WARRIORS!

Shoeshine with the moonshine in the springtime! 

It’s the pre spring weather shuffle! A time of renewal and green buds and shoots and very occasional teasing sunshine and loads of rain!

In this climactic shuffle we have spent the last few days hopping on trains and trying to find the future. 

The first half of the week was spent at the ever wonderful GEI conference in London where I chaired two panels as part of the event that looks for green solutions for live gigs and festivals. Instead of giving up in the weight of filth and Trump stupidity this is a genuine attempt to find solutions to a world gone wrong. The ideas can be tiny and perfect innovations to huge ideas and they all seem to come off gradually changing the backdrop to our lives - music should always be a space for innovation surely! 

Back in music world we have been thrilling to new bands like Mouth Ulcers who We have added as the final band to the bill for our upcoming Louderthanwar Live festival. 

Mouth Ulcers themselves have announced a new single and that exclusive Louder Than War Live festival appearance - it’s only their third ever gig and they represent a new generation of art of darkness post-punk…

https://louderthanwar.com/mouth-ulcers-announce-new-single-and-exclusive-louder-than-war-live-festival-appearance/ (Opens in a new window) via @louderthanwar  

Indie titans Amelia Fletcher & Cathy Rogers from Heavenly interviewed by Simon Robinson  As the band release Highway To Heavenly, their first new album for thirty years on 27 February 2026 on Skep Wax Records, long time fan Simon talks to Amelia and Cathy about then and now… 

It’s great to see Mogwai turning their years of acclaim into big venues and the band whose soundscapes are hypnotic thrilling and utterly immersive are out on their biggest UK tour yet in support of last year’s The Bad Fire LP), Mogwai deliver a seismic overload to the senses, supported by acclaimed electronic composer Forest Swords and of course we were there to celebrate…

Proud to Deviate is a limited release on puke green vinyl, by Manchester record store Vinyl Revival. It’s packed full of gems from the 1977-1981 period, including Emergency, recorded at the legendary TJM rehearsal studio (home of Joy Division, Buzzcocks and many others), Pure Product, whose Rejection came out on Streets Ahead records (home to Fast Cars) and The Teardrops, (featuring then The Fall’s Karl Burns) – who can forget Blueser Blue and You Leave Me No Choice!). Others include Local Heroes, Chaos, The Things, Mellotron, and two tracks, never released on vinyl by The Cliches (Mark Burgess pre-Chameleons) and one of the UK’s rarest punk singles by Rochdale band The Singles, which has sold for £2800 and was recorded at the now legendary Cargo Studio with only 100 being pressed!

In May 2026 John Robb will be releasing his memoirs, ‘Punk Rock Ruined My Life’ and to accompany this will be a spoken word tour. Each event will be a one hour talk from John Robb then after a break  there will be a different special guest every night in conversation with John Robb. 

Bal Stingray is back on stage with two more original Stingrays – upright bassist Keith Cockburn and guitar supremo Mark Hosking –  joined by garage legend and former Headcoat Johnny Johnson on guitar,  ex-X-men Tim Hosking on electric bass and one time Headcoatee Debbie Bongo on drums. The truly manic Los Coyote Men and The Hangmen complete the bill at the Green Room in Stockton on Tees – an unassuming intimate venue hidden away behind the Georgian Theatre.