A top 10 today chosen by Jonny Boots. Jonny is bassist with top Edinburgh Oi band Brassknuckle. Their debut album Skinhead 82 was released at the start of 2017 on Rebellion Records & Longshot Music and it's definitely worth tracking down. You can check the band out here : https://www.facebook.com/brassnuckleoi/
Jonny's also kind enough to create various bits of artwork to advertise the Just Some Punk Songs show so I'd like to thank him for that as well as for his Top 10. Cheers mate, over to you....
"This is one of the hardest things I’ve had to do, when I took it on I thought ‘10 tracks easy!’ then I started thinking about it & realised just how much music I have & how many favourite tracks. I’ve picked a few newer tracks & this is not to say I don’t like the older ‘classic’ stuff just that these are my favourites at the moment, if I did it again in a week then it’d probably be a few different ones...."
1) LONDON DIEHARDS - PC Mafia
I really liked this song right from the off & with the way things are at the moment in the Oi! scene I think it’s pretty relevant. It’s only a matter of time till the political elements rip everything apart again & I think it’ll be a real shame as there’s some great bands around at the moment.
2) TOP DOG - Botchergate
One of the newer bands I mentioned before & in all honesty it was a task to pick just 1 track from these guys. I love the sound they produce & they’re great guys as well. Our 1st gig outside of Scotland was with Top Dog & then a week later we played with them again at Brian’s Macmillan Charity gig (which we’re really honoured to have been asked to play again this year) they were so friendly to us & we had a great laugh. I chat with Marc quite a lot & pick his brains on how to improve my bass playing. They’re also our label mates on Rebellion Music Merch & every time we play together we have a great time.
3) THE SKINFLICKS - What I Am
A band I feel are vastly underrated & one of my favourites. Again, this was a struggle to pick just 1 track by them, I know very little about them but wish they were still around or that I’d had the chance to see them play. There’s a lot of European bands around at the moment but I honestly think these paved the way for them.
4) BAKERS DOZEN - 100% British Oi!
One of the bands around who seem to be on some kind of blacklist which to me is a real shame as they make what I think are some class tracks. I listen to this track a lot & when I used to train at the gym this was on my playlist for training music & it still has the same effect on getting me amped up.
5) CONDEMNED 84 - Psycho
My favourite track by a real class band, when I 1st started playing bass this was a track that I listened to for an idea of what great bass for an Oi! band sounded like, I’m nowhere near this good & have never tried to learn the bassline but it’s still a constant on my playlist.
6) THE ROUGH KUTZ - Chell Heath
I lived in Crewe for a while & went along to a Rough Kutz gig thinking it would be along the lines of most ska gigs with some decent music & some sedate dancing along, they played this track & the place erupted nearly everyone in the place was dancing, it was a ska gig with an Oi! attitude. I got to know Brigga who was their vocalist at the time pretty well & we became drinking buddies. We recently played in Stoke on the same bill as the Rough Kutz for W&H Promotions & met up with Brigga again & yeah we ended up boozing once again. Sorry for going off track then, a great band who’ve been around a while & made some great stuff, if you ever get the chance to see them play anywhere go watch them but if you’re around the Stoke area catch them at a home town gig & you’ll be blown away. I remember Brigga describing their music as ska with a skinhead attitude & that sums it up pretty well.
7) B SQUADRON - Saturday's Soldiers
One of the new breed of British Oi! bands & 1 hell of a sound, again label mates of ours & I’m really looking forward to seeing them at Rebellion Festival & hearing some new stuff from them. Things seem to be taking of for them & it’s a great thing.
8) ARCH RIVALS - Rules
Another of the new breed of Oi! bands who are going great at the moment, I like the aggression in this track as well as the sentiment behind it. Mike’s another guy I speak with a fair bit & gives me advice, sound guy who I’ll share a few beers with in Blackpool no doubt. Hopefully get these guys to drag their arses up to Scotland to play a gig or 2.
9) TAKERS & USERS - Glory Days
Again, one of the best new bands around, I saw these guys recently in Edinburgh & was blown away. Definitely on the up & a great bunch of lads who like a good laugh & the odd beer or 2, their album is on my record deck pretty much constantly at the moment & I can’t get enough of it. One of the things I really like is that they’re not trying to hide their accents like some bands do.
10) BISHOPS GREEN - The Crow
In my opinion an outstanding band who make some great tracks, I know some people like to put them down but that seems to be another annoying trait that’s rife in the scene at the moment. If somebody starts to do well suddenly they’re sell outs or losing their roots, I don’t know if it’s jealousy or bitchiness or what but it seems to be the thing to do. Back to the track, I just love the way it sounds & I find myself singing it at random times through the day.
"Well that’s my tracks, there’s lots more I could have picked & it will have changed by the time people read this but these are my current ones. Hope people like them & if not well tough shit they were my choices. Just want to say a big thanks to Mick for the chance to do this & for the time he puts into putting shows together including a few Oi! special shows & especially the support he gives to the new bands who are trying to make their name. Cheers Mick."
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