West End Riot

"West End Riot" is a song by Australian punk rock band The Living End. It was released in July 1999,[2] as the fourth single from their self-titled album. It peaked at No. 83 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart in August 1999.[3] The song was more popular with listeners of national radio station, Triple J, appearing at No. 48 on their Hottest 100 poll for that year.[4]

"West End Riot"
Single by The Living End
from the album The Living End
Released26 July 1999
Recorded1998
GenrePunk rock, punkabilly
Length3:54
LabelModular, EMI
Songwriter(s)Chris Cheney[1]
Producer(s)Lindsay Gravina
The Living End singles chronology
"All Torn Down"
(1998)		 "West End Riot"
(1999)		 "Pictures In the Mirror"
(2000)

The video for the song was directed by Don Letts, (who also directed a number of The Clash's videos). It was filmed in London while the band was touring the UK.[5]

A crowd favourite, it is often played at the end of a show, most notably at Festival Hall in 2006.

The song appears in the opening film clip for the video game World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars 2002.[6]

Background

The song title and lyrics refer two boys who are born and raised in two different areas, who play together in the streets with toy guns, but who grow up to live very different lives, with their childhood fun being nothing more than a memory. The song is based on the West and East sides of Melbourne, even though in later years the feud has died down.

I was listening to a lot of the Jam at this point. It was about kids knocking around together and how their lives part as they get older – and never the twain shall meet again. My mum and dad were both from that area [the industrial west]. Dad’s family was very poor and he told me stories about his dad sitting on the steps crying during the Depression when all the men would come home from work, because he didn’t have a job. Maybe that stuff gets into you. I always hated the idea of some people looking down on other people.

— Chris Cheney, 2012[7]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."West End Riot"Chris Cheney[1]3:54
2."Living in Sin"Cheney[8]3:48
3."Train Kept A-Rollin'" (live)Myron 'Tiny' Bradshaw, Howard Kay, Lois Mann[9]3:41
4."West End Riot" (live)Cheney4:29

Charts
Chart (1999) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[3] 83

Release history
Region Date Label Format Catalogue
Australia July 1999 Modular Recordings CD MODCS005
EMI 7243 8 87265 2 8

Personnel
Band members
Recording process
  • Producer – Lindsay Gravina
  • Engineer – Lindsay Gravina
    • Assistant engineer – Matt Voight
  • Mastering – Stephen Marcussen at Precision Mastering
  • Mixing – Jerry Finn
    • Assistant mixer – Mark and Tony
  • Editing (digital) – Don C. Tyler
  • Studios – Sing Sing Studios, Melbourne
    • Mixing studios – Conway Studios, Los Angeles
Art works
  • Cover art – Craig Preston

References
  1. "'West End Riot' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  2. "Archived Australasian Releases". Australian Recording Industry Association. July 1999. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  3. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  4. "Hottest 100 - 1999". Triple J. ABC. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  5. "The Living End videography". The Tabloid Magazine. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  6. "World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars 2002 credits". Allgame. Retrieved 15 December 2007.
  7. Valentish, Jenny (12 October 2012). "The Living End Interview". Time Out Melbourne. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  8. "'Living in Sin' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  9. "'Train Kept A-Rollin at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 18 June 2013.
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