Six Of The Best: Feral North

Newcastle-based punk band Feral North recently dropped their latest single, Good Life. The song comes at you with its pounding beats, gritty guitar chugs and gravelly vocals and hooks you in with its energy and anthemic chorus. 

Here, the band tells us about their inspirations with a six of the best…

Book: Too Much Too Young: The 2 Tone Records Story: Rude Boys, Racism and the Soundtrack of a Generation
 I’ve always loved Two-tone but wasn’t born back in 79 when it all kicked off. This book tells the full story of the specials and all the other Two-tone bands. It’s a real inspiration to hear the story of one The most iconic independent labels who embodied the whole DIY ethos which I think is crucial these days when creating original music.

Two tone also has the strong ethics of anti-racism and equality which is as relevant today as it was back in 79. 

This book is packed with rock and roll stories and the tales behind the songs which I loved reading about. Two-tone is a big influence in my playing and writing so I loved finding out more about it.

Band: Grade 2
Grade 2 are awesome, one of the best bands from the uk right now. They’re a punk band from the isle of white, and definitely deserve to be higher profile than they are. They play fast energetic catchy punk rock. With killer guitar riffs and bass lines. Bassist Sid and guitarist Jack trade vocals throughout most of their songs. They formed at school and have been touring since, for young guys they have years of touring experience across the uk, Europe and the US. It shows in their live performance which is one of the best I’ve seen in years. Last time I saw them was a poorly attended show at the grove on a cold and wet Sunday night in November and they still gave it 110% and blew the roof off. If you get a chance to see these guys do it. You won’t be disappointed.  They’re up to their fourth album but their latest self titled album really shows what they can do. Their song, Only Ones I Trust is an absolute banger, a proper sing-along tune which I’m often found screaming along to in my car.

Album: Energy by Operation Ivy
Released in 1989 where it arguably kicked off the whole US ska punk scene, before it all descended into Hawaiian shirts and wearing your dads suit, and put Gilman Street on the map which was where bands like Green Day cut their teeth. The band was short-lived and only released this one album but it is all you need. Founding members Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman have gone on to become punk rock legends still playing together in rancid and starting various side projects. This album is high energy and chaotic, almost like it’s about to fall at any moment but it never does. The lyrics are insightful and thought-provoking speaking out against corruption and promoting unity. A lot more intelligent than you would expect from some teenage punks in the late 80s and  Matt’s bass lines are next level. All the band love this album and we have been known to cover some of these songs with unity and knowledge often getting played at our gig.

Album: Bad Religion, Suffer, Epitaph Records, 1988
For my money, the third full length record by SoCal punk legends Bad Religion is easily in the top 10 greatest punk albums ever released. It also cannot be overstated how important and influential it was. In the late 80s, American punk rock was on life support, burnt out by the violence of a hardcore scene that had attracted the very worst of jocks and Nazi skins. Many bands were either moving into post-hardcore, speed metal, or had peaced out entirely. After a few years on hiatus, Bad Religion came back with a blistering 15 song set that married hardcore’s trademark ferocity with lush harmonies  and a lyrical intelligence that sees you grabbing for your nearest thesaurus. In its (not immediate) wake came the mid 90s pop punk and skate punk boom that saw the rise of bands like Green Day, the Offspring, NOFX and countless others. Its influence, both directly and indirectly, can still be heard in most modern punk bands, including our own.

Film: The Warriors
This one is a band favourite! a proper cult classic released in 1979. It tells the story of a New York gang, The Warriors, trying to make it back home through the streets of New York whilst every other gang in the city is trying to hunt them down. Set in the gritty back drop off late 70s New York, graffiti-filled subway trains and dark alley ways. There are some iconic gangs with a great array of different costumes. We think the imagery is great and have taken inspiration from this film for promo materials. Sounds track is also class. Who doesn’t want to see a montage of all the New York gangs looking for the warriors set to Nowhere to Run by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas.

Live Performance: At The Drive-In, One Armed Scissor, Live on Later With Jools Holland, 2000
When the uninitiated watch At The Drive-In’s live performance of One Armed Scissor on Jools Holland, they probably see it as a shambles- out of tune guitars, squealing feedback, and two members more interested in leaping about than playing the song, while the rhythm section desperately tries to hold it all together. When I watch it, I see something else entirely- the single most inspiring musical performance I have ever seen. I really can’t think of anything else that made me want to be in a band more. It was one of those punk awakenings that makes you think, “I can do that too”. It also taught me my number one rule when playing a gig to this day- leave every part of your heart and soul on stage. It’s a lesson I hope I never forget.