I first caught Rites of Hadda at the Easton Punk Festival, 2024.
During the set singer Wasperella jumped into the crowd to embrace members of the audience; in the process, I was lucky enough to be recipient of a juicy Continue reading
live music
GNOD / White Hills: Bristol; 02/05/25
On Friday 2nd May GNOD and White Hills brought the utterly incredible Drop Out collaboration to Bristol’s Strange Brew for a sold out show.
I first caught White Hills live in the early 2010s at the Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, having a brief chat with Continue reading
Just For the Hell of It! Punk Times Bristol Nov 2023
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
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
Don’t Be the One
Thoughts on negative reactions to live music; inspired in particular by Billy Nomates / Tor playing Glastonbury 2023 and The Who in Toronto 2016: 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.
N. P. Ryan 