Column: Slam Dunk Festival 2021 Preview

This weekend, by some minor miracle, Slam Dunk Festival is happening. Obviously, the worldwide pandemic we’ve all been suffering through since March 2020 has made organising a festival a very tricky proposition. Due to the all the restrictions that have been put in place by the government, the festival has been moved around countless times and the line up has gone through a number of different variations. At the time of writing this, hopefully the line up will remain as it is until the event but who knows what will happen given the current climate of the world!

I should start by saying that the majority of bands I talk about throughout this article will be featured on the Punk In Drublic stage. That was the stage I spent most of my time at at Slam Dunk 2019 and it will be the place to find me in 2021. I’ll be the devilishly handsome one in the shorts and the black band t-shirt. The stage will once again be headlined by NOFX. Since NOFX last came to the UK they have released a split with Frank Turner (who will also be appearing) as well as their fourteenth album Single Album. It’s NOFX so who knows if they’ll play anything from those releases but you can guarantee that it’ll be one of the most talked about sets of the weekend.

Joining them on the Punk In Drublic stage are Chicago’s Alkaline Trio. Trio have not been to the UK since touring with NOFX way back in 2015 (I assume partly due to Matt Skiba’s work with Blink-182) so their announcement was met with much excitement from fans of the band. This year the band celebrated the twentieth anniversary of their breakthrough album From Here To Infirmary so I’m expecting the set to be heavy on songs from that album alongside plenty of favourites spanning their entire career.

Stepping away from the Punk In Drublic stage for a minute we have Creeper. The Southampton based five piece continue to get bigger and bigger and have become one of the most exciting bands in the UK alternative scene. Channelling influences such as AFI and Alkaline Trio whilst showcasing their own unique style, Creeper have to be one of the most anticipated sets of the festival. The band recently released eight track American Noir which performed incredibly well in the UK popular music charts, this will be the first time the majority of the crowd will have had the opportunity to see these songs performed live.

Returning to Punk In Drublic for a comeback I never expected to see happen is Capdown. The UK skacore legends have been inactive for years now so when they were announced for Slam Dunk it was quite the surprise. It feels fitting for Capdown to be making their return now given the boom that ska punk is having and it’s entirely appropriate that one of the most influential bands in the UK scene graces the big stage once again. Recently we covered the classic album Civil Disobedients on the CPRW Podcast and I cannot wait to see some tracks from it live once again.

Talking about legendary UK ska punk bands, Slam Dunk gives us a chance to see [Spunge] a few weeks before they begin a UK tour to celebrate twenty one years of their album Room For Abuse. I’ve made it clear a number of times just how influential [Spunge] were on me, they were my gateway band into ska and punk music and without them I wouldn’t be the person that I am today. Any chance I get to see them I try and take. This will be a set full of smiley, bouncy faces.

The Popes Of Chillitown, one of the bands leading the newest group of UK ska bands, will be making their Slam Dunk debut on The Key Club stage. Based in London, the Popes have been wowing crowds all across the UK for years now with their intense and energetic style of ska punk. Word is the band have been working hard on some new material and I’m very excited to hear that. Popes Of Chillitown will be one of the first bands on at both festival sites and are guaranteed to get the party started early.

Pittsburgh punks Anti-Flag are a late addition to the line up, replacing Pennywise who sadly cannot make it over anymore. Anti-Flag are one of the best live bands on the planet, always managing to whip a crowd into a frenzy with their politically charged anthems. I would expect a greatest hits set of songs spanning their entire career. Bass player Chris#2 is one of the most engaging performers in punk rock – he’s part bass player, part singer, part acrobat and part rabble rouser and is an absolute delight to watch.

Last but certainly not least in this preview is Snuff, another legendary UK band joining the line up. Before the pandemic started, it seemed as if Snuff had been more active than they had been in years and it’s pleasing to see an eighteen month break hasn’t slowed their momentum. Combining cockney charm with ferocious punk rock, there’s not another band in the world who do it like Snuff. I would imagine there will be a lot of younger folk at Slam Dunk who aren’t familiar with Snuff but I urge those folk to give Snuff a go because of their influence to so many of the current crop of UK punk rock bands. Dan from Spoilers also plays for Snuff now and it’ll be really cool to see him on a big stage.

Big props to all the organisers of Slam Dunk Festival for struggling through this last year and managing to still put on a very impressive line up. The last year and a half has been incredibly difficult for everyone professionally and privately. Let’s hope that the festival goes on without a hitch and we can have some semblance of what life was like before.

This Slam Dunk Festival 2021 Preview was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: TNSRecords Volume 4: Cheap Cans, Broken Vans and Basement Bar Bands

The much loved and respected Manchester based DIY record label TNSRecords is just about to put out their 100th release. This is an incredible achievement and, before we delve deeper into the release, I just want to congratulate Andy and Bev for this huge accomplishment. Well done guys, it’s amazing!

When I discovered that TNS were closing in on their 100th release, I speculated to myself as to what it would be. I assumed that it would be a compilation but figured it would be a kind of TNS best of, featuring Andy and Bev’s favourite songs that the label has put out over the first 99 releases. Or perhaps it would be the current active bands on their roster covering songs from classic releases – that would be cool. Instead they decided to release a compilation featuring 33 bands that are a combination of the newer bands that TNS has released music by, as well as up and coming bands that they like and want to give some exposure too. TNS has always been about being progressive and looking forward and this is a fine example of that.

I probably should’ve mentioned by this point that the compilation is titled TNSRecords Volume 4: Cheap Cans, Broken Vans and Basement Bar Bands and it’s being released on vinyl and CD on the 19th of February. Buy it here.

Now on with the actual review. We don’t normally do compilation reviews for the simple reason that there are lots of bands – and to try and go into detail about each song will break me and also probably bore you. So, for this review, I’m going to try and give a running commentary on my thoughts of the compilation as I listen through it. I’m going to set myself a rule of only listening to each song three times to stop myself getting too detailed.

First up is Incisions and their song New Day. The Manchester based hardcore act have been carving out a big audience for themselves amongst the UK DIY scene over the past few years and their upcoming new album, Bliss, looks set to continue their momentum.

Jodie Faster play short and fast punk rock songs. The band have been together since 2016 and have already found a massive fan base for themselves. Don’t Take It Bad opens with a hyperactive guitar riff and the vocals add much ferocity to the track.

Midlands based four piece Brassick provide their song They Say. The track welcomes you in with a great melody before lead singer Nicola McCarthy’s powerful vocals take you through a hard hitting and political song that will unite a crowd.

Faintest Idea are long time friends of TNS and really HAD to be on this compilation. Stomp ’Em Down is the first single from their long awaited next album. If this single is anything to go by then it’s going to be fantastic. Mixing street punk with ska to incredible effect, Faintest Idea continue to be one of the best bands in the UK.

Fun fact: Nosebleed were the penultimate band I saw live before gigs stopped. They’ve gained a reputation for being one of the best live bands in the UK and are also pretty damn good on record too. Playing an amped up version of garage punk, the Leeds based three-piece are one of the most exciting bands in the UK at the moment and their song I Got You shows you exactly why. Fast paced, catchy and will have you getting your finest dancing shoes on.

Another of the UK’s most exciting new bands are Aerial Salad. Despite their young age, Aerial Salad seem like they’ve been around forever now and it’s been absolutely wonderful seeing them progress with each release. 2020’s Dirt Mall saw them take another giant leap forward with their grungey take on pop punk. Mainstream attention deservedly awaits Jamie, Mike and Matt.

In Evil Hour are a melodic punk rock band from Darlington, UK. The track 2050 is my favourite I’ve heard from the four piece. It begins slowly and builds and builds. The further you go into the song, the angrier it gets and it does a great job taking you along for the ride. Alice’s vocals are superb throughout, one of the best voices in UK punk rock.

DIY punk legends The Restarts provide the song Freedom From. Delivering a slice of thrashy hardcore punk rock from London. The song is unrelenting throughout and goes by like a tornado. Fast guitars, thumbing drums and snarling vocals.

Hastings’ punk act Haest are another new band quickly making a name for themselves. There seems to be an affinity between Hastings and TNS so it wasn’t surprising to find Haest on this album. The Turtle In The Handbag is a hard rocking punk song that has a bit of a throwback feel to it.

Another long time friend of TNS are Warrinton’s folk punks Roughneck Riot. The band took a short break in 2019 and were due to make their triumphant return in 2020. Unfortunately all of the tragedy of 2020 happened and they were unable to get back for any live shows but it seems they were able to get into the studio at some point to record some songs. The track, A New Day Is Dawning, is an uplifting song about better times being on the horizon.

Knife Club are a TNSRecords supergroup. There was a lot of mystery surrounding the band before they eventually revealed their members last year. Sadly they haven’t been able to play any shows yet but they did put out a phenomenal album in the form of We Are Knife Club last year. Fronted by Andy Davies (TNS/ROTPM) and Zoë Barrow (Casual Nausea), You Can Only Try Your Best is a new and unreleased song that is really empowering. This is perhaps my favourite thing from the band so far.

A lot of people have been talking about Bobby Funk in the past year and their song I’m A Cat has been proclaimed by many as the best song of 2020. Hailing from Falmouth in Cornwall, Bobby Funk play fast and straightforward punk rock that’s a lot of fun.

Harijan were one of the first bands that TNS released music by and, at the end of 2020, they finally released their debut album. Paranoid is one of my favourite tracks on the album. It’s an upbeat song that showcases lead singer Mike’s distinctive voice brilliantly. This is another song that you’ll need to get your dancing shoes ready for.

Youth Avoiders bring back the angry hardcore with their song Steel Concrete. A very apt name for such a hard song. There are no wasted moments in the song as the French band storm through the song. Steel Concrete actually comes from an album named Relentless which is the perfect way to describe this song.

Pi$$er are another super group who feature current and ex members of bands such as The Domestics, Revenge Of The Psychotronic Man, Doom, Beat The Red Light and many more. Playing d-beat hardcore with a saxophone, they are one of the more unique bands to have emerged in recent years and certainly one to look out for.

Bristol’s Martyrials offer up a synthesized take on the punk rock genre. This is clearly a band not afraid to venture outside of the box and they’ve managed to create something quite wonderful. Sonically Parachute will have you dancing away, there’s a great energy that gives the song an urgent feel and vocally there is plenty of bite.

Dundee gruff punks Uniforms have been a big favourite of mine for years now and I was very pleased to see them featured on the compilation. Searchlights comes from the EP Reasons To Breathe which was co-released by TNS and Make-That-A-Take Records in 2018. It’s an absolutely banging song from one of the UK’s best bands.

I can remember seeing Wales’ Grand Collapse at MPF 2 in 2016 and they seem to have had a relationship with TNS ever since. The four piece play blisteringly fast hardcore that will get a mosh pit moving like a hurricane or make a room full of people aggressively bang their heads in unison. Calvin’s vocals really make you pay attention to the song and the band show considerable skill with their instruments with some really technical riffs and drum lines.

Casual Nausea are a five piece from Ipswich. Casual Nausea are one of the UK’s most interesting sounding bands. Mixing street punk with hardcore, they feature great dual vocals that work incredibly well together. The song Empty Rewards is a real ear worm of a song that really stands out amongst all of the other great songs on this album. It’s really infectious.

Sandwiching Casual Nausea in a Welsh hardcore sandwich are Pizzatramp. Pizzatramp showcase the trashier side of hardcore, playing three chord punk rock as fast as they possibly can. I Got Work In The Morning tells a tale of not being able to live the life you really want to because you have your rubbish day job the next day. Something we can all relate to!

Everyone’s favourite folk punk band Stöj Snak are up next. The Danish band have a long running history with TNS dating back to lead singer Niels’ old hardcore band, Mighty Midgets. If you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t discovered Stöj Snak yet, they play passionate and angry folk punk and can inspire alongside really tugging on your heartstrings. A firm CPRW favourite.

Manchester’s The Sewer Cats are a duo who play fuzzy, distorted punk rock. On the song Rich Cheaters, I really enjoyed how the song manages to jump between an almost poppy garage punk sound to some really angry, visceral hardcore. This is a political song that’s very fitting for the current age.

The Domestics are from Suffolk and featured is the song Don’t Tell Me What Love Is. This is a rapid-fire hardcore track that never stops for breath. The vocals on the verse are so fast it’s quite hard to make them out but I’m guessing that the song is about not conforming to what THEY tell you love is, it can be whatever you want it to be. Have a listen to the song and see what you think is going on.

Former Bootscraper member Tim Loud throws a fantastic sonic curveball into the record. The long time associate of TNS provides a country tinged rock track that showcases their brilliant ability to tell a story through a song. This is the first physical release of Anyone Else But Me as it’s only been released digitally in the past.

Skinny Milk are a duo from Brighton. Playing fuzzy punk with a shoegaze element to their sound, Skinny Milk are a new band to me and already sound like one that could make a big splash on the DIY scene as well as a more mainstream one.

Daves are a band I’ve been excited about since Sarah from Shout Louder suggested them for Do It Together Fest in January 2020. Unfortunately they were busy playing another show that weekend so we were unable to book them and I am yet to see them live. I love their fast, gruff sound. This is the type of punk that gets me singing along with my fist firmly punching the air.

If you’ve been following TNS over the last few years you’ll be very aware of Follow Your Dreams. I always feel like hardcore is one of the hardest genres under the punk umbrella to make sound original but Follow Your Dreams found a way. Using a wide array of pedals to make some fantastic guitar tones, you never know where a Follow Your Dreams song is going to take you and Kaz is a superb frontperson for the band. When you can, check them out live.

Like their fellow folk punk comrades Roughneck Riot, Matilda’s Scoundrels recently took some time off but now they are back. The Hastings bands are another with a long standing relationship with TNS and their popularity has grown massively over the past few years. They are now one of the must-see touring acts on the circuit.

Falmouth’s Rash Decision are a long running band in the DIY scene, known for their fast and thrashy hardcore punk rock songs. Their track The Martockian has a nice long intro that really builds the song up before launching into an unrelenting minute or so that is full of everything you would expect – energy, aggression, urgency, passion and ferocity.

German hard rockers Christmas are a band TNS have been championing for a while. The song Push Fast is from the TNS released album Hot Nights In Saint Vandal. It’s a heavy slab of melodic punk with vile fuelled vocals and loads of whoa-oh harmonies that really pull you into the song.

Throwing Stuff’s no-nonsense approach to punk rock has long entertained me. It was quite a surprise when they released A.C.I.Y.H.A.B. out of the blue digitally last year. Its appearance here is its first physical release and I can’t think of a better place for it to be. The song is about changing your attitude towards what you’re taught about the police and realising what they can really be like. Sadly, not all police people are good eggs.

The penultimate track comes from who I think is the newest band on the compilation but they do have a long history with TNS. Redeemon are a band birthed from the ashes of Beat The Red Light who were one of the first bands on TNS’ roster. On the track Anaphylactic, Redeemon take the skacore and metal that BTRL were so loved for an add even more influences that shouldn’t work as well as they do.

The final song is from Speed Dinosaurs. Stegasaurid is the perfect song to finish the compilation with. It’s a softer, ukulele lead song about the dinosaur Stegasaurid. It’s fun and silly and really fits the TNS sense of humour that’s been apparent over the years.

Cheap Cans, Broken Vans and Basement Bar Bands is a fantastic showcase of the amazing talent doing fantastic things in punk rock at the moment. It’s a varied collection of tracks that has something for everyone. The different and diverse styles of punk rock will allow listeners to check out new styles that wouldn’t be their usual go to – I’m a big fan. The compilation is a fitting 100th release for such an important and influential album from the UK’s DIY scene.

Like TNSRecords on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: We Are Knife Club by Knife Club

Throughout the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, the big question on the lips of everyone in the UK DIY punk community has been Who Are Knife Club? The band have been booked for plenty of gigs and a couple of big festivals including Rebellion and Manchester Punk Festival but few people knew who they were and what they sounded like. This was a great way to drum up intrigue and promotion in the build up to their first shows and first album. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, those gigs and festival appearances got postponed but our friends at Shout Louder did announce who Knife Club are – Zoë Barrow (Casual Nausea/Mousebrass) on vocals, Eliott Verity (Nosebleed) and Dan Flanagan (Haest/Matilda’s Scoundrels) on guitar, Dani Rascal (Faintest Idea) on bass, Big Hands (Revenge Of The Psychotronic Man) on drums and Andy Davies (Revenge of The Psychotronic Man) on vocals. That's a DIY punk supergroup right there. It was also announced that the band would be releasing their debut album, We Are Knife Club, on TNSRecords as well as 5 Feet Under Records (Denmark). This was going to be one of the most anticipated albums of 2020 but would it live up to the hype?

As you might expect from a band which features two members of ROTPM, We Are Knife Club is twelve songs long and goes by in just twenty-one minutes. Starting out with Making A Big Deal Of It, this track really sets the tone for the entire album. Andy and Zoë trading vocals back and forth between one another as the rest of the band play in a thrashy style. I'm not generally a big thrash fan but on this song, and throughout the album, I found the urgency infectious. Up next Schnitt mit dem Küchenmesser which translates to Cut With The Kitchen Knife. When translated into English it turns out that Cut With The Kitchen Knife can be a very catchy lyric, no matter and what speed it's sung at. This is one that'll be in your head for days whether you like it or not. Remember The Gold Dollar Sign Hoodie was the lead single from We Are Knife Club and was the world's first chance to hear the band. The song is about how people try to take advantage of the good nature of the DIY scene and attempt to get guest list for £5 shows. Obviously the band don't like this attitude and lament people who try it. The song was a great choice as a lead single as it really showcases the DIY ethics of the band and shows they won't be taking any prisoners.

Artex sees Knife Club venture into the territory of mental health. This is one of the most intense songs on the album but somehow retains a lot of melody as well as having another super catchy chorus. The Tibby Tan Tiger was a surprising song. It's much poppier than anything else on the album and comes as a welcome break from the intensity. I never ever expected to find a song like this from this group of musicians and I'm really impressed by the versatility displayed. The track is about calling people out for their bad behaviour and making sure they know there's no place for their particular beliefs around here. The sixth song is titled Working Class Tories. Here's one of the more political songs on the album and is a reaction to the sad way that working class people voted for a political party that doesn't care about them in the most recent UK elections. The lyric that really stands out throughout is "the downside of all of this, is that you dismissed, the chance to make your lives better." I couldn't agree more and share the band’s frustration with the population of the UK.

The second half of the album is kicked off with The 1%. The initial thing I noticed when listening to the track for the first time was the ominous sound the bass makes at the beginning of the track. This really made me feel like Knife Club were about to get really serious. This is by far the angriest song on the album as Andy and Zoë scream about how furious it makes them that the people with all the money don't contribute as much as they could do and how selfish they are. Definitely a topic that should make anyone really angry. The eighth song is titled I Mean, I'd Probably Take An Adidas Endorsement. This is a song that is about DIY punk ethics and encourages the listener to get involved in the movement. The more people involved in the scene then the stronger it is. Killing Two Birds With Two Stones is up next. This is a song about struggling with indecision and feeling pressured by people to make the right choice. There's more than likely no way to please everyone and that can really tip people over the edge. I'm not sure I've ever heard a song that tackles this subject before and it feels like a refreshing topic for Knife Club to look at.

Do You Want A Knife With That Salad? is about feeling worn down by the world and trying to eventually put yourself back together after being at your lowest. This is a straight forward punk rock song and is similar in sound to the UK scene from the 70/80s. It's quite a throwback but has a subject matter that is really relatable to the modern day. The penultimate song is 27% Of Statistics. The track is relentless as Zoë and Andy barely pause throughout, singing about simply not wanting to be a statistic. It's another song that quickly finds a home in your mind and you'll be singing along to the chorus immediately whilst also feeling like you want to be in an crazy mosh pit. TNSClub7 completes We Are Knife Club. This gives the album a nice rowdy finish with a big gang vocal section throughout the majority of the song. I love the feeling of inclusion that the song gives out. The track is about always having the best intentions even when things go horribly wrong. The titled suggests they are talking in particular about TNSRecords (whom all the band members had a relationship with before Knife Club) but I feel like the message can be taken to everyday life. Such a positive way to end the album.

With the collection of people and talent involved in this album, it's no surprise that it's really good. Even if the harder and thrashier side of punk rock isn't really your pint of Pepsi, I would still suggest you listen to We Are Knife Club. Hopefully we'll be able to see them live as soon as is safe, as I feel like these songs will be even better live.

Stream and download We Are Knife Club on Bandcamp here.

Like Knife Club on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Capture Phase by Capture Phase (by Marcus Pond)

Capture Phase is a four piece group out of the great city of Austin, Texas.

Their three-song self-titled EP was released in December of 2019, but didn’t drift onto my radar until the second week of January, when I was combing through the show listings of some of my favorite Austin venues. Their Bandcamp page has quite a few other genres listed, so much so that I wondered if this would be an enjoyable entry for CPRW readers/listeners. However, in addition to having the labels “experimental”, “progressive”, and “noise rock”, they also had “punk” listed twice, so I’ll allow it.

If I had to file them into one of punk’s many sub-genres, I’d probably go with “post-hardcore”, since “Minute Man” scratches the itch in the part of my brain that really likes Hot Snakes and Fugazi. It opens up the EP with a burst of frenetic drumming and angular guitars screeching, before a humming bass line leads to some Ian MacKaye-esque vocals. I can hardly make out the lyrics, but themes of corruption and the repeated line “Screaming / At the ceiling” tell you what you need to know about this track.

My favorite tune is the closer, “Bone Consulate”, which was featured on the January CPRW playlist. Here, Capture Phase utilized some time signature changes and jazzy drumming to worm the line “Inside the Bone Consulate” into my brain. I don’t know what (or where?) the Bone Consulate is, but it’s sung with such a swagger that I’m pretty sure it’s cool and maybe a little dangerous but has good music playing on the PA. I sort of want to go there.

On display in this EP is Capture Phase’s ability to create a swirling ocean of sound in each verse, and pull the listener out of the water for a few moments during the chorus, catching their breath before getting pulled back in. On repeat listens, I was able to better appreciate what I had already seen live, especially the top-notch drum work and alternating vocals.

The unofficial/official motto of Austin is “Keep Austin Weird”, so it makes sense that Capture Phase don’t fit perfectly into a niche. The Texas capital is a musical melting pot, and it wouldn’t surprise me if each of the band members’ previous groups were from totally different genres.

While they may not sound like your typical fist-in-the-air, mosh-pit punkers, Capture Phase still have a punk streak that’s evident in their delivery and attitude. I don’t personally have a ton of other bands in my music library that I’d compare them to, but in this case, it’s the variety that’s the spice of life.

RIYL: Fugazi, Hot Snakes, Jawbox, breakfast tacos and kolaches.

Stream and download Capture Phase here.

Like Capture Phase here.

This review was written by Marcus Pond.