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VARIOUS "The Ugly Truth About Blackpool Vol 1"

Reviews

The Ugly Truth About Blackpool Vol 1 - Headwound 18

‘I’m anti-social, anti-social … I hate the world’ …. Track one on this CD was always gonna raise some eyebrows, but hey – if you are gonna do a genuine Blackpool scene retrospective, you can’t bypass early Skrewdriver. Unfortunately the inclusion of their pre-dodgy and massively over-rated track track appears to be what some reviews have focused on, which is a pity as there is plenty of other good stuff on here. Bands you might know include the mighty One Way System, Anti-Social, Erase Today, SICK56, The Fits and John Robb’s pre-Goldblade band the Membranes … elsewhere its pure ‘killed by death in a Kiss Me Quick hat’ … bands such as The Genocides and Zyklon B providing some nice surprises, no doubt previously never heard of anywhere more than 3 miles from the Pleasure Beach … being a record of a local scene, there’s inevitably some toss that’ll have you diving for the skip button, but there’s enough good stuff to justify tracking it down, and as a project I think it’s a great idea. Andy blagged some Arts Council funding so he’s basically giving these away for nowt …. Sound eh ? (Though considering the name of his record label, I bet that’ll have some of the holier than thou types bitching…. ). It’d be nice to see more pople doing things like this – keeping alive the history of their local scene and letting the rest of the world know about it. From JSNTGM (see distro …) 4/5

The Ugly Truth About Blackpool Vol 1 - Repeatfanzine

The Ugly Truth About Blackpool vol 1. This is a good idea, digging up all the underground punky bands from your town’s murky past and putting them onto a CD. This album features 27 tracks from 1997 to 2005, and while none of them are household names, there are some bands and tracks that you should be aware of including The Membranes, King Mob, The Pink Torpedoes, Uncle Fester, Ceramic Hobs and Erase Today. There’s a fanzine that goes with it, giving some background to the tracks and trying to justify the inclusion of Skrewdriver’s ‘An-ti-so-cial’; this song may well have been recorded during their first incarnation and before they became Britain’s premiere Nazi band, but speaking personally I’d never do anything to promote the memory of such a vile aberration. This quibble aside, this is a worthy collection for anyone interested in the Oi! behind the tower and donkeys, and is available from www.JSNTGM.com

The Ugly Truth About Blackpool Vol 1 - issue #20 'Bubblegum Slut' zine

Though the title might suggest you're in for the hopeful sounds of 27 of the cities unsigned and unwashed 'The Ugly Truth About Blackpool' in fact charts the good, bad and the ugly throughout the musical history of England's Vegas. From 1977's 'An-ti-so-cial' from Skrewdriver to Sick56's weird melodic-introed hardcore from earlier this year there's an entry, or two, for almost every year on this punk-centric compilation (although you can only assume that the notable gap between Sign Language's 1984 track ' Love And Glory' and the Membranes cheekily titled 'Tatty Seaside Town' was a lean time on the Blackpool live circuit). Along the way are some gems like The Phantom Creeps' Damned-esque Goth punk 'Bad Place' from 96, a chaotic live recording from the brilliantly named Pink Torpedoes' 'Time To Be Alone' and Ceramic Hobs frankly bonkers 'Pro Ana Tips 'N' Tricks'. A great, inspired idea for a compilation that actually works

V/A - The Ugly Truth About Blackpool CD- Punkglobe - Webzine

OK to start with I really wasn´t happy with the inclusion of ´Skrewdriver´ on this release even though it was a track which was Pre-Nazi Skrewdriver. Still I suppose if they´re covering the Blackpool history of Punk Rock then maybe it should be included as ´Antisocial´ is a wicked track. Anyway rather than get worked up over a dead fat nazi bastard there´s loads more bands here which covers the Blackpool Punk History. There´s tracks from the likes of One Way System, Antisocial, Sick56, The Pink Torpedoes, Zyklon B, The Fits, The Membranes, Uncle Fester and loads more. This CD does show great Punk Spirit and I for one enjoyed hearing some of these bands once again. In all fairness I don´t think there´s one bad track on here which is rare for a compilation. (JSNTGM) 8/10 - Steve DIY

V/A - The Ugly Truth About Blackpool CD- Nihilism On The Prowl - Webzine

Inspirational idea for any large town or City to do, but I doubt many have this many bands to choose from or someone willing to do all the groundwork. Luckily for Blackpool and its immediate surrounding areas they do, and his name is Andy Higgins. 'The Ugly Truth...' if nothing else does a grand job of giving you a glimpse of the best and the worst punk related outfits that crawled out from under its bright lights over the last 27 years and features 27 tracks. Kicking off superbly with the Skrewdriver ‘77 anthem of ‘An-ti-so-cial’ that still has an air of guttersnipe about it, all these years later! Zyklon B continues the quality control with their new wave sounding ‘Manic Depressive’ from ‘78. Male Models from 1979 were totally new to me and maintain that inoffensive but addictive new wave era during ‘DC Overflow‘. Tunnel Vision sound a bit blinkered and have that early Factory vibe but without a lasting effect. Kenneth Turner Set sound like something from a ‘Streets’ compilation during ‘Overload’, which has pub rock written all over it. Syntax who featured on the original ‘Blackpool Rox’ EP from 1982 continue on ‘Dot Dot’ in that bleak Factory landscape, but appeal with a superior composition. Section 25 is a name you may have heard of before, and on this 1981 track ‘Always Now’, they really go into the Joy Division terrain of industrial nightmares. One Way System bring a more punkier vibe to the proceedings with their 1982 track ‘Jerusalem’ which sealed the Blackpool/Fleetwood inter town rivalry for posterity perfectly. Blackpool’s inferior answer to One Way System was probably Antisocial. Who on ‘Official Hooligan’ don’t quite sound so convincing, bringing in that well played but slightly laidback Oi! growl to the fore. However they’re all blown out the water by the criminally overlooked Genocides who were originally formed in Preston, but set up base in a local record shop. They give us the ultra catchy ‘Honey, This Ain’t No Romance’ from 1982, which sounds like a North West version of the Heartbreakers, great track with a snot driven vocal. And then its time for Blackpool’s best 1980’s punk export, the Fits. They submit their highly charged 1983 anthem, the pissed off ‘Bravado‘. The lesser known Sign Language who sound sci-fi in comparison on their previously unreleased ‘Love And Glory’ track, are good musicians, but have poncey vocals. The Membranes who I never seriously rated give us ‘Tatty Seaside Town’ from 1988, which sounds autobiographical but is desecrated further by Steve Albini's mud soaked bass mix. Take Lindy Surfing from 1991 offers us ‘Twilight Zone’ which is a pumping surf punk outing that contains some demolishing guitar work. The quality control dips drastically once more with the arrival of Shrink from 1994 who were fuckin’ dire. The Phantom Creeps give us harmonica overload during their 1996 trashy garage rock out. Erase Today feature CD compiler Andy Higgins. ‘Managing Director Of Earth PLC’ from their 1996 album ‘Colour, Sound And Vibration’ features Mr Higgins in fine vocal form and on top of a convincing group performance as they feedback their way through to your senses…spooky ending too. Container Drivers sound like the Pet Shop Boys but with an electric guitar backbeat during 1997’s ‘Searching For Skylon‘. The interestingly named King Mob Echo don’t live up to their name tag, as they sound like cock suckers themselves with that awful phoney American accent. The Pink Torpedoes give us a live track called ‘Time To Be Alone’ from 2000, which sadly don’t feature glasses breaking or stools being impaled into the ceiling, which was a shame! The(e) Transmissions sound as pompous as their name reads, and fail to transmit anything worth your time or energy. Neo Comas singer has an uncanny resemblance to Gun Club’s Jeffrey Lee Pierce on ‘Alcoholocaust’, and they pull off an appealing appearance, which is a pity since they’ve now split up. Uncle Fester gives us some sonic overload with 2002’s ‘Kill Someone’, but the grungy vocals are definitely their weakest link. Chang sound as rank as the band name suggests. They dish out sickly pop harmonizing, but to their credit did have a raunchy guitar riff trying to escape from their Indie arrangements. Razor Dog comes out the traps with a crooning vocal on top of a rock ‘n’ roll melee during ‘Torched‘. The Ceramic Hobs have been on the boil since the late 80’s and sound like something you’d hear on those avant-garde Indie cassette compilations that littered the back pages Sounds. Quirky but fun. Sick 56 JSNTGM’s flagship band bring this compilation to a fitting end and bang up to date with ‘No Accident’ recorded earlier this year. It kicks off into a moody rocker which showed promise before stopping and slamming their boot down on the accelerator to bring us more of what you come to expect from this bunch. Comes in a neat red cover with the Tower looming and definitely WORTH A LISTEN just for the Genocides track alone, but there’s also some good introductions to other bands of merit. And lets not forget kids, it proves local council grant money can be put to some inspirational uses given enough time and energy!

V/A - The Ugly Truth About Blackpool CD- Glaswerk - Webzine

"The Ugly Truth About Blackpool" does indeed sound more like a new comedy series by Peter Kay but it is in fact the greatest hits from this greatest of British Seaside resorts from 1977 to 2005. Not many folk would think of Blackpool as being a mecca for Punk Rock, but if 27 tracks of a compilation album ain't enough to prove it to you, I just don't know what will.
Just Say No to Government Music is a local Blackpool intiative, and ironically this release is supported by the Arts Council, but then we are living in 2005 the era of gross compromise so even Punk Rock seems to make some concessions. It seems that punk has never died in Blackpool, seems to be something about places beginning with "B", since punk has lived on in Berlin and Bradford without a break and indeed the art of the fanzine is also being upheld by JSNTGM and if you're canny you'll get your copy of this CD free with Issue 8 of Blackpool Roxx II (see JSNTGM.com to obtain yours). I'm almost disappointed that JSNTGM haven't put this compilation out as a flexi-disc, but then in truth the likelihood of actually being able to hear the recording, would be close to zero, or rather you might hear it once and never again but you'd have a lot of thin curly plastic scraped off the disc by the stylus as a memento of it.
Anyway luckily for you it is on CD and this compilation contains some real gems of grass roots Punk Rock from Skrewdriver and Zyklon B to the wonderful, Kenneth Turner Set, who break with tradition having a really rather good guitarist riffing away deliriously. For those who liked the stripped down sounds of original Goth bands Comrades by Tunnel Vision, nor should the fantastically angry and Buzzock-esque, The Genocides should not to be missed. This is not trendy "nu punk rock" this is the real thing, raw, simple with meaning. I have to say that the originals are the best, the tracks from the 70s and 80s are perhaps the most choice selection, but you have to hand it to Razor Dog, born from the tradition of slightly silly bands like the Wedding Present and Pulp, that only the North can breed, they do warble a jolly tune and who would ever think that a band called the Ceramic Hobs could sound quite so, well, mildly satanic. All in all, The Ugly Truth About Blackpool is a veritable cornucopia of Punk Rock delights, chase it down or be somewhat foolish.

V/A - The Ugly Truth About Blackpool CD- Summer Of Hate - Webzine

This V/A CD came free with BLACKPOOL ROX II issue 8 2005. It's also distributed free by The Blackpool Evening Gazette and the label itself. The record opens with Blackpool's pride and shame SKREWDRIVER and their classic single An-ti So-cial. This was done in their pre-nazi prime and it's a great little 1977 pub punk number. I'm sure there's no royalty money going anywhere near the National Front from this and I doubt that ANDY HIGGINS was ever swapping spit with IAN STUART, at least not in the friedly way, so you can relax and enjoy the song. What I think is more troublesome is that in their punk days SKREWDRIVER was banned from playing Blackpool by the Blackpool council and now they're sponsoring this release. There's an irony in a Just Say No To Government Music release being paid for by the Blackpool council, and I'm not sure that it's such a good idea in general. Ok, there's some great music made available free but at the same time JSNTGM is also giving credit to the enemy. Half the songs here are about how useless and boring the council made Blackpool and now they can pride themselves with a punk rock charity case. Maybe it's not such a big deal. I don't know what to say about it really, but I had to say something. Don't think the council had anything to do with the selection, but ''council approved punk'' is enough to make this old punk rocker cringe. Ok, enough about that. ZYKLON B, MALE MODELS and TUNNEL VISION all do decent but somehwhat gloomy post-punk stuff, with the first band being the best. They eventually became SYNTAX who are also included here. KENNETH TURNER SET was just a local rock band I guess. SECTION 25 is one of the old Factory Records bands and you know what that sounds like. A mellow JOY DIVISION sort of thing. ONE WAY SYSTEM did two good albums and a few singles back in the early 80's and all of it have stood the test of time really well. Their first LP All Systems Go is exceptional and should be part of every punk rocker's record collection. The classic Jerusalem is included here. ANTISOCIAL best known anthem Official Hooligan from 1982 is here, as is Honey This Ain't No Romance done by THE GENOCIDES. Both good songs from two very different looking sides of punk. The skinheads and the rockers. This is probably the first time both bands appear on the same compilation, but it works well together. If you ignore the hair cuts they're not that far from each other musically. All good Oi is just basic rock'n'roll. THE FITS were another band that reached far outside Blackpool and there's an old b-side included here. If you don't know them they were a good band doing early 80's punk somewhere between THE PROFESSIONALS and ANTI-PASTI. SIGN LANGUAGE sounded so 80's they had to reunite for the current revival. The song here is really good once you get used to the flangers and effects. Love And Glory it's called and it's from 1984. They're followed by THE MEMBRANES and an alright fast rock number. The demo song from unknowns TAKE LINDY SURFING is a good 1978 type punk number done in 1991. SHRINK is up next and they sucked pop cock so bad you'll gag. Vile. THE PHANTOM CREEPS were average garage rock with the usual horror movie ingridience. You'll forget them as soon as the song is over. ERASE TODAY was ANDY HIGGINS band in the mid-90's and the song here is ok loud guitar rock. CONTAINER DRIVERS appearantly had some commercial success in the late 90's but I don't remember them. Their singer sounds a bit like LOU REED. The music is simple mid-tempo guitar based rock. KING MOB ECHO reveals that the 90's Action Rock trend found Blackpool in 1997. It turned out as not very good 70's rock. This was done slightly better in 2002 by UNCLE FESTER, at least when they do Kill Someone. PINK TORPEDOS had members that are now in SICK56. The live track here is ok pub rock with a bit of punk attitude. I guess you had to be there. The latest stuff on this compilation, which is in chronological order, is not very interesting at all. THE(E) TRANSMISSIONS song is just university rock. Dull. NEOCOMA has a song called Alcoholocaust but it's not as cool at it sounds. It's more university rock. So is both CHANG and CERAMIC HOBS. A bit arty farty too. RAZOR DOG is basic rock with attempts at 'proper singing'. The comp ends with the SICK56 song No Accident and it's a cut or two above the other newer stuff. It's an interesting compilation. A lot of it is really good too. It is strange how there's no bands with a US hardcore or straight edge sound here. Maybe that didn't reach them? Anyway, there was never a Blackpool sound, so this isn't some Madchester or Seattle grunge type thing. It's just a local compilation that shows how the trends in alternative music through out the last three decades affected one town. Hurry up and send them 2 Euros or 2 USD to cover postage if you want one, because free stuff runs out fast.

V/A - The Ugly Truth About Blackpool CD- Vacant Org - Webzine

The Ugly Truth About Blackpool - Compilation (JSNTGM) / The Peppermints - Jesus Chryst (Paw) Someone found a stash of mouldering reel-to-reel tape in a garden shed in Blackpool. It was still in playable condition and after a couple of hours of remix it was unbelievably release quality. Some of the stuff was old, nearly thirty years some of it, and no one knew what to do with around half an hour of vintage punk tracks from the Lancashire coastal resort until someone at the English Arts Council said 'I know, lets repackage that dodgy compilation we were putting together last year and re-release all of it together'. A band called The Peppermints got hold of a copy and felt so inspired they released an album of their own, an 18 track masterpiece which has the rhythmic intensities of Tunnel Vision, the reckless bile of The Genocides, the shambolic near-genius of The Membranes and the lack of indulgence of practically all the rest of the Blackpool bands involved in 'The Ugly Truth ...' . If you want it short fast and messed up, I recommend both albums. (Jon Gordon) 4.Punk Information http://www.punk-information.com/music_reviews.htm I really like this concept. Pick a city and pick the best punk songs since 1977 and play them in chronological order. There are 3 songs from the 70's including an early Skrewdriver classic. Andy Higgins has done a superb job of choosing the bands to be included here. Standouts include "Jerusalem" by One Way System, "Official Hooligan" by Antisocial, "Honey, This Ain't No Romance" by the Genocides and "Cock Suck America" by King Mob Echo. Most of the songs are clearly in the punk realm although a few tunes stray into lighter or more adventurous moments. All in all I would have to say that Blackpool ain't too bad of a place to have been raised on punk. --Willy Aadnoy (11/27/05)

V/A - The Ugly Truth About Blackpool CD- Scanner Zine - Webzine

The Ugly Truth About Blackpool {JSNTGM} A 27-track comp of bands all from Blackpool that dates back to 1977 with the contentious issue of including a SKREWDRIVER track. Yeah, it pre-dates the band's infamous Nazi stage, but even so, I think I'd have preferred to have seen the band omitted entirely. The tracks are arranged chronologically leading up to 2005 with one of the disc highlights, SICK 56. Other peaks include 1982 (ONE WAY SYSTEM), 1983 (THE FITS) and 1988 (THE MEMBRANES). A way more appealing comp than another cash-in label sampler - at least you have a sense of place and progression here. Not all the bands 'rattled my dags' but it was an interesting listen. Comes free with the 'Blackpool Rocks' zine.

V/A - The Ugly Truth About Blackpool CD- Lowcut Fanzine #30 - Webzine

V/A The Ugly Truth About Blackpool Vol. 1 CD (JSNTGM) This comp goes back to 1977 and to present, so naturally it's a very mixed picture of Blackpool's punkrock scene. Never own any Skrewdriver records (for obvious reasons), but the CD kicks off in style with a killer track, "An-ti-so-cial", from back before the nazi bullshit started. Other highlights include Kenneth Turner Sect (echos of Eddie & The Hotrods and Peter & The Testtube Babies), One Way System, Membranes, Phantom Creeps, and King Mob Echo. 27 tracks, a worthy punkrock document of Blackpool, thanks to Just Say No To Government Music's never ending dedication to the local scene. Respect. http://www.jsntgm.com .

V/A - The Ugly Truth About Blackpool CD- Full Frontal Recordings UK - Webzine

OK to start with I really wasn´t happy with the inclusion of ´Skrewdriver´ on this release even though it was a track which was Pre-Nazi Skrewdriver. Still I suppose if they´re covering the Blackpool history of Punk Rock then maybe it should be included as ´Antisocial´ is a wicked track. Anyway rather than get worked up over a dead fat nazi bastard there´s loads more bands here which covers the Blackpool Punk History. There´s tracks from the likes of One Way System, Antisocial, Sick56, The Pink Torpedoes, Zyklon B, The Fits, The Membranes, Uncle Fester and loads more. This CD does show great Punk Spirit and I for one enjoyed hearing some of these bands once again. In all fairness I don´t think there´s one bad track on here which is rare for a compilation. (JSNTGM) 8/10

V/A - The Ugly Truth About Blackpool CD- Angel Fire - Webzine

VARIOUS ARTISTS 'THE UGLY TRUTH ABOUT BLACKPOOL VOLUME ONE' (JUST SAY NO TO GOVERNMENT MUSIC) Almost 30 years ago the first couple of Punkbands were formed in Blackpool, UK and now there is a compilation available which concerns the period 1977-2005 featuring nothing but Punkrockbands from Blackpool. The good thing about this CD is that it gives you an idea that there have always been quality Punkbands from that city in the UK. From each decade bands have been drawn and all together we can hear 27 songs on 1 CD. Best bands are SKREWDRIVER, MALE MODELS, KENNETH TURNER SET, ONE WAY SYSTEM, ANTISOCIAL, THE FITS and from more recent, where the band start to either go into an Emo/Punky Poprock style or just play plain Rock I need to mention bands like SHRINK, THEE TRANSMISSIONS and CHANG. Definitely a worthy compilation CD for the Punk/Rock&Roll fans among s whom would like to discover the Blackpool scene from the past decades, although with 8 bands from the 2000s it also gives you an idea of the current scene over there. More info at: http://www.jsntgm.com

V/A - The Ugly Truth About Blackpool CD- Real Art - Webzine

V/A "The Ugly Truth About Blackpool Vol.1" (JSNTGM Records, p.o. box 1025, Blackpool, FY3 OFA, UK; www.jsntgm.com) For a long time I didn't hold in hands such remarkable compilations! Notwithstanding (and may be even due to this!) that it is a so-called local compilation - this disk can be named "a history of punk-stage of Blackpool" (since 1977 till our days) - I haven't found anything weak or not worthy on it. The style pluralism of the composer - the chief of JSNTGM Records Andy Higgins cause respect: except for classical punk-rock (which, it is necessary to notice, is not so much on the disk!) the post-punk in its every possible displays, punky indie and even the garage punk (Monomen-like driving The Phantom Creeps) are well submitted. I shall note the tracks most touched me: Razor Dog ("Torched") - driving, fascinating punk with magnificent vocal, The Pink Torpedos ("Time To Be Alone") - terrible, hardly reminding a hybrid of the Meatmen and Dead Kennedys punk-rock. And garage The Phantom Creeps ("Bad Place") already mentioned by me. In the zine "Blackpool Rox II" there is the most detailed story about each band, that also raises an information value of this release. I can't kept and not to tell, that the song "An-ti-co-cial" by a little known that times Skrewdriver opens the compilation - even great assholes have light stains in their biography...

V/A - The Ugly Truth About Blackpool CD- Positive Creed - Issue 8

A split ep on pink vinyl of political orientated punk rock. SICK56 play fast, oi-esque, thrashy punk and are getting seriously good at it ! Both tracks are excellent, and they deserve all the praise they are getting at the moment. Higgins++ also come off well, particularly their warped cover of 'California Uber Alles' which is way more twisted than the original. Limited edition of 500 copies, so get it quick. (RS)

V/A - The Ugly Truth About Blackpool CD- Verbicide - March 2006

Now here is a fun comp. It highlights some of the more political and truly underground artists of the last twenty odd years with the likes of the Fits, Uncle Fester and the Phantom Creeps, and even Skrewdriver doing a song before they became Nazis. Many of the old recordings, those dating back to the late 70's and early 80's, are not of the best quality, but this is probably the first time I have heard them on CD format. The bands, for the most part, have a sort of Damned inspired macabre sound to them, such as Take Lindy Surfing and The Fits. There are also a few Oi inspired bands featured on the comp. The only grievous thing that I found about this comp is that I didn't ever really learn what the 'Ugly Truth about Blackpool' was, since there was mo press release or anything given. But I can say if there is anyone still out there who wants to listen to real punk music, back when it was still dirty and fun, then check this out. You may have to turn up the volume all the way on a few songs to actually hear the vocals, but you will be happy that you did. (Jonah Crismore)

V/A - The Ugly Truth About Blackpool CD- Big Cheese Issue 70

A comp of local talent from the Vegas of the north. Blackpool these days often plays home to Holidays in The Sun festival, but dig back more than its 9 year odd stint and punk has been the backbone of local music for some time. This compilation documents those such bands. Dubious openers are Skrewdriver, ut their neo fascist views are soon erased with the likes of One Way System and The Membranes. The album spans almost three decades from the late seventies to current snotty punk like SICK56 and Uncle Fester. If you are off to Wasted in Blackpool next year this album could be a great companion for the journey up. (Miles Hackett).

V/A - The Ugly Truth About Blackpool CD- Zonked Issue 9

'Hometown' compilations are great educational pieces, and this 27 track collection certainly blows open the doors on the Blackpool punk rock scene … 1997 to 2005. The comp opens up somewhat controversially with SKREWDRIVER and their raw powered 'Anti Social', from way before Ian Stuart hijacked the band for his own warped fascistic vision. And on we go, some familiar names to me (ONE WAY SYSTEM, THE FITS, MEMBRANES, ERASE TODAY and SICK56) but mostly these are bands who slugged it out in the North West I'm getting to hear for the first time. This comes with issue 8 of 'BLACKPOOL ROX 2' zine, where you can read all about the bands. A sterling job by Andy Higgins.

V/A - The Ugly Truth About Blackpool CD- Record Collector - Issue 319

Council funded 27 band punk round up - 1977-2005 Now, is it me or is there a slight contradiction between the name of the label and who actually funded this 'local history project' ? Well, I think it's a pretty good way to spend a few hundred pounds of council tax payers' money. Blackpool seems to have had a thriving punk rock scene over the years, and this album provides 27 examples of the constantly mutating genre covering 1977 (Skrewdriver no less) to 2005 (SICK56). In between we get Anti-Social's Oi anthem Official Hooligan, One Way System's Jerusalem, The Fit's Bravado and The Membranes Tatty Seaside Town - an absolute classic from John 'Gold Blade' Robb's old band but the worst bit of 'recording' Steve Albini ever did. The bands you've never heard of unless you're a local include the excellent Genocides and King Mob Echo, whose Cock Suck Amerikkka is an outstanding piece of work. An interesting compilation and a labour of love, full of civic pride. Available for the price of postage from www.jsntgm.com (Ged Babey) 5/5

V/A - The Ugly Truth About Blackpool CD- Issue Fanzine - Issue 22

Blackpool - miles of beach, an imposing landmark (the tower) and a very seedy nightlife - thanks to the Stella filled chavs that litter the place. It also has quite a good musical legacy - if this compilation is anything to go by. Covering the last 28 years of the town's musical heritage in one compilation can't be easy - probably why this is only volume one. As with any compilation there's great tracks and absolutely duff ones. The ones that stood out for me were - Skrewdriver - Anti Social - Old school punk - just a really good tune. One Way System - Jerusalem - Uplifting punk track. Shrink - She's the One - Poppy indie - but so infectious. NeoComa - Alcoholocaust - Just because it rocks - and it reminds me of the man - the legend that is DRUNK MIKE ! WHEY UP THE SPURS There isn't anything truly awful about this CD - the nicest thing was that it was co-funded by Blackpool Arts Council - wouldn't it be nice if Basingstoke and Deane were more willing to support live music throughout the year. Instead oif fobbing us off with a one weekend token gesture ? Something to think (and even) write about kiddies.

V/A - The Ugly Truth About Blackpool CD- Suspect Device - Issue 46

Blackpool is an ugly place ! I've spent many a long weekend there over the last 5 years since my wife's father emigrated there from Reading ! However ! There is also a shocking and ugly truth about Blackpool and that is that it has been a hotbed of punk and alternative bands that most of us of any reasonable age have heard of ! Take the now infamous 'Skrewdriver' - Yup ! They were OK before they went to London and became just a bit 'dodgy' ! The opening track of this CD is from them and dates way back to 1977. In the early 80's when the second wave of punk bands started coming through Blackpool did its bit and One Way System, The Fits and Antisocial all have tracks here among the 27 in total. Later bands like Erase Today and The Membranes have all played their part and get an airing too. Send a quid to the address below for the postage and secure your copy. (Gaz)

V/A - The Ugly Truth About Blackpool CD- Toilet Paper - Issue 13

Released by Andy Higgins the thin (accompanying zine) lists every band, promoter etc in Blackpool (that was the aim anyways) and provides a history of important Blackpool bands that are all featured on the CD as well. Famous ones include Skrewdriver, One Way System and SICK56. They're all quite punky but maybe that's the Blackpool sound ? The zine also contains reviews of CD's (htat don't have anything to do with Blackpool) (Alva) Just Say No To Government Music

V/A - The Ugly Truth About Blackpool CD- Positive Creed - Issue 9

This companion CD is being given out free with JSNTGM's 'Blackpool Rox' fanzine. At a colossal 27 tracks in length, we felt it worthy of a review in its own right. We started things off with a pre-fascist outing from Skrewdriver and roll on into Zyklon B's 'Manic Depressive' nicely. So far, so good. This compilation works chronologically, starting off in 1977 and bringing us up to the present day. Some of the early 80's bands have got a Joy Division/Bauhaus feel to them (Tunnel Vision and Section 25). Of the early years, the standout tracks belong to The Kenneth Turner Set, The Genocides, The Fits (who are magnificent) and of course the fantastic One Way System with 'Jerusalem'. As we move into the nineties, the musical net spreads. A lot of this stuff has an indie feel, with a punk spirit. From the graveyard rock of The Phantom Creeps to the high octane, Uncle Fester, there is enough here for everyone. Chang are intriguing ; Razor Dog, Erase Today and King Mob Echo are all excellent - You are bound to disagree, you will find your own favourites. Watch this space for future compilations. 'The Ugly Truth ….' Is a fitting testament to its own scene. (SCS) 6/10

V/A - The Ugly Truth About Blackpool CD- Everlong - Issue 7

Do not know if this is a fanzine or an album but I do know it's bloody excellent value. Comes with a 28 track CD chronicling the history of punk in Blackpool starting with Skrewdriver (before they became the evil incarnate) right through to today with the likes of SICK56. The zine covers the bands on the CD in sleeve-note style, as well as a stack of reviews. Really made my Saturday (despite another poor SAFC result) could do the same for you c/o JSNTGM ……

V/A - The Ugly Truth About Blackpool CD- Beat Motel - Issue 4

This CD is a mammoth project covering the musical development of Blackpool from 1977 to 2005. It's a hell of a project apparently supported in part by The Arts Council of England and Blackpool Council. I'm not going to go through every one of the 27 tracks, I'll just give you an idea. The CD starts with some fairly generic 77 punk that to a certain extent blends in a way that makes me wonder if they shared a few band members ! The early 80's stuff is where it starts to get good, although thrash punk apparently never made it to Blackpool ! During the 90's there were some really good bands in Blackpool without there ever being a 'Blackpool sound' (bar the 77 stuff) the town certainly appears to have been a hotbed of creativity. Here are some of the highlights on the album ; - Comrades by Tunnel Vision is a bit like Joy Division meets Wire - 'Always Now' by Section 25 would be pretty smart in a PIL kinda way if it wasn't for the dodgy vocals and someone dropping saucepans in the background. - Love and Glory by Sign Language is something of a corker, can't pin down what it reminds me of, ubt it nips along at a helluva rate and is as strong as fuck. - She's the One by Shrink is a pretty fantastic pop song, only partly spoiled by the fact that the singer sounds a tiny bit like Sting, but put that out of your mind and enjoy what is a perfect pop song, the backing vocals bouncing off each other are superb. Actually there are loads of great tracks on this album so I'm going to leave it there. This is a fantastic document of a town's output and every town should have one ! What's more it comes with a zine telling you a bit about each band ! I wasn't sure about the price for this so I e-mailed JSNTGM and it turns out it's only a quid !!! You'd be daft as a Bush not to head over to www.jsntgm.com and grab yerself a copy right now. (Andrew Culture)

V/A - The Ugly Truth About Blackpool CD- High Heels Slut - Issue 9

Blackpool must be an ugly boring in the north west of the UK, since it has spawned a whole bunch of punk bands throughout the years. This compilation - that comes with the 8th issue of Blackpool Rox II - contains 27 of them, listed chronologically and spanning a period '77 until 2005. A few names for sure will ring a bell, but most of 'em were unknown to me. A few tunes don't excite me that much, but for the major part this is a very fine listening with a buncha great tracks, like from the pre-neonazi Skrewdriver ('77), One Way System ('82), Antisocial ('82), Genocides ('82), Fits ('83), Membranes ('88), Take Lindy Surfing ('91), Erase Today ('96), SICK56 ('05) or yet some more. A pretty fine effort from the local Blackpool label JSNTGM - which stands by the way for Just Say No To Government Music - and thumbs up for supporting the local scene ! (www.jsntgm.com)

V/A - The Ugly Truth About Blackpool CD- Nude - November 2005

This is a release that could have just as well featured in our zines pages, given that it comes attached to the front of issue 8 of Blackpool Rox II fanzine (available from www.jsntgm.com) . It's a CD which features 27 Blackpool bands from 1977 to the present day. Now being a 'tatty seaside town' as opposed to a major city or university town, Blackpool could be seen as something of a backwater on the musical map of the UK. However the place has long been home to a buoyant, bolshy and distinctly northern-sounding punk/alternative scene, which has over the years thrown up a few names to be reckoned with, including The Membranes, Zyklon B, and those arty nearly men, Section 25. Also included are the notorious Skrewdriver, though this is the original 1977 non-fascist original line-up we're reassured. Like any such exercise, this is a mix of the good, the bad and the wholly derivative (see Fall soundalikes The Container Drivers) but there's plenty of good stuff on here that bears testimony to the fact that Blackpool Rocks (or should that be Rox?) (Ian Lowey)

V/A - The Ugly Truth About Blackpool CD- In It On It - Issue 19

The CD comes free with the zine, but is the dominating part of the package so it gets in here rather than in with the zine reviews. The zine is a basic, but useful review fare, with loads on the bands on the CD. First off, a town scene overview means a wide variety of styles and quality. There's some well dodgy stuff going on here verging on goth, and not good goth at that. But then there's also the Membranes, One Way System, SICK56 and Erase Today - which is good. The there's Skrewdriver - yes you read that correctly. Apparently they were a 77 punk band who split in 79, and reformed with different members, and then the fucking racist bollocks began. Needless to say this is a pre-fascist era track, and there's an interview at www.punk77.co.uk with an old member to put the record straight. There is also a band called Zyklon B on here - who have nothing to do with racism whatsoever - I just think the name fuckin stinks, but that's just me ! There's some good stuff on this comp, some average stuff and some crap stuff - but isn't that always the way with comps ?

V/A - The Ugly Truth About Blackpool CD- Maximum Rock n Roll - Issue 272

A copy of punk from old stuff like One Way System, Zyklon B, the Fits and Male Models, to more recent stuff like Phantom Creeps, King Mob Echo and Razor Dog. Maybe I shouldn't mention that Skrewdriver's is 'Anti Social' is on this, but it is. I know, I know, it was before their white supremacist days, so it's cool. With no notes about this except the Blackpool reference, I guess it's for your listening enjoyment (RL) (JSNTGM Music)

V/A - The Ugly Truth About Blackpool CD- Anarchoi - Issue 15

As ya wood expect this is a comp. of bands from Blackpool and surrounding areas, right from the 76-77 thru to the present day. Features early Skrewdriver, Zyklon B, Syntax, Tunnel Vision on to stuff like The Fits, One Way System, The Membranes, Erase Today - the list is endless. Current faves SICK56 are on here, as are Uncle Fester. 27 trax in all and it's hard to give a fave but let me say Jerusalem by One Way System takes a helluva beating - nuff said (Jamesy)