PUNK

NUTS & BOLTS in conversation with Tyneside songwriter John Heston

/ Alikivi
(John Heston in the Littlehaven Hotel, South Shields Feb. 2026. Pic. Alikivi.)

I’ve known John since 1970s living in South Shields and going to Tyne Dock youth club where rock music was blasted out of the disco.

‘Yeah, I was a bit of a rocker then. The first band I got a ticket for was Scorpions at Newcastle City Hall. I went on my own, I was only 11 – I’m 57 now. I had no concept of what a gig would be like’ said John.

‘When the band were on stage, I noticed something different. Was it an extra member? I didn’t recognise some of the songs. When they finished, I walked out when a bouncer on the doors stopped me “Hey son you not hanging around for the main band?” ‘I’d only watched the support band who happened to be Tygers of Pan Tang from Whitley Bay!’

‘Harry Hill the drummer of rock band Fist, his mother lived near me when I was a kid. When he used to come to see her, he’d drive into the street. A few times I would run over to get his autograph cos the band had just released a single. I met him years later he was really nice. We had a laugh when I told him about it. “What! You were that little squirt who used to come over all the time?”

‘Buddys nightclub in the town had an under 18’s disco and what caught me ear was bands like Stiff Little Fingers, The Jam and The Clash. Alternative Ulster from the Fingers blew us away. Unfortunately, as I was just getting into them these bands were starting to split up! I was a curse, too late for the party’.

One day in 1985 I was in Newcastle record shopping when I was surprised coming across a band busking at the Grey’s Monument. I wasn’t sure at first but it was The Clash.

‘Yeah, I’d been up Newcastle that day but missed them. The busking dates and locations were unannounced. I did meet Mick Jones’ band Big Audio Dynamite at the Mayfair – they handed out cans of Red Stripe. But we missed the last bus so had to walk home afterwards. About 10 mile!’

‘I’ve met Joe Strummer when he was on his solo tour. Had a smoke and drink with him backstage at Newcastle Uni. They say never meet your heroes but glad I did cos he talked patiently to us and answered our questions. I like that, open and relaxed not like now paying for a meet and greet.’

Since being a teenager John has been attracted to music.

‘I was never one who wanted to sound like Jimi Hendrix. The guitar was a songwriting tool for me. I remember when I was around 12 walking in the West Park, South Shields and this loud noise was coming from a distance. I followed the sound which led to a hut. I opened the door and there was a band inside rehearsing. It just hit me. I immediately thought I wouldn’t mind doing that.’

‘It was songs I was interested in, not just the guitar, I wondered how did they put them together? I was interested in the nuts and bolts of the song.’

We talked about great 80s music TV programmes like The Tube which I was lucky to get free tickets for to be in the studio audience. Watching rock bands like Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest and Gary Moore was great but this was the time that The Alarm, The Cult, Killing Joke and Big Country were making a different noise.

‘The first Big Country album really helped me learning guitar. It was a big influence.’

Previous interviews have revealed a family member who used to sing in the clubs or a granny who had a piano in the front room – but not in John’s case.

‘Me mam says I don’t know where it has come from cos there is no history in our family of any musical talent. I think it was just the generation I grew up in. I thought being in a band was beyond me. The punk attitude of going out to just do it made it more possible.’

‘Thing was there was no money around. I only had a cheap guitar from a shop in South Shields called Second Hand Rose. The scratch plate was made from the perspex from a bus shelter window. I don’t know what the strings were made of – possibly chicken wire – but they toughened my fingers up.’

‘It was just getting the feel of playing guitar along to records. I got a book out the library which showed me a few chords. I never got a proper guitar until I was 18. As I say writing songs was what I wanted to do and I started looking around to work on this with somebody.’

(Cloud 10, Laygate 1995 with John on the left pic. Alikivi)

‘I had a mate, Paul Stephenson, who wrote lyrics so we worked on them with some music for about two years. His brothers were a guitarist and drummer and we contacted Neil Newton to come in on bass so formed a band called Cloud 10. We found rehearsal rooms in South Shields this was around ’94.’

‘There was a good scene in Shields then. Plenty of bands like The Calm, January Blue, The Fad, Lemongrass and Nosh at venues like The Vic, the Amphitheatre and I remember playing a showcase gig for community radio station Seven FM at Temple Park Leisure Centre.’

‘After a few gigs we were getting noticed and a guy called Danilo Moscardini, who had a music page in the Sunday Sun newspaper, got in touch after hearing our demo tape. He managed Sunderland band Kenickie at the time who had a few hits. The singer/guitarist Lauren Lavern works on the BBC TV One show now. But after initial interest from record companies it faded away and me and Neil went our own way, forming a band called Speedster’

‘Pre-internet it was adverts in local music shops ‘looking for drummer’ that took ages. Then Neil left to join The Chasers with ex Wildheart Danny Mccormack and I joined The Last Men on Earth with Chris Wraith, Martin Payton and Wayne Burgess. We played around the pubs doing a mix of our own songs with a few covers which earned us enough money to buy new equipment and book in studio time.’

(The Last Men on Earth with Chris Wraith, John Heston, Martin Payton, Wayne Burgess).

‘We were playing a few days a week around the North East and we got down to Camden in London. Again, this band fizzled out and me and drummer Martin Payton talked about getting something together.’

‘As Panic Report (Richy Harbison – keyboards, guitar & vocals, Steve Moore – bass & vocals) we went a similar route as Last Men on Earth by playing originals mixed with covers. From this we got ourselves a decent recorder where we got a few tracks down on CD. Obviously not as good a sound as studio but we spent more time on the tracks and didn’t worry about looking at the clock ticking. Studios are expensive.’

‘We did eventually book into a pro studio and have recorded two CD’s with our new one ‘Kingston to Coventry’ (pic below) which we are releasing on vinyl in a few months. The master tracks are sent away and the wheels are in motion. We will be arranging a launch party in the summer.’

‘For gigging the Panic Report have supported Toyah and Bad Manners at Newcastle Academy. We have played at Stone Valley festival (Bad Manners, From the Jam, Cast, The Professionals with Paul Cook, Bob Geldof). When I was 16 and people said you would have been in a band playing gigs alongside these people I wouldn’t have believed them.’

‘Although not long ago we done a gig down Bishop Aukland with only ten people in the audience, but you still play and just get on with it and enjoy it. We love what we are doing.’

‘A gig I enjoyed was when Angelic Upstarts supported us at Mensi’s 60th birthday at his pub the Alexandria in Jarrow. It was unbelievable. We couldn’t believe it when the big man asked us. Mensi wanted to go on before us then relax before the whole gig finished. It was a great night. The place was rammed’.

‘We’re playing on the Mensifest soon. The organisers are looking to get a festival in remembrance of the Upstarts singer who sadly died a couple of year ago. The gig will be at the Unionist Club, South Shields. There will be about seven bands on with Crashed Out headlining. The tickets are going well the organiser is hoping to make it an annual event.’

‘We’re more or less busy through the year with festival dates and there’s promoters still getting in touch to arrange more.’

Since he was a teenager playing music has been in John’s blood and being able to still be doing what he love’s for over 40 years, he says is a privilege.

‘I’ve done around 700 gigs since starting and I’m ready to keep going’.

‘Kingston to Coventry’ available on vinyl this summer. Check The Panic Report social media for details.

Southside Promotions present ‘Mensifest’ on 21st February 2026 at The Unionist Club, South Shields. Line up featuring Crashed Out, Red London, The Fauves, The Panic Report and more. Tickets £15. On the door £20.

Alikivi   February 2026

MONGO – new album from Heed Case

/ Alikivi

Follow up to debut album ‘All the Rage’, post punk three piece Heed Case release new album ‘Mongo’ on Friday 31st October 2025.

Heed Case are former Angelic Upstart guitarist on vocals Newts Newton, bass Si Cadelik and drums Mr Dusty. They squeeze between the bubbling volcanic crack where The Fall and Killing Joke lie.

And who doesn’t love a solid thunderous drum intro? Infectious album track ‘ADHD’ crunches and buzzes in yer ear…. ‘Impulsive can’t sit still, Destructive, too many pills, Can’t sit still for meditation, too much pressure and medication’.

The sheer anthemic guitar calls out…. ‘Cast adrift in a sea of challenges with a feeling of being left to drown. Frantically waving to be rescued. But all the lifeboats have run aground’.

Where did the album title come from?

‘The title ‘Mongo’ comes from a phrase the three of us use to describe our autism and adhd. Example, I have to everything in order. You open a cupboard in my kitchen and all the tins face forward and stacked alphabetically. Instead of saying “Oh that’s just a trait of autism, I’m neurodivergent don’t you know”. I’d simply say that’s just my mongo!’

‘However, it’s original source came from Si’s bass audition. I’d asked people to learn two tracks video themselves playing them and send it within 5 days. Si was the only one who followed the instructions to the letter – his mongo made sure of that.’

‘But when I watched the video he was concentrating so hard he was quite stiff and cumbersome. So much so that he reminded me of Mongo from the film ‘Blazing Saddles’. Hence Mongo became a word our traits and mannerisms associated with being neurodivergent.’

You are open about various medical conditions within the band….

’The broad theme of ‘All the Rage’ was about narcissism and entitlement in modern society. For ‘Mongo’ we chose to write about our experiences of living with autism and adhd whilst using different samples and FX to create soundscapes that reflected what the inside of our head often feels like – at times fecking scary!’

‘The song ‘Manic’ for example, is about how dealing with everyday tasks often feels like being hit with a tornado. A visual representation would be the swirl of colours you see when Henry the mild mannered janitors car, turns him into Hong Kong Phooey in the TV cartoon – and that’s what we tried to recreate with the audio.’

‘You may notice that the guitar isn’t as prominent through the tracks, its being used more as a texture rather than a traditional role in a guitar band. ‘All the Rage’ was a transitional album, ‘Mongo’ goes further down that road towards our aim of broadening our horizons beyond the punk genre.’

With the album in the bag are any live dates planned?

‘Yes, we’ve already played about 17 gigs thus far, including Rebellion Festival, Punk on the Peninsula, Punk & Disorderly Festivals and our last gig was at the Dublin Castle in Camden a few weeks ago. We’ve got a few more coming up and adding dates all the time as we want to keep busy’.

New 10 track album ‘Mongo’ release date Friday 31st October on all platforms, vinyl & CD format.

Contact the official website >>> www.heedcase.com

Link to previous interview >>>

HEED CASE release debut album ‘All the Rage’ | ALIKIVI : NORTH EAST UK CULTURE

Alikivi  October 2025

COMIC STRIP PRESENTS Northumberland cartoonist David Haldane

/ Alikivi / 1 Comment

A series of talks by cartoonist David Haldane have been booked into venues this September including the Civic Theatre, Gosforth and The Word in South Shields.

‘I started work at the Shields Gazette in 1977. It was a great job really enjoyed it. It was my first real wage packet. We used to get paid weekly. In cash!’ recalls David.

Born in Blyth in 1954 David last featured in April this year talking about his work at national newspapers including the Mirror, the Guardian and The Times (link below). In a recent phone call he looked back to his early days and what inspired him.

‘I noticed cartoons when I was young. At the age of 7 I got scarlet fever which then was quite serious, luckily there were anti biotics. I remember I was isolated in my bedroom at home and couldn’t touch any of my books or they would have to be destroyed’.

‘There was a guy who lived in the street who was a Merchant seaman, he brought back some papers like the Chicago Tribune. I had a pile of papers on my bed with loads of full colour comic strips inside like Popeye and Prince Valiant.’

‘Me mam bought me a jotter from Woolworths, I just sat and copied them when I was ill. From then on I drew regularly, in particular funny stuff.  When I was studying for my ‘O’ levels in Blyth library I noticed a whole series of Punch annuals which I started to read and from then on fell in love with the cartoons.’

‘People have heroes – rock stars, singers, guitarists, my heroes were cartoonists. I was 15 year old sitting in Blyth library thinking I wanna do this – never thinking I actually could or meet these people.’

‘There was a magazine called The North which featured walks and the like in places like Berwick. The art teacher put me in touch with the editor. That magazine is where I done my first published strip. I was still at school at the time and did it for a couple of years. Did I get paid? Put it this way I gave up my paper round for it.’

‘When I enrolled on a Design course at Newcastle Polytechnic I was doing a few cartoons on the side sending them in to magazines like Punch. When I got my first cartoon published in Punch it was when I was at the Gazette in 1977.’

‘The Shields Gazette were building up the art department working on advertising, editorial and illustration and four of us got a job at the same time. The newspaper then was absolutely thriving they used to do three or four editions a day. Other papers were published in the area – Whitley Bay, Chronicle and others it was a real Fleet Street on the Tyne.’

‘I remember local punk band the Angelic Upstarts came in to be interviewed by the editor, they were big, like the North East Sex Pistols. There were many wild rumours about them – the pigs head on stage was one!’

‘We were mainly advertising stuff like a pull out of Ocean Road which would feature all the shops. They would pay for adverts and we used to draw them up. This was before computers so it was all hand drawn. It was like a little factory in there we used to churn the stuff out on a daily basis.’

‘Working there was experienced journalists like Janis Blower, John Landells the waterfront reporter, his son Steve joined later. Mike Blackah was the editor. There was a huge room with a lot of sub-editors. It was a very busy, thriving newspaper office. When I started working at the real Fleet Street in London, I realised how similar they were.’

‘In the early 80s I worked on a short run of TV show Spitting Image. This was during the Thatcher years – the real hardcore political stuff. Ian Hislop and Nick Newman were writing short sketches which played before and after the commercial breaks. They wanted cartoonists to fill in the bits without puppets. Newman asked cartoonists who were working on Punch and Private Eye. Four or five of us worked on them and subsequently I got a few sketches on.’

‘I remember going to a script meeting in London. It was great meeting the scriptwriters who went on to produce a lot of shows. One of them told me to stick to drawing cartoons as you’ll make a lot more money. I took his advice. They still release box set DVDs of the show, I’m grateful to still receive the odd royalty payment.’

‘When I’m drawing I listen to film soundtracks – Japanese, Korean, quite niche, also Italian horror movies, spaghetti western, jazz sometimes. I have some Michael Nyman here as well, beautiful stuff. The music is on in the background but not when I’m thinking of ideas. I tend to sit in silence to work out ideas.’

To find out more of the life and work of David Haldane he will be appearing at ‘An Evening With’ at The Word, South Shields on September 24th & Gosforth Civic Theatre September 30th 2025.

Alikivi   May 2025

Link to previous post >>>

DRAWING NEWCASTLE’S LIT & PHIL – with Blyth born cartoonist David Haldane | ALIKIVI : NORTH EAST UK CULTURE

THE BALLAD OF BIG MOSS

/ Alikivi

Musicians, writers and actors have contributed stories to the site for over 8 years now resulting in world wide views totalling over 430,000. A big thank you to all the readers – much appreciated.

The site also has local and social history posts. A contributor who goes under the pseudonym Tinwhistler sends in his recollections of characters in South Shields. The likes of Big Hec, Billy Meths and Wavis O’Shave have already featured and the number of views prove there is a thirst for these stories.

In his latest post he talks about how a myth can be cultivated to the point of belief.

‘Our heroes are due to legend created from what is said or written about them, however, they can become exaggerated when tales are passed down. The negative aspects are usually omitted so you might be left with a ‘Robin Hood’ tale bearing little resemblance to reality’.

‘Controversial characters become larger than life courtesy of Chinese whispers elevating the likes of small time hoodlum to status of master criminal.’

‘We have heard of individuals such as this with their names and gang titles posted via graffiti. Never in a position to place a face to any of the names sprayed out there, I often wondered if these characters did exist?’

‘What if they were simply the imaginings of a furtive mind creating a band of disciples who followed a not so large Mr. Big? Back in the 1980s in South Shields there was indeed a case of this.’

‘This originated in the realm of dreams that belonged to Wavis O’Shave and the title bestowed was ‘The Hard’ showcased by Tyne Tees television on their nationally networked UK live music show The Tube.’

‘The Hard was tough, a shaven headed individual with a pumped up upper torso (a little padding), wearing Dr Marten boots on hands as well as feet.’

‘The Hard was filmed completing stunts such as spreading out one of his hands on a brick wall and banging several digits with a claw hammer, his mantra was an unforgettable “Felt Nowt!”

‘So where and how did the Hard originate? The North East of England has had more than its fair share of this type over the years, some individuals, some gangs usually involved in some kind of turf war.’

‘Spotting them wouldn’t be too difficult, in fact take three or four and morph their assorted traits, qualities and characteristics and hey presto!’

‘Going back to the 1970s O’Shave was solely involved and directly responsible for the Hard’s precursor. Back in those days we would read the writings on the walls to see if we might discern who these characters were, what they might be about and wonder if they actually existed at all.’

‘And so it came to pass. Wavis cunningly wove a mental tapestry involving the adventures and exploits of one of these types, creating a legend that would expand over a period of time. A title was bestowed on the non-existent extra hard tyrant and it was ‘Big Moss’.

‘The somewhat susceptible youths who we spotted in our neighbourhoods were fair game to test out the believability of his creation. Several of us in the know would be dispatched to where they would assemble – street football, outside the chip shop or leaving a youth club.’

‘The message was that Big Moss had been seen in the area and he was big trouble, keep out of the way and avoid at all costs. We answered questions as best we could but there were inevitable distortions as a precise script had not been devised.’

‘If asked as to his South Shields origins one reply might be the notorious old Deans Estate, another might be Horsley Hill or possibly one of the town’s outlying estates such as Biddick Hall or Whiteleas.’

‘The general description given was – bigger than you can imagine, a mop of ginger red hair, Dr Marten boots, 60s style evaprest trousers that were worn too short for his long legs which left exposed ginger shin fur. An additional warning was issued, “whatever you do, do not laugh!”

‘The Big Moss wardrobe was somewhat random from charity shops and jumble sales married up with home made turtle neck knitwear topped off with a blazer or suit jacket as the pockets were useful for carrying tapes of preferred music.’

‘If you were stopped by Big Moss and asked what music you liked and your answer wasn’t what he happened to like then it was likely a case of seeing stars. If he motioned to place his cassette recorder (the size of a small suitcase) on the ground, then it was best to run as it meant he was going to fight you.’

‘As previously described, Big Moss wore a jacket with pockets where he kept tapes by Black Sabbath and Budgie who were a Welsh hard rocking trio.‘

‘He also carried cigarettes –  unfiltered Capstan Full strength, a Ronson Varaflame lighter and in his inside pocket held close to his heart more tapes. These were of American band The Carpenters. It was strongly rumoured that Big Moss was secretly in love with Karen Carpenter.’

‘There were some agnostics who would only believe in him if they actually saw him and this was when the sightings were confirmed – up close and threateningly personal.’

‘The role of Big Moss was played by a Wavis acquaintance known as ‘HAT.’ Hat fitted the bill perfectly as Wavis had fashioned his mental prototype largely on his colleague, just a few tweaks were needed here and there.’

‘His hair was a natural ginger combed forward creating a fringe curling up at his forehead. His hairstyle was commented on by a local barber who asked “who the hell cuts his hair cos it looks like he’s wearing a cap or a hat”.

‘Hat’s wardrobe was what Big Moss’s apparel was based on and the crowning glory was an auburn curly wig was taken from the wardrobe of somebody’s mother (possibly mine) and though worn reluctantly it achieved the desired image.’

‘So, Hat played the role of Big Moss, the personification of mixed up violence/ hardness married to dodgy dressing. He was let loose during December 1977 until February 1978 and new believers arrived after a successful campaign.’

‘They were accosted several times, stared at, made to listen to his music via the cassette. One track enforced upon the poor unfortunates was self penned by Big Moss, rap in nature maybe pre dating what came out of the States. In fact, he may have been the first possessor of a ghetto blaster, who knows.’

‘His self penned ditty was played repeatedly to these new believers frightened to look at their companions as it may lead to triggering an unwanted reaction. Expressionless faces secured their safety. They were now believers, converts and fearful of the spectre that had descended upon their once safe neighbourhood.’

‘Wavis fielded their questions as best he could. One question was “is he called Big Moss because of his size?” Wavis replied that this was partially correct, it was also because there was another of that family, Little Moss. The new believers were told that if they thought Big Moss was hard then never ever get in the way of Little Moss.’

‘Twice as bad but only half the size. The new believers were told of the exploits of Little Moss such as how he had toppled opponents twice his size, taking them on frequently in pairs and sometimes their fathers as well.’

‘Little Moss was the absolute rock, the hardest individual in these parts. But this was wrong. Wavis informed them of another even more ferocious member of that clan. This individual was said to fight opponents in threes with their Staffordshire Bull Terriers as well. This was none other than Medium Moss. A new legend was born.’

Words: Tinwhistler

Edit: Alikivi   May 2025

Link to previous post by Tinwhistler >>>

BILLY’S STORY -The artist formerly known as Meths. | ALIKIVI : NORTH EAST UK CULTURE

SHORT BACK & SIDES  – with South Shields veteran barber Vernon Gray.

/ Alikivi / 3 Comments

A post on this site back in December 2019 featured memories of Billy Roberts, known locally as Billy Meths (link below). They were written by a 63 year old South Shields resident operating under the pseudonym Tinwhistler.

Recently he got in touch about another well known character from the town somebody who could be in the Guinness book of records.

79 year old Vernon Gray lives in Washington, Tyne & Wear and for four days a week works as a barber at Westoe Bridges in South Shields.

Vernon Gray in his barber shop, South Shields.

‘According to research on the Internet I’m the joint longest surviving barber in the UK! The other fella is 3 years my junior so I’m at least the longest surviving senior barber in the land!’

‘I left school at 15 year old and started as an apprentice way back in 1961. My mother was a hairdresser so that gave me the motivation. I learnt my trade at Melvins on Dean Road, South Shields. Neighbouring businesses were Quigleys, Robertsons who were both fruit and veg and Tissemans the watchmakers and jewellers.’

‘I was at Melvins for a year and a half and then did about a year with Norman Craig at my current Westoe Bridges address. Then went on to do a further two years or so with Ross Neal who had two shops – one at Gaskell Avenue and the other at Whiteleas Way. When Norman Craig retired, he offered me first refusal on the Westoe Bridges business. That was in November 1968’.

‘My favourite part of being a barber is meeting and chatting to customers and members of the public. The hardest part is often having to stand for up to 4 hours per shift without a break. If yer wondering, it’s my sister who cuts my hair!’

Having a bad start to the day or dealing with some awkward customers has brought challenging moments, Verne remembers a couple of incidents.

‘I recall a situation during a Christmas period, the last customer of the day. ‘What are we having?’ I asked. ‘You tell me’ he replied. ‘It doesn’t work like that’ I stated. His reply was that he didn’t like my attitude. I then removed my gown and told him to fuck off! ‘You’re losing money’ was his response and he left the shop’.

‘On tidying up I noticed he’d left an XXL sweater behind, so, hoping he’d return for it I held onto it. I would have asked for a description of it so as to confirm ownership. He never returned but I had a response prepared to say that it wasn’t an XXL but an FB – Fat Bastard.’

‘One morning I turned up possibly not quite alert. I opened the shop up and when I went over to the chair, I suddenly kicked a brick on the floor. ‘That’s funny’ I thought, ‘I don’t remember putting that there.’ Turns out some likely pissed lout had thrown it though the shop window during the night and I hadn’t noticed the massive hole in the window.’

One customer of Verne’s didn’t want a haircut he requested a singing barber.

‘That would be when local town celeb and friend Wavis O’Shave had a non-musical troupe called The Borestiffers. He talked me into being recorded singing ‘Obladi Oblada’ in the shop after hours. Under his instruction I played the scissors, clippers and hair drier. He put it on a cassette album!’

‘Wavis would call me ‘Sweeney’ for fun and when I once went to Malta I saw a barbers there actually called ‘Sweeneys’ which I found amusing.’

The scorching heat during summer 1976 brought some unwanted guests to the shop.

‘Three whopping great rats had come out of Hornsby’s bike shop garage next door to my shop. They hid under a parked car so I’m told and then trooped into my packed out shop which emptied in a second. Two blokes tried to hit them with rolled up newspapers and I came out armed with scissors and a trimmer. I saw two fellas who I knew sitting on the nearby wall and asked if they’d sent them in!’

Verne talked about today’s barbers and his plans for the future.

‘Modern day barbers have their place and seem to suit people. I’m not interested in offering advice to them as this is a totally different era. For me, I never thought of quitting. The job suits my personality.’

Original interview by Tinwhistler.

Edited by Alikivi  May 2025.

Link to feature on Billy Meths >>>

BILLY’S STORY -The artist formerly known as Meths. | ALIKIVI : NORTH EAST UK CULTURE

GEORDIE HUNT SABS BENEFIT GIG

/ Alikivi

All needles are gonna be in the red zone at Newcastle Trillians this Sunday for the Geordie Hunt Sabs benefit gig. Sin City Rockers, Extinction of Mankind, Cazimi and Bastard Face are the four face peeling punk bands who’ve promised this’ll be the only show in town.

GHS member Rosie Brock “We are really grateful to all the bands who dedicated their effort and time to the upcoming gig”.

The GHS recently received some great news as they are now officially approved by the Hunt Saboteurs Association.

“After our hard work we have been recognised for our dedication and commitment to protesting wildlife and taking direct action against bloodsports. We’re proud to stand alongside other HAS groups in the UK” explained Rosie.

Throughout the summer the GHS continue their vital animal rights work by fundraising. On the door for the gig is £10 for this important cause.

“All the money that we raise now goes towards keeping us on the road, we need petrol and money for repairs after tyres are slashed and windows broken. Be part of the resistance on Sunday May 4th at Trillians in Princess Square, Newcastle”.

Further insight to the work of the Geordie Hunt Sabs >>>

HOWAY THE SABS – GEORDIE HUNT SABOTEURS WANT YOU | ALIKIVI : NORTH EAST UK CULTURE

GIVE THE FOX ANOTHER GUN – with Geordie Hunt Saboteurs member Rosie Brock | ALIKIVI : NORTH EAST UK CULTURE

GIVE THE FOX A GUN – with Teesside musician Bob Campbell | ALIKIVI : NORTH EAST UK CULTURE

Alikivi   April 2025

HOWAY THE SABS – GEORDIE HUNT SABOTEURS WANT YOU

/ Alikivi / 1 Comment

GHS (Group for Hunt Sabotage) has been active since October 2023 currently with a team of 8 active sabs. However, for the past 5 years Rosie Brock and her loyal sab dog Pogo have been monitoring the Braes hunt, often solo or with a small crew.

“In August young hounds are trained to chase and kill foxes. These cruel sessions take place before dawn meaning sabs are up at 4am for 4-6 weeks. This rolls straight into the main hunting season which stretches through to March ending with the traditional hunt celebration – the hunt ball” explained Rosie.

GHS continue through spring and summer with animal rights work including fundraising and direct action. Recently the GHS received some great news – from February this year they are officially approved and affiliated with the Hunt Saboteurs Association.

“After hard work and close monitoring of our actions, we’ve been recognised for our dedication and commitment to protecting wildlife and taking direct action against bloodsports. We’re proud to stand alongside other HSA groups in the UK”.

“Massive thanks to everyone who has supported us so far – whether in the field or just cheered us on – we see you. But now is the time to get involved.Whether you’re a seasoned sab or brand new to the scene there’s a role for you in the Geordie Hunt Saboteurs. Essentially, we‘re looking for people to stand up, speak out and save wildlife”.

Can you fit into the GHS? “We need boots on the ground, foot soldiers who are willing and ready to hit the fields and get muddy. We need drivers to get us there safely. We need sharp eyed quick thinking map readers and fundraisers to help keep us mobile and moving. We have a number of on-line platforms so we’re after media savvy folk to take the reins and grow our voice” added Rosie.

“We’ll show you the ropes and provide full training but most of it is really just good old fashioned common sense. You’ll see the countryside in all its glory – or inglory, and you’ll be part of something real. Get stuck in. Be part of the resistance. Join today”.

Contact Geordie Hunt Sabs on social media.

Alikivi   April 2025

GIVE THE FOX ANOTHER GUN – with Geordie Hunt Saboteurs member Rosie Brock

/ Alikivi / 1 Comment

Heart beating fast, he’s running for his life

Chased by morons, no value to their life

Bring back hunting, give the fox a gun.

(Mensforth/Newton, Angelic Upstarts)

We’re in old favourite the Centurion bar in Newcastle Central Station where I’ve talked to a few contributors to the site. This is our first time meeting however Rosie wasn’t hard to spot with her nose rings and orange hair.

Rosie is 58 years young and retired from Newcastle Social Services, she talks about her strong working class background…My mam was a nurse at Newcastle General hospital and my dad was a welder in Swan Hunters shipyard. Being small, he worked in the bowels of the ships.

Rosie is a member of Geordie Hunt Sabs, a North East group established to expose illegal fox hunting and other blood sports. The Sabs use non-violent direct action to protect wildlife from cruelty.

We want to hold hunts accountable and try and make sure the law is upheld.I thought in 2004 when Tony Blair was in government, he would ban fox hunting completely but I think they left so many loopholes that nothing much has changed.

I’ve always been passionate about animals and animal rights but thinking back to when I first stopped eating meat was when I was about 13 year old. I never liked the texture and taste of bacon.

At family dinner I used to ask my dad to swap my meat for some carrots. One day I asked where did it come from ‘a pig’. ‘So, a pig’s been killed so I can eat that?’ That was it. That was the moment. I started thinking why do they have different names like pork or bacon? It doesn’t sound like pig where it actually comes from.

Me mam used to put bits of chicken inside my mashed potato, when I’d find it I’d spit it out ‘You’re gonna die if you don’t eat meat’ she’d say. I found a magazine with recipes without meat and gave her them. This was 1980 when I made the connection.

I was listening to punk bands like Dead Kennedys, Crass, Anti System, reading all their lyrics I discovered there were people out there like me. Back in the day it was always punks and alternative people who went out Sabbing.

When I left school I went on a YTS government scheme and  worked in Phaze a shop for alternative clothing in Newcastle. The shop done a lot of mail order so I’d go to the Post Office with parcels and on the streets see a lot of Sabs at the monument on their stall, I thought I’d love to join them.

When live music show The Tube was on TV we had people from that show coming in to Phaze. The show was recorded in Newcastle TV studios and we used to get tickets to be in the audience. The presenter Paula Yates used to come in the shop for something to wear on the show, we also had bands like Grandmaster Flash come in. I ended up getting a punters card off Chris Phipps who worked on the production team.

When I was working for Social Services I was still an Animal Activist and a vegan who never had vaccines because of my beliefs, I think if they knew they might have sacked me.

There was an abattoir next to the building I worked in. I could hear the noise coming from it, it was absolutely horrific. Nowadays they are bigger and kill up to 2,500 animals per day – there is no respect at all.

When I was younger, I protested for animal rights but when I had my kids I stepped back and just donated to different groups. Now my kids are teenagers I’m back out there again.

There are nine hunts in Northumberland who hunt on a Wednesday and a Saturday in places like Tyne Valley, Tynedale, Morpeth. We try to get to them all. We’re hitting the Braes Hunt of Derwent at the moment. Braes have been going for over 200 years, they are teaming up with south Durham now. They have over 40 specially bred hounds at the moment, they’ve given them pretty names like Bracken and Daisy.

Throughout the season they do hound walks and shows in places like Wolsingham and Stanhope. The one at Corbridge gives out prizes. I don’t go to any of these, I would be spotted as my car is well known so it’s possible I would return to smashed screen or slashed tyres.

On hunts they have a few terrier men who come out on their quadbikes. Some of the number plates aren’t on. They can bully the hunt sabs, harass us, block us in – tactics like that. They call us vile horrible names especially to the girls. I’ve put up with it for years but it just goes over my head now.

At times they use bagged foxes, they catch one and take it out of its familiar area keep it in a shed and starve it. For the thrill of a kill they then release it to hunt it down. All the badger sets are blocked beforehand by the terrier men so they can’t go to ground. So, the fox is in an unfamiliar area, hungry, scared, confused and an easy catch for the hounds.

We have some incredible footage for evidence but the police ignore it. One Sab got badly attacked and they pinched a go pro camera. We get in touch with the rural crimes person and they just say ‘thank you for the information’.

We’ve got a piece of equipment called a gizmo with the sound of the hounds on so when we can’t get to certain areas or there’s not enough Sabs out we can let that sound go and the hounds come to us away from the fox.

We find we’re fighting a losing battle with the police. I was at the poll tax riots I’ve been to loads of Animal rights protests I‘ve seen how they work. In protests like Just Stop Oil that’s in the news now, people just want to make their voice heard and want to see their future is safe. A lot of them are students with no kids so haven’t got anything to lose.

The Geordie Hunt Sabs aim to raise funds to go toward maintenance and equipment to support their work. On sale are printed t-shirts and a punk compilation CD, a gig is also scheduled for Newcastle Trillians on 4th May 2025.

We are really grateful to all the bands who dedicated their effort and time to producing the CD and the upcoming gig. I was involved in Overground Records label that used to put out a lot of punk re-issues and promoted gigs.

In October 1990 we brought The Dickies over and took them on a two week tour around the UK plus two weeks in Europe. We put loads on, there was Sigue Sigue Sputnik and the girls in We’ve Got a Fuzzbox at Tiffanys in Newcastle. They were great times.

All the money that we raise now goes towards keeping us on the road, we need petrol and money for repairs after tyres are slashed and windows broken.

Can you see a time when you step back from animal activism?

I can’t see it stopping for me. I’ll always be out protesting or Sabbing. In fact, even if I end up in a wheelchair I’ll get there somehow. I don’t think anything will stop us.

For further information find Geordie Hunt Sabs on social media.

Alikivi   April 2025

GIVE THE FOX A GUN – with Teesside musician Bob Campbell

/ Alikivi / 1 Comment

Heart beating fast, he’s running for his life

Chased by morons, no value to their life

Bring back hunting, give the fox a gun.

(Mensforth/Newton, Angelic Upstarts)

The North East has become a home from home for 57 year old Bob Campbell. In a phone call he talked about his love of music and his contribution to the punk compilation record produced in support of Hunt Saboteurs.

I love punk. You know punk to me is urban folk music – music by the people for the people. You’d have people in rural areas singing about combine harvesters then you’d have punks singing about inner city decay, the music was full of energy. After first hearing it in 1977 – I thought that’s for me.

I was born on the Isle of Lewis and grew up in Perthshire, Scotland and came down to the North East to study at Sunderland Polytechnic in 1985. I worked in Gateshead and Blyth before finally ending up working here on Teesside since 1992. My wife is local to this area and my son was born here – yeh you could say I like the North East.

I’ve been taking my son to Rebellion Festival in Blackpool’s Winter Gardens since he was 9 year old – he’s now 28. He formed The Anti septics who played the festival twice. I took the band to a lot of their gigs where I was always down the front dancing. I’m 6 foot 5 with a mohawk hair cut and wear bright colours when everyone wears dark clothes. I stand out a bit! I don’t care what people think.

I started writing songs in the late 90s then during the covid lockdown I wrote over 300 and just wanted to give them a life. I couldn’t find people to sing them as they wanted to sing their own songs so I thought I’d do it myself. I went to a few folk clubs got some ideas and formed a band in October 2022. Last August the Gutter Folk played on the Rebellion Festival – it was like holy shit!

For years on the punk scene I’ve been friends with Julian Kynaston who is a huge supporter of Hunt Sabs. He set up a gig in September 2022 in Barnsley and got me to do two songs acapella – basically my first time on stage!

At that gig headlined by UK Subs, their frontman Charlie Harper said ‘Those people who kill foxes, just remember they’ll kill you without a fucking thought’. That quote really struck a chord with Julian and inspired him to put out the compilation album ‘Give the Fox a Gun’.

Back cover of the album with Charlie Harper quote.

We recorded a couple of songs about fox hunting. As I was a countryside ranger for 20 years I know a shit load about foxes and the lies told by the fox hunting fraternity so I can articulate that into the songs.

Julian Kynaston and Alan Walton produced the album which features bands including Gutter Folk from Middlesbrough, Darlington’s In Evil Hour, Burning Flag from Halifax and punk royalty Angelic Upstarts from South Shields who contribute with their anti-hunt track ‘Give the Fox a Gun’.

Countryside wildlife was my profession for 20 years, I was a ranger around the Tees Valley so I know a lot about fox habits. Foxes are incredibly clever and smart essentially they are scavengers they would rather find something already dead than hunt for food.

When they are being hunted they will take to ground and some hunts dig them out. They’ll climb trees and follow streams so as not to leave a scent.

When sheep are worried, they huddle into a pack which is their defence mechanism. The fox will go into the middle of a flock of sheep who aren’t bothered about the fox. When the hunting dogs come along the sheep huddle tightly keeping the fox safe from the dogs.

The hunt say what they do is pest control but really they don’t catch enough to make a difference on numbers and they say it’s only the sick or old animals they hunt. It’s absolute lies. They breed and release foxes in areas they don’t know, they are completely lost so it’s an easier hunt for them.

One time they were importing foxes from France – that’s not pest control. No, the only reason they do it is for rich people to see a living animal torn to shreds in front of their eyes.

Why would they want to introduce the killing of defenceless animals to their children? They smear their kid’s faces with the fox’s blood that’s just been murdered in front of them. Hunters try to justify it as a kind way to go….no the animals are just scared, terrified.

Do you know fox hunters will pay men to protect the hunt and beat up the Sabs? Thing is fox hunting is illegal. It’s madness when you think that they are paying people to beat up people who are on the right side of the law. What we’ve had for many years is Hunt Sabs trying to break up and disturb the fox hunt – the fight goes on.

The Hunt Sabs are aiming to raise money to go towards buying equipment like a vehicle or drones to help their work. All takings from the album go toward supporting the Hunt Sabs – 90% Sheffield Hunt Sabs & 10% Gabo Wildlife.

To buy the 13 track compilation album on red vinyl contact the official website >>>  www.givethefoxagun.com

Alikivi   April 2025

ALIKIVI IN CITIES

/ Alikivi

If ya like ya lists these make for interesting reading. There’s been a new welcome addition to the back office stats from owners WordPress. Previously they’ve counted views from each country with the total to date 422,000.

Now they have drilled down further and added the number of views from what regions and cities where the posts are being read. These are from start date February 2017 – March 2025.

Top 10 countries >>>

  1. UK
  2. USA
  3. Australia
  4. Canada
  5. Spain
  6. Germany
  7. Ireland
  8. France
  9. Netherlands
  10. Italy

This list includes countries with ex pats who I think will add views from countries like Australia and Canada. European countries Germany, Spain, Italy, France etc might include followers of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal – I’ve added many posts including North East bands Fist, Raven, Tygers of Pan Tang etc.

Top 10 regions >>>

  1. England, UK
  2. Scotland, UK
  3. Virginia, USA
  4. Wales, UK
  5. California, USA
  6. Northern Ireland
  7. Dublin, Ireland
  8. Limburg, Belgium
  9. Texas, USA
  10.  Ontario, Canada

This list is harder to summarise – USA regions Virginia, California and Texas in the top ten are a surprise. I have added a few posts with musicians based in America so maybe that’s it really. I can speculate as much as I like about why people are attracted to the site but honestly, I’m just very grateful that people enjoy reading it.

Top 10 cities >>>

  1. North Shields, England
  2. London, England
  3. Newcastle upon Tyne, England
  4. Manchester, England
  5. Edinburgh, Scotland
  6. Washington, USA
  7. New Silksworth, England
  8. Sheffield, England
  9. York, England
  10. Birmingham, England

Few things popped out of that list – New Silksworth is only a small suburb of the city of Sunderland so a big shout out to the Silks whoever you are! Washington, the capital of America, is not to be confused with Washington near Sunderland because when I checked on the list the stars and stripes are next to the name.

Outside the top 10 the next most international cities viewed are Menlo Park in California, USA, Maasmechelen in Belgium, then Lincoln in Nebraska, USA, next is the Australian city of Perth and then Dallas in Texas, USA.

Big thanks to all the readers it’s much appreciated that you check in to the site from wherever in the world you are. New posts have slowed up lately so why not do a quick search on the archive to see who or what is there – you might be surprised – and why not pass the link on to a friend.

If you’ve got a story to add why not get in touch.

Keep on keepin’ on.

Alikivi   March 2025