Retrosonic Podcast Movie Special - "IFK Göteborg, Football's Last Proletarians" with Directors Martin Jönsson & Carl Pontus Hjorthén and ex-IFK & Liverpool legend Glenn Hysén. Music by Ian Person

The superb documentary movie about IFK Gothenburg entitled,  "Football's Last Proletarians" (Fotbollens Sista Proletärer), had it's very first London screening as part of the "Kicking & Screening" event, at the Everyman Cinema Baker Street recently. After their busy day talking to Sky Sports and Talksport Radio, Retro Man Blog got the very pleasant opportunity to relax and have a couple of beers with Directors, Martin Jönsson and Carl Pontus Hjorthén along with one of the stars of the team, and of course the movie itself, ex-IFK, Liverpool and Fiorentina defender, Glenn Hysén. The movie is a fascinating look back at IFK Gothenburg's 1980's European adventures under the management of Sven-Göran Eriksson. However, it is far more than just a film about football, it's a classic and extremely well told story of David against Goliath - how a team of part-time footballers took on, and beat, some of European football's top outfits on their way to UEFA Cup success.  The movie also puts the football into historical and social context, as we see how the politics of the time, along with the atmosphere of the working class dock city of Gothenburg, helped to shape such an unlikely yet successful team.

Martin Jönsson, Carl Pontus Hjorthén & Glenn Hysén

I would go so far as to say this is the best film to be made about football so far, as the highs, lows and crushing sense of injustice that permeate the movie, are familiar to every die-hard football fan, no matter where they are from or what team they happen to support.  The original soundtrack music is provided by Ian Person, long time IFK fan and guitarist with The Soundtrack of Our Lives. Ian spoke to me about how he got involved with the movie on our Special Edition Retrosonic Podcast, which you can listen to and download here. You can also read the previous Blog feature on the movie, with an interview with Ian and a track-by-track guide to to the movie soundtrack here.

However, in this Episode of Retrosonic Podcast, Martin and Carl Pontus tell us how they got the idea for the movie and how they believe that it will hopefully appeal to British and Scottish football fans in particular. They discuss the importance of the social and political times in Gothenburg around the team and how they got to work with Ian Person from The Soundtrack of Our Lives for the film's music. Glenn discusses some of the unsung heroes of the team and what it was like working under the management of Sven-Göran Eriksson and he then talks about his time with Liverpool FC and Fiorentina. I also finally uncover the mystery of the ubiquitous Ramones style "Glenn" T-shirts that you see all over the city...  

With many thanks indeed to Martin Jönsson, Carl Pontus Hjorthén and Glenn Hysén for sparing time from their busy schedule to chat to me and for their generosity...my turn to get the beers! Many thanks also to Ian Person from The Soundtrack of Our Lives. The English version DVD is available soon from all major outlets and is thoroughly recommended.

Photo of Martin Jönsson, Carl Pontus Hjorthén & Glenn Hysén Copyright Steve Worrall 2012.

Budokan - "Spin a Little Gold" new blistering guitar pop album from Canada.

If you listened to our recent Retrosonic Podcast Power Pop Edition with Wayne Lundqvist-Ford from Ice Cream Man Blog, you will be aware of the blistering guitar pop attack of Budokan's contribution, the superb "The Queen's English". Budokan are a rock and roll band from Victoria B.C. in Canada and they play hook filled songs with loud guitars that they want people to love and remember. They draw inspiration from all the greats, but feel particularly indebted to the likes of Cheap Trick (yes, the band's name is a tribute to their classic "Live at Budokan" album), Ramones, Redd Kross, The Stones and Buzzcocks. Budokan comprise the singing, guitar playing and songwriting pair of Andrew Molloy and Craig Vishek, Kent Bendall on bass and Graham Watson on drums. "Spin a Little Gold" is their hotly anticipated debut full-length album and was initially only be available on beautiful 180 gram gold vinyl and digital download. However, the CD is version is now available on Japan's prestigious SP Records.

You can check out Budokan at their Bandcamp site.

The Sensibles - Raucous Punk Power Pop from Milan

The Sensibles - Photo by Laura Donati

I first heard The Sensibles during our recent Retrosonic Podcast interview with Wayne Lundqvist-Ford from Ice Cream Man Blog, where he picked out some of the best international Power Pop music he had received over the past year. The Sensibles were one of the tracks that really stood out, and I do mean that, as "Open Book", positively burst out of the speakers with a raw, crackling energy. The song was like a noisy neighbour (head) butting in on the somewhat more polite and pastoral Power Pop we were happily checking out. I really liked the track and the total enthusiasm that seemed to spill out into the room, plus it had a catchy chorus that stuck in my head long after the interview had finished. So we included "Open Book" in the Podcast, which you can listen to here, and I quickly got in contact with the band.

Stella of The Sensibles - Photo by Paolo Proserpio

The Sensibles are from Milan and have been playing together since 2009. The band consist of Giacomo on bass, Fili on Guitar and Backing Vocals, Ga on Drums and Stella on Vocals. Last December they were included on a 4-band split CD entitled "The Pizza Connection", released by the Italian label, Making Believe Records, and in July this year, they released the superb, must-have self-titled E.P. on their own label. This was a limited edition, just 300 hand numbered copies, and included the Podcast track, "Open Book". The band played some dates in America in August to promote the record and then released a split vinyl E.P. with Japanese band The Ever Coming Hair on SP Records. The Sensibles certainly like their collaborations, as next will be another joint vinyl E.P. with The Hairlips, on Night Fever Records. 

Now, collaborations are all well and good, but I am kind of hoping that the band get round to concentrating on themselves soon and think about releasing a full length album of their very own. Judging by the strength of their scattered songs, that would be something very special.

Thanks to Giacomo.

You can check out just how good the band are for yourself by visiting their Bandcamp site.

 

The Pacifics - New split 7" Single with Thee Cormans out now.

Following on from our coverage of The Pacifics previous E.P. "Pacifics Play Favourites", here's a new release from the Dublin based band. It's a split 7" on Austrian label Bachelor Records along with the Californian surf instrumentalists, Thee Cormans, on the flip side. It's the band's first original tune on wax and was recorded in between the guys from Little Green Cars recording their debut, and The #1s' LP sessions. The single follows on from the 2011 E.P. "Play Favourites" and the 2012 LP "Pacifically"...both out on American label "Blood Red Records".

Here's some info from the band's record company: "There are a lot of things that can be said about this release but you know the deal, I don't want to be too informative and chatty about this cause if you order, it means WORK for me. So here we go, we tricked those goofs from Costa Mesa, Thee Cormans, into a record deal, and we were shameless enough to put Ireland's handsomest guys and Bachelor's latest Hit-makers, The Pacifics, on the Butt-Side of this 45. Both bands don't really deserve to be on a split 45 'cause they are good enough to have their own 7 inches, but well, it's another attempt for us to cash in. Now we pressed 500 copies of this beast of a dirty surf beat platter and we only have a limited amount of copies for sale. So, be quick and get yerself a copy, and while you're at it snatch some other cool bean releases from Bachelor Records too".

The Pacifics in action.

The 7" will be launched at The Big Itch Club in The Thomas House on Thomas Street, Dublin on October 13th. Also on the bill are Hunk and Slim Jim & The Bonebreakers. Entry is only Euro 4.99.



The Ace! "Next Time Around" & "Another Top Pop!"

As I wrote in my recent feature on Swedish band The Movements, I love it when a band has actually checked out the Blog a bit before sending in their music, and I love it when that music is something that really makes me sit up and take notice. That's what happened when Leeds based garage rockin' trio, The Ace! got in touch and I was mightily impressed with the tracks I heard. The band then very kindly despatched their brand new album "Next Time Around", which has been released on their own label "We Dig This!". The album consists of twelve tracks, a collection of their two previous released E.P.s, "Attack Of The Ace" and "Advance of The Ace", together with four previously unreleased songs. It's certainly an energetic up-beat record, positively bursting at the seams with some mighty fine good time Rock 'n' Roll. Actually, I wasn't kidding when I said it was bursting at the seams, the material is so strong that it can't be contained and has spilled over into an additional three-track bonus E.P. "Another Top Pop!", that comes free with the album.

The band certainly draws on many influences, sometimes conjuring up the raw enthusiasm of Hamburg-era Beatles, or what I imagine a packed and smoky Cavern Club in the Sixties would have been like. Yes, although these are Yorkshire boys, there are definite nods to the thumping Mersey Beat sound, of say, The Dave Clark Five's immense "Glad All Over". There are also strains of American bands such as Beau Brummels and The Knickerbockers, who admittedly were also heavily influenced by that Liverpool scene. They can take the softer approach of The Searchers or The Left Banke but mainly belt out fizzing bubblegum pop. There are also some raw Soul stompers in the vein of their contemporaries The Woggles, and the full throttle garage rock energy of The Len Price 3. The band are made up of Dynamite Daz Lee Parkinson on drums, Nige B-Side Spencer on Bass and Vocals and Jonny Magus Wilson on Guitar and Vocals. They seem to be causing a stir in the States, picking up lots of air-play on influential radio shows such as Bill Kelly's Teenage Wasteland, Mike Murray's Whole Lotta Shakin', WLUW Chicago's Razor & Die and Mr Suave's Mod World in Seattle. Back over this side of the pond they have been played on Radio 6Towns Glory Boy show, Cabin Radio's Curiosity Shop and featured in Heavy Soul fanzine and Happening Magazine. You can buy the album, check out and contact the band at their Facebook or MySpace pages.

Here's a great track "Oh Yeah!", that is as good as any song I've heard all year.

Oh Yeah by The Ace (UK)

Photos courtesy of The Ace!

The pUKES - A Punk Rocking Ukulele Orchestra

The pUKES - Photo by Diana More

I noticed on the posters advertising the Tate Modern's Merge Festival event to launch "The Art of Punk" book, that music was to be provided by a band called The pUKES. It automatically conjured up images of a really awful Kenny Everett Sid Snot Gizzard Puke Punk parody but, as it turned out, that couldn't have been further from the truth. As the lecture drew to a close there was a flurry of activity and over twenty brightly coloured Punks took to the stage. Apart from the drummer, they were all clutching Ukuleles, or Ukes, and I soon cottoned on to where the band's name originated. What followed was an unexpected delight, a set of Punk Rock classics covered in a truly individual style, that just made you grin from ear to ear. From popular favourites such The Clash's "White Riot", Ramones "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" and X-Ray Spex's "Oh Bondage Up Yours" to slightly less well known numbers like Menace's "GLC" and Cocksparrer's catchy anthem "Because You're Young", The pUKES sang and played their hearts out, it was fantastic.

The pUKES at The Tate - Photo by Steve Worrall

After the Tate Gallery event finished we all traipsed round to the nearby Charles Dickens pub, the band crammed themselves in and did it all again. This time freed from the restraints of the seated auditorium and the total absence of a bar at the Book Launch, a few pints made the experience of seeing The pUKES even better. The packed pub sang along to all the hits, and even when the band slipped in an original number, "Will I Learn", it was such a great song that I still sang along, even though I'd only heard it for the first time at the Tate a couple of hours earlier. So it all turned out to be a raucous and fun night, not something I expected when I first took my seat in the Tate Gallery's auditorium earlier that evening. The pUKEs describe themselves as a "ukulele anti-society for punks", they are based in London and first started meeting up in early 2011 at their local The Royal Sovereign. A lot of the band had never played an instrument before taking up the Ukulele but other members have been in bands such as UK Subs, Extreme Noise Terror, Lost Cherrees, ATV and Rabies Babies. The band are now in demand, playing gigs, festivals and punk's picnics in London and beyond. They have also been lucky enough to share a bill with many of the bands who inspired them, including Sham 69, UK Subs, Vice Squad, Bad Manners, Chelsea, Menace, Subhumans and Splodge. So if you are planning a Punk Rock party any time, you know you can always call on The pUKES to supply that perfect feel-good entertainment.

Here's the official video to their own original song called "Will I Learn". 

Many thanks to Clara, you can check out The pUKES web-site here.

The pUKES - Photo by Diana More

You can watch a video of "White Riot" filmed at The Tate at the Retro Man YouTube channel.

Shonen Knife as Osaka Ramones live at Cargo, London Monday October 01st

Photo by Steve Worrall

It's Shonen Knife alright, just not as we usually know them. For tonight, the band took to the stage at Cargo as their alter-ego, the Osaka Ramones. Naoko, Emi and Ritsuko appeared in a cloud of dry ice to the strains of Ennio Morricone's spaghetti western classic "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly", just as the Ramones used to do. The band's usual stage outfits of cute, Mary Quant meets Mondrian dresses, are replaced by jeans, Ramones T-shirts and black leather jackets and after a customary "1-2-3-4" they slam straight into "Blitzkrieg Bop". The crowd went crazy and there was much good natured pushing and shoving. Cargo is a great venue, although the various bar and terrace areas seem to take up more than the gig space itself. This means the audience is crammed in and it can be a struggle to get a decent view, however it certainly makes for an intimate atmosphere. "Psychotherapy" is next and is quickly followed by "Rockaway Beach" and "I Wanna Be Sedated", which didn't make the album. The thumping "KKK Took My Baby Away" leads into the New York Punk anthem "Chinese Rock" and then the brilliant "She's The One", one of my favourite Ramones songs. Actually, I think the choice of cover songs on the album is maybe a little bit predictable. However, to their credit, they do pick out the less well known, CJ Ramone penned "Scattergun", from the Ramones' last ever studio album, "Adios Amigos", and make it their own.

Emi, Ritsuko & Naoko - Photo by Steve Worrall

Next up is the singalong classic "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" which takes the cellar style roof off the Cargo. Strangely enough, a couple of days later I was singing along to another cover of this when I saw The pUKES, the superb 20 strong ukulele wielding Punk Rock orchestra. Although each band is somewhat different in their approach and sound, The pUKES "George Formby plays Punk" style against Shonen Knife's more traditional take, both have a similar effect. That is, you just can't stop smiling, it's infectious! Bassist Ritsuko, with her Dee Dee style low slung bass that's almost touching the floor, grins through her long thrashing hair, and singer and guitarist Naoko responds with a cheery smile throughout the show. The band are having fun and so are we. But it's their fantastic drummer Emi, who seems to be having more fun than all of us put together as she powers round her kit, adding backing vocals and yet more of those Shonen Knife smiles.

Shonen Knife drummer Emi - Photo by Steve Worrall

Things come to a close with "Beat On The Brat", "Rock and Roll High School" and a brilliant version of "Pinhead". Naoko lifts her guitar over her head and as the green lazers cut through the dry ice, multi-coloured confetti showers down on the audience, brilliant!  The band return for a well deserved three song encore of "Pop Tune" and "Osaka Rock City" from the new "Pop Tune" album and "Economic Crisis" from "Free Time", and that was it.  I was hoping for more of their own classic songs, but it did make me rush out and buy tickets for their return show at the Cargo on October 16th, where they promised us a full Shonen Knife set, and I can't wait. Well, it's taken me a week to get this review out but I haven't stopped smiling...

Shonen Knife as Osaka Ramones - Photo by Steve Worrall

Naoko - Photo by Steve Worrall

Ritsuko - Photo by Steve Worrall

Shonen Knife/Osaka Ramones in action - Photo by Steve Worrall

Naoko, guitar hero - Photo by Steve Worrall

Ritsuko points the way - Photo by Steve Worrall

Confetti time - Photo by Steve Worrall

Naoko, Ritsuko & Emi after the show - Photo by Steve Worrall

All photos copyright Steve Worrall 2012. For access to more exclusive photos of the show please visit and "Like" the Retro Man Blog Facebook  page. Here's a video of  "Blitzkreig Bop".

More exclusive videos can be found at the Retro Man Blog YouTube Channel.

There's also a good fan page, The Shonen Knife Nexus, here.