Filmed in London in 1977, director Don Letts (later a member of Big Audio Dynamite) and producer Peter Cliftonā€™s The Punk Rock Movie consists of footage of a series of live performances by influential punk bands such as The Clash and The Sex Pistols (and others such as Slaughter & The Dogs) interspersed with home-movie-style film of the seminal London punk scene of the era and the bands on tour.

Unfortunately, the sound quality of most of the songs is all but unlistenable and the other footage is generally jumbled and unintelligible, with no structure or attempt at narrative. While the movie is certainly a crucial historical document, thereā€™s definitely little aural pleasure involved. **

DVD: Peter Cliftonā€™s commentary is near-essential ā€“ a mix of factual background and personal reminiscences that provide a much needed context for the footage and makes it vastly more interesting. Thereā€™s also a compelling 30-minute interview with former Sex Pistol Johnny Rotten circa 1983. ***

Owen Heitmann

Before serving up 2006ā€™s full-length platter, Wolves In Wolvesā€™ Clothing, those great-granddaddies of skate punk NOFX delivered this six-track EP as a taster to leave many mouths watering for more.

Lead track Seeing Double At The Triple Rock harks back to their early nineties material ā€“ a barely two minute blast of punk rock that raises no more issues than drinking your quota in Minnesota but is a frenzy of chugging guitar fun. The Marxist Brothers, in contrast, marries dub-ska influenced verses with a mid-tempo rock chorus and digs at social idealists (including Propaghandi), leading to a dynamic conclusion with a shredding guitar solo.

The first of the four tracks exclusive to the EP is an energetic, uncomplicated cover of Vagina Dentataā€™s Golden Boys, followed by a left turn into acoustic territory for Youā€™re Wrong. This track is a didactic list of the many stupidities believed in by the far-right, but unfortunately lacks any form of argument (besides common sense, of course) to convert them.

Everything In Moderation (Especially Moderation) is another hyperactive attack in the vein of the lead track and finds singer/bassist Fat Mike musing on his place in punk rock at age 39, while the melodic punk Iā€™m Going To Hell For This One is the closest in sound to the bandā€™s last album, The War On Errorism.

Never Trust A Hippy may also be worth purchasing just for the irreligious cover.

Owen Heitmann