Rock Skool wall of fame, and the Black Bull

Happy new year to you all!
and i hope you all got a hangover aswell.

To kick off my first blog of 2016 a few exciting things have came up!

Firstly Rock Skool in Herrington, where i started going when i first picked up the guitar back in 2009. This has been pretty much my second home of music, i've never stopped going after learning guitar and still getting lessons on how to play the dam thing! but after all those years i got my name on the wall along with Spitfire Bullets it is quite an honour aswell its just like being inducted in to the Rock and Roll hall of fame but with out the speeches or the snobby people in the front row wearing Tuxedos, (watch iggy pop performing at the RNRHOF to understand what i mean, like just go watch it now here is the link to it too >>iggy pop did you watch it?? see told you all them suited up people just sitting there not understanding what is going on lol) anyway back to the blog

So on to the Black bull for our first gig of 2016!!

and what a corker of a gig! it only started off with Rotunda offering us a support slot for their mini uk and Scotland tour but it has now turned in to a huge all day punk fest! i guess you could call it celebrating 40 years of punk mini all dayer gig! with a great line up too!

Did we mention we may have some new songs out too! two in fact we hope to be playing them live for the very first time aswell!

Black Bull Supporting TV Smith 4-12-2015

It was a last minuet decision and gamble, the Black Bull we're after a support band, and i'd thought id pop our name down for it, and asked the guys if they were free on the night.

Turns out everything went our way for that gig, the guys were free and wanted to play and no other band came forward wanting to perform!

After battling the horrible wind storm from Sunderland getting through a traffic jam in Gateshead we arrived after 7pm, cold and wind swept, we grabbed the gear and loaded in while trying to keep away from the wind as long as possible.

while setting up our gear on stage, the man him self Tim (TV Smith) spotted us and we had a good chat, last time and first time i saw him was at the Toy Dolls gig in Sunderland, at that time i really did not expect i would be supporting him at a gig or even standing there in front of him having a full conversation. the first time i saw him on tv was on the Top of the pops 1977 re runs on BBC 4 singing "Gary Gilmore's eyes"

so our time had come to get on the stage and play, the punters were coming in and we kicked off with CID, and with those spot lights pointing at us we started to get a bit too hot, shooting through the set going through Spitfire then hitting in to high gear with psycho girl, and crashing into Pretty vacant, the sweat pouring down my back and my fingers slipping on the neck of the guitar, we were almost home free but it wasn't long before i came to misread the set list and played havana affair instead of head in the toilet then as we were going through alternative ulster, the worst happened, guitar string snapped on the faithful SG, probably from my heavy strumming during the songs chorus i gave in and swapped guitars coming in just in time to sing the bridge of alternative ulster, we ended the set with Beat on the brat and house of the rising sun, and at the final verse of the final song and out of breath i forgot the lyrics, well that's rock n roll!!!

after the show, we had a few drinks and chatted to Tim before saying goodbye and facing the wind battle home!!

ROCK NIGHT AT FARRINGDON SOCIAL CLUB 27-11-2015

Back with a bang in the local social club and all in the name of raising money for project Gambia.
A good friend of mine, put this whole event together so he could raise the cash to travel to Gambia.

We loaded in nice and early, trying to keep warm from the freezing cold outside, and getting ourselves set up for the show.

first up was an acoustic act, performing various covers including Oasis and Stereophonics.

We took to the stage all warmed up and revving live a V12 merlin, and blasted off with CID a UK Subs cover we enjoy playing, there was a few sound issues during the set but it didn't stop us playing.
Going through song after song of our originals and covers we ended the set with House of the Rising Sun.

the final act on was lost cause, performing various covers, including bon jovi and zz top.

in the end the the money was raised a raffle was held, and everyone had a great night.

The Rocking Magpie - Spitfire Bullets – New York City and EP

the main feature article is from The Rocking magpie you can see the original article here >>> The Rocking Magpie

The Rocking Magpie

One man's views on the world of Americana, Blues, Country, Ska, Alt. Country & Folk music

Spitfire Bullets – New York City

OCTOBER 29, 2015

Music lands on my desk from a variety of countries; yet very little from my own doorstep in the NE of England. Who knows why; possibly because I don’t belong to any of the cliques that tends to spawn musical cultures; possibly because these bands and singers don’t think I’m any good!

Which brings us the Spitfire Bullets; whose name popped up on a friend’s Twitter timeline and the name attracted me; so I got in touch even though I knew exactly nothing about them.

Before these two discs arrived I tried to research the band; but they remain mysterious and something of an enigma; although a bizarre event on my own Twitter feed unknowingly did bring them to my attention; but I wasn’t to know that at the time!

Spitfire Bullets

New York City (Single)

self-released

The Spirit of ’77 is Alive and Well.

The bands second single opens with the chorus driven New York City; instantly evoking memories of the first Damned LP and too many Toy Dolls gigs. The (unnamed) singer has a raspy voice; which is perfect for breakneck songs like this. The immediate difference between bands like Spitfire Bullets and the Punk originators is that the modern bands can play their instruments and understand the concept of production.

That last sentence gets thrown right out of the toilet window with second song Psycho Girl! Recorded ‘live’ at the CBGB’s of Wearside, Farringdon WMC this track is 110mph Stella Artois fuelled spittle enhanced Punk; with added whistles and feedback.

New York City re-enters the frey with a live version recorded at the same prestigious venue and is virtually unrecognisable as it sounds like it was recorded on a Casio Cassette Recorder just before the batteries died.

These two tracks are as awfully authentic as any Punk gig I ever attended; but not something you want to play on a first date.

Spitfire Bullets

Spitfire

self-released

Pure Fire & Brimstone Punk!

It was the cool band name Spitfire Bullets that first caught my attention; and this their debut single sounds exactly like what you would expect of a band with that moniker.

The title track Spitfire! crashes out of the speakers with some of the dirtiest guitar that I’ve heard in ages; then the singer attempts to swallow the microphone in his attempt to get his message across. The bass and drums hold the show together with gaffer tape and luck; but the end result is a doozy.

Psycho Girl starts with the traditional 1-2-3-4 and you can sense the veins popping out of the singers neck as he screams his love for two skull crushing minutes of scorching Metalic-Punk.

Head in the toilet starts with some deliberate feedback; and the tale of teenage angst wouldn’t have been out of place on a Dogs D’Amour or even those old romantics the Angelic Upstarts; but it’s unlikely to ever get played on BBC Radio2.

Then we finally arrive at the best of the bunch – She’s a Punk! The obligatory crashing guitars get the show on the road; but the produced judiciously uses his fader to allow a good song to be heard as the band get faded down when the singer sings and back up to 11 at other times.

‘Back in the day’ an observational song like this would actually have been played on Radio 1; certainly by John Peel; and possibly by the likes of Kid Jensen; but today? Highly unlikely; which is a damn shame.

So, there you have it The Spitfire Bullets keeping the Punk flag flying high in a time when the world needs more shouty music.

https://www.facebook.com/spitfirebulletsband

Spitfire Bullets new track and Whatever68 Radio.

Its been a good few months, since my last post about the corner flag but just as professor farnsworth quotes "Good News everyone" and its good news aswell!

with it soon coming to the end of 2015, the time has come for us to start slowly writing new songs for our very first album!! and to kick it all off you can check out our new song "I Don't remember" on SoundCloud just click the link >> *I Don't Remember* did i mention its also a free download too!

so with new songs coming along and plans for a album to be recorded next year, we also have a live interview on the 18th Novemeber on the Whatever68 Radio show, since this radio station is in the good 'ol US of A we will be doing the show live via Skype and chatting to punk princess lisa about the band and many many things! be sure to check out Whatever68 Radio

CORNER FLAG - 27-08-2015

Well we may haven't played for a while and the guys of Spitfire Bullets have been busy
but that doesn't stop us from getting together and playing a one off show in our local boozer!

Thursday arrived with excitement, stress and panic. Of course the odd gig has those little problems
but it happens, it happens to every band.

Spitfire Bullets loaded in to the corner flag at 6pm, not long after silence fiction had turned up.
We all chatted and had a laugh while we got to work setting up the stage, soon after the PA had arrived and work soon was under way setting up everything.

unfortunately the local rock band "Guilty" were unable to perform due to the singers illness and had to pull out, but this didn't stop us.

after Silence Fictions very loud and thunderous sound check and having to rearrange times for the bands to go on, we began the long wait for people to come down. And being a Thursday night in Sunderland which is Rock night, we hoped the misfits of the night will come crashing in hoping to hear some great music.

Silence Fiction kicked off their set with a collection of originals and covers, with some heavy screaming vocals from Shaun and clean high vocals from Emily their newest member of the band.
this band performed a great 45 min set with a small mosh pit consisting of one guy (whitey who we all know from Sunderland) be sure to check out silence fiction if you are a metal fan

Spitfire Bullets took to the stage kicking off with stepping stone and sliding into 5th gear with Spitfire, and being this year the 75 anniversary of the Battle of Britain Rob dedicated the song to those who fought in the air.
nearing to the end of the set a unusual event had occurred, the ex original bassist of Spitfire Bullets from 3 years ago was watching in the crowd, Rob and Michael hadn't spoken or seen each other since September 2013,a very long time if you think about it. Calling this as a sort of a reunion mike had joined rob for the first time in 3 years on stage as a one off performing Beat on the brat and Rock away beach. it was a short performance but was rare to see.

all in all the whole thing was a successful night.

we would like to thank the Corner Flag for putting up with us and also a big thank you to Riff Raff Guitars who hired out the PA system to make this gig possible

and of course thanks to Silence fiction to performing.

3 years and still in perfect timing on stage

the original line up 3 years ago

Acoustic solo supporting Logoz 8th August ashington

well i haven't had time to blog but here it is finally.

a few weeks back i played my very first acoustic solo supporting Logoz for me not gigging for a while it was a breath of fresh air.

soon i arrived early after looking for a car park space i caught the boys of logoz setting up the amps
and guitars, all i had to do was put in a battery and tune up my 40 year old acoustic praying the thing
wouldn't break during the set.

after about a hours hanging about it came to 8:15 and for my time to shine,

though feeling nervous, i didn't have the time to think about it i was more worried about the guitar dying, i kicked off the set with Ramones rock away beach then sliding in to 5th gear with cretin hop a personal favourite song of mine (as you can tell the whole set was mainly Ramones) while playing 4 original spitfire bullets songs for the first time acoustically, everything seemed to just go perfect, the full 20 min set ended with not a Ramones cover but a misfits track!! Astro Zombies which am sure shocked Peesh when i played it.

Peesh took over on stage with his personal solo acoustic set from his acoustic calendar challenge

these songs are just great to listen to, even performing his own version of only fools and horses hooky street track before slipping in a cover of the minder theme tune. all in all the whole set was great, the crowd was enjoying it the drink was flowing and the main band logoz hadn't even kicked off yet!

Logoz took to the stage with their amplified 100mph in your face punk rock, blasting out the tunes nice and loud (my ears were ringing for 2 days)

soon after the show, we all had a good chat then set off home.

on the 27th you can catch Spitfire bullets playing live and loud down at the corner flag with support from guilty and scilence fiction