'What's the point in always looking back
When all you see is more and more junk?'
It's the time of year for pointless lists.
So, as 2019 stood stranded in the late night bus
station of time, R*E*P*E*A*T collected the views of its friends and
allies, movers and shakers, nobility and ne'er do wells, on the journey...
-------
Robin Francis Currently poorly drummer with Bury St Edmunds / Brighton garage
rock genii, Gaffa Tape Sandy. Gaffa
Tape Sandy
Album: Of Sclagenheim - Black Midi,
Single: Titanium Step 2 - Battles,
Gig of year - Girl Band - Electric Ballroom,
Best live band - Snapped Ankles - Glastonbury, Best new band - Just
Mustard,
Inspiration of the year - Gordon Ramsey,
Best of times - just playing gigs in general, Worst of times - My appendix
going all dodgy and missing the last gigs of 2019
-------
Elliot Rodger-Brown Athletic drummist in R*E*P*E*A*T flexi things and tips for the top,
Bury St Edmunds' very own hyper powered surf punks,Tundra. Tundra.
Album of the year - Of Schlagenhiem - Black Midi
Single of the year - Forever Endeavour - SuperGlu
Gig of the year - You Flexi Thing Release Show, Bunkhouse Swansea.
Pic Rosey
Favourite live band - SuperGlu
Favourite new band - Wreck
Most exciting event of the year - Wild Paths Festival
Best new band - Bruno and the Outrageous Methods of Presentation
Best album - Encounters by Scully.
Most exciting event - Killdren getting banned from Glastonbury
Inspiration of the year - Sam Seder
Worst of times - election night.
Russell's work for the Idles video
----
Tom Emyln Swansea songwriter and guitarist in Psychedelic indie artsters News
From Nowhere and bilingual noise wizards Bandicoot
Album of the year - either Big Thief "Two Hands"
or Richard Dawson "2020".
Gig of the Year was maybe Keys in Crowleys.
Inspiration of the Year - King of Despair
------- CaffySt Luce Inspirational driving force behind Artbeat,
Bespoke DIY Creativity based in South London. And so much more...
Thanks Rosey, it's so hard to choose, some amazing young
talents coming through! Cheers for thinking of me, best wishes as always.
Xx
p.s. I wanna see The Verdicts you sent me. niiiiiiice
one!
------
Archie Singer with Boris bashing Colchester kids The Verdicts The
Verdicts
Album of the year: Berkeley's On Fire by SWMRS!
Single of the year: People by The 1975.
Gig of the year: I didn't go to too many this year, but I did see SWMRS
in March at the Electric Ballroom which was incredible. Best gig I've
ever been to!
Best Live Band: Black MIDI, haven't seen them but they are so chaotic
and amazing based on a few friends responses as well as a few videos
I've seen! The guitarist ran into a piano, got concussed - then did
a backflip, how cool?
Best New Band: Is it biased to say The Verdicts, hahaha? If yes, then
some mates of ours (Anorak Patch) are about to drop a single in early
2020 and defo should keep eyes out for that.
Most Exciting Event of The Year: The Mercury Prize awards were full
of great acts this year. Black MIDI, Idles, Slowthai and Little Simz
were great, bummed The 1975 weren't able to perform.
Inspiration Of The Year: Boris being elected, if that counts. But also
I've been really getting into the Libertines a lot more (my sister's
favourite band) which is inspiring me a lot, I'd like to say.
Best Of Times: June 28th. First gig with our drummer Archie. Packed
pub, first time we'd ever had a proper crowd. First time I'd ever heard
people singing my own words back to me, super surreal. Also August 1st,
first ever single released which was just amazing.
Worst Of Times: I won't say the date or the Venue, but we were opening
for a band and there was 6-7 people there. The other support act were
being right twats about us and laughing off stage, had bad post gig
depression for about a month after, but recovered quite well since.
----
Will Scott Energetic drummer in Tredegar's melodic punk heroes, The Sandinistas The
Sandinistas
Album of the year: Picsel Modern Life Discovery
Best of times: Anything that Love Music Hate Racism do
Best Single:Hypersonic Missiles Sam Fender
Worst of times: Anything written on social media by Katie Hopkins
----
Dave Hammond Presenter of Smelly
Flowerpot radio show and enthusiastic supporter of new music
Album: Welcome to Jackson Heights by The Seven Twenty
Single: Curse the Songs by Weimar
Gig: Adventures of Salvador at the Blue Moon, Cambridge
Live Band: For the Hornets
New Band: Sleeping Ducks (formed by ex Cambridge residents Andy Quayle
and Hazel Fairbairn).
Exciting Event: Humber St Sesh festival in Hull.
Inspiration: Jeremy Corbyn
Best of Times: The Labour Manifesto giving hope.
Worst of Times: The election result, mainstream media lies and the dumbing
down of politics. An opportunity missed.
------
KieranDoe Guitarist and bassist with bilingual explosive fuzz pioneers Bandicoot
and indie rock melody stompers Vanilla, Swansea BandicootVanilla
Kieran crowd surfs to String Theory (pic Rosey)
Album of the year: Cate Le Bon- Reward
Single of the year: Show me the body- Madonna Rocket
Gig of the year: Thee Oh Sees, Tramshed
Best live band - News from Nowhere
Best new band - Private world
----
Dom Waters R*E*P*E*A*T designer and writer
Swansea and Bristol
Album of the year- SASAMI
Single of the year- Calm Down by Ezra Furman
Gig of the year- IDLES at the Tramshed
Best live band-IDLES
Best New Band- Low Hummer
Most exciting event of the year- last minute tickets to Mac Demarco
Inspiration of the year- not losing my keys once
Best of times- seeing a politicised youth flock to voting stations
Worst of times- OAPs giving us the finger at the polls.
Single - Yellowman Blueheart by Flint Moore or House Fire by Tyler
Childers
Gig - Flint Moore, Cambridge Junction
Best Live - Flint Moore
Most exciting - My show at the Blue Moon in Cambridge, because it raised
so much money for mental health; also I got to gig with one of my heroes
and celebrate chart success
Inspiration - Greta Thunberg
Best of times - for me, the Blue Moon gig. If not that, the first International
Rebellion in April by XR.
Worst of times - Election result... Bloody Tories.
Album of the year - The Ballad Of Peter & Jane by
Sarah Birch
Single of the year - Rabbit Hole by Dunkie
Gig of the year - Andy Fairweather Low and the Low Riders at Pontardawe
Arts Centre
Best live band - King Goon
Best new band - Revolution Rabbit Deluxe
Most exciting event of the year - Sound Board Magazine awards
Inspiration of the year - The Welsh Connections team
Best of times - The hope that we'd get a new government in charge.
Worst of the times - The reality of another 5 years of Tory rule
----
Jacob Vocalist and guitarist from innovative Swansea garage punk wannabes
Kikker Kikker
Albums of the year:
Black Midi - Schlagenheim
The Murder Capital - When I Have Fears
EP of the year: Squid - Town Centre
Singles of the year:
Black Country, New Road - Sunglasses
Clwb Fuzz - High
Seaside Witch Coven - Pink Freud
Gigs of the year:
Viagra Boys (+ Squid), Clwb Ifor Bach
Oh Sees (+ Heavy Lungs), Tramshed
Favourite album, thats always a solid one. Dont
think we could point one in particular. However, theres a lot
of bands that have build some anticipation for their debut/next album
released. Sports team have two huge new tracks, cant imagine how
well the album is going to sound in 2020. Another act is blossoms, theyve
released a few songs that are slightly more acoustic than their older
material. Definitely dig that! Sea Girls have also been smashing 2019,
theyve got a very promising 2020. One act that has killed this
year is Sam Fender, in fact he could even have our album of the year
haha!
In terms of local acts, Pastel, The Rotanas, Al Moses,
Carolines & Bandicoot each have the chance of making it big in 2020.
Gig of the year is certainly a hard one! We each have
different personal experiences so we couldnt come together with
one, but in terms of a Motel Thieves gig, probably our headliner on
July 12th!
All in all 2019 has been awesome!
----
Simon John Court - vocalist in Swansea's super noiseniks,
Soundwire
Album of the Year Soundwire, by Soundwire
--- Steve Bateman R*E*P*E*A*T photographer and writer.
Album of the year - The Joy Formidable: A Balloon Called
Moaning 10th Anniversary Edition
Single of the year - Liam Gallagher: Once + The Big Moon: Your Light
Gig of the year - MSP: Bath Forum + Suede: Bristol Academy
Best live band - MSP + Suede (love both bands so much!)
Best new band - The Big Moon
Most exciting event of the year - The Clash London Calling Exhibition
Inspiration of the year - Quentin Tarantino for directing one of his
greatest films, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
Best of times - Finally adding MSP's Feminine Is Beautiful 7"
to my record collection!
Worst of the times - Original copies of MSP's Suicide Alley 7"
are still so expensive!
-----
Sara Bennett Vocalist with socially committed Cambridge band Sugarbeat
now living in Scotland.
Album of the year: 2020 Richard Dawson
Single of the year: Too Real - Fontaines DC
Gig of the year: Mattiel
Best live band: IDLES
Best new band: Fontaines DC
Most exciting event of the year: Moving to Edinburgh
Inspiration of the year: Jeremy Corbyn
Best of times: Whenever I'm not working
Worst of the times: Labour's catastrophic election defeat
-----
Phil Rose Esq R*E*P*E*A*T photographer and designer,
Bellingham, USA
Album- Never Mind the Bollocks for the 42nd year running.
Single- Shotgun Mouthwash- High Contrast (I think they're called)
Don't know if I went to a gig! Oh yes, IDLES in Seattle.
And The Bugle podcast live,
if that counts.
Most exciting event- Going to bed.
Inspiration- Andy Solzman
Best of times- Seeing my daughter Ally so happy in her university setting
like a well transplanted Rose.
Worst of time- NoroVirus (sp?) with it coming out both ends like a latter
day GG Allen.
---- Ryan Bird R*E*P*E*A*T writer based in Cambridge and Guildford.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR: A DIFFERENT SHADE OF BLUE - KNOCKED LOOSE
An absolute killer from start to finish. Album opener Belleville
could destroy a CD player with ease (its a good thing few people
use them now). Every track on this record oozes with raw power and having
opted out of going for an Uber-polished production, Knocked Loose have
created an organic and truly crushing body of work that so many modern
metal bands fail to create.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS:
WE ARE NOT YOUR KIND - SLIPKNOT
END OF SUFFERING - FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES
Frank Carter in Swansea
Pic Dom Waters
SINGLE OF THE YEAR: LUDENS - BRING ME THE HORIZON
Whether you only like old or New Bring Me The
horizon (or just loathe them altogether), this song has something for
everyone without feeling like a DJ mix put together by someone who has
no idea what works and what doesnt.
Stellar sound design encompasses this track. Every synth, loop and
drum sample sound absolutely amazing. The band have created a song that
perfectly explains what they are all about, catchy as hell, accessible
but still innovative and, when they want to be, explosively heavy.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS:
BIRTH OF THE CRUEL - SLIPKNOT
ONE MORE DAY WONT HURT - SLAVES
GIG OF THE YEAR:
KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD - ALEXANDRA PALACE, LONDON
For the majority of 2019, I was on a gap year. My goal was to go to
as many gigs as possible and save up money for university. Unfortunately
the former goal made the latter rather hard, but it was worth it.
There were so many incredible shows that I was lucky enough to see
this year and its hard to pick one but King Gizzard really was
something special. A psychedelic masterpiece of a show and a great celebration
of all their fourteen albums (all released in just seven years), there
really isnt another band quite like KGATLW, they are inimitable
and their live show is just as whacky as their music.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS:
DON BROCO - WEMBLEY ARENA, LONDON
ENTER SHIKARI - THE JUNCTION, CAMBRIDGE
BEST LIVE BAND: ENTER SHIKARI
Enter Shikari will always be my favourite live band. Ive seen
them headlining arenas, clubs and festival tents, and they tear it up
every single time. No matter the size of the venue, Enter Shikari always
bring an arena sized show packed with insane lighting and their unique
quadrophonic sound system that has the sound swirling around the audience.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS:
SLIPKNOT
GHOST
BEST NEW BAND: PLAGUE VENDOR
I first heard Plague Vendor at Leeds Festival this year after walking
into the tent on a whim. I loved them straight away, they capture the
energy of punk with a sort of rock n roll swagger that is just infectious.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS:
GATECREEPER
SLOWTHAI
MOST EXCITING EVENT:LEEDS FESTIVAL
Leeds Festival knocked it out of the park this year with an incredible
lineup of bands across all three days. A Day To Remember, Frank Carter
and The Story So Far all performed amazing sets and Foo Fighters put
on a headline set like no other.
Theres a great sense of northern pride about it (I was a Southern
intruder), chants of Yorkshire, Yorkshire, Yorkshire are
heard throughout all of Bramham Park. It really feels like community
within the festival grounds.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS:
DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL
AVENGERS: ENDGAM
Single of the year: Pink Lemonade Take - It Squeezy
Gig Of the Year - R*E*P*E*A*T Love Music, Hate Racism anti Christmas
Party 2018
Best Live band : Sprainer
Best new band : Sprainer
Most exciting event of the year : Love Music, Hate Racism / R*E*P*E*A*T
gigs.
Inspiration of the year : Rammstein
Best Of Times : I'd go for Slava B??!
Worst of times : Boris Johnson
-----
Johnnie
Guitars and vocals with innovative Cambridge teen 'prog punk' band
The Monoliths The
Monoliths
Album of the Year - Of Schlagenheim by Black Midi
------
Rosey R*E*P*E*A*T
R*E*P*E*A*T Fanzine and Records
Albums of the year
Family Mammal by Gaffa Tape Sandy
Diagnosis by The Wildhearts
A Beautiful Thing by IDLES
Soundwire by Soundwire.
Single of the year
You Flexi Thing Vol 5, On My Way Home by Vanilla, Fucked Society by
Picsel, You're Welcome by Tundra, Anarchy Beats by The Sandinistas
Gigs of the year
White Riot, String Theory, Vanilla and The Furns at Creature Sound -
our first and chaotically packed, frenetic R*E*P*E*A*T gig in Swansea,
March.
Bandicoot at Sin City in July.
The Skids at Sin City.
Werecats at The Portland Arms.
Manic Street Preachers at Cardiff Castle.
BuzzardBuzzardBuzzard / Bandicoot at The Brangwyn Hall in October.
Totally Wired!R*E*P*E*A*T's Cambridge (anti) Christmas Party at The
Portland, especially for the palpable atmosphere of solidarity, resistance
and anti racism, and for the young bands who finished the night and
gave us new hope for the new year, Hungry, The Monoliths and Pockets
for Girls.
Favourite live band - IDLES
Favourite new bands - The Verdicts, Kikker, DTT
Most exciting event of the year - school kids seeing off the far right
DFLA in Swansea Castle Square after Johnson first became PM, July.
Inspirations of the year - School Climate Strikers, Jeremy Corbyn, Stormzy,
young performers stage at Strawberry fair and Relevant Records.
Best of times -inaugural R*E*P*E*A*T stage at Swansea Fringe, sharing
a platform with Jeremy Corbyn in Haverfordwest Market Square.
Worst of times - 10pm December 12th, EXIT poll announces that the Tories
have won a landslide.
------ Andreas Guitarist with Cambridge alt rock band Venus Says No
Venus Says No
Album of the year: Strawberry Lace ep
Single of the year: Ever Be by Strawberry Lace
Gig of the year: Venus Says No at the Portland
(obviously can't not throw ourselves in there!)
Best live band: Hungry
Best new band: Venus Says No (the boys have spoken)
Most exiting event of the year: Too many to count
Inspiration of the year: Our first song was written about me breaking
my leg and tripping on morphine after a surgery
Best of times: Being on stage
Worst of times: Being off stage
----
Joel Morgan Guitars ansd vocals in Swansea's genre-hopping rock/dance/ska kings,
King Goon King
Goon
ALBUM OF THE YEAR: The Wildhearts, Renaissance Men
Well, yes - I should really have gone for a more local act, but, as
a long-time fan, I was rocked back in my little booties when the news
emerged early in 2019 that the classic line-up of teenage
mes favourite band had not only settled some long-festering and
bitter differences and reunited, but were also going to be bringing
out a brand new album. Now, Ill be honest: Im old enough
and jaded enough to know that very few acts ever recover the vitality
and purity of their early work after a long hiatus, so my expectations,
accordingly, were pretty low...but, by God, how I was WRONG! What an
album! It was everything Id hoped for and a whole lot more, and
reminded me once again just how much I love that utterly preposterous
Beatles/Metallica, funny/angry, silly/profound utterly unique approach
to rock and roll music that The Wildhearts perfected about 25 years
ago. Tremendous.
SINGLE OF THE YEAR: Bandicoot, Everything I need
Ive honestly and sincerely loved Bandicoot from the very first
time I saw them blowing the damned roof off Sin City a few years ago,
and my devotion, if anything, has only grown for them since. That night,
as I recall, we were supposed to be on after them, as headliners
- a fact which gave me a sickness that grew and grew in my belly as
their show went on! Anyway, this track is another typically obtuse,
sleazy and idiosyncratic expression of the genre-straddling indie/dance
that theyre best at. Ive played it over and over and over
again. Great tune for a late night dance.
GIG OF THE YEAR: Trampolene (The Bunkhouse, Swansea)
Hard to see past this one. Ive seen Trampolene a couple of times
now, and each time I do Im just awestruck at the sheer beautiful,
bruised fury of the sound they make together; Jack Jones is, without
doubt, a bona fide star with enough charisma to fill hot air balloons,
and theyve got the songs and the fanbase to take those balloons
to the moon. This was a hometown show, filled to the rafters, sold out
weeks before - and it felt like it: bodies flailing everywhere, utter
pandemonium, everything careening along at 500mph, just the right side
of chaos...and then, without warning: these beautiful melodies and world-weary
vocals come sliding out of the noisy night, and a ragged cheer fills
the room. Just brilliant.
Pic Billy Stillman
BEST LIVE BAND: Trampolene
SEE ABOVE
BEST NEW BAND - Kikker
Kikker are the best new band Ive seen in YEARS. They have great
songs, a great show and a great aesthetic, and I fully expect them to
go far. Theyre a bit like The Damned, except not as silly. Still
pretty silly, though. I watched them do a stripped-down
show a few weeks ago that basically consisted of a very tall man playing
a very loud electric guitar while a much smaller girl smashed a crash
cymbal mostly in time while they both sang. It was the most punk rock
thing I saw all year, and I was glad of it. Check them out. Theyre
ace.
MOST EXCITING EVENT OF THE YEAR - Swansea Fringe Launch Party
(Brangwyn Hall)
What excited me the most about this one was the fact that wed
managed to get some of the biggest acts in Wales to play the opening
of a totally locally-sourced music and arts festival thats effectively
the work of one very tired yet enthusiastic man - which is some feat,
and I admire it. I spent the night wandering around amazed by just how
many people had shown up, and wondering if this was the beginning of
a wonderful new dawn for the Swansea music scene. Naturally, normal
service was resumed the next day, when the infighting and backstabbing
kicked off in earnest, but just for one night
INSPIRATION OF THE YEAR - Brian Breeze
This one's a bit out of left-field, so bear with me. Brian Breeze is
a blues guitarist from Swansea who happens to be married to my Dad's
first cousin. I had to write an article about his career for Sound Board
Magazine, and - during my deep dive into his barely credible musical
life - I suddenly realised just how far it was possible to come without
being a 'famous' musician. The one thing that came out of all my conversations
with people who'd played with him over the years was a deep sense of
respect for his talents and hard work, and it's given me a renewed sense
of vigour and appreciation for the simple act of keeping on keeping
on.
BEST OF TIMES
Easy. Dancing with my beloved at a friend's wedding in San Torini, half-shot
on champagne, surrounded by lovely people and bathed in golden sunshine.
WORST OF TIMES
Did you not see the election results? Iesu Mawr. The horror, the horror!
A mate of mine, who used to work for Welsh Labour, but has now basically
crossed the floor, called me about 20 minutes before the exit poll and
correctly predicted everything that was going to happen in Wales. I
tell this story without pleasure. So, now we have to reorganise and
rebuild. Do not lose heart and do not write people off. There is always
hope. Always
-----
And with those wise words, it's time to give big
thanks to all who've helped with some unforgettable best bits, and extra
heaps of gratitude for those who've enjoyed and plugged R*E*P*E*A*T
and Love Music Hate Racism; now on to 2020 and to start to put right
some of 2019's bad bits...