Emma’s Manchester Punk Festival 2023 Review

I wasn’t planning on writing a review of Manchester Punk Festival this year. I wasn’t really planning on writing any kind of review ever again – it takes up a lot of energy and free time that I’d rather use for going outside, reading graphic novels, watching Critical Role or drawing (among other things). But then I attended Manchester Punk Festival 2023 and it was without a doubt the best MPF yet. I felt inspired to write. However, what inspired me was more than just the bands I saw, so I’ve decided to write my review as more of an overall highlights piece that covers more than just the bands… At least, that’s what I set out to do. It’s ended up being a lengthy, rambling love letter of a review all the same.

I hope you enjoy reading this even a fraction of the amount that I enjoyed attending MPF 2023!

Festivities for Colin and I effectively began on the Wednesday with an unofficial pre-pre-show at the New Cross Inn, our London home from home, with one of Bangers’ limited reunion shows. I was always a big, big fan of the Cornish punk rock trio and would attribute my dive into 2010’s UK DIY punk scene mostly to them (with a little help from Great Cynics and Apologies, I Have None). I was sad when they decided to call it a day around seven years ago and over the moon to hear they’d be playing MPF 2023. When they announced a couple of other shows, including at NXI, I knew I had to take this extra chance to see them again.

It was a wonderfully nostalgic evening with Bangers somehow managing to sound better than ever – maybe the break did them good! Also on the NXI bill were Phantom Bay, a heavier sounding band from Germany; Cosmit, the Specialist Subject supergroup; and Binboy, a trio featuring two members of Shit Present. I was especially happy to get to see Binboy as they were one of my top discoveries from the MPF playlist – and I loved them. As it happened, I didn’t end up seeing them at MPF so was glad to catch them beforehand.

THURSDAY

The only problem with starting your festivities an additional day early is that you’re inevitably tired before the festival has even begun. Thankfully we had a fairly easy journey to Manchester, driving over to Milton Keynes, leaving the car at my parents’ house and then taking the 1 hour and 40 minute train directly to Manchester. We were in no great hurry so it wasn’t a massive issue when our train ended up being over half an hour late – actually, we were pretty pleased to learn we could get a 25% refund. As Kill Lincoln would say, I can’t complain!

When we eventually made it to Manchester we headed to our Airbnb in Chinatown – I wouldn’t recommend, it’s noisy – to dump our stuff before heading out to Freight Island to meet up with some of our London pals. Over the next few hours Colin and I attempted to eat the biggest pizza ever (22”) with a little help from Frosty. Robyn and Brett, our traditional MPF Airbnb buddies, were arriving a little later into Manchester with their flight from Denmark landing at 4.30pm. They made great time however and were able to come over and meet us before heading to the official MPF pre-show at Rebellion. Seeing Colin run across the room to give them both huge hugs is one of the most wonderful and magical things about an event like MPF. We get to see our best friends from South Africa, via Denmark, and it’s instantly like we’ve never been apart. I also gave hugs but didn’t do any running – I was very full of pizza.

Heading over to Rebellion for the pre-show, the MPF vibes really started to sink in and were further reinforced when we entered the venue and received more big hugs from MPF (and pre-show) organiser Tree. Damn, it felt good to be back. The pre-show was a lot of fun with five bands that spanned a variety of different punk sub-genres – Galivantes (gypsy ska punk), Slash Fiction (emo/indie punk), Negative Measures (hardcore), The Overjoyed (melodic punk rock) and Incisions (hardcore). Slash Fiction in particular were a highlight for me. Beforehand, Colin had said that he thought I’d like them and, well, when is he ever wrong! The music on the night was great but mostly it was just really nice to see people from all over the UK and Europe punk scene again. Shout out to Dan and Jess (Vegan Punks), Matt (Ear Nutrition), Charlotte, Brian, Cat and Rich and, of course, all of the NXI crew and Robyn and Brett.

FRIDAY

I’d like to say we woke up on Friday feeling fresh and invigorated ready for MPF to begin proper but, well, we were staying in a not very well insulated Airbnb and, despite it being six floors up, it was very noisy. So, instead, I woke up with a big need for rehydration and coffee. Coffee (and breakfast) was found at Feel Good Club – where several people had brought their doggies in and so we spent a lot of time aww-ing over them – before it was time to head to the Union for wristband collection. Queuing for wristbands came with much smiling, waving and hugs, with everyone just so keen for the weekend ahead. Wristbands secured, Colin and I headed off to Bundobust (yep, more food) with Robyn, Brett, Matt and Charlotte for Indian style tapas. It’s what we did last year after collecting wristbands so I figure that makes it a tradition now. I had some very tasty food along with the most delicious vegan chai tea. Tummies full and energy levels replenished, it was finally time for some music!

Much of my day would be spent at Yes, which is also where we were all headed first. Last year, MPF’s almost acoustic sets took place in the basement of Yes which was a pretty small space. This year however, bands would be playing in the appropriately named Pink Room – it was very pink – which was a much more reasonable size. Jason Stirling, formerly of Matilda’s Scoundrels, kicked things off. It was an enjoyable performance but perhaps lacking some lively energy for an act opening the festival. However, next up were Great Cynics playing their last ever show – at least until they have a reunion in seven years time like Bangers – which was a joyfully nostalgic singalong from start to finish. So good to see them one more time.

Having changed up my schedule just the day before, next on my list was the late addition of Animal Byproducts playing at Zombie Shack. I’ve seen them a couple of times before now, but it’s always a good time bopping along to their catchy trumpet pop punk – ‘Please don’t forget that it’s your bin day!’. Heading back to Yes for Flinch, I managed to catch the last few songs of Lazlo Baby. They weren’t a band I knew but their bouncy folky melodies certainly had me wishing I’d checked them out ahead of time. Still, it was great to be able to experience a bit of their live set. Congregating towards the front of the room with the MTAT crew, this was our first time seeing Flinch as a full band. Flinch play sad, quiet songs packed with emotion. It was great how respectful the crowd was of this sort of music, particularly when there were some sort of technical difficulties and we all waited quietly for it to be resolved. Us punks are a polite bunch!

It was then time for Colin and I to part ways – we like watching bands together but we also like going off and doing our own thing and finding out what the other got up to later. I was off to Bread Shed to watch Green Eyed Monster who were over all the way from Japan. I paused briefly outside the venue to say hello to Steve Millar (of Arms & Hearts fame) and Chloe Hawes and hear about their much anticipated (by me anyway) The Gaslight Anthem cover set on Sunday. Entering Bread Shed there was already a decent amount of people in attendance and we didn’t have to wait long for Green Eyed Monster to start playing. What immediately hit me about GEM was not just how talented they were as musicians but just how exuberantly happy they clearly were to be there. To travel across the world and play to people at a festival who just adore you must be something special for sure. All the love was certainly well deserved.

Basking in the wholesome-ness of Green Eyes Monster, I left a little early to head back to Yes (see what I said about spending a lot of time there?) for the next two bands. The first of which was Sniff. Sniff is an artist whose live show really has to be seen in person to fully understand and appreciate it. So, if you weren’t there then I don’t want to spoil too much – because you really should make it a priority to see Sniff live in future. Let’s just say it was a lot of fun and unlike anything else I saw over the weekend!

If you were to ask me before the festival which single artist or band I was most looking forward to seeing or would recommend catching live then my answer would be this next band – Stöj Snak. I’ve seen them the previous two times they played MPF and their albums are some of my favourites of all time, so, yeah, I was excited. While Stöj Snak were setting up I had a lovely chat with Sara Harrington about illustration, design and their trumpet playing on the last Stöj Snak album. I’d never spoken to Sara in person before so it was lovely to share our collective appreciation for the band we were about to watch – Sara actually said they were the reason she’d bought a ticket for MPF. Money well spent if you ask me!

Now, this is supposed to be me keeping things short and sweet for this whole review but I could easily write an essay about Stöj Snak (actually, I did that for their last album). In summary, Stöj Snak were as excellent as ever – even if they were missing their double bass player. There was a kazoo solo (which was actually Sara’s trumpet part on the album), crowd participation in the form of mass tambourine playing and the unplugged, much-loved staple of a Stöj Snak live set, rendition of Ronkedor. I couldn’t have asked for much more – except maybe a few more songs as I think their set got cut short due to overrunning earlier in the day (even though they were the last band on at Yes, but whatever). Although, I have to say that the overall highlight was when the crowd dispersed at the end and I spotted Mike Smith (of Tripsun and general NXI/Be Sharp fame) – who I didn’t know was in the room or that they were planning on watching Stöj Snak. He was in awe of how good Stöj Snak were which made me infinitely more happy than I already was. Is there anything better than sharing your excitement about something with someone else and having them completely understand and agree?

Next on my agenda was Kill Lincoln at Gorilla which, having witnessed their first ever UK show at the New Cross Inn a week earlier, was guaranteed to be a wild time. In hindsight, ‘wild’ is probably an understatement. The venue hit capacity and everyone inside went crazy for the ska punk band. The band themselves put so much energy into their live performance, not least their hypeman Drew who has some of the best dance moves in ska whether they’re on stage or in (or on top of) the crowd. At NXI, trombone player Ume found their way to standing on the bar at the back of the venue before being crowdsurfed back to the stage. Gorilla is a bit bigger than the New Cross Inn and I had a strong suspicion that Ume would end up at playing trombone at the little upstairs seating and merch area. I was correct and it was spectacular. It’s safe to say that Kill Lincoln’s UK and MPF debut was an overwhelming success. I can’t wait to see them again. In the words of Paul Smith (to Colin) ‘You’re a fucking idiot [for missing them]’ – if you missed them.

My chosen headliner for the evening was Off With Their Heads, a band I’ve seen a handful of times before but not for a long while. I headed over to the Union with Robyn and Brett and managed to find Colin in a busy crowd. It turned out that OWTH, who were playing as a three-piece for their UK dates, had decided to start playing early although they hadn’t started playing Home yet – the album they were supposed to be playing in full. They ended up playing it in a random order and in amongst other songs which was kind of weird for ‘an album show’ but it didn’t really bother me. They’re one of those bands that I know lots of songs by but don’t necessarily know song names or which album they’re from anyway. The whole set was good and I didn’t get bored, despite the length of their set – even a festival headliner shouldn’t play for more than an hour in my opinion! But the standout moment has got to be when I was stood around chatting to Robyn, Brett, Dan, Jess and Colin before vacating the Union afterwards and someone yelled my full name at me across the room. It took me a good few seconds to realise who it was that came running up to me, simply because I just didn’t expect to see them there, but the person shouting my name was my old university pal James Jackson. We worked out that we probably hadn’t seen each other for about seven years – not since the last Bangers show in London in fact. He was attending his first MPF and was having a lovely time so far. Honestly, that was the unexpected highlight of the whole weekend.

We’d decided to end our night with New Cross Inn favourites and regulars Lead Shot Hazard at the Bread Shed after party. It was their first time playing MPF (and, I think, in Manchester) but the crowd soon warmed up to them and they really got the party going with their upbeat ska punk. We had one last sing and dance for the day down the front before calling it a day – but what a day it had been! We left in in high spirits and I have to admit I was not feeling nearly as tired as I would usually after the first day of MPF. What was this new energy? Would it last?

SATURDAY

Our Saturday started with Colin going out to get us hot cross buns for breakfast – what a hero – before heading out to the Sober Social at Sandbar. I enjoyed a much needed coffee – more bars should sell coffee as standard. As someone who no longer drinks alcohol, I am all for encouraging sobriety – or at least beginning the day with some non-alcoholic drinks and/or drinking water in between your beverage of choice. We had some nice chats with folks, mostly about what we were excited for with the day ahead. The subject soon moved onto The Flatliners who were headlining that evening. Jess and Robyn, who are the biggest Flatliners fans I know, were discussing their unofficial ‘Flatliners Fan Club’ with Emilia (who Colin and I met a few weeks ago in Bristol). I couldn’t really join in but do appreciate how passionate they all were about this band they love. We then went for lunch at Hatch, inviting CPRW’s Dan #2 along with us.

After some tasty grub courtesy of Herbivorous at Hatch and further chatting – it turned out Dan #2 (Reading-based) knew of Emilia’s band (Bristol-based) and is going to a gig they’re playing soon, small punk rock world and all that – we headed to Yes. We were starting our day with Chloe Hawes. I’d seen Chloe play solo briefly at a previous MPF (I think I only caught half the set) but was keen to see them play as a full band this time around. It was worth the wait as the full band sound was excellent. It was also great to see all members of the band rocking out and just have a lovely time on stage. I look forward to seeing full band Chloe Hawes again soon.

I stuck around Yes by myself (but you’re never alone at MPF!) for a couple more bands, opting to see some smaller acts that were either new to me or I hadn’t seen for a long while – rather than going to see Pkew Pkew Pkew, who I’d be seeing at New Cross after MPF anyway. The first of these bands was Murder Club, a four-piece from Wales. I didn’t really know them at all besides the three tracks I’d listened to when sorting out my schedule but I really enjoyed their set of sweet poppy songs and they had some amazing harmonies. After Murder Club was The Lab Rats, a band I have seen once before (at MPF in fact) but not for quite a few years so I was keen to see them again. Unfortunately the power on stage seemed to cut out half way through their first song but everyone waited patiently for it to be fixed and when the folk punk duo did get going properly it was great. Vocalist Molly has an amazing voice and it was so good to hear some new, at least to me, songs as well as a few from their 2018 release Utopia. Hopefully they’ll have another album or EP out somewhere down the line.

Leaving Yes behind, I headed over to Zombie Shack where I found Colin, Charlotte and Bee all waiting to watch some noisy Cornish grungey punk in the form of Swansong. Their music was not really something that I’d listen to much at home but it was captivating to watch live – such ferocious energy. I was also feeling quite pleased with the fact that I’d managed to start my day with four bands featuring non-men members that all sounded completely different. Kudos to MPF for making such an effort with diversity on their line-up, both in terms of genre and gender.

It was then time to head for the Union and a double whammy of Prew favourites – NXI regular faves of the last few years and band I’m friends with, Call Me Malcolm, and the band that helped me get into UK DIY punk rock in the first place, Bangers. Spirits were very high and they weren’t about to come down any time soon. Both bands sounded absolutely awesome on the big stage. I know some people have issues with the Union as a venue, saying it’s soulless but it must be amazing for a punk band to play on such a big stage and to so many people. I thought the sound was great too – although what do I know! Call Me Malcolm had the crowd singing and dancing throughout the duration of their set, along with the biggest ‘wall of cuddles’ they’ve ever had. (There’s a great clip of that here.) Then it was time for Bangers! CMM were great and all but Bangers were the real highlight of my day. I positioned my self right and the front and proceeded to bop and sing along to every song they played. Obviously I had experienced the Bangers reunion at NXI a few days earlier but that didn’t spoil my enjoyment of seeing them another time. Once again they seemed to play better than ever and it was just so wonderful to see how much it meant to them to be playing together again and just how appreciative they were of everyone who came to watch. I can’t remember the wording exactly but Roo said something along the lines of ‘the only thing I ever wanted was to be in a punk band and play music’. I love you, Bangers. Thank you for everything.

While most of our pals hung around to watch Onsind and The Flatliners, Colin and I headed off to Gorilla for some [more] ska. First up was the band of the weekend that Colin was most excited to see, Joey Terrifying. The angry Scottish ska punks, fronted by Make That A Take legend Derrick, were reforming especially for MPF. The room wasn’t especially full, I think most folks – myself included really – probably didn’t know who they were but it was so enjoyable watching the Scottish contingent of MPF, the TNS crew and Colin going crazy for Joey Terrifying. Derrick is an amazing front person and such a hardworking person in the DIY punk scene that it was great to just see him let loose. As you can imagine, I didn’t know any of the songs the band played but it was great to watch – including the stage invasion at the end. This felt like a really special MPF moment for sure. Then we had Lightyear. They did what Lightyear does best – the unexpected. It was chaos, it was fun, it was Lightyear. At one point, New Cross’s Frosty ended up on stage after crowdsurfing. It was a joy to see his drunken confusion as he found himself singing and dancing as if he was a member of the band. Chas, vocalist of Lightyear, also made a comment about how he’d seen Kill Lincoln and didn’t want to be shown up by them so he proceeded to go into the crowd and climb up to the seating/merch area like Ume had done the day before. It perhaps wasn’t as majestic as Kill Lincoln – Chas wasn’t playing a trombone throughout – but it was certainly entertaining to see. A special mention has to go to Catbite who were watching all the nonsense from the side of the room at the insistence of Paul Smith (Be Sharp Promotions and All Corners Artists Booking). I hope they enjoyed it!

After Saturday’s headliners it was time to head to Rebellion for the annual Grafteoke set, the band Pure Graft providing full band karaoke for MPF attendees – which is always a highlight of the MPF weekend. When we got to Rebellion we found that a sizeable queue had already formed so we did what British folk do best and joined in. It soon became apparent that the venue would be late letting us in (and therefore making the whole after party run later than planned) due to the metal band that had been playing a gig beforehand being really slow to pack up their gear and load out. We did at least get the queue entertainment of watching the band and crew load up their trailer – they had A LOT of stuff. They didn’t seem pleased that we were crowding around and watching them but it sounds as if they weren’t very cooperative with the Rebellion and MPF staff, so screw them. When we eventually made it into Rebellion, it was still a little while until Grafteoke got going as, understandably, they had to wait for everyone to get inside. I must admit that all this waiting around really ruined by mood and I wasn’t exactly pumped when Grafteoke did get going. However, I did very much enjoy our pal Chloe getting up on stage to sing Boss Of Me by They Might Be Giants aka. the Malcolm in the Middle theme song. I don’t specifically recall what other songs people did – maybe Colin can elaborate further in his review – but everyone seemed to be having a great time.

The after party was completed with cover sets – AFI by In Evil Hour and Reel Big Fish by Call Me Malcolm. Regardless of whether I was especially into either band’s songs, there’s no denying that both bands put on great performances. CMM in particularly played the Reel Big Fish songs arguably better than the original band. We didn’t end up getting back to the Airbnb until almost 3am and so I was well ready to call it a night by then!

SUNDAY

Trying to sleep in as long as possible, we eventually got up for the final day of MPF. Our plan was to go to Sandbar for the Shout Louder podcast and also to have pizza for lunch while we were there. Colin and Brett decided to go and quickly check out the merch/records at the Union while Robyn and I got a table and ordered drinks and pizza. Sadly Sandbar was all out of ingredients from a busy day beforehand and so there was no pizza but they kindly told us we could bring other food in. So, it worked out alright as Colin and Brett were able to get us cake from Teatime Collective, who were set up at the Union all weekend, that we tucked into during the podcast. Not pizza but not a bad start to the day by any means.

Sarah’s podcast guests were Andy and Kaz of TNSRecords/MPF and the interview was a lot of fun. As well as tales of organising MPF and highlights of past festivals, the podcast featured an exciting game of band name Pictionary and the, I presume, first ever human pyramid to be formed during a podcast. Kaz was at the top of a pyramid and Andy spit beer into Kaz’s mouth – which is apparently something they do. Yep, I don’t know either. It was funny though. It will be interesting to see how the chaos translate to audio only!

It was a tricky pick for me as to which band I should start my day with – Alldeepends or Cheerbleederz. But ultimately I decided that I should go with the band I hadn’t seen before – which was weirdly the London-based one and not the one from Scotland. This meant Robyn and I were off to the Union to see Cheerbleederz. The room was already busy and full of folks bopping and singing along when we made our way into the crowd. The band looked to be having just as much, if not more, fun on stage than the audience was. What a joyous way to start the day. After Robyn bought some merch from Catbite (telling them she was the person who did their interview in the MPF programme) and Cheerbleederz, we were off to Yes. Up next there was Jess Silk who was one of the artists I’d found on the MPF playlist and knew I had to check out live. Dan #2 was already at Yes and decided to stick around with us, which I believe they considered to be a good decision as they really enjoyed Jess Silk’s political songs. I did too. With just their acoustic guitar and incredible voice, Jess Silk put on a killer performance. Would recommend.

Much Sunday was spent dotting about between venues quite a bit more than I’d done the previous two days. But that’s not really as tiring as you’d think, I think it’s better to keep your legs and feet moving throughout the day and going to different venues can help with that. Next on our agenda was Gorilla for Cherym. I LOVE Cherym. The Irish trio have such a brilliant stage presence and are so fun to watch play live. Obviously they sounded great too! We ducked out a little bit early to allow us time to get back to the Union for Catbite. As it turned out we had plenty of time and could even position ourselves on the barrier. Having seen Catbite myself at the New Cross Inn the week before I knew to some extent what I was in for but that didn’t stop my enjoyment one bit. This is a band meant for big, big things and it felt so special to see them at MPF. They were clearly having the absolute best time themselves, too – it’s been nice reading all their social media posts during and after the festival. Catbite love MPF and we love Catbite. As you can imagine, there was lots of dancing and smiling…

…And then it was time for Goodbye Blue Monday, everyone’s favourite certified misery punks. It was time to bring the mood down but, also, I love them so I was okay with that. It might have started a little oddly if you didn’t know Goodbye Blue Monday as they came on stage to bagpipes playing (much like the start to their new album) but they soon won over the crowd with their fast paced gruff pop punk. I know speaking to Graham and Sean earlier in the weekend that they felt it was a mistake to have them on the biggest stage but there’s no denying that they absolutely smashed their set. They’d also mentioned beforehand that they would be playing (or attempting to play) Hara-Kiri which is a 16 minute long song about suicide. Damn, they pulled it off. It was incredible. It made me appreciate the song and the album as a whole even more than I already did. If you missed this then you’re a silly idiot. Also, well done me for not bursting into tears – it was close.

Heading back to Gorilla for almost all of the rest of the night, it was time for some indie punk in the form of Me Rex and Shit Present. Both bands were excellent – I could probably say that about any band playing MPF at this point, but hey. I’m forever in awe of how talented a bunch of musicians Me Rex are, with all three members of the band singing while also playing multiple instruments. I like Me Rex on recording but I love seeing them live. They’re definitely one of those bands that has to be seen in the flesh to be fully appreciated. Dan #2 may have a shed a tear or two whilst singing along to every word. Shit Present kept the singalongs coming, playing tracks from their previous two EPs alongside new singles off of their forthcoming debut album. Shit Present are one of few bands that have played MPF two years running. Last year I was hyped for new music from them but this year even more so, as it’s almost within reach. In fact, it literally was within reach as Iona said that people could buy the album, ahead of its release next month, exclusively at MPF. Unfortunately I had already pre-ordered the album but Robyn made sure to buy a copy. This year is going to be big for Shit Present and I can’t wait to see them again.

I admit that I didn’t know much about the Sunday night headliner that we’d opted to see, Bad Nerves. But I was there based on enjoying at least one of the songs on the MPF playlist and not being fussed about seeing the other headliners. They didn’t quite seem like a typical MPF band but had a lot of energy and put on a good show nonetheless. There were certainly some folk down the front loving every second of it anyway. I’m pretty sure that Bad Nerves weren’t from Manchester but the singer definitely had Manchester vibes with their sunglasses on for the first part of the set! I feel like this could be the next big ‘popular’ punk band like Idles or Fontaines DC.

Then it was time for the ultimate end to the festival – if you’re me and your favourite band of all time is The Gaslight Anthem. However, to avoid being stuck outside Rebellion in a queue for ages like the previous night, we hung around Gorilla for a bit longer with Colin talking ska and the Scottish music scene with Kev (Paper Rifles) – I piped in occasionally but it was just nice to sit back and listen to two people who are so passionate about music talk. That’s truly one of the biggest highlights of MPF – just being around like-minded people and having a catch up.

Chloe Hawes and their band playing as The Gaslight Anthem was everything that I’d hoped for, times ten. They honestly did a better job than the real Gaslight Anthem has in recent years and it seemed like it went really well with everyone in Rebellion. They played all the hits along with my favourite song, Even Cowgirls Get The Blues, which may or may not have been as a result of me suggesting it on Twitter months ago. I had the most wonderful of times at the front singing along to every word and couldn’t have asked for a better end to my MPF 2023. After doing the rounds and saying goodbye, I finished my weekend on a huge high. Leaving then meant we missed out on seeing Speed Dinosaurs play Sublime covers (I don’t know any of their songs) and Hell’s Ditch play New Found Glory covers (I don’t think I like any of their songs) but I was more than happy with my MPF ending with TGA.

Over the following days there was much talk amongst the punk community and within my friendship groups that this was somehow the best MPF ever and I most certainly agree. For one thing, personally, I didn’t feel nearly as tired throughout the weekend (even though I technically did not get much sleep at all) and my feet held out pretty well too – no blisters! I took a spare pair of shoes and alternated between the days which was clearly a genius idea. I also drank a lot of water throughout the weekend – I basically asked for one tap water with whatever drink I was buying. More importantly: Every band I saw was really, really good. The venues and staff were all top notch. The organisation was flawless. And most of all, every person I met was lovely and just generally having the best time themselves.

I’m still in awe of how amazing Manchester Punk Festival is and cannot thank the festival organisers and volunteers enough for delivering the best weekend of the year, year after year. I’m already counting down the days until the next one!

Get your tickets for MPF 2024 now!

This review was written by Emma Prew.

Interview: ALLDEEPENDS Interview For Manchester Punk Festival 2023

Who are ALLDEEPENDS?

Hooligan: Alldeepends is a collective of artists that are based in Dundee. The name is quite well suited because it’s a pun on all dependent but also going really deep into things, giving extra layers. So sometimes we might be putting on plays, or doing shadow theatre, putting fanzines out, playing music, putting records out, painting together, vandalising the streets. 

John: Hooligan was quite adamant that we’re an art collective, we were looking at Crass and how they describe themselves as an art collective, not just a band and that inspired us to have a broader approach. 

How would you describe ALLDEEPENDS’ sound?

John: It’s very difficult to have the frame of reference to the points that the band references. I’m personally inspired a lot by the Minutemen. One of the early hardcore punk bands from LA, who played with Black Flag and Dead Kennedys. They were one of the bands that focussed on funky basslines, had a bit of a post-punk outlook. One of the things that their lead singer D-Boon said was ‘punk is what we make it’ – it’s not a sound, it’s not a style, it’s a way of doing things. They would bring in other elements to the punk scene like dub, reggae, to a certain extent ska, funk. I was inspired by that. 

Nikki: Something I always like to point out is that all of us have a deep appreciation for music but also a very wide appreciation. Obviously the banjo as an American folk instrument has a really long tradition of these very simple songs that get passed down, these lyrical motifs that appear over time but also the fact that the banjo is all based in triplets. I don’t really use a pick, I never have even when playing the guitar, but the banjo is all based in triplets and they create that almost rolling, galloping sound which I think translates really well to punk and folk music brought into a modern context and brought into modern electric, distorted sounds. 

John: It’s harder isn’t it, it’s harder than playing in a guitar based punk band. I think that’s something that lends credence to the name ALLDEEPENDS as well because our shows can vary wildly and it’s up to chance how things go on the night and whether everything works okay, there’s a lot more things but we embrace that. 

Do you find that you end up on a lot more mixed genre bills because of your style?

Nikki: The UK has quite a defined DIY scene, there’s different venues that you go to pretty consistently, you know what to expect from the bands that you support. But even still, the range of bands that we end up playing with – Cocky Horror and Endless Swarm, very heavy, very technical, almost power violence type stuff all the way to Café folk songs. The ability to push and pull the amount of distortion, even Hooligan stripped down to just a washboard at times, doing street busking – to Grateful Dead bars, to Sunday Oi matinees, to somebody's basement – the flexibility and the ability to evolve and respond to circumstance and environment is really important to us as musicians. 

You spoke about being an art collective. In art there aren't any rules, does that approach follow on into your music?

Hooligan: The outlook that we have towards music comes from art, it is a big umbrella where within you can find art itself in music. 

Nikki: I think that all three of us are coming from a background of creating something of our own style, something with our own voice and being able to incorporate it into a collective and being able to collaborate and make something greater. I think of our sound generally as a musical collage in that everybody has a very specific outlook and voice and nobody’s phoning it in and trying to follow a specific guideline. Everybody’s doing something creative constantly in the way we all have very different styles artistically as well.

Hooligan: That’s also observable in the artwork for the music that we’ve released in the way that Nikki was mentioning. A musical collage, in this case, is a 2D visual art piece where the three of us come together with our ideas and put it together for it to be the cover of our albums. 

John: It’s like translating us visually into us sonically and vice versa. It’s like three quite idiosyncratic people in an idiosyncratic band then on the flip side you’ve got the visual side of that as well which corresponds quite directly.

How did ALLDEEPENDS form?

John: We all met in the basement, Conroy’s Basement. Hooligan probably tells the story best.

Hooligan: The first time I met Nikki was when Joe McMahon (Smoke Or Fire) played the Basement. In the middle of his set he pointed out Nikki and said they just moved here a few days ago, someone go and speak to them. That was the first thing I went to do and then I heard about their project named Misery Guts. We started jamming and we knew John from the scene and also from art school.

John: We just happened to all be from the same school as well. 

Hooligan: It just all came together after we had some practices.

Nikki: Playing in the band was preceded by a lot of very long conversations about the ethics of punk and about what we want to do in an outlook sort of way and a general understanding of what punk is as a concept. 

John: It’s an ongoing conversation.

You mentioned Minutemen as an influence, what other bands influence you?

Nikki: Oooh, I’m gonna say Beastie Boys, Nomeansno and Defiance, Ohio. So folk punk, hip-hop vocal delivery and almost theatrical, a lot of rise and fall actions, that’s for me personally.

Hooligan: Recently I’ve been finding joy in my friends making music. There’s a new band called Wrecking Joy who are a bunch of my friends. The Sewer Cats. To me there’s nothing more inspiring at the moment than being at an event where everyone is part of it. The people onstage are not any more devine or majestic than the people on the other side of the stage. I think that people that are my friends or people that I know, going for it, that is what really inspires me at the moment. 

John: A band for me, both musically and ethically like Fugazi are really important for having a model of what DIY punk can be and how far it can go. Digressing a bit from this question, like Hooligan was saying, being inspired by the ethics of breaking down the divide of the audience and the band, as well as the spaces being safe spaces for everybody and everyone feeling comfortable in those spaces is really important. Also, Fucked Up. 

What are you most looking forward to about MPF?

John: All the bands, it's the pinnacle of DIY punk in the UK isn’t it? Super stoked to be a part of it. 

Nikki: It’s such a fun structure with all the venues being in walking distance and just the really unique sensation of seeing all these people around with T-shirts and patches that you recognise just crisscrossing.

What bands in particular are you looking forward to seeing?

Hooligan: I’ve been listening to the MPF Spotify playlist with all the bands. I’ve been listening to it and every time there’s been a song I like I tried to make a note of it so that whenever we know the times I can end up going A, B, C to venue to venue, like an abstract map. I found this band called Ithaca that I enjoyed and there’s also this power violence called Krupskaya. Also Cherym and Throwing Stuff. 

John: I’m stoked for Petrol Girl, that’ll be good.

You’ve played Manchester before, how did it go?

John: It’s a beautiful experience. We really like playing Manchester, it’s quite similar in tone to our Dundee scene. People go for it. The TNS crowd, the Garlic Bread Club nights are just wild. People come out for shows and it’s really supportive. We’ve had a good time there. 

Nikki: It’s quite fortunate that people are really swinging hard for it. We’ve played Fuel. I really enjoyed playing Fuel, I love the straight stage and I love the floor bouncing with people jumping.

John: We had complaints from downstairs at Fuel because everyone was jumping at the same time and they came up to beg us to get people not to jump at the same time because they thought that the ceiling was going to cave in or something and said ‘could you please get people to jump up and down at odd intervals or something?’

Nikki: The overhead lights were swinging back and forth.

John: It’s a cool place, it’s very stripped down. It’s kind of reminiscent of house shows in the USA where a lot of the sound people would just turn things up, turn mics on and away you go. It feels very punk rock, it’s not like these twenty minute sound checks. People are just setting up and going for it. We enjoyed the sound and the people who we were with, the bands we played with. It’s one of the best places to play in the UK.

Hooligan: I think that The Sewer Cats are a lot to do with the good times that we’ve had there.

John: Yeah, we’ve got connections there. Josh in The Sewer Cats is my brother, so it’s proper family. We always laugh because me and my brother are in our 30s and we got into punk and the DIY scene and we’ve got no business doing this at this time, being over 30 and doing these punk shows. It’s just a really nice feeling and it’s brought us closer together, it’s all we ever talk about on the phone now, gear, guitar stuff or bands.

Anything else you want to mention?

Hooligan: We have new music coming out, we recorded it a year ago just before our USA tour. Hopefully it will be up on all digital platforms before MPF.

You can stream and download that new music, Banjoviolence, Hooligan mentioned on Bandcamp here.

This interview was for the Manchester Punk Festival 2023 programme which you can read here – there’s loads of great articles and information in there.

See you at MPF!

Column: Colin's Manchester Punk Festival Preview 2023

Thirty minutes before I started typing this I had no intention of writing a preview for Manchester Punk Festival. I’m not doing writing at the moment, I had no plans to start doing any writing anytime soon. I was happily playing Football Manager 2023 – where I am currently managing CSA in the Brazilian Premier League – minding my own business, then the wonderful Matt Speer posted a list of band that they were looking forward to seeing at MPF on Ear Nutrition. This lit a fire under me to talk about some of the bands I’m most excited to see this year. At the time I was also listening to the Shout Louder Podcast where Sarah had a live interview with Robin of Random Hand and Dani of Faintest Idea, discussing their “rivalry”, and I thought it would be fun to start a faux rivalry with Matt by only writing about bands he didn’t mention. Full disclaimer – I absolutely adore Matt and he is one of my favourite people to spend time with. I particularly enjoy pointing out all of the times he enjoys ska.

I’m sure everyone reading this knows what Manchester Punk Festival is all about and I don’t need to write an essay telling you how it’s the best Festival in the United Kingdom. At the time of writing, there are still some tickets available. If you haven’t bought one yet, crack on – ticket link is here and I’ll see you down the front at Easter weekend. (While I’m here let’s steal Sarah Shout Louder’s catchphrase and start more beefs).

 

A Great Notion

Peterborough’s A Great Notion return to Manchester Punk Festival for the first time since 2017. The four-piece play infectious punk rock with fantastic, introspective lyrics. A Great Notion are a band for the thinkers and the listeners, as well as the folk who love a big chorus.

ALLDEEPENDS

Dundee’s ALLDEEPENDS are the most exciting new(ish) band in the UK punk scene right now. Playing banjo-driven hardcore punk rock with vocals delivered faster than your favourite rapper, the band are a force who you absolutely need to experience live. If you’re a fan of drums and drumming, you need to see Hooligan work their magic behind the kit.

Bangers

DIY punk legends Bangers are playing a reunion show! This was not something I was ever really expecting to happen and it blew my mind when it was announced. Bangers were such a huge part of the DIY scene when I was first getting into it and I sadly missed their last show due to illness so I’m so excited to see them again. Loud, growling vocals and plenty of fist-in-the-air choruses are ahead. Could it be a one off? Could there be more shows? Who knows but let’s all enjoy Bangers once again!

The Beltones

When The Beltones were first announced for MPF I had no idea who they were. The organisers had described them as your favourite bands’ favourite band so I knew I had to check them out. I was not disappointed. What a fantastic band. The Beltones play fast and melodic pop punk with raspy vocals. Like I mentioned, they are a new band to me but I’m very excited to have the chance to see them live.

Big D & The Kids Table

MPF23 have gone big on the ska punk genre this year. The big headline name on the ska portion of the line-up is without a doubt Boston’s Big D And The Kids Table. The long running ska punk legends return to the UK for the first time since 2017 and the UK ska punk scene is excited. I’m expecting plenty of songs from their latest album, 2021’s Do Your Art, as well as plenty of classics from the band’s twenty-six year back catalogue.

Boom Boom Racoon

Bristol acoustic ska sweethearts return to play MPF officially once again, after last year when they set up a very well received guerrilla gig in the park. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Boom Boom Racoon loads over the years and every single time they seem to get better and better, all while tackling serious socially aware topics, educating you and being a whole lot of fun in the process.

Bruise Control

Bruise Control feel as if they are about to become Manchester’s next big punk rock band. I stayed up past my bedtime to see them last year and felt like I was witnessing the start of something very special. The band play their own style of garage punk rock with Jimbob’s unique vocals being a particular highlight. Their debut album, Useless For Something, is due out on TNSRecords very soon and I’m excited to hear it. This MPF is going to be a big one.

Call Me Malcolm

Call Me Malcolm are easily the band on the MPF line-up that I’ve seen the most amount of times but that doesn’t mean I’m not super excited to see them once again. Their MPF debut at Gorilla in 2019 will forever remain one of my all-time favourite sets. Seeing so many people crammed into the big room singing along to these songs that I hold so dear to my heart was amazing. Call Me Malcolm are also doing a Reel Big Fish cover set for one of the after parties which will be so much fun.

Catbite

I don’t think there’s a ska band in the world that people are more excited about than Philadelphia’s Catbite. The band will be embarking on their first ever UK tour in the build up to MPF and there seems to be such a buzz for them. I had the pleasure of seeing them play live at The Fest in Florida last year and was absolutely captivated by them. It felt like a real honour and privilege to have the opportunity to see them play a small room – it’s something I don’t think they’ll be doing for much longer in their careers. Believe the hype about Catbite.

Cherym

Derry pop punks Cherym were one of my favourite discoveries of 2022. I had the chance to see them at the Exchange in Bristol and what a treat it was. Fast, fun pop music played with plenty of attitude. I feel like, with some more exposure, Cherym could be a great gateway band for the young folk in their journey into the world of punk music. For us older folk, they give a great feeling of nostalgia and, for me at least, put a big smile on my face.

Clayface

Oldham’s Clayface stepped into the MPF line up in 2022 as a last minute replacement and I’m super glad they’re back again in 2023. They play the melodic punk rock sound that I really enjoy but sadly don’t play many shows down south so this is a great opportunity to see them again. Clayface have been working on new music too which is very exciting.

DeeCracks

I love me some Euro pop punk and it’s not very often we get to see such bands play the UK so DeeCracks playing MPF made me do a big “hell yeah!” The Austrian three-piece are celebrating twenty years of being a band in 2023 and MPF will be the perfect place to bring their catchy, buzzsaw pop punk to party.

Distral

Distral are the only band to feature on both mine and my great nemesis Matt’s list. We’re locked in a heated battle of words, honest. I wasn’t originally going to include Distral but I just had to. Seeing them at Punk Rock Holiday last year was an experience I am not likely to forget any time soon. They were playing at the festival’s Beach Stage in the middle of a heavy storm. The sand in front of the stage turned into a big mucky sludge pit and the stormy back drop seemed to suit their sound perfectly. Playing fast, heavy, melodic hardcore punk, I was absolutely mesmerised. I’m looking forward to seeing them play again – hopefully I won’t get quite so damp this time though.

Faintest Idea

TNSRecords’ own Faintest Idea are back at Manchester Punk Festival once again. 2023 is going to be a big year for Faintest Idea with the release of their long-awaited new album The Road To Sedition and a tour of the USA planned for the Spring. Faintest Idea are one of my favourite bands to see live and they always draw a great crowd in Manchester. Expect big sing-alongs and plenty of dancing.

Fidget and the Twtitchers

The West Country’s Fidget and the Twitchers are one of the newer bands in the UK ska punk scene but they are quickly picking up steam. Our friends in Baldhead and the Dreads are big fans of Fidget and The Twitchers which makes me very keen to check them out. I did get to see Fidget play a solo set at Level Up Festival last year and that got me itching to see them full band.

Flinch

Flinch started as a solo project for Slowlight’s Beth Black. Beth wrote and performed the majority of their superb debut album, Enough Is Enough, during lockdown, before taking the bold move to release the vinyl LP themselves. Flinch has since morphed into a full band project that is set to do some very cool things. Flinch are a band I’m very excited about. I’m keen to take the opportunity to see a new band on the scene that I won’t often get to see around the south of England.

For I Am

I’ve known For I Am guitarist Bjorn for a few years now but I’ve never managed to see his band. I’m stoked to finally have the opportunity. I did get to see lead singer Hanne join a couple of bands to sing at PRH last year and what a stunning voice they have! If you’re unaware of the Belgian band they play superb skate/pop punk music and only write bangers. Since that disaster the UK committed with Brexit it’s become rarer and rarer for us to get the opportunity to see EU bands – make the most of this!

Goodbye Blue Monday

I bloody love Goodbye Blue Monday – not just as a band, but as people as well – and they are one of the absolutely can’t-miss bands on my list for MPF. The misery punks have been picking up more and more fans all over the place and the joyous ruckus that comes from their live shows is the stuff of legend. Let’s go Goodbye Blue Monday!

Hell’s Ditch

I felt like I was following Hell’s Ditch around last summer – or were they following me? Hell’s Ditch are a bit of a DIY punk rock supergroup who came together a few years ago. Since then they’ve been working hard playing shows and putting out smash hit after smash hit. You can’t help but want to sing-along with the band, they write some very nice ear-wormy punk tracks.

Joey Terrifying

I was at Gatwick Airport queuing for something when it was announced that Joey Terrifying would be playing a reunion show at Manchester Punk Festival. I believe I let out quite a loud “holy shit” as I read the announcement on my phone. If you don’t know who they are, Joey Terrifying are Scottish DIY punk legends featuring the wonderful Derrick Johnston of of Uniforms, Tragical History Tour and, of course, Make-That-A-Take Records. Playing a distinctive brand of skacore, I expect Joey Terrifying to bring quite the ruckus to MPF. Joey Terrifying might be the band I’m most excited to see at the festival, I never got to see them when they were active and I never really expected to get the chance. I’m so pleased I do now.

Kaddish

Another band from Scotland I’m really excited to see are Ecossemo kings Kaddish. I’ve had the unique pleasure of seeing them play Book Yer Ane Fest in Dundee a couple of times and was moved emotionally on each occasionally. Kaddish play emo music at its most raw, powerful, technical and, of course, emotional. They don’t play a whole lot of shows south of the border so this will be a special occasion and one you probably shouldn’t be missing.

Kill Lincoln

There’s been a massive ska punk boom in the United States over the last few years and Kill Lincoln have played a huge part in that. This will be their first time in the UK and it seems long overdue. Kill Lincoln play fast and upbeat ska punk that isn’t too far from the sound of the 90s heyday of the genre. From videos I’ve seen of their live shows, they play with an energy that will no doubt spill over to the audience and create a wall-to-wall skanking pit.

Lead Shot Hazard

Continuing with the ska punk, long-running UK band Lead Shot Hazard make their long-awaited MPF debut. I’ve been watching this band for years and they still seem to get better every time I see them. Featuring dual vocalists and one of the best brass sections in the UK scene, Lead Shot Hazard always bring it live. I’m so pleased to see Lead Shot Hazard getting to play MPF.

Lightyear

One last ska punk band and it’s the legendary Lightyear! What’s left to say about Lightyear? They are one of the best bands to ever step foot on a stage. Whenever they play it’s joyous chaos and nobody knows what antics are going to happen – usually not even most members of the band – but it’s always so much fun. It’s not all about the stage show with Lightyear though. Listen to their songs, they are filled with deep and meaningful lyrics – Chas is one of the greatest lyricists of his generation.

Pkew Pkew Pkew

Pkew Pkew Pkew are guaranteed to start one hell of a party at MPF. The Canadian rockers have fast become a firm favourite of everyone in the punk scene far and wide. It doesn’t seem that long ago that they released and then re-released their debut self titled album but they’re now out to support their third album, Open Bar, and already have the fourth ready to go as well. There’s no slowing these boys down.

The Slow Death

The Slow Death are a punk rock supergroup fronted by Jesse Thorson and feature a rotating cast of collaborators from bands such as The Ergs!, Dillinger Four, Tiltwheel and The Raging Nathans. Do I need to say more? That’s some cast! The band play melodic punk rock music that got big in the 2010s. Given that the band seems to have a rotating cast of members I assume they don’t get to tour often, so to get the opportunity to see them in the UK feels like one you just have to take.

Sniff

It seemed like everyone was talking very excitedly about Sniff last year – and rightly so! The newest project from Bobby Funk’s Alex Smith, Sniff is a garage/pop punk act with a twist. I don’t want to give too much away about their live show but I can guarantee that it will be like nothing else you’ll see over the weekend.

Stöj Snak

Whilst I was getting over excited about Joey Terrifying in Gatwick Airport, Emma was getting overly excited that Stöj Snak was back at MPF. The Danish act are long-time friends of TNSrecords and have collaborated numerous times. Whenever they make it over to MPF it always feels like a bit of a hometown show – it’s very special. Frontman Niels has this amazing voice that is one moment heartbreaking and the next ferocious. This will be a lot of people’s can’t-miss set of the weekend. Make sure you catch it too.

Tearjerker

Tearjerker are one of the newest bands on the MPF line-up. So far the band have only released two singles but the fact that they are on Little Rocket Records really speaks highly of the quality of the band. Listening to the songs, I’m really reminded of Hot Water Music (a band I’d love to see at MPF in the future) and I’m hooked. It’s always nice to see MPF bring in those shiny big name punk bands from all over the world but it’s also really exciting when you get to see a brand new band get a chance to show a big crowd what they can do.

This is just a selection of the bands I’m excited about at MPF. You’re not going to get a much stronger collection of bands playing a festival anywhere in the world this year – the quality is bonkers. I’m going to end this now, Emma has asked me not to make this too long as she has to edit it afterwards and we’re all out of practice with this blogging thing. Hopefully I’ve encouraged you to check out some bands you might not have heard of.

Cheers for reading. How do you end blog posts again?

Gig Review: Tripsun "Chemstrains Release Show" at Sebright Arms, London 24/9/22

Saturday the 24th of September marked the beginning of a brand new era for London DIY punks Tripsun. Last month the band released their first new music in three years in the form of the single Chemstrains and announced that they would now be going under the name Tripsun and not Triple Sundae. To celebrate the release, the band organised a stunning five band bill at the Sebright Arms in East London.

This was our first time at the Sebright Arms. I always get a bit anxious about going to a new place but it was nice to walk into the pub and immediately see friends. The actual venue part of the Sebright Arms in down in its basement. What I really liked about the venue was that there was a lower floor down the front for the pit but at the back of the room and around the sides there were raised areas which made it easier for people to see if they didn’t fancy getting bumped into down the front. More venues should have this feature.

The band asked to open the show was London’s Languish. I knew nothing about the band before they began their set. I soon found out that they were a genre mixing four-piece that blend hardcore, dreamy emo and indie punk in a way that I don’t hear too often. I have to admit I wasn’t too sure about them when they started the set, the first song seemed very effect peddle heavy and I’m not usually a big fan of that, but as the set progressed I got into it more and more. Languish are a band I expect to see on more and more London gig line-ups in the near future.

 

Next were pop punks Buds. I first got to see Buds back in March at Fishstock, in Bristol, and absolutely loved them. I believe that this was the first time Tripsun saw them as well and I know they were very impressed so it was cool to see Tripsun ask Buds to join this line-up. If you’re new to Buds then they play energetic pop punk music with plenty of sad themes. They are without a doubt one of the best new live bands I’ve seen this year, incredibly tight and really captivating on the stage. The whole set was a real treat from start to finish with Grit, Building Blocks and Bigger Fish being particular highlights for me. Something I really like about seeing Buds play is that they don’t just get on the stage and play the songs, they put everything they have into the performance and put on a real show. The band seem to be constantly playing shows everywhere at the moment, make sure to catch them when they come through your town. Buds are back in London on October the 18th at the New Cross Inn.

 

Skiv were on next. Tripsun and Skiv have been good friends for the longest time so it felt very appropriate that they were playing the show. This was my first time seeing them since they had their album release show earlier in the year and I was looking forward to seeing the boys again. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the addition of Leo Harvey on bass guitar was a masterstroke by the band. I’m not sure that there’s a better bass player in the DIY scene at the moment and he seriously stole the show with his rocking out during the set. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Skiv stuck with songs from their debut album No Context Bangers during the set and it was great to hear the newer songs live again. Skivilicious has been a staple of the band’s set for a few years now and the band were joined by Tripsun’s Hassan for the song, which was a nice touch. As well as being an incredibly talented guitarist and punk singer, Hassan is also a very good rapper and you should all check out his hip hop project, Lounar. Skiv’s set seemed to fly by and was a lot of fun. 2022 does seem to be the year that the band have taken things to the next level and it’s great to see.

The main support slot went to Grey Market. Grey Market are a four-piece post-punk/hardcore/screamo act fronted by NXI regular Theo. I hadn’t listened to the band prior to seeing the set as I really wanted to go in blind on my first time seeing them. Theo always struck me as a born front person and lives for that interaction between a crowd and a band. I was expecting something big from the band but they blew away all expectations almost immediately. Whether performing spoken word, reading from a book or screaming with a ferocious intensity, you couldn’t keep your eyes off of the stage. I’m not going to lie and say that Grey Market are going to be on regular rotation on my stereo, it’s a lot heavier than anything I usually listen to, but my word they are a very good band. If you’re into the heavier side of punk rock music then I definitely recommend checking Grey Matter out as they’re a great band. Side note: As mentioned Theo read from a few books during the set, I’m interested to know whether he reads the same part each gig or if he’s working his way through the book(s) with each gig that they play?

Now it was time for the reason we were all there that evening, Tripsun. I’ve seen Hassan, Mike, Zandro and Andy a lot over the years but have somehow never managed to see them play a headline set. Setting up in front of a sold out crowd full of friends they had made over the years, starting with Everything’s Cool was a master stroke – with the big sing-along at the start of the song really encouraging the crowd to get involved. Not that we needed much encouraging as there were big sing-alongs, fists-in-the-air and plenty of dancing throughout the set. Tripsun are one of those special bands that can connect with a crowd so organically, this really shows just what a good band they are. The band played new single Chemstrains early and it was amazing to see so many people singing the words right back at the band. Hassan and Zandro’s vocals on the song are next level and I love it. As well as playing favourites from Peace Of Mind and Glow, the band also played a brand new song from their upcoming (eventually) debut full length and some really old school songs as well. Something I always enjoy when I see Tripsun play live is how many people Hassan shouts out during the set, you can tell that they always really appreciate the support they’ve been given over the years. Towards the end of the set the band went rogue and played Chemstrains again! What maniacs! This encouraged an even bigger sing-along for the song. Have you checked it out? It really is a banger – you’ll love it. The set was then finished with Indecisive before an encore of Unseen where Theo, as always, joined them on stage to sing. Tripsun absolutely smashed this set, it was definitely up there with one of my favourite times I’ve seen them play – and they’ve set a very high standard over the years!

I’ll finish the review in the exact same way that Zandro finished the set – “Triple Sundae is dead, Tripsun forever!”

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

Gig Review: Punk Rock Holiday 2022

Back in August of 2019, a whole bunch of our pals travelled to Slovenia for a festival named Punk Rock Holiday. Emma and I were super jealous about this. Not just because of the stacked line-up but because of the beauty of the place. If you’re unaware, Punk Rock Holiday is a five day outdoor festival that takes place in the woods beside the river Soča in Tolmin. The clear river alongside the beautiful mountain views looked incredible. Then news came through that the Slovenian government had plans to build a road through the festival site, potentially putting the festival at risk. This settled it for Emma and I, we had to experience this festival at least once!

Fast forward slightly to January 2020 and Emma and I had purchased our tickets from our friends in Eat Defeat. Punk Rock Holiday do this thing that I don’t really agree with where they get the bands who are playing the smaller Beach Stage to sell tickets. I’m not really sure what the point of this is but I believe the more they sell the more money the bands make which does seem off to me. Either way, we had tickets – as did lots of our friends – and we were excited to experience Punk Rock Holiday.

Unfortunately there was a deadly virus on the way and we all know what happened during the rest of 2020 and the majority of 2021. Punk Rock Holiday 2020, alongside everything else in the world, was cancelled.

Jump forward to 2022 and the world finally seems to be getting back to what we knew before. Punk Rock Holiday could happen and the time came for us to get organised for an event we brought tickets for over two and a half years earlier. When I say get organised, I sensibly left all organisation to Emma and our good pal Paul who, if promoting gigs and booking tours ever falls through for him, could get a job as a travel agent. Man knows what he’s doing. Transport and accommodation was booked and the time finally came around for Punk Rock Holiday.

We had a flight booked from Gatwick to Venice before we got on a coach to travel the rest of the way to Tolmin for the festival. Emma and I left Bedford at 6am in the morning in order to get to Gatwick in time for our lunchtime flight. At Gatwick, we met the majority of our group whom we were travelling with. Our flight had a hour delay which actually worked out quite well for us as it meant less time waiting outside in the sun in Venice for our coach. Flying into Venice we were treated to some beautiful views of the city. The coach ride as well, which was full of good spirited (but slightly sleepy) punk rockers, was full of breathtaking views as we traversed the Slovenian hills and got our first looks at the river. When we eventually arrived at our destination it was only a short walk to our accommodation. Emma, Paul and I dropped off our bags, freshened up and headed straight out to the festival site.

Paul also doubled up as somewhat of a tour guide for us, having been to PRH before, as he directed us to collect our festival wristbands and explained how the money card worked. Basically PRH gives you a card that you have to top-up whenever you want to buy food or drink. I guess the idea of it is to keep queues moving quickly at the various vendors on the site. With wristbands and money cards sorted we made our way through the campsite to get meet up with friends and grab some dinner. Walking through the various different camp sites was the first time it really hit me just how many people were at this festival. It was like a small town had been erected in the woods full of punk rockers from all over the world. We traversed through the site and soon found our friends Mark, Claire and Mikayla sitting on a bench in the main court area known as Slovenian Village. They had arrived earlier in the day and had already made friends with someone who can only be described as an inspiration to all of us, Johnny. In turned out that Johnny knew Paul already and friendships were formed. Being quite hungry, Emma and I hit up the vegan stall named Veni Vegi Vici. One tofu burger purchased, I sat back down and proceeded to get told a story about two girls they had met earlier. One of the two girls had only decided to go to the festival because her friend wanted to and had no interested in punk rock herself. We worried that she was going to have an awful week at Punk Rock Holiday. As the evening progressed more friends appeared, laughs were had and it really felt like we were on a proper family holiday. It was lovely. We didn’t stay out too late as we were tired from travelling and had an adventure to go on tomorrow before the business of punk rock began.

Now before we continue, I must warn the dear reader that this review is going to be a little different to our other gig and festival reviews. Punk Rock Holiday was five days of punk rock and I saw fifty three different acts. There’s no way on earth I can sit here and review them all in as much detail as I normally would. Also, Punk Rock Holiday is about far more than just the bands. The setting is beautiful, you meet all manner of punk rockers from around the world, the atmosphere (the vibe if you’re a younger person) is completely different to any other festival. I’m going to talk about that as well as my musical highlights from the week.

I’m going to start off with the setting as, for me, it was the real highlight of the entire week. The Monday of Punk Rock Holiday is classed as the warm-up day. This meant there were only a few bands playing on the main stage in the evening and we had the day to do whatever we chose to. A group of us decided to walk along to Tolmin Gorge. This was one of the prettiest places I’ve ever seen. Everything was just full of beauty. You could walk along to the stream and have a dip or climb up higher (there were steps and walkways, no actual climbing was involved) and get some incredible views. It was an amazing way to start the week. This was the part of the week that made the festival really feel like a holiday. It was also really nice to do this in our little group. Most of the people in the group I only really spend time with watching bands and it was nice to spend some time with them in a different setting. It was a nice bonding experience and it’s certainly something that I recommend anyone going to the festival in future experiences too. I also learnt that Charlie from Codename Colin, one of our travel companions, is essentially a dog and will jump into water at any time given the chance.

After our walk to the gorge, we popped back to our apartment to freshen up. From there, Emma and I made our way to the festival site and found the camping beach. As we walked through the site we bumped into friends from all over who were camping and had some quick catch ups. The thing I love about festivals is the opportunity to catch up with friends I don’t get to see that often. It was like a reunion party at a festival many miles from home. We soon found our way to the beach, dodging and admiring many, many inflatables along the way. Apparently a big thing people enjoy doing at Punk Rock Holiday is to float along the river on inflatables. I feel like I saw more in that week than I have in a lifetime of going to beaches in the UK. They came in all sorts of different shapes and sizes. There were massive ones that could fit more people than most cars, that took a whole team of people to carry down to the beach. It seemed like a lot of effort but I’m sure they all had lots of fun. Not being one for water, this camping beach didn’t do much for me but it was nice to see folk enjoying themselves and it was nice to have a quiet chat with folk before the bands started.

After the beach, we explored the festival site some more. The map on the official PRH app wasn’t especially clear and is perhaps something that could be worked on for next year. We took the opportunity to walk around the site to get our bearings and work out where the best places to get food, drink, free water and toilets was, as well as finding where the main, beach and acoustic stages and the merchandise booth were situated. The way the main site was set out was actually pretty simple as you could really only go two ways across the site, back and forth. Something I found really good about this was that it made it easier to bump into folk as you traversed the site. And when I say bump into folk I mean run into folk you know. When I say run into folk I mean find and meet up and chat with folk. I hope I made that clear.

It was really cool to wander around the site. Every now and then some ridiculously beautiful view would catch your eye and you’d remember that you were spending the week in punk rock paradise. The amount of times I’d be walking somewhere and just stop because a view caught my eye was just silly. Even when bands were playing I’d look around and it would occur to me once again where I was. It really was a phenomenal place to have a festival. One day I’d also like to go back when there isn’t a festival on and experience the woods without another 5000 people being there.

I have to admit that the first time I saw the main stage of Punk Rock Holiday I was a little disappointed. I expected everything to feel bigger than it was. This was probably based on the fact that I had only seen the stage on YouTube videos before, with packed out crowds crammed down the front, trying to get as close as possible to their favourite bands. For my first actual experience looking at the stage it was a little  underwhelming. There were only about 100 people hanging around, not actually hanging, and it didn’t live up to the image I had in my head. However when the headline bands took to the stage, the area filled up, the sun went down and the lights came on, the stage lived up to all the expectations that I had built up in my head. The really cool thing about the main stage is the platform just in front of the stage that allows people to climb up and stage dive without disturbing the band. Most of the time this creates an amazing image but every now and then you’d get someone who overstayed their welcome on the platform or would insist on getting onto the stage with the band. Most folk were good natured but at times it got a bit silly. For example, the guy who kept getting on stage and putting stickers on members of No Trigger. The joke wore thin quickly. The thing that probably impressed me the most from the main stage was the sound. So many times I’ve been to an outdoor festival and been seriously disappointed by the sound. This was not the case at Punk Rock Holiday, the sound was crystal clear for every band. In some cases, it was clearer than in some venues I’ve seen bands. I don’t know how they managed it but massive kudos to the sound engineers that made everything sound so good at the stage.

Something really unique to Punk Rock Holiday is its Beach Stage. There’s a little trail that’s lit up by loads of fairy lights that leads down to the beach where there’s another smaller stage. This is really cool as you can hang out by the beach, have a swim in the river and, if a band comes on that you like the sound of, you can just walk over to the stage and check them out. Unsurprisingly, this stage was my favourite of the two. Like most people I know in DIY punk, I prefer watching bands in a smaller setting. I also prefer watching newer bands do their thing rather than watching bands who’ve been going for twenty plus years play the same songs again and again. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy watching the bands on the bigger stage but I get much more excited when I can go see a band for the first time and be blown away by them. This being an international festival, I also got see newer bands from all over the world that I don’t get to see at home and I loved this. These are the bands that I travel overseas to see. I can see most of the bands on the main stage in the UK. The beach stage had that small stage atmosphere and I loved that. A couple of negatives on the Beach Stage were the lack of food (especially vegan) options at the beach. I wonder if the lack of food options was to try and keep the rubbish to a minimum, though I have to say I didn’t witness there being much rubbish around the festival, especially not compared to a festival like Slam Dunk which I guess is the UK equivalent to Punk Rock Holiday. Also, because of how hot and dry it had been (until the final day of the festival) the pit became quite dusty. Whenever a circle pit started the amount of dust that got kicked up wasn’t pleasant, I’m quite convinced that I’ve lost a couple of days use of my lungs due to this dust. Obviously, this isn’t really the festival’s fault but it’s something I feel like people should know about if they’ve not been before.

I guess the logical thing now is to move on to the atmosphere and the people of Punk Rock Holiday. We were fortunate enough to be in a group of friends of about twenty or so people at the festival. I think this really added to my whole experience. Being with a group of friends, everyone having the time of their lives, just meant there was a really positive feeling amongst us all. It was mostly (I will get on to why it was ‘mostly’ in a bit) all smiles all around. It seemed like this feeling was a common theme throughout for everyone at the festival. For the most part (there’s always some people who are dicks) everyone was absolutely lovely. The punks were really friendly, helpful, happy for a dance and a sing, or joining in with a tiny circle pit, helping with the constant stream of crowd surfers. There are a lot of crowd surfers at PRH, even if you’re stood towards the back of the crowd it’s something to be aware of. Sometimes it can be a bit annoying when it’s as constant as it is, but it’s nice to help people enjoy themselves. Not the people who try and crowd surf from the back of the crowd to the front though – those people are dickheads. It was really cool to see the amount of people helping the kids crowd surf. Each and every time a kid got carried across the crowd they looked so happy. I like to think of when they went back to school after their holiday and explained to their teacher what they did with their holiday. The kids are obviously the future so it’s great to see parents exposing their children to this scene early, so it won’t die out. I got to meet a couple of PRH legends (who aren’t on the cup). I loved seeing how they embraced the PRH spirit, had such love and positivity and how they were just so happy doing their own thing. Love to Ian the squirt-gun wielding, cartwheeling, Sponge Bob fan and Anti the incredible spinning man.

Like I said, there were some bad eggs in the crowd. Sadly there were pickpockets in the crowd. We met a lovely guy named Joel from the Australian ska punk band Operation Ibis who was telling us how one of his travelling companions had had their phone stolen. Also a member of our group had their phone stolen as well, even though it was tied around their wrist. It sucks that this was going on and, because of this, there had to be a police presence at the festival. I hope that those scumbags get caught and banned from the festival in future.

Now on to the bands, the thing you probably came to read and the thing I purposely left until the end for viewer retention. Unless you scrolled to this point, in which case, fair play.

I managed to see fifty three different acts at Punk Rock Holiday across the Main and Beach stages as well as the American Socks acoustic stage. I have to say that I enjoyed a good 97% of what I saw. From watching the established acts, personal favourites and bands I’ve never seen before, there was a good mixture of stuff.

The first group of bands we saw were on the Main Stage for the warm-up show. The whole thing was opened up by Dutch pop punks The Cool Trick, followed by Bike Age and Chump. The Cool Trick and Chump have both written songs about Punk Rock Holiday and it was cool to see them get to play on such a big stage. From there we went more hardcore with Spider and Lim Smrad In Žila, both bands added some positive aggression to the crowd and there were plenty of people having a crowd surf early on. It was then time for the heavyweights of the night. First up were The Real McKenzies. We missed the beginning of their set getting some pizza. Sadly, this was the most disappointing part of my whole week. Don’t get me wrong the pizza was very nice, but the service was absolutely atrocious and it annoyed me. It wasn’t a one off either, my friend tried to get pizza from the same place later in the week and she got the same terrible service. When we eventually got our pizza, we went to watch The Real McKenzies. They played a fun set with plenty of dancing but some of the attempts at humour fell quite flat in our group. One friend did not appreciate being called an “English cunt” and was threatening to knock out anyone she saw in a kilt the rest of the week. Ignite were up next. We watched a bit of their set and were really impressed with how their new singer controlled the crowd and the energy shown throughout. We decided to take a moment during their set to take a sit down so we had more energy for the Descendents but we made it back to Ignite to see the first stage invasion of the week. Then it was time for one of my favourite bands of all time, the mighty Descendents. I bloody love the Descendents and it’s always wonderful to see them. They smash it every time and it was quite something to witness them with the Punk Rock Holiday crowd. It was special and I was happy to be there for it. I also took great amusement in seeing my pal Paul really enjoying the Descendents despite him famously claiming not to be a fan for as long as I’ve known him.

The Tuesday was the start of Punk Rock Holiday proper and the opening of the Beach Stage. Originally the Sewer Rats were supposed to open the stage but unfortunately they pulled out last minute. Highlights of the stage on the Tuesday included Pay To Breathe, Skin Of Tears, Dowzer, Deadends and Spaced. Pay To Breathe were a Norwegian pop punk act with lots of energy and felt like a great way to start the day. I’d previously seen Skin Of Tears at Manchester Punk Festival a few years back and I was pleased to see them again. I also really enjoyed that lots of my friends came up from the beach to see them because they liked their sound. Dowzer were another pop punk band who I’d seen play at the New Cross Inn a few years ago. The crowd were very much into them and they got some great crowd surfers. Deadends were late additions to the festival, replacing Primetime Failure. I didn’t know much about them before the set but became a big fan of their melodic punk rock style. New York Hardcore act Spaced were perhaps my biggest surprise of the day. They had this powerful energy about them that made them impossible to ignore – I look forward to seeing more from them. Petrol Girls were headlining the Beach Stage but we decided to take the opportunity to see a Jason DeVore acoustic set instead. I have since heard that Petrol Girls delivered an impressive set, but I was glad I took the opportunity to see Jason as he has one of my favourite voices in punk rock and this was my first chance to hear him play acoustic. It was a beautiful moment.

Boston’s No Trigger opened the main stage. Previously having only seen them one time before in the tiny Borderline club in central London, this felt like a whole different world seeing them on a massive stage in a Slovenia nature reserve. A big crowd gathered early to see them slay their set – I look forward to seeing them again at Fest at the end of October! Get Dead were a band that I’ve heard a lot of people talk about but hadn’t really listened to before. I definitely should have checked them out sooner – what a good band they are. I definitely understand why there’s so much hype surrounding them. Authority Zero were probably my highlight of the day. I think they’re the most underrated band in punk rock. They always release great albums full of bangers and live they are one of the best bands in the world, they always deliver a stunning set. It was no different at PRH. There was a constant stream of stage dives and crowd surfers. During the set, Jason got into the crowd and a huge circle pit opened up around him – it looked awesome. Canadian hardcore heroes Comeback Kid were also a big highlight. Most of our group aren’t huge fans of hardcore but we were all amazed by what we were witnessing on the stage. Of course, it was carnage down the front of the stage and it felt like we were witnessing a bit of PRH history during the set.

The first two bands of the day on Wednesday were the two bands I was most looking forward to all weekend, Eat Defeat and Captain Asshole. I’d previously seen Eat Defeat play in London at the New Cross Inn on the Friday before we left for Slovenia, that was my first time seeing them since they became a five-piece and they were brilliant. The same can be said about their set on the Beach Stage. Despite having a really stressful morning, they played a storming set to a great sized crowd for the opening band of the day. It’s always so cool to see a band you’ve seen play countless times play really cool shows. Well done to Eat Defeat. Next was Captain Asshole who I’d recently seen play in Hamburg at Booze Cruise Festival. Our group at Punk Rock Holiday had put together a big Whatsapp group chat before the festival and I had spent a considerable amount of time really talking Captain Asshole up. I was very pleased that the majority seemed to listen to me and stuck around to check them out, though I do also suspect that a few did it just to see me get overexcited about them. I loved their set and had a great time singing along. Unlike at Booze Cruise, they had sound coming from their lead guitar which was a nice bonus. It was also really cool when they dedicated Where The Fuck Is Kyoto? to me. Other highlights on the Beach Stage were Odpisani (who were the 900th band I’ve ever seen), NOFNOG – who played an absolutely ferocious set and I’m desperate to see again – and Direct Hit! We’d also seen Direct Hit play at New Cross on the Friday before PRH and we were pleased to see them play again. I think this set was even better than the one they played in South London. Loads of energy, the crowd was really enthusiastic and it was just a big party all around.

After getting some dinner we took our place at the main stage for what was a stacked line-up. First for us was The Flatliners who I was seeing for the third time this year. The main stage crowd grew quickly for them as they played banger after banger. The Flatliners are one of those bands that I forget just how many brilliant songs they have across their back catalogue and it was once again a pleasure to see them. Next were New Jersey punk legends The Bouncing Souls. This was an incredible set with massive sing-along after massive sing-along, as you would expect from The Bouncing Souls. Singing these songs with a group of your friends is the very best way to experience them. Our friends Paul and Toby joining me in singing Prew Believers at Emma will be a moment that will live long in the memory. When the band played True Believers some folk from the crowd lit some flares – I did question if this was smart given the amount of fires that have started in Slovenia during the summer but luckily there was no harm done. The final two bands of the day were Lagwagon and Flogging Molly. We spent the majority of Lagwagon by the VIP bar with friends, catching up and having a little dance – where there was more space to do so. This was the first time that I witnessed the man who I think is the spirit of Punk Rock Holiday – Anti (aka Spinny Man). He just spent the entirety of Lagwagon’s set spinning in circles and having a lovely time. I had a go and I also had a lovely time. We then caught a bit of Flogging Molly before deciding to head home and rest up for the following two days.

Thursday had been affectionately nicknamed ‘ska day’ by our group, since it was the day when most of the ska punk bands were taking to the stage. The beach stage opened strong with French ska punks P.O. Box. It had been years since I’d seen these guys and I was quickly reminded just how good they are live. Their set was high energy from start to finish and I loved every second of it. I was a bit confused by the guy who brought a guitar on stage with them to smash during their final song though. What was that about? Next up were Steele Justice from Belgium. Playing a more melodic punk style, Steele Justice were a great find. I got quite excited for their cover of Off With Their Heads Nightlife, I learnt that some Belgian’s call a wall of death ‘doing a braveheart’ and it was nice to see Hanne from For I Am get on stage to sing with the band. Brazilian ska punk heroes Abraskadabra perhaps played the best set of the entire Beach Stage. A massive crowd came out for them, including quite a lot of folk from Brazil which, as we know, is very far away. There was so much skanking and excitement for the set that a massive dust cloud came up from the ground which, at times, made it quite hard to see what was happening on the stage. The set finished with a massive stage invasion and it had me thinking good luck to anyone wanting to top that set today – it was amazing. Belgium pop punks The Rocket did a very good job of playing after Abraskadabra. These guys were a lot of fun and kept the crowd in good spirits throughout their set. I can’t help but think they must’ve been very warm in their sweater vests though. Australian skate punks The Decline took to the stage next and it was another fun time. I hadn’t seen the band since Fest 15 in 2016 and it felt so nice to see them again. Super positive, fun skate punk – The Decline are fantastic. I hope it’s not another six years before I see them again. Finally it was time for MakeWar. I felt like the crowd were a little slow in getting going for MakeWar but when they did it was something special with some big, emotional sing-alongs. During the set, the band had to stop playing as someone in the crowd had sadly gotten hurt. Respect to the band for looking out for the crowd and being patient, and for the people who looked after the injured person as well. MakeWar were a great way to finish things on the Beach Stage on the Thursday.

After getting yet another seitan kebab, we met up with pals to watch Chuck Robertston of the Mad Caddies play an acoustic set. This was lovely but I did get distracted by Toby pointing out how much the American Socks logo looked like a penis. Cheers Toby, can’t unsee that now. It was fun to see Chuck play some Caddies songs stripped back but the undoubted highlight was when he attempted to play a cover of Sink Florida Sink by Against Me!.

When Chuck finished we headed to the main stage were Swedish political punks Misconduct had already begun their set. Paul had been telling us about his love for this band for years and I was keen to check them out. The lazy description would be a European Anti-Flag. Lots of “heys’ and “whoa-ohs’ throughout the set. They also covered Bro Hymn by Pennywise which is a superb way of getting a Punk Rock Holiday crowd on your side. California’s Zebrahead were next to take to the stage. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Zebrahead and this was the first time with their new singer Adrian Estrella. Zebrahead aren’t a band I listen to much anymore but they are the perfect festival band. They are kings at getting parties started. The crowd was a non-stop stream of crowd surfers throughout the set. At one point they even had one of their stage techs surf on a gigantic inflatable to the very back of the crowd which was an impressive site. Next were the Mad Caddies, except it wasn’t quite the Mad Caddies we all know and love. For reasons I don’t know and don’t wish to speculate on, for this tour the band was Chuck and a group of stand-ins. It was a shame but it was still a great Mad Caddies performance. I’d go as far to say that if you didn’t know that this was a group of stand-ins then you would have just assumed it was the Mad Caddies. I enjoyed the set but was a little disappointed by the lack of faster Mad Caddies songs in the setlist. Finally on ska day it was time for the hottest band in ska at the moment, The Interrupters. It was absolutely packed in the crowd now so we decided to hang out at the back by the bars for a dance rather than being squashed in the pit. Honestly, I’d really recommend doing this, especially if you’ve seen the band before as it’s easier to enjoy the band, have a sing and a dance and not be crushed by other folk. Of course The Interrupters smashed their set, it’s what they do.

The final day of Punk Rock Holiday started very differently to every other day of the festival. There was a massive storm which turned the formerly super dusty floor of the Beach Stage to a sludgy pit. The rain got so bad that I began to wonder if they would just cancel the Beach Stage but I’m pleased they didn’t. Finnish hardcore punks Distral opened the stage for the hardy few that braved the conditions. While most of the folk who had made their way down to the stage took cover by the bar, there were a few who stood out in the mud to have their faces melted. Honestly, I think this might have been the best way to watch Distral as the atmosphere suited their moody, aggressive songs and I loved it. Next were Stagedive Suicide who had been on a massive marketing campaign for the entire festival letting people know they were there. Wherever you looked you saw one of their stickers. These guys are celebrities at this festival and at many others all over Europe. Whilst they played a style of punk that I’m not the biggest fan of, I did enjoy watching their set and seeing their singer especially clearly having the greatest thirty minutes of their life on the stage. Despite the awful weather, it was a very heart warming moment. As the rain began to ease off Stuttgart’s Hell & Back took to the stage. Unfortunately for them, the ground in front of the stage had become a swamp so there was a big gap between the band and the crowd. That just seemed to make Hell & Back work even harder to get the crowd on their side and I think everyone appreciated that. I’ve been wanting to see the band for years now, I’ve only ever seen them play a covers set before and I was pleased to finally get to see them play – I’m looking forward to the next time. Fluffy Machine were perhaps the highlight of the day on the Beach Stage. Coming on to the to the Pingu theme and then quickly jumping to some hyper EDM before launching into their set of high energy rock ’n’ roll bangers, this was a super fun set with the sun finally beginning to come out. I think the best way of describing Fluffy Machine is by saying it’s like if The Bennies played rock music. The beach stage was completed technical skate punks Thousand Oaks and Downway. Both played good sets but weren’t really my thing.

The final night of the main stage was opened by Chaser. This set gave me a big lift. It was energetic, fun and full of positivity that I really needed. We were cold after being in the rain all afternoon. This lead to Emma and I going to buy matching hoodies from the merch area. This was perhaps the downside of staying in a flat rather than camping on site, it wasn’t so easy to just go and change when we wanted to. PRH sell some top quality hoodies though, so that’s good. Belvedere were just starting when we returned to the stage. I’d seen them earlier in the year at New Cross and looked forward to seeing them again now that I’m a bit more familiar with them. I had a nice time seeing them but it was even better watching my friend Mark really get into them – he loves them. Anti-Flag were the big attraction for us on the Friday main stage. The band played a massive set, full of banger after banger as you would expect from Anti-Flag. The set went far quicker than I would have liked and I had a great time singing along to so many favourite songs. Despite being full of the band’s strong political messages, this really felt like the Anti-Flag party set and, boy, did the folk of PRH party. Once again there was a constant stream of crowd surfers. I was aware that there was a small boy on his father’s shoulders stood behind me so asked the folk around me to make sure we direct the surfers in a different direction so he didn’t have to get down or risk getting hurt. This was such a nice, friendly community that it was no bother for anyone. We love to see it. The Circle Jerks played next and that just wasn’t for me. Then it was time for the final act of the week. Originally, Bad Religion had been booked to headline but unfortunately they had to pull out late because of a family emergency. This left a lot of speculation as to how the festival would replace them. I think the festival did a great job with this. Rather than getting another “big headliner” they started the after party early with Pigs Parliament coming on stage to play their karaoke set with a whole host of singers from bands who played and some who were just attending the festival. I’m writing this review a month after the festival and can’t remember exactly who sang what so I won’t try and list them but it was an eclectic set of punk classics that the crowd lapped up. Honestly, I think this would be a great way to end the festival every year. A big highlight of Punk Rock Holiday was seeing what a community experience the whole festival was so it felt right that everyone was together singing along to the songs that brought us all together in the first place. It was a lovely time.

If you’ve got this far into the post – well done, it’s nearly finished. Now’s the time when I would sum the whole week up but if you’ve been reading intently you’ll know that I had a great time. The festival exceeded all expectations. Originally we were planning on PRH being a once in lifetime experience for us but after the week we had that might not be the case. Punk Rock Holdiay is like no festival I’ve ever experienced and I fully recommend going if you ever get the chance. And if you’re lucky enough to be able to go with a big group of friends, I really recommend doing that. PRH is best experience with many pals. And while you’re there, look out for Spinny Man and join in for a spin.

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