The Stabilisers released their second album, ‘Wanna do the
Wild Plastic Brane Love Thing?’ on Acid Jazz in September
’06. Now, after choosing the opening cut ‘Wanna’
as his ‘Coolest Song in the World This Week’ on his
successful ‘Underground Garage’ radio show, Little
Steven (Van Zandt, Sopranos star, self-appointed guru of garage,
human rights campaigner, and long time member of the E Street
band) is going to give the album a full USA and worldwide release
early in 2007 on his own Wicked Cool label. Have a look at the
video to ‘Wanna’ in the Underground Garage section
of the ATT
Blue Room
The Stabilisers’ music is a 21st century update on the two
classic punk rock eras. They take the fuzzy clatter and harmony
of the original garage bands of 64-67 and fuse it unceremoniously
with the insolence and energy of the 76-78 vintage. They have
managed a rare feat of musical alchemy in cracking the molecular
code of the infectious punk-pop classic. Their songs are crammed
full of instantly memorable hooks delivered with remorseless nervous
energy and a commendable lack of seriousness.
The current line-up gelled when Allan Crockford watched the original
trio of Jon Bott, Simon Corbey and Francis Braithwaite reluctantly
providing the soundtrack to a tasty brawl in a seedy south-east
London pub. As bassist with The Prisoners, The Solarflares, JTQ
and Billy Childish's Headcoats (amongst others), he had himself
played in front of some mixed audiences over the years. The ability
of this early line- up of the Stabilisers to hold their nerve
and tuning while the audience destruction-tested pool cues on
each others' heads was impressive, but it was the catchy, powerful
and often funny set of punk pop that convinced him to risk a beating
by staying in the venue…
As the band took cover after the gig, Allan offered his services
as an extra guitarist. They decided to take him up on his offer.
With more than 30 albums to his name, he could bring to the band
a wealth of musical experience - and some working amplifiers they
could borrow. In turn, they offered him the opportunity to fill
a glaring gap in his musical portfolio - a chance to play very
loud 6 string guitar in a band that sounded like an unholy crossbreed
of early Clash, XTC, Buzzcocks and The Undertones, with the added
genetic fingerprints of some of the more angular garage bands
of the late 60's.
The new four piece Stabilisers immediately recorded their first
album and EP and released them on wilfully obscure Italian labels
in 2004. Both ‘Last Chance Saloon’ (Skipping Musez)
and ‘Evil Picnic’ (Nicotine) received rave reviews
but very little distribution, and deserved a far wider audience.
Look out for the now inevitable re-issues on Wicked Cool some
day soon…
|
|
