks to the power of the DIY underground there are a couple of live versions of the track out there for us to enjoy.

Taste The Burning Live in Leeds

The song adds a welcome change of tempo to the 1986 set, but it is this same tempo which perhaps reveals why it was dropped from the final album track listing, being at odds with the LP's more mid-paced assault.

Perhaps we will one day see some comprehensive Discharge re-issues - until then we'll just need to keep digging through the underground.

Discharge 1986 - Back from the Grave

Issue II of Our Future is now pretty much sold out but before Issue III hits the door mats there are a few more aspects of Discharge 1986 I'd like to consider here on the blog.

The first is a classic 'what could have been' consideration. From about the 5 minute mark on the video below we get to hear the 1986 line-up of Discharge tearing through some classic Pooch era numbers sans vocals. The musicianship and energy is top shelf: Garry remains a powerhouse behind the kit, Fish more than nails the leads, and Nick doesn't slouch in bass department either.

The whole performance asks so many questions. What if the band had interspersed a few more of these these tunes through their set? What if Cal had toned down the falsetto a notch or two. What if the band had managed to keep going just a little longer? 

Close the curtains, back comb (whats left of) your hair, crank it up and give your best Cal impersonation!

More Discharge related posts t come, you can order a copy of the zine while stocks last here, and follow the zine/label via facebook here

back for the attack - Feb 2018!

More details to follow - expect a whole lot of noise disorder and chaos!!

Our Future zine issue 2

Issue 2 of Our Future takes a look an in depth look at the Discharge LP Grave New World, and one area of this study is to look at other LP's released in 1986.

1986 was certainly a fantastic year for underground hardcore and metal music, with band established acts such as Slayer and Metallica releasing their best works and hardcore groups like Agnostic Front and D.R.I. going from strength to strength. Things were perhaps not so rosy for our the home grown talent, Grave New World - as discussed in Our Future issue 2 - was an LP which very much divided fan opinion, but what about the other stalwarts of the UK Hardcore scene?

Here are four more LP's released in 1986 - which one do you think sounds the freshest after 30 years?


G.B.H. - Midnight Madness LP



Broken Bones - Never Say Die 12"


English Dogs - Where Legend Began LP


The Exploited - Jesus is Dead 12"





Our Future issue 2 is available to order now through the label bandcamp page

Mob 47 & The Wankys UK dates

Promo May 2017

Out now and coming soon - the nightmare continues at www.ourfuturerecords.bandcamp.com

Crack Your Skull Up! 01

Crack Your Skull Up is an occasional series of posts about new music which will most certainly crack your skull up!

DIKTAT - A DOUBLE TOUR (CASSETTE EP)

The Bordeaux shakedown nightmare continues unabated with this hot new release from Diktat. A real mangel hardcore feeling in the tradition of Sweden's Totalitar, even the bands name feels like a tribute to those mighty Scandinavians - hardcore for fans of HARDCORE.





GRIEVE - ATROCITIES (3 TRACK DEMO)

Ex-member of Thisclose lunging full d-beat for the throat - State of Fear, Doom and even a whisper of early Entombed rattling around a cage made of Bones consecrated bones. The sound of a thousand crusties shoving their raised fists into an enormous boiling kettle in the depths of Bathgate - 100% SMASH.

Our Future zine issue one out now: KLF & Extreme Noise Terror - The Black Room

Issue one of our future zine looks in depth at the 1991/2 collaboration between international pop sensation The KLF and crust punk pioneers Extreme Noise Terror, in particular their planned joint LP 'The Black Room.'

The project was abandoned in its early stages, with only the below instrumental Extreme Noise Terror tracks as evidence in the public realm of how far the project had progressed. There may however, as reported in Our Future issue one. exist some much more developed, perhaps even finished versions of these tracks, though whether they will ever be available to the public is another question.

Listening to the below tracks out of context they come across as very simplistic, short and repetitive by the usual ferocious standards of Extreme Noise terror. However, when we consider how they would have pulled apart and re-arranged by Jimmy and Bill in the studio then a clearer sense of their intent as building blocks towards something much greater becomes clear.

I don't think I'm offering too much of a spoiler for Issue One by saying that the reasons why The Black Room LP was put on hold are us unclear today as they have ever been. If you would like to find out more about this unique moment in the history of both Hardcore punk and Pop culture history then follow this link to order a copy Our Future issue one

Our Future issue one

Our Future issue one will be off to the printers this week - 24 pages focusing on the 1991/2 collaboration between The KLF and Extreme Noise Terror

Five Thousand - Monadh

New release!

Heavy Hardcore in the vein of bands like Scatha and Amebix - CD coming soon