Gig Review: Uniforms at the New Cross Inn 7/9/18

You know those days when you're feeling quite miserable for no actual reason and then something happens that absolutely makes your day? I had one of those a few weeks ago. Like I said I was feeling quite miserable for no actual reason, then I checked my phone and discovered that Dundee's Uniforms had been booked to play the New Cross Inn as part of their tour supporting their superb new EP Reasons To Breathe. I'd been waiting to see Uniforms for years before they played Manchester Punk Festival earlier this year and stole the show. The chance to see them again so soon after had me super excited and I couldn't wait.

Emma and I arrived at the New Cross with plenty of time to see the opening band of the night Modern Shakes. We were lucky enough to catch the London based three piece at Polite Riot Festival earlier in the summer and were really impressed by this new band. They play melodic pop punk music in the vein of bands like Dillinger Four and Banner Pilot. Modern Shakes were so good on this night, I can't wait for them to release their debut EP so I can sing along with these fantastic songs that they've written. Throughout the set Modern Shakes did introduce each song but I've completely forgotten the names and I'm not pro-journalist enough to write important things like that down. The highlight of the set was the penultimate song of their set though, that was a particular banger.

Up next were another new band on the scene - Crushed Veneer. Emma recently reviewed their EP for CPRW and really enjoyed it and from what I've heard of them I was expecting to enjoy their set too. Something I found interesting when they were setting up was how the bass player had his microphone stand set up not facing the crowd but instead slightly further back facing the drum kit. It makes for an interesting visual and allows him more room to bounce around the stage. I guess that's why he does it. Crushed Veneer played with plenty of energy and I particularly enjoyed the faster songs in their set which had some epic three part harmonies. It was clear for all to see how skilled Crushed Veneer are as a band and I'm expecting them to make a bigger and bigger name for themselves throughout the London punk scene.

Break-Ups don't play many shows anymore so I was quite looking forward to seeing them at this show. Unfortunately it turned out their drummer couldn't make the show so what we got instead was perhaps the most unique Break-Ups set ever. Fair play to Luke and Alfie for deciding to play the show as they pretty much winged their set with Luke playing guitar and the duo singing some Break-Ups songs. At times it was a bit haphazard but in truth that really added to the charm of the set. I would have loved to have seen full band Break-Ups but this was a nice little surprise and a lot of fun. Hopefully they'll have another show soon with an actual drummer.

Next it was time for Uniforms to play their first London show in five years and I couldn't have been more excited. I quickly made my way to the front of the stage to get the best possible view, alongside my buddy Tone from The Burnt Tapes, to see one of the UK scene's very best bands. We were treated to a half hour set of old Uniforms favourites as well as some new tracks from Reasons To Breathe. Uniforms’ music is filled with such an infectious energy that you immediately get caught up in their songs and live is truly when they're at their very best. They're a band who put everything they have into their live performance and it's an absolute pleasure to watch. The crowd, which unfortunately wasn't the biggest, were really into it with one chap in particular quite clearly having the time of his life. I was too, just in less of an alcohol influenced way. I enjoyed everything about Uniforms set but the two highlights were Pink Couch and brand new song Get Me Out Of Here which finishes with a great breakdown and this incredible and ferocious finale that works so brilliantly live. Uniforms are the best - thanks for getting back together and coming back down to London.

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

Top Tens: Matty from Last Edition's Top Ten Punk Rock Influences

Reel Big Fish
For me, Reel Big Fish was where it all started. I distinctly remember, being at a house party at my best mate's house, around the age of 16(?) - and I heard “Beer” for the first time. I’d been introduced to bands like Madness by my parents, but hearing this for the first time really did spark something.

Many years later, in 2017 - we (Last Edition) got to support them, and I met Aaron for all of 34 seconds. I remember thinking, how do I fit all these years of loving his band into 34 seconds without making him think I have something severely wrong with me?

Mad Caddies
Mad Caddies for me are a similar story to Reel Big Fish. As soon as I heard “Beer” I went on a pretty big ska punk binge and was soon introduced to bands like Mad Caddies. “Drinking For 11” - I must have had that song on repeat for at least 3 years.

Again, in 2017 - we supported them on the Fireball tour. In 2018 also, we played a festival in Scotland called “ButeFest” - which they headlined - and then somehow got a support slot with them 2 days later at Birmingham o2 Academy.

Whitmore
Around the time that I was starting to get into the ska punk genre, it was also around the same time that I had 2 or 3 major operations on my legs (I have a nerve and muscle condition called Charcot Marie Tooth). I found Whitmore on the TV, “Alison” I think it was - probably also on P-Rock! (RIP P-Rock).

Anyway, when I was recovering from my operations, all I would listen to was Funeral for a Friend and Whitmore’s “Smoke The Roach”. (One extreme to the other, right?). Over the last few years we’ve played Robb Blake’s venue (Winchester Gate in Salisbury) a few times - he’s such a lovely guy, but it seems I can’t get him to reform Whitmore!

Alkaline Trio
I actually own more Alkaline Trio music, than I do Reel Big Fish. Before I got into ska - and was in a ska punk band - I used to jam with a couple of guys and generally we thought Alkaline Trio were the absolute dogs bollocks. (I think that band was called Midfield General?!)

Alkaline Trio however are a band I still love as equally as I did when I first heard “Stupid Kid”. A lot of the music I was inspired by and listened to around this time was purely found either on MTV, Kerrang! or P-Rock - or whatever other alternative music television channels there were. I can stick any of their albums on and just let them play without skipping a track. I can’t wait for their new album to come out.

The Flatliners
These were a semi-recent discovery, as in - maybe 5 or 6 years ago. Last Edition had been asked to support them in Leicester, I checked out “Filthy Habits” from Cavalcade and was really impressed. At the time I had that song on a playlist and it stayed there for a while.

Then, another operation, and Cavalcade quickly became the “soundtrack”. The Flatliners are another band that I can listen to without interruption. “Filthy Habits”, “He Was A Jazzman” and “Hang My Head” are all songs I wish I’d written!

NOFX
NOFX were also around the start of my venture into punk. I’m fairly sure that my first ever “punk” gig was seeing NOFX at Birmingham Carling Academy (a quick last.fm search tells me it was May 9th 2004).

I think “The War  On Errorism” was released not long before that? Maybe a year? Me and my best friend had it on repeat most days. I think The Epoxies played that night too, so it must have been fairly close to the release of Rock Against Bush vol 1.

Less Than Jake
No Top 10 list written by a ska kid could be complete without a mention of Less Than Jake. Originally, I probably preferred Reel Big Fish, they were the first “ska punk” band I’d seen live. However, I absolutely fell in love with “Anthem” - I mean I always remember “All My Best Friends Are Metalheads” and the earlier “hits” - but I played “Anthem” to death.

I first saw Less Than Jake at Slam Dunk Leeds (they played after Goldfinger and Reel Big Fish, I believe) and I thought they were awesome. I’ve seen them probably 7 or 8 times since then. Their last few releases have been a little hit and miss - "Good Enough” is an absolute banger however.

Kill Lincoln
A fairly recent discovery, and a band that have definitely inspired me and influenced some of our newer tracks. “Good Riddance to Good Advice” is (in my opinion) perfect. Production, songwriting. All bang on.

Thrice
You’ll notice a trend here. Thrice were also a go-to whilst I was recovering from various operations. I’m happy to admit that, at the time I was suffering - both physically and mentally and in a pretty horrible place generally. “Artist In The Ambulance” is a song that I wish I’d written. I finally, finally got to see them play it live at Download festival this year. I watched in tunnel vision at the stage, I had a lump in my throat for the entire song.

The UK ska scene in general…
Not strictly a band - so apologies if this isn’t allowed - but, we’ve never felt more part of something than we have over the last year. Being asked to play at Level Up really did help us feel as though we are part of the UK ska scene. There are so many awesome bands doing some awesome things - like The Hostiles, Call Me Malcolm, Codename Colin (who we join on tour in October/November). It’s so inspiring and at Level Up we definitely felt an energy that we’d not felt before. It’s nice to see people being excited about ska punk again.

Last Edition are throwing a party this Saturday to celebrate ten years together as a band. Check out the details here. It looks like it's going to be a lot of fun!

Like Last Editon here: https://www.facebook.com/lasteditionuk/

Album Review: As Long As You're Here by The Hope Hereafter

On a recent Bandcamp discover session, I stumbled across a band named The Hope Hereafter who had just released a brand new four song EP titled As Long As You're Here through Middle-Man Records in Indiana. Other than that The Hope Hereafter consists of two members named Lauren and Shawn, I couldn't find much else about the band but I adored this EP and excitedly broke my 9pm CPRW work curfew to review it.

The first track on the EP is named Twenty Seven Forever. It's this incredible concoction of the best parts of indie and gruff punk with great jangly guitar and massive fist in the air shout alongs. Immediately Shawn's voice feels so strained as he fights to get every word out. The track is about feeling left behind but always remembering the good times with your old friends. Every word is sung with such emotion it makes the song incredibly easy to relate to and it's packed with such passion and energy that you're going along for the ride whether you like it or not. Up next is Tag Me In. This second track remains gruff but adds elements of emo into the song. I feel like these styles shouldn't mesh as well as they do but The Hope Hereafter have managed it. The pace is slightly slower than the opening track. This allows the lyrics to really shine though as the band paint this great picture of getting into a situation too deeply but having the support of your partner to help you out.

The third song on the EP is named Monster. The song is all over the place in the best way possible. There are shifts in tempo throughout the track giving it this brilliant chaotic feeling. The vocals feel at their rawest on this track which adds plenty of emotion. Between all the chaos, Monster contains some lovely guitar parts that keep the song feeling a bit jovial. The song feels positive with it being about having someone who helps improve you as a person, whether it's being patient and appreciating everything you have or simply to stop you running away from life. The final song on As Long As You're Here is titled 'Lil Skyrim. I don't think the song is actually about the game. The track goes along at a high tempo and again has plenty of energy but it's actually quite a sad song. Shawn sings about feeling like you want the earth to swallow you up because you feel like your relationship is ending. Yet again The Hope Hereafter paint such a great picture lyrically you can imagine the story of the song happening in your head.

What a superb EP that really came out of nowhere. I love stumbling across tiny bands like The Hope Hereafter and being completely blown away by their brilliance. This is a band you should be checking out!

Stream and download As Long As You're Here here: https://middlemanrecords.bandcamp.com/album/as-long-as-youre-here

Like The Hope Hereafter here: https://www.facebook.com/The-Hope-Hereafter

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: View From The Bottom by The Drowns

The Drowns are a three piece street punk band from Seattle and Los Angeles. They are somewhat of a supergroup as they feature members from bands such as Success, Shell Corporation, Time Again and, a personal favourite of mine, Madcap. They formed in 2017 and this past August they released their debut album View From The Bottom on Bypolar Records and 1984 Records in the US and Gunner Records in Europe.

The ten track album starts with Eternal Debate. Eternal Debate throws a curve ball immediately with a couple of notes on the piano getting the song started before The Drowns quickly switch things up with a huge sing-along opening that leads into an up-tempo street punk banger. Musically the song pounds along at a decent pace, giving the song plenty of energy and the band's lead vocalist delivers the lyrics in a brilliantly passionate way. The Drowns have a bit of a unique sound. Mixing the street punk sound of a band like the Street Dogs with the gruff punk stylings of Red City Radio. Take Me Back follows this and the first thing that struck me is the excellent dual vocals on the song. There is a deeper grumbling style alongside a cleaner, more traditional way of singing. The two voices work together so well, particularly when harmonising. The song's high point comes during the breakdown as we're left with the deeper vocals and a drum beat that leads us nicely into the song's finale. The third track is titled Time Slips. Time Slips has more of a melodic pop punk sound. It had me thinking of Alkaline Trio with the vocals in particular reminding me of Matt Skiba. This is a mid-tempo song about making the most of the time you have together because eventually that time will run out.

Where's Bobby? wastes little time in getting started by launching into its catchy chorus instantly. The song itself is actually quite a sad one as it tells the story of a friend who has relapsed and is back on heroin. Despite the topic of the song, it actually feels quite upbeat and almost like a pop punk song. Kind of like Off With Their Heads. This is one of the stand out songs on View From The Bottom for sure. Faithfully Faithless brings us to the halfway point of the album. The song is about being an atheist and not liking it when religious people try to force their beliefs onto you. Something I'm sure many of us relate to. The dual vocals are back on the track with the softer, cleaner voice taking control of the verse while the gruffer style supplies the chorus. Midway through the song there is a sublime guitar solo that leads into this incredible breakdown that may be my favourite part of the entire album. You should listen to it. The album's title track, View From The Bottom, is up next and the tempo picks up nicely. I really loved this song, it's relentless but jam packed with a delicious melody. The energy in the song is infectious, it's impossible not to get swept away with The Drowns here. It had me wanting to sing along immediately and I'm really hoping a lyric sheet makes an appearance somewhere online soon so that I can quickly learn the words and join in with the Drowns with a gigantic smile upon my bearded face. The seventh song is named Overexposure. This is a softer track that almost falls into folk punk territory. This is another song that is captivating and can't be ignored. The dual vocals on the chorus are a delight and the conversation style between both singers is a big highlight. I always enjoy a one-two punch of multiple vocalists trading off against one another.

Boston Accent is about the pressure of trying to live up to someone else's expectations of how you should live. This is a mid-tempo gruff punk track that goes along pleasantly and has you listening intently throughout. It's a very introspective song as the singer really looks deep into his soul. As seems to be a theme in The Drowns song, things really become big during the breakdown on the song – again this is the moment when things really take off and you know that this is yet another banger of a punk song. The penultimate song is titled I.C.U. This track sees The Drowns soften slightly with the gruff rumbling style of vocals that has dominated much of View From The Bottom vanish. This switch works an absolute treat and gives the album a fresh sound that you perhaps wouldn't expect this deep into the album. This song might just have the best harmonies on the entire album, which is really saying something considering how great the harmonies have been throughout. A song titled Darkness brings View From The Bottom to a close. I think it's always great when an album finishes with a positive message. View From The Bottom does that as Darkness looks at the topic of mental health and reassures the listener that they are not alone. I particularly enjoyed the passionate shout of "the light will come" that appears midway through the song. It's quite subtle but it's such a great touch.

This is some debut album from The Drowns. I'm expecting to see it on many top ten lists come the end of the year. I can't remember the last time I heard a debut record from a new band that impressed me so much. I know these guys have some pedigree from their other bands but, even so, View From The Bottom blew me away. I'm certain it will blow you away as well.

Stream and download View From The Bottom here: https://thedrowns.bandcamp.com/album/view-from-the-bottom

Like The Drowns here: https://www.facebook.com/thedrowns/

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Skate Pop Suicide by Watashi Wa Dance Party

The brilliantly named Watashi Wa Dance Party released a brand new EP titled Skate Pop Suicide on Hidden Home Records back in May. The four piece from San Diego formed in 2015 and Skate Pop Suicide is their sixth release already. The band are influenced by Southern California skate punk as well as Japanese punk rock or J-Punk. They seek to combine the two styles to create one of the most eclectic sounds of 2018. They have certainly been ambitious but is Skate Pop Suicide any good?

Skate Pop Suicide begins with the song Daylight. This is a delightful synth heavy power pop track. It's a short one with only four lines worth of lyrics. It's about how when it gets dark life isn't so good and being so happy and relieved to see the daylight again. The song is short and sweet and opens the EP up well. This is followed up by one of the EP's stand out tracks, Mio. It is an upbeat and catchy track. I loved the intricate and jangly guitars that fill the song with such a wonderful charm whilst the vocal delivery gives the track a poppier feel. Mio is an empowering song that encourages you to do what you love even though it might be scary not knowing what is around the corner. The third song on the EP is named Really Over. The first thing that caught my attention on the song is how the tempo seems to increase more and more as the song progresses. This gives a great feeling of urgency and intensity to a song that is about coming to terms with the breakup of a relationship.

Halle is a song where the guitar skills of AJ Peacock and Wade Morris really come to the forefront. Along with some more brilliant intricate and jangly riffs that litter the song, there is a superb guitar solo midway through Halle which really gives the song a big feeling. I'm far from an expert about J-Punk but I imagine this guitar work is influenced by the genre and is encouraging me to check out the scene. Particularly as we're off to Japan soon ourselves! The penultimate song on Skate Pop Suicide is titled Ruminating. I'm a massive ska fan so this was another stand out track. I was kind of reminded of Bomb The Music Industry here as it seems as if there is a chaotic approach to the structure of the song which really keeps the listener on their toes. Ruminating is about over thinking an incident and not being able to get over it. I really enjoyed the ska side of Watashi Wa Dance Party's sound and I hope they do more of this in the future. The EP is concluded with the song My Lava Lamp. This track is a huge contrast to Ruminating and in fact every other song on Skate Pop Suicide. This song has a much darker sound than I've come to expect. It's angsty and the inclusion of more synths give the song a nostalgic 80s feel amongst the crunching guitars. My Lava Lamp finishes the EP of with a bang.

Skate Pop Suicide is a fun little EP. Hidden Home Records have a gem on their hands here as Watashi Wa Dance Party are a brilliant and unique band that could easily grab the attention of many fans of punk rock.

Stream and download Skate Pop Suicide here: https://watashiwadanceparty.bandcamp.com/album/skate-pop-suicide-2

Like Watashi Wa Dance Party: https://www.facebook.com/watashiwadanceparty/

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Gig Review: Camp Cope at The Dome, London 4/9/18 (by Emma Prew)

It’s always exciting when a band from outside of UK makes their debut on our little island. You know the anticipation is especially high when a DIY tour is booked and the London date – Boston Music Room – sells out within a couple of hours, then gets upgraded to a larger (also DIY) venue – The Dome – which also sells out crazily fast. That’s exactly what happened with Australian indie-punk trio Camp Cope. Thankfully we knew about the gig and got tickets in time. This was going to be a special night!

Joining Camp Cope at The Dome and opening the show were London’s own Fresh. I’ve seen Fresh live a couple of times but it had been well over a year since the last time – and in a much smaller venue, on a smaller stage. In that time they’ve released their debut album and more recently a brand new 7 inch. I must admit I hadn’t listened to their recorded stuff all that much but I was so impressed by their performance at the Dome – especially those harmonies. The foursome seemed wonderfully comfortable on stage as well as looking like they were just having the best time playing together. Even a broken bass strap didn’t phase the band – they just carried on playing the song, with bassist George patching the strap up with gaffer tape between songs. Standout tracks included Get Bent and Fuck My Life, from their debut album, and I really liked the new songs they played from their soon-to-be-recorded second album as well. What a great start to the night.

I thought it had been a while since I’d seen Fresh but next up were Caves, a band that I hadn’t seen live for four years. Understandably, because of this, I was very much looking forward to seeing them on this tour. I’m please to say that the trio haven’t lost it! All the raw energy and intensity that I recalled from seeing them live in the past was very much still there. The dynamic between guitarist, Lou, and bassist, Minty, is just a joy to watch. They were joined by Bob Barrett, of too many other bands to list (someone, maybe me, should make one of those Rock Family Trees of all the bands Bob has played in), on drums who has played with them on their last couple of tours and fits in perfectly. Highlights of their set for me had to be the tracks from their 2013 album Betterment, particularly the singalong-inducing I Don’t Care. Lou has one of the best voices of the UK punk scene for sure. Caves were on board for the whole UK and European tour with Camp Cope and Lou expressed just how happy they were to have the band finally playing over on this side of the world – and how important Camp Cope are for the scene. I believe that.

The Dome had been reasonably well packed out for the two support bands but now it was looking like a sold out venue for sure and anticipation levels had reached their peak. It was no mean feat for Camp Cope to sell out a venue the size of The Dome on their UK debut and finally the wait was over as Georgia, Kelly and Sarah took to the stage. As a familiar bass riff opened their first song, we soon realised that the first song of their set was in fact not a Camp Cope song – it was Warning by Green Day. (Side note: Warning, the album, is my favourite by Green Day. And what?!) It was certainly a surprise but it was also an excellent cover. Or at least a cover up until the first verse when the trio switched into their own song, Jet Fuel Can’t Melt Steel Beams – arguably one of their most popular songs – from their debut album. It felt pretty bold to play one of their biggest ‘hits’ so early on but the song was greeted with such a wonderful crowd reaction that there’s no denying it paid off. The Dome audience was enthusiastic with its singing and you could tell how special it was for so many people to be able to see Camp Cope live for the first time. It was special for the band too and Georgia humbly expressed just how grateful they were to be there – not only to be in London and the UK in general but to have sold out such a large venue. The band’s set was perhaps a reasonably short one – less than 10 songs – but tracks such as How To Socialise & Make Friends, The Face Of God, UFO Lighter and Lost (Season One) sounded brilliant in a live setting. Camp Cope’s songs are more thought-provoking and powerful than particularly upbeat or lively but that just made watching the threesome all the more engaging to watch on stage. Georgia also had plenty of stories to tell in between songs that were both informative and humorous. It made her seem very down-to-earth and like there was no barrier (physically or mentally) between the crowd and the stage – just how a punk show should feel. Unfortunately the end of their set soon came around but Camp Cope finished with a bang. Ironically named as a set closer, The Opener received the biggest reaction from the audience – myself included – with a huge and passionate singalong reverberating around The Dome from start to finish. I’d heard of Camp Cope before they released The Opener last year but it was listening to the song for the first time that really made me perk up and pay attention to this band. The subjects Camp Cope speak of are so, so important. We knew it when listening to the band and we knew it when watching the band play live, it’s time more people did too.

‘It's another man telling us we can't fill up the room, It's another man telling us to book a smaller venue, “Nah, hey, c’mon girls we're only thinking about you”, Well, see how far we've come not listening to you.’

This gig review was written by Emma Prew.

Gig Review: Fireball's Hottest Bands Final at the Islington Academy 2/9/18

Battle of the band competitions are a bit of a taboo subject in the DIY punk community. I, like the vast majority of people I know, go along with the thought process that music is not a competition and should not be treated as such. That said, I can completely understand why bands would enter them when they have the chance to earn an opportunity to play a show with legendary bands such as Flogging Molly, The Bronx and Face To Face. Those three bands are taking part in this year's Fireball tour and a handful of other bands from all over the UK. In London, bands from Bournemouth, Bristol and London were vying for the chance to open the show in their towns. When the show was first announced my initial thoughts were "Urgh, a battle of the bands. Boo. Bad." but after inspecting the line-up I decided to pop along, not to support the competition but to support some of the great up and coming bands in the UK.

To encourage people to get to the Islington Academy to see all the bands playing the show, the set times were drawn at random and announced an hour before doors. The band tasked with opening the show were local pop punks The Famous Class. Each band were allowed to play just three songs. This meant that The Famous Class tried to pull out all the stops with a hugely energetic set as the members bounced around the stage. At some point two massive balloons were thrown into the crowd by two gentleman dressed as beer bottles and during the final track a chap dressed in a wedding dress came on stage and downed some beer. It was all a bit random but it was good fun.

Sinful Maggie were up next representing Bournemouth. I knew absolutely nothing about Sinful Maggie before this gig and kind of assumed they would be a folk punk band. I was kind of right as there were traces of folk music but it was intertwined with some fantastic street punk music. Three songs wasn't quite enough for me as I found myself wanting more when the band finished their set. They played hard and fast and had some great music to sing along and get "shitfaced" too. Not me, obviously, but if you're into that kind of thing then you'll love Sinful Maggie.

Another band representing Bournemouth were the six piece Black Water County. Before the event got under way it was obvious that there were a lot of people in Islington to support Black Water County as there must have been about thirty people, at least, wearing one of their t-shirts. I was wearing my Run Up shirt and felt very much like I was at an away football match. This did kind of bring a competition element to the night which I wasn't a big fan of but Black Water County are an incredible live act. Putting everything they had into their three song set, the band had their passionate group of fans getting quite rowdy and having a good old mosh and a touch of crowd surfing. Of all the bands on the bill that I hadn't seen before, Black Water County definitely left the biggest impression.

Waco are one of the hottest bands in the London scene and have carved out a reputation for being a fantastic live act. It's been a couple of years since I last saw the four piece and since then they have put out a couple of new releases so I wasn't completely familiar with their new stuff. Lead singer Jak is so charismatic on stage it's hard to take your eyes off him as he gets the crowd in the palm of his hand. Waco are a band that are all about positivity and bettering yourself. I enjoyed the short poem that Jak recited before the band began their final song, Agitation – a song I do know and absolutely love. This short set had me wanting to check out Waco's newer stuff and to see them again soon.

The first of the two bands (unfortunately the third, These Five Years, had to pull out) aiming to get a place at the Bristol show were Mick O'Toole. I remember reviewing the band back in 2015 after the release of 1665 Pitchfork Rebellion and was looking forward to seeing the five piece live for the very first time. My first thoughts were how much more punk sounding they were from what I remembered from my review. This spirited folk punk performance caught the attention of much of the crowd who happily clapped along and shouted "oi!" with the band. Mick O'Toole are a fine band and I was happy to finally see them.

Death By Shotgun offered something a bit different to the rest of the bands playing the show. The young four piece play an emo pop punk style and they really impressed. They were really tight as a band and their acoustic guitar wielding frontman was an absolute star in the making. He had my attention immediately with his superb vocals and energetic presence. They took the opportunity to play an unreleased track from their upcoming EP Good Times / Sad Times which I thought was a really brave move. The band could have easily picked an older song that people might know but went for the unknown and clearly drew some admirers in the process.

The Run Up were the band on the bill I was most looking forward to seeing. It was actually my fourth time seeing them this year and they never disappoint. The Run Up are one of the hardest working bands in the DIY punk scene in the UK, seemingly always on tour somewhere and genuinely lovely guys so I was stoked to see them get this opportunity. Like Death By Shotgun before them, The Run Up took the opportunity to play a new song, The Upside Of Being Down to start their set. It sounded so great live. Then lead singer Larry announced that the next song, WKND, was about how competition and corporations are not what the punk scene is about. They then finished up with Sink or Swallow and I had a good sing-along to a superb song. The Run Up are one of the best bands in the UK at the moment, they have a new EP on the way that you should keep your eyes peeled for.

Last up were Kingston Upon Thames' finest, The Lagan. I know that the running order for the night was drawn at random but I couldn't think of a better band to finish the night. The long running band played a glorious three song set. They had people dancing and singing along and just generally having a fantastic time. Even if you don't know The Lagan, it's impossible not to get drawn into their own take on folk punk. The Lagan have been going for a while now and are so tight on stage, they mesh all their different instruments together wonderfully and put on a such a fun show. Same Shite Different Night is one of my favourite songs from the entire folk punk genre. Up The Lagan!

After The Lagan finished their set the audience were treated to a set from Haggard Cat while the judges went off to decide on the winners. This however didn't matter to me. All eight bands who played the night were winners and all are really deserving of your attention. The UK scene is thriving at the moment and I had a great night out seeing some of the best that it has to offer. The concept of battle of the bands sucks but the concept of seeing eight wonderful bands play together is fantastic.

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