PETE BENTHAM & THE DINNER LADIES (UK)
Kitchen Core from Liverpool
Pete Bentham & The Dinner Ladies are a four piece from Liverpool. Pete on Guitar, Paella Fitzgerald on Bass, Sonny Rollingpin on Saxophone and Tony Calzone on Drums. Plus The Dinnerettes. They are at the vanguard of current Liverpool music scene
The band was formed in 2006. Pete wanted to form a band that was a pure rock & roll band with modern lyrics about real life. They have clever, witty songs about working class life that feature Night Club Bouncers, Lorry Drivers, Cats & Dogs, always telling the truth and they speak out against things they oppose like consumerism and racism.
The music is raw punk rock and roll reminiscent of the The Cramps, The Fall and the Velvet Underground.
They have so far released three albums, toured the UK and Europe and have played many festivals including Rebellion Festival, the largest punk festival in the world alongside bands such as The Damned, The Beat and the New York Dolls.
A band who actually sing about things they know and believe in and always with sense of humour. This is Kitchencore!
Reviews
"It’s an utterly joyous spectacle. The songs are defiant yet fun odes to rebellion, with the likes of ‘Do the Don’t providing a suitably fun two-fingered salute to conformity. There’s a tune about being a ‘Hip Potater’ and a blistering, Billy Childish-esque tribute to their hero ‘Marcel Duchamp’. The set ends with the two dinner ladies having a mock fight on the floor and in the middle of the audience. If we weren’t already standing I’m pretty sure the band would have got a standing ovation."
- Soundblab magazine
"Check it out. Its easy to see why they are a great band to have at any festival, as they bring with them energy, up beat rock songs to have any crowd dancing about."
- little indie night
"Classic Liverpool Rock & Roll. Songs about things you've observed and experienced. Fun and upbeat."
- Sound City
"Third album from Pete & The Dinner Ladies, the Liverpool based ‘kitchencore’ outfit who with this offering have produced their most accomplished release to date... somehow The Dinner Ladies have not just pulled this off, this is a triumph – played with due respect but also with that ‘fuck you’ punk attitude that certainly Syd Barrett expressed; I get the feeling Barrett would chuckle if he had heard The Dinner Ladies, instantly responding to their free-spirit DIY take on rock ‘n’ roll."
- Louder Than War Magazine
"It’s a shame John Peel is not with us any more as Pete & The Dinner Ladies would certainly have been taken to the great mans heart and been regular favourites of the twilight airwaves. This album has pretty much been on constant repeat for the last month and protest has never sounded so great. This should feature highly in the end of year best of albums that we so love to compile and read about."
- Never Loved The Shovel Blog
"Best performance of the year thus far due to nothing more than the aforementioned points and the downright commitment to the cause. A fitting exclamation mark to a fine day that provoked much thought and much pleasure."
- Fungalpunk fanzine
"We were starting to flag at this stage but Pete Bentham and the Dinner Ladies rev it up with an entertaining set back at the Art Academy and prove punks not dead, it just wears a shiny 80's suit and is surrounded by Dinner ladies, it also proves that you can write a decent protest song without being a po-faced navel gazer, or tortured poet with a shit beard. “Do The Don’t” “Part Time Punk” and ” Hip Potater” are all crowd pleasers, but if you listen and pay attention you’ll find that behind the “fun” façade Mr Bentham’s got plenty to say and raises some very salient points."
- The VPME, Live Review
"To have spent many a gig in the company of Pete Bentham and the Dinner Ladies is not going to prepare you for just how good they sound, just how wickedly delicious and note-worthy they are tasty a band when allowed the freedom to wax lyrically in an anarchistic scrumptious style... The idea of David Bowie performing it with David Gilmour is one to feel goose bumps appear, to hear Pete Bentham and The Dinner Ladies play it is to almost understand the gender blurring of fun, slight majestic sleaze and sex appeal that runs through each line. You can only imagine the curly haired music genius who shone too brightly would have raised a smile towards the band, for it is a piece of art."
- Liverpool Sound and Vision
"Their infectious fusion of ska, folk and, er, circus music (that’s the only way to describe it, honest) seems a good enough reason to work off Pete’s (legendary) free Veggie Scouse via the medium of boogie... Pete begins by inviting everyone to pray for more good weather 'so we can riot in shorts and t-shirts'. Comedy is as much a part of Pete's act as the music; he enthusiastically explains the meaning behind songs, such as 'Nature', which was inspired by a conversation with a self-righteous hippy...
By the second encore, it's turned into a right old organic cider-fuelled knees-up; everyone obeys Pete's command to kneel on the floor before leaping back up for one chorus. Despite a lone stage invader almost spoiling proceedings, the show is a triumph."
- Purple Revolver, Live Review
"When all of the band kick in, the sound is tremendous; Pete thrashing away on his guitar trying to wear out the scratch plate (and his elbow); Gabrielle bashing the hell out of the drums. Marigoldy thunderously playing the bassiest bass possible and John 'The Caretaker' Lewis going cross-eyed trying to inflate either the sax or clarinet. The crowd loved them... Those diehards resisting the kitchen assault were all to be reigned in with the totally interactive 'Hip Potater'. Here, Pete had the crowd in the palm of his hand, ordering them to shout back the words 'Hip Potater, Hip Potater' at his command. A truly marvellous spectacle… You must give this band a listen, preferably live."
- Roomthirteen, Live review
"Wow, ich bin echt begeistert und habe mir das Album zum Besprechen sicher 10x angehört."
- Kink Records
"Bentham und Co. schaffen es, sich von allen Genrekonventionen zu lösen und Pubrock mit der Tanzmusik von Holly Golightly zu verbinden, Chuck Berry und Punkrock zu kombinieren, Saxophon und Klarinette einzubinden, eine entschärfte Version von THE FALL in Richtung KINGS OF NUTHIN’ zu lenken, mit einem kleinen Schlenker Richtung TOY DOLLS, und dabei dann doch nie wie eine der hier erwähnten Bands/Musiker zu klingen..."
- Ox fanzine
"Ihre Scheibe 'Hip Potater' läuft bei mir schon den ganzen Sommer lang... Trotz der frühen Uhrzeit ist sehr viel Publikum anwesend. Live sind sie eine Spur härter und schneller. Ein richtig guter Auftritt."
- Useless fanzine, Live Review
Pete Bentham and The Dinner Ladies – Marcel Duchamp
Upcoming shows
| Date | City | Venue | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov/11/23 | Liverpool | The Florrie (Liquidation 30th Birthday Party) | UK |
| Nov/18/23 | Leicester | Duffy’s Bar | UK |
| Nov/23/23 | Bonn | Kult 41 | DE |
| Nov/24/23 | Bielefeld | Forum | DE |
| Nov/25/23 | Köln | Sonic Ballroom | DE |
Band
- Pete Bentham: Guitar & Vocals
- Paella Fitzgerald: Bass & Vocals
- Sonny Rolling Pin: Saxophone, Cat Flaps
- Tony Calzone – Drums
Discography
- 2017 – Psychedelic Village EP, Antipop Records
- 2014 – I Heart Here, CD, Antipop Records
- 2012 – Spacepunx EP, track 7″ vinyl, Free Rock & Roll
- 2010 – Hip Potater, CD, Free Rock & Roll
- 2009 – The New Underground, CD, Free Rock & Roll
Also check out:
THE DIZZY BRAINS (MG)
Garage / Punk Rock
The Dizzy Brains are a garage rock band, inspired by The Sonics, as there are many around the world, except for Madagascar, one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in the world and the birthplace of the quartet. Founded by two brothers, Eddy on vocals and Mahefa on bass, the group fights injustice, lack of possibilities and freedom restriction in the everyday life of the islanders.
Their influences come from bands from their fathers’ generation (The Kings, The Stooges, The Vines etc.). That’s where they found their love for unbridled rock’n’roll (choosing Little Richard over Presley), garage style and psyched atmosphere. They even covered Jacques Dutronc’s "Les Cactus" in a version full of thorns. And it’s more than music. They are sharing a piece of themselves including their bravery and vulnerability.
They are the face of the opposition in their country, Madagascar’s youth trying to survive while going against the political system. This is their passion for life that shines off during their concerts.
The Dizzy Brains are regular guests in French TV and have toured in Germany, the Netherlands, France, the UK, South Korea etc. In 2019, they will bring their brand new second album "Tany Razana" to Europe, like the first one published by the French label X-Ray Production.
Reviews
"Garage rock by its nature is simple to play – its the entry point for nearly every guitar mangler on the planet and consequently can be a hit or miss afafair but when it is played with this much fire, intensity and imagination it can sound like one of the most thrilling types of music on the planet. Try and magazine watching the Stooges at their feral pre fame best complete witha skinny Madagascan hanging from the mic with his shirt stripped off like a youthful Iggy, or try to imagine the garage end of the Dead Kennedys cranked through the superfuzz of Mudhoney and that thrilling rush of early Nirvana and you are in the ballpark witha band who pique your curiosity with their home country but transcend it with their unrelenting power and twitching energy. With each song being a lesson in tension and dynamics The Dizzy Brains could actually be the best garage rock band in the world, they are that good…"
- Louder Than War, May 2017, Live Review
"Check it out. Its easy to see why they are a great band to have at any festival, as they bring with them energy, up beat rock songs to have any crowd dancing about. A young rock group from Madagascar The Dizzy Brains is capturing the imagination and attention of the music scene in Europe. The band’s unique style is a blend of punk and garage rock and their provocative lyrics tell stories about politics, power and protest in Madagascar. Since their songs challenge authority, the band was shunned from most concert venues and radio stations in Madagascar, but the band developed quite a following underground on social media and outside the country... The Dizzy Brains grabbed audiences in France after their appearance on the popular French television show 'Le Petit Journal' on April 14, 2016. During the show, one member of the band sparked a buzz on Malagasy social networks and blogs because he openly challenged Madagascar’s new prime minister, urging him on to do more for the country: 'just do your job, man!' This bold and spontaneous plea was the talk of the town in Madagascar for a while and fitted quite well with the group’s musical identity based on protest and civic engagement... The group continues to tour Europe and the young musicians continue to educate the world on their home country of Madagascar."
- 5shouts.com
"These kids absolutely rock. They are going to make the fire, I’m sure of it. Because rock, in the end, is the vehicle of rebellion, and that’s without a doubt a little lost in the West. While in Madagascar, what they’re singing has meaning. This is coming from the streets."
- Jean-Louis Brossard, director of the Trans-Musicales festival in Rennes
DEAD RAZE (UK)
Blues / Punk Rock
“A mixture of MC5 and Leadbelly, the Stooges meet T-Bone Walker. It’s primal, it’s fast, it’s vicious. A must see” – The Last Stop Sounds
Dead Raze is a new two-piece punk/blues outfit based in Liverpool. Fronted by Irish rambler Matthew Cawe and features Ollie Fontaine on drums. The band takes influence from swamp blues and old school punk rock, playing slide guitar through a mudslide of distortion.
Dead Raze have already recorded an album in Iceland, gigged in the UK, Czech Republic and Germany. Expect foot stomping, pulse raising, high energy rock'n'roll.
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Reviews
“Villy Raze is a must see and especially as he’s unveiling his newest project the aptly named Dead Raze. Its still embryonic but the songs and the style are there and Villy feels confident enough to take them to the stage at the Black Cat Bar and Bottle Shop. What we get is an amped and psyched up garage blues. A mixture of MC5 and Leadbelly, the Stooges meets T-Bone Walker. Its primal, it’s fast, it’s vicious and the duo make short shrift of their set and keep the attention of the audience throughout.”
- Last Stop Sounds
AGROTÓXICO (BR)
Hardcore / Punk / Punk Rock
Agrotóxico ist eine brasilianische Hardcore-Punk-Band, gegründet 1993 in den Außenbezirken von São Paulo. Seitdem sind sie in unzähligen Orten in Brasilien und Europa aufgetreten, sowohl in kleinen Clubs als auch auf großen Festivals wie dem Rebellion (UK)), Obscene Extreme (CZ), Force Attack (DE), Vive Le Punk (FR) und Ieper Fest (BE), um nur einige zu nennen..
Dadurch wurden sie zu einer der bekanntesten brasilianischen Bands der Welt, insbesondere in Europa, wo alle ihre Alben in Ländern wie Deutschland, England und Frankreich veröffentlicht wurden.
Ihre Texte behandeln verschiedene soziale Themen wie Gewalt in Großstädten, Krieg, Ökologie, Politik und mehr, immer aus einer libertären und antifaschistischen linken Perspektive.
Agrotóxico veröffentlichten bereits 7 Alben, eine Dokumentar-DVD und sind weltweit auf vielen Samplern zu finden. 2023 nehmen sie ihr erstes Album mit dem Titel "Caos 1998" neu auf schreiben neue Songs, die später in diesem Jahr von europäischen Labels veröffentlicht werden. Außerdem bereitet die Band die Veröffentlichung ihres ersten Best-of-Albums vor, das ebenfalls in Europa erscheinen wird, wo sie im Oktober/November touren werden.
Reviews
"Heilige Mutter Gottes! So muss Hardcore-Punk klingen. Zwanzig Jahre gibt es die Band aus São Paulo/Brasilien jetzt schon und wenn sie irgendetwas nicht machen, dann ist es vom eingeschlagenen Weg abzuweichen. Stark UK-beeinflusster Hardcore-Punk, mit leichten Metal-Anleihen à la BROKEN BONES, nur ohne nervende Hardrock-Gitarrensoli. Ich weiß gar nicht genau, wann ich das letzte Mal so straight und energiereichen Punk schon beim ersten Hören so abgefeiert habe."
- Ox fanzine
"Auch nach 20 Jahren sind AGROTOXICO aus Brasilien das Nonplusultra in Sachen Power-Hardcore. Gestern erst hab ich mich auf ihrem Konzert in Bochum zum wiederholten Mal von ihnen an die Wand nageln lassen... Die Texte sind politisch wie immer und in portugisischer Sprache. Vieles in der Welt befindet sich im Wandel. Aber manche Dinge werden sich nie ändern. Zumindest kann ich mir nicht vorstellen, dass AGROTOXICO auf Platte jemals enttäuschen und auf Konzerten nicht 100% Vollgas geben werden."
- Plastic Bomb fanzine
"Agrotoxico dürften vielen von ihren genialen Slime- und Canalterror-Covern bekannt sein. Aggressiv scheppernder HC/Punk aus Sao Paulo, der den täglichen Wahnsinn der Mega City und die sozialen Missstände dieser Welt thematisiert. Erinnert etwas an die legendären Olho Seco, bei denen mittlerweile ja auch Leute von Agrotoxico mitmischen. Die Kerls bringen vor allem live die geballte Ladung Energie und Wut auf die Bühne, auf der sie alles geben. Wenn dieses Heft rauskommt, sind sie grad auf ihrer dritten Europa-Tour gewesen. Ihr solltet unbedingt hingegangen sein. Ansonsten halt das nächste Mal. "
- Pogoradio.de
"Etwas über 100 Leute fanden sich an diesem Donnerstagabend in der Meierei ein, was doch gar nicht schlecht ist. Die "Hauptbühne" im Saal wollte man heute ungenutzt lassen, nicht zuletzt wegen der doch sehr kurzfristigen Anbahnung dieses Konzis... Von Song zu Song merkte ich, wie ich zunehmend unwillkürlich zu zucken begann und das DISCHARGE-Cover „Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing“ riss mich endgültig vor die Bühne. Den CHAOS CONTROL-Jungs neben mir ging es ebenso, hatten sie den Song doch auch kürzlich an selber Stelle (na gut, ein paar Meter weiter...) zum besten gegeben."
- Dremufuestias.de