One thing that doesn’t go unmissed by me when writing about Bristol’s punk scene is that in claiming so many bands are so good there’s risk of it sounding like Continue reading
Bristol
Reviewing Warrior Pope’s Papal Bull-Shit: Live at the Louisiana
Warrior Pope’s performance at the Chelsea Inn was something to behold. Vocalist / trombonist David Burke bringing a charisma to the stage the like of which rarely witnessed and is perhaps most reminiscent of Continue reading
Down with Split Dogs at Dean Lane
When first heading to punk gigs in Bristol and following the relevant social media, I fast became aware of a buzz around local band Split Dogs.
Such was that buzz my first attempt to see them live ended in failure when arriving at The Plough only to find a long line-up outside of people waiting for others to leave—which was unlikely—so they could get in.
It wasn’t until some time later that I managed to catch them at the Chelsea Inn. There they delivered a set of slick frenetic punk exploding with an energy knowing no bounds, producing so much joyous sweat the flood warning for Bristol seen earlier in the day online and making no sense at the time—the weather was fine—suddenly did in bounds. Continue reading
BREATHE/RUST: A Sound of Things to Come
Another night at the Chelsea Inn found me once again watching a band in awe of how accomplished.
BREATHE/RUST, a four piece from Bristol combining members of The Break Out, The Earth & Me, Nietzsche Trigger Finger and Crazy Arm, are tagged as hardcore on the flyer; the epithet is more than deserved, though I don’t envy whoever has to decide given the array of genres to be found across the four track self-titled debut EP. Continue reading
Girls Like Us: Bitter ‘Til The Bitter End; a review
Girls Like Us (GLU) released Bitter ‘Til The Bitter End the same weekend I caught the band live at the Chelsea Inn, Bristol.
It was a blistering set, part of another top night there (In With the Inn Crowd), during which I was about to turn to a mate and say, ‘killer bass line’ only for him to beat me to it with the exact same words.
The debut album certainly lives up to its name with lyrics plenty raw enough to suggest lived experience fuelling its theme of two-timing, dickhead boyfriends/blokes more often than not from entitled backgrounds. Continue reading
In With The Inn Crowd
One thing I never expected to hear at a punk gig: a shout-out for ex-footballer Gary Lineker, and more so one well received. Such is the embarrassment of messes the BBC has made in dealing with Lineker’s Tweet of disgust for insidious government policy and terminology, the player I once jeered from the terraces when watching play against Chelsea—I still remember one glorious miss vividly—has become a hero of our times.
Coming from openers Volatile Idea (missing from flyer below), it was not only warning to the fascist elite that their days are numbered—for they definitely are when ex-footballers used to a lavish lifestyle (ish; there wasn’t the same money in football back in the 80s/90s) see eye-to-eye with those that same elite would consider society’s most ‘radical’—but also the first memorable moment from a night full of them.
Britain Beers Back!
It was recently reported by the BBC that pub numbers in the UK have risen for the first time in a decade. It’s surely no coincidence that a) it was ten years ago that I left; b) I spent twelve weeks there in 2019 – double any other year since leaving.
N. P. Ryan 