Album Review: Never A Dull Movement by Kid You Not

Kid You Not are a four piece punk rock band from Saint Augustine, Florida. Since forming in 2015 they have released the EPs Almost Home and Nothing Was Beautiful And Everything Hurt. Now they are about to release their debut album Never A Dull Movement on Deep Elm Records. I stumbled upon the band whilst checking out bands who are playing The Fest this year and loved what I heard. When the opportunity to get an early copy of Never A Dull Movement arose, I jumped at the chance to give it a review.

Opening song Heaven For The Climate Hell For The Company is an excellent indication for what to expect sonically from Kid You Not. This band is hugely influenced by Long Island punk rock heroes Iron Chic and have taken their melodic punk sound and really made it their own. The track actually starts off solely with front man Patrick Drury's excellent vocals before we are treated to a fantastic fists in the air anthem. The gang vocals really give the song an all inclusive element that fans at a Kid You Not gig will actually adore. Up next is There's No Crying In Baseball. Here we have longer musical intro with some huge sounding pounding drums before Drury's forceful vocals kick in. The music at the start helps the song to build nicely into the vocals and when they hit you get the sense that it's time to have some fun. The song is about learning from your mistakes and moving forward no matter what obstacles are thrown in your way. Third song, Me And Dead Owls Don't Give A Hoot, is another fists in the air banger that will get you shouting at the top of your voice. Kid You Not are clearly very good at writing this type of song. There's something about this track, and the other ten on the album, that are just instantly accessible after the first listen. There are more hooks here than there is in a fishing equipment shop.

It's Not Years Honey It's The Mileage is up next. This song manages to have a more understated feeling to it despite also being a big sing-a-long. How the band have managed that I do not know. The song is about feeling like nobody understands where you're coming from and trying to find that place where you feel like you belong. As soon as the fifth song Smoke Another Beer began I thought of The Bouncing Souls and when Patrick began to sing Spraynard popped into my head. It seems as if Patrick is elongating his words as he sings, this adds some urgency and emotion into the vocal delivery and I love it. Smoke Some Beer is about going after your dreams and finding yourself even if you think it might fail. The line in the song that really caught my attention was "We've Made All These Plans But We Don't Do Them." I'm sure that many of us have made massive life plans but been too scared to follow through with them. This is a positive song that aims to inspire the listener and this is something I can get fully on board with! Nothing Is The New Black really shows off Jeremy Austin's ability behind a drum kit. The beat really powers the song forward and almost feels like it's carrying the melody of the song and the guitars are providing the back beat. After saying that I do also really love the guitars on the song, there's a simplicity to them that injects the song with plenty of energy. Following Nothing Is The New Black comes the song You Know What I Like About Rich Kids? Nothing. Kid You Not have some cracking song titles. The guitars here are absolutely superb with Patrick and fellow guitarist Ben Bennett trading lines brilliantly. The song is about finally being able to fight back against people who have held you down in the past. Again I'm sure you've encountered people who have held you down in your life and being able to get some measure of revenge on them is a very satisfying feeling. There is a lovely section where the music drops out and we are treated to some gang vocals before the song's last big chorus brings this show home.

Be A Lot Cooler If You Did continues with the sounds that Kid You Not have really excelled on throughout Never A Dull Movement. It strikes me at this point of the album that the band never really slow down during its duration. The pace is constant and makes the whole album feel extra powerful. Be A Lot Cooler If You Did is about living in denial and not learning from your mistakes. "Every Morning I Wake Up And It Hurts Just A Little Bit More, Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before, Another Story To Make Up And A Feeling You Can't Ignore, Lies We Tell Ourselves To Keep On Going" may well be my favourite lyrics on the entire album. The penultimate track is Never Tell Me The Odds. What a great song this is! From the very beginning of the song you just have a gigantic urge to stick your fists in the air (this makes reviewing tricky, typing with one hand is hard) and shout until you are hoarse. The best part of a very very good song is of course the movement when the gang vocals kick in on the chorus. The atmospheric sound is fantastic. If I had a penny for every time I've said this in the past I'd have a big collection of pennies but gang vocals are magnificent for giving a song an inclusive feeling between the band and the listeners - and I love it. The tenth and final song on Never A Dull Movement is No Shirt No Shoes No Dice. This song starts off in blistering fashion giving the feeling that Kid You Not are putting everything they possibly have left into this final song. The guitars are speedy and the drums sound like they are being hit extra hard. This is another song about searching for who you are and finding something to believe in. The final few lines are absolutely amazing and it is just super empowering to listen to and shout out loud. "One Voice, One Reason, One Choice No Regrets, We Just Want, We Just Want, We Just Want Something To Believe In!" Maybe these are my favourite lyrics on the album?

When I first heard Kid You Not I was a little concerned at just how much they seemed to sound like Iron Chic. I'm sure they're told this a lot. But after listening to Never A Dull Movement I've discovered that Kid You Not are so much more than a band that sound like a band they're influenced by. There is a fantastic energy and passion about the music, it's obvious that the band really care about their music and the messages that they are putting out. I'm 100% behind this. This is an album that had me hooked from beginning to end. After listening to their first two EPs and then this album, the progression is outstanding. Kid You Not could well be the next big breakout American punk band.

Stream and download Never A Dull Movement here: http://deepelmdigital.com/album/never-a-dull-movement

Like Kid You Not here: https://www.facebook.com/KidYouNotFL/

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Revew: Sanguine by Brutal Youth

Canadian punk rock is just ridiculously popular at the moment and for good reason - it's ridiculously good! Toronto based band Brutal Youth have been flying the flag for Canadian hardcore music since 2010 and last year they released what is arguably their best album to date in Sanguine. Sanguine finally had its European release thanks to Gunner Records recently so it only seemed right to give it another listen.

Before I even started listening to the album I noted that Sanguine contains fourteen songs but is only twenty-three minutes long. In the hardcore punk rock tradition, the songs are short and sweet - in fact only one song goes over two minutes. That song, titled The King, actually happens to be my favourite song on Sanguine. Straying slightly away from the angrier, hardcore sound The King has a much more chilled out vibe, taking its time to progress rather than charging through the song.

The album is split into four parts with the songs I. Denial, II. Anger, III. Bargaining and IV. Depression working as beginnings of each section of the album. I found this to be a really interesting approach to tracklisting. Sanguine takes you on a bit of an emotional journey that hopefully makes you feel better when it quickly spits you out of the end of the ride.

Earlier this year I had the pleasure of seeing Brutal Youth live at Manchester Punk Festival. Playing in the tiny Zombie Shack they managed to get an early evening crowd going nuts by playing with a ferocious energy. That ferocious energy works almost as well on the recorded version of Sanguine. Sitting and listening to the record whilst I try and write this makes trying to writing incredibly difficult, as I just want to get up and start a one man mosh pit in my living room. I'll refrain though as I like the stuff in my living room and don't want to break anything… or myself.

I'm not the biggest fan of hardcore personally but I absolutely adore Brutal Youth. They manage to tread that fine line between aggression and melodic brilliantly. It's angry enough to get a listener extremely worked up and lose their poop but there's also enough melody and hooks to create some excellent earworms. Some of these tracks you'll be singing at the top of your voice between going crazy. If I'm going to listen to some hardcore punk rock then this is exactly what I want.

I don't know why exactly it took so long for Sanguine to get a proper European release but it's well worth the wait. Brutal Youth are one of those bands who are making a big impression throughout the punk rock world. I imagine that it won't be long until they are playing massive shows and festivals throughout North America, the UK & Europe - and the rest of the world. I feel like Sanguine is where that future world domination begins.

Stream and download Sanguine here: https://brutalyouth.bandcamp.com/

Like Brutal Youth here: https://www.facebook.com/brutalyouth/

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Club Dragon by Hightower

Hightower are a punk rock band from Paris who formed in 2012. The five piece, like many of their contemporaries, grew up listening to and are heavily influenced by the finest of 90s punk rock. In 2014 Hightower released their debut album Sure. Fine. Whatever. and this month saw the release of their second album Club Dragon on Krod Records. Let's see what it's like.

Club Dragon begins with the song Numero Uno. Taking me slightly by surprise the song starts out with some soft acoustic guitar before some reverb from an electric guitar lets us know that business is about to pick up. Musically Hightower play modern pop punk music with a bit of an edge. Unlike a lot of pop punk, there isn't really a chorus to the song but there are plenty of hooks and a great breakdown that will grab the listener's attention. Mushrooms And Bamboo is about learning from the mistakes you make and pushing through until you get it right. For what is on the surface a pop punk song there is a heaviness to the track musically with lead vocalist Attila's voice doing a wonderful job keeping a melodic pop sound to the song, as well as carrying its melody. Ernest's Castle is a short song at only fifty-eight seconds long. The track does a great job in packing in a lot during its short duration however. Sometimes shorter songs are the best way to get your message across. The message here is to watch your back because there's always someone ready to try and bring you down.

The fourth song is named The Party and was also Club Dragon's lead single. This was a great choice as it's definitely one of the stand out songs on the album. The Party starts out in a gloriously punchy fashion on the opening verse before we get a joyously melodic chorus. After the opening punchiness this chorus just puts a smile on your face and makes you feel wonderful. This is the song that gets you dancing and singing with strangers in the pit. Up next is Hedonic Treadmill. Hightower slow things down for this song, making it sound more reminiscent of an alternative rock track. I like this switch up of sounds - it shows some great variety in the band's songwriting. This slower approach to the song gives it an emotional layer that has perhaps been lacking in the previous songs. Tournesol brings us to the halfway point of the album. The introduction of the song features some good stop-start tradeoffs between guitars and drums with a little bassline thrown in for good measure. Turning towards a more melodic hardcore sound here makes the sound song huge. Attila's vocals soar during the slower paced sections of the track and sound fantastic.

The second half of the album opens with Titty Twister. Titty Twister is a positive song that tries to teach the listener to live your own life and not to conform to what is expected of you if it doesn't feel right. This topic isn't really anything new from a punk band but the point can never be made enough if you ask me. The track goes along at a mid tempo pace and this does a great job of getting the point across without feeling too laboured. There is a fantastic breakdown during the song that almost makes you believe that the song is finishing before a big ending. To The Hole is an instrumental track that works as an introduction to the ninth song Kind Of Blue. To The Hole really darkens the mood before Attila's vocals kick in early on Kind Of Blue and things explode into life. Kind Of Blue is about ignoring all the propaganda that can be forced onto you and learning to think for yourself. In a time where there are so many crooked politicians making big decisions this thought process is more important than ever.

Lov' Pyramids reverts back to the pop punk sound that Hightower played early on Club Dragon. Lov' Pyramids kicks off with a couple of big sing-a-long choruses that will instantly get a live crowd singing along. I kind of felt that they needed some gang vocals to give the start an even bigger sound. I have to say the lack of gang vocals on the whole album was slightly disappointing, but that might just be because I'm very partial to a gang vocal. The penultimate track on Club Dragon is Kvlt. This song begins with some very quiet guitar before some very loud vocals that really show off the strength of Attila's vocals. This was such an interesting way to start off the song. I was fully expecting a slow build with the guitar increasing in volume before the expected burst into life but Hightower jumped to the gun to great effect. Kvlt also has a section that really allows drummer Romain to showcase his considerable skills behind the kit. The twelfth and final song on the album is the epic Cheyenne Mountain. Cheyenne Mountain finishes off Club Dragon in fine form. At nearly five minutes in length it's easily the longest song on the album. It feels as if Hightower put everything they possibly could into this final song, not wanting to leave anything in their metaphorical locker. I enjoy an epic final song and this is up there with some of the best.

I'm the first to admit I'm not the biggest fan of this style of pop punk music but there was something in Club Dragon that really pulled me in. If you are a fan of the modern era pop punk sound you will adore this album and Hightower.

Stream and download Club Dragon here: https://hightowermusic.bandcamp.com/

Like Hightower here: https://www.facebook.com/HIGHTOWERMUSIC/

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Future Classic: Home, Like NoPlace Is There by The Hotelier (by Richard Mair)

The idea of an album being a future classic is a hard one to judge. Having been introduced to punk through The Offspring's “SMASH”, Green Day's “Dookie” and Rancid's “... and Out Come the Wolves” it's easy to look back on those albums 20+ years later and appreciate how they blew the scene open; and since then punk hasn't gone away; sure it's had different trends and vogue moments but generally speaking it's still as accessible albeit maybe not as popular as it was back in the mid 90's. Therefore for me to identify a potential future classic is hard as I'm looking back over 20 nostalgic years trying to find something that could have as large a cultural impact as those three iconic albums from my formative teenage years.

Recently I think punk has gone through somewhat of a renaissance akin to the 90s explosion where social commentary, political awareness and song writing craft have taken centre stage perhaps as a reaction to some of the showy screamo fads of the early millennium years; particularly in the DIY scene with labels such as Tiny Engines, Red Scare Industries and No Sleep allowing bands to create statements as opposed to a desire to shift units. One album that really benefits from this and should be held in high regard as a shining example of punk from the 20teen years is The Hotelier's "Home Like NoPlace is There".

Around its release I remember the album generating a significant buzz, not because of it being highly anticipated, indeed their debut album has probably found more of an audience in recent years than it did when first released. The buzz came organically based on the strength of the songs streamed prior to its release. Both "Your Deep Rest" and "Life in Drag" felt like emotional hand grenades. While both completely different in tone and feel, the qualities they displayed suggested that on its release the album could be something special. I'm generally sceptical that such songs streamed ahead of a release are likely to be the highlights of the album, so on the morning it was unleashed, I like many people downloaded the link with some form of excitement and anticipation I was unprepared for the emotional roller coaster I was about to embark on.

"An Introduction to the Album" kicks things off; it's subtle musical background giving way to Christian Holden's voice which generates much of the tune and melody, especially in the early stages whilst the song builds. To describe it as a beautiful song doesn't do it justice, but by the 3:30 minute mark its sucked you in with its crescendo of drum beats, and Christians now painful yelps; in fact everything you can expect to feel on the album is covered in this first song, giving its title a portentous feeling.

The album has a real anger to it and the feelings of guilt, loss and regret permeate the whole album. It also has a real element of isolation and has some difficult subject matter contained within it; "Among the Wildflowers" and "Housebroken" perhaps the two obvious tracks where the theme of abuse is very overt and at times painful to listen to, but this is why the album is such a classic, it never takes the easy option with the subject matter; it always wants the listener to feel that anger and have that emotional connection and I can't think of another album in recent history that has had that effect on me in such a way.

The album finishes with "Dendron", which is an odd closer given it always feels like a sibling to "An Introduction to the album", in fact I usually start with Dendron (maybe because I love it so much, but the flow into the first song with the closing refrain of Dendron is perfect), again highlighting the craft of the band to put the album together as one piece. As a standalone song it’s the real high point of the album; in fact so good it’s possibly the finest song to close an album since Weezer’s Blue Album epic of “Only in Dreams”; again capturing the feelings and emotions of everything that went before it and releasing it in a cathartic explosion of noise.

From start to finish the album is a masterclass, it's pure punk rock perfection; it's emotional, it's socially aware, it's angry and it's tons of fun to sing along to in small venues with arms around strangers and beers aloft; so what should make this stand out as a future classic compared to some of its contemporaries? When looking at those releases from the mid-90s it's important to note that they weren't debut releases or new bands; these were groups who had captured a feeling or a moment in time and helped launch it to a wider audience. All three were coming off the back of generally positive if unspectacular releases, but managed to capture a moment in time and tap into the psyche of the malaise and disaffection brewing in youth culture. For me these were the first albums that really spoke to me and therefore something that can have such an emotional connection will always hold the test of time.

I could discuss politics and social issues with anyone until I'm blue in the face. The last few years for many people have been a struggle. We now have the first generation who can realistically not expect the same standard of living as their parents, but who are probably the most educated they have ever been. We have a generation of young people saddled with debt, unable to have a place to call their own and higher rates of mental health conditions than any other group; it’s also very clear that through the internet and social media many more people are exposed to circumstances, situations and experiences that can have traumatic and lasting impacts. It's in this context that “Home Like NoPlace is There” exists, and it’s also there to offer us comfort and hope and comfort reminding us we aren’t alone; to reach out when we need to and to look after each other. Like those albums from my formative years this is a genuine cross-over success with enough to keep members of various sub-factions of the scene happy, and should be applauded for being a stunning piece of art and social commentary that defies categorisation. For those still to experience its pleasures, please give it a home!

Stream and download Home, Like NoPlace Is There here: https://thehotelier.bandcamp.com/album/home-like-noplace-is-there-2

Like The Hotelier here: https://www.facebook.com/thehotelier

This Future Classic was nominated by Richard Mair.

Top Tens: The Doublecross' Top Ten Punk Rock Influences

Bruce Springsteen

Springsteen is the musician I remember most vividly from my childhood. My folks would play their vinyl copies of his earliest albums over and over. I certainly think that his heartfelt mixture of rhythm and blues, rock, folk and country has influenced my songwriting more than any other musician.

Buffalo Tom

The first time I heard Buffalo Tom was their live performance of the song Tree House on the Channel 4 pop culture show The Word, in 1993. I was instantly taken with Bill Janovitz' honest vocals over the jangly 90s guitar sound that I had already grown to love in other bands such as Teenage Fanclub.

The Black Crowes

The Crowes are one of my all-time favourite bands and, despite not having a direct influence on The Doublecross, are one of the reasons I learnt to play guitar. The first time I heard them was on a late night rock music television programme on ITV called Raw Power. It was the song Twice As Hard, a single in 1990.

Atmosphere

Having been a lover of hip-hop and rap music since the early 90s, I'd never connected on a personal level lyrically with anything in the genre until Atmosphere came along. I discovered them three albums into their career when the Lucy Ford EP collection was released in the early 2000s, a crazy and important time in my life in terms of learning who I thought I was and understanding my relationships with other people.

The Prodigy

It was The Prodigy that got me into creating my own electronic music during the 90s which has influenced the way I write, compose and almost construct Doublecross songs since. The Prodigy helped me understand the power and importance of repetition in music, treating every instrument and melody in a song as a separate element that may be introduced and reintroduced in a song.

The Wildhearts

I heard The Wildhearts for the first time on Noisy Mothers, ITV's late night replacement for the show Raw Power, when they released Nothing Ever Changes as a single in 1992. That song blew my mind with its mixture of power-pop, punk and metallic riffage and I've loved the band ever since. I cite them as a direct influence on the sound of the latest Doublecross album, Keep Bleeding.

Hot Water Music

After hearing their song Choked And Separated on a compilation, HWM without a doubt became the most influential band for me particularly in my earlier days of making punk rock music. Everything from the chord progressions, lead guitar style and rough yet melodic vocals to the lyrical content helped shape the music I made with my old band This Hidden Switch and the first Doublecross album, Things Will Never Change.

Lucero

When a friend played the Rebels And Rogues album to me, this was the first time I had heard Lucero and their music struck a nerve. It seemed to tap in to a part of me that had laid dormant since my teenage angst days in the 90s. Except this time I was in my 20s and very much into over analysing everything about my love life. Lucero, as with Atmosphere, gave me the confidence to write honest, personal lyrics of my own.

Rival Schools

Being a fan of Walter Schreifels' band Quicksand, I was nothing less than blown away when I saw the Rival Schools Used For Glue video for the first time. I still don't know how he does it but Schreifels has this way of writing such vague lyrics that seem to mean so much to me and his vocal delivery is nothing short of soulful in my opinion. This coupled with Ian Love's beautiful guitar work will always leave Rival Schools as one of my all-time favourite bands.

Dinosaur Jr

Yet another band I heard for the first time on Channel 4's The Word. The song they performed was Start Choppin' and I was immediately in love with J. Mascis' guitar playing and sound. I've been trying to emulate and play guitar like Mascis ever since, with minimal success. This alone is not why I love Dinosaur Jnr so much, as their songwriting underpins an entire sound that I believe is completely unique.

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Album Review: Outsider by Comeback Kid (by Robyn Pierce)

Longtime Canadian hardcore band Comeback Kid recently released a new full-length album entitled Outsider, out on Nuclear Blast. I’m always stoked about new music from Comeback Kid, who are definitely one of best hardcore bands in the scene, but I was particularly interested in this record after hearing the singles the guys released and seeing some of the guest vocalists the band collaborated with on Outsider (Chris Cresswell on a Comeback Kid record? Whaa?! It’s like they’re trying to make a point about how many great musicians come from Canada). Comeback Kid are also my go-to band when I’m struggling to feel motivated and need a bit of a push, so I was really counting on Outsider to give me the energy fix I need at this time of year.

And, it delivered. Outsider is heavy in all the right ways, delivering vibrant riffs and often veering into the realm of metal. This is perhaps best encapsulated in the track entitled ‘Absolute’, which includes a guest appearance from legendary metal vocalist Devin Townsend (who is, of course, another amazing Canadian). Townsend’s vocals really fill out the sound in ‘Absolute’, giving the song an operatic quality as it builds to a crescendo and ends with an awesome breakdown. ‘Absolute’ was one of the singles pre-released off of Outsider, together with ‘Somewhere, Somehow’ and ‘Surrender Control’. ‘Somewhere, Somehow’ really showcases Comeback Kid at their best, tempering fast and aggressive verses with a soaring, anthemic chorus. ‘Surrender Control’ is also quite anthemic, with a chorus that promises to have crowds all over the world singing along, but it’s much more bass-driven and deliciously heavy. I looped these three tracks more than a few times leading up to the album release, and they definitely measure up to Comeback Kid’s previous singles and best-loved tracks.

With the full release came ten more new songs. Much like the title track off of Die Knowing, which also leads off that album, ‘Outsider’ opens the record with a long intro and introduces the theme of the outcast whose power lies in challenging the status quo. ‘Hell of a Scene’ is an unexpected track that marries together an aggressive, ultra-fast verse and a highly melodic chorus that reminds me ever so slightly of Sum 41 (and no, it’s not just because they’re Canadian – although, maybe?). It’s jarring and fun, and could wreak untold havoc at shows. This song gives way to ‘Consumed the Vision’, which features Chris Cresswell (from The Flatliners) and is therefore, perhaps unsurprisingly, a more straightforward punk track (although, it doesn’t escape the metal influence altogether). I don’t think there is any possible manifestation of Chris Cresswell’s vocals that I could ever dislike, but man – I really enjoy the overlaying and blending of vocals on this track. Like the addition of Townsend on ‘Absolute’, it adds great flavour and dimension to the sound. ‘I’ll Be That’ is a headbanger with some tight palm muting, while ‘Outrage’ and ‘Blindspot’ are two of the faster songs on the album with fantastic drumming at breakneck speed.

In between the old-school, hardcore aggression of ‘Livid, I’m Prime’ and ‘Throw That Stone’ is one of my favourite tracks off of Outsider, entitled ‘Recover’. This song steps away from the metal elements on the rest of the album and delivers a rousing melody with similarly stirring lyrics: “I’m not slipping away, I’ll recover”. In a video in which the band discuss Outsider, Neufield says that ‘Recover’ came out of an attempt to return to an earlier sound and to write a song like ‘Wake the Dead’. I think the band is successful in writing a song that is as enjoyable as this fan favourite. Outsider finishes up with ‘Moment in Time’ featuring Northcote (yes, you guessed it, another great Canadian musician). Northcote’s input is most apparent at the beginning of the song, which begins as a somber folk punk tune before exploding with frantic energy. In fact, the speed and intensity of the rest of the song almost seems to be a response to its grim beginning. This is fitting in a song about making the most of the precious time you have with your loved ones. ‘Moment in Time’ caps off the album beautifully with a track that’s really different to anything I’ve heard from Comeback Kid before.

What I really like about ‘Outsider’ is the diversity of tracks that it offers, each developing a different facet of Comeback Kid’s sound but all of them administering the power and energy that you’d expect from these hardcore heavyweights. Chances are, even if you don’t love every song off this album, there’ll be a few tracks that you really enjoy. Outsider also testifies to the musical talent coming out of Canada and makes really fantastic use of guest vocals (seriously, if you are reading this Comeback Kid: just keep collaborating with other awesome Canadian musicians. It’s working. You have made me so happy.) Outsider is a great addition to Comeback Kid’s growing catalogue of music, and has definitely satisfied my need for some quality hardcore punk to help me push through the last few months of the year.

Stream and download Outsider here: https://comebackkid-hc.bandcamp.com/

Like Comeback Kid here: https://www.facebook.com/Comeback.Kid/

This review was written by Robyn Pierce.

Gig Review: The Real McKenzies at The Camden Underworld 13/9/17

What do you do when you're off work and have a day planned in London? Go to a punk show, of course. Canadian celtic punks The Real McKenzies were playing at The Underworld in Camden, somewhere we seem to have been to loads lately, and had Counting Coins supporting them. This promised to be a evening full of fun.

When I saw that there was only one support band on the evening's bill, I must admit that I felt a little disappointed - it felt like I was paying full price for a gig that wouldn't be as long as normal. Any disappointment that I was feeling was soon forgotten as Counting Coins took to the stage. The five piece from Hull play a hybrid of ska punk, hip-hop and gypsy music and kind of felt like strange bedfellows for The Real McKenzies for this tour. I wondered how a crowd of predominantly older punk rockers would take to this band. They took to them very well. I think that this was down to the infectious energy that the band put into their performance. Lead vocalist Harry is sometimes hard to make out due to the sheer speed that he delivers his lyrics but he has me smiling and enjoying myself anyway. Because Counting Coins were the only support band of the evening they were afforded a little extra time for their set. This seemed like we were able to get the full Counting Coins experience. Playing a selection of songs from their entire back catalogue as well as at least one new one, the band got a few people in the crowd that had gathered early dancing. The band had become great friends with tour pals Real McKenzies over the previous week or so and it was great to see some of those Canadian chaps down the front singing along with the band. It's always great to see some camaraderie develop between bands whilst on tour, it really shows the strength of the community in the punk scene. Counting Coins really impressed with a high octane set.

Next it was time for long running celtic punks, The Real McKenzies. The band formed way back in 1992 so this was the band's 25th year in existence, an incredible achievement. Frontman Paul McKenzie is the only original member who still plays with the band and as soon as he took to the stage he got an standing ovation from the Underworld crowd. This is where I must admit that I'm not overly knowledgeable on much of The Real McKenzies music, I know a couple of songs and I've always enjoyed listening to them but have never fully been on board the McKenzies bandwagon. I now am after witnessing an incredible live performance. I don't think I've seen many more entertaining live shows this year. I think a key part of the band's longevity has been the excellent selection of musicians that Paul has surrounded himself with. Watching them all interact with each other on the Underworld stage is an absolute delight. It reminds me of Paul being the serious teacher and the rest of the band behaving like naughty school boys behind him. Bass player Troy Zak in particular likes to act out, being the one to mock Paul's age and answer back when asked to do something. It's all in good fun of course and adds a great dynamic to the set. There wasn't a single song in their set that didn't get me dancing. Whether it was a faster paced punk track, a slower drinking song or a sea shanty - everything was just fantastic. Of the songs that I did learn favourites of mine included Droppin' Like Flies, Bugger Off, My Luck Is So Bad, Fuck The Real McKenzies, Due West and Barrett's Privateers. If you've never seen The Real McKenzies live you are really missing out. Amazing.

In all honesty this was a gig we went to just because we were off work and we like going to gigs. This was a great decision as we had a brilliant night dancing along to really good bands from different sides of the punk genre.

This gig review was written by Colin Clark.