It’s a rainy Wednesday evening in East London, and Los Angeles rock band Militarie Gun is preparing for an intimate show hosted by CLASH in the upper level of The Bread and Butter Collection—a quaint vintage clothing shop located in the heart of Shoreditch. The lineup includes vocalist Ian Shelton, guitarists William Acuña and Kevin Kiley, bassist Waylon Trim, and drummer David Stalsworth. Last month, they announced their upcoming album ‘God Save The Gun,’ which is slated for release on October 17th under Loma Vista Recordings, acting as a follow-up to their 2023 debut ‘Life Under The Gun.’
The album announcement coincided with the release of their impactful lead single ‘B A D I D E A,’ which they performed twice during the set. Despite the confined space, the audience members made it their mission to transform the store’s cozy interior into a mosh pit, creating a bustling atmosphere for 40 minutes.
—
—
Ian Shelton, who initiated the project during the pandemic in 2020 after disbanding Regional Justice Centre, surveys the sweat-soaked crowd from the amplifier on which he stands. During the second performance of the single at the close of the set, he appears to contemplate whether his next move could indeed be a ‘B A D I D E A.’ Before he has time to think further, the final chorus kicks in. In a definitive ‘screw it’ moment, Shelton leaps into the crowd, landing deftly on an already crowdsurfing fan, who continues to headbang and cheer joyously as the human pillars below carry out their duty.
In the hours before the show, Shelton meets with CLASH at a nearby café. It has been a hectic 30 hours for the band, who have been tirelessly promoting ‘God Save The Gun’ since their arrival in the UK on Tuesday morning. Despite feeling jet-lagged, battling terrible weather, and lacking sleep, Shelton beams as he expresses his happiness to be back in London.
“The UK was one of the first places to support the band,” he shares. “It was wild because I had never had one of my own bands perform in the UK before. Our first tour was with ‘Show Me The Body,’ playing support slots in really small venues where no one knew us, and we just kept returning repeatedly. Outbreak was a pivotal moment when we realized—wow, people know us from across the globe!”
—
—
Earlier this summer, the band delivered an electrifying performance at a punk festival in Manchester, which was a dynamic mix of stage diving, headbanging, crowdsurfing, and moshing, leaving the audience exhilarated and breathless. Reflecting on this standout moment, Shelton says, “Our last album feels like it was released ages ago, so I worried people might be over it, but the set was incredible. I feared they had forgotten about us, and it was so gratifying.” He humorously adds that back home in the U.S., their peers often tease that they “look or sound British.”
“I don’t get that at all!” he laughs. “Maybe it’s because we like wearing jackets, so we get pigeonholed with them… but I wasn’t aware Brits owned jackets, you know?” Nonetheless, he readily acknowledges that many of the band’s influences originate from UK music and culture. “If you’re into music, especially rock, you must appreciate British culture,” he claims emphatically. “This place has birthed so many fantastic artists, and that influence naturally seeps in.”
—
—
Militarie Gun was scheduled to open for Sex Pistols (now led by Frank Carter) for a series of concerts in America next month, but after guitarist Steve Jones fractured his wrist, those shows have been postponed. For Shelton, an avid Pistols fan, this development is disappointing. He tells Clash: “Sex Pistols’ ‘God Save The Queen’ greatly influenced the new album. I was thrilled about the shows, especially since they were planned for our album release week. Playing ‘God Save The Gun’ during the ‘God Save The Queen’ tour would have been a historic moment. I hope we can make that happen in the future.”
Since its formation, Militarie Gun has experienced several lineup changes. Explaining the reasons behind this and the path leading to the current group, Shelton shares, “I feel like many great bands emerge from a solo project mindset. They tend to have a strong perspective that can usually be traced back to one individual. Many of my favorite bands center around a key figure.”
He further explains, “A band needs a strong viewpoint from the outset to truly thrive. As we began adding members during the pandemic, I approached individuals from very busy, successful bands. It was surreal because we were in this suspended reality—there were no tours or shows… But then we realized we had members in multiple bands with conflicting schedules, which created chaos. It took time to establish
Depeche Mode has released the first trailer for their upcoming concert film, Depeche Mode: M. The iconic British band is embarking on their Memento Mori Tour,
Roberto Carlos Lange, known as Helado Negro, marks the beginning of a new chapter with the announcement of his EP 'The Last Sound on Earth' and his signing to the groundbreaking label, Big Dada.
The Norwich-based group Takeda has released their new album titled 'In Venus' Train'. The band originated from the close-knit DIY community in Norwich and continues to maintain that connection.
Australian punk band These New South Whales have announced the details of their upcoming album ‘GODSPEED’, which will be released independently on November 28th. In addition to the
Midlake continues to promote their upcoming album with the release of ‘Days Gone By’, the second track from the anticipated record ‘A Bridge To Far’.
On this rainy Wednesday evening in East London, Los Angeles rock band Militarie Gun is preparing for a close-knit performance organized by CLASH.