Urban Guerillas storm Woy Woy

Its stadium rock in a coffee shop when the Urban Guerillas bring their high octane agit rock into the intimate setting for Gabba Gabba Hey.

"Guerillas made a name for themselves on the back of an anti-imperialism song called “Here Come The Americans”, and they’re still singing about similar things today.

“Guerrilla Radio” is a seven-song EP that, in typical U.G. fashion, runs the stylistic gamut. The title track is killer folk rock, a condemnation of franchised, corporatised airwaves that would have done Joe Strummer proud. It’s as close to an anthem as you’ll hear these days. “No Walls” is “The Theme From Rawhide” with lyrics about Mexicans. Draw the dots and you’ll find Trump. “Iron and Steel” is a tough rocker with strangulated Peter Garrett vocals. There’s some some formidable guitar-work from main man Ken Stewart and the sound isn’t far removed from that of their good mates, Spy vs Spy.

These Guerrillas are a "real" band (as opposed to a "studio" one) but also an enduring manifestation of the activism and creative spirit of vocalist-guitarist Ken Stewart, a transplanted Adelaider who cut his musical teeth in Sydney’s flourishing underground ‘80s scene and let his name to myriad causes. Unrest is never far from his songs' surface. You can take the boy out of the protest but you can’t take the protest out of the boy, you might say. Stewart’s credo of “Pop not guns!” sums it up. Picket lines are one thing but It takes musical balls to tackle the Small Faces’ “Afterglow (of Your Love)” and even more ability to pull it off. Although Stewart can’t soar to Steve Marriott’s stratospheric vocal heights - who can? - he and organist/co-arranger Neil Rawle do a stunning job on a classic. The title track is a keeper and there's food for thought in "Bandage the Heart". " i-94 Bar