Gig Review: Bristol Booze Cruise 2022 at Exchange, Bristol 18/6/22

When Bristol Booze Cruise first happened in 2019, we were gutted that we had other plans and had to miss out. It looked like such a fun line-up that included many of our UK favourites as well as plenty of bands from overseas, many of whom were coming to the UK for the first time ever. After then attending the Hamburg Booze Cruise a few weeks later, Emma and I promised ourselves that the following year we would attend the Bristol version. We bought tickets, a superb line-up was announced and then 2020 happened and the world stopped. Fast forward two eventful, for all the wrong reasons, years and we were finally back in Bristol and looking forward attending the boatless Booze Cruise at the Exchange. Unfortunately due to all of the events that happened in the past two years, the line-up was looking very different to the one that was originally planned. It was a great shame but completely understandable given the circumstances. We were determined to have the best possible time nevertheless and were looking forward to seeing loads of bands, as well as getting to hang with friends from all over the UK all weekend.

After grabbing food at OM Burger with Matt Ear Nutrition and his wonderful partner, Charlotte, we made our way to the Exchange and instantly found loads of friends who had gathered at the venue early. This was one of my favourite things about the whole weekend. The opportunity to catch up, hug and hang out was one that was cherished just as much as getting to see so many awesome acts and it was a real highlight of the entire weekend.

The man tasked with opening the whole festival was our pal Hassan of Triple Sundae. Triple Sundae were in Bristol to play another gig and Hassan was asked to come down to open the show. I’m glad he agreed to as I’m a big fan. Hassan played a selection of Triple Sundae songs – including a couple of new ones from their soon to be recorded debut album – as well as a track from his hip hop project Lounar. Armed with just an electric guitar in the basement, it was a cool opportunity to hear these re-workings of songs I’ve heard so many times previously. This was a great way to ease us into the weekend as well. And if you’re yet to check out Lounar then I highly suggest that you do. Lounar writes songs about Hassan’s experiences growing up as a Palestinian in the UK and speaks out about the ongoing injustices that are happening in his homeland. You can support the Palestinian people here. Please do so if you can.

Opening up the main stage was Croatia’s Trophy Jump. I was excited to finally see the four piece live after being keen to for years. Their recently released album, Feels, has been one of my favourites of 2022 and I was particularly excited to hear some of those songs performed live. The band did not disappoint with their own brand of sing-along indie punk. I don’t know how many people in the crowd were overly aware of the band before the day but there was a small group of folk down the front singing along with the band including members of Burnt Tapes, Early Flights and Dan from Tape It Shut/CPRW. It’s always great seeing a band look so pleased to be on a stage performing and they were as tight as I expected. Highlights of the set for me were Neon Lights – it was great to see Phil Burnt Tapes join the band on stage to sing his part and then get crowd surfed by the rest of Burnt Tapes – and hearing my two favourite Trophy Jump songs, Leather Couch and Hugs On Drugs, live was fantastic.

Next downstairs in the basement was Scotland’s Flinch. Flinch was a late addition to the line-up due to some drop outs. Flinch is the newest project of Slowlight’s Beth which started as a solo thing but has since become a full band. Beth was already driving for Goodbye Blue Monday on their tour so it made complete sense for them to jump on the show. I was really excited when it was announced that Flinch would be playing as I’m a big fan of their album Enough Is Enough. After Trophy Jump, I hurried downstairs to get a prime position for their set. By the time they began it was nice to see a reasonable crowd gather for the set. I really enjoyed how respectful the crowd were as well. Flinch’s music is quite quiet and, in the small basement, if people started having a chat it could overpower the music, which obviously would have sucked. Thankfully that didn’t happen though and we got to enjoy the set. It was absolutely captivating, being in a silent room added to the emotion of the songs and there was a bit of an atmosphere that suggested that we’d been a part of something. This is what live music should be about, connecting with your crowd, getting them to experience and feel something and Flinch did just that. I’m now super keen to see them perform with their full band.

Lincoln’s GUTS. were the second band on the main stage. They were another new addition to the line-up and I knew absolutely nothing about them before the set. A cool thing about the late additions to the festival was that it meant, for a lot of bands, I was going in very blind and sometimes that’s the way to discover a new favourite band. The three piece played fuzzy pop punk music and had plenty of enthusiasm. It was a big contrast to Flinch’s set previously and I think I might have had a difficult time adjusting to the different sound however. The band played with lots of energy and the crowd, that was growing with every band, seemed to really enjoy it. I did leave a little early to make sure I got a good spot for the next band in the basement, Moonraker!

Way back in 2020 when Moonraker got announced for Bristol Booze Cruise I was over the moon. They’re a band I’ve loved for a long time. I forget how I discovered them but have been hooked ever since. 2018’s Lanterns was one of my favourites of that year and their 2022 release The Forest will no doubt find its way on to my end of year list. As international bands began to drop off of the festival, I was extremely worried that Moonraker would do the same, especially as they hadn’t booked any other gigs in the UK but I was so excited to see online when they had boarded a plane to the UK and had landed. I made a point of telling the Burnt Tapes to make sure they catch them as I thought they would love them. As I entered the basement they were already down there, positioned at the front of the crowd. I made my way to join them and we were also joined by fellow Moonraker UK fan club member Matt Ear Nutrition. The Californian three piece played a set that made them so perfect for this festival – fast punk rock music with raspy vocals and big choruses. Nick and David’s vocals were superb together as they echoed around the basement. I have to admit that when I saw they were playing the basement I was a little disappointed as I felt like they deserved to play to a bigger crowd, especially as they had travelled so far, but it was cool to see them playing in the tiny room. It was hot, it was sweaty and it was a lot of fun. I got to talk to David and Nick later in the day who were two super friendly human beings who I can’t wait to see again at Fest. I’m sure guitar player Matt is also a bit of a legend but I didn’t get to have a chat with him.

Brighton pop punks All Better had already started their set by the time I made it back upstairs. The band are currently out and about supporting their new album, How To Be Alone. I previously saw All Better in Brighton a few years ago when they opened for Spanish Love Songs, Pkew Pkew Pkew and Goodbye Blue Monday and was intrigued to see how they’ve progressed since then. The band know how to write a slick pop punk tune that’s for sure. The band seemed to be effortlessly cool on stage and looked as if they were having a lot of fun, which is what this music is all about. Their between song banter was also pretty entertaining as well. I didn’t spend much time watching their set as I wanted to make sure to get a good spot for Goodbye Blue Monday who were next on in the basement. This was perhaps the slight issue with the basement being so much smaller than the main room. You had to miss bits of the main room bands to make sure that you could get in to the basement if you wanted to see whoever was playing next in there. I have no solution on anything that could be done to fix this, it’s just part and parcel of a multi-stage festival.

If you’re a long time reader of the blog then you know what a big fan of Goodbye Blue Monday I am. I bloody love those boys, not just as a band but for also being awesome people. I’m clearly not the only one as when we made it down to the basement, about ten minutes before their set was due to start, the room was already pretty full. I made my way as close to the front as possible and was still about five rows back. It felt like there was a feeling of anticipation in the room as we waited for the band to start. And as soon as they did it was sing-alongs galore. My head is a little sketchy on the songs they played (cut me some slack, I saw every band at Bristol Booze Cruise and forgot to make a single note) but every song was so well received. Favourites from their previous two EPs as well as some new ones, from the debut album that they’re currently in the middle of recording, got plenty of love. They also played a snippet of a 16 minute epic that they’ve written for the album that I’m really keen to finally hear the finished version of. Goodbye Blue Monday are a band that connect so well with their audience and it’s a big part of why they get so much love from everyone who meets them. I think if you were in the room and didn’t know much about the band, you most definitely left as a fan. I think the set finished with Love Is A Noose For Two, Misery-Punk Ruined My Life and Take Your Pills to some final massive shout-at-the-top-of-your-lungs-alongs. I still love Goodbye Blue Monday very much and hope it’s not too long before I get to see them again.

After Goodbye Blue Monday’s storming set it was back upstairs for Soot Sprite. The Exeter based band are going on a UK tour with Okay, Bye later in the year so this was a great opportunity to see them before then. I wasn’t overly familiar with the band before the festival but I knew they were getting a lot of buzz in the indie punk scene and have been working with Specialist Subject Records. I was particularly impressed with Elise Cook’s voice throughout the set. I always think it must be hard to sing as well as you do on record when you perform the songs live but Elise smashed it. The room was extremely receptive to the set but I again had a hard to adjusting to the softer sound after the rowdiness of Goodbye Blue Monday’s set. It’s always great for a festival to have bands that sound different from one another and it’s important to check out new bands but I had a hard time really getting into it on this occasion. Soot Sprite were clearly a good band and deserve all of the attention they’ve been receiving and I will make sure to catch them again at a later date.

Hell’s Ditch were one of my highlights of Manchester Punk Festival and were a band I was looking forward to seeing again. The melodic pop punk band are a six piece and had a difficult time squeezing everyone on to the basement stage. Lead singer Nicholas Davis had to stand in front of the stage and it became basically a floor show. This only added to the fun though as it got the crowd more involved. The members of Hell’s Ditch are all seasoned punk rock pros at this point and know how to put on a show. Nicholas has a great voice and has the crowd in the palm of his hand throughout. Songs such as The Likes Of Us, Hope Is Hope and Vacant Hearts all sound superb in the basement and a few people even sing along. Partway through the set the band repeated their cover of The Clash’s Train In Vain that they performed at MPF. On this occasion Nicholas brought out a tambourine and gave it to a member of the crowd to play during the song. They did a superb job. At some point this tambourine ended up in my possession, I did not do such a good job but I did have a nice time being the seventh member of Hell’s Ditch for a short while. There was a nice moment during the beginning of the set where an elderly gentlemen who was at the festival all weekend appeared at the front and between Nicholas and Tone of the Burnt Tapes a chair was quickly found for him so he could rock out it comfort. It was nice moment to see the community helping each other out. It’s what it’s all about.

Durham’s Fortitude Valley were up next. Featuring members of Martha and ONSIND, this was another band of punk veterans. I really like both of those bands mentioned so very much expected to enjoy Fortitude Valley as well. I guess, to nobody’s surprise, I did. I do feel like it’s a bit unfair to just assume that Fortitude Valley are another Martha/ONSIND side project though as this is really the project of Laura Kovic. They have more of an indie/powerpop sound that was perfect for a Saturday evening. The band played tracks from their recent self titled album and sounded great. I only managed to catch a bit of their set as I was getting hungry so quickly popped out for some food.

At this point, I got a bit distracted and missed most of the next band – Sleep Outside. I didn’t know anything about them at all so went in blind, which is sometimes fun to do. As I arrived in the basement it was quite full for the band and I struggled to spot Emma. Sleep Outside are a three piece alt/emo band from Wales who had a sound that filled the basement nicely. Hopefully I’ll get the opportunity to see them properly soon and I’ll try not to get too distracted talking to folk.

I did make sure I was in the main room in time for Fightmilk. I first became aware of Fightmilk thanks to my buddy John from One Million Motors recommending them to me. I enjoyed them when I gave them a listen but after seeing them live I’m disappointed that I’ve only just got on the bandwagon. What a good, good band! Playing fuzzy indie punk rock, the London based band were one of my biggest highlights of the entire festival. Definitely the biggest surprise. Lead singer and guitarist Lily had this amazing presence on the stage and their voice commanded the entire room. The songs had that perfect mix of feeling powerful but also being a lot of fun. Not being as familiar with their songs as I perhaps should have been, I did feel a pang of jealousy for everyone down the front for being able to sing-along with the band. I did recognise songs such as Overbite and I’m Starting To Think You Don’t Even Want To Go To Space however and they sounded as good live as they do on record. Fightmilk are such a fun bad to watch live and I can’t wait to see them again. I was extremely sad to hear after the festival that Fightmilk encountered some misogyny towards them during their set. This is awful behaviour to say the least and I hope those involved will never be allowed into the Exchange again. There is no place for that kind of behaviour in our scene and in society in general. It’s 2022 for Gandalf’s sake.

German punk heroes Irish Handcuffs were the penultimate band on in the basement. To my knowledge, they are the only band to have played every edition of Booze Cruise so it was great that they were able to keep that streak going and were able to get over to the UK for the weekend. The three piece had previously played in Brighton the night before with our friends in Till I’m Bones and the band had impressed them, which added to my excitement to see them play once again. Irish Handcuffs were also supporting their brand new album, Transitions, which is their first in eight years. I’ve not had a chance to listen to it properly yet but judging by the songs they played during the set it’s one I’m going to absolutely lovely. If you’re unaware of what Irish Handcuffs sound like then I think they best way of describing them is melodic pop punk with soulful vocals, kind of like Dave Hause’s former band The Loved Ones. I’m certain the band picked up some brand new fans during their set. Whilst they were playing I noticed that they had Alkaline Trio written on their set list. When they got to that part of their set they told the crowd that they would be playing a cover set at Hamburg Booze Cruise where they would be playing songs by bands that are trios. They wanted to do a test run of Mercy Me by Alkaline Trio. They smashed it and earned a big sing-along from the crowd. At one point Dan #2 came and grabbed me and we sang the chorus as loudly as we could. It was a nice moment. I wasn’t planning on seeing Irish Handcuffs in Hamburg due to clashes and the fact that I would be seeing them in Bristol. I might have to change that plan though as they were so good.

The penultimate act on the main stage was Watford’s Nervus. I only ended up seeing a bit of their set due to wanting to make sure I got a good spot for the Burnt Tapes who were on in the basement next. This was a wise move as we entered the room with a few minutes to go before the set started and it was already getting busy. CPRW Podcast star Lara and her husband Nicky were excited to see the Tapes for the first time ever, as were our friends the Vegan Punks Dan and Jess. I later found out there were a few other people seeing the band for the first time ever. I guess it’s something I take for granted, as being based near London I get to see them all the time. And every single time they steal the show for me. I managed to squeeze my way right to the front to have a great sing-along with the band. This was my third time seeing the band this year and I was as excited as ever for a massive sing-along. For the next 30 minutes, it was almost like a massive karaoke gang vocal party as the crowd sang every word right back at the band. The band thrive in moments like this and the crowd get even more excitable. At one point Dan#2 had a little crowd surf and considering the low height of the ceiling and how tall they are it was quite the spectacle. I was very pleased that my favourite Tapes song Dirt Roads seems to have found a permanent home on the set list, I think belting out that brilliant chorus was the moment I felt my throat starting to get sore. The set originally finished with that perfect combo of Things Get Weird and Yuzi before, after being encouraged by the crowd, the band squeezed in a cover of I Don’t Wanna Be An Asshole Anymore by The Menzingers. They did overrun their slot slightly but it was a great time had by all.

Bristol hometown heroes The Menstrual Cramps were given the task of closing what had been a fantastic first day of Bristol Booze Cruise. We had seen The Menstrual Cramps for the first time earlier this year when they also headlined Fishstock at the Exchange. Since then I’d also seen them at Manchester Punk Festival. Both times I had really enjoyed it and I had no reason to suspect that it wouldn’t be three for three. I think it’s fair to say that the crowd on this night hadn’t been as busy as it had been at the previous two times I’d seen them but there were still plenty of enthusiastic people ready to have a great time with the band. The band launched into their opening couple of songs and then disaster struck! Their guitarist broke a string. Thankfully the DIY punk scene is a helpful bunch and the Tapes were on hand to let The Menstrual Cramps borrow one of their guitars. From then on, the band tore through their set playing songs such as Hashtag Sad Penis, Tinder Girl, Mutual Masturbation and Neo Nazi among many others. As this was my third time seeing them in the space of about three months it allowed me to sit back and think about what the band’s message is rather than just being blown away by the energy that singer Emilia and the rest of the band have on stage. The Menstrual Cramps are one of the most important bands in the UK at the moment and not just in the punk scene. This is a band that the more mainstream alternative media should be paying attention to. With messages about consent, abortion, racism and misogyny among others, there are a lot of things that can be learnt from the band. They’re an empowering band and one that is seriously needed at the moment. They’re the sort of band that encapsulates what punk should be in 2022.

The first day of Bristol Booze Cruise had been a lot of fun. It was great to be surrounded by friends from all over and every single band killed it. We hung out in the Exchange bar for a little while after the bands finished but fatigue began to set in, so we said our goodbyes and made our way back to the hotel to get some rest ready for another day of bands and buds the next day.

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

Gig Review: Till The Fest Day One 8/10/21

As rewarding as being a DIY punk gig promoter can be it can often be thankless, frustrating and hit you very heavily financially. Speaking to many friends who have promoted gigs over the years, they have often become jaded and disillusioned and leave promoting gigs to the other people. To reach twenty years in the game is an incredible achievement and that’s something the legend that is Ollie Ward of Till The Wheels recently achieved. To celebrate the big milestone, Ollie decided to put on a three day festival in New Cross named Till The Fest.

Ollie originally announced Till The Fest whilst the UK was in the midst of a lockdown and, if I’m 100% honest with you, I was very sceptical on whether or not the weekend would be allowed to go ahead. As time went on and restrictions gradually began to ease, my confidence in the festival actually happening began to grow. I quickly bought weekend tickets and even began to get very excited. As the months went on, more and more amazing bands continued to get added to the line-up and it soon became a three day, three venue, over 50 bands behemoth of an event.

Till The Fest would be taking place at the New Cross Inn, The Amersham Arms and Matchstick Piehouse. There would also be a record fair happening upstairs in the New Cross House pub and a five aside tournament happening at Fordham Park. There was absolutely loads going on! It was also a wonderful opportunity to have a punk rock family reunion, with friends from all over the UK making the pilgrimage to South East London. As the weekend grew closer, I was just as excited to see people I hadn’t seen for nearly two years as I was to see some of my favourite bands. It was due to be an emotional weekend.

We arrived in New Cross, dropped our bags off at our Air BnB, freshened up and made our way to Matchstick Piehouse. This was our first time going to Matchstick Piehouse and Emma and I were very grateful to bump in to our pal Tommy of BaldHead And The Dreads to help show us the way. We arrived at the Piehouse and immediately bumped into loads of friends and it was a bloody lovely feeling. Music hadn’t even begun yet and we were already having a magical time.

After saying lots of hellos to lots of people, we needed to get some food before the bands began. We met up with CPRW member Lara and her husband Nicky, who had travelled from South Wales for Till The Fest, and took them to our favourite falafel spot, Beirut. Unfortunately I got us lost on the way there, shout out to Tommy for helping out again, so we sadly missed SKIV. I’m sure they put on a 10/10 show to open up the festival at The Amersham Arms.

Thankfully we did get to New Cross Inn in plenty of time to see the band tasked with opening the festival there, our lovely friends Goodbye Blue Monday. Despite it not even being 7pm, a very decent sized crowd had turned out for the Scottish boys and were treated to another superb GBM set. Graham noted that they would be opening with a brand new song for their first show back since the lockdown. This new song, along with the couple of others, sound amazing and has me even more excited for their debut album, whenever they’re able to get it recorded and released out in to the world. Of course there was also big sing-alongs for favourites such as Misery-Punk Ruined My Life, Love Is A Noose For Two, Trigger Alert, Take Your Pills and Exile (which was my first time seeing it live since it was released). Seeing Goodbye Blue Monday always fills me with the warm, fuzzy feeling and leaves me with a sore throat. What a band. What a time.

We didn’t get a chance to hang around NXI and have a proper chat with the GBM boys as another of our lovely friends, Katie MF was taking to the stage at Amersham as soon as they finished. After a power walk for the five minute journey between the venues, we made it with a couple of minutes to spare. This was somehow our very first time in the Amersham Arms and I was immediately impressed with it as a venue. There was a nice wide stage, with no pesky pillar blocking the view of the stage. In fact, you could probably get a decent view of the stage from anywhere in the venue. Before the band started, Katie announced that the band hadn’t been in a room together since March 2020 so hadn’t practiced their set. If Katie hadn’t have said that I don’t anyone would’ve noticed as they played a cracking set. Playing the more uptempo tracks in the band’s catalogue, really tailoring for the punk crowd, for me it was another set of sing-alongs. I’ve said many times over the years that Katie has this magnetic quality on stage that cannot be ignored. Backed by one of the best rhythm sections in punk rock, this was another superb performance. Just like GBM before them, Katie MF have a load of high quality songs that are yet to be recorded and I can’t wait for them to get released.

Unfortunately we had to leave Katie’s set one song early as Just Say Nay were starting back at NXI. I always say that it’s a sign of a good festival to have clashes but, for me at least, this was a stinger. We arrived back at very full looking NXI to see Just Say Nay already well into their set. Sadly during lockdown trombone playing goblin king Mikey T decided to leave the band, so on this occasion they were only playing as a seven piece. Yes, seven members is the fewest amount of people I’ve ever seen on stage when I’ve watched Just Say Nay perform. This did allow lead singer Jak to move around the stage more freely and he did a magnificent job in getting the crowd amped up. Not that Just Say Nay need to do much to get a NXI crowd warmed up as they are much loved at the venue. We arrived back at the venue as the band were playing Tempted from their debut EP Shit Out Of Luck before moving on to crowd favourite, With A Twist Of Lemon. With A Twist Of Lemon has a great ending that gets the entire crowd chanting along with the band. It always goes down well but on this occasion it went down so well that the crowd did their own extra verse of the song. They probably would’ve done another one if the band hadn’t have moved on to the next song, Pass Me A Cloud. The band finished with Low Blow which earned another huge sing-along. Just Say Nay are one of the best live bands in the country – make sure you see them as soon as you have the chance!

We hung around at New Cross for the next band, The JB Conspiracy. We’d recently been able to see JB in Bristol for Fishstock but that didn’t dampen any excitement for seeing them again. I said in my review of Fishstock that JB get better each and every time I see them live and this trend continued once again. Playing a mix of old favourites and new ones from 2021’s Beginnings, this was the band’s second London gig since Beginnings’ release and it was clear that the crowd had spent plenty of time with it. It’s always tricky for a band releasing new music so long after they released two absolute beloved albums. Will people care about the new stuff or do they just want the classics? It really says a lot about just how good Beginnings is as songs like The Long Road To Zurich (one of my favourite songs of 2021) and Guiding Lights got just as good receptions as The Escape or This Machine did. It’s always nice to see a band on stage, who’ve been doing this for so many years, still clearly having the time of their lives. Between songs there was always a big smile on lead singer Lank’s face. I was sad that the band only had a forty minute set because I would have happily watched, sung and danced along with the band for much longer. Every time I see JB they prove that they are one of the very best ska punk bands that the UK has ever produced.

 

The choice of the night’s headliner through up another tricky decision on who to see. It was between The Bar Stool Preachers and The Filaments. Both are phenomenal live acts so I shouldn’t complain about having to pick between two fantastic bands. We decided to go with The Filaments at Amersham Arms. The choice was made because BSP were the last band we saw before lockdown started and we hadn’t seen The Filaments for years. Plus I always love seeing Pook bounce around on stage and he was playing in The Filaments. We made the walk back to Amersham with our new friend and NXI legend Fred The Punk. If you’ve not made friends with him yet, this is something I recommend you do. He’s a lovely man who really understands what this whole punk community thing is about. Amersham was already pretty full when we reached the venue but we managed to find a good spot from the side of the stage. The Filaments were a little late to take to the stage, I didn’t mind this though as it gave us time to have a little chat with pals. When the band did get on the stage they quickly began to tear the roof off the venue. The set was mostly comprised of the band’s more ferocious songs which got the mosh pit going hard. Unfortunately there was one person in the pit who was going too hard and ended up causing a fight. This lead to the band stopping a song midway through and jumping in to the crowd to sort it out. I believe that the instigator of the fight was then removed from the venue. It’s a shame that after almost two years of not having nice things like Till The Fest there was an idiot who didn’t know how to behave but big love and respect to the band and venue for making sure everyone was safe and the show could continue. I feel like this incident could’ve put a lot of bands off their stride but not The Filaments who stormed through the rest of their set. The highlight for me was a rare run out of Trevor, a song I’ve not seen the band play for years and it remains my favourite Filaments song. This was a great way to finish off night one of Till The Fest.

Night one of Till The Fest had been a massive success and all around us there were big smiles everywhere. There were positive vibes all around and there was much excitement for what was to come for the rest of the weekend.

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

Column: CPRW Recommendations For Bandcamp Day

Tomorrow (Friday July 3rd) Bandcamp are having another day where they waive all of their fees to help support the artists on their platform. Bandcamp recognises that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of bands and artists have lost a major revenue stream due to not being able to gig. These special days have been amazingly helpful for the bands and have also brought the music community together. We’re big fans of Bandcamp here at CPRW and Marcus had the idea of each of us picking a band or release to recommend people check out tomorrow.

Self-Indulgent One-Take Woefuls (Acoustic) by Goodbye Blue Monday

If sadder versions of really sad songs is your thing then this is an EP for you! Glasgow’s Goodbye Blue Monday take three old songs and one new one and strip them back to make them so heartbreakingly beautiful you can’t help but get emotional. The songs sound so different to their rowdy, full band accompaniments and it really is a testament to Graham Lough’s incredible song writing ability. The EP is raising funds for Rad Apples and Conroy’s Basement in Dundee, home of the wonderful Make-That-A-Take Records. (This EP also comes with a trigger alert – if you’re struggling in any way, please be aware when listening to this EP).

https://makethatatakerecords.bandcamp.com/album/self-indulgent-one-take-woefuls-ep

Dead Inside by CF98 (Dan #2)

This EP is a fifteen-minute slice of punk-rock heaven. Each song is a chorus-driven hard-hitter complemented by perfect backing riffs. They also touch on great subjects such as gender stereotypes and mental health. As soon as I picked up this record, the title track (Dead Inside) resonated with me and helped me with my personal mental health issues I'm facing during lockdown. It felt like a friendly reminder that I'm not the only one feeling a little dead inside right now. If you like NOFX or Useless I.D. then don't sleep on this little EP – it's the best one I've heard so far this year!

https://cf98.bandcamp.com/album/dead-inside-2020

We Live Here by Bob Vylan

London two piece grime punk act Bob Vylan released We Live Here on June 5th. From what I've heard from it, the album is eerily relevant to the current social climate and that makes it a very important listen. It's a politically hard hitting album that will inspire, enlighten and educate anyone listening to it. If you want to hear the entire album, you have to buy it as Bob Vylan have decided not to release it in full on streaming platforms.

https://bobvylan.bandcamp.com/album/we-live-here

Structure / Average At Best by Sunliner (Emma)

At the beginning of the year, before things all went down the drain, I made a list of ten bands I was excited about in 2020 and one of those bands was Leeds-based foursome Sunliner. Formerly known as Jake & The Jellyfish, Sunliner put out their first new music under their new guise recently. With the help of Lockjaw Records, Structure / Average At Best is the name of said release and both songs are excellent singalongable melodic punk rock with lyrical content that I’m sure many will be able to relate to – think working a minimum wage job you don’t enjoy and wondering where the time goes and/or what you’re doing with your life. As with all bands, Sunliner’s plans for 2020 have been put on hold but I’m glad they were able to get these songs out. I expect 2021 will be a big year for them.

https://sunlinerband.bandcamp.com/album/structure-average-at-best-ep

Lockdown Unplugged by Ripcord Records

Lockdown Unplugged is a forty-five track acoustic compilation from Ripcord Records. It features a whole host of our favourites such as Paper Rifles, Burnt Tapes, Müg, ALLDEEPENDS, Don Blake, Codename Colin, Knife Club, Dead Neck and many more. All the acts featured recorded acoustic versions whilst in lockdown for the compilation. If forty-five acoustic tracks isn’t enough to wet your appetite then know that Lockdown Unplugged is also raising money for the mental health charity Support In Mind. If you buy the compilation on Bandcamp day, the charity will receive even more money. It’s a no-brainer purchase.

https://ripcordrecords.bandcamp.com/album/lockdown-unplugged

Jilted Lover by Quaker Wedding (Marcus)

Since my job went remote, my furthest drive is now is to the “other side of town”, which in my small city is about six minutes away. Coincidentally, it’s just enough time to listen to both songs from Quaker Wedding’s first single, “Jilted Lover”. Both songs are a perfect blend of self-loathing and regret, with a gruff delivery that really hits the spot. If there are any better songs than these that have been released this year, I haven’t heard them. I’m looking forward to their debut full length “In Transit” on Salinas Records in September.

https://quakerwedding.bandcamp.com/album/jilted-lover

Heavy Seas by Misfortune Cookie (Richard)

Let’s face it, this year has been an absolute write off and whilst we should have been basking in a summer of awesome tunes and amazing gigs we’ve been reduced to thinking of what could have been. One band I feel have been affected massively by this is the wonderful Misfortune Cookie... a name that seems ever-so apt given the circumstances. Last year’s Heavy Seas was an album full of bright, big summer songs and over the course of the year would have been taking their brand of Northern punk to the masses with some high profile support slots with the likes of Signals Midwest and Strike Anywhere (I was hoping to catch them at both) as well as a stint at Manchester Punk Festival. Sadly they’ll be unable to make any new friends at any of these now cancelled shows; so if you’ve not already done so pick up a copy of one of the best albums of last year, self-isolate in your garden, grab a craft beer and immerse yourself in its wonderfulness.

https://misfortunecookie.bandcamp.com/album/heavy-seas

Covered-19 by Cherbourg Harps Assembly

Cherbourg Harps Assembly features Jan and Claire from Aberdeen bands Seas, Starry. Claire came up with the idea to cover 19 songs for an album to raise money for an animal sanctuary named Willows, which is based in the North East of Scotland. Willows looks after elderly and abused animals and relies on donations to stay afloat. Obviously, like a lot of charities and organisations, it has been hit hard by COVID-19. Among the artists covered on Covered-19 are Abba, Madonna, The Beatles, Tragical History Tour, Press Club, Stevie Nicks and Sonic Youth.

https://cherbourgharpsassembly.bandcamp.com/

Stay Home. Stay Alive. Organise. by Davey Dynamite

Whenever somebody asks me for an artist they might not have heard of to check out, I will nine times out of ten say Davey Dynamite. Their last album Holy Shit is my favourite ever. In May, Davey released a brand new song titled Stay Home. Stay Alive. Organise. It’s an acoustic track that deals with the current COVID-19 pandemic, as well as how the government and media are using it for their own gain. The title of the track is based off the slogan by the Poor People’sCampaign. All money made from the track will be given to Davey’s neighbourhood’s mutual aid group for services like mask/sanitiser distribution, food delivery, supporting houseless communities and paying rent. If interested, you can download the track for free now and donate here to avoid the cut that Bandcamp takes – or download it on Bandcamp day and everyone wins. 

https://daveydynamite.bandcamp.com/track/stay-home-stay-alive-organize

The Ol’ Reacharound by Monday Morning Justice (Robyn) 

We Did This Records is a DIY punk distro from South Africa, and their Bandcamp is jam-packed with excellent SA punk releases. Most recently, the Johannesburg-based band Monday Morning Justice put out an EP entitled ‘The Ol’ Reacharound’ that’s been keeping me going while we’ve all been under lockdown and unable to have any local shows. MMJ’s sound borrows from a lot of influences, mixing together folk and ska punk with a liberal dash of South African flavour. Their latest EP really shows the band at the top of their game. The people behind We Did This Records are also just lovely humans who would really appreciate your support.

https://we-did-this-records.bandcamp.com/album/the-ol-reacharound

South Somewhere Else by Nana Grizol
Athens, Georgia, indie folk punk band Nana Grizol released their new album South Somewhere Else on June 26th. Lead by former Defiance, Ohio member Theo Hilton, this is the follow up to 2018's Theo Zumm LP. A concept album inspired by growing up in Athens, South Somewhere Else is one of the most beautiful folk punk albums I've ever heard. It's a quieter and slicker sounding style than you might expect but still empowers you in ways that all the best punk albums do.

https://nanagrizol.bandcamp.com/album/south-somewhere-else

Pleasure Vision by Bacchae (Emma)

I’m ashamed to say that I only came across Washington, D.C., four-piece Bacchae when they were listed on Angry Grrrl Music Of The Indie Rock Persuasion’s 100+ Black Artists To Support On Bandcamp Day article last Bandcamp day – but I guess that was the point of the article, to check out bands you may not know! I instantly took a liking to their synth-driven raw indie punk and the album Pleasure Vision has fast become one of my favourites of the year. They’re due to play The Fest this year (if it happens) so I’m definitely going to check them out live if I can.

https://bacchae.bandcamp.com/album/pleasure-vision

New Sun EP by Wrong Life

Wrong Life is the new project from Fraser Murderburger. Due to the current lockdown restrictions delaying the recording of the debut Wrong Life, Fraser started writing the second Wrong Life album which lead to him taking a break from that to create this EP. If you're already familiar with The Murderburgers then there will be familiarity here but Wrong Life present a pop punk with a more mid-tempo and restrained approach that really allows Fraser's brilliant lyrics to shine through. If this is a little taster of what to expect from Wrong  Life then I can't wait to hear the full album.

https://wronglife.bandcamp.com/album/new-sun-ep

The Way To Bombs EP by Smiley & The Underclass

London dub punks Smiley & The Underclass released their new EP, The Way To Bombs, this week. Mixing reggae and punk rock to make empowering protest music, the four piece have been working hard on spreading their message to fans all over the world for years now. The Way To Bombs is the follow up to 2017's brilliantly received debut album Rebels Out There. Smiley & The Underclass are a band that can expertly capture the energy and passion from their live show and recreate it on record.

https://smileyandtheunderclass.bandcamp.com/album/the-way-to-the-bomb-ep

Untenable by Bad Moves (Emma)

Released just last Friday, I saw that a lot of people on Twitter were stoked for Untenable, the latest album by Bad Moves. I soon understood why when I listened to the album myself – it’s really, really good. If infectiously catchy power pop is something you might be into too then this is a must buy for Bandcamp day. It’s certainly been the spirit lifter that I’ve needed this past week and I won’t be stopping listening any time soon.

https://badmoves.bandcamp.com/album/untenable

Of course, we would be remiss not to recommend the CPRW Records catalogue during this post. So far our little label has put out six different releases raising money for five different charities – Mind, Crisis, Macmillan, Music Venue Trust and Refugee Action UK. Have you got them all yet? Bandcamp Day is a great day to complete your collection.

https://cprwrecords.bandcamp.com/

Our good friends in Burnt Tapes are also currently donating any money they make on their Bandcamp page to Black Minds Matter. For my money, they are one of the best bands in the world at the moment and are due to play The Fest in Gainesville later this year. This is a great opportunity to delve into their entire back catalogue (including their brilliant first release Wasted History) as well as two new acoustic covers and support a very worthy cause.

https://burnttapes.bandcamp.com/

If you didn’t pick them up on the last Bandcamp day, it's well worth checking out Decolonise Fest’s Bandcamp page to purchase one – or all – of their compilations. Decolonise Fest is a London-based DIY punk fest created by and for punx of colour. Comps like these are vital to diversifying your listening habits from typical all white male bands and DIY groups such as Decolonise Fest need our support and solidarity now more than ever.

https://decolonisefest.bandcamp.com/  

If you're not on the hunt for new music but do want some new threads then head to Solidarity Not Silience's Bandcamp page. Solidarity Not Silence are a group of women facing a defamation case for speaking up about the disgusting treatment of women by a well known musician. Since 2017, they have been crowd funding the legal costs of this case. If you want to help out this extremely worthy cause and have a fresh new T-shirt to wear then click the link below.

https://solidaritynotsilence.bandcamp.com/

Last but certainly not least, INiiT Records, the new label created by Our Lives In Cinema frontman and unsung hero of the UK DIY punk scene Mark Bartlett, are donating all the money they receive to organisations working for equality for those who have been deprived of it. So far INiiT Records have put out two stellar releases from Ode To Sleep and most recently High Visions. Two great acts you need to check out.

https://iniitrecords.bandcamp.com/

Do It Together Diary: Part Two

Saturday 25th January: Day Two of Do It Together Fest 2020

I felt absolutely horrific when was I woken up by the back garden train. So much so I wondered if I would even be able to get through the day. However, Emma and I gradually dragged ourselves out of bed and got ready for the day. First job was to have a shower. Then we went and found somewhere to have breakfast. Knowing that I wouldn't have much chance to eat properly throughout the day, I had the biggest breakfast possible in the hope that it help keep me going. Massive breakfast devoured, we then made our way to the local Sainsbury’s to stock up on painkillers, blister plasters (Emma had a massive blister on her heel) and some snacks. We then made our way to New Cross to meet with Sarah and Paul.

When we arrived, Sarah was already there and getting the tombola ready. Her parents, who were attending all weekend, were also there and it was lovely to be able to meet them. Very nice people! I'd made myself a promise to try and be more helpful with things today as I had a nagging guilt that I really hadn't done enough the day before and was determined to try and pull my weight. This meant learning how a tombola works. Basically it's a raffle but instead of waiting to see what you've won, you draw a ticket and see if the number matches to any of the prizes. Pretty simple stuff.

The next job was to organise where the eleven acts playing would have their merch and where the record fair would be set up. Part of this involved waiting for Paul to arrive as he knows how to set up the venue better than we do. When he FINALLY arrived it was decided to let the bands sell their merch upstairs and that the record fair would go downstairs. After hastily moving some tables around, we were ready! Day two of Do It Together was about to start and we were happy to see lots of people had arrived in plenty of time for the first band – NXI favourites Our Lives In Cinema.

Our Lives In Cinema haven't been playing that many shows lately whilst they work on their first full length album but, when putting the line-up together, we all agreed they were a must for Do It Together. Lead singer Mark is one of the most enthusiastic and dedicated people we know in the DIY scene, always passionate about helping bands and spreading the punk related news. He's also an absolute sweetheart. OLIC are such a fun band to watch live and continue to go from strength to strength whenever I see them. I have to assume that the folk who hadn't seen them before came away really impressed.

Continuing with my promise to myself to try and help out more today I headed to the tombola stand so Sarah and Freddy could have a break and go and enjoy Fabled Mind. I have to admit I actually enjoyed doing the tombola much more than I thought that I would. I got to talk to people as well as welcome friends and bands as they arrived at NXI. I also got a pretty decent view of the crowd and the band that was playing – Fabled Mind in this case. The Danish quartet are a fairly new band and this was their first time in London. I think we were all pleasantly surprised by the size of the crowd that they got to play to at 3 in the afternoon. I know a lot of people really enjoyed their set and are looking forward to seeing them again soon.

Up next were one of the bands I was most excited to see and one I was even allowed, personally, to book – Bristol's Toodles & The Hectic Pity. We basically decided to book them because Sarah and I both loved their first EP Call In Sick but neither of us had ever seen them live. Our own festival seemed like the perfect opportunity. In a beautiful coincidence, Do It Together coincided with the release of their phenomenal new EP Ghosts, Guilts & Grandparents. They then decided to book a little tour with their friends in Triple Sundae around Do It Together to help promote the EP even further. Before they even started their set, Sarah and I had claimed places at the front of the crowd and there was a great sense of anticipation for the upcoming set. What came next was a highlight of the whole day for me and quite a few people I spoke to afterwards. It's always lovely to see a relatively new band make their first appearance, at a venue that is so important to the scene that it houses, and play a truly magical set. Toodles & The Hectic Pity are going places, be sure to get on the bandwagon immediately.

Following Toodles were another band that I was in charge of booking. The one and only Katie MF. If you've been a regular reader of CPRW then you will know how much Emma and myself have been really championing the three piece and it was only right that they played this show. Talking to Katie earlier in the day, she remarked how this would probably be the biggest crowd they have played to at the New Cross Inn and I think it's really well deserved. They are one of the best bands in London at the moment and deserve to be heard by more people. It had actually been about six months since I last saw Katie MF perform – far too long, –so it was nice to be blown away by how good they are once again. Clearly not a band that rest on their laurels either, as they had three new songs in their set list. They all were superb and I can't wait until they get them recorded and released!

After Katie MF had finished their set I went in search of a job. Paul sent me off to pay Katie, whilst doing so I congratulated them on a smashing set and met bass player Ben for the first time. Lovely guy, great hair, really fast fingers.

Dundee's Uniforms took to the stage next. It's not often Uniforms make the long trip down to London, so any chance to see them is always exciting. Uniforms lead singer Deeker is also a member of the Make-That-A-Take Records collective, one of the most respected groups in the UK's DIY scene, so having them at Do It Together only felt right. Of course, they played a storming set – they always do! Uniforms have this unique quality to really get me amped up. I think this is due to the raw, no thrills approach they take to their music. I don't think there are many better punk bands in the UK than Uniforms and it was an absolute pleasure to see them as always.

After Uniforms, I headed towards the tombola stand again to do another shift there. I decided it was okay to be at the back of the room for Triple Sundae as I'm lucky enough to see them what feels like every other week and I knew that Sarah was super excited to see them herself. I actually really enjoyed being at the back of the room and seeing them playing to such a big and loving crowd. I also took the time to get some food down me as I was beginning to flag slightly. I again enjoyed my stint at the tombola, having the opportunity to talk to folk who were in attendance, meeting plenty of folk and being asked a few times "are you THE Colin?" I always get pretty awkward being recognised for doing CPRW but it's lovely when people come say hi.

At this point, I took the opportunity to go and stand outside as it was getting pretty stuffy inside. Outside I got chatting with the legend that is Chris Fishlock and the guys from Toodles who I'd met earlier in the day. It's always lovely to see Fishlock. We spoke about the day as well as Toodles’ tour and new EP (out today!) and it was an extremely pleasant time. It made me want to visit Bristol more. If all the Bristol punks are a nice as these gentlemen, then it must be a pretty wonderful scene.

Goodbye Blue Monday have become big favourites at NXI over the past couple of years and had driven down from Scotland very early in the morning to get to New Cross in plenty of time for their set. I'm pretty sure that every time I've seen Goodbye Blue Monday play they've managed to get all their gear set up and soundchecked before they are due to start – the ultimate professionals. This lead to five minutes of awkwardly standing around and making jokes between one another before launching into Love Is A Noose For Two. Talking of being ready – pretty much every band managed to start and finish their sets at the right time throughout the day, this meant very little stage managing had to be done by Paul, Sarah or myself. Huge credit has to go to all the bands for this. Goodbye Blue Monday were in full on party mood for their set. Playing favourites such as the aforementioned Love Is A Noose For Two, The Sickness The Shame, Take Your Pills and Misery-Punk Ruined My Life (which included a small stage invasion from Uniforms and Forever Unclean), they also took the time to play a new song from their upcoming full length as well as playing three covers of songs by their favourite Scottish act, The Garry Biscuits Band. It was all a bit lost on me and I imagine a lot of the crowd but it was an awful lot of fun.

Completing a run of sing-along punk rock were the Burnt Tapes. The collective love in the room for these four guys was like nothing else. As soon as their set started, the majority of the room launched into a big sing-along. The best moment for Paul and I was when they went old school and played Go Drunk for us. It's both of our favourite Tapes song and it's probably one of my favourite songs ever. The moment where Tone shouts "IS THIS GROWING UP?!" felt so incredibly apt at this moment. I often question what I'm doing with my life and see so many of my friends settled down with families and proper grown up responsibilities and I wonder should I be doing the same? Then I go to the New Cross Inn, am surrounded by many people I love and respect and decide this is exactly how I want to be living my life at this moment. If this is growing up then I'm having a bloody good time doing it. I sung myself so hoarse during this set I wondered if my voice would make to the end of the day.

By this point of the day, I was absolutely starving so popped a couple of doors down to grab a snack. I surprised myself by not just grabbing a chocolate bar but also a banana. This isn't my usual behaviour, I guess this is growing up? It was a slightly chilled and a really tasty banana and I was pleased I broke my usual dietary habits to buy it.

It was soon time for the first ska band of the day. One of the things I was most proud of about the Do It Together line-up was how we managed to put together a varied mix a lot of our favourite bands from different punk genres and it all seemed to work. It was nice for the punk fans and the ska fans and the pop fans and the folk fans to all have the opportunity to gather together and appreciate each other's different favourites. You can't have a New Cross party without Call Me Malcolm, it's basically the rules. It wasn't long before Malcolm had the crowd down the front in full swing, plenty of dancing, plenty of singing along to many favourites from I Was Broken When You Got Here. As the set progressed the amount of dancing in the crowd began to increase and it wasn't long before most of the room were skanking. During the song Jacob, Lucias asked the crowd to lock arms with the person next to them. Not expecting the next request to be create as many mini circle pits as possible, myself, Emma, Mark from OLIC, Dan #2, Paul and Taj joined together and made one long line. Needless to say, our attempt at a circle pit failed quite miserably but I did find it pretty funny. Obviously they finished with All My Nameless Friends. On this day it didn't feel as if the room was full of nameless friends though, it felt like I knew everyone in it and it was lovely.

Danish indie skatey poppy punks Forever Unclean were on next and I have to admit I was a bit worried for them. It's not easy to follow Call Me Malcolm. Particularly coming towards the end of a long day and when you sound nothing like them. If it did phase the Danish trio however then it didn't show. They started out with some new songs, which I thought was pretty ballsy, before playing the old favourites. This is when the crowd began to get pretty rowdy, but in the best way possible. Possibly encouraged by three members of Goodbye Blue Monday taking the opportunity to jump into the crowd, the rest of the set became an abundance of stage dives and crowd surfs whilst singing along to Forever Unclean. A couple of days after Do It Together, I had a memory of Sean from GBM giving me a kiss after I caught him coming down from a crowd surf. The three guys in Forever Unclean must have been blown away by the reception they got and how they can come so far from Denmark and still feel like they're at home. They finished their set by taking it in turns to crowd surf, despite the fact there was no music playing – it was a fun way to finish their set for sure.

After taking another little break outside, I came in and I was feeling so pumped to see Lightyear. I think I may have excitedly mentioned it to a few people on my way to getting a decent spot at the front of the crowd. I'd taken up many spots at the front throughout the weekend, claiming it was for the purpose of "stage management". This, however ,was full on fanboying because I love Lightyear. This was a pretty special Lightyear set for a couple of reasons. Firstly because we were lucky enough to have a pretty much proper Lightyear band. On the last tour they did in November the band were filled with mostly stand ins along with Chas, Neil and Jim. The only stand in for Lightyear tonight was drummer Bob Barrett. Who also played with JB Conspiracy the night before, so he headlined both nights which is cool. The other thing that made it special was that they announced that this would probably by the last ever Lightyear show. I would assume it probably won't be but, if it was, they made sure they went out in the only way that Lightyear know how. In the silliest way possible. I think it's pretty hard to really put into words and it make any actual sense of what went on during this set but it was exactly what you would expect from Lightyear. All around me there were people singing, dancing and smiling away. Whether you were a long time fan or you'd never seen them before, you went away knowing you had seen quite the spectacle.

The night wasn’t ending there though. For the hardcore souls who remained at NXI, we had another after party to enjoy. This time brought to us by our good pals the Burnt Tapes who would be performing their brilliant Menzingers cover set. I'd joked with guitarist Pan that I assumed that they would be playing The Menzingers’ newest album Hello Exile in full. To my complete surprise, they opened with the song Anna from that album before working their way through a handful of older Menzingers favourites. This was the perfect way to finish the weekend. Being surrounded by lots of friends, old and new singing many modern punk rock classics at the top of our lungs. Massive thanks to the Burntzingers for sticking around so late and entertaining us in this wonderful way.

I spent the rest of the night wandering around the room, hugging and thanking everyone I knew. It was during this time when Burnt Tone said "I just enjoy seeing everyone having a good time." I think this was the quote of the entire weekend and it summed it all up beautifully. That's all we wanted from the weekend, our pals to have a good time. We definitely achieved that.

I felt so unbelievably blessed and lucky to be surrounded by so many of the best people you could ever wish to meet and to be so involved in such a special event is something I'll be proud of for a long time. I can't thank the people who came, the bands, and especially Paul and Sarah for inviting me to be a part of this event, enough. It couldn't have been more perfect.

Monday 27th January

Back to work and going over the weekend again in my head. A lot of lovely things were said about Do It Together and people seem to be hoping for a Do It Togther Fest 2021. Will it happen and will I be involved with it? I have no idea. Originally, the idea was for it to be a one and done thing and I spent the whole weekend telling people that I will be retiring from the promoting game after this because I certainly won't be able to top it. But Do It Together was a bigger success than any of us could have possibly imagined so who knows. I kind of think we won't be able to recreate the magic of the 2020 edition and we should leave it there. That's also my thoughts on The Matrix trilogy, they should have stopped after one and not gotten greedy! That being said, it was nice to be able to do this amazing thing with two of my best friends and try something new. Either way, I think the weekend proved Doing It Together is much better than Doing It Yourself.

DIT or die!

This Do It Together Diary was written by Colin Clark. Photos by Emma Prew.