V/A – It All Started Down The Pub

Oi! The Nische Records

 

Do most bands get formed during a night of heavy drinking? They probably do. Now I haven’t checked personally with the four bands – Nessuna Fottuta Regola (NFR), Brutti E Ignoranti, I Risorti and The Shed – on this little compilation EP, but given the fact that they’re all Oi! bands chances are pretty high.

 

But that is not the only thing the four have in common, because all bands hail from Italy and the whole lot pays homage to one of their favorite bands – or tracks at least – with a nice little cover song. The only twist is that all lyrics are either alternated or translated (into Italian) – and often a combination of both! A big plus if you ask me.

 

Because I am not sure if I could have handled a cover of Iron Cross’ “Crucified” one more time, while it sounds totally different when the song is titled “Sulla Croce Per Voi” (NFR) all of a sudden! Same can be said about I Risorti’s “Banditi Dal Pub”, a raw, Italian take on Peter & The Test Tube Babies’ classic “Banned From The Pubs”. Personal favorite is Brutti E Ignoranti’s version of Agent Bulldog’s anthem “Stockholm Skins”, a hard-hitting powerhouse that rips all the way through, while The Shed rounds things up in style with “Spengenberg Hooligans”, originally by Wasted Nation (“Fair City Hooligans”).

 

Though some of these covers have been previously released, all are now available on vinyl for the very first time, thanks to Oi! The Nische Records! Limited to 300 copies total, all on black vinyl.