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The Cundeez – Pipes of Trenchtown
out 20 May 2024
versus
David Delinquent & the I.O.U’s – Time Of My Life
out 2 May 2024
both DL / streaming only
Ged Babey has never set a foot in Scotland, (let alone Dundee) but has loads of online friends there and has always loved punk bands from north of the border. Here he checks out the latest releases from two of Dundees finest: devils-in-skirts The Cundeez and wee laddie David Delinquent and the I.O.U’s and tries unsuccessfully to avoid regional stereotypes…
I’ve never met a Scot (irl) I didn’t like (well, apart from an old boss who called me Scroat because he couldn’t remember names – but he did it with such venomous style and passion and a twinkle in his red eyes that I couldnae help admiring the old pissheads attitude).
From the Rezillos, Skids, Scars and the Valves onwards, Scotland always had great punk bands… until the Rab C Nesbitts of Punk, The Exploited came along and ruined things!
Whether it was their Scottishness that made the other bands cool and distinctive is open to question, but I do think there is something in the Scottish character which makes them more predisposed to being punk rock. It’s in their pride, defiance and humour I guess.
Or maybe, in the same way as Don Letts playing dub at the Roxy allied punk and rasta from the start, the day Westwood and McClaren started using tartan in their clothing, Scottishness became embedded in punks culture of rebellion and style. (Discuss)
The last time I wrote about The Cundeez was their fantastic Cockney Rejects Tribute Song. This time it’s an original song but loosely based on and inspired by The Clash ‘Guns of Brixton’.
Bagpipes are generally an acquired taste and often mocked because they sound like the death wails of a squid fighting a haggis, but in this song they fit and sound fantastic. The video is brilliant too. Five baldie bastards having a shit-load of fun whilst playing an inspirational anti-racist anthem that you can do a highland fling to!
I spokesman for Cundeez told me online, luckily – i wouldnae understand a fookin’ word in person.
We’re going through a purple patch writing wise at the moment, this will be our third single release since the Oi! Oi! Cockney Reject single .. we released a reggae track in October and a power pop song Steps To Hope in February dedicated to Richard Roncero a former substance abuse user who slept on the streets in the past
Since his recovery he slept on the streets of 8 cities for 8 weeks to raise money for a homeless recovery unit based in Edinburgh, a truly inspirational individual. (Steps To Hope charity website)
We’ve recorded a number of songs already for a new album to be released winter 2024.
The Cundeez went down well and had a ball at the recent ‘Scotland Calling’ gig by all accounts and having thoroughly taken the piss and employed every Scots cliché in the book I came across this great interview with the fellas Here conducted by the Scots Language Centre, where the band talk with pride about their music, being from Dundee and the Dundonian dialect. Great interview, great band and not the caricatures I painted them as.
The Cundeez Facebook Apple music link Deezer Spotify Amazon
David Delinquent & the I.O.U’s are a younger band of Dundee City Rockers who share the ‘Taps Awff’ fun-time attitude of their punk uncles the Cundeez
David – his chosen surname a reference to his previous band The Delinquents ( reviewed here back in day) and his new band I covered here. But I’ll say it all again for good measure. This is the type of band where you are ‘Hooked after the first three seconds…’
The I.O.U’s are a proper ‘power pop’ punk rock’n’roll band. Like the Heartbreakers, the Replacements or decent, early Green Day. Bands with bollocks but also harmonies and catchy songs.
David’s a nice bloke who ‘may be a delinquent at heart but David is a committed and talented songwriter and with the I.O.U’s backing him, they are good enough to compete on a national or international level.’
Time Of My Life (no, not the Green Day song) is another perfect piece of rock’n’roll with a nod to Thunders, a flavour of early Manics and just a flawless summer-fun sound set against a darker, reflective lyric.
They’re good live too.
It’s about time some wealthy benefactor or label paid for some studio time so Delinquent and his band can record the fantastic debut album they are more than capable of, that we could play at maximum volume instead of our worn-out copies of LAMF, Generation Terrorists and Dookie.
In the meantime they’re gonna continue playing their punk hearts out at every action-packed, sweat-soaked gig they can get.
Buy from Bandcamp
Dundee City Rockers tour dates below
All words Ged Babey
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