A week before Easter 1977, Glasgow teenagers Jim Kerr and Charlie Birchall were in a pub with a slightly potty pal, who excitedly told them all about a punk band called Johnny & The Self Abusers. The band didn’t actually exist; so in the spirit of the times, Kerr and Burchill decided to make it a reality — immediately. They booked a gig for the following week on Easter Monday, spent the week rehearsing with some friends, and — as unlikely as this seems today – on show night, a punk-starved Glasgow lined up around the block for the debut of the city’s first real punk group. Seven months later, that band became Simple Minds.
Last Easter, (2007) was the thirtieth anniversary of the historic occasion — we called Jim Kerr – or “Pripton Weird” as he was once known — to remind him of the fact. Jim quite happily recalled Johnny & The Self Abusers, and how it all related to the subsequent endeavours of Simple Minds.
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March 5th, 2008
84 Tigers Exclusive! Free MP3 Download!
Yes, that’s right - 84 Tigers have managed to secure an exclusive mp3 download from Auckland ’s most hotly-tipped vibe-peddlers -The Coshercot Honeys.
DOWNLOAD: The Coshercot Honeys - Mr Dangerous
Since 2006, the five-piece Coshercot Honeys have been amongst the most hotly-tipped vibe-peddlers in Auckland’s late-night dives, clubs, and speakeasies; a regular attraction on the scene but not of the scene – and that’s an important distinction. This group have never had designs to fit any particular niche, nor to appeal to any select crowd, and with their not so secret weapon ‘We’re All Lions’ already topping the esteemed 95bFM Top Ten chart, it would seem that the band’s sound has in fact already transcended the confines of the underground areas from which they emerged.
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February 22nd, 2008
by Don Luchito
As you can see, DJ T ROCK can rock the tie’n’short sleeves style as well as Homer Simpson and Det. Andy Siepowicz; yet that isn’t the extent of this hip hop turntablist-turned-producer’s achievements. The second album with longtime compadre Squashy Nice was recently released; he’s made a move into directing short films, and almost single-handedly keeps the US Postal Service in business.
Don Luchito, host of the weekly Flow / Weds Night Jam shows on Wellington, New Zealand’s Radio Active 89FM, pulled-up the nearest comfortable armchair, poured himself a super-long-black coffee and caught up with T-Rock on the eve of the Why Records DJ T-Rock & Squashy Nice release, OutLoud. Don chatted candidly to Mr Rock about where it all started, the new album, and some other bits that have gone down in-between.
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November 21st, 2007
by HEATH BELL
While the continued growth in popularity of tattoo has been more recently attributed to the Miami Ink effect on the community at large, a more compelling reason was recently on show at the Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane. This great location played host to the 3rd London Tattoo Convention, an event that since inception has grown in size and reputation to rival the more established conventions of Milan and Rome. The third year proved no exception, attracting a host of great artists from around the globe including such luminaries as Paul Booth and Filip Leu.
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October 21st, 2007
by Troy Dee Colvin
As the Sex Pistols are regrouping for the 30th Anniversary of Never Mind The Bollocks Here’s The Sex Pistols, it might be just the right time to remember their Down Under opposites, the CELIBATE RIFLES. The Rifles — who have never really split up, never reformed, and are not celebrating the anniversary of anything to do with the number 30 until 2008 — are probably what is known as an "Australian Institution", though as that brings to mind horrible concrete structures built to contain the sort of menace to society better represented by fellow long-serving Aussies the Cosmic Psychos, then here we’ll just acknowledge their longevity by running through some selected highlights of their catalogue.
Australian correspondent Troy Dee Colvin managed to divert vocalist/songwriter Damian Lovelock’s attention away from sports and his second career as a television personality for long enough to get his reflections on some of the enduring tunes that the Celibate Rifles have committed to wax over the years, and gain an insight into how things were when the Celibate Rifles were making them.
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October 15th, 2007
Richie Hardcore Steward catches up with Rise Against’s Average Joe
It seems like about five minutes ago that Rise Against were the new kids on the block (not the tremendous, early-90s boy band with Mark Wahlberg’s talented brother "Donnie", who briefly raised our interest by appearing in a video sporting a Bauhaus t-shirt…then we turned the volume up, unfortunately). No, nothing to do with that at all. Since their formation in 1999, Rise Against have established themselves as a consciousness-raising punkcore outfit, who so rarely drop off the radar that it now seems they are the almost-ubiquitous elder statesmen in the field of "thinking person’s hardcore" (and this achieved with a former member of GWAR now in the line-up). With much of 2007 tied up with tours — ranging from opening slots for My Chemical Romance, their own headlining tour, and as part of Taste Of Chaos, next year will see the release of their fifth album — and then even MORE touring. Richie Hardcore Steward collared Joe to talk business…
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September 21st, 2007
Mar – April 2005
During two back-back tours across the USA — first with Porn, and then with Fantomas, The Locust, and Trevor Dunn’s Trio Convulsant — "hurricane" Dale Crover urged "punk rock screw-up" Troy Ferguson to succumb to one of the perils of life on the highway: the consuming obsession. Not only succumb to it, but to document it. In this case, he problem was drinking coffee. What follows is the transcription of Troy’s dog-eared and coffee-stained notebook. It could have been illustrated with tour photos etc, but presented like this perhaps gives a more accurate glimpse into what the world of touring can be like. No doubt, it won’t be to everybody’s taste. (more…)
September 2nd, 2007
THE CURE — now trimmed down to an essential four-piece unit with the omnipresent Robert Smith, the ever-present Simon Gallup, the returning-to-the-present Porl Thompson (1977-78; 1985-93), and the always-on-time Jason Cooper — have just completed a tour of the Pacific Rim, ending up in Auckland, New Zealand with a three-hour plus show. Even those at 84 Tigers who are so unable to maintain concentration that sitcoms seem to go on forever were at full attention — fortuitiously as it turned out, for the second encore was made up of almost the entire Three Imaginary Boys album (actually, Boys Don’t Cry, as that tune and ‘Jumping Someone Else’s Train’ were included).
The North American tour has now been postponed so that Smith can concentrate on mixing the new album — The Cure’s 13th — after recording wrapped mere days before the reinvigorated four-piece hit the arenas of Asia and Australasia. But despite what some may think, this is not so the band have a record to promote when they play in America. Just prior to this latest series of shows, during talks about his pro-sports potential; his reassessment of Three Imaginary Boys, and the relative place of keyboards, ROBERT SMITH told us that he couldn’t care less about the collision of music and commerce, and although he is very excited about the forthcoming double-album release,
"I won’t be rushed, despite the label’s prompting and gnashing of teeth. Nobody’s going to remember when the album came out, and I want it to be as good as it can be…"
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August 28th, 2007
THE HORRORS
Aug 8th, The HiFi Bar, Melbourne, Australia
Words & Pictures by Henrietta ‘H-Bomb’ Harris
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August 12th, 2007
JASON BLACK plays bass for THE DRAFT, the group formed when HOT WATER MUSIC’s Black, Chris Wollard and George Rebelo continued on following the departure of vocalist Chuck Rogan. Because we at 84 Tigers like to put things in the clearest possible way, a mathematical formula might look like this: Hot Water Music - Chuck Rogan + Todd Rockhill = The Draft. From Gainesville in Florida, The Draft are not a "math rock" band though — they play the kind of punk rock that make fans of Fugazi, Quicksand, and ATDI go "aha!".
Now, Richie Hardcore and Jason are well-acquainted from tours back in the days of Hot Water Music. In case you are not acquainted with either of these gentleman, the B&W pictures below should assist you. On the left is Richie, not really smiling for the cameras before he decimates an opponent in the ring. On the right, you will see a picture of The Draft in a record store, with Jason wearng Black and flipping through the racks. Need we point out that only one of these men is safe to approach?
Anyhow, Jason probably still remembers Richie Hardcore as ‘Nice Guy Richie’ (not to be confused with Madonna’s famous husband, ‘Filmmaker Guy Ritchie’), but then Jason has perhaps never made the error of commenting that Richie’s pink shirt looked ‘fabulous, darling’ in a rudely-sarcastic way. After making that mistake, my own shirt never looked the same again as Richie hung me from a coat-hook by the collar. All in good fun, I assure you, though I am still puzzled as to how he got his hands on a ‘wine cooler’ to pour over my head at 9.15 in the morning. At the gym. Oh, the fun of it all – I hope nobody will be put off buying the Joan Crawford postcards and LPs of showtunes that Richie sells on auction sites by the recounting of this story, which is of course entirely, 100% true. And btw, I kicked his ass sparring as well. Anyway, The Draft are playing in NZ soon (see bottom of article for dates) and Richie called up Jason to remind him of the five bucks he’s owed.. (more…)
June 12th, 2007
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