The lucky winners will each win 1 pair of tickets to access the festival on Saturday and Sunday and be part of the ultimate rock festival experience.

Taking place in the heart of London’s music scene on June 1st and June 2nd, Camden Rocks showcases the very best emerging talent alongside much loved established acts. The festival features 400 bands playing across 20 venues all within a stones throw of each other in Camden Town. This year edition already includes an impressive list of talent from rock, indie, alternative, folk and punk music and its myriad of hybrids – a diverse lineup headed up by the likes of Frank Turner, Deaf Havana, Ash, The Wonder Stuff, The Pigeon Detectives, Rat Boy, New Model Army, Wheatus, Carl Barat, Ginger Wildheart, Ruts DC, The Professionals, Angelic Upstarts, Milk Teeth, Pretty Vicious, Glamour Of The Kill, Raging Speedhorn, Random Hand, Discharge, Eliza and The Bear, The Virginmarys, Area 11, Sean McGowan, Luna Bay, Sonic Boom Six, The Last Internationale, Our Hollow Our Home, Spunge, Bang Bang Romeo, Lotus Eater, REWS, Annabel Allum, Big Boy Bloater and The Limits, Loathe, Strange Bones, Undead Raisins and many, many more.

Coinciding with the record’s tenth anniversary, it will be released on the 9th February via TNS Records. The band’s most recent release is their 2015 fourth album ‘Hit Reset’.

They will also be playing the following UK shows.

APRIL
17 LEEDS The Key Club
18 NEWCASTLE Think Tank
19-21 MANCHESTER Manchester Punk Festival
MAY
24 FRODSHAM Bearded Theory Festival
JULY
20-22 LONDON Level Up Festival, New Cross Inn
AUGUST
04 COMPTON MARTIN Outcider Festival

As well as their previously announced appearance at Manchester Punk Festival in April next year, the band have confirmed a couple of headline shows in that month and other festival appearances in the summer. The ska punks’ last release was their 2015 fourth album ‘Hit Reset’.

APRIL 2018
17 LEEDS The Key Club
18 NEWCASTLE Think Tank
19-21 MANCHESTER Manchester Punk Festival
MAY
24 FRODSHAM Bearded Theory Festival
JULY
20-22 LONDON Level Up Festival, New Cross Inn
AUGUST
04 COMPTON MARTIN Outcider Festival

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Drug Church – ‘Weed Pin’

‘Weed Pin’ is the new single from the Albany quintet. Another huge tune to add to their already impressive catalogue. Catch them on tour all over the States this month.

Turnstile – ‘Real Thing’

Put this on and bang your head. ‘Real Thing’ is the first new single since signing to Roadrunner Records. Turnstile are currently on the road throughout the USA now.

Anti Flag – ‘The Criminals’

The Pittsburg punk-rock legends have the fire back in their bellies. Having just finished up on the ‘Fireball Fuelling The Fire Tour’ in the UK, their new album ‘American Fall’ is out now through Spinefarm Records.

The Run Up – ‘WKND’

‘WKND’ is the lead single from Bristol-based The Run Up’s self-titled debut LP,  which is released next week through Real Ghost Records. A fine slice of melodic punk rock.

Old Wounds – ‘Only Your Enemies Leave Roses’

A punishingly heavy new tune from the New Jersey crew, out now through Good Fight. Think Converge meets Poison The Well. They’re back on the road for a handful of shows across the North West of the US before the end of the year.

Phinius Gage – ‘Battered And Bruised’

Having split up back in 2008, after touring an insane amount since their formation in 2002, the Brighton-punks are back together and active again. ‘Battered And Bruised’ is taken from a best-of collection, out now through Disconnect Disconnect Records.

Thrice – ‘Red Telephone’

Thrice are just awesome. Originally a B-side from the 2009 album ‘Beggars’, ‘Red Telephone’ has been given a proper release, which it truly deserves. Currently on tour in the US with Circa Survive.

Random Hand – ‘Anger Management’

Random Hand are back together and active again after a few years away. Fantastic news for UK ska punk. The first announcement is an appearance at Manchester Punk Festival in April.

Waco – ‘Mother Mercy’

Truly one of the jewels in the crown of the underground scene in the UK. ‘Mother Mercy’ is taken from ‘Deathless’ – out now through Venn Records. Catch them at The House Of Vans, London on November 15.

Dinosaur Pile-Up – ‘Red And Purple’

Dinosaur Pile-Up are currently smashing their way through an extensive UK tour. Be quick and make sure to make it to a show! Riffs and melodies galore! ‘Eleven Eleven’ is out now.

Culture Shock, Random Hand, Beat the Red Light, The Tuts, Counterpunch, Rougheck Riot, Sam Russo (full band), Atterkop, Chewing On Tinfoil, PMX, Rebuke, Happy Accidents, Sounds of Swami, In Evil Hour, Freddy Fudd Pucker, Tom Aylott, and Dead Drummer will join the likes of Propagandhi, Wonk Unit, The Bennies and more at the Manchester based festival from the 19th to the 21st April 2018. More acts shall be added soon.

The event will take place across various Manchester venues including Gorilla, Rebellion, The Bread Shed, Zombie Shack, Underdog, Font and The Thirsty Scholar. Advance tickets cost £40 and can be purchased here. Keep a tab on their Facebook for future updates.

Compiling video footage from their 2014 UK tour, the song is taken from the Keighley ska punks’ 2015 fourth album, ‘Hit Reset’. The band have been on an indefinite hiatus since the year of that record’s release.

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With the four piece’s last ever (but most ridiculous) tour already finished, ‘Hit Reset’ stories everything that made Random Hand a cult favourite. Clearly unphased by any financial gain, making it in the mainstream was never the mission. The band just want to educate, do something different to everybody else and to put some smiles on peoples faces while they’re at it; and this fourth full-length record does them complete justice.

Although it’s a genre some like to chuckle at, ‘Hit Reset’ is completely packed with ska punk singalongs that are innovative rather cheesy. Like a mix of Bad Brains, Black Flag and The Specials, every song has a level of anarchism to it that makes you want stick your fingers up to the nearest figure of authority in sight (probably your mum though so be careful). 

Vocalist Robin Leitch provides individual and intelligent lyricism on tracks like ‘Death By Pitchforks’ without it sounding cliche or overzealous. He reminds you exactly why they’re one of the most politically switched on bands in UK punk rock.

It’s a massive shame that these tracks won’t be fully embraced live. Opening song ‘Day One’ has that quick-fire pace and hardcore like snarl to get the circle pits going. The anthemic ‘If I Save Your Back’ would have been a setlist must, while ‘After The Alarm’ and ‘Pack it Up’ get the trombone out as the band use their classic brass sound that would have everyone in a room skanking and sweating. 

‘A Clean Slate’ may be the weakest song on the album, but only because you’ve heard them do this three minute formula many times already. The latter part of the album does slightly suffer by this. They know how to put together a cracking song structure, one that will get you dancing no matter what, but some added ambition to experiment further would have kept the album interesting and not harmful at all.

Although they never made a massive noise about it, for anyone actively involved in the scene, Random Hand have been one of the pioneering bands in the last ten years. Their unrivalled energy and passion points out that they’re leaving a large hole in ska punk, which, considering many people have moved on, may never get filled. 

This album and their final live shows allows Random Hand to walk away (for now) with their heads firmly held high without any obvious regret. It’s a statement on why they are so special to so many fans, and this is the perfect parting gift for them. It’s going to be sad without them, but you never know when they might decide to hit reset…

LOUIS KERRY

The very final Random Hand shows before their hiatus resume tomorrow. The Keighley 4 piece hit these towns for the last time:
SEPTEMBER
03 HULL The Adelphi
04 LEEDS Brudenell Social Club
05 PLYMOUTH The Junction
06 BRISTOL The Fleece
09 HALIFAX The Victoria Theatre
10 NEWCASTLE Think Tank at Digital
11 NOTTINGHAM The Maze
12 BRIGHTON The Hydrant
13 LONDON The Underworld, Camden, UK (w/ Sonic Boom Six, River Jumpers & Faintest Idea)

More details and event links up on the Random Hand Facebook page.

The sad news of Random Hand’s decision to call it a day at the end of this year has a silver lining – along with a monumentally large tour being planned now, they have also launched their Pledge campaign for the production of their final album. The fact that in well under a single day it has already reached its original target is no surprise to this PT writer. Doubtless the more they raise, the more impressive the final thing will be.

Visit the pledge page now for a plethora of different packages.