Derik & The Disasters – Punk77 Review *****
Hey! Hey! We’re The Disasters!
The band — Charlie Harper (UK Subs), former Peter & the Test Tube Babies guitarist Del Greening, Vicky Smith of The Ramonas and Charlie’s grandson Marley Perez — came as a complete surprise. I’m not sure I’ve ever deliberately listened to anything by Del Greening, but throw together musicians spanning virtually every generation since punk began and, seemingly out of nowhere, they’ve knocked out a gem of an album born from jamming! Hell, they’ve even got their own theme song!
The bigger surprise is just how frikkin good it is. Given the almost casual way this lineup came together, the results are ridiculous. The songwriting, playing, and production all hit the mark, with riffs, picked notes, effects, and strong hooks constantly working their way into your head. Over it all sits Charlie’s familiar growl — and despite the years, that voice remains instantly recognisable, powerful and perfectly suited to these songs. The more you listen, the more you find.
There are at least four or five genuine earworms demanding repeated plays from the first spin: New Palestine, Scars, Deadlines, and The Takeover, the latter almost veering into Killing Joke territory with its tribal drums and ringing, picked guitar riff. And then, just when you think you’ve figured it out, along comes the laid-back, sax-soaked swing of Strait Of Hormuz. No covers, no filler — all killer. If there were any justice, Scars would be a hit single. Yep, I really mean that. Mind you, I said the same thing about Andy Blade’s Ain’t That A Shame… and look where that got me.
Where Derik & The Disasters go next with this is unclear, given Charlie isn’t touring, but what they’ve done here is astonishing.
If I have a negative (and it’s a small one – sic) its the size of the writing on the CD slip case, its mircofilm size, and even with glasses I need a magnifying glass. Well done to Damaged Goods for putting this out.
Available in pink and yellow vinyl and on CD (with no magnifying glass) – BUY IT HERE
TalkPunk
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