Gig Review: PMX at The Unicorn, Camden 9/2/17 (by Dan Peters)

I’m generally a big fan of the Unicorn in Camden. It may be a little out the way compared to the other Camden venues but the atmosphere is great, the stage is good and I’ve seen some kickass bands there. Last night [at the time of writing this] was no exception either as I made my down to a free show headlined by the outstanding PMX and featuring a slew of excellent support.

Quick disclaimer for the entire night. This was not a good gig for vocalists. I’ve not had an issue hearing people previously but tonight for some reason not a single band I saw had reasonably audible vocals. Luckily I’m familiar with Ships Down and I know all the words to every PMX track so I knew what was going on but to the others on this list I’m sorry if I missed the subtleties of your vocal stylings but it was a rare point at which I could hear them at all.

The first act started a little earlier than I could make it down for but I managed to catch half a set of Our Lives In Cinema. These guys are going down that new school pop punk rock route and from what I can hear they’ve got a good thing going on. It’s only their third gig and they’re kind of rough around the edges but they’ve got some good potential.

Second up I got to pop my Captain Trips cherry and man was I pleased to do so. A four piece from Portsmouth, they were fast and tight and Rich Mayor is maybe one of the most fantastically good looking humans I’ve had the pleasure of setting my eyes upon. I mean seriously, I could just stare at him for the full 30 minutes in complete silence and still be perfectly happy!!! Of course there wasn’t complete silence, there was some real good kickass skate punk and I’m looking forward to checking out their EP today as I missed it when it was released last year.

The penultimate act were a new firm favourite of mine, Ships Down. I don’t want to bang on about them too much here. I like them so much that I’m going to talk about them at length elsewhere but for the purposes of this review just know that they are a force of nature. Outwardly they are playing my jam, it’s Melodic Hardcore. If you’ve never heard them then for reference they play a kickass version of The Horse by A Wilhelm Scream partway through. There’s more to them though and Stage Presence plays a big part. Every member of the band, from little Ikhsan on the drums to straight-off-a-pirate-ship Joeseph on the mic, exudes a charm and charisma you can’t train for - you either have it or you don’t and damn it these guys have it. Pay attention to their name. You’ll be hearing from these London boys a lot I think.

Lastly all the way from the unfathomably far North of mythical Scotland were PMX. Smashing out perfect renditions of tracks from their nigh perfect EP Dark Days as well as older and brand new tracks to keep us all on our feet and screaming. I was most disappointed with the lack of vocal clarity for PMX mainly because I know the vocals are next level and what I could make out over the music and my own yelling of the lyrics was amazing and, although not hearing the words properly made me a little sad, it didn’t detract from just what a great set I got to witness. I bought Dark Days when it first came out circa late 2015 and have been dying to see these guys ever since. Last night was just as good as I’d hyped myself to believe it would be for all this time. Standing watching PMX along with 100 other people for free on a Thursday night will be something to tell the next generation of punks as they desperately try to buy tickets to see them for £60 a pop in ten years time!!

The whole night was put on by the boys from Umlaut Records and they clearly have a very good thing going on, from the bands on their roster to the talent they are attracting to their shows. Long Live DIY.

This review was written by Dan Peters. 

Album Review: Dark Days by PMX

PMX are a long-running melodic punk band from Perth in Scotland who originally formed way back in 1997. They stayed very active until 2008 before taking a four-year hiatus and returning in 2012. This year they released a new EP on Make-That-A-Take Records titled Dark Days.

The first song on the EP is called Pull The Trigger and has a great lengthy intro which includes some of the most incredible guitar playing I've heard in a long time. Everyone should listen to Pull The Trigger for that alone. The vocals are crisp and clear and remind me a little of the late, great Tony Sly with the delivery. It's a song about holding people accountable for their wrong doings and getting justice. There is a good sense of urgency in the song that gives it a strongfeeling of importance. The second track on Dark Days is titled Eulogy. This song starts quickly with the lead singer grabbing your attention early with some soaring vocals. This technical style of punk rock really shows off how talented the musicians in punk rock are; something that's far too often overlooked. Everything is played at a great tempo and with a ridiculous amount of skill. Another Year, whilst still being really technical, feels a bit softer around the edges with more of a pop punk style. This track is about growing up and looking for the right way for you to live your life, no matter how long it may take and this is something I really relate to.

Without Me is a bit of a break up song, tackling the subject of what you would do if you were left alone. This starts slowly, with a soft Scottish accent coming through before the track takes flight. There is a great range displayed by the bands vocalist on this track and it’s one of the more catchy tracks on the EP. In contrast, Brave Face has an introduction that really makes me want to jump! This songs really takes me back to the skate punk days of the late 90's/early 2000's with its fast paced guitars, melodic vocals and excellent harmonies. I can just imagine watching an old skate video, wishing I could just go along without falling off a skateboard and listening to this song. I like a new song that can fill me with nostalgia. The final track on Dark Days is also named Dark Days. At six minutes and forty-three seconds long it's a bit of an epic. Beginning with some gentle guitar chords that feel like they gradually get harder and harder before being joined by full band the intro really gives the impression that something huge is coming. Dark Days is a positive song about living life in the best way, about learning from themistakes of others and about trying to teach people a better way of doing things. I loved the final verse that goes "Don't Become Forgotten In Our History, Make Your Name Withstand The Test Of Time, Show The World Exactly What It Means To Be, A Light In The Dark." Really, really, really positive stuff!

For me PMX have really come out of nowhere with this release. It's excellent in every single aspect and you need to check it out!

Stream and buy Dark Days here: https://pmxmusic.bandcamp.com/album/dark-days

Brett's Top Ten Albums of 2020

To describe 2020 as a rollercoaster year would be an understatement. Although the cancellation of our plans to travel to MPF and Fest due to well-justified lockdowns and restrictions were difficult blows and put us through all the stages of grief, I am very grateful that we were able to get through the year where the worst thing happening was some inconvenient travel plan changes, others have not been so lucky.

There were some good days though. I think in the very beginning of our lockdown there was a live-streamed event almost every weekend, which was fun; and I’ve really enjoyed watching some of my favourite bands perform live from a “venue” with a comfortable couch, clean bathroom, and shared with cats. I do hope that some of the smaller bands were able to get the support that was really needed through the various community initiatives.

During the lockdown and self-isolation, I found it very difficult to listen to new music and instead leant into bands and albums that were comfortable, like nostalgic hugs via my ears; so, I think if I had to pick my 10 most listened to albums this would be a very different list. As a consequence, my list is mostly made up of bands and labels that I’ve known and loved for a long time. Make no mistake, there were still a really long list of albums to pick from this year. 2020 may have sucked for the most part but the music was still top notch and the albums on this list are amazing in my opinion. They’re the kind that by the end make me want to flip the record or click play and start over.

10. Skeleton Coast by The Lawrence Arms

The Lawrence Arms have been around for over 2 decades now and have earned their spot in the upper echelons of the punk scene with a consistently brilliant back catalogue of releases. Their last album, Metropole, was released 6 years ago and with only a “greatest hits” compilation to satisfy fans since then, the anticipation surrounding Skeleton Coast was high. Luckily the band completely smash all expectations with 14 tracks featuring the trademark shared vocals from Brendan Kelly and Chris McCaughan, some beautiful storytelling lyrics, expertly crafted melodies, and of course a few doses of humour thrown in for good measure.

Favourite song: Ghostwriter

9. Dancing With The Curse by Get Dead

Six months ago, I would have classified myself as a casual fan of Get Dead and their album Dancing With The Curse wasn't even on my radar of anticipated releases of 2020. That was until I stumbled through a Youtube-hole into a clip of them performing at the Weekend at Fatty's virtual concert, which featured a handful of songs from their (then) upcoming release. The performances of Fire Sale and Stickup in particular drove me to pre-add the album to my library and it has been on regular rotation since it was released in October. The 12 tracks on Dancing blend elements of hip-hop, ska, and hardcore nicely to create a listening experience where no song sounds the same as the last but which still feels cohesive and firmly rooted in the band’s California punk roots.

Favourite song: Stickup

8. Wonderful Hell by War On Women

It doesn’t feel like that long ago that War On Women made my list of top 10 albums of 2018 but maybe I’m just not used to my favourite bands releasing music more often than every 4 to 7 years. Wonderful Hell is War On Women’s third full-length with Bridge9 and the band has thankfully kept their anger and vitriol towards the socio-political environment and unjust system that the majority of the world finds itself trapped in. The crisp production and dynamic song structures feel like a natural progression for the band who have always pushed the boundaries of traditional hardcore, so even a 6-minute slow-building song like Demon doesn’t feel out of place and instead just leaves you wanting more.

If you’re a fan of the album or the band in general, make sure to check out Shawna’s new podcast, But Her Lyrics, to get more insight into the songs and the stories behind the album.

Favourite song: The Ash is Not the End

7. Ctrl Alt Del by Pmx

I was introduced to Pmx by Colin, friend and founder of CPRW, as a recommendation related to the MPF 2018 line-up and it remains one of the best recommendations anyone has given me ever. The Scottish quartet have established themselves as one of the best at combining the sound of punk from the 90s, with technical flourishes found in modern melodic skate punk. On Ctrl Alt Del, Pmx takes their tried and tested formula and improves on it with more mature song writing, tighter melodies, and cleaner production. I was looking forward to seeing the band perform these songs live at MPF 2020 before it was cancelled so I’m hoping to get the chance when live music is safe again. If you’re a fan of 90s Epifat punk and melodic skate punk, then Ctrl Alt Del should be in your record collection or digital library.

Favourite song: Tongue Tied

6. Brave Faces Everyone by Spanish Love Songs

They’ve done it again. Everyone loved Spanish Love Songs’ sophomore effort Schmaltz in 2018 and I have no doubt that Brave Faces Everyone will be near the top of many top 10 lists this year. Instead of taking the success of Schmaltz and rehashing the same formula with new lyrics, the band have taken a big step into embracing and refining their own unique sound with trembling vocals pushed to the limit, lyrics dripping with authenticity, cracking production, and big choruses that I can only imagine people screaming at the top of their lungs with fists in the air. Brave Faces Everyone is an album that anyone (not only fans of underground punk music) can relate to and enjoy. It teaches us that it’s ok and you’re not alone if your life is not perfect all the time.

Favourite song: Kick

5. Lament by Touché Amoré

I was first drawn to Touché Amoré with their 2013 album, Is Survived By, then found myself completely floored by 2016’s Stage Four, and looked forward to Lament from the moment I heard the first released single ‘Limelight’ back in July. Touché Amoré have always been able to pull off a level of raw emotion and intensity that very few other bands can without being overly heavy or excessive. While Stage Four dealt with the devastating blow of Bolm losing his mother to cancer, Lament looks at life following such grief without putting any specific focus on it. There are lighter moments in more upbeat melodic songs like Reminders, but overall the tone remains poignant. The contrast between the powerful vocals of Jeremy Bolm and the almost clean instrumentation is captivating and engrosses you from the first song to the last. Touché Amoré recently uploaded their Lament record release live stream to Youtube and, while it’s no substitute for the real thing, it’s well worth the watch for anyone like me who has yet to witness the band perform live in person.

Favourite song: Exit Row

4. Death In Venice Beach by The Bombpops

I’ve been a fan of The Bombpops since their Red Scare days and absolutely loved their first two EPs, Like I Care and Stole The TV; so, naturally I had high expectations when they signed with Fat Wreck in 2016. Although I enjoyed their debut album, Fear Of Missing Out, I found it to be a bit “light” and never really fell in love with it. Since hearing the Death In Venice Beach lead singles Notre Dame and Double Arrows Down, my internal hype machine started working overtime and I put a lot of effort into trying to control my own expectations. Thankfully the release completely blew me away and has been one of my most played albums of the year. Poli van Dam and Jen Razavi seem to have perfected their dual vocal harmonies and the SoCal punk melodies that were made famous by many of their older Fat Wreck counterparts. The music is a little edgier, the themes and lyrics are a little darker this time around, making for an album that is just a joy to listen to from beginning to end.

Favourite song: Radio Silence

3. Sad In The City by Broadway Calls 

Sad In The City was exactly what I needed when it was released early in July during one of our strictest lockdown periods here in South Africa and only a few weeks after receiving the news of the postponement of Fest 19. Broadway Calls’ latest album was one of the few highlights during a very dark time. Sad In The City isn’t a massive departure from their trademark pop-punk sound but still stands out in their catalogue as sonically different and almost experimental at times. In my opinion, the production plays a big role here with some fuzzy guitars, driving bass, and thumping drums helping to set the album apart from the rest of the band’s catalogue. Song after song, this album proves that even after a 7-year break, Broadway Calls can still write great songs with plenty of big singalong choruses and dance-along melodies.

Favourite song: Went Dyin’

2. Resignation by After The Fall 

After The Fall have always played short, fast, and loud – but never compromising melody or technical proficiency. With Resignation, 13 minutes is all the band needs to blaze through 10 of the best songs of the skate punk and melodic hardcore variety. This album is short but what it lacks in length it makes up with catchy melodies, superb musicianship, and an energy that is hard to find anywhere else; all delivered at lightning speed. The lyrical topics touch on mental health, social issues, and politics, with the usual dose of introspection that After The Fall has always been so good at. My only complaint is that I don’t have the vinyl yet.

Favourite song: Absent Minded

1. Revolution Spring by The Suicide Machines

Who knew my favourite album of the year would be ska?! Revolution Spring is good. Really good. I’m not sure what kept The Suicide Machines off my radar for so long, but I was super late to the party and only really became a fan just before they broke up when they released their 2005 album War Profiteering Is Killing Us All, which was full of aggression towards the Bush administration, with just a touch of ska. Fast forward 15 years, the band has reunited and played some reunion shows, toured sporadically and, after being unhappy to be labelled as just another “nostalgia-act”, decided to unleash some new music into the world. What a gift it turned out to be. With the help of Roger Lima at the helm of the production desk, The Suicide Machines have managed to take their history of varied music styles and unite them to make an album with the best elements of ska, pop-punk, and hardcore to create one catchy, aggressive, energetic, and relevant package that has thrust The Suicide Machines to the top of my list.

Favourite Song: Play Caesar

Less Than Jake’s Silver linings was VERY CLOSE to making my list, but I’ve only been able to listen to it once since writing this and I just can’t justify bumping any of the bands and albums on the current list based on only one listen so far. Plus, two ska albums in my top ten would have looked suspicious.

Some of my favourite “other things” this year:

Livestreams from Mike Herrera, Booze Cruise and Dream Nails.

EP’s released by The Lippies, Braincoats and Strike Anywhere (it has 7 songs… it’s an EP).

Live albums released by Fuzigish, Dillinger Four and Slick Shoes.

Netflix originals The Queen’s Gambit and Unorthodox.

Youtube videos from Mikey and his uke, Goldfinger and BKXC (riding bike when I couldn’t).

This top ten was written by Brett Coomer.

Gig Review: Manchester Punk Festival 2018 Day Three 21/4/18

(Note: Colin's parts are in regular text and Emma's parts are in italic.)

It was time for the third and final day of Manchester Punk Festival 2018 (you can read about day one here and day two here) and it was going to be a long one as the opening act began just before 1pm and the final band was scheduled to finish just before 2am. This was going to be a long slog but also one of excitement, joy and a whole lot of singing, dancing and mates! What's becoming tradition for our MPF Saturdays is for us to head to the local Wetherspoons and eat the biggest possible breakfast to fuel us up for the day. Clearly we're not the only people to have this idea as there were plenty of people with MPF wristbands in 'spoons tucking into their reasonably priced breakfasts, including Bev, Kieran and some more of the MPF collective. After filling up we headed off for the first act of the day!

As seems to be the tradition for the Saturday of Manchester Punk Festival, the first acts start before 1pm but are acoustic-based artists at Underdog. This, in theory, eases you into what is the longest but most likely to be the best day of MPF yet. That is if your hangover lets you. None of our gang are massive drinkers so we didn’t have any hangovers to deal with, although that doesn’t mean we weren’t tired and achey, so after refuelling with a big breakfast we were ready for the start of day three.

The first act of the day was Carl Moorcroft, a solo acoustic chap from down the road in Liverpool. I reviewed his album On The Road way back in 2016 but I must admit that I haven’t listened to it all that much since then so I was pleasantly surprised when I instantly recognised many of the songs in his set. With some fast songs, some sad songs and even some songs with hints of ska, Carl Moorcroft’s performance was passionate and just what we needed not long after midday on the last day of MPF. There was also a great cover of Disconnected by Face To Face that got those at the Underdog who were perhaps less familiar with Carl’s own songs engaged.

Gutter Romance were next up in Underdog and they were one of the biggest surprises of the entire festival. Originally from the UK but now based in Germany, Gutter Romance are an acoustic pop punk duo formed of Spider, from the Zatopeks and Tungsten Tips, and Debby, also from Tungsten Tips. This was such a fun set full of humour and fantastic pop punk songs. Despite it being early, Gutter Romance were pumped up to have a great time and this attitude spilled into the steadily growing crowd. Debby would run around in the crowd whilst singing, helping to get everyone into the set. At one point she climbed onto one of the speakers and then onto a member of the crowd's shoulders. This was a pretty raucous lunch time acoustic pop punk show. When they announced that they were going to play a cover I secretly hoped it would be a Zatopeks song but instead they played Avail's Fifth Wheel which I also enjoyed. Gutter Romance really made the permanent MPF smile on my face even bigger.

One of my most anticipated bands of the weekend were Danish punks Forever Unclean who were the first band of the day at The Bread Shed. We got there nice and early – finding our pal Tone from The Burnt Tapes who told of his eventful journey up to Manchester the night before (involving a bus and road closures) – and claimed a spot in front of the stage. We ended up staying near the front so it was difficult to tell how full the room got until after Forever Unclean played but let’s just say it turned out they were rather popular. And rightly so, they were as awesome as I expected them to be. I’ve seen the band live once before but that was when I was less familiar with their songs so this time it was even better to be able to sing along with a few – something that many people around me were also up for. It’s hard to describe what sort of sound Forever Unclean have as they play a sort of indie, pop, skate punk combination – the songs are catchy and the riffs are fast and, at least to me, technical sounding. What impressed me the most was how the band seemed to be able to seamlessly flow from song to song yet they said they didn’t actually have a setlist planned and all the while they retained a raw energy so nothing was over polished. Such great musicians, such great songs, such a great band.

Happy Accidents were next on mine, Robyn and Brett’s list to see so we left Colin at The Bread Shed and headed to Rebellion. The distance between those two venues was the furthest of any being used at MPF this year. Between Forever Unclean and Happy Accidents we had enough time to get to Rebellion but that wouldn’t be the case for the next band I wanted to see. Ready to catch as much of Happy Accidents’ set as possible before dashing back to Bread Shed, I soon found myself charmed by the infectiously cheery experience that is a Happy Accidents live show. This was my first time seeing them as a four piece since I wasn’t able to make their London album release show (damn you, snow!) and first time hearing songs from that new album, Everything But The Here And Now, live. The songs all sounded excellent and I very much enjoyed having my first little dance of the day. As I said, I hadn’t planned to watch all of the band’s set and I left with 5 or 10 minutes of their allotted time left (it turns out I only missed two songs) to hurry back to Bread Shed and see Goodbye Blue Monday.

Next on at The Bread Shed were one of the bands I was most excited for seeing at MPF, Glasgow's Goodbye Blue Monday. Since hearing their latest EP, The Sickness, The Shame, earlier this year it's been on constantly at CPRW headquarters and Emma and I were both really looking forward to seeing them live. The band did not disappoint as they played plenty of sing-a-long punk music that a decent sized crowd absolutely adored. I think Goodbye Blue Monday are bred to be a live band, on record they sound fantastic but on stage is where the songs really came alive. Midway through the set the band invited some friends of theirs on stage for what was the first marriage proposal in MPF history. Somewhat awkwardly but also hilariously the band followed up this proposal with the song Love Is A Noose For Two, an anti-marriage song. The big highlights for me were the tracks Take Your Pills and The Sickness, The Shame at the end but the whole set was superb. I can't wait for their next release.

I was reluctant to leave Goodbye Blue Monday as a) I was enjoying it so much and b) they hadn’t played my favourite song, Take Your Pills, yet. Before the festival I had meticulously worked out what time I needed to leave their set to go and catch at least half of All Aboard!’s set at the Zombie Shack. So, that didn’t quite work out… but after hearing Take Your Pills (it was awesome) I did dash on over to Zombie Shack. It was my first time in the venue since the previous year of MPF and I’d forgotten how small it was – and warm when packed out. And it was pretty packed out as All Aboard!’s set was well underway! I wasn’t overly familiar with the songs that the band played which was a bit of a shame as they were begging for a singalong in that gruff punk fists-in-the-air style. Despite this I soon had my head nodding along and my eyes glued to the stage. Next time I’ll be sure to catch more than half of the band’s set.

After catching a little bit of All Aboard! it was time for another great Scottish act in the form of legendary melodic skate punks PMX at Zombie Shack. Zombie Shack only has a capacity of 140 and the room felt pretty full to see this long running band (it turns out the venue ended up being at capacity). Because of this I couldn't get the greatest of views but they sounded incredible. They play fast and intricate punk rock and they do it so well. To be honest I'm always astounded how anyone can be as good at something as PMX are at what they do. It's not just the guitars where they excel either, vocally they were superb, to my admittedly uneducated ears they didn't seem to miss a note. Finishing with Code Red, PMX showed why they are such a highly regarded band.

Colin and I have both seen solo acoustic troubadour Sam Russo play live plenty of times but what we hadn’t seen until the Saturday of Manchester Punk Festival was Sam Russo with a band. Not wanting to miss out on the opportunity, we headed over to Gorilla after PMX to find out once and for all what ‘Russo’ would be like. Russo are fronted by Sam Russo (duh!) on [electric] guitar and vocals and he is joined by a talented bunch of musicians – Katie on bass, Chris on guitar and Marty on drums. Having seen Sam Russo (solo) a few months ago where he played a new song, that was written as a Russo song, I knew that this full band version wouldn’t just be complete rehashes of existing Sam Russo songs but I was also kind of hoping he would throw a classic solo track in for familiarity. I think they got the balance right, playing maybe three Sam Russo songs reimagined (or perhaps actually just played how they were originally written to be played) with the full band and then the majority of brand new tracks. Those new tracks sounded pretty darn good so I hope there are plans to record them real soon. 

One of the most emotionally charged sets of the weekend was for Manchester's departing speed punk heroes Revenge Of The Psychotronic Man. ROTPM are sadly splitting up in December making this their last ever Manchester Punk Festival appearance. This was a big reason for me choosing to see ROTPM over the likes of The Copyrights and Counterpunch. This was the hardest clash of the day by far for me but I feel like I made the right choice. The members of ROTPM make up part of the MPF collective and therefore are among a select group of bands who have played every MPF so far (the others being Throwing Stuff and Fair Do's). One of my big highlights over the last few years of MPF was the after party of MPF 2016 when the band played to the craziest pit I had ever seen. It was only right that the huge crowd that gathered at The Bread Shed gave it everything that they had to send them off properly and that they did. If you've never seen a ROTPM gig in Manchester then you've really missed out. The band play and sing faster than any band I've ever seen before and create this ferocious combustible energy that spills into the crowd and forms into a whirlwind of bodies that fly around the pit. It's some sight let me tell you. Despite the ferocity which they play with there's also an element of silliness in the set, particularly with guitarist Matt Woods constantly pulling faces at the crowd and at one point wearing a wrestling mask for a few songs. The band put everything they had into this set as did the crowd. This felt like a big celebration for one of the most important DIY punk bands in the UK and they will be sorely missed. Their set finished with boss bassist Andy Davies and drummer Chris "Big Hands" Hinsley diving into the crowd. Revenge Of The Psychotronic Man went out like only Revenge Of The Psychotronic Man can – with a bang!

In my MPF 2018 Top Ten, that I wrote before the festival, I mentioned that I’d ‘heard a lot about The Tuts’ – good and bad – but I was looking forward to making my own mind up about them by seeing them live for the first time. And so that’s what I did. I’d been enjoying listening to their album, Update Your Brain, prior to the festival and I can quite safely say that the songs were even better live, with tracks Let Go Of The Past, Give Us Something Worth Voting For and Tut Tut Tut sticking particularly in my mind. Upon first listen you’d probably think The Tuts play catchy, sugary pop music. Well, they do, but they also deliver it alongside punchy lyrics and rocking riffs – I was seriously impressed with these ladies’ musicianship. They also always looked like they were having so much fun which is great to see in a band when watching them live. Oh and apparently they were dressed like a combination of TLC and Destiny's Child – I'll take their word for it because I have no idea about that. So anyway like I said, I really enjoyed this set. That is right up until the second to last song when all of a sudden I didn’t feel quite right.

I turned around to Colin and said “I feel faint.” and the next thing I knew I was coming round after blacking out. So Colin took me outside for some fresh air and we, understandably, missed whatever was the last song of The Tuts set. I was reluctant to mention this in my review but I’m talking about it because of what happened afterwards. The security guy outside was really cool and encouraged me to go back inside because the venue was nearly at capacity – like I was going to miss Iron Chic anyway! I mean, he probably thought I’d passed out because I was drunk but I’d only had one alcoholic drink all day, I’d been drinking a fair amount of water and had just eaten before The Tuts (although it was a rushed meal) so I guess it was just the heat in Rebellion – even though I’ve been in hotter venues. Not wanting to hang around outside for more than a few minutes, we went back inside and I had a sit down. Colin wanted to go get me some water but also didn’t want to leave me alone – luckily he didn’t have to as a lovely lady came over with a pint of water for me as she’d seen what had happened. So basically the moral of the story is punks are super nice people. Thank you, fellow punk lady!

When the schedule for Manchester Punk Festival 2018 was first announced there were a lot of frustrated punk fans. There was one clash in particular that people weren’t pleased about – Propagandhi and Iron Chic. Personally I’m not sure what the MPF organisers could have done to avoid this and I’m sure they tried – you try booking a punk festival! Thankfully for myself and Colin it wasn’t a difficult decision, as we’re not really big on Propagandhi yet we love Iron Chic. I was still feeling a little off after what had happened before but I was also determined not to miss this headline set from one of our favourite fists-in-the-air singalong punk bands – and what a great venue Rebellion was going to be for it as well! Ploughing straight into their set with Cutesy Monster Man and the classic lyrics ‘I want to smash my face into that god damn radio’, it was, just like I said, fists in the air and one big singalong from the first note. If, like me, you’ve seen Iron Chic before then you’ll know what a euphoric experience it is and that was very much the case at MPF, perhaps even more so than at your typical gig. All this despite the fact that lead vocalist Jason Lubrano doesn’t particularly interact with the crowd – he spends much of the set walking around in circles and, err, hitting himself on the head – but what he lacks in charisma he makes up for with incredible lyrics. Plus, fellow vocalist and lead guitarist Phil is always much better at interacting with an audience anyway. It felt like he and Jesse, the second guitarist in Iron Chic, added more backing vocals to their live performance than when I’ve seen the band previously and this is something I thought worked really well. (I also adore Tender Defender and Broadcaster, two of their other bands, so that might be why I particularly liked this!) I was looking forward to hearing some songs from Iron Chic’s third album, You Can’t Stay Here, live for the first time and I wasn’t disappointed. Songs such as My Best Friend (Is A Nihilist) and A Headache With Pictures were excellent and received just as enthusiastic singalongs as the older classic tunes. We were stood at the back, so I could escape outside if I needed to, but it ended up being a great vantage point to observe the crowd. Here were a bunch of punk rock fans that weren’t in the least bit disappointed to not be watching Propagandhi. Rightly so, Iron Chic are awesome!

We left Iron Chic before their encore to make sure we didn't have to queue up for the after party. On our way to Rebellion we had bumped into some pals who said they were skipping Iron Chic and Propagandhi to make sure they were in The Bread Shed for opening the after party bands, Beat The Red Light and Chewing On Tinfoil. I must admit I did feel slightly smug at just walking in with no queuing. There was still a little time before Beat The Red Light took to the stage so I spent the time talking to folk. It was so nice hearing how everyone had had the best few days at the festival. It was a weekend full of such positivity and it was bloody lovely.

Returning ska bands was a bit of a theme for the weekend with Random Hand on Thursday, Stand Out Riot and Lightyear on Friday and now it was time for Beat The Red Light. The programme described them as "Slayer meets the Slackers" which did seem to confuse Brett. I quietly thought to myself "you'll see" as the band were taking to the stage. Beat The Red Light are one of the best live bands you'll ever see. They feature some of the best horns in ska alongside some crunching guitars and some hard hitting drums as well as frontman Pook's incredible growling, screamy vocal. This sound with a crazy mosh pit in front of them makes for an impressive spectacle. This was BTRL's first show in a while but you wouldn't have known. The show seemed to ignite a fire in the band and this was for sure the best I've seen them. Anyone who was starting to lag after the long day was definitely woken up now.

Following BTRL's wonderful set was Chewing On Tinfoil. "Chewy", as they are affectionately known, were the band that most people I spoke to at the festival were most excited to see – Emma included. The Dublin-based band are absolute loved within the UK punk scene and don't come over anywhere near as much as we'd like them too! The fine people crammed down the front of the stage were clearly determined to make the most of them because as soon as Chewy opened with Fuck Team Sports the place went crazy. Not many bands sound like Chewing On Tinfoil, combining ska, sing-a-long punk rock and the occasional touch of folk alongside some distinctive Irish vocals. They are also a highly energetic live band who are captivating to watch on the stage. Booking Beat The Red Light and following them up with Chewing On Tinfoil is more masterful organising by the MPF crew. Chewing On Tinfoil were obviously superb and certainly one of the highlights of the festival for a lot of people.

After Chewing On Tinfoil finished it seemed as if The Bread Shed half emptied, not that surprising as I'm sure everyone was knackered by this point of the day. To be honest if it wasn't for the fact that I really wanted to see Uniforms then I probably would have gone and found my bed as well. If I had have done that though I wouldn't have got to see The Minor Discomfort Band and would have missed out on the biggest surprise of the weekend. The Minor Discomfort Band were fantastic. Their style was described as a punk rock barn dance for fans of early Against Me! This sounded right up mine and Emma's alley and, as soon as the Suffolk-based band began, they had me and the majority of people remaining in The Bread Shed having a good ol' dance. This is one of the best things about festivals, discovering and falling in love with bands you've never taken the chance to listen to before. All those folk who left early – you missed out on a fantastic time!

So as I mentioned earlier, the band chosen to close the entire festival was Dundee's Uniforms. Uniforms are a band I've been wanting to see for a long time now after missing seeing them a few years ago at Book Yer Ane Fest because of that stupid Megabus. I was pumped and ready to see the band, lead by Make-That-A-Take Records' Derrick Johnston, close MPF in style. The four piece play a straight forward punk rock sound influenced by bands such as Leatherface and Hot Water Music. Despite it being the early hours of Sunday morning, Uniforms still had a lot of energy and this quickly spilled into the crowd. Derrick is a fantastic frontperson and gets the crowd super rowdy with plenty of pile ons, crowd surfing and a human pyramid where one of Uniforms' guitarists jumped on stage and joined in with. This was definitely the best way to finish the festival. Uniforms finished their set with a cover of Nirvana's Territorial Pissings where Derrick put down his guitar and jumped into the crowd to finish the set with quite a flourish. Gosh Uniforms were fantastic.

Manchester Punk Festival 2018 was a huge success. It was always going to be, with the incredible amount of talent on the line-up and all the different styles of punk rock music. One slight worry I had before the festival was how it would work without its former home Sound Control. In all honesty I kind of forgot all about it. The festival flowed seamlessly and opening up The Bread Shed for the whole weekend, and not just the after party, along with the addition of Rebellion, which has the best sound of any venue I've ever been to, were excellent replacements. I say this every year and I mean it this year more than ever that Bev, Andy, Tree, Kieran and the entire MPF collective deserve all of the respect, love, high fives, hugs and thanks in the world for the incredible job they've done with this festival. Emma and I both agreed afterwards that this was the best festival experience we've ever had and we include a trip to Gainesville for The Fest in that statement. There were so many highlights throughout the weekend. I'm not going to list them all because hopefully you've now read about all three days of the festival and you know that we thought every band killed it. We weren't even sad about missing out on the cover sets as the bands we saw instead were great! The biggest highlight for me across the whole weekend was the whole atmosphere of the festival. I've been very lucky to meet so many cool people doing CPRW – including our South African buddies – and it was so great to hang out with so many of them over the weekend and enjoy our favourite bands together. For me Manchester Punk Festival has evolved from more than just a live music event into a celebration of the UK DIY punk rock scene. It's like a family reunion where everyone gets along, doesn't stop smiling and nobody can wait for the next one.

Thank you once again Manchester Punk festival for the best weekend of the year. See you in April 2019!

This review was written by Colin Clark and Emma Prew. Photos by Emma Prew.

Top Tens: Robyn and Brett's Top Ten Bands To See At Manchester Punk Festival 2018

I think I can safely say that Brett and I would not be going to MPF this year if we had not met Colin and Emma. Brett is my fiancé and a huge punk fan. Since we began chatting to Colin and Emma in 2016, we’ve talked a lot about the UK punk scene and Colin speaks with such joy and pride about the success of MPF that it’s impossible not to be won over. Living in South Africa with a weak currency makes it difficult to get to many festivals, but we’re lucky enough to be able to go and we cannot wait for this amazing introduction to the best of contemporary British punk. As Brett doesn’t really enjoy writing, I’m usually the one on CPRW sharing my views. But he’s so excited about going that I’ve managed to convince him to take the time to contribute to this list. It was tough to get this down to just five a piece, but here are the bands we’re most excited to see at MPF 2018. ~ Robyn

Robyn’s Top Five

Drones (Friday at Gorilla 17:15–17:45)
Drones recently dropped their album Exiled on 9 March and I am completely addicted to it. The band play in-your-face socio-political punk similar to that of Rise Against or Anti-Flag (and, for some reason, I’m reminded of Useless ID too). As such, they’re the sort of band you can really dig into because they’re hoping to spark a conversation with the music they’re releasing. But they also just sound so damn good on the record that I can’t wait to see what they bring to their live performance.

Apologies, I Have None (Friday at Gorilla 19:55–20:40)
Apologies is one of the first UK bands that Colin introduced me to, and I was immediately taken with the single ‘Love and Medication’ off of their album Pharmacie. Both Pharmacie and the band’s earlier album London offer beautifully-crafted, moving, meditative music that I’m not sure I could tie down to a specific genre (post-punk perhaps). I go to shows to have a good time, but it’s also often an emotional experience (my first Fest was just all of the feelings). This promises to be a fantastic, emotionally-charged set.

Spoilers (Friday at Zombie Shack 20:50–21:20)
I’ve been rocking out to Spoilers’ EP ‘Stay Afloat’ for a while now, which offers some awesome pop punk jams as well as some faster melodic punk songs. This four-piece from Canterbury in Kent seem to be adept at creating really fun and catchy melodies, and I am determined to fit them into my schedule even though I have to change venues between AIHN and Lightyear. They seem to tour quite a bit and are heading out on a European tour with Lagwagon and The Lillingtons later this year, but of course this is the only chance I’ll get to see them.

Happy Accidents (Saturday at Rebellion 15:35–16:05)
Brett got to see Happy Accidents at the band’s recent album launch in London, and I was so jelly. This pop-punk trio lured me in with head-bopping tunes like ‘Leaving Parties Early’ and ‘Running’, but I also really like their latest album, Everything But The Here And Now. Brett was super impressed with their performance, so I can’t wait to finally see Happy Accidents in the flesh.

PMX (Saturday at Zombie Shack 17:20–17:50)
PMX really remind me of A Wilhelm Scream with all of their thrashy, fast-paced, rip-roaring goodness. This four-piece from Perth in Scotland have been around for a while and toured quite extensively (with the likes of AWS, Mute, and Propagandhi no less), so I think I can look forward to an awesome high-energy set from these seasoned professionals.

Brett’s Top Five

Fair Do’s (Thursday at The Bread Shed 20:50–22:20)
MPF will be one of my life’s best experiences, and I haven’t even been yet. With every announcement my excitement has grown, but so has the list of bands that I didn’t know anything about. Fair Do’s were part of the final band announcement and Colin recommended them to me immediately. What a great recommendation it turned out to be. Once you get to know me, you learn that my criteria for great punk can be met by only three attributes: fast, technical, and melodic. Fair Do’s are all three and their 5 song EP is the only thing I have to tide me over until Thursday night at MPF.

Aerial Salad (Friday at Rebellion 15:35–16:05 and Zombie Shack 22:35–23:05)
I only started listening to this band late last year after reading a review of the album Roach on CPRW. Being described as pop-punk influenced by early Green Day is a sure way to get my attention. Roach went on to make Colin’s top 10 list on CPRW; the band totally deserved it and let’s face it, it’s better than anything Green Day has put out in the last 15 years. I’m stoked to see these guys play some of their songs early on Friday and I really hope I can get in to their Green Day cover set later on as well.

Darko (Saturday at Gorilla 16:20–16:50)
Growing up during the hey days of the compact disc, I always had to find new bands by reading the “thank you” section of liner notes or noting who my favourite bands were touring with in far-away places. My habits haven’t changed much and I learned of Darko from watching an interview with The Decline (AU) where they mentioned Darko as one of the bands they were excited to share the stage with. Giving me some subtle hints of both AWS and Shook Ones, Darko hooked me immediately with their fast, aggressive punk rock, and unique vocal delivery. Their album Bonsai Mammoth was one of my most played albums of 2017 and I am anticipating an energetic live set from these guys that will no doubt leave me beaming with happiness and sweat. PS. If you’re in Australia in early April, you can be blown away by both The Decline and Darko at one of their shows.

Counterpunch (Saturday at Rebellion 19:00–19:40)
Although they’ve been around since 2004, I hadn’t taken notice of Counterpunch until their album Bruises was released on El Hefe’s (NoFX) label, Cyber Tracks. That album, as well as their previous release, is full of catchy, melodic skate punk influenced by the likes of No Use For a Name (my all-time favourite) and Pulley with some more modern frills thrown in there for good measure. The song ‘Blueprint’ in particular has some clear lyrical and melodic references to the No Use song ‘Under the Garden’ which makes me happy every time I hear it. I love watching bands like Counterpunch live; good hooks and great crowd sing along moments mean the shows are always fun and well worth the hype and excitement.

Propagandhi (Saturday at Gorilla 21:00–22:00)
There are no words to describe how excited I am to see Propagandhi but I will try to come up with some for the sake of this write-up. I have been a fan of the band since a friend burned me a copy of How To Clean Everything and I finally had the chance to see them perform at Fest 15 in 2016. Last year they released my favourite album of the year, and Robyn and I were lucky enough to see them in LA on the US leg of the Victory Lap tour. It’s 2018 and even though I’ve seen them a few times now, I am as excited as I was back in 2016 and would not miss their set at MPF for anything.

This top ten was written by Robyn Pierce and Brett Coomer.

Top 50 Songs of 2015

50. PMX – Brave Face (Dark Days)



49. Spoilers – Punks Don't Die (Stay Afloat)



48. Shit Present – Anxious Type (Shit Present)


47. Creeper – Honeymoon Suite (The Callous Heart)


46. Ghost On Tape – All Our Friends Have Disappeared (Into The Maze)



45. Orphan Killbot – Son Of Misfortune (Orphan Killbot)



44. Don Blake – King Of The World (Pocket Universe)



43. Bottler – Rotten Routine (Rotten Routine)



42. Arms Aloft – Three Altars For Rats (Living Black Spots)



41. Milk Crimes – I Don't Wanna Be Alone Again (Milk Crimes)



40. Dan Peters – Aba (ABUELA.MADRE.AMANTE)



39. Vanilla Pod – Wishing Well (Seeing Out The Sunrise)



38. State Line Syndicate – Amor (Go Back To The 90s)



37. Up For Nothing – The Faker (Up For Nothing/Resolutions 7")



36. Modern Baseball – …And Beyond (The Perfect Cast)



35. River Jumpers – Playground Politics (River Jumpers)



34. Science Made Us Robots – Headphones (Paper Bones)



33. The Regressives – Revolution Ballad (The Regressives)



32. Demon Smiles – Penny For The Wise (Amped)



31. Nerdlinger – Twenty Five (Trend Setter)



30. Sam Russo – Sometimes (Greyhound Dreams)


29. Paper Rifles – Turn The Lights Down (Songs For Ophelia)



28. Bangers – I Don't Feel Like I'll Ever Be Clean Again (Bird)



27. Spraynard – Applebee's Bar (Mable)



26. Happy Accidents – Rather Not Know (Four Way Split)



25. The Decline – I Don't Believe (Resister)



24. Smokey Bastard – Baba Yaga (Back To The Drawing Room)



23. Teenage Bottlerocket – I Found The One (Tales From Wyoming)


22. The Smith Street Band – Wipe That Shit-Eating Grin From Your Punchable Face (Wipe The Shit-Eating Grin From Your Punchable Face)



21. Popes Of Chillitown – Wisdom Teeth (To The Moon)



20. MakeWar – Against The Rules (MakeWar)



19. Imperial Leisure – Victory Cycle (Lifestyle Brand)



18. Dynamite Dynamite – The Deal's Getting Worse (Apologies/Apathy)



17. Spineless Yes Men – Post Gig Blues (The Death Of Denmark)



16. The Fur Coats – One More Shot (Short-Brain)



15. Math The Band – BFFU (Math The Band – The Album)



14. Less Deceived – You've Heard This Before, Right? (Average Songs About The Best Days Of Our Lives)



13. The Kimberly Steaks – Change Your Mind (Chemical Imbalance)



12. Forever Unclean! – Excuse! (Shreds)



11. The Briggs – Gridlocked (The Briggs)



10. WACO – Agitation (Sundown)



9. Jake & The Jellyfish - Tour Talk (Dead Weight)



8. Millencolin – True Brew (True Brew)


7. Random Hand – Pack It Up (Hit Reset)


6. Great Cynics - I Went Swimming (I Feel Weird)



5. The Exhausts - Films & Adverts (Leave The Suburbs!)



4. Will Tun & The Wasters – Nobody Knows (The Anachronist's Cookbook)



3. Jeff Rosenstock – You, In Weird Cities (We Cool?)



2. Mischief Brew - O, Pennsyltucky (This Is Not For Children)



1. Red City Radio – Two Out Of Three Ain't Rad (Red City Radio)