EP REVIEW: HOOLIGAN- ‘Dublin City Rockers’ (2019)

Dublin City Rockers is the 6th release from Hooligan. A new four track EP from these Dublin Punk-Rock hools. Expect thick guitars, hooks and plenty of energy.

Eleven years on from their blistering arrival on the Irish punk scene Hooligan are back again with yet another EP! That makes six now if you’re counting and if your waiting on an album then you will have to wait a little more as they seem more than content to keep pumping out the EP’s.

Kicking off with ‘Punk Rock ‘N’ Roll’ and its a explosive start with a nod to the past glories of Punk especially bands like The Clash or Stiff Little Fingers. Not overcooked  and even chucking in a guitar solo that doesn’t outlive its welcome its a fist in the air singalong that I would have called ‘melodic punk’ back in the day but I think that’s more a term for American bands now but the 1977 tag would suit them well. ‘Dublin City Girls’ is next up and if you recognise it you may be older than you think. Originally released by seminal Dublin blues rock band Skid Row (not the US hair metal band who stole their name!) in 1973 they were fronted by Brendan ‘Brush’ Shiels, Skid Row are famous now for being the first band Phil Lynott and Gary Moore first played in before they formed Thin Lizzy. The song sticks to the same blues rock of Skid Row but with more urgency and made to be louder! Now this EP is only available on vinyl as far as I know so flip the record over for side two and first up is ‘A Gang Like Us’ another original Hooligan number. It’s heads down Punk-Rock with some amazing guitar work from David who also sings and has a particularly good voice for this kind of malarkey. The EP ends with ‘Saturday’s Hero’s’ and signs off with another belter. Slower than the rest but with the same singalong chorus and some great lyrics. Stick two fingers in the air air punk rock as my auld mate Black Mick use to call it. The song winds to a close with the refrain

“Everybody hates us…we don’t care”

ringing in our ears and that can’t be true?!?! The word on the street is that Hooligan have re-located to London these days so hopefully we’ll get a chance to catch up with them soon. Great straightforward Punk-Rock that will have you shouting along after just a single play like me!

Discography Punk Rockers & Hell Raisers (2010) * Prodigal Son (2011) * No Blacks No Irish No Dogs (2013) * Criminal Damage (2014) * Teenage Rebel (2017) * Dublin City Rockers (2019)

Buy Dublin City Rockers  Advance Records  RoughTrade

Contact Hooligan Facebook  Soundcloud  YouTube

EP REVIEW: HOOLIGAN featuring CHRISTY DIGNAM- ‘(Justa Nother) Teenage Rebel’ (2017)

Legend of the Irish music scene Christy Dignam of Aslan teams up with Dublin punk band Hooligan on a new 4-track single released this week.

The moments when you meet your heroes stay with you forever and it was a chance meeting between Irish folk-rock legend Christy Dignam and a young David Linehan at one of Christy’s band Aslan’s gigs that has led to the release of this fantastic collaboration between Irish folk and Irish punk over twenty five years later. Meeting again recently David reminded Christy of the time when fresh back in Dublin after a stint squatting on the the Loughborough Estate in south London when David and a mate walked into a rehearsal studio in Great Strand Street, an alleyway near the Halfpenny Bridge, where unbeknownst Christy, who had not long left Aslan, was rehearsing with his new band. From being away David had noticed that the music scene in Dublin was far more snooty and elitist than in London

“imagine my surprise at instead of being told to feck off he said “c’mon in lads” and allowed them to stay watch them play a few songs. I was struck both by how friendly he was and the warmth and kindness of the man”

Christy asked if they had a band and said if we didn’t we should form one because if nothing else they looked the part! Just the kind of confidence boost any budding young artist needs.

Left to right: Eoin Page, David Linehan, Paul Price. Front: Christy Dignam

‘(Justa Nother) Teenage Rebel’ is a cover of the much loved paean to the late 1970’s tale of familial teenage angst, originally released by northern Irish punk rock legends The Outcasts. Formed in war torn Belfast in 1977 The Outcasts were three brothers and two mates who came up with the name after being banned from local venues. Releasing their debut single ‘Frustation’ on It Records in May, 1978 they soon after signed to the Good Vibrations label who released “Just Another Teenage Rebel” in November 1978. The single rose to the top of the Alternative charts and the band received much radio  airplay. The band imploded in the mid-80’s but with the sad death of founder member Colin Cowan the band got back together in 2011 and are still going strong now.

Approved by the two surviving Outcasts brothers, Martin and Greg Cowan, it’s a great choice of track and is part of a four track EP released on Reekus Records, home of Dub legends The Blades, who incidentally also released This Is which was the first record by Aslan over 30 years ago in 1986. Aslan are often thought of as

“the band to follow in the footsteps of U2 in conquering America”

and they certainly blazed high taking the Irish music scene by storm with their brash interpretation of Stones style rock’n’roll all be it with a very Irish twist. Formed in the working class northside of Dublin they seemed to be on the verge of worldwide fame and fortune before tragically imploding on the very day their debut single was due to be released in the USA in 1988. Dublin at the time was in the midst of a terrible heroin epidemic and young Christy was not immune to the same pressures as others in his home city. Unceremoniously fired from the band due to a spiralling heroin addiction that would haunt him for decades Christy left the band and though they tried to soldier on without him it wasn’t long before Aslan were no more. Silent for five years they returned and their music had become more refined and influenced by folk melodies. Fame again awaited them but as has been the Aslan way it’s been a rocky road intersperced with long periods of inactivity but always sustained by their loyal and large fan base. The band have released six studio albums as well as two ‘best of’ albums and have a list of smash hits that have topped the charts as long as yer arm. Aslan have forged a legacy that has seen them become one of Ireland’s most popular and enduring musical acts and as the bands motto goes “the lion is still roaring”.

So it was that shortly after meeting again all these years later David contacted Christy and sounded him out about the possibility of performing on the next Hooligan record. Christy jumped at the chance and ‘(Justa Nother) Teenage Rebel’ was born.

Hooligan have made a name for themselves releasing a pile of fantastic critically acclaimed EP’s over the years. Formed in Dublin in 2009 the band has been beset by member comings and goings but at last things are more settled and founder and guitarist/singer David Linehan is joined by the brand new rhythm section of Eoin Page on bass and ex- Paranoid Visions drummer Paul Price. ‘(Justa Nother) Teenage Rebel’ is yer basic classic 77 era punk rock. Chugging guitar and thundering bass with Christy’s distinctive voice driving it along. The following tracks are more of the same with Upstarts/Clash/SLF comparisons inescapable on ‘Generation On Fire’. Guitar driven anthemic Irish punk that leads us soon after into the tribute to Uncle Joe himself. The Clash influence is in overdrive with ‘Calling Joe Strummer’ with the spirit of everyone’s favourite public schoolboy coursing through it’s 200 seconds. The album ends with ‘Gang War’ and here Hooligan are at their best for me. Loud and brash and in your face with a catchy chorus and a killer punk tune that’s over before you can think what a great song it is.

Another fantastic EP to add to the Hooligan EP collection and you will be pleased to know that they will be making one of their regular appearances in London in a couple of weeks at the New Cross Inn dahn Sarf London supporting Splodgenessabounds on Saturday 4th November (Facebook event here) with a tonne of other bands including a rare capital show by London Celtic Punk faves Headsticks. The gig starts at 5pm and Hooligan will take the stage at 8-30pm so don’t be late!

Buy (Justa Nother) Teenage Rebel

Reekus Records (available as download or CD with vinyl coming soon!)

Contact Hooligan

Facebook  Soundcloud  MySpace

• A fantastic overview of The Outcasts can be found here via Spit Records.
• Great interview with Hooligan here from ‘Louder Than War’

EP REVIEW: HOOLIGAN – ‘Criminal Damage’ (2014)

Guitar driven anthemic Irish punk

Hooligan are the latest in a long line of fast as feck and fantastic punk rock bands out of the Emerald Isle. Formed in Dublin in October 2009 ‘Criminal Damage’  is the bands fourth EP just out this week on the American record label ‘Oi! The Boat’. After the critical success of their previous releases ‘No Blacks, No Irish, No Dogs’, ‘Prodigal Son’ and ‘Punk Rockers And Hell Raisers’ Hooligans name is on the rise all over Europe.

Having toured all over all the place in the last couple of years, including some memorable London gigs, a Long Player is surely not far off but in the meantime they have given us a 4-track EP to sate our appetites. Recorded in Newcastle and featuring the North-East’s finest punk rock musicians: Decca Wade and Nicky Buck on drums; Tony Van Frater on bass/guitar; and Mond Cowie, together with Decca in the producers chair. Oft time compared to the truly legendary Angelic Upstarts they also share the Upstarts politics too…

“I feel that anti-fascism is integral to the punk movement. The Clash and The Ruts were both active in promoting anti-racist causes; and in today’s punk scene, bands like the Angelic Upstarts have a firm anti-fascist stance. It’s not at all convincing to say that politics don’t belong in punk; and one of punk’s greatest strengths is that it can address political issues in a powerful and meaningful way.”

The comparisons with The Angelic Upstarts are well justified. I haven’t been able to listen to second song ‘Street Punk Hero’ without thinking its gonna be the Upstarts ‘Never Ad Nothin’ but there’s also elements of the UK Subs and Stiff Little Fingers in there too. The title track is the stand out by a smidgen but the quality is spread across the whole record. They don’t just sound like an iconic and classic punk band, Hooligan are quickly becoming an iconic and classic punk band in their own right. Great musicianship and lyrics mean another four great tracks of uplifting punk rock with a message that hit home and only leave us wanting to hear more!

Contact The Band

Facebook  MySpace  Web-Site  

Buy The Record

direct from Oi! The Boat here

Great interview here from ‘Louder Than War’

 

 

HOOLIGAN ADDED TO THE MAHONES/LAGAN GIG

HOOLIGAN from Dublin play their signature tune dahn the Hope And Anchor on me birthday last year!

News is just in that HOOLIGAN from Dublin have been added to the Mahones and Lagan gig in Camden next month. any of you that are unaware of Hooligan then you should definitely check them out.they play stripped down straightforward punk rock/ Oi! with the odd touch of ska chucked into the mix. Heres the Facebook event page for you to keep right up to date with whats happening-
https://www.facebook.com/events/375023045949007/?ref=2

for more on HOOLIGAN look here-
https://www.facebook.com/pages/HOOLiGAN/146462858730030
https://www.facebook.com/hooligan.dublin

interview with the boys here-

Hooligan – Irish street punk heroes

Heres another from last years gig in Islington