Eastern Europe

I loved Eastern Europe ... Bulgaria and Serbia were great. Actually I have loved the whole trip, it has exceeded me expectations of what I thought it was going to be like. It's coming to an end and I'm going to miss it when its over. I don't know what I'm going to do ... actually I do, as it looks like I've got my old job back. I always enjoyed it so it gives me something to look forward to when I return. So much shit repetitive banter awaits :-) Anyway, here is the video for the last 2 countries.

I write this on my final night in Hungary. I only have 45 km to the Austrian border and I have just realised that I haven't (bar 1 meal pic) taken a photograph or video in this country. So the video for the central europe region is going to be very heavily Austrian focussed.

The clocks have now gone back and the amount of daylight is restricted. I love riding in the dark but it just gets a bit more tricky to find a decent camping spot ... and as I get further west the budget hotels and guest houses are getting increasingly more expensive.

Anyway, until next time, take care. Neil 

Turkey

If you read the last Turkish post you will be aware of my dilema. Well I decided to get the bus back to where my bike became pretty much un-rideable. It may seem silly, but I was happy with the decision, bar the first day back. The trip to Istanbul went OK. An overnight bus dropped me of in the pouring rain at 6am in the morning at a layby of a very busy motorway. I made my way across town to the bike shop which didn't open until 11 am, so I had a few very much needed coffees in a nearby cafe. 

As it turned out it was my shifter which was broke on my bike, so I got that changed as well as new chain, tires and cables throughout. The bike was as good as new. I also managed to pick up some size 13 mtb shoes as it was far from sandal weather. I had one night in Istanbul whilst I waited for my bike and then got the overnight bus back. As it was the shifter I couldn't have got the bike repaired anywhere else as it is a specialist part from a German manufacturer which the shop is a dealer for. The staff were all friendly and I enjoyed my time there. Thanks guys!

I got off the bus back in mid-Turkey at 9am in the morning and had breakfast (soup - which is what they have in Turkey for breakfast ?!?!) in the same service station cafe where I sat and wrote the 'Turkish Dilemma' blog post. I then got on my way, and after a night in the hostel sandwiched by 2 nights on the bus, a raging headwind, hills, rain and cold I did question my sanity. However a cheap hotel and a straight 11 hour sleep that night reset everything - I felt as good as my bike did! So it wasn't long before I was back in Istanbul, where I happened to bump into the bike shop owners out for dinner where I joined them for a big feed and a good evening. I took a spontaneous rest day as I hadn't had one for a while then took the ferry into Europe the next day. All documented in the video as usual ...

g

The ride out of Istanbul was interesting. Very scenic, for a dual carriageway, but it seemed to go on for ever. It took me 50k before it thinned out. I'm now right on the border of political Europe and will cross into Bulgaria tomorrow. My route is pretty much Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Belgium and then France. Roughly 2600 km ... won't take too long, well unless I decide to extend :-)

The Turkish Dilema

As I write this I am sitting in a cafe waiting for a bus to take me to Istanbul. I am 900 km away and the bus is going to take 15 hours. Why aren't I cycling, well over the last few days it has been increasingly difficult to change gear. I had a similar problem in China which I managed to get sorted but some of the complications from that fix have come back to haunt me. I have a hub gear, which means that all the gears are internal to the hub, so no external derailleurs. This offers lots of advantages in terms of keeping things clean but when things go wrong it is pretty hard to fix. There is a cable inside which wraps around a brass drum and then the 2 cables come out and connect to 2 cables which come from the shifter on the handlebars. In China the internal (and one external) cable snapped. I fitted the internal spare and snipped it to length with poor quality wire cutters meaning the ends frayed so I could not connect it to the 2 cables from the shifter. The internal cable is 0.9mm and standard gear cable is 1.0mm. Luckily some random cable was found and the bike was fixed. However, there are 5 T20 torx screws which keep a mounting plate attached to the hub which you have to remove to access the internal cable. In China one of these was seized, but with a proper torx screwdriver it came of ok. At that time I only had a small end attachment one which was no good. So, all good in China and I got more spares sent out to Urumqi so if the same thing happens I can fix it. I also purchased some good quality wire cutters and the torx screwdriver.

So fast forward 10,000 km to Turkey and I am suddenly having difficulty changing gear. Shifting down is fine but it is ultra stiff to shift up, and I do not have the top 4 gears out of the 14 available. The cables from the shifters appear ok and even the cable from the hub appears OK. Maybe the internal cable is slipping out of the grooves on the drum as it was 0.8mm as I shift up jamming everything up. I decided to take the mounting plate of and fit the new internal cable to see if that fixed the problem, but I couldn't get the mounting plate off. All of the 5 screws were seized but 4 came loose, with 1 not budging and the more I tried to loosen it the more the screwdriver would slip of. I could go to a workshop and get it drilled out, or as Julian did with his, get something welded onto the screw to then lever it off. This would save me going to Istanbul on the bus. However, I had already been in contact with the bike shop (which is a Rolhoff hub gear dealer) for an internal oil change, new tires and a general service when I got to Istanbul as there are loads of other little niggly things wrong and I have my spare tire on the rear. The guy who is doing the service is away on a big bike trip in a few days, so I was never going to get there in time. My plan was always to ride as close as I could and then get the bus, which would keep the length and cost of journey down. After the last few days though I was getting more and more frustrated with the situation. The distance to the next big town was quite long and I didn't want something to finally completely fail and be stuck in between towns having to hitch back to a town to then get the bus. I decided to go to Istanbul instead of a local bike or work shop to try and free the stuck screw just in case it is not the cable but something wrong with the hub, plus the fact I can get all the other bits of work done.

So that’s the decision made and I’m fine with that. It’s a bit of a pain and if the guy wasn't going away on a big bike trip (who would do such a thing) I would probably just keep limping along to Istanbul as it is and get it fixed when I got there.

So my dilemma now is do I make the return journey back to where I am or do I just forget about the 900 k’s on the bus?

My original trip plan was just to spend a year cycling around the bits of the world which appealed to me but making my way home as I went along (see the end of the ‘reasons to go video’). This was mainly to miss out the central Asian region as initially I couldn't be bothered with all the visas hassles.  As I started cycling and met other cyclists I started to like the idea of cycling all the way back more and more, especially when I found out the visa issues wasn’t too hard to sort out with a bit of advanced planning. So the pro’s of getting the bus back is that I would have cycled all the way across mainland Asia ... from crossing from Singapore to Malaysia all the way to Istanbul. I’m probably never going to do it again so I may as well do it right. Julian and Elie, who I spent a lot of time in central Asia with, are about 400 km behind me so it will also be a good chance to meet back up and ride with them for a few days. The con’s of doing it, are it’s not exactly pleasant in Turkey at the moment, and it seems a bit pointless. As I type this, the flags outside are pointing due East, its foggy, cold and raining. Not all days are like this though but there are quite a lot of them and as the days go by there are going to be a lot more of them. It will also delay my return by a few days but then again there’s nothing to get back for anyway ... other than seeing friends and family etc. which I am looking forward to.

The philosophy of my trip (and life, lol) is ‘no turning back’, but also ‘no cheating’ (motorised transport) ... so they have come into conflict. As I write this I have pretty much decided to get the bus back (this cafe is just too good), but when I’m 4 hours into the 15, later today I’ll probably be thinking I’m not doing this again. Anyway, this is the end of my rambling, until next time.

Cheers, n

The Top 20 Best Hardcore Punk Lps Ever Recorded

The Top 20 Hardcore Punk LPs ever recorded. Video below, taking you through my selection and then reasons and justifications for each below. Let me know what you think...

Making a list like this is always hard. There are so many classics, over 30 years of quality music and so many sub genres that even setting the criteria for inclusion is difficult. I decided that to make the list it had to be pretty much pure hardcore, influential, aggressive, a great live act, a personal favourite, genuine and stood the test of time. It happens so often in this genre of music that a new release comes out and it’s the best thing since sliced bread for 3 months. Its listened to daily and then something else comes out and it’s never listened to again. I also decided on only one LP per band, no live albums, no EPs and no compilations or discographies (though rules are made to be broken). A lot of classic releases were just EPs or even demos, but I decided on LPs only. It was also really hard to pick the order, though in my opinion each release generally fits into each quarter and for me the top three are cast in stone. I enjoyed putting it together and had to listen to certain albums back to back to decide which one would make it in. I’m interested in everyone else’s opinion or if you think I’ve criminally missed out something. Anyway, onto the justifications...

  

20.   Avail – 4am Friday

I love Avail. From Satiate through to Front Porch Stories they have never released a poor album. They are a bit different to most HC bands in that they get more aggressive with each release. I first saw them live at the Red Eye in London, where I only went along to see the support band Assert. I contemplated putting in 7 seconds or Gorilla Biscuits here, which I think most people would think would be a more suitable or classic choice. But for me Avail had to make the list, as they make my top 10 bands of all time list. They haven’t played live since 2008, but haven’t officially split up. Let’s hope the hiatus comes to an end soon.

19.   Tragedy – Tragedy

Tragedy, formed from the ashes of his hero is gone (pun intended). They have a very strong dis-core influence and very D.I.Y. Most of the bands on this list are more mainstream underground, where Tragedy is probably the most underground. A great live band and well worth checking out. Everybody will have their own favourite ‘anarcho’ hardcore punk band and this is mine, though I think they musically offer a lot more. In time, this LP could easily climb this list.

18.   The Exploited – Troops of Tomorrow

Punks not dead at all! Some would put The Exploited under the punk umbrella but for me it’s hardcore punk and so makes the list. Great riffs and vocals so as all the right ingredients. They have been going for so long now and have never disappointed.

17.   Shelter – Mantra

Another personal favorite from another band which is one of my favorites. Its probably one of the more mellower records on the list and a lot of people would swap it with a Youth of Today record, but not me. Their later LP ‘When 20 Summers Pass’, is also definitely worth checking out if you've not been exposed to too much Shelter.

16.   Slapshot – 16 Valve Hate

I contemplated Chokes former band ‘SS Decontrol’, as they have released a few classics, but for me Slapshot are the better band. Just the opening guitar riff does it and then it never lets up. A personal fav, but you could easily put in ‘Back on the Map’, ‘Step on It’, or ‘Old Time Hardcore’. Just great straight up hardcore.

15.   Poison Idea – Feel the Darkness

Poison Idea, the heaviest band on the planet – literally. I guess you've all heard that one before. The first band on the list which I've not seen live, but people I know who have seen them say they know what they’re doing. A lot of classics on here, ‘Alan’s on Fire’, ‘The badge’ (I almost used that song for my Uzbekistan video) and the opener ‘Plastic Bomb’. Great Stuff!

14.   M.D.C. – M.D.C.

An often over looked band. I got lent this LP a long time ago and had never heard of them. I loved it though not quite so impressed with some of their later releases. They have a lot of reasons to be angry and it comes across. There was no way this wasn't making the cut.

13.   Madball – Legacy

Up until now, with the slight exception of Avail, it’s been pretty easy to pick each bands best album. It was very hard to do for Madball. Do I go with the ‘Ball of Destruction’, with all the classics or even their proper debut of ‘Set it Off’. For me though their best period is ‘Hold it Down’, ‘NYHC EP’ and ‘Legacy’. A modern day classic from a band which will never let anyone down. Its probably their most aggressive LP and I love it!

12.   The Misfits – Static Age

A tricky one here ... for me The Misfits have always been more Punk than Hardcore Punk, band but who am I to split hairs (or devils locks). They are so influential and distinctive that it didn't seem right to leave them out. It was actually pretty tricky to pick out an LP of theirs as all the classic tunes are usually listened to off compilations these days, so I picked the LP with the most classics on.

11.   The Dead Kennedys – Plastic Surgery Disasters

I almost put the ‘In god we Trust EP’, here but in obeying the no EP rule I had to pick an LP. This one is a bit better than their debut, you normally see on lists like this, for me and on CD has the just mentioned EP tagged on the end. A very influential band, but more on the alternative post hardcore style which formed out of hardcore.

10.   Sick of it All – Built to Last

Again, very similar to Madball, which LP to pick? I first saw these on the ‘Just Look Around’ tour years and years ago and are the band I've seen most live. There is most definitely a reason why I've always gone back to see them... and that’s the humour of Lou Koller. For me the Built-Call-Yours trilogy of LPs is their best period, so it was hard to pick one of those three. I went for Built, due to the title track, ‘Good Looking Out’, and ‘Busted’. ‘Live in a Dive’ was released at the height of this period and makes it into my top 10 LPs of all time list, as live LPs are allowed in that one.

9.   Black Flag – Damaged

This is usually number one in other lists like this I’ve seen. A great band, but for me a touch over rated hence the lowly top 10 position here. This is easily their best LP though and very influential. Their 4-bar flag logo is probably the most tattooed band symbols ever along with the SOIA dragon and misfits skull.

8.  Minor Threat – Complete Discography

Rules are made to be broken, just like the discography one. I could have broken the ‘no EP’ one and just had their debut EP in here, but then I’m missing out ‘Out of Step’. I had to break one of the rules as a top 20 hardcore list with no minor threat would be like watching Motorhead without Lemmy. Just not right. This band also unintentionally spawned the ‘straight edge’ genre. Fine, be positive, live healthy, but why label and pigeon hole yourself? This would have been higher on the list, but as it’s a discography and includes everything they have ever recorded it does tail of a bit towards the end.

7.       Suicidal Tendencies – Suicidal Tendencies

I almost didn't include this and then why is it so high once I did decide to include it. It would make the very top of a crossover list which is why I almost left it out, but it’s such a great record from such a great band I changed my mind. Always a very distinctive band throughout their career and still going today. They have had more of an influence on the more metal side of HC in contrast to The DKs which have influenced the more alternative post HC side of things.

6.       Bad Religion – How Could Hell be any Worse?

Melodic HC, is that a contradiction in terms. Maybe, maybe not, who really cares. One thing is for sure though is that Bad Religion are without a shadow of doubt the founding members of this style. So many releases and so compelling, so active and a band which you can always go back to and rely on.

5.       Cro-Mags – Age of Quarrel

A band with a lot of bite! A great release and one of the NYHC classics. Shame that they have had their problems and differences over the years as it would have been good to have seen them carry on through the decades like Agnostic Front have done.

4.       Bad Brains – Bad Brains

Probably the most influential band on the early HC scene on this list. Most people would have one of their releases in the top 3. For me, one of their strengths, which is variety, is also a slight weakness as a HC band. Maybe that is a limited way of looking at things, but it is how I look at things. ‘Attitude’ and ‘The Big Takeover’ are great tunes, a band I would love to see live.

3.       Discharge – Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing

The first English band and only the second non American band on the list. I saw one top 20 hardcore LPs list recently which didn't even have Discharge in there. They created a whole sub genre of HC which is probably the most numerous. Relentless!

2.       Agnostic Front – Victim in Pain

What a band... an amazing 30 year history. Even though I have picked their debut for this list they have released so many great LPs and like a fine wine have got better over the years. The reason I picked their debut is just the sheer amount of classics jammed onto here.  Check out these 2 live clips. The first is from 04 and the second is from 85. Pretty much the same guys playing the same songs at the same venue. Both are amazing, but the 04 clip is one of the best live videos I've ever seen. If you are reading this and not really into HC check it out to find out what HC is all about.

1.       D.R.I. – D.R.L.P.
So it’s time for the number one LP! This might be a bit of a surprise to a lot of people, but for me it was an easy choice. When I was at school, I had all their LPs (at that time) from ‘Dealing with it’ (which would make the top 5 on this list if I was not restricted to one LP per band) through to ‘Thrash zone’. I loved the HC influence on metal. The copy I got of this was bought by a metal kid in the year below me and got passed round all the metal kids in that year as everyone hated it. My mate ended up with it, hated it, knew I liked DRI and gave it to me... I loved it, even though I was more into metal at that time! I knew from ‘Dealing with it’, that they were initially a HC band before moving into crossover but I wasn't expecting the sheer aggression and speed on this. This LP, along with Slayers ‘Reign in Blood’ and Napalm Deaths ‘Scum’ just blew me away... there was nothing else like it. Over the years it has gotten better and even though it is 30 years old, the songs don’t need to be re-recorded or sound better live. These are the best versions of the songs. On the video for this list there are 2 covers for this LP. The second (skeleton one) is the re-issued and re-mixed version from Roadrunner Records. The re-mixing takes a bit of the edge of, so if you do get it on CD hunt down the more recent DRCD release which also has loads of bonus tracks. ‘I play pac-man and I watch TV, I’m so happy cause it pleases me, i couldn't really ask for anything else, except maybe my own chain of taco-bells’ ... Great Stuff !!!

Cheers, Neil