Side parting

Sad news from the West Midlands: psychobilly punks Das Fringe have decided to call it a day. The catalysts for the split were the departures of drummer Dusty Enclaves and bassist 'Tiny' Gene Pool, who have formed a new band, Nightingales, and guitarist Anal Ravine, who has left to join some bunch of chancers called The Fall.

Das Fringe - or The Pubic Fringe as they'll always be to me - were responsible for one of my favourite live sets of last year. That review led to Dusty suggesting I should write the sleeve notes for their next recording - sadly it never happened, but it would have felt wrong to usurp the inimitable Captain Lazonby-Threpwell in any case.

On the subject of splits, arguably the noisiest bastards in Cardiff are no more (bear in mind, though, that I haven't yet heard the bands that Mclusky's demise spawned, Shooting At Unarmed Men and Future Of The Left). The Martini Henry Rifles, who terrorised those of us awaiting The Young Knives back in March, have packed it in after six years.

The first I knew of it was when I read it in the latest issue of Kruger on Saturday. It was the first time I'd come across the Cardiff-based publication - and a damn good read it is too, with features on Hot Club de Paris, Love Is All, New Young Pony Club and Peter Bjorn & John as well as local types Future Of The Left and Los Campesinos!, and the Twisted By Design CD rightfully gets a plug in the reviews section. Little My are one of the bands playing at the magazine's Christmas party next Thursday at Buffalo Bar - and it's free entry before 11pm. May just find myself there...