It’s time to unveil the Friends First Fest plans we’ve been hinting at! Are you ready?!
We’re very excited that we can do FFF with the current Covid measures in our favorite venue: De Onderbroek! Happening on Wednesday December 29, check the FB event to RSVP. The setlist will consist of our 11 old: START FROM SCRATCH! We’ll play it from left to right, from front to back. Tom Nieuwenhuis will join us on bass for this one, he recorded the album with us, and rehearsing the songs has been amazing!
Unfortunately, we still have to take into account that future anti-Covid measures might make FFF 2021 impossible. That’s why we will wait with ticket sales and line-up announcements. To be continued!
So, fingers crossed for now, and either way we will do our best to throw the best FRIENDS FIRST FEST ever in 2021!
(Painting by Willem’s mom!)
Today, November 1st, 2020, marks the 10th birthday of our 3rd full length album “Start from Scratch!”. It (still) is an important album for us and a favorite of a many. SFS seems to have been the first album that got us worldwide attention. In celebration of the album’s anniversary we had all sorts of wild plans, involving Friends First Fest and other activities, none of which will happen this year. Maybe we can make up for it next year?
If you read the title, track list and liner notes it seems that a lot of themes are relevant still, or again. We could have written songs like “Every Crisis Is a Moral Crisis” (how to deal with a heavy impact, worldwide calamity), “America’s Worst Role Model” (a horrifying American President), “Chinese Takeover” (growing influence and power of China) to describe the situation we’re in right now. Classic themes never get old!
When we released the album in 2010 we did a song-by-song introduction to the album, including guest contributions by people that did guest vocals, recorded it, released it, and other friends! Fun reads about your favorite song or the album as a whole when killing time these days:
Shit is hitting the fan. After a period of single shows, festivals and writing music, we’re back out there with our new “Future History” EP and a tour through North and South America.
Future History EP
We will record a new full length album this winter and release it spring 2013. In preparation we have been writing, rehearsing and recording new music over the last months. In anticipation of the new album we are releasing an EP with 2 new songs and 2 bonus tracks on September 28th. “Future History” will be released in cooperation with Shield Recordings, Destiny Records, No Reason Records, Lockjaw Records and Angry Chuck Records throughout Europe and Russia. Here’s a little preview of what to expect:
With a release of “Start from Scratch!” in both the USA and Brazil it is about time to go there. What better occasion than The Fest XI to do so? Before we play Fest we will be touring from Canadato Florida with After the Fall, Anchors and The Stereo State. After Fest we will fly out to Brazil for another leg of dates.
Oct 16 CAN Montreal, QC; Lesco w/ Prevenge, After the Fall, Anchors
Oct 17 USA Albany, NY; Fuze box w/ Cancer, Bad Friends, After the Fall, Anchors
Oct 18 USA Rochester, NY; Elixer w/ Weight we Carry, After the Fall, Anchors
Oct 19 USA Worcester, MA; Ralphs w/ Smartbomb, After the Fall, Anchors, the Stereo State, headliner TBA
Oct 20 USA Manhattan, NY; ABC No Rio, Saturday Punk Hardcore Matinee. w/ After the Fall, Anchors, the Stereo State
Oct 21 USA Brooklyn, NY; The Place w/ The Marine Electric, After the Fall, Anchors, the Stereo State
Oct 22 USA Philadelphia, PA; Mother’s. w/ After the Fall, Anchors, the Stereo State
Oct 23 USA Washington, DC; Rass Hall w/ After the Fall, Anchors, the Stereo State
Oct 24 USA Richmond, VA; Empire w/ Worn in Red, After the Fall, Anchors, the Stereo State, headliner TBA
Oct 25 USA Wilmington, NC; Soapbox, Southbound and Down Fest. w/ None More Black, The Snips, Banquets, Dirty Tactics, After the Fall, Anchors, the Stereo State, more
Oct 26 USA Gainesville, FL; Fest XI w/ Propagandhi, Lagwagon, Good Riddance + 250
Oct 27 USA Gainesville, FL; Fest XI w/ A Wilhelm Scream, Polar Bear Club, Latterman + 250
Oct 28 USA Gainesville, FL; Fest XI w/ Astpai, Despite Everything, Leagues Apart + 250
Nov 01 BRA Porto Alegre, RS
Nov 02 BRA Urussanga, SC; Ventuno Pub
Nov 04 BRA Novo Hamburgo, RS; Abbey Road bar
Nov 06 BRA Florianópolis, SC; Mustafa Bar
Nov 07 BRA São Carlos, SP; Palquinho da Ufscar
Nov 08 BRA Guarulhos, SP; Musical Bar
Nov 09 BRA Santos, SP; Tribal Club. w/ End of Pipe
Nov 10 BRA São Paulo, SP; Hangar 110. w/ End of Pipe
Nov 10 BRA São José dos Campos, SP; Hocus Pocus. w/ End of Pipe
Nov 11 BRA Vitória, ES; Bar Pós Graduação. w/ Bullet Bane, Blackjaw, Surra, Auria, Inerte, Trace
Whipping Post Music
From September on we will be cooperating with Whipping Post Music for our BeNeLux bookings. Get in touch with our friend Frank to help us out “live”. Around the release of our new album next spring we plan to hit the BeNeLux soil hard.
More shows
Sep 1, Bunkfest, Willemstad
Sep 22, Breakfest (Megaland), Landgraaf. w/ Destine, Kraantje Pappie, Dope DOD, Midnight Souls, As Enemies Arise, Hofbuskers, Two Days Left, Major Tom, Fallen One, I’ll Pick You Up, As Heavens Collide, more
Nov 28 – Dec 2 Italy Tour w/ Bedtime for Charlie
Feb 1, Juz Dampfmühle, Verden. w/ No Good Intentions, Substanz P
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This is the last episode of our stream. And what would make more sense than to stream the last song of the album? Stream ALL the songs of our new album! Next to streaming the album, you can of course order the CD or LP from us. If you want a digital version of the album you can get one, for FREE or for a donation, at music.antillectual.com. All our music is up for download over there, for FREE or for a donation. You know how it works.
But, this is also the revealing of our last song of the album, “So Much More”. It’s a song about being in a band in general and about being in this band in particular. The song is a little different from the other ones on the album, check for yourself. Heleen from Midnight Menace did guest vocals on this song, like she did on “Buyer’s Remorse”. She wrote about our cooperation below.
In the last 11 weeks our songs have been played over 12.000 times, and still counting. So please read on, enjoy our album and feel free to share it with your friends.
The boys of Antillectual asked me to come over and sing some guest vocals for their new album ‘Start from Scratch’. At first they sent me some pre-recordings of the track. I loved it from the first tune! The song felt good! It’s a nice, sweet and catchy sort of punkrock ballad. A song that got stuck in my head for hours. The lyrics describe exactly how I feel about making music and about the people I’ve met in the past few years.
I got really excited to come over to the studio in Panningen. I made up some extra vocal lines, hoping they would like it (cause I was a little bit nervous about it). Once I stood behind the mic, everything went smoothly! It felt so good to sing.
It was nice to come back to the studio after a few years. It felt good working with the boys. Very nice to work with other people besides my own band. We exchanged many ideas and came up with a very nice result: the track ‘So Much More’.
What can I say……this is our life! It was a day to remember!
Full Album Stream
Lyrics
Patience, time to relax
This is what people do in their weekends
This is what some do for a hobby
A nice distraction to others
It certainly should not be
That forced family meeting
The same faces, talks and expectations
Even though it sometimes feels just like one
This is our life
We put our hearts and heads into
My brain, my hands, want to be inspired
We are not in it for the backstage beer
Not for the girls, girls, girls
We are not in it for the afterparty
Or the big paycheck at the end of every month
Fuck the reunions, fuck the macho competition
Fuck the hypes, if I can’t revolt it’s not my party
This is our life
We prefer it meaningful
Not our safe haven
Liner Notes
To me, punkrock is so much more than just music, a part time hobby or a group of friends enjoying the same drinking music. Punkrock has, over the years, literally become a way of living. It has increased my interest in politics and activism and broadened my view on a lot of topics. I love it when I see a band with the urge and drive to play music and spread a message they believe in. That is inspiration to make music myself, to keep on writing lyrics, to stay active. All this makes me want to put in my whole heart and head into this band, music and scene.
There it is, our new album! Again, if you like the sound of it, we have some beautiful Digipacks and Gatefolds up for sale in our store. Don’t forget to enjoy the peace and quiet of your Antillectual-free-Monday next week!
Contrary to the other songs, this song has absolutely nothing to do with current affairs. Or does it? “Classic Themes Never Get Old” is an ode to issues we should never forget about, even though media hypes focus on other stuff and some themes might not seem very popular to address these days. An ode to worn off patches, graffiti on squatted walls and the roots of our movement.
It is good to read everyone appreciated last week’s gear talk. This week we have our friends from our Italian label No Reason Records talk about why they run a label, why they support bands like us and Rentokill. They released our previous albums “Testimony” and “Pull the Plug” and they are strong connections in the European punkrock network. Releasing albums and booking shows for Atlas Losing Grip, Astpai, In-sane, This Is A Standoff, The Living Daylights, High Five Drive and many many more.
Please read on, enjoy the song and feel free to share it with your friends.
This song is dedicated to all the active movements and people. We think that running a punk-hc label in the new millennium is our way to be committed. Nowdays everyone can download their favourite music everywhere, on the blogs, p2p, etc. Nobody probably needs to be in contact with a label to discover new bands and music. So, apparently, there is “no reason” to run a label. But we’ve found more than one, when we’ve met these guys. ANTILLECTUAL and RENTOKILL are probably the two main bands that have helped us to choose our direction. Their passion, dedication and energy teach how to put all of ourselves in this project.
Shit happens, we know it, but we have learned how to accept it trying to catch the best from all experiences we live. We’ve seen them play with the same effort in front of 10 people and in front of 300. They are active as a band. It’s your turn to choose your own way!
NoReason is not a music industry, it’s just a collective of people like you! Join our way!
Lyrics
You might think it is old fashioned
To preach about the bio-industry
You might think that it is not hip
To worry about nuclear waste
You might think it is politically correct
To fight discrimination
You might think it’s simply boring
To use words like capitalism
Old fashioned, not hip and politically correct; boring
But in this changing world there are certain things worth fighting for
Human, animal and environmental rights
Of all places, of all times, always of value
Anti-globalism, climate change
Making politics sexy again
It’s getting hot in here
Trim your sails to the wind of change
A weather beaten dusty squat our foundation
The maxims on its walls our inspiration
Liner Notes
Since 9/11 and “the crisis” in 2008-2009-2010 it seems as if terrorism and the financial markets are the only two topics worth talking about. Even in the political/activist scene there are trends and hypes. Since the late nineties globalization is the number one theme to discuss and criticize. And even though it’s extremely important to stay in touch with current affairs, classic themes should never be overlooked. Besides that, they form the basis for current movements.
Animal and human rights, homophobia, environmental protection and economic problems among lower classes are subjects that have been around for ages. So they might not be very “sexy”. Yet, there is a reason they’ve been around for this long. They have proven to be important over time. This is a tribute to activism in the fields of Anti-fascist action, Gay-positive activism, Animal liberation, Environmental activism. Yes, Subjects in Capitals.
Next week! The release of our new album! The last song of this stream! The end of torture! And what a surprise we will have for you! And more exclamation marks!!!
Thanks for putting up with us over the last 3 months, I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.
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