Star Spangled Swastika

Chico, with a major kick in the arse from old-school British punk singer/lyricist extraordinaire Sid Locksley, has produced one of its finest DIY pure punk recordings in years. Recorded straight off the stage of last year’s Nowhere by Nowhere gig, Locksley and his crew demonstrate the unique blend of bitterly derisive humor and righteous indignation that made the Sex Pistols one of the most important bands of the previous century.

Jump-started by a hearty “It’s show time!” from Locksley, the set kicks off with some ripping punk chordage from guitarist Frank Vicious on “Skippy (The George Bush Kangaroo),” solidly supported by bassist Stanley Blade and drummer Keith “The Grave Digger” Vidra. Over the course of eight powerful songs, Locksley grabs the obviously enthused audience by the ears and pours a nonstop half-hour of political commentary straight into its collective brain stem.

With mocking references to “Georgy Porgie” and “The Six Million Dollar Man” (Bill Clinton) and a great cover of Sham 69’s “Borstal Breakout,” Live proves that punk rock is as far from dead as can be. The recording quality is pretty rough around the edges, but Locksley’s full-throated political exhortations and the quality of the musicianship make this one a keeper. Available at Tower Records.