BeerZone
East Coast Oi Fest
May 2008
text & pix by Jillian Abbene
(SugarBuzz Wash Dc/Richmond)
SugarBuzz Magazine
Performing such a stellar set at last year’s East Coast Oi Fest, Beerzone’s wild car opener, “Hooligan Rock N Roll,” is cloaked in fierceness as Iain swiftly paces back and forth. Transcending from aggro to pulling out all the stops, a new sound is transformed with a new band name, ‘Control,’ that gives an awesome taste of what to expect in the future. Instruments are slammin’ in jacked-up, intensive guitar screams from Ducky who maintains that wide-legged stance, banging out the tinned M8. Even Shifty looks serious as Russell and NikNak shout-out a back-up chorus repeat. The sound stops as Iain ends in accapella, “We play Hooligan Rock N Roll.”
‘Against The Flow,’ is far more intense this year, with larger, chunkier-drum pops and bass blurbs in that brisk straight-up punk rock. The middle guitar riff is fluid in edgy-tight bites. Iain’s beer foams over at the start of the tear-in on the first verse of, ‘Chaos.’ Pounding drums and guitar-blitzed chords has the crowd participating in the middle bridge, long enough for the rip-up at the end.
By the time, ‘Don’t Give A Fuck,’ begins, the crowd is rowdy. This song seems to be relatable to everyone as the subject matter can be plugged into anyone’s life. The chorus is full-force as the crowd is in the full fledge sing-a-long with fists in the air. Me? I am wiggling on the side of the stage having my own little hissy fit.
The last song, the infamous, ‘Beerzone,’ is in top form as all vocals are on the additional ‘oi’s’ as a clear hail to a great set. You can’t beat that.
Despite 10 years of success (with free contributions to the tongue-n-cheek humor), I never tire of their classic sound—poking fun at life through catchy-tight tunes, all the while keeping the beer a flow.
Note: Although BeerZone will be trading in their humored debauchery; they will be capsizing a serious take on rock ‘n roll with, ‘Control.’ I quote Iain, “What do you get when the music is a lot faster… with street punks, mix punks, rockers, oi’s, hooligan herberts…, and potent tunes with massive sing-a-long choruses and social commentary…? Hooligan rock and roll.