Sunday, December 6, 2009

Never forget.

NEWS! NEWS! NEWS!

So, it's that time of the year again where I get a rash on my hands, my hair begins to fall out and heart starts packing it in... Yes, a new issue of CRUCIAL 'ZINE is being constructed and I thrive on stress.

The issue is looking like it's going to have interviews with the Tagnuts, the Terrors, New Town Kings, Vanilla Pod and Youth of Togay. Also look out for your guides to the essentials of hardcore, ie High Fives and Stage Dives among things, plus the usual ranting, reviewing and ignorance. Maybe some naked pictures of myself on a skateboard.

Anyway, the idea is to get it ready and printed in time for the Last Gang In Town show with the Tagnuts on the 19th of December. That means that anybody who has previously shown interest in contributing anything needs to GET IN TOUCH with me, just so I have an idea of what's going in. Let's say the deadline for any of it is the upcoming Friday: pictures, rants, guides, reviews, stories, interviews, whatever. Let me know either way.

Some of you might have seen the poster down the Man On The Moon, but yeah, we're teaming up with Last Gang In Town to put on Mouthwash, Random Hand, Chris Murray and the Skints, possibly with a few more bands, just to mix things up a bit. It's a couple months away, but we're going to try to make this just as epic as the summer show (which I missed). If you miss it, you might as well take the rest of the year off.

Also, t-shirts are looking like they are happening after X-mas, when I've pawned all the presents I get from my parents and relatives. They will look sweet.

Anyway, I'd better get back to shovelling hatred and frustrations into the furnace that powers me during the day and then shut-down for a routine 7-8 hours. Smoke pot and worship Ian MacKaye.

- Mr. 5000 & TEAM CRUCIAL

PS: £2.95 cocktails always win.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

THIS SATURDAY! IN CAMBRIDGE!

Come down to one of the chillest line-ups put on by Last Gang In Town this Saturday. This is going to be *sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet*

Sunday, November 8, 2009

CRUCIAL 'ZINE FIVE!

Yo, work on issue has begun. A few people have expressed interest in helping out and contributing to the new issue. That is awesome. Here's the details if you're interested:

1. We want the 'zine out by the end of the year. That means it needs to be ready by mid-December. So that means the dealine for any submissions is the end of November. THIS month. Obviously, the sooner you get your stuff in, the more time I will have to work on layouts and the less I will stress about it.

2. We will review any record, demo, single, EP or whatever. Get in touch.

3. We want:
- pictures of shows, people hanging out and doing crucial stuff (not 'cool' stuff)
- reviews of shows, records and other crucial events.
- rants
- guides
- gossip (for a new section)
- upcoming show details (Cambridge/localish gigs only)
- other cool stuff (recipes, cartoons, drawings, stencils, ideas, etc...)
- and for future issues we will also need people to do interviews. We've got a load set up for issue 5 already.

Please read the last few issues to figure out what we like, just in case you planned on sending over any poetry about unicorns and bats or something. Don't censor yourself, in fact actively try to be more abusive than you normally would.

4. People liked the badges. I might get some crucial shirts printed. If anybody can hook me up with a screen-print kit and is willing to help out, let me know. Otherwise if I were to get some company to print them up, would you be willing to pay £6-7 (cost price) for one?

That is all! Get in touch with your ideas and contacts!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

This Saturday in CAMBRIDGE...

Halloween is an excuse for wannabe pagans to pretend their silly made-up religion is legit, but if you are like me and enjoy watching people play dress up once a year, you probably don't want to miss this show. Good bands, a decent pub bar and people to hang out with. It's going to be pretty sweet. Look out for me, I'll be dressed up as 'Bystander #3' trying not to look offended by everyone dressing up like a zombie or something from a Tim Burton movie or a really crap comic book. The crew will probably be hitting the Zebra after the show for more drinking and gawking.

DIY PRODUCTIONS!









Friday, October 23, 2009

You are now pimped.

Badges and stickers are now available. Probably free in person or if you are cool. Talk to us if you want any.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

WHERE TO GET ISSUE IV!

YO! The following people and distros have been mailed copies of issue IV of CRUCIAL 'ZINE, so if you're into paper zines, hit these people up! People from Greece may need to wait a week or so until the postal service does its job.

England:
Billy's Skate, BMX and Kite shop (Cambridge)
Last Gang In Town Distro (Cambridge)
Ed Ache and I.C.H. (Colchester)
WWHRD? Zine and Dorian Gay (Norwich)

Scotland:
Highland Punk Distro (Invergordon)
and Raph (Edinburgh/Glasgow)

Greece:
Scarecrow Distro (Athens),
True To The Game Records/Distro (Larisa)
World's Appreciated Kitsch Records/Distro (Volos)

There may be more people who have hard copies of issue 4, so we'll update this list when we find out. We've nearly run out of copies, so if you want any, hit us up and have a look at the distros! Issue 5 should be dropping end of the year and it's going to be MASSIVE!

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Greek-style (pt.1)

Yo! Here's a taster of some good Hip-hop from the land of Feta.





















Monday, September 28, 2009

What a weekend.

I.C.H. ruled.
The Grit ruled.
Beasts ruled.
Jesus of Spazzareth ruled.
The Horror ruled.

Probably the best weekend for music in Cambridge since the time of the dinosaurs. And dinosaurs, from what archeologists tell us, where surprisingly very proficient at blastbeats and death metal vocals. Read about that in Crucial 'Zine V, out in December. Probably.

Friday, September 25, 2009

IV: NOW!

IT'S HERE. YOU CAN DOWNLOAD OR STREAM IT NOW, OR YOU CAN PICK IT TOMORROW NIGHT AT THE MAN ON THE MOON (probably).

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Blind Cave Salamander?!

Holy shit. Remember Earthworm Jim? Remember Earthworm Jim 2? Remember the third level in Earthworm Jim 2? Sure you do. Best thing about it was that haunting music, remember? Well that level is called "The Villi People/Jim's Now A Blind Cave Salamander!" And guess what. There's a band called Blind Cave Salamander that probably dug that level so much. Holy shit. Awesome.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Next weekend...

Two awesome shows next weekend by Cambridge's finest promoters. C'Z#4 might be ready for these...


Wednesday, September 16, 2009

TONIGHT


I think Sammy's Fatal Mistake have pulled out and instead there's Torn Apart. Should be AWESOME.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Athens kids...


If in Athens next week, make sure you check this show out...

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Who will fill Jim's boots?

Jim left the band, yet the rest still go on. Really? Isn't it about time they threw in the towel, or at very least, try something different. You know, with a different name? Anyway, here's two awesome Pennywise songs that aren't 'Bro Hymn', off their two best records. Everything after "Full Circle" is at best average and quite often horrible. Fact.



Sunday, August 9, 2009

August Top 10

In NO order, these records all rule and should be blasting from your room at 2am and causing your neighbours to call the cops...

Black Friday '29 - Black Friday 2009 LP
xKINGDOMx - 9 Lives EP
In My Eyes - Demo 7"
Beherit - Engram LP
Εισβολεας - Νταλαβέρι με το γνήσιο LP
Dead Vows - Bad Blood LP
Jeniger - Jeniger LP
Method Man And Redman - Blackout 2 LP
NOFX - So Long And Thanks For All The Shoes LP
Colin of Arabia - Snitch EP

Thank me later.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Monday, August 3, 2009

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

This Saturday in Athens...

Come down to this show. It will be awesome and C'Z#3 will be in merch stands. Do Something Now! are on at 20:30, so be there.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Hard copies of C'Z#3

Yo!

Crucial 'Zine #3 is now available from:

- Us! Hit us up on Facebook or myspace about getting a copy straight from the source!
- Billy's on Burleigh Street.
- Various pubs around Cambridge (like the Zebra and the Run), as well as the Cambridge Fopp and HMV.
- Rhythm Records on Benaki St. in Athens/Greece.
- True To The Game Records, World's Appreciated Kitsch
- Probably most Last Gang In Town shows, or any other Cambridge shows for that matter which we show up to.

We'll be getting it out to a few more distros, like , etc. If you know anybody who'd like to spread the crucial word, get them in touch with us.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Records for July 2009

Crucial Plank Fest '09 totally ruled. There might be more shit happening, so look out.

Here are the ten records you should be listening to this July:

. Trial - Are These Our Lives?
. Wu Tang Clan - Chamber Music
. Iron Mind - The Sun Has Set
. Hellnation - Thrashwave
. Reaching Hand - Threshold EP
. Fall of Efrafa - Owsla
. V.A. - New Breed Tape Compiliaton
. Outbreak - Work To Death 7"
. Ed Ache - The Vogon Poetry Sessions
. Soul Assassins - Intermission

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

CRUCIAL/PLANK-FEST ALL-DAYER!!

Yo! THIS WEEKEND! BE THERE!

Crucial 'Zine #3 will be there for you to pick up!

Friday, June 19, 2009

CRUCIAL 'ZINE #3 ONLINE NOW!!

Yeah, it's here. We'll be getting this printed very soon too! Check the links on the side for download and streaming links... KEEP CRUCIAL!

Saturday, May 23, 2009

T-t-t-taki Tsan!

Taki Tsan from the legendary Z.N. in an interview over his latest shit. Blaze up and watch this shit.





Thursday, May 14, 2009

Top Records For May

In NO real order, all of these records are CRUCIAL listening material for this season. Spread the word.

Floorpunch - Fast Times At The Jersey Shore 12"
Jeniger - Self-Titled 12"
Brux - Suspitious Landing CD-R
Gator Bait - Glory Days CD
Hellnation - Thrash Wave 12"
NOFX - Fuck The Kids 7"
Sex Positions - Self-Titled 12"
Reaching Forward - Burning The Lies 12"
Bad Brains - I & I Survived 12"
Sonic Boom Six - City of Thieves CD

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Tragedy (Greek Tour 2009)


This is for real.

24/04/09 - Athens (Πολυτεχνειούπολη Ζωγράφου) w/ Bad Trip (Salonica)
25/04/09 - Salonica (Street Attack) w/ Επιθανάτιος Ρόγχος (Salonica)
26/04/09 - Larisa (Stage Club) w/ Panikos (Salonica) + Censored Sounds (Athens)

Check out some Tragedy songs here.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Γενιά Του Χάους / Genia Tou Chaous


No shit. If you know anything about Greek punk, you know this band. They released two records in the 1980s, wrote some awesome songs, had the balls to experiment with their sound and fuck with the punks. They broke up in 1989. Now, twenty years later, they are playing again. If I were in Athens, I would be there. This show will pressumably be streamed on the 'net and made available for downloading. Awesomeness to the maxx.

Check them out at myspace and read an interview (in Greek)

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

RZL DZL // CRUCIAL VIEWING

The two video-clips that will make video-clips redundant:

Ignorance Is Bliss:


Strictly Saucers:


Here is a live Razzle Dazzle set from CBGB's.




Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Thank you, Djole...

Predrag Djordjevic: 12 Championships and 5 Cups in 13 years.



Friday, March 20, 2009

It had to be done.

Yeah yeah, MC Lars is in fact the sort of crap that scene kids all pretend they like because he's one of theirs bla bla bla bla, but here is the only good song he could ever write:


Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Pimp your clothes!

So yeah, these are finally in. The company that made them lost my art for two weeks, claim to have sent me messages about it in my spam box, cocked up the blue ones and forgot to print any white ones. In any case, your leather jacket / hat / ruck-sack / hoodie / guitar strap / other item of clothing will now officially be CRUCIAL. You can get one for free when you mailorder a 'zine from us or ask us nicely at a show or whatever.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

So?

True or false?

Thursday, March 5, 2009

SHOWS

Yo! SHOWS:



This Sunday come down the Portland Arms. Not sure what the support bands are, they've changed a load of times, but it should be Off With Their Heads headlining and Cop-Out, plus two or three of the following: Attack Vipers! The Frontline, We Happen Next and Hammers (info is a bit sketchy). It starts at 5pm, so make sure you show up early.

Other cool shit that's coming up includes Billynomates on the 4th April and Raff is putting on a ton of awesome bands on the 5th of July. Fuck yeah? Totally.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Yo!

Thanks for picking up the 'zine at the Restarts/ICH/Dead Batteries show on Saturday! We're sorting out some distros, so you pick it up outside of gigs in Cambridge. In the meantime, if you're around in Cambridge, you can pop into Billy's to pick up a copy. Here are also the answers to the cross-word and word search. They are upside down, so obviously if you live in the southern hemisphere it should read properly. That is all.




Tuesday, February 24, 2009

200

Yo, the printed copies are finally here. There are 200 hand-numbered copies and the 'zine is still free. You can get your copy by contacting us via myspace, or you can come down the Man On The Moon on Saturday and pick one up from us. After that we should be getting some other cool people, bands and distros to help spread the love. You can always download the pdfs or have a look at the issuu editions if you like to spazz out in front of your computer screen.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Any moment now...

Right, it's been a bit shitty lately and we've had problems sorting the printing out for issue two. I'm hoping it gets printed tomorrow afternoon, so we should have copies to mail and distribute from Monday, after we've rolled around in them butt-naked, to give them that 'blood, sweat and tears' edge.

In the meantime you can have a look at both issues on virtual paper on issuu.com (thanks Tet), right here and here, saving you the drama of downloading and ink stains. By the way, the answers to the crossword and word-search (has anynone actually tried to complete them?) will be posted as soon as we those printed copies of issue #2.

Oh yeah, on a final note, have a look at this set of Tragedy from 2006 because they fucking rule. They are touring Europe soon!










Saturday, February 14, 2009

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Ceremony covers and the Art of being CRUCIAL

For this digital installment of CRUCIAL 'ZINE, I would first of all like to direct you to the following video of Ceremony performing 'Kersed', arguably one of the awesomest pissed-off hardcore singalongs since the days of DYS and Negative Approach. Here is the original:



As you may notice, everyone at the show seems to be pretty fucking stoked and pumped about this song. Everybody is throwing shapes, the band rocks hard and dudes are trying to mount each other. Pretty darn CRUCIAL eh?

Now have a look at the following two videos, of people covering said song:



and...



Who do you think was more CRUCIAL? C'mon, think damn-it!

...

..

..

..

..

..


..

.


...

No? OK, the correct answer is the second dude, but let's talk about why the first acoustic cover is totally shit. There is nothing wrong with the performance of the song per se, after all the girl admits in her comments that she doesn't do it justice, but rather the two dudes pretending that they can bring the mosh to it. I mean, really? It's fair enough that everyone is taking the piss about it, but if you were REALLY crucial, you would be doing the two-step mosh dance things for real. It would make more sense for them to jokingly 'mosh it the fuck up' if the girl was playing an Avril Lavigne or Dolly Parton cover.

The other dude in the Taco Bell though manages to perfectly capture the spirit of the song is his 18-second rendition; everyone else might be pissing themselves, but homeboy is actually keeping it very fucking real, not entirely oblivious to the fact that everyone is pissing themselves, but CRUCIAL enough to fucking go on with it because the song FUCKING RULES.

And there you go.

BOBATRON 5K / TEAM CRUCIAL

Monday, February 9, 2009

Come throw shapes...

Printed copies?

Yo, the printed copies of CRUCIAL 'ZINE #2 should be dropping this week for sure. Basically what had happened was that I got transported in my computer one night when I wasy grinding away on Call Of Duty: United Offensive, totally owning some fucking noobs with my mad tank skills and I was dropped in the middle of the Battle of the Bulge. I had to fight off wave after wave of Krauts and I tell you what, without energy packs and auto-save, it was a bitch of a campaign to negotiate. I recon the stand-off at Foy was harder than that month I got sucked into my computer and had to fight the Clone Wars. At least then I had my Force and Lightsaber skills to fall back onto, instead of a Colt .45 and the butt of a M1 Garand.

Anyway, printed REAL copies, where you might actually attempt to solve the cross-word and word-search, THE TIME IS THIS WEEK. Don't be shy, it's FREE. If any person or distro wants in, buzz us on myspace. We will be taking it to shows in and around Cambridge, however if you can't find it, you can always send us a self-addressed stamped envelope and we'll mail you a copy back.

I might set-up some sort of paypal shop or whatever for anyone outside of the UK who might be after a copy and can't send us their funny money stamps, if I don't get sucked into my computer and have to fight off Predators and Aliens.

Anyway, you should resume listening to the new Final Fight record again. Oh yeah, we've also begun work on the THIRD issue of the 'zine, so contact us about sending in your stuff for us to review.

- BOBATRON 5K/TEAM CRUCIAL

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Sunday, February 1, 2009

A 'fuck yeah' and a 'sorry'

Everyone who came down the Man On The Moon last night probably had a good time. Ed Ache was awesome, the Tagnuts were awesome and Citizen Fish were awesome. The crowd was a bit cosmopolitan with lots of people from out of town (a good thing). I haven't seen the Moon that packed with people and excitement for ages. Fuck yeah.

To my surprise, quite a few a) identified us as the idiots behind CRUCIAL 'ZINE and b) were pretty stoked about us bringing copies down... Unfortunately we didn't manage to get printed copies in time, so we totally fucked up. We will get it right this week. Sorry.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Issue 2 download is HERE!

Yo, we have finally completed issue 2! You can download it at http://www.mediafire.com/?mgv5yzt22gj (or from the link next door) and we you can get printed copies of it from us, as soon as we get them ourselves. Hopefully we'll be bringing some down at the last Tagnuts show this Saturday at the Man On The Moon with Citizen Fish. Anyway this issue has interviews, guides, ranting, pictures and reviews and it's free. Awesome deal, right? Right.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Issue #2 dropping very soon!

Yo, the second issue of CRUCIAL 'ZINE will be going to print very soon... Fingers crossed, it will be ready for the final Tagnuts show this Saturday at the Man On The Moon with Citizen Fish and Ed Ache. As with the last one, it will be free, both in print and digital formats, because we're like on top of this while technology bullshit.

Regretably we had to cut the Sam Russo interview from the final piece because we couldn't get it ready on time. We will have it ready for the third issue though, so there's something to look forward to for that one.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

MOSH.

Friday, January 16, 2009

ROCK TOGETHER

The radio is on. This one rules.

Monday, January 12, 2009

What you SHOULD be listening to this month:

Deal With It - End Time Prophecies.
Internal Affairs - Dalek.
Youth Of Togay - Tossed Salad Days.
Dirty Money & Trapped Under Ice - Split.
Gronibard - We Are French Fukk You.
Sam Russo - Demo.
Organized Crime/Lifeline Records 2008 Sampler.
Rearranged - Demo 2008.
Vitamin X - Full Scale Assault.
Magrudergrind - Sixty-Two Trax Of Thrash.