Art Ratz

Thanks to the internet, music is far more easy to get for a lot of people. The rarest records can be found as mp3 on blogs or in P2P programs. That's a good thing as far as I am concerned. It's also possible to get records from all over the world on various auction sites, but most of the time they are being sold for ridiculous amounts of money, but that's the way it is I guess. Sometimes you can get very lucky though and I have been lucky a few times. On a Dutch auction site called Marktplaats I got the Tits ep for 10 euros and also the Art Ratz ep for 7 (without sleeve though).
Anyways, the Art Ratz. I always thought that this band was from Friesland, maybe because they have a newspaper clipping on their record that's from Leeuwarden, the capital of Friesland. But they are from Abbenes, in the Leiden/Sassenheim area (I had to google that town!), a very small town I guess. The backsleeve of the cover features a newspaperclipping that says: 'Research proves that disco music turns you into a homo'. Now I understand! hahahahaha.
Paul and Olav picked up this ep when it was released in 1982, probably in some record store in Amsterdam. In good punk spirit, we taped eachother the records we bought and I was hooked on this ep when I first heard it. It was impossible to find a copy for myself though and I gave up looking for it. So you can understand I was pleased to find it for 7 euros, about 25 years later. Olav copied me the sleeve and the record looked brandnew.
Seein Red covers the first song 'Steunzolenboogie' on teh split 10" w/ Mihoen! by the way.
Musicwise this is raw punk, bass dominated and pretty clean guitarsound. Lyrics vary from songs about Dallas, prime ministers and drugs and ofcourse the arch support boogie (the title track).
This one of the more obscure Dutch punk records, I hope you will like it as much as I do. I have included the sleeves in the zip file.
tracklist:
1-steunzolenboogie
2-schuiver
3-twee patat met
4-712
5-aftreksel
6-bostanjarak
7-bij geen gehoor twee keer bellen
8-klaboem

Art Ratz

Neo Punkz

It seems as if I have some catching up to do after last summer's hiatus. First off, I'd like to read some comments if possible, I am curious what you think of the music posted. Secondly, I am not sure if there are dead links or not. I am using mediafire now, megaupload seems to cause troubles and/or is not always available. Let me know.
And for now, enjoy the Neo Punkz!


The second vinyl rip on the blog. The Neo Punkz were a young and snotty punkband from Haarlem, close to Amsterdam and home to many great bands back in the days.
This ep was released in 1980 and as far as I can tell it was a self released record (as were many back then) The 5 songs are played in a sloppy style, distorted guitars and snotty vocals. Young, loud and snotty? I think so yes. The cover photo is great, 5 young punks posing as hard as possible, showing off the studded wristbands and so on, days I remember really well. Most punks from our generation have been there and done that. (In fact the follow-up band ‘Suspense’ has a record in which the band members seem to share wristbands and collar belts, I will upload that ep too one day, so you can see for yourself). I believe 500 copies were pressed.
This another one much sought after Dutch punk record, it used to be on display on the Utrecht Record Fare and it costed something close to 500 euros. Last weekend it was not on display any longer, so maybe someone bought it?
Some of my friends from Japan asked me if this ep and the Suspense one will be re-released. Who knows?

Tracklist
01- Fascist fuckers
02- Green devil
03- If I watch the tv
04- Got to go for a piss
05- Kanker



Neo Punkz ep

Laitz

In the mid-eighties, there were not that many bands from the city of Utrecht. Kikkerspuug might be the most known one and Laitz probably the other one. Through the Holland Hardcore tapes we got in touch wit the guys who played in the Laitz and they (ofcourse) were featured on one of the volumes of Holland Hardcore.
What I remember most from them is that guitarsound made me think of YDI from the usa and listening again to their demo, it still does. They also were quite capable of handling their instruments and that is proven by the sometimes complex song structures. If I am correct we (Lärm) did a couple of gigs together with them and I remember driving back from Belgium, spending the night in some field close to the border. Things you did when you were young eh?
This demo has a really good sound quality and even dual guitar tracks, which was quite unusual for that time. The songs they contributed to the 'On our way to fool's paradise' compilation are even more complex structurewise.
The MMR review of the demo compared them to Die Kreuzen and again, as far as the guitars are concerned, I understand that.
Some of the members went on in the band 'Alp'. Something completely different from Laitz.

Tracklist
01 Noise makes me feel good
02 Blind for reality
03 Punk
04 Zwakken pakken
05 Obey to the misery
06 It's all bullshit
07 New fun cowboy song
08 Gerechtigheid
09 Join the police
10 RAF
11 AIDS team
12 Are we doomed
13 10 seconds

LAITZ - Balance of power demo

ROCK AGAINST RELIGION 1979

Rotterdam, the Netherlands hosted the Red Rock Collective, a group of people (mostly art students) who formed a collective which did quite some stuff for the punk scene in Rotterdam (and other parts of the Nethelands too).
Besides hosting 4 bands (Rondos, Tändstickörshöcks, Rode Wig and Sovjets) they did a fanzine (Raket) and a record label as well as political pamflets and so on.
On december 26th 1979 they organised the ‘Rock Against Religion’ Festival at the Kaasee club in Rotterdam. Besides a lot of bands there was also a poet ‘Jules Deelder’who, in true punk tradition got covered in layers of spit, depsite the fact that his poems were really good. Punkrock I guess. The festival was documented by VPRO radio and television and in the two files you’ll find the radio braodcast including some poems by Jules Deelder, songs by Ketchup, The Squats, Jesus and the Gospelfuckers on the first file and almost a full set by NEH. NEH was a band made up of members of the Red Rock collective. In between the bands are interviews with people attending the festival as well as one with Jesus, singer for Jesus and the Gospelfuckers (‘Why are you called Jesus? Well, my father is called God’).
The interviews are all in Dutch and deal with religion and why people attend the festival (for various reasons ofcourse, be it as an anti religious statement, or just for the fun of it, some of the crowd apparently went to church the day before).
Enjoy the festival!
Part 1

Part 2

A4

A4 - Aanklacht

This time I am offering you the ‘Aanklacht’ tape by A4 from Amsterdam. Some of you might know them because of their tracks on ‘Als je haar maar goed zit’ volume 1.
A4 formed out of the ashes of the Workmates (a really great band from Amsterdam with dual female/male vocals, they did a live ep and contributed a song to a compilation lp (Hey You)). Two of the members went on in A4, joined by former Ex drummer Geurt and Charlotte Smits on bass.
The music can be described as post-punk, it is not loud and fast, more complex structures and a definate ‘Gang Of Four’ and ‘Joy Division’ feel to it (if I am to judge ofcourse). Stuff I did not like too much back then, since I was more into the faster part of punk, but I started to like it more and more lateron.
Besides this, I do not have too much information on the band itself, so enjoy the tape!

tracklist:
01 who’s to blame
02 repeated action
03 bayer conspiracy
04 victims
05 battlefields
06 corruption
07 sexist army
08 12-10-82

A4 Aanklacht

AGENT ORANGE live @ Paradiso Amsterdam 24-05-1983

AGENT ORANGE went on where Jesus and the Gospelfuckers stopped. They did two 7" records (one on Graaf Hendrick records, run by Henk 'Hoezo Politiek Correct?' Smit. Henk also was the owner of maybe the best record shop Amsterdam ever had. And the other one on the French label 'New Wave). Especially their first ep is really good and one of the best Dutch records from that era if I am to judge.
Lyricwise AGENT ORANGE took it a step further too, songs about herpes, lingerie, feminists etc surely did not go down that well with the feminist crowd, not to mention the fact they had a female singer too. And she was able to raise hell on her own.............. As you may notice there's a buch of Gospelfuckers songs enclosed in their set too, two of them are also recorded on their second ep (dope and kill the police)

Like Jesus and the Gospelfuckers, AGENT ORANGE got banned from various venues too. I remember we travelled a few times to see them, but they never were allowed to play. So I am not 100% sure if I have seen them or not.
This is a live set recorded at Paradiso in Amsterdam, the venue where most bigger punk bands played as well as special Dutch punk nights. Soon the squats and youth centers took over the function of gig places and for the better too.
The tracklist:
01-fucking up the dogs
02-lingerie
03-factory
04-feminist
05-nothing
06-dope
07-herpes
08-kkk
09-kill the police
10-your mother sucks cocks in hell
11-untitled
12-genocide express
13-polonaise
14-lingerie (encore)
15-herpes (encore)

live @ Paradiso Amsterdam

JESUS AND THE GOSPELFUCKERS LIVE IN ARNHEM

The Stokvishal in Arnhem was not always the best venue to attend punk gigs. I remember the one where Exploited played in particular. Lots of nazi skins and idiot punks and then also a band that encouraged violence amongst the audience as well, a great night (not). We were supposed to go and see Angelic Upstarts and Cockney Rejects there too, they cancelled and I think we should be happy for that, because that for sure would have been a fiesta for the nazis.
One time Paul and myself went to see a couple of bands in small city close to Arnhem and we had to run like hell for the nazi skins and nazi punks attending that gig.
Anyways, the Dead Kennedys played Amsterdam and were supported by an unknown band called ‘Millions Of Dead Cops’. They blew Dead Kennedys off the stage and luckily they stayed in Europe a bit longer to do some more gigs. One of them was at a festival in Arnhem where Jesus and the Gospelfuckers also played. That was an afternoon/evening of mayhem for sure and I recall the singer and bass player for the Gospelfuckers negociating who was going to beat up one of the assholes in the crowd. They played brilliant, it was one of their best gigs (according to Henk Smit) and if I am correct, MDC even mentions this particular gig in a tour report.
Quality of this set is pretty good too, enjoy it!
(photo from nederpunk.nl)

Jesus and the Gospelfuckers live @ Stokvishal Arnhem, The Netherlands

DIE KRIPOS

Die (German for 'the')Kripos were a band from Arnhem, a small city in the east of the Netherlands, close to the German border. The most well known 80’s band from that city is probably Neuroot.
There was quite a large punkscene in Arnhem and most activities took place in a venue called ‘Stokvishal’. I have seen quite some bands overthere together with Paul and Olav and other punks from our area. One time we went to see the UK SUBS overthere and this was when they had just released their Crash Course lp. A mindblowing gig it was, we pogo-ed from the start till the end of the gig and decided we would go see them in Amsterdam again.
At that gig, Die Kripos were the support band. Apparently most punks came to see the UK SUBS, because they ddi not really get a lot of response and/our positive support. I remember that their singer wanted to make an impressive entrance on stage, but nearly tripped....
They recorded one ep, with two songs: Canera Security and Action Girl. A lot of their ep’s wee sold without the cover, my copy doesn’t have one either. It is an ok ep, not really a milestone. Their demo though has better songs and you can understand better why the UK SUBS were a big influence on them. You’ll also find a live set with a really long intro.


demo

live set