ANTI-NOWHERE LEAGUE - Hell For Leather {Secret} I’ve never made a secret that my opinion of this bunch of oiks is nothing short of contemptible. I thought the band was a load of misogynistic, sensationalistic shite back in the 80s and, since then, my thoughts have descended toward something akin to embarrassment and pity when I see the letters ANWL associated with Punk. But, I’ll attempt to be ‘objective’ in this review.
This features 20 tracks recorded live back in 2005 at Milton Keynes, UK. As usual with Secret, the sound is top notch, the picture quality is real sharp and it’s all recorded on multiple cameras. In fact, the quality of the recording actually kept my interest for about 3 songs, but then ‘I Hate People’ occurred. I cringed, I gagged, I swallowed some bile and I more or less turned off. To my surprise the next track, ‘We Will Not Remember You’ (that’s a song, not my sentiments toward ANWL), was actually pretty ripping but from there, I would rather face the Chinese authorities in Tianamman Square post-Olympics draped in nothing but the Tibetan flag and a gimp mask! All the biker thugs, skins and gutter Punks in the audience gleefully lap up anything Animal says as he lumbers across the stage like an aging, semi-coherent Neanderthal.
The only extras you get are interviews with both Animal and drummer PJ. I have to say, Animal came over really natural on camera, with a veritable knack for telling a story. We hear of the band’s early days in Tunbridge Wells and the people that inspired those early, lyrically vicious, songs, how he and PJ met, getting a promoter to drink a pint of piss and, most interestingly, his involvement with biker gangs which includes riding with the Oakland Hell's Angels. This interview actually changed my opinion of the guy; he has a good wit about him, holds the attention when he is speaking (surely different from when he is singing!!) and generally comes across as a genuine character.
Good as Animal’s interview is, I still dislike the band with a vengeance. But, for those who do rate the band, this would make a great purchase as the footage is well recorded and the interview revealing.