The
Stabilisers
An alliance of rock’n’rollers from the Medway region and London has meant the creation of explosive punk/garage/pop outfit The Stabilisers. Roasting up a storm of rampant rhythms, witty lyrics and seriously good rock’n’roll, The Stabilisers fuse the attitude of punk, the song craft of The Kinks or Blur and stir it up with an astute pop sensibility to create super catchy tunes. The Damned, The Undertones, The Who and early period The Pretty Things seem to be a good reflection of where The Stabilisers are coming from musically, with their forceful dynamic and R&B inflected guitar riffing.
The
Stabilisers are a four piece band featuring Jon Bott on lead vocals and bass,
Allan Crockford on guitar and vocals, Simon Corbey on guitar and vocals, with
Francis Barithwaite on drums, pounding away like a loon. The Stabilisers describe
themselves as ‘a band whose makeup comprises an anarchist vegan medical student,
a disgraced former peer and active eco warrior, a minor musical cult figure and
a leading software hacker’. The Stabilisers are a demented mixture easily
able to fashion that most heretical of brews, rock’n’roll.
Of note to garage aficionados it will be perceived that one of the kings of the four string, Allan Crockford, is a member of The Stabilisers. Allan has been part of some of the finest outfits in recent times, such as the garage-rock pioneers The Prisoners, Acid Jazz stalwarts The James Taylor Quartet (JTQ), Billy Childish's Headcoats and psycho-mod faves The Solarflares. Allan has now switched to the six string with The Stabilisers and his contribution was the missing piece to The Stabilisers jigsaw puzzle, beefing up their sound with some crazed rock’n’roll action.
The Stabilisers have already had a couple of releases out though various Italian labels and these have gone down a storm across Europe. The 14 track album ‘Last Chance Saloon’ has been released through Skipping Musez label and a vinyl EP ‘Evil Picnic’ is released through Nicotine Records. Both these records are essential listening.
Mario Ruggeri of ROCKERILLA Magazine has described The Stabilisers as ‘new English Gods’ and sees the boys as a perfect fusion of English punk and garage rock. The American Zine Terminal Boredom portrays The Stabilisers more in touch with bouncy power pop, rather then overt punk, due to the catchy melodies that ‘Last Chance Saloon’ incorporates amongst it’s dynamic feel. Scootering magazine also sees The Stabilisers in the tradition of melodic punk pop.
The Stabilisers do take
many influences from the late 70s, whether is be punk, pop or power pop, but in
my humble opinion I think there is a really modern edge that gives ‘Last
Chance Saloon’ a contemporary feel. I also detect a vibrant appreciation
of 60s acts The Who and The Kinks in regards of some of the songs arrangements
and instrumentation, so the late 70s chic, only tells part of the story.
The one thing that you all should realise is that ‘Last Chance Saloon’ and ‘Evil Picnic’ are shit hot rock’n’roll records that blaze with real gusto. My advice to Sohostrut readers is, get your hands in your pockets and buy these two records.
The good news is that The Stabilisers have finally received some record company interest in their own back yard here in the UK, so a British release from The Stabilisers should be available soon. Jonny Magus
The Stabilisers – Last Chance Saloon (Skipping Musez)
‘‘Last Chance Saloon’ is a wildly energetic album filled with traumatic tales of confusing relationships, observations and some good old fashioned ranting. The sizzling production really brings the tunes to life, as they bristle with electricity and power. The Stabilisers concoct a dish that takes a splash of punk, a garnish of rocking R&B guitar and is sauced up with superb melodies, harmonies and clever lyrics. ‘Last Chance Saloon’ is a great rock’n’roll album.
‘Bendy
Head’ gets the album off to a surreal start, with a Trashmen style romp about
bendy heads. ‘Now And Forever’ is a full on garage rocker stuffed full
of big chords and pile driving rhythms, giving it an early Pretty Things vibe.
The outstandingly catchy chorus is a treat. ‘Frustration’ is a dirty
punker that goes straight for the jugular. The wild woo wahs in the backing vocals
add to the deranged vibe, and some slick licks from the cooking R&B guitar,
hook right into your mind. This is grimy stuff about ‘frustration, frustration
frustration…’ says it all really. ‘She Wants It All The Time’
is about a woman with huge sexual appetites. It is quite evident from the lyrics
that our hero needs to take a break from the shag fest before he overdoses. Again
the consummate chorus is memorable and the guitar riffs are huge. ‘Diagonal
Man’ is a wonky 60s style tune that takes its observational nods from the
likes of The Kinks or Blur, but is given a boot from the rhythmical suss of The
Clash. That ever present short cut specialist is the theme of this song, as blinkered
ways and easy methods make a cock up of his life, for he’s ‘The Diagonal
Man’. ‘Your Love’ is one of the highlights of the album. The slow
atmospheric bluesy intro, with slide guitar and reverb gets the tune rumbling
with anticipation. When the tune kicks in for real, you know you’re in for
a real white knuckle rock’n’roll ride. The ferociously driving punk
and massive riffs are juxtaposed with a mega catchy chorus that steamrolls into
your consciousness. The scene of the song is simple, ‘what means more than
anything…your love’. ‘Born To Kiss Arse’ is a crazed Damned-tastic
punk supernova about that perennial sad fucker, the arse kisser. The sheer rabid
energy of the song is a real head spinner. ‘Let Me Come Home’ is about
the thorny situation of turning up at home totally out of your head and in a bit
of a state, but your other half won’t let you in. The full on Hendrixed up
punk is a delight, yet another tremendous tune. ‘Detergent For The Nation’
is a rant about the recent urban developments that are turning the old dirty but
homely streets into toy town suburban mediocrity. 
The old school Clash vibe works well with the punk protest of the song. ‘Consider’ is a 100mph pop punk tune about considering, great stuff. ‘100 Year Old Riff’ is another R&B rock’n’roll tune with mad Blur style lyrical riffing, which is a sensational. The lyrical dexterity within this tune is highly accomplished; this is yet another superb song, in album full of highlights. ‘Get A Grip’ is a slab of noise that deals with the descent of a life out of control, so it is time to ‘Get A Grip’. Short and nasty, this is great punk. ‘Shit List’ is a rhythmical piece that rolls along through the simple driving chordal riffs, similar in style to The Modern Lovers or The Velvets. Some great lyrics are splattered throughout this song ‘do you spit or swallow?’, ‘opportunity knocks you right off your feet’. It appears that more confusion and mayhem is confronting our heroes The Stabilisers. The album is completed in disgraceful style with a punked up Dr Feelgood R&B slice about ‘Dr Rock’, a dodgy doctor of sleaze, sex and suspicious drugs. ‘Dr Rock’ is another short and nasty tune that completes this magnificent album.
The wild confusion, mayhem and sheer rock’n’roll that pulverises through this album is exceptional; no wonder the boys are called The Stabilisers, it sounds like they maybe in need of them. ‘Last Chance Saloon’ is an awesome album, so go and buy it. Jonny Magus.
The Stabilisers - Evil Picnic 7” Single (Nicotine Records)
Debut
7” single from UK outfit The Stabilisers is a master class on how to write
great catchy tunes filled with loads of attitude. ‘Plastic Love’ is
an ace powered pop song that is catchy to the point of insanity. ‘Plastic
Love’ comments on the plastic nature of modern life, to the point that love
itself is all style but no substance. Simple witty lyrics drive the point home
with great success. ‘Plastic Love’ is a scorching pop tune of both style
and substance. ‘The Way She Is’ pulverises with nasty bass and wild
wah wah guitars. It seems that The Stabilisers are once again in total confusion
about the female of the species. ‘Taking The Piss’ is outrageous popped
up punk in the style of The Clash or The Undertones, the big chopping chords blast
this song along at light speed. The single finishes off with the strange ‘Tube
Train’. This song stirs up a brew of eerie atmospheric noises in between
wild R&B fucked up punk that dashes along at a mighty speed. The contrast
between the slow weird vibes and the frantic rock’n’roll is extremely
well accomplished and works well. Overall ‘Evil Picnic’ is filled with
evil tunes and The Stabilisers come up with superb rock’n’roll tunes
with ease. Jonny Magus.
http://www.thestabilisers.com/