It's the second edition of South London punk rock festival Polite Riot this weekend. Put together by the fine gentlemen from Be Sharp Promotions and Umlaut Records and taking place at the New Cross Inn, the festival brings together some of the very best new bands in UK punk rock along with some established favourites and some big names from overseas. As is tradition for these sort of events I've put together a top ten list of bands to see at Polite Riot. To be honest, every band is killer so doing this list was difficult – you should really go and see them all if you can as the line up is superb!
Long running skate punk band Chaser headline the first night of Polite Riot. Mixing together fast punk rock with powerful vocals and soaring harmonies, Chaser are every skate punk fan’s dream. I would imagine that the set will be filled with tracks from 2018's fantastic Sound The Sirens album along with favourites from their back catalogue. Chaser are headlining the Friday night of Polite Riot and will certainly take some beating for the most impressive band of the weekend.
City Mouse
These soulful pop punks are making a return to the UK in 2019, a year after their tour with The Murderburgers. This time the band will be touring with South London pop punk band Werecats and look to wow crowds wherever they go. This will be my first time seeing City Mouse and I'm quite excited. Expect passionate and catchy punk rock that will have you bouncing around with a big smile on your face.
Fastfade
If you've not seen Fastfade yet, what on earth have you been doing? Probably the most exciting new band in UK skate punk, these youthful scallywags are also one of the most fun bands around. Playing far too fast, running around the stage and often trying to dropkick each other, you should never take your eyes off the stage at a Fastfade show. The banter between the band members is the some of the most entertaining around – I'm certain Ryan's nan will get mentioned at some point. Also their songs are quite good too.
For I Am
Fresh from a Japanese tour earlier in the year, Belgium's For I Am make the journey over from Belgium for Polite Riot Festival. For I Am guitarist and Bearded Punk Records guy Bjorn made the trip over to attend the festival last year so it's great to see he gets to play this year. The five piece, fronted by the brilliant vocals of Hanne Terweduwe, will no doubt impress all who see them. Make sure that you are one of those people.
Müg
I absolutely love Müg. They are one of the most underrated bands in the UK and are a hugely important part of the South London DIY punk scene, they've been around for ages now and are as good as ever. Sadly they don't play as much as I'd like them to anymore so it's important to see them whenever the opportunity does arise. Müg have been working on some new material so hopefully we will be treated to some of that along with some old favourites. It will also be good to see Mark Bell back in New Cross Inn, on hand to fix things if and when they break.
Officer Down
Officer Down offer something a little bit different to Polite Riot Festival. The recently reunited four piece mix melodic punk with hardcore and add a bit of crust. It's ferocious but is full of moments that will get you moving. This is likely to be one of the most intense sets of the weekend and will blow you away.
Our Lives In Cinema
Our Lives In Cinema have become a bit of a staple in the London punk scene over the past couple of years. Known for their superb theatrical pop punk as well as their energetic performances, Our Lives In Cinema kill it every time. This will be their last performance before they go away for a bit to work on a new album. Make the most of them while you can.
RxR
I've got to be honest, there's a little bit of CPRW favouritism here as RxR frontman Dan Peters is a long time member of the CPRW family. Playing skate punk with an acoustic guitar, RxR offer something very different to the rest of the Polite Riot line up. RxR don't get out much anymore, as they have those boring grown up responsibilities, so you probably should take advantage of this opportunity to see them. Dan is also a huge Satanic Surfers fan so seeing him fanboy all day will also be entertaining.
Tape It Shut
Tape It Shut are new friends of CPRW and we're looking forward to checking them out for the first time. The Reading based foursome are one of the most unique bands I've heard this year, mixing punk rock with drum and bass while singing about many political and social situations. I'm expecting a set bursting with energy.
WACO
There aren't many more positive and uplifting (and probably spiritual) bands in London than WACO. Whenever I've seen WACO in the past there's always such a wonderful feeling of joy in the room and I expect that to be the case at Polite Riot. Lead singer Jak is one of the most captivating frontmen in the scene, both during the songs or when he's spreading a message of peace, love and harmony between them.
If you'd like some cheap tickets for Polite Riot Festival then email politeriotfest@gmail.com. Valid until 5pm on Friday.
This top ten was written by Colin Clark.
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