The Last Gang, those feral creatures of sound, have unleashed their latest beast, “Berlin to Rome.” A wild, fiery preview of their forthcoming album, Obscene Daydreams (available for pre-order), due out September 20th. Listen to it on Brooklyn Vegan or your preferred streaming platform.
They’ll soon be stalking the stages of America and the UK. First up, they’re teaming up with The Drowns for a tour. After that, they’ll join Teenage Bottlerocket on the road. Then, they head to the UK for a bevy of dates. To cap it all off, they’ll return home to share the stage with NOFX for their final LA shows this October. Grab your tickets now!
The band shared: “‘Berlin to Rome’ reflects on our experiences with touring and our affection for the incredible cities we’ve had the privilege to visit and perform in over the years. Our aging bodies have endured countless miles and the aches of long drives, but the thrill and unpredictability of the journey keep us coming back. Despite the physical and mental challenges, we’d choose a grueling twenty-hour drive over a suit and tie any day, and we’ll likely keep doing so until our bodies can no longer handle it.”
“We don’t really have a theme,” says Brenna Red, singer-guitarist of The Last Gang. “We’re just a bunch of punk rockers who like to make music and write about things that make us feel good and angry and alive.”
“Good, angry, and alive” well captures The Last Gang as they release their third full-length, Obscene Daydreams (Fat Wreck Chords, September 20). With 11 tracks of sharply composed, no-punches-pulled punk, the album finds the Orange County quartet—rounded out by bassist Sean Viele, guitarist Ken Aquino, and drummer Sam Mankinen—in top form and ready to explode.
Recorded once again with producer Cameron Webb (Pennywise, Alkaline Trio, NOFX), Obscene Daydreams is the result of a new, more intentional writing process.
“We’re not the kind of band that pumps out songs super quickly,” Red says. “We make sure everything has been thought of and try to stretch out the melodies to something we haven’t heard before. This was the first time we ever did something like that on a deadline.
“I think we got it done, written, and recorded in less than a year, which is super-fast for us,” she continues. “Cameron is always like, ‘You should do one album a year—the Beatles did it!’ I’m like, ‘I’m not the goddamn Beatles!’”
Or NOFX, for that matter. Unlike on 2021’s Noise Noise Noise, Red didn’t workshop the songs with Fat Mike, whose band obligations kept him busy.
“I was a little nervous, just because I know last time Mike really wanted to have some input,” Red says. “So, I’m like, ‘God, I hope Dad approves.’”
“Dad” did approve, and Obscene Daydreams delivers The Last Gang’s signature mix of melodic hooks and raw feelings. While outrage and defiance figure prominently in those feelings—check the fury of “NRA Back 2 School” and “Hide the Antagonist,” or the class cannibalism of “Dogmatic Capitalizer”—love and pride figure just as prominently.
Opener “Electric Avenue” is an ode to ride-or-die friendship, and “Madness” is a full-on love song (or as close to one as a “nihilistic optimist” like Red can deliver). “Berlin to Rome” celebrates life on the road, and “Rumors” finds Red flexing her bad-bitch self-confidence. An interaction with a bigoted fan inspired “The Others,” forcing Red to make clear The Last Gang’s LGBTQIA+ allyship—and sneak in a Star Trek reference.
“It’s called IDIC, Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations,” she says. “It’s like the mantra of the Vulcan people, but I always love that phrase. Everything is possible out there—every gender, love, belief, thought, reality.”
The authenticity of The Last Gang’s music lies in those lived experiences, whether they’re nerdy Star Trek allusions or the “if you know, you know” details populating “Electric Avenue.” Each Last Gang album is a journal of sorts.
“I’m going to predict this,” Red says. “Every album we write from here on out will be about what’s happening at that current moment in our lives. So, it’s a reflection of whatever happened to us for the past two, three years or so—and sometimes it’s the same shit, different day.”
Even when that’s the case, The Last Gang will find something worthwhile to say.
The Last Gang — 2024 Tour Dates
15 Aug 2024 in Reno, NV @ Cellar Stage W/ The Drowns
16 Aug 2024 in Boise, ID @ The Shredder W/ The Drowns
17 Aug 2024 in Seattle, WA @ Clockout Lounge W/ The Drowns
18 Aug 2024 in Portland, OR @ The Twilight W/ The Drowns
19 Aug 2024 in Eugene, OR @ John Henry’s W/ The Drowns
20 Aug 2024 in Albany, CA @ Ivy Room W/ The Drowns
21 Aug 2024 in Sacramento, CA @ Cafe Colonial W/ The Drowns
22 Aug 2024 in Long Beach, CA @ Alex’s Bar W/ The Drowns
23 Aug 2024 in Las Vegas, NV @ The Usual Place W/ The Drowns
24 Aug 2024 in San Diego, CA @ Tower Bar W/ The Drowns
25 Aug 2024 in Santa Cruz, CA @ Catalyst Atrium W/ The Drowns
28 Aug 2024 in Chicago, IL @ Chop Shop W/ Teenage Bottlerocket
29 Aug 2024 in Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop W/ Teenage Bottlerocket
30 Aug 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA @ Cattivo W/ Teenage Bottlerocket
31 Aug 2024 in Garwood, NJ @ Crossroads W/ Teenage Bottlerocket
2 Sep 2024 in Wilmington, DE @ Bar XIII W/ Teenage Bottlerocket
3 Sep 2024 in Virginia Beach, VA @ The Bunker W/ Teenage Bottlerocket
4 Sep 2024 in Wilmington, NC @ Reggie’s W/ Teenage Bottlerocket
5 Sep 2024 in Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506 W/ Teenage Bottlerocket
6 Sep 2024 in Nashville, TN @ The Vinyl Lounge W/ Teenage Bottlerocket
7 Sep 2024 in Chattanooga, TN @ JJ’s Bohemia W/ Teenage Bottlerocket
15 Sep 2024 in Newcastle, UK @ The Cluny
16 Sep 2024 in Manchester, UK @ Rebellion
17 Sep 2024 in Huddersfield, UK @ The Parish
18 Sep 2024 in Leicester, UK @ O2 Academy 2
19 Sep 2024 in Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy 3
20 Sep 2024 in Oxford, UK @ O2 Academy 2
21 Sep 2024 in South Hampton, UK @ Joiners
22 Sep 2024 in London, UK @ O2 Academy 2 Islington
4 Oct 2024 in Los Angeles, CA @ Berth 46 w/ NOFX
Thoughts Words Action 