January 2011:
8TH – BRADFORD, TREEHOUSE CAFE
9TH – PRESTON, DOG & PARTRIDGE
10TH – MANCHESTER, NIGHT & DAY CAFE
11TH – NEWCASTLE, TRILLIANS
12TH – MIDDLESBOROUGH, TBA
14TH – NOTTINGHAM, THE CENTRAL
15TH – BRIGHTON, CAROLINE OF BRUNSWICK
16TH – LONDON, NEW CROSS HOUSE SHOW (FB EVENT HAS INFO)
17th – LUTON, VENUE TBA
18TH – CAMBRIDGE, CAFE PROJECT
19TH – BATH, GREEN PARK TAVERN
20TH – PLYMOUTH, JACK CHAMS
23RD – LONDON, BRIXTON WINDMILL

For more info, head to the following link:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=185870981424273

Nursing rather a sore head from last night?s leg of this tour, Punktastic has made its way to a very muggy Camden town. Roughly three hours ago England was unceremoniously dumped out of the World Cup. A blinding sun has brought a registered 28 degrees outside. Every other house you walk past is seemingly burning the BBQ charcoals. There?re plenty of reasons not to venture into the stifling heat, gloomed murkiness, and draught beer-free atmosphere of The Purple Turtle this evening but for the few that have slinked in, tonight?s show proves an enjoyment, beginning to end.

BYGONE is a two piece from just outside London that seems to have been ensnared into the whole Frank Turner acoustic scene. The band?s CD even has a mock-up of Turner?s FTHC logo. On stage the duo is appealing enough, standing out as much for a settled between song banter as for its SEAC (that?s South East Acousticore, if you?re keeping check). It?s not all that remarkable but it?s decent enough to bring the tapping of toes and a smile to the face.

LOST ON CAMPUS follows with a sound that also harks back to Turner?s first EP, although there?s more than a smidgen of early Get Cape parading about here. With the dastardly hot weather it?s not all that surprising to discover that Rob Lynch, the man behind the moniker, has vomited moments before coming on stage, a fact that explains an uncomfortable and sluggish outing. Still, there?s plenty to be impressed by, and the prospect of the backing laptop (notably missing here) to beef the sound out a little, it?s hard to argue Lost On Campus is onto a winner.

For tonight?s close of tour show, the two exes, BEN CHILDS (ex-Sonic Boom Six) and MIKE SCOTT (ex-Phinius Gage), have decided to pool resources and perform a split set. Childs will play two songs followed by two from Scott, before Childs is up again, and so on. It?s rather an intriguing concept (Lost on Campus marvels at what it might be like if AC/DC and M”tley Cre did likewise) and one that could profusely backfire. That?s not the case though, in part thanks to the almost omnipresence of violinist Luke Yates. So tonight it?s The Ben and Mike Trio, sometimes featuring three performers, sometimes two, sometimes one. There?s even an instance where neither Ben nor Mike is in the trio. Confused much?

Childs starts the tag-team set with joyfulness aplomb, merging Babyboom tracks with newer numbers that are clearly branded with a heavy folk iron. Acoustic ska this is not. A good old hoedown is as likely as a quick skank tonight. Throughout his performance a grin adorns his face, and that of the people surrounding him, and a feel good vibe reverberates.

Scott on the other hand trades on his patented pessimistic beguile, serenading the intimate crowd with tales of lost bands, lost wives and a lost soul in Luton, all the time seemingly winding his gangly body into knots. His outlook may be the polar opposite to Childs but the contrast tonight works really well and the crowd is noticeably impressed, and ultimately won over with a cover of Neil Diamond?s ?Solitary Man? (yes, Diamond did it before Johnny Cash, Chris Isaak, HIM, etc).

Together they might be the odd couple but tonight?s set proves to be something a little different and a little special. Whilst the uniform solo sets on this tour have been enjoyable, this double-up intrigues and impresses more. Scott retires early allowing Childs the final glory (as well as the opportunity to bring his friends up to perform). There?s high emotion for a cover of The Gaslight Anthem?s ?The ?59 Sound? which is described as a bit ?obvious? but works well into Childs? new sound, and by the time the night is out it?s impossible not to have enjoyed yourself. Who cares about football, sunshine and BBQs? Stuffy venues are still the best places to spend a summery Sunday evening.

Alex Hambleton

What happens when you decide to take a break from the brute noise of hardcore punk in favour of the more sociable musings of acoustic music? For Mike Scott, tonight the answer seems to revolve around playing to a handful of people who may not quite have expected what he has to offer.

Opener eLad brandishes his influences ten feet high for all to see. Playing two Johnny Cash classics, the Lutonian singer/songwriter is obviously partial to a little bit of the Man in Black, a move that initially works well. Unfortunately, a mid set out-of-tune guitar manages to halt any momentum and the rest of the set crawls to its finish.

Lester Allen starts out like Bob Dylan, mouth organ and all, but quickly develops into something a little more home grown. It?s slow paced folk that has potential and is well received by the partisan Luton gathering. In ?Good Old Luton Town? Allen has a gem of a song (?gangster stabbing/mobile jacking/youth binge drinking?) that may be tongue-in-cheek but certainly seems spot-on.

Since his appearance in Luton six months ago Mike Scott has put out a new E.P. (?At The Slaughterhouse) by way of the increasingly popular medium of free download; received national radio exposure; played shows with the likes of Sundowner, The King Blues and Mike Park; and in general looks to be paying closer attention to this whole acoustic solo thing. Hunched on a low stool, tonight Scott plays to a dozen, mostly quiet and respectful pub dwellers, a far cry from the slam dancing, windmill filled pits of his time with UK underground punk veterans, Phinius Gage.

It?s his punk background that sets Scott apart tonight. Whereas the undercard has been all gentle strings and chirpy content, the South Londoner is aggressive, curt and raw. He plays with the weight of the world is on his shoulders, merging a bleak opinion of today?s political climate with a seasoned sense of delivery. It?s a mixture of snarling attitude and burdened intensity that?s highlighted in a cover of Propagandhi?s ?Haillie Sellasse, Up Your Ass?, the ?Fuck Religion? chorus of which seems to surprise a few of those in attendance.

Songs like ?Sweatshops and Slaughterhouses? and ?The Provocation Song? are performed with a deliberate sense of impact, well honed from a lengthy time on the touring circuit. Even the intrusion of what can be politely referred to as some ?loud/ manners-lite? patrons doesn?t faze Scott (I guess it?s the plight of any pub-playing acoustician), who professionally carries on in a manner that the younger performers tonight should take heed of.

Packed it may not have been, but tonight?s show proves that the acoustic scene out there isn?t just about forlorn love ditties by fashion-conscious players. The scene can still be political, and it can still make a difference. In essence, this is socially-aware acoustic punk rock and it?s great to hear.

Reviewed by: Alex Hambleton