WORDS: BEN ADSETT / IMAGES: DORY VALENTINE

Jodie Faster

Looking around The Union, there are a lot of sore heads as Jodie Faster explode into life. This feels like a kill or cure moment because their French hardcore/grindcore crossover is loud, brash and unapologetic. Songs fire from the stage at breakneck speed and it feels like the circle pit is never going to be big enough to satisfy the band. In the gaps between these short, sharp bursts of organised chaos, this is a band who use their words very well, from dedications to lost friends to outpourings of love for their scene, and these moments connect the crowd. This is a band who move round a stage like its second nature, constantly crossing paths without ever getting in each other’s way and this adds a touch of class to a beautiful, infernal racket. By the end, as people catch their breath, the room is back on form and ready for another big day of back to back bands.

PkewPkewPkew

With the room ready, PkewPkewPkew bring the fun. Their drinking pop punk songs sound even better when the sun is out, and soon have fists, fingers and beers held in the air from first to last song. Musically, they are well versed and share the focus throughout the set with a very polite stage presence. Part of the charm is their engaging stage patter, winning any undecided audience members over between each song and creates a huge atmosphere by the end of their breathless set.

Boom Boom Racoon

As Boom Boom Racoon take the stage, it’s hard to tell what an acoustic guitar, bass and a trumpet are going to sound like. To be honest, even after they played it’s hard to tell. Every song in the set offers something completely different from Manouche jazz, crust punk, folk, ska and, beyond the musical combos, are engaging throughout. Lyrically, this is a fiercely political experience with opinions on gender, the prison system and sexuality shared within and between songs. The cleverest thing about Boom Boom Racoon is their ability to write songs packed with serious influences, both musically and lyrically, that will have the most reluctant toes tapping along to their upbeat rhythms.

Bangers

After seven years, the expectant atmosphere in The Union for Bangers is electric. As they hit the stage, there is a moment where a sense of relief is replaced by pure excitement and within what seems like seconds, the last chords are played and the band leave the stage. With a set that rapidly tracks a very strong back catalogue, there’s something for every type of fan, and what better way is there to discover a band than through a greatest hits set within this atmosphere. Who knows what’s next for Bangers but if this is goodbye, it was absolutely wonderful.

ONSIND

Label mates ONSIND have a similar backstory and importance, and throw a “Ten Years Of Thatcher’s Death” party on the same stage. This is a very different band from the two piece acoustic act that started the project off over a decade ago. With one singer unable to sing but fortunately able to still play, they drafted in a replacement and what followed felt like a once in a lifetime set. With a last minute change on vocals, the crowd were enlisted to help out and boy did they help out. In a set that closed with an entire room singing ‘Never Trust a Tory’ at the top of their lungs, it is impossible not to leave inspired (and slightly croaky).

Death By Stereo

There are so many legends on the Manchester Punk Festival line up but were they on the Punk O Rama 6? In the case of Death By Stereo, the answer is yes. With decades behind them, this is a band who know what they are doing with a crowd and they held them in the palm of their hands from start to finish. Conducting the pit and encouraging the ever spinning circle to speed up and slow down at their will; all of this whilst also delivering a punishing set of hardcore with the occasional harmonised break before the crushing rhythms take back over.

Lightyear

If you were looking for a bit of chaos, Lightyear’s set complete with human tombola, venue climbing and endless taking the piss out of each other was the place to be. Somehow coming across as a band who have absolutely no idea what is going on, they still manage to play catchy and mood enhancing ska punk to a very high standard. This is a set that was pure chaos but one of the most purely fun things the weekend had to offer.

And with that – a quick snooze before another heavy day of running around Manchester Punk Festival.

Tickets for next years Manchester Punk Fest are available here.

Click the image below to see our Manchester Punk Festival – Saturday Gallery

Pianos Become The Teeth – ‘Charisma’

The Baltimore quintet have shared the first single from their upcoming new album ‘Wait For Love’, out in February through Epitaph Records. Was this going to be anything but epic?

Jaya The Cat – ‘Amsterdam’

Jaya The Cat have solidified themselves as one of the best reggae-punk bands in the world. ‘Amsterdam’, written about their home town, is taken from ‘A Good Day For The Damned’, which hits stores this Friday. Catch them on tour in the UK in a few weeks time.

Every Time I Die – ‘No Son Of Mine’

Every Time I Die are back on this side of the pond and currently smashing their way around the UK and Europe right now, with one of the hardest tour packages ever put together. ‘No Son Of Mine’ is taken from ‘The Big Dirty’ which turned 10 years old in September.

Daisyhead – ‘Common Ground’

The Nashville emo-quartet kick off their UK and EU tour in just a few days. Catch them on the road with Sibling at your local venue. ‘Common Ground’ is taken from ‘In Case You Missed It’, which is out now through No Sleep Records.

Onsind – ‘Immature’

Onsind are gearing up for the release of their new album ‘We Wilt We Bloom’ through Specialist Subject on Friday. Fantastic jangly, alternative punk with a distinctive Northern-English twang.

Clowns – ‘Destroy The Evidence’

These Melbourne-based hardcore/punks have spent the last couple of years hitting every corner of the UK and European underground scene and have really made a name for themselves as ones to watch. Keep a look out for new UK tour dates in 2018 – you want to catch these live.

Lionheart – ‘Shelter’

Having just released their new album, ‘Welcome To The West Coast II’ through Fast Break! Records, the Californian mosh crew kick off their extensive European tour in just a few days. Stick it on. Bang your head.

Giants – ‘Did It Mean So Much To You’

These London based skate-hardcore-punks are bringing an end to the band in a months time – December 14 – at The Old Blue Last, London. One of the truest punk bands from the isle, who weren’t afraid to work hard for their art. Will be a huge loss to the scene.

Smile And Burn – ‘Not Happy’

The Berliners released their ‘Get Better Get Worse’ album at the end of 2016 and it’s been all uphill since. Having played almost every festival and a hugely successful headline tour, 2018 is looking to be even bigger and better for the quintet. Clever, catchy and will be stuck in your head for days.

The Swellers – ‘2009’

I’ve had a bit of a binge on The Swellers this week. Unfortunately, they split up a few years back, but it’s well worth digging in to their back catalogue. An absolutely fantastic melodic punk rock band.

The song is taken from their upcoming third album, ‘We Wilt, We Bloom’, which will be released on the 17th November via Specialist Subject Records, with a US release to follow via Salinas Records. Pre-orders are available here. The new track is also available for PWYW download via bandcamp, with all proceeds going towards Action for Trans Health, an organisation who seek to improve trans people’s access to healthcare.

The band will also be playing the following UK shows with Just Blanets.

NOVEMBER
24 MANCHESTER Partisan
25 LONDON New River Studios w/ Charmpit
26 LEEDS Wharf Chambers
27 DURHAM Empty Shop

The song is taken from their upcoming third album, ‘We Wilt, We Bloom’, which will be released on the 17th November via Specialist Subject Records, with a US release to follow via Salinas Records. Pre-orders are available here. The new track is also available for PWYW download via bandcamp, with all proceeds going towards Salvage Collective, an organisation who help women, trans and non binary survivors and activists who’ve faced gender oppression, violence and abuse.

The band will also be playing the following UK shows with Just Blanets.

NOVEMBER
24 MANCHESTER Partisan
25 LONDON New River Studios
26 LEEDS Wharf Chambers
27 DURHAM Empty Shop

This is the duo’s first new material since their 2013 sophomore record ‘Anaesthesiology’. It will be released on the 17th November via Specialist Subject Records in the UK/Europe, with a US release being worked on via Salinas Records. Pre-orders are available here. No music has been released yet from the record, so for now, get familiar via the last album below.

Naomi Stephens (Martha, No Ditching), Down and Outs, Ganglions, and Bad Feeling will be joining the likes of Cowtown, Colour Me Wednesday, Onsind and more at the Leeds based DIY fest at Wharf Chambers, from the 11th to the 12th August.

Tickets are available here at £9. You can find more info on the punk/indie fest here.

Cowtown, Onsind, Colour Me Wednesday, The Kimberly Steaks, The Deadnotes, Jesus & His Judgemental Father, Fight Rosa Fight, Zapiain, Dream Nails, Natterers, Track and Field, and Milk Crimes will be playing the Leeds based DIY fest at Wharf Chambers, from the 11th to the 12th August.

Tickets will be available soon at £8. For more info about the fest, click here.

The quartet will be playing shows with the likes of Discharge, Martha, Sievehead and more that month.

They released their first demo back in July and have teased they’ll be heading into the studio next month to record their first proper release.

JANUARY 2017
03 MANCHESTER Night & Day Cafe w/ Martha, Radiator Hospital, Onsind + Grotbags
07 LEEDS Temple of Boom w/ Discharge, Stupids, Voorhees, Jaded Eyes, Sievehead, Control, Lugubrious Children, Only Human + Social Order
09 SHEFFIELD The Lughole* w/ Community + Shitneck
11 DURHAM Empty Shop* w/ Prolefeed
14 BRISTOL The Red Lion w/ Allos Kosmos, Disorder, Failed State, Trigger McPoopshute, State of Decay + ATOT
27 MANCHESTER Fuel w/ Throwing Stuff, Clean Shirts + Patty Hearst

* w/ Generacion Suicida

The three day festival from Manchester DIY promoters TNSrecords, Moving North and Anarchistic Undertones, sold out way in advance this year and it’s bound to be just as popular this time around.

Joining the likes of Strike Anywhere, Petrol Girls and Paint It Black, the penultimate band announcement has revealed previous headliners The Filaments will be taking to the stage alongside Chief, Onsind, Throwing Stuff, Matilda’s Scoundrels, Tosserlad, Bobby Funk, Rash Decision, Dirty Twisters, Muskets, Doe, Lineout, and One Hidden Frame.

Early bird tickets sold out in 24 hours, but general sale tickets are still available.