Gig Review: Fishstock at The Exchange, Bristol 18/9/21

Fishstock is one of the big all dayers/festivals in the DIY punk rock calendar. The annual event is put on by the lovely Chris Fishlock of Fishlock Promotions and takes place at one of the UK’s very best venues, The Exchange in Bristol. Normally Fishstock takes place towards the end of March to celebrate Fishlock’s birthday but due to that pandemic thing we’re still talking about he decided to do it in September instead this year. Emma and I have been saying for years that we need to go to Fishstock but have never managed to find the time. Now we have changed that!

Our day started with an early start which wasn’t overly welcome after a late one in Milton Keynes the night before watching the debut Out Of Love gig (you can read that review here). We boarded our train about 9.30am and arrived in Bristol at lunch time. On our the leg of our journey from Paddington to Bristol we discovered that Leyton Orient were playing Bristol Rovers and that there was also another festival taking place that weekend so the train was packed with geezers and young folk in colourful clothes. I was quite relieved to make it off the train and out of the station. We made our way to our Air BNB, dropped off our bags and then headed out to find some dinner before Fishstock began. We found a place called Oowee Vegan which sells some of the most delicious vegan fast food I’ve ever tasted and I thoroughly recommend checking it out. From there we made our way to The Exchange, said hello to some friends and popped into Specialist Subject Records whilst waiting for the first band of the day.

The band tasked with opening the day was Redeemon. Redeemon are one of the most exciting new bands in the UK ska scene at the moment and feature former members of Beat The Red Light and Smokey Bastard, among others. Playing their own unique brand of skacore and metal, seeing Redeemon always feels like a big deal. The band headlined a Garlic Bread Club show in Manchester the night before so you could forgive them for lacking some energy for their 3pm start but, as you would expect, they put everything they had into the set. I’ve said many times that frontman Pook is one of my favourite people to watch on stage and this was no different. The man is a bundle of energy whether he’s screaming into a microphone or playing his trombone. Redeemon started Fishstock in an explosive way that only they can.

Fishstock was using both of The Exchange’s stages so we made our way downstairs for the first basement stage band of the day, Slug Puppie. Something I always enjoy about going to festivals and all dayers in places we don’t get to visit often is the discovering plenty of new favourite bands so I was pleased as punch to find one here. Slug Puppie are a new band from Bristol. The two piece play indie punk music and I was immediately impressed by how big they sounded and how good the main vocalist’s voice was. They also seemed to be having an absolutely wonderful time on stage which is always nice to see. During the set they played the brilliant single Cycle Home and made a joke about being a new band so they performed a cover. I didn’t have a clue what the cover was so they could have passed it off as their own. (Editor’s note: It was Dancing On My Own by Robyn.) I’m very excited to see more of Slug Puppie in the future.

We made our way back upstairs for the third band, Gimic. Another band I knew absolutely nothing about but did recognise their guitarist and bass player from serving me in Specialist Subject earlier in the day. When we entered the room, the sound system was playing so 90s ska punk music, a sound that couldn’t have been much further away from Gimic’s. The four piece play a straight forward hardcore punk. As you would expect from a hardcore band they were relentless from start to finish and there was very minimal chat between the songs.

Following Gimic we rushed back down the stairs for Lounar. Lounar is the new hip hop project from Triple Sundae frontman Hassan. Hassan has always been a big hip hop fan so used the lockdown to work on this project. This was only the fourth or fifth live set Lounar had performed but you would never have guessed. He paced around the front of the stage working his way through some tracks from his debut EP, Daye3, which you can buy from Make-That-A-Take Records. I’m not much of a hip hop fan myself but it was really cool seeing my friend do something he loves and excels at. Lounar’s songs are heavily influenced by what it’s like to live as a Palestinian man in the UK and seeing all of the atrocities that take place towards his homeland that go unpunished. Between songs Hassan takes time to talk about Palestine in an extremely eloquent way. If you’re unaware of everything going on out there then please take some time to do some reading and consider donating money if you can.

Next on the upstairs stage were Live, Do Nothing, a band that Hassan had just referred to as the best indie punk band in the UK. This was my first time seeing the Cardiff based band and I was extremely surprised when they took to the stage. I was under the impression that the band were a four piece so imagine my shock when we saw the stage had eight people on it and a whole orchestra full of different instruments including two cellos, violin, flute, keytar, keyboards, saxophone, a rainmaker and egg shakers alongside the standard electric guitars, bass and drums. The sound man probably thought the hardest band of the day would be Redeemon, I imagine he was wrong. Before that start of the set, the band announced that this would probably be chaos and they weren’t wrong. It was chaos but it was also a lot of fun. I felt like everything about being in Live, Do Nothing was about having as much fun as possible and this set certainly enforced that view. Hassan was right in his view about how good the band is and I’d love for them to head to London more in the future.

We then returned to the downstairs stage for Acid Claw. This was another band I had never heard of before and was keen to check them out. When we entered the room the band announced that were ready but were awaiting their second guitarist before kicking off their set. He soon arrived and the six piece kicked things off. Playing a hybrid of thrash, punk and ska, I was quickly impressed with Acid Claw. They reminded me a lot of former Manchester band Rising Strike, one of the most underrated bands from their time. It was at this point of the day that the basement stage was becoming quite warm so we decided to duck out early for a bit of a break before the next band.

Babar Luck has a been a part of the underground alternative music scene for as long as I can remember (and probably longer) but this was my first time seeing him perform live, despite him being a former member of one of my favourite bands, King Prawn. Today he was performing with his band East End Trinity playing songs that he dubbed as English rock ’n’ roll. Babar is an extremely watchable performer and I found my eyes locked onto him throughout the entire set. Even between the songs I found myself enamoured by him. He’s one of those people where when they speak you have no choice but to listen. Between songs he spoke about unity, love and staying true to yourself, something I’m sure everyone in the room could relate to. A fantastic, rocking set by Babar Luck And The East End Trinity.

Kiss Me Killer were ready on the basement stage when we arrived back downstairs. This was a band I’ve been aware of for a while but have never had the opportunity to see live. I was very impressed with the four piece’s take on garage punk and particularly enjoyed the song Sports Direct, which is about quitting a job that you hate. However it was still really hot in the basement so we decided to nip out early once again. We took the time to get some refreshments and to try some vegan doughnuts courtesy of Future Doughnuts, a new doughnut place that has just opened up in Bristol. I tried the chocolate and raspberry one and it was delicious!

Our friends Toodles And The Hectic Pity were up next on the main stage. We hadn’t seen Toodles since they played Do It Together at the New Cross Inn back in January 2020 so we were very excited to see them again. We’ve been in love with Callum, Dom and Max since first hearing Call In Sick back in 2017 and it’s been amazing to see them grow since then. It was also great to get the opportunity to see them play a show in front of what’s a home crowd for the band. This meant there were plenty of people down the front for a good sing-along. Each song the band played got great receptions but the highlights for me were Ducks, Spooky Furniture, Call In Sick and Menthol Cigarettes. The band also treated us to a couple of new songs they’ve been working on which I personally hope will be part of a full length in the future. There was also a funny moment where Callum had to explain that Max was wearing a shirt and tie because he had left a wedding to play the set and doesn’t always dress like that. I think he should. We love Toodles, they’re a great band and also the nicest people. If you’ve not checked them out I suggest you do it now.

Back downstairs we ventured for Toodles & The Hectic Pity label mate Erica Freas. When we arrived Erica was propped up on an amp with their acoustic guitar just starting the set. Erica played what was no doubt the softest set of the day but it was in no way less impactful than any of the louder sets of the day. This set really showcased the diverse sounds that were spread throughout Fishstock. How many alldayers would have a band like Redeemon on the same bill as Erica Freas? This was a big part of why I loved Fishstock. Erica’s set was mixed of old RVIVR and Somnia songs as well as some songs from their solo material. Erica has one of my favourite voices in all of punk rock and it’s always such a pleasure to hear them sing in quieter settings. They capture the entire room’s attention and I think it’s fair to say the room was the busiest it had been all day and it was a wonderfully special time. As was becoming tradition, I ducked out of the room early again because of the heat and had a quick catch up with Andy Davies of TNSRecords and Knife Club before the next band.

Falmouth’s Bobby Funk had already started their set by the time I made my way back inside. The trouble with any all dayer is that they are often a friends fest and you can get distracted from the bands. This one was our first since pre-pandemic and we were catching up with a lot of people we hadn’t seen for well over a year and some parts of the day did sadly get missed. Bobby Funk are a band who have been on my radar since they released their avocado shaped vinyl through TNS a few years ago. This was my first time listening to anything by them other than their song I’m A Cat. The four piece play fast hardcore music that is fun as it can be but can also been about some super serious topics. The band do a great job of balancing the fun and the serious and put together a very entertaining stage show. It’s clear to me after watching Bobby Funk why there is so much talk about the band as they are superb. I expect them to be at the front of the UK hardcore scene for years to come.

The penultimate act on the basement stage were Knife Club. The band are a TNS super group of sorts featuring members of Matilda’s Scoundrels, Nosebleed, Casual Nausea, Revenge Of The Psychotronic Man and, normally, Faintest Idea but Dani was currently on paternity leave. This was one of the band’s very first shows and I personally felt a lot of anticipation about what they would be live. A lot of fun is the answer to that. Andy Davies lives out his rap god dreams. Not by rapping, but by running around the venue as far as his XLR will let him. Knife Club played a politically charged set with a trilogy of songs being about how shit the conservative government is. Knife Club, like a lot of new projects that were conceived in the beginning of 2020, were seriously stalled and it was great to see them finally be able to get out and play some shows. Given that Knife Club live all over the UK I imagine that they won’t be able to tour relentlessly so make sure you catch them live when you can!

The penultimate band on the main stage was Aerial Salad. Quite unbelievably this was only my third time seeing Aerial Salad and it was my third time seeing them with a different drummer. On this occasion Mike and Jamie were joined by Jake, formerly the drummer of Fastfade. We’d joked before hand with Jake that Aerial Salad would be a bit slower than he’s normally used to when drumming in Fastfade. When the band took to the stage and started their set Mike screamed into his microphone that ‘Manchester is in the building’ and off the boys went. It’s the opinion of most in the DIY punk scene that Aerial Salad will be the next band to really blow up. This opinion was cemented in the next thirty minutes as Salad played an incredible set. Comprised mostly of songs from their 2020 album Dirt Mall, we get sing-along after sing-along. Jamie mentions between songs that it’s been so frustrating releasing an album and then not being able to tour it. My memory is a little hazy on the exact set list but, as you would expect from Aerial Salad, it’s banger after banger throughout. We were also treated to at least two new songs from whatever they’re working on next. Whatever it is I am excited for it. The set was concluded with the awesome Romance. I believe they were also going to play one last song which I assume was going to be Habits And Problems but unfortunately Jamie’s guitar string broke.

After deciding to skip Atterkop completely to rest up for the final band, it was time for the mighty JB Conspiracy. The long running ska punk band are one of the most beloved in the UK and are out on the road playing shows in support of their brand new album Beginnings. It did not take long for the band to get the crowd moving as they blasted into the set. Playing a mixture of classics and brand new songs, it seemed to me that the crowd were getting rowdier and rowdier with every song. There’s always a worry for me that when a band has such a big gap between albums that a crowd might not be as receptive to newer stuff, this certainly wasn’t the case at The Exchange. JB managed to cram all eight members of the band on to the stage and still managed find room to have a dance. The energy on the stage poured into the crowd who lovingly gave everything they could for the band. It had been a long day and most people’s first all dayer in years so to see so much energy in the room was a joyous thing. I guess the government mandated exercise is really paying off. Even when the band did slow things down to play Drop Your Anchor it did not dampen the crowds spirit as it resulted in a big sing-along. Something that always amazes me whenever I see the JB Conspiracy is that they always seem to be better than the last time I saw them, which is quite something given that the first time I saw them they set the standard very high and I have seen them over ten times since then. I’m very much looking forward to catching them and being blown away again in New Cross for Till The Fest this weekend.

With that Fishstock was ended and what an incredible day it was! The day was packed with so many amazing bands from all areas of the punk rock spectrum. Something I really loved about the day was the diversity that was offered, not just in the music but the people. This is what an all dayer should be about, a variety of sounds and people coming together and enjoying something in unity. All day all I saw was smiling happy people loving being in each other’s company and it was absolutely wholesome. All the love in the world has to go to Fishlock and the fine folk at The Exchange for such a wonderful day out. It really felt like a bit of old times coming back and it filled my heart. We can’t wait for the next Fishstock!

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

Album Review: Young by Erica Freas (by Emma Prew)

Erica Freas might be most known in the music world for her part in American punk rock band RVIVR but that could soon change as she is set to release a brand new album of solo material, that has been in the works for years, this Friday – 28th February. The album, titled Young, is being put out by Specialist Subject Records and features 11 tracks that share a common theme – they are all deeply personal and they were all written for friends during moments of change and transition.

On Bandcamp, Erica says ‘We’re so caught up in this moment with all the real pressures and challenges that mark our lives right now; this all-consuming moment. With these songs, I was thinking about what world we’re welcoming the next generation into and, similarly, how we approach our own futures and histories as we grow. These songs are about being alive, whether we’re new to it or have been around awhile.’

If you’ve heard any of the singles that Erica has put out in the run up to the release of Young – or indeed any of her previous solo material – then you’ll know that this isn’t the most ‘punk’ of albums, at least not musically – I’d say it’s more folky indie pop, if I had to label it with a genre. This doesn’t bother me, since I like a wide variety of ‘punk rock’ and, whether she’s singing in RVIVR or solo, I love Erica’s voice. So I was bound to enjoy Young, right?

Young opens with I Came Here To Feed You. Softly strummed guitar and vocals set the tone for what to expect from this record. The repetition of ‘oh you little thing’ is infectious as the song builds ever so slightly in volume. It feels as if this song could be as much about a small bird as it could be about a specific person in Erica’s life. Or maybe I just think that as there’s some birds tweeting at the end of the song and leading us into the next. True Blue is the name of track number two. We are welcomed by a lovely warm acoustic finger picked melody and shortly some subtle and soothing hums of ‘Blue–ooh–ohh’. In True Blue, Erica skilfully likens a person as being like the changeable sky. ‘Blue like the sky turning from the nighttime to the day, Stormy when she needs to be.’ There are some particularly lovely harmonised vocals at points during the song which really add to the song as a whole.

Red Is was the first single to be released from Young. In this song, Erica talks us through a selection of colours, not just red, and what they remind her of. It’s a beautifully nostalgic song that brings a smile to my face, despite – of course – not being able to connect with the specific colour connotations in the song. I think it’s an interesting idea to assign colours to fond memories and certainly makes for a super song. By the fourth song, I’m feeling like there’s a bit of a theme of colours going on here. Titled Magnolia (Spring Blossom), so more specifically referencing the plant than the colour, this song feels like a celebration of a new season, a new life or a new chapter in one’s story – the season being Spring. The whole album feels like the epitome of Spring actually and this song is certainly no exception. ‘Magnolia, Magnolia, Blossom of the spring time, Magnolia, Magnolia, You’ve always been a love of mine.’

The fifth track, Salish Sea Orcas, is probably the single song that stood out to me the most on my first listen though. With slightly faster paced acoustic guitar picking to start and louder – relatively speaking – and firm vocals, I’m immediately hooked into this song that, on face value, seems to be about the sea. The lines ‘And how much can we love something that we don’t hear, Deep under water the whales are clear, When they talk to their families, They whistle their songs, And we’re singing along’ followed by actual whale song is just wonderful. I love this song. There have been hints of electric guitars in earlier songs but none so clear as the opening riff of A Year. Erica starts by singing of writing a postcard that then doesn’t get delivered. The song is about how ‘a year’ can seem long or short, happy or sad, memorable or not, depending on each individual – ‘What’s a year to me with all the million things I’ve seen, But a year to you is so long and I miss you.’ You can be physically far away from someone but still feel close to them emotionally – A Year drives home the positives of these feelings.

With Little Sunrise we are back to soft acoustic guitar melodies. There’s just something extra special about Erica’s voice when backed by only an acoustic guitar. Little Sunrise feels uplifting as Erica sings of letting go, moving on and being content with yourself and your life. ‘Push the moon aside little sunrise, We’re waiting for on this side, To meet you in the summer time, Let go and you’ll be fine, Let go and you’ll be fine, Let go…’ These uplifting feelings are apparent particularly towards the end of the song as the vocals seem to get louder and more empowering. There’s almost a bit of a country twang in Erica’s vocals in eighth track, Golden Welcome. Or maybe it’s just me. She tells such wonderful stories in her songs and this is a prime example of that. You really feel like you’re on a journey with this song particularly when the repetition of ‘Welcome to Earth’ over and over is layered over what sounds like a cello and a series of sound clips before ending with a gentle rendition of Oh, What A Beautiful Morning (from Oklahoma!). Certainly not what I was expecting but lovely nonetheless.

Fantastic Future was the second single to be released from Young and it takes its place on the album at number nine. The song has an especially slow start, building atmosphere and setting the tone once again. It’s almost whimsical and dreamlike. Fantastic Future is a song about feeling hopeful while looking ahead to the future and perhaps also being thankful for what’s got you to this point. ‘We’ve been here before, In the grip of the future, Unwinding our golden thread, Again and again.’ The penultimate song is titled July Bird. Opening with the words ‘Hey little bird…’ this feels like another song that uses a small bird as a metaphor for a, perhaps slightly fragile, person. The song is soothing and lullaby-esque while the image of a bird makes me think of freedom. Ultimately I think July Bird is about growing up and finding your own path in life. And that’s a theme that is reflected in the album’s closing song, Tadpoles, even with the song’s opening words – ‘Hey little pollywog…’. I guess, as a tadpole, you have so much of your life ahead of you and will understandably change a lot over time. Tadpoles is about finding positives in your own future and, really, that’s something that I can take away from Young as a whole. 

Young is a wonderful record that, despite having been a long time coming, feels perfectly timed with its release this week. I mentioned earlier in my review that there’s a distinct feeling of Spring about these songs and this album as a whole, at least to me. I feel like there’s plenty of albums out there that represent the Summertime but, as Spring is personally my favourite season, it’s nice to have an album personify Spring and the joy the season brings – hopefulness and new beginnings. That, and these 11 songs are each beautifully written and arranged to perfection. It’s been a pleasure to have an early listen to Young and I look forward to many more ears hearing it come Friday.

You can pre-order Young from Specialist Subject Records and from Erica’s Bandcamp page if you are in the US. Like Erica Freas on Facebook here.

This review was written by Emma Prew.

Top Tens: Top Ten Bands Emma Is Excited About In 2020

As January comes to an end, I can safely say that it’s been a rather good start to 2020 – at least from a personal and CPRW perspective. Colin launched CPRW Records on New Year’s Day and I had some involvement, designing the logo and the artwork for the first comp of the year (check out the Bandcamp page here). We also welcomed a few new faces to the CPRW team with Dan Kilvert, Marcus Pond and Chris Bishton joining the gang – I will be updating the Meet The Team page at some point! Then, last weekend we had Do It Together Fest which quite simply exceeded all of our expectations. The bands were, of course, great – we helped to pick them – but the atmosphere at the New Cross Inn was just so wonderful for the whole weekend as well. It was very much a pals fest with friends old and new all in one place. So, it’s been a good start to the year and I’m excited to see what the rest of 2020 brings, especially in terms of new music.

Without further ado, here are ten bands I’m particularly excited about in 2020:

Aerial Salad

There is a distinct buzz surrounding this Mancunian threesome ahead their second album, Dirt Mall, which is due for release in the Spring. Earlier this week Aerial Salad released Romance?, the first single from the album which is very, very good. Colin and I saw the band in Hamburg last year at Booze Cruise Festival, having not seen them for a year or so prior, and were very impressed by how they’d progressed as a band. I can definitely see Aerial Salad being much, much bigger by this time next year.

Answering Machine

I’ve only recently got around to checking out Answering Machine, a five-piece power pop band from Brooklyn, New York City. The fact that Craig Shay of Cold Wrecks (who released my favourite album of 2019) also plays in this band is what prompted me to check them out but it was lead vocalist Samantha who hooked me into their sound – what a voice! Now seems like as good a time as any to be getting into Answering Machine as sources (Craig) inform me that there’s a new album on the way this year.

Erica Freas

I’m sure readers of this blog will be very familiar with Erica Freas for being a member of the awesome American punk rock band RVIVR. You may not be quite so familiar with the solo music of Erica Freas however. Fear not, now is the perfect time to get acquainted as Erica is releasing a brand new solo album on Specialist Subject Records – which also happens to be where Erica works (thank you for sending us lots of early releases!) – on 28th February. I’m looking forward to hopefully catching both the Erica Freas and SOMNIA (a group formed of Erica alongside members of Spoonboy and Martha) sets at Manchester Punk Festival this year.

Goodbye Blue Monday

Vocalist and guitarist Graham said, on Saturday night at DITFest during an incredible if a bit silly set, that he has finished writing songs for Goodbye Blue Monday’s debut album. As one of CPRW’s favourite UK DIY punk bands, we are understandably very excited about this. I, for one, just can’t get enough of this miserable yet poppy punk rock. The new songs are sounding great live and, although we don’t know when the songs will actually be recorded, I do hope that something will be released this year.

Katie MF

From one CPRW favourite to another! Katie MF released a brilliantly emotional second EP last year, as well as playing some killer gigs – both full band and solo – and no doubt gaining many new fans along the way. It’s been so wonderful to watch Katie MF’s sound and songwriting evolve over the past year or so and, judging by the three new songs we heard at the weekend, the band just keep getting better and better. I don’t know if they have plans to record the new songs anytime soon so I can’t wait to see Katie MF live soon to hear them again.

Modern Shakes

Gruff punks Modern Shakes are a relatively new band in the South London punk rock scene. Despite technically forming a couple of years ago, they only released their first EP, Murmur, last year – which Colin named his no.1 EP of the year no less (number five in mine). 2020 looks set to be Modern Shakes’ year as, after a line-up change, they are gearing up to release the follow-up to Murmur. The band will be playing Triple Sundae’s big gig on 28th March at the Amersham Arms which will be a lot of fun – not least because it’s my birthday. 

Proper.

Okay, so I probably should have been raving about Proper. last year when they released their album I Spent The Winter Writing Songs About Getting Better on Big Scary Monsters but, as is often the way, I was late to the party. Having been announced as playing MPF this year, I decided to check out this three-piece afro-punk band from New York City. Damn, I’m glad I haven’t slept on this band any longer – they’re so, so good with incredibly powerful and moving lyrics. Proper. are top of my must-see-at-MPF list and April can’t come soon enough.

Sincere Engineer

I feel like I read somewhere that Chicago-based band Sincere Engineer would be releasing a new album in 2020 but, now that it’s come to actually writing about it, I can’t find anything specific about this. It’s been three years since Rhombithian was released so I reckon we’re due another album! I’m also hoping that, much like fellow Red Scare Industries band Ramona, this might be the year that Sincere Engineer make it over to the UK. I’d certainly snap up tickets in no time at all.  

Stöj Snak

There is no release date set in stone, as far as I’m aware, but Danish folk punks Stöj Snak finished recording their new album, after what they described as the longest recording session since Chinese Democracy, in November last year. It’s honestly the album that I am most eagerly anticipating in 2020 and I don’t have much more to say than that. I. Can’t. Wait. 

Sunliner

Formerly known as Jake & The Jellyfish, the band announced earlier this week that they would not only be changing their name but are also joining the Lockjaw Records family. Having been a fan of J&TJ for several years and following their progression from a very much folk punk-sounding band to something a little more akin to Hot Water Music or Red City Radio, I’m very excited to see what Sunliner do next. 

This top ten was written by Emma Prew.