Last up for this years Franklin Fest 17 special is Lili Zeller of grease monkeys Chrome Reverse, who will be headlining on the Saturday evening. 

DS: Bonjour Lili, could you tell us a little bit about the background of the band?  

LZ: We're Iwan (bass), Dave (guitar), Yan (drums) and myself (guitar and vocals). We're four music lovers and rock'n'roll fans and we obviously all met through music, I think it was at gigs. Iwan and I already had teamed up for a punk rock band in the '90s called The No-Talents. We all share a preference for the raw and greasy kind of rock'n'roll from the late '50s and early '60s.

DS: What it is about that period in time that particularly appeals to you?

LZ: Because it's between two eras, it's a sort of mutant. It's not yet THEE '60s and still pure rock and roll. We have a weakness for the untamed, dirty sounding rockers that weren't necessarily the top virtuosos. Lots of fun and exciting sounds. 

DS: I can't argue with that. Could you pinpoint a few songs that stand out for you?

'Doggone It Baby' - The Rock-A-Teens

'Red Headed Flea' - The Caps

'My Mind's Made Up' - The Renowns

DS: It's great that you can take inspiration from both eras. Most bands just seem to stick to either one or the other. Do you write most of the songs for the band, or is it more of a collaborative effort?

LZ: Yes, I do.

DS: Fab. Will this be the first time in Edinburgh for the band, and who are you looking forward to seeing play?

LZ: Yes, it's the first time. There are so many bands I don't know, and I'm looking forward to seeing them all! But I'm really thrilled to see Russ & Saskia as BIG RUSS WILKINS & LIGHTNING HOLLING. I think everything they've done in their previous projects is brilliant! I also know Los Coyote Men from the old days, and MFC Chicken sure will be fun, I love The Wailers. Earlier this year we played with The Bucky Rage and Professor Baba at Weirdsville in London so it will be nice to see them again. Hope to see you all at the Franklin Fest!!

The latest Chrome Reverse album is available both here and here, or directly from the band's bandcamp page here. 

Photo credits: V Berazeth and Alain Marie.

Tickets for the Franklin Fest can be obtained here. 

Personally, I think 2015 has been a great year for music. I've seen some awesome bands, and listened to some fabulous records.

Strangely, this year has also seen my transition from a writer to managing editor. It wasn't at all expected on my part, and I'm very grateful to Kenny McMurtrie and Joe Watson for their faith in my abilities. As with 2015, I'll still be writing, and look forward to hearing more music, both old and new. If you’re a band or label of the garage persuasion, and would like me to review your show / new releases then please drop me a line via the page or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

One of my favourite live shows this year has to be The Missing Souls at the Cosmic Trip Festival back in May. The Cosmic Trip, on the whole, was a very big disappointment. Not really the fault of the bands (although I still can't understand some of the choices of bands playing e.g. The Warlocks) but more to do with the sound / venue. The main stage was just too big, and the presence of any band playing there disappeared into the ether. Luckily The Missing Souls managed to avoid this by playing a pre-festival gig at a small bistro in Bourges town centre. I was knocked off my feet by their enthusiasm and most excellent choice of covers. They have since released their first single, a cover of 'You Just Gotta Know My Mind', and it looks like they have another 7" in the pipeline for early 2016 so very much to look forward to from their camp.

My favourite weekender this year was without a doubt the inaugural Franklin Fest in Edinburgh, which took place in June. Three days of the best rock 'n' roll on offer from bands as far flung as the the Medway! I was astounded by the performance of The Baron Four, who were just sheer brilliance in terms of energy and authenticity, not forgetting musicality (you can read about that show here), as well as the appearance of old favourites The Masonics with special guest Ludella Black, The Wildebeests and The Thanes. Also, it was really good to see the promoters showcase some of the lesser known bands on the opening night, such as The Phlegm. I'm really excited about Franklin Fest 2016, and cannot wait for the line-up to be announced.    

The Franklin has been a constant this year in terms of the quality of bands playing, and the enjoyability of the shows. For a tiny wee shack in the middle of a field, it has something really special. Yes, I know - I've said it all before! More recently they've hosted bands from further afield such as red hot property Les Grys Grys from France, who gave a performance of monumental proportions (see here for more), and the fabulous Oh! Gunquit from down south (review here). Furthermore, it's one of the only places where you can guarantee that the support bands are likely to be just as good as the main act, notable supports this year having been Geek Maggot Bingo, The Brutes, The Black Needles and The No-Things.

All day spectacular Buckfest which took place in Glasgow, is also worth a mention. With many thanks to organiser Alan Gemmel for chatting with Musoss. We saw sterling performances from such bands as The Kosher Pickles and The Bucky Rage (review here). A thoroughly enjoyable day of weird and wonderful rock and roll. Again, I'm looking forward to the same in 2016.       

As for LP's, The Arrogants - No Time To Wait, did it for me. However, The debut LP's from The Baron Four and Oh! Gunquit are very close behind. 

Next year I'm hoping to provide coverage from the Green Fuzz festival in Spain in April, and of course the Franklin Fest in June. 

Finally a huge thanks to all the bands / labels / promoters who've been so co-operative this year - it's truly been a pleasure to make your acquaintance. So please, put on your old-school 3D glasses, and watch this space.