REVIEW BY FUNGAL PUNK (OMD)
INSANE SOCIETY - UPSIDE DOWN
Hailing from the Brighton area, Insane Society are a band of four experienced, mature 'erberts who are obviously well versed in all areas of the punk rock genre. This debut CD reflects this opening statement and the true punk egghead will take double delight in not just enjoying the fine retro feel but in relating each individual track to one of its more than apparent influences.
'Fat Chick' opens proceedings and is instantaneously catchy with a chorus set to thrill drunken audiences all over this beer-sodden land who understand the overlooked intricacies of postcard humour. The very British sound of this CD is blatant and in this instance it is a very welcome ingredient that makes this lot at once recognisable and comfortingly familiar. 'Send in the Troops' next and its a real 'Chronic Generation' affair which intensely drips with a moody, almost threatening atmosphere and leading perfectly into the more Oi based 'Bastard'. A right Skinbo track which displays Insane Society's versality to a tee. And so the tracks of everyday life both personal and global continue with 'Paranoia', 'Made In China', 'Johnny Holmes' and 'Evicted' being my personal pick.
A very 'laddish' CD and this lot should go down well wherever they play as the simplicity of the immediate vibe and adhesive quality of each ditty will surely please the most awkward of punk listeners. I can thinks of loads of bands this lot could play with and compliment perfectly so no doubt big festival slots await. The commercial appeal is there and whether its a sell-out that awaits is dependant on the bands attitude but I for one hope thay stick to this real approach and continue the honest and well delivered standard they have set here. A very good debut indeed.
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REVIEW BY PUNK4LIFE
INSANE SOCIETY - UPSIDE DOWN
Another band new to me but what a good band Insane Society are. These guys come from Brighton and play rough and ready old school punk. 'Upside Down' is their new 15 track album and with songs like 'Send In The Troops', 'Evicted' and 'Johnny Holmes',a comical song about the long lengthed, late 70s porno star, these guys mix humour with real issues. Best tracks for me were 'Bastard' which is pure aggression, 'Made In China', which is about China becoming a giant in the manufacturing industry and 'Seaford Town' which is an anthem to the non-league football club of the same name. it's nice to hear these guys paying homage to their local team in this catchy singalong song which hopefully gets played over the speakers on match days. Not a bad effort this album and I enjoyed it.
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Horse & Groom, Brighton Friday 08/08/08
Insane Society Live On Stage
+ DJ Wag spinning old Vaultage tracks
Punkdaddy reviews the proceedings,-
I was hoping there would be some old faces at the House Of Doom on Friday night. There were just one or two but despite the low turnout, those who did attend were treated to DJ Wag playing Vaultage tracks before and after the performance of his band Insane Society, who dished up 100mph high energy, hard driving punk. It was kind of odd to hear those old tracks from the likes of the Dodgems, Devil’s Dykes, Golinskis, Ammonites, Nicky & the Dots, Parrots, Piranhas etc in the setting of the Awesome Groom. They still sounded fresh and alive. It struck me how much ska and Two-Tone had influenced these bands. Apart from the Depressions and very early Piranhas, there was precious little rock. So it was a joy to hear some authentic live punk rock 30 years on.
Insane Society have some corking numbers, those that stood out were Bastard and Paranoia with it’s catchy hookline of ‘Shut the fuck up! Shut the fuck up!’ Great headbanging stuff. If I wasn’t so old myself I’d have been pogoing... The band gave their all, singer Sheldon leading from the front, twisting and turning and getting us all in the mood, striking up a lively rapport with the sparse crowd. On guitar, Wag was spot on, played some searing punk riffs and added his vocal back up in the appropriate places. Tight powerhouse drumming from Steve Dangerous and awesome bass from Stefan gave the band a cohesive overall sound and on a Friday night in Brighton this was music to an old punker’s ears. The mix was just right, the volume level allowing the audience to hear everything without making yer ears bleed. Top geezers. More power to yer elbows!.
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