Gig Review: Tripsun "Chemstrains Release Show" at Sebright Arms, London 24/9/22

Saturday the 24th of September marked the beginning of a brand new era for London DIY punks Tripsun. Last month the band released their first new music in three years in the form of the single Chemstrains and announced that they would now be going under the name Tripsun and not Triple Sundae. To celebrate the release, the band organised a stunning five band bill at the Sebright Arms in East London.

This was our first time at the Sebright Arms. I always get a bit anxious about going to a new place but it was nice to walk into the pub and immediately see friends. The actual venue part of the Sebright Arms in down in its basement. What I really liked about the venue was that there was a lower floor down the front for the pit but at the back of the room and around the sides there were raised areas which made it easier for people to see if they didn’t fancy getting bumped into down the front. More venues should have this feature.

The band asked to open the show was London’s Languish. I knew nothing about the band before they began their set. I soon found out that they were a genre mixing four-piece that blend hardcore, dreamy emo and indie punk in a way that I don’t hear too often. I have to admit I wasn’t too sure about them when they started the set, the first song seemed very effect peddle heavy and I’m not usually a big fan of that, but as the set progressed I got into it more and more. Languish are a band I expect to see on more and more London gig line-ups in the near future.

 

Next were pop punks Buds. I first got to see Buds back in March at Fishstock, in Bristol, and absolutely loved them. I believe that this was the first time Tripsun saw them as well and I know they were very impressed so it was cool to see Tripsun ask Buds to join this line-up. If you’re new to Buds then they play energetic pop punk music with plenty of sad themes. They are without a doubt one of the best new live bands I’ve seen this year, incredibly tight and really captivating on the stage. The whole set was a real treat from start to finish with Grit, Building Blocks and Bigger Fish being particular highlights for me. Something I really like about seeing Buds play is that they don’t just get on the stage and play the songs, they put everything they have into the performance and put on a real show. The band seem to be constantly playing shows everywhere at the moment, make sure to catch them when they come through your town. Buds are back in London on October the 18th at the New Cross Inn.

 

Skiv were on next. Tripsun and Skiv have been good friends for the longest time so it felt very appropriate that they were playing the show. This was my first time seeing them since they had their album release show earlier in the year and I was looking forward to seeing the boys again. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the addition of Leo Harvey on bass guitar was a masterstroke by the band. I’m not sure that there’s a better bass player in the DIY scene at the moment and he seriously stole the show with his rocking out during the set. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Skiv stuck with songs from their debut album No Context Bangers during the set and it was great to hear the newer songs live again. Skivilicious has been a staple of the band’s set for a few years now and the band were joined by Tripsun’s Hassan for the song, which was a nice touch. As well as being an incredibly talented guitarist and punk singer, Hassan is also a very good rapper and you should all check out his hip hop project, Lounar. Skiv’s set seemed to fly by and was a lot of fun. 2022 does seem to be the year that the band have taken things to the next level and it’s great to see.

The main support slot went to Grey Market. Grey Market are a four-piece post-punk/hardcore/screamo act fronted by NXI regular Theo. I hadn’t listened to the band prior to seeing the set as I really wanted to go in blind on my first time seeing them. Theo always struck me as a born front person and lives for that interaction between a crowd and a band. I was expecting something big from the band but they blew away all expectations almost immediately. Whether performing spoken word, reading from a book or screaming with a ferocious intensity, you couldn’t keep your eyes off of the stage. I’m not going to lie and say that Grey Market are going to be on regular rotation on my stereo, it’s a lot heavier than anything I usually listen to, but my word they are a very good band. If you’re into the heavier side of punk rock music then I definitely recommend checking Grey Matter out as they’re a great band. Side note: As mentioned Theo read from a few books during the set, I’m interested to know whether he reads the same part each gig or if he’s working his way through the book(s) with each gig that they play?

Now it was time for the reason we were all there that evening, Tripsun. I’ve seen Hassan, Mike, Zandro and Andy a lot over the years but have somehow never managed to see them play a headline set. Setting up in front of a sold out crowd full of friends they had made over the years, starting with Everything’s Cool was a master stroke – with the big sing-along at the start of the song really encouraging the crowd to get involved. Not that we needed much encouraging as there were big sing-alongs, fists-in-the-air and plenty of dancing throughout the set. Tripsun are one of those special bands that can connect with a crowd so organically, this really shows just what a good band they are. The band played new single Chemstrains early and it was amazing to see so many people singing the words right back at the band. Hassan and Zandro’s vocals on the song are next level and I love it. As well as playing favourites from Peace Of Mind and Glow, the band also played a brand new song from their upcoming (eventually) debut full length and some really old school songs as well. Something I always enjoy when I see Tripsun play live is how many people Hassan shouts out during the set, you can tell that they always really appreciate the support they’ve been given over the years. Towards the end of the set the band went rogue and played Chemstrains again! What maniacs! This encouraged an even bigger sing-along for the song. Have you checked it out? It really is a banger – you’ll love it. The set was then finished with Indecisive before an encore of Unseen where Theo, as always, joined them on stage to sing. Tripsun absolutely smashed this set, it was definitely up there with one of my favourite times I’ve seen them play – and they’ve set a very high standard over the years!

I’ll finish the review in the exact same way that Zandro finished the set – “Triple Sundae is dead, Tripsun forever!”

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