A t the beginning of 2004, 4 lads got together to form the core of a band now known as The Straitjackets, with Jimmy on the vocals and guitar, Lee on lead guitar, Danny on bass and Jack on drums. After a few line-up changes, the band finally found Lee playing bass, and Charlie on drums. Charlie played drums for about a year, as we gigged all over Britain, with some great bands. Charlie left at the beginning of 2007 and was replaced by super drummer Andy, who played a few gigs including a great show with the Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster in Liverpool, which all went fucking great. Mid 2007 The Straitjackets played one last gig in Manchester and then went into a hiatus, until now... Come June 2008 we are jamming with a lad called Jacque on drums, and all is sound, and hoping to come through and play August 21st at the Caledonia Liverpool... so get down for new music and a fuckin big show!
P laying gigs to enthusiastic crowds of punks and psychos since mid 2004, along with support slots with The Meteors, Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, King Kurt, Demented are Go and the UK Subs, The Straitjackets have acquired a fan base, which will definitely continue to grow. With all mixed influences consisting of The Clash, Gun Club, Dead Kennedys, The Cramps, MDC, Demented Are Go, Johnny Cash and The Ramones to name a few, The Straitjackets have managed to create their own sound. (just look round this big fucking myspace... it's all here).
JUST SOME PICKS FROM MANY REVIEWS, SOME OF THE GOOD ONES... FROM SOME SOUND PEOPLE, AND SOME DEAD GOOD NIGHTS WE'VE PLAYED AROUND UK.
REVIEW FROM THE EIGHTIES MATCHBOX SUPPORT GIG, LIVERPOOL BARFLY!
Main support The Straitjackets are a more fitting act to play alongside the headliners. Their self-styled brand of psychobilly punk is a flat-out distorted skiffle rumble. The first time many of the hometown have seen the band with Andy, the new drummer, who's been in the band since god knows when? The play to a packed out room one of their best gigs to date, the highlight of which being old Glasswerk.co.uk favourite, My Baby got Killed by a Landmine!
REVIEW FROM GLASSWERK.CO.UK FOR THE CD, MY BABY GOT KILLED BY A LANDMINE
What would you do if the love of your life had been cruelly exterminated by an industrial war weapon? You'd write a song about it, of course! Which is what Liverpool four-piece The Straitjackets have done in My Baby Got Killed By A Landmine. Yes, the lamenting lover on the artwork looks like the Addams Family's Lurch done over by a punk Trinny and Susannah, but that just adds to the delicious eclecticism of sentiment and song. Sounding like Dewey Finn on speed, this latest single from the band is driven punk rock – singalong fun for all the family. Even B-side Steal It is good for a Scouse jig down the indie disco. Despite numerous line-up changes, the band strive on to new heights. If this single converts even half the people whose ears it assaults, they can look forward to a dedicated following across the country, to add to the fans back home in Liverpool.
REVIEW FROM FUNGALPUNK.CO.UK FROM THE SPIT AND SAWDUST TOUR LEG, RETFORD!
Next a new band for me but vibes had been picked up and I had an inkling they were worth a shot. The last SAS they played I missed but feedback was positive and having met the geezers literally hours prior to their stage appearance I was well pleased by what I'd witnessed. Totally committed and just fuckin' great geezers I expected a good showing but little did I realise I was in for a jaw droppping stunner that made this gig a total classic. Down South there was a weekend 3 dayer going on that I presume was rammed due to it having the same old faves knocking out the same old tunes to the same old faces. Silly, silly bastards - £90 for groundhog day - FA for a classic - how many times does it need repeating? Well The Strait Jackets were utter brilliance and my personal fave 'Baby got killed by a landmine' was just beautiful. Amazing and surely another for all SAS expeditions pushing the underdog. Incredible
ANOTHER TOP REVIEW FROM FUNGAL PUNK, THE STRAITJACKETS - KILLERS CALL
A 5 track CD that has a hauntingly gothic feel which gives a good diverse appeal and will surely draw in admirers from various genres. For a DIY effort this is very good indeed with visons of sneering apocalyptic cum psychobilly zombies filling ones head as the disturbed opening track 'My Baby Got Killed By A Landmine' mine gets underway. A peach of a number that has the toe tapping with its venomous vocals and catchy melody. There is an urgency here that stays on track yet is given enough rope to cause a chaotic edge and unbridled output. Nice.
The psychobilly theme continues with the up-tempo 'Killers Call' which is more typical in approach but smacks of talent and insight and a band that understands the complexity of song arrangement and production. 'Blood On My Hands' is of a similar thread with a no-nonsense delivery that I personally love and the retainment of good rhythm and vocal accompaniment is well dealt with. The finale of 'Fire In My Heart' has a tribal/jungle feel reminiscent of a primitive Adam And or a King Kurt outburst and is well worthy of this comparison. A great 5 tracker and a band I need to catch up with real soon.
THE STRAITJACKETS REVIEW FROM SLEAZEGRINDER.COM
Scouse soused PsychoPunkBilly Rockers recorded right in the ram-raiding red at sonic Stooges "Raw Power" levels. Rabid and raw like they've barricaded themselves in from the oncoming onslaught of severe alcohol withdrawals, shrieking and spitting out sordid, soiled StinkaBilly that leaves you scratching in a speedfreaks disco with Demented Are Go DJ-ing. Similar to Sparky's ghouls they revel in the darker depths of life like hippos in muddy waters. Opener "Blood On My Hands" has the rather nice little vignette of:
"I'm not sorry that I killed you
I'm sorry I got caught
It broke my heart to see that
Your body had been bought"
With a hooligan viciousness that belies their appearance they're aptly named, being a ball of contained confusion. Tellingly, and pleasingly, they manage to go from stupid to succinct in about 17 seconds on the title track with a dig at political scapegoating, which let's face it, is better than getting all Heather Mills-McCartney about the landmine issue. Isn't it? Who knows these days, eh?
www.thestraitjackets.tk
www.myspace.com/thestraitjackets
AND A SMALL REVIEW FROM A GIG IN JOSHUA BROOKES MANCHESTER, OLD OLD TIMES...
as darkness descends, the ear bleedingly loud Strait Jackets notch up the intensity, resembling Motorhead playing as if they were in the Apollo - but that are actually in someone's front room. Being heckled by a saddened Leeds supporter is pure entertainment on all fronts.
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Photos by: John Ayliffe
Live pictures by: Millie Dollar
and some other stuff by Gemma, Harrie, Janis and Ben!
