Punk eh? Well I’m praying for the Dead Kennedys – not, Lord deliver us! NOT Blink 182. It’s a bad start; My gig buddy is sick, yesterday I committed career Hara-Kari and last time I went to a Nottingham gig my car was broken into. Frankly I’m in an evil mood, Jesus’ mercy to the poor punk pop bitch ass that crosses my path this evening. And I’m late. Behold, THE HALO FRIENDLIES hold the stage. 4 U.S. sweethearts with a fine line in thumping up-beat power-puff punk. Praise be. TURN IT UP LOUD! they shout. This is stomping, guitar slinging Par-Tay, Rock n’ ROLL music and no mistake (“Check out our drummer! She’s AWESOME!”). The Halo Friendlies dole out some cracking anthems, but more amazingly leave the stage without a hair out of place.
New Jersey’s THE EARLY NOVEMBER open with an emotional number that suggests they might be the sensitive boy talking to girls in the kitchen at the Halos’ power-puff punk orgy. However, they soon up the ante, declaring everybody “awesome” and prying open a sonic beer keg. You’d probably really like them – you know, if you like pop punk. To be fair, though, the boys have subtlety, with a couple of standout singles which set the house on fire to boot. Unfortunately I can’t say the same about Home Grown.
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HOME GROWN embody everything that I hate about this kind of music. Apparently they get their Californian cocks out in their videos - anything to add some interest, because baby, they’ve only got one song and you’ve heard it before. It goes UmKa UmKa UmKa, ad infinitum. The lynx-laden crowd love it, but frankly they look too young to remember yesterday let alone Green Day. But hell, give it up! Clap! Bop! You can beat your head against a f---ing wall in time to the music! Maybe they sound better on the records, I’m not going to bother to find out.
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