Hardcore.

* Summer 2008. Im sat in the merch tent at Ieperfest waiting for the slew of bands that I wanted to see start, wishing that I had had a couple of extra hours sleep and laughing at some kids in animal costumes.

I turn and look to my right and spot Aram Champion setting up Betrayed merch a couple of tables down.
"Charlotte. Am I imagining things? Is that Aram and Betrayed merch??!"
Charlotte turned and nodded, looking equally confused.
I walk up to the table grinning, ask if they are playing. He grins back, "Yeah we only found out ourselves a couple of days ago!"
Betrayed had not been announced before we left London for the fest, so it came as a huge, and very much welcomed shock, possibly one of my highlights of that summer.

From my brief interactions with Aram, he has been nothing but polite and courteous and comes across as extremely intelligent.

I came across this interview today and it is one of the best interviews I have read in a long time, so I thought I would forward it onto you.. Pay particular attention to the Tony Victory section.

http://stuckinthecity.wordpress.com/2008/09/09/aram-speaks/

** It takes a lot for me to get excited about bands nowadays. Maybe because I am getting old, possibly because I feel I have heard it all before. But then I come across bands like The Mongoloids, and they give me hope and faith. With vocals that have been compared to Paul Bearers, they have an awesome raw edge to them that had me hooked the first time I heard them last year. They toured Europe last Summer with Trash Talk and there is word that they will be back this summer, hopefully not missing out London as they did before.

To tide you over till then, they have just put out a new song on their myspace above so check it out.

*** Deathcycle, one of the few bands that I wanted to see live, are splitting up.
We get every band and their son coming through town on the back of a shitty, badly recorded 7" and the good bands never make it over? FUCK YOU.






and finally.

An open letter to the pressurefest organisers.

Dear Men.

Sick Of It All are playing in Gothenburg the same weekend that Pressurefest is probably going to be announced. Please put them on so that I do not have to choose between fests.

Thanks

M xxxxx