FRIDAY 1 AUGUST - FLAMING STARS/MANUFACTURED ROMANCE/JOHNNY THROTTLE

New York's Village Voice says The Flaming Stars "manage to conjure the Jesus and Mary Chain, '50s swamp rock, and nights spent guzzling cheap wine and leaning unsteadily against a jukebox". Even when strings start popping and kick drum pedals are falling apart, something good remains. Keyboards straight from the nearest haunted house, a mud-spattered bassline, or Smokin’ Joe flying over his low-slung drum kit, you’ll find yourself reminded of Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers, The Stranglers, Richard Hell and Iggy Pop.

Their 1980 single "Time of My Life" is a classic slice of power pop pun reminscent of X-Ray Spex and Penetration, plus a bit more. In the post punk fallout of 1978, four spiky haired teenagers under the guidance of the dubiously debonair Roy Pierson, come together as Fourth Reich and make their debut at The Marquee supporting the UK Subs. During 1979 they support the UK Subs on their "Stranglehold" tour, appear in the film "Punk Can Take It" and change their name to Manufactured Romance.

Formed just a few short months ago (Febuary 2008) by various lowlife has been and never weres from the Parkinsons, Shakin’ Nasties, Urban Shocks, Jackoffs and Menace, JohnnyThrottle play real rock’n’roll the way it was meant to be – snotty, moronic and straight to the point. They bang out a furious 20-minute (smoking ban-friendly) set of short and catchy Modern Lovers meet Slaughter and the Dogs meet the Electic Eels inspired mini-operas with the kind of incompetent teenage enthusiasm which only the borderline middle-aged can truly muster.