Pirate
punk rock is not a genre of music that you hear too much about.
Cornwalls Pirate Copy could be about to change that though. They play
celtic punk rock music with added piracy, influenced by bands such as
Dropkick Murphys, The Offspring and Turbonegro they are just about to
release a new EP named Goin' Down A Storm. I was very interested to
check it out.
The
opening song on the EP, also called Goin' Down A Storm really
displays what the band are all about and that's partying. The song
starts off with a steady drum beat and some crunching guitar riffs
before the whole band join in to create a high octane punk rock jam.
The song is a great way to begin the EP and the lyrics serve as a
great introduction of what to expect from the bands live show. There
are plenty of sing along moments and opportunities to throw your fist
in the air, basically everything you need from a punk song. The
second song on the EP is named Whirlpool is another high energy, fist
in the air punk song. The vocals, whilst staying in a pirate style
feel more aggressive than they did in the opening song though the
overall message of “Make The Most Of Every Fucking Day” is very
positive. The EP finishes with Lure Of The Sea, a song with a big
hint of early Dropkick Murphys. I like the metaphor meaning in the
song, in their guise of pirates they are talking about travelling the
seven seas but I take it as singing about being a band on tour. I
thought that this was such clever song writing.
What
I really loved about this EP was that it makes me really want to see
Pirate Copy live. I've only ever heard this three songs from the band
and after hearing them I just know that seeing them live would be the
most fun.
When
it was announced that Gnarwolves and The Smith Street Band announced
that they were doing a co-headline tour I could not have been more
excited. I was actually so excited that when tickets were on sale I
actually ran home from to buy a ticket for me and my friend. Sadly
the night before the gig my friend spent the night being sick and had
to drop out. That coupled with the fact that I was really suffering
with a leg injury made me really not in the mood to go. I decided to
go though, knowing I;d be quite miserable if I didn't so after
topping myself up with painkillers and strapping up my leg I made my
way to The Dome in Tufnell Park.
I'd
never been to The Dome before and didn't have a clue where to go once
I arrived at Tufnell Park. When I left the tube station I went with
the tactic of following someone I thought was going to the gig.
Naturally the people I followed went the wrong way so I turned on
Google Maps, did the awkward about turn in the middle of the street
and went straight back the other way to The Dome. There was a queue!
My gosh I hate queueing up for gigs. I walked up to what I guessed
was the back of it and double checked that I was right. He then asked
me whether or not I had a ticket because he hadn't. I told him that I
actually had two and asked if he wanted it. What luck for both of us.
If I hadn't of gotten lost I probably wouldn't have ever spoken to
the guy and I would have wasted a ticket and he might not of got into
the gig. The guy ended up being really cool and I ended up spending
the evening with him and two of his mates. My evening was turning in
to a good one before the music had even begun.
When
I walked into The Dome I was shocked at how big it was, I was
expecting a small dark room and what I found was a decent sized
spacious area. It reminded me of a community centre or school
assembly hall. Drug Church were the first band to take to the stage,
which was nice and high so wherever you were stood you got a decent
view. I had never heard of Drug Church before they were announced as
tour support so didn't have too much of a idea what they would be
like. When the five piece from Albany New York took to the stage it
was immediately clear what Drug Church were all about. This was
hardcore punk rock at it's finest, pure, unadulterated aggression
exploded from the stage as the band lead an extremely watchable front
man they powered through a great set that seemed to end just as
quickly as it begun. It was a fun set as well, with the band inviting
a guy named Seb, who I guess was just a fan in the crowd to do guest
vocals on one of the songs. If you're into hardcore punk with a hint
of grunge Drug Church are definitely a band you should be listening
to.
The
next band up were Australia's finest band – The Smith Street Band.
This would be my fourth time seeing these Aussie gentleman in a year
(coincidently my first time seeing them was this week a year ago) and
was my first time seeing them since they released their phenomenal
album Throw Me In The River. Many of the songs played tonight I would
be hearing live for the first time and I was beyond excited. Starting
off with the first two songs from Throw Me In The River, Something I
Can Hold In My Hand and Surrender, The Dome were instantly in love
with the Smithies. Then they played Don't Fuck With Our Dreams and
things got really fun, this was one of the loudest sing alongs that
I've ever heard with the room screaming back every single word to the
band. Hearing the line “I Know What Happened I Was There” and
singing back “We Know What Happened We Were There” is one of my
favourite things to do at any gig I've ever been to. It was great to
see songs from Throw Me In The River get as much love such as
classics such as Sigourney Weaver and Young Drunk. I was especially
excited to hear I Love Life live, that song is my favourite song from
Throw Me In The River and probably in my opinion the best song of
2014. I was interested to see how good it would be as a live song
because of the long musical interlude in the middle of the song. It
serves perfectly as a building block for a massive finale to The
Smith Street Bands set. My favourite thing about a Smith Street Band
set is just how uplifting it is. Even writing this now, after having
a couple of quite crappy days thinking about the gig is lifting my
spirits. That's just how special a band those four gentleman from
Australia are. If you haven't seen them live yet you are a fool.
Gnarwolves
are without a doubt the biggest punk rock band in the United Kingdom.
This would be my seventh times seeing them live and every single time
the shows have got bigger and the crowd have got wilder. From the
opening of Smoking Kills all the way through to closing song Melody
Has Big Plans the stage is full of people wanting to stage dive. It's
complete chaos at the front but it's what Gnarwolves thrive on! This
is what a Gnarwolves gig is all about and I absolutely love it. It's
a collective thing, the crazier the crowd get the harder Gnarwolves
play and the harder they play the crazier the crowd gets. I've not
seen many bands connect with their fans as well as Gnarwolves do,
it's a special bond that you really only get with a band like this. A
band that's worked so hard to get where they are, by doing it
properly, by constantly being on tour and playing shows everywhere.
This takes an astonishing amount of commitment and bravery and is
partly how they've built such a big “Cru” of fans. Obviously the
other way they've developed such a big fan base is the quality of the
songs. All are packed with massive hooks and choruses that are
impossible not to get involved with. They are perfect for the live
environment, as are Gnarwolves themselves.
This
had been one of the best gigs I had been to in a while and it has
reminded why I love going so much. The whole evening really lifted my
spirits, everything about the night was great. All three bands were
fantastic and all the people I met were just brilliant.
Giles
Bidder, Iona Cairns and Bob Barrett are three immensely talented
individuals who together form one of the UK's finest punk bands,
Great Cynics. Having already put out two excellent albums named Don't
Need Much and Like I Belong in the past few years the trio are about
to release their third album – I Feel Weird on Specialist Subject
Records. Here's my review.
I
Feel Weird begins with the song I Want You Around [Chunky], a song
that I've seen Giles play a couple of times when seeing him play
acoustically by himself. This full band version immediately reminds
you of that classic Great Cynics sound. Combining the best parts of
rock, pop and punk Great Cynics have created a sound all of their
own. The song, inspired by a great friend of the band “Chunky” is
about a friend who is fed up with the way life is going but his
friends reassure him that he is still great. The second song I Went
Swimming is a song that really caught by attention on the first
listen of the record. There is a great pounding drumbeat that helps
carry the momentum of the track whilst Giles sings about doing the
things that make him feel better when he's feeling down, and how
sometimes it can be the most simple of things. You just know that in
a live setting that this song will become a huge favourite. Iona
takes over lead vocal duties on song number three, North Street.
North Street falls more in the pop punk category as Iona's vocals
give the song a sense of urgency. Iona has a great voice and it
really serves as a great weapon in an already impressive arsenal in
the Great Cynics camp. From The Creators Of Love Actually has one of
the most interesting guitar introductions on the album. Giles takes
back lead vocal duties on a song that really focuses on lyrical
content. The chorus is sadly I relate far too much too. It goes “lock
me up and pull my hair until I feel no pain at all, keep me down and
fuck me up I'll still love just like a fool.”
The
opening chords of Complicated remind me of The Bouncing Souls song
Airport Security. This is one of the slower songs on I Feel Weird but
definitely has its place. Complicated is about working your way
through life's difficult problems by taking one thing at a time.
Everyone's A Little Bit Weird is the poppiest song on the album and
is also an extremely positive anthem. It's about it being perfectly
okay to be different. It's another song that will go down really well
live, I can see a whole room of people proudly singing “Everyone's
A Little Bit Weird, Everyone's A Little Bit Queer, So What, So What's
The Problem.” Absolutely fantastic song. Lost In You was the first
song officially released for the album with an awesome music video. I
really love the disjointed introduction to the song, there is a
feeling of everyone playing a different song before they all come
together for one of the harder songs. Giles and Iona's vocals work
together perfectly as Giles takes control of the verses whilst Iona
really shines on the chorus. I've said so many times before how much
I love bands that use multiple vocalists and how it gives a great
feeling of accessibility to a band. The harmonies towards the end of
the song are first class as well and give the song a number of extra
levels. The eighth song Kind Of Like has another great guitar riff,
sounding like something the Dropkick Murphys would be very happy
with. It is a song that makes me wanting to get rowdy and have a good
dance. There is an uplifting feel to the song and I especially
enjoyed Bob's spoken word segment towards the end, I wonder if
they'll attempt that live.
“Please
Don't Hurt Me Anymore” is the chorus of the ninth track, Tread
Gently. From that I think it's pretty obvious what the song is about
and is again something I all too easily relate to. Bob Barrett's
rolling drum is joined by some much darker guitar tones at the
beginning of the song before Giles leads us on a tale of woe and
sadness. The way in which he sings the chorus feels like the pleading
of someone who is at their wits end. Iona takes charge on the lead
vocals again on the penultimate song I Know Nothing. After the
urgency of North Street here Iona puts in a more restraint vocal
performance. The song begins with just some simple guitar chords and
Iona's soft voice before Bobs drums crash in and the full band join.
I Feel Weird finishes with a song named By The Sea and is quite
different to any other Great Cynics song I've heard before. Lead by
an acoustic guitar but ably joined by bass drums and at times a
xylophone the band have created a hugely enjoyable and different
sound.
I
Feel Weird is Great Cynics best album yet. Don't Need Much and Like I
Belong are both brilliant but I Feel Weird takes the band to a whole
new level as musicians and songwriters. The trio are one of a number
of bands in our punk scene that should really be huge. Anyone can
relate to the band and is completely accessible for fans of a lot of
different musical genres, Great Cynics offer something for everybody.
Can't wait to see where they go next.
It
was time for day two of the festival and frankly after a long journey
up from Colchester the day before and a late night all I wanted to do
was stay in the horribly uncomfortable bed at the hostel I was
staying at. Eventually though I did drag myself out of bed and made
my way back to Sound Control.
After
arriving too late to check out Sammy H Stevens next door at The
Thirsty Scholar I headed downstairs to see Bear Trade open up the day
of punk rock at Sound Control. A decent sized crowd had already
gathered to see the band which to me was incredible considering how
early it was. Happily the time of the day didn't put a dampener on
the band or the crowds enthusiasm as there were plenty of big smiles
and sing alongs throughout their set. After Bear Trade I set off
upstairs to check out Dead Neck for the first time. I was really
impressed with Dead Neck, playing fast melodic hardcore their energy
levels were through the roof. Blasting through their set it seemed to
be over just as quickly as it had begun. I will definitely be
checking out more from Dead Neck.
After
running back down the stairs (going up and downs stairs became a
theme for the day) it was time for one of the bands I was most
looking forward to seeing all weekend – Leagues Apart. Their album
Brief Interviews With Hideous Men (reviewed here) was one of my favourites of 2014
and this was the first chance I had had to see some of it performed
live. From the opening of Kat Dennings; You Are My Everest to the end
of To Know The Night Is To Live In It Forever the set was absolutely
brilliant. Adam and James voices were strong, gravelly and perfect
for a punk rock show. It was fantastic to see the whole band having
such fun on stage together as well. I wish they would tour more. Next
I hurried back upstairs to see Scottish pop punks The Murderburgers
start their set. I lost count of how many songs the trio got through
during their thirty minute set but every one of them had me tapping
my feet and bopping my head. The speed which Fraser sings and manages
to play his guitar amazes me. Lots of hooks and lots of good times
were had with The Murderburgers. Catch them on tour with Masked
Intruder in May.
After
a quick food break I made my way back upstairs to see Just Panic.
Another band I knew very little about other than they had reformed to
play the festival. A sizeable crowd gathered, I guess that they were
loved and were much missed. Straight away I could see why, their folk
punk was very well received by the Manchester crowd. Plenty of
sing-a-long moments and fists in the air in celebration of a great
great band. After Just Panic finished an awesome set I popped over
the road to The Thirsty Scholar to see my first acoustic set of the
day, Scotland's finest – Billy Liar. Billy's set showcased
everything I love about punk rock, it was played with a lot of
passion and it never felt like he was holding anything back and there
were a lot of mistakes. That didn't matter at all though to anybody
in the room, it added a whole lot of charm to the set, Billy Liar is
one of us playing music that he loves and having a great time doing
it. The song Change in particular got a brilliant reaction from the
fine folk in the room.
Then
it was time for another highly anticipated band for the weekend, from
London it was those silly chaps Wonk Unit. The early start cobwebs
were now a distant memory as Wonk Unit worked the crowd into a bit of
a frenzy, creating the first mosh pit of the weekend so far with
their unique brand of punk rock music, they really are like no other
band in the scene. Wonk Unit are clearly a very popular band in
Manchester, uniting punk rockers young and old with everyone having a
cracking time during their set. Six piece ska punk band Stand OutRiot were another band reuniting to play the festival and I was
excited to see them. Despite not having played a gig together for
over a year they put on a set like they had never been away. As you
would expect from a ska band the energy was incredible as they
delivered a hugely enjoyable set. Another band that needs to play a
lot more shows.
Smoke
Or Fires Joe McMahon was playing an acoustic set at The Thirsty
Scholar so after the conclusion of Stand Out Riots set I wandered
back over to check him out. Acoustic music always comes across more
honestly than full band music and that combined with McMahon's
heartfelt voice delivered one of the more thoughtful and moving sets
of the weekend. Roughneck Riots set was already in full swing by the
time that I got back upstairs (each climb was getting slower and
slower by this point). The room was absolutely packed by this point
and the crowd were having the best time dancing to Warrington's
Celtic punk rockers. It had been a few years since I'd had the
pleasure of seeing them live and they were just as good as I
remembered. Roughneck Riot are a group of fantastically talented
musicians spreading an important message. After this I made my way
back to The Thirsty Scholar to catch the end of Great Cynics front
man Giles Bidders acoustic set. The room was absolutely packed for
his upbeat set of old and new Great Cynics songs, all of which went
down a treat, it was brilliant to see such a talented young man
getting such a good reception.
After
catching five minutes each of Fair Do's and That Fucking Tank it was
time for Vanilla Pod. Kings Lynn's finest are celebrating their
twentieth year as a band and have been playing gigs everywhere. They
have also put out a brand new EP on TNS Records named Seeing Out The
Sunrise. Their set was comprised of songs from that EP as well as
plenty of old favourites such as Surrounded By Idiots. Vanilla Pod
put on a fantastic show which pleased everyone in the room; they may
have been one of the older bands playing the festival but were
certainly among the most energetic. One of my biggest hopes for the
festival was for Muncie Girls to play some of their recently recorded
new material. I was pleased as punch when they opened their set with
four brand new songs, all of which sounded excellent and have gotten
me very excited for their debut full length. I also thought that is
was very brave of the trio to open to a crowd that wasn't necessarily
their own with material very few people in the room would have heard.
Absolutely love Muncie Girls for doing that. As much as I enjoyed
their new stuff it was also great to hear some of my favourites such
as Railroad and Kasper & Randow. This was by far the biggest room
I'd seen the band play and they just looked born to do it, excellent
stuff.
After
another quick food break and a sit down (I was really struggling by
this point) I pulled myself back up the stairs to see the end of
Darko's set. I really love watching hardcore punk bands like Darko
live. The intensity of the performance was crazy; and even though the
intensity was high each member of the band was playing with a massive
smile on their bearded faces. The crowd at Sound Control really
responded to them by singing and dancing along with the band. Next I
made my way back downstairs for Plymouth punks Crazy Arm. A band
influenced by punk rock, folk and americana music, Crazy Arm are
always a treat to experience live. This was the wildest I'd seen the
crowd get all day with plenty of moshing and a great human pyramid.
Crazy Arm are fantastic recorded but to really experience just how
good they are you have to see the live. After Crazy Arm I ran (sort
of) back upstairs to see The Restarts as I had seen a lot of people
wearing their t-shirts all day. I only got to see a couple of songs
but I really enjoyed the Hackney based three pieces fast and furious
hardcore punk.
I
made my way down the stairs for the final time for Apologies, I Have None – the first of two headliners. I made sure that I was at the
stage early to get the best possible view of one of my favourite
bands. Starting out with fan favourite Sat In Vicky Park the crowd
sang louder than they had all day. The band ripped through songs from
full length album London and newish EP Black Everything, which grows
on me more and more every time I hear the songs played live. Massive
props have to go to Leagues Apart guitarist James Hull who was
playing bass for only the third time with the band. Finishing up with
the songs Long Gone and The 26 Apologies, I Have None proved why they
are the number one punk band in the UK's amazing underground scene.
The main portion of The Manchester Punk Festival was finished by
Essex punk legends The Filaments. The irony of me travelling all the
way to Manchester from Colchester to see a band from Essex didn't
escape me. As I arrived upstairs the show was already going as The
Filaments played Tears Of Essex; a fantastic song about how UKIP
tried to get elected in Essex a few years ago and failed. Another
highlight of their set for me was Tales From The Barside, a song that
name checks The Soundhouse, a bar in Colchester. The Filaments were
at the absolute top of their game, old school tracks such as UK Now
and Bastard Coppers really got the crowd going, whether they were
skanking, moshing or just singing at the top of their voices everyone
was having a the best time. What an excellent way to finish the
Manchester Punk Festival.
Except
that wasn't quite the end of the day. Five minutes away at Retro Bar
an after party was being thrown featuring Bear Trade as The
Replacements, Just Panic as Against Me and Leagues Apart as Rancid. A
lo of fun was had at Retro Bar, songs were sung so loudly it was
almost like punk rock karaoke, everyone was dancing and a lot of new
friends were made. There was a strong feeling in that bar of never
wanting what had been a very special day to end.
The
Manchester Punk Festival really was the most epic of days. All the
acts were fantastic at being ready on stage when they needed to be
and all playing very good sets, EVERYONE was super friendly and for
me the most impressive thing was just how smoothly the day ran. If
there were any problems during the day they definitely weren't
noticeable. I can't give the people at TNS Records, Moving North and
Anarchistic Undertones enough credit for successfully putting on the
UK's very best festival. If they happen to be reading this, thank you
so so so much. Roll on the Manchester Punk Festival 2016.
After
weeks of excited anticipation what promised to be one of the most
memorable weekends of the year was finally here. The very best of the
UK's amazing punk rock scene were descending of Manchester for the
first ever Manchester Punk Festival.
There
were two gigs happening on the opening night of the festival, 2 Sick
Monkeys were headlining at The Ducie Bridge and Creeper were
headlining at the festivals main venue Sound Control. I decided to to
hang out at Sound Control to get a feel for the place where I would
be spending most of my weekend and to check out some of the young up
and comers in the scene.
Simmer
were the band tasked with opening the festival. A nicely sized crowd
arrived early to see the Cheshire based four piece. The festival
program describes them as “ambient punk” which is far better than
my initial attempt at describing their sound as spaced out emo. It's
great to see a band trying to do something different and interesting
with the punk sound.
Next
up were one of the scenes most hotly tipped bands, Boston Manor. I
really enjoyed these guys set of energetic pop punk. They played with
a confidence of a band much older than them, the enthusiasm and
passion for the music they play really shone through and was very
infectious. At multiple times during their set I found myself wanting
to sing along despite not knowing any of the words. Great Stuff!
Another
band that played with a lot of enthusiasm and passion were
Hindsights. Much like Boston Manor they played pop punk music but
they utilized two singers, keeping the songs sounding fresh and
varied, is really enjoyed this. Then there was bass player Miles who
was something else. It was very hard not to watch him on stage,
endlessly bouncing around, permanently with a huge grin on his face
it was hard not to smile along with him. It was absolutely fantastic
to see someone so fully immersed in what they are doing. If
Hindsights play anywhere near you I suggest checking them out,
fantastic live band.
Finally
it was time for Southampton's Creeper. It's hard to believe that
these guys have only been together for just over a year and they are
already headlining a festival. Taking to the stage to the Casper The
Friendly Ghost theme tune Creeper stormed through songs from their
fantastic debut EP as well as a brand new song and a cover of an AFI
song Creeper showed just why they are rising so quickly in the whole
of the UK's alternative music scene and not just the world of punk
rock. Of course front man Will was again the star of the show ,
performing with a theatricality that had the whole crowds undivided
attention. I can't wait for Creeper to put out their debut full
length, expect them to explode when they do.
I
really enjoyed the opening night of the festival. Sound Control
showcased some of the best new bands in the punk scene,which
currently seems like an endless conveyor belt of new talent coming
through. If the opening night of the festival was this good I knew
that I was in for a treat the next day.
Now listening to When I Thought I Was A Boy I Thought I Was A Fish by The Smith Street Band
At
the end of last year I had the pleasure of seeing London based ska
punk band the Popes Of Chillitown support The JB Conspiracy at the
Barfly in Camden (review here) and was completely blown away by their
performance. Next month they are releasing their second album To The
Moon, I very excitedly checked it out.
To
The Moon begins with a song named Vamos a la Luna. Starting out with
with some horn riffs and some simple ska guitar the song starts
slowly, gradually being joined by bass and drums along with lead
singer Matt's unmistakable vocal to create a smooth reggae vibe. Then
the tempo picks up and the ska party explodes into life. I really
love Matt's vocal style, it reminds me of a cross between Jake from
Capdown and Jak from ClayPigeon. The next song Mummy's Busy continues
down the same ska punk party path. Matt's vocal is during the verse
is delivered in a fast paced rap style and really carries the tempo
of the song. OPOOM switches between dub & ska and takes the
listener on bit of a ride with highs and lows. There is a great sing
along section towards the end of the song, repeating the phrase “what
a waste of time and energy” over and over again I can imagine it
going down a storm at a gig. This all builds up to one last high
tempo ska section that'll get everyone going crazy. The fourth song
Impatient begins with just vocals and ska guitar, it really grabs
your attention from the very start. The song feels like it is a
collection of different parts, with differences in tempos and
melodies throughout the track that keep it really interesting.
Voluntary
Execution is a bouncy dance number. The bass guitar is allowed to
shine during the verse, creating a perfect back beat whilst the
vocals talk about not letting go and holding back when you want to
let all the frustrations you have in the world escape you. Musically
the song is much more restrained than previous songs on the album,
really allowing the words to stand out. Speaking of standing out, Too
Much is definitely a stand out on an album that's turning out to be
great. After it's reggae beginning it launches into life, the energy
is relentless with the horns in particular shining through. This is
another song where you can easily see yourself going mad for at a
Popes gig. Otherside starts out with an acoustic guitar before the
full band kick in. I love the use of the acoustic guitar, it's
something not many ska bands implement and would have liked to see
the Popes use it more prominently in their sound. This is one of my
favourite songs on To The Moon and is about living a completely
different life to someone that you care about and feeling like you
are growing apart. 14 Times is another very strong song. It is played
with a nice mid tempo reggae beat with Matt's bouncing vocals
carrying the melody. Another song that will get you skanking wherever
you may be listening to it.
The
ninth track Wisdom Teeth is without a doubt my favourite on To The
Moon. It has everything that I want in a ska punk song. Beginning
with some horns that make you believe that the song is heading
towards something big before a surprise “na na na na na na” and
the song begins with the brass section taking the lead. Matt's vocals
are delivered and a fast pace as he sings about learning from
mistakes. It's not all faced paced ska fun though, there are some
break downs that give you a chance to reflect on the song before the
tempo is dragged back up with more vocals. If you hear this and don't
feel the need to dance, quite frankly, you're dead inside. For the
penultimate song Hey You the Popes Of Chillitown reign things back
in. The music is sharp and full of intent. On first listen I
questioned why would they place a track like this after such a party
track like Wisdom Teeth. I think this is what the Popes Of Chillitown
are all about though, not doing what is expected of them. I love them
for that. The song Every Day Completes the album collects together
everything the Popes have to offer and blends it all together to
create an interesting sound. The vocals feel more emotional than they
have on the record leading me to think that this is a more personal
song. The combination of all the styles makes this a great song to
finish off a brilliant album.
To
The Moon is a fantastic second album, it will have you dancing from
beginning to end and there isn't a single track that feels like
filler. I love the production on it, there is a rawness that makes
you feel like at your a live show but still manages to sound crisp
and clear. The Popes Of Chillitown have put out one of the best ska
records of the year and should be the soundtrack to your summer.
The
Manchester Punk Festival is now only nine days away and the organisers
have now released the fourth instalment in a series of compilation
showcasing more of the amazing acts playing on the 17th
and 18th of April.
The
compilation begins with festival head-liners The Filaments. This
punk/ska/hardcore troupe from Essex have been going since the
early2000's and are now seen as legends in the scene. The song Once
In A While is taken from 2013's excellent album Land Of Lions and I'm
looking forward to seeing many of the songs from this release live
for the first time as well as classics from The Filaments back
catalogue. Blackpool's Boston Manor are one of the newer bands on the
scene and are rising fast. The song Peach State has the pop punk/emo
sound that is getting more and more popular with the kids these days,
even though I'm not a massive fan of the sound it's clear that Boston
Manor do it better than most of their contemporaries. One band that's
sure to draw a massive crowd are Warrington folk punks Roughneck Riot. This group of superbly talented musicians have been a band for
ten years now and have spread their own brand of punk and folk all
across Europe, earning legions of fans along the way. Sure to be one
of many highlights from the festival. For some reason Vanilla Pod's
song Best Intentions makes two appearances on the compilation series.
Not a bad thing as the song is a cracker but I am far too lazy to
review it twice. They are awesome, check them out!
In
my humble opinion Apologies, I Have None are the very best band in
the UK. Combining massive choruses with smart and brutally honest
lyrics I'm pretty sure it's impossible for them to write a bad song.
Live, there aren't many bands that hold a candle to them either,
passion and energy pours out of their performance which will make the
Manchester crowd lose their heads. Great Cynics front man Giles
Bidder is playing acoustically at the festival. Weirdly I have seen
him perform solo more times than I have seen Great Cynics live and I
always come away feeling upbeat and smiling. Playing a mixture of GC
songs as well as his own Giles performance is filled with infectious
enthusiasm as he shows why he is one of the best songwriters in the
scene. From the ashes of Hated Til Proven come new hardcore band
Jenkem from Warrington. The song Internal Warfare is a politically
charged hardcore onslaught. Playing the after party at Joshua Brooks
Jenkem are definitely a band to watch out for. Creeper are having the
year of their lives, after forming after the demise of Our Time Down
Here they have become one of the most talked about and fastest rising
bands in the scene. The song Gloom comes from their debut self titled
EP and the video for the song recently got some airtime on Kerrang
TV. Live the band are superb with front man Will being the one of the
most watchable and charismatic people I've ever seen take to the
stage. Creeper are headlining Sound Control on the Friday night.
AcidDrop are another band high on my list of must see's at the festival
having been a fan for a number of years now. Mixing together the best
parts of skate and street punk with a hint of ska Acid Drop have put
out some fantastic releases over the past few years, the latest being
the excellent The End Of Days on TNS Records. If you like The Briggs
you'll love Acid Drop. The Human Project are another band really
making a name for themselves throughout the scene. This Leeds based
brand on skate punk and hardcore has seen them rightfully become one
of the most highly respected acts in the UK's underground.
Technically they are superb, playing some of the most complicated
guitar riffs in punk rock combined with some huge fist in the air
choruses. Fair Do's are another technical hardcore punk band, this
time from Manchester. Musically they will draw many comparison's with
The Human Project, but this is by no means a bad thing. Musically
they are quite similar but vocally Fair Do's are more aggressive
compared to the Human Projects more melodic style of singing. The
song innuendo is taken from their debut EP Trying Times. The
compilation is ended by folk, blues and punk singer Sammy H Stephens.
This performer from Cheshire offers something slightly different to
many of the acts at the festival. Performing with an acoustic guitar,
harmonica and stomp box Sammy will thoroughly entertain the audience
at the acoustic stage.
The
Manchester Punk Festival is now just a couple of weeks away, last
week the organisers released a brand new
compilation showcasing yet more of the amazing acts playing on the
17th and 18th of April.
The
album begins with some legends of the UK's punk rock scene, VanillaPod. This year these fine gentleman from Kings Lynn are celebrating
twenty years of being a band, an astonishing achievement for any band
but especially impressive for one that's always been and independent
DIY act. The song Best Intentions shows the band at their best, a
heavy back beat, crunching guitars and fantastic melodies. Up next is
Northern gruff punks Bear Trade. Fresh from a tour with Red City
Radio and Pears, the song If Stoic Was Normal is a
classic Bear Trade sing along punk rock anthem. They will also be
playing a Replacements cover set at the festivals after party that is
not to be missed. Smoke Or Fire's Joe McMahon is up next with an
acoustic version of the amazing Monsters Among Us. Playing the
acoustic stage at The Thirsty Scholar Joe brings an element of
superstar to the festival and is sure to be a highlight of the
weekend.
Portsmouth's
Sombulance are a band that are hugely influenced by the Fat Wreck
Chords and Epitaph Records of the 90's. Anaesthetic Ultimatum is a
loud, fast hard hitting punk rock jam with a vocal assault that mixes
A Wilhelm Scream and Strike Anywhere. London's Wonk Unit are the band
who I'm most looking forward to checking out for the first time at
the festival. With a legion of fans Wonk Unit are one of the most
popular bands in the scene at the moment, with a unique sound all of
their own, it's hard to really give a good description of Wonk Unit
that would do their brilliance justice. The song Idiotic Train Looney
is a great way to immerse yourself into the Wonk Unit world, I really
can't wait to see them live. After playing Reading and Leeds festival
and The Fest out in Gainesville last year Muncie Girls are continuing
their rise to the top. At the beginning of the year they finally got
round to recording their debut album and if it's anything like their
previous EPs it's going to be a classic. Feel It Soon is a catchy
indie/pop punk song that will be stuck in your head for days. RevengeOf The Psychotronic Man are legends in the Manchester punk scene.
Playing fast, furious, uncompromising punk and thrash I imagine their
set will be one of the wildest of the weekend.
Leeds
trio Speed Dinosaurs are another brilliantly unique act. This band,
consisting of a double bass, ukulele and a cajon started out playing
Bad Religion and Rancid covers before progressing onto original
songs. I Wish I Worked Harder At School is a strange but incredibly
fun song that really displays the variety of different bands playing
the festival. Wadeye bring some skacore to the proceeding with the
song Never Forget. Mixing hardcore guitars and drums with horns that
carry the melody of the song it's hard to keep still whilst
listening, for sure a band to watch out for. That Fucking Tank are a
punk band like no other I'm aware of. Comprised of just two members
they are fully instrumental and unbelievable. Two of the most
talented guys in the scene proving that punk music isn't just about
playing loud and fast. The song Stephen Hawkwind is an eight minute
long epic that keeps you entertained from start to finish. If you
want to check out something different at the festival then That
Fucking Tank are the band for you. The compilation is finished by a
band that are unfortunately no longer playing the festival. The Stupids are a hardcore punk band from the 80s. Their fast, aggressive
sound will be a big loss to the festival, hopefully they will appear
in Manchester sooner rather than later.
