"Set during the summers of 1994 and 1998, 'Directions To The Outskirts Of Town' captures a bygone era in punk rock via a twist on the classic tour diary format. This hefty 328-page volume encompasses an amended version of two tour diaries that originally appeared in Welly’s Artcore zine: first while he accompanied Chaos U.K. on their 1994 American tour, then returned to North America with his own band Four Letter Word during the “punk rock gold rush” of 1998. While the table of contents is divided by the two tours then broken into short episodic chapters, everything coheres into one compelling narrative despite diverging fates due to the bands’ respective notoriety, logistics, and subgenres."
"From alliteration and wry turns of phrase to a knack for capturing absurd quotes and antics like drummer Devilman’s “that’s outrageous!”, Welly is the ideal narrator for these adventures. A music fan in Florida is described as having an “educational problem and a severe lack of self-respect,” while “profane conversations and extended bouts of hilarity at largely inane things” provides a succinct description of hardcore travel. Farcical predicaments like Chaos U.K. accidentally destroying the temporary license plate of their minivan are rendered in indelible color, as are the hazards and quirks of tour locales. Drag queens saunter through a street fight in New Orleans, Klan-leaflet-distributing bikers are chased from a Houston gig, an Atlanta computer’s primary function is to print the word “Oi!” on brick wall patterns, and multiple shows conclude prematurely due to police intervention."
"Yet these tours yielded more than the mirth of brick wall Oi patterns, pants-less photobombing of Baywatch filming, accidental Morbid Angel sightings, and cameos by everyone from Sothira of Crucifix to Paul Bearer to Pig Champion. Chaos U.K. covered 12,000 miles across 35 states, including some impossible distances between shows. (At one point Toxic Narcotic spontaneously joined the tour, then lost them, highlighting the technological gulfs between the nineties and today.) After that arduous but enjoyable journey, Welly sets up the next act by remarking that he wants to do this again someday with own band. Four years later, Four Letter Word embarked on an even more ambitious itinerary spanning a grueling 55 days across 38 states and provinces. And while they earned some enthusiastic responses in far-flung scenes, they also faced new challenges, resulting in a more serious tone in this segment. With Chaos U.K., Welly as the roadie/participant observer comes across as the most relatable person involved, preferring to go record shopping than ride roller coasters while documenting the group’s antics. Within his own band, the others (besides Hairy) are similarly down-to-earth individuals doing their best to cope with the challenges of being a less-established act covering endless distances on a foreign continent. But there are rewarding moments on this tour too, like their show in Bend, Oregon, an oddly memorable show in McKinleyville, CA being taped for cable TV, and people of Welsh extraction reading an article in the newspaper and being very excited to see a Welsh band."
"These vivid tour tales are complemented by 250 unpublished flyers and color photos (including the impromptu riot at a San Clemente house party) and maps of the routes and states visited. The 1994 pictures are surprisingly high quality considering that Welly’s flash broke early into the tour. From designing the Chaos U.K. tour shirt to his illustrations of the band members to these photos, Welly deftly shaped the visual and textual components of the tour experience. For your reading soundtrack, many of the bands and albums referenced here are still accessible digitally, including the records that Chaos U.K. and Four Letter Word were touring to promote. I also discovered Brand New Unit from this book and have been playing the song “Summertime” ever since".
"For context, by the time Welly composed the book’s intro, his own son was the same age as he himself was during the Chaos U.K. tour. But through the magic of writing it all down at the time, he’s preserved the details and moments otherwise forgotten, providing us all the directions to relive his adventure. Pick it up from Earth Island in the UK or McNally Jackson in the US."
Review of Welly Artcore's 'Directions to the Outskirts of Town' by Becky McAuley for In Effect Hardcore Fanzine. https://ineffecthardcore.com/reviews-aug-2024/
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