It’s the hottest day of the year, I’m on a sweatbox of a train, wearing a mask and heading for Molly’s in Birkenhead. The temptation to bail from the rail at the next station and find a sheltered pub selling ice-cold beers is extreme. Somehow though, we get there.
Steve Hock has organised another collection of motley musical renegades and starting at about 4 in the this boiling Saturday afternoon they’ve volunteered to bravely stand on a stage under the lights and sweat their way through some songs.
The problem is some of us can only stay for some parts of the gig, so like the press giant we are (Editor: Not) we co-ordinate a review tag-team from our many professional journalists in the press pool to cover the whole event. That is we beg people we know in the audience to contribute so we can write up every band.
There are sound problems, the normal sound person is not available so Bitebacks Mandy (and others) step in and manages to figure out the complexities of someone else’s PA system and get the sound from a muffled squawk to full on in your face proper PA sound.
In a last minute change to the bill caused by a covid alert, The High Rip are on first. This is a full on punk gig with loud roaring bands and the Rip are nearer to Indie in their sound. Yet through just being magnificent and powering through their wonderful songs they convert everyone to their musical cause. Its a precise set with energetic drums, fluid and sharply played baselines, inventive and intense guitar and some of the best vocals you’ll hear.
This band is passionate, their music is majestic, I think it’s safe to say I already like them but I’m not alone. Very quickly they are winning people over.
The band capture attention and after their set I can see they’ve impressed to the point were the audience have gone and bought CD or Vinyl copies of their latest album (The Rule of Four, links below), I think that says it all.
Tribal drums and thudding bass introduce us to Hospital Food. Blasts of excellent lead guitar alternating with some full on punk rhythms and they are away. Powering through a set of upbeat, humorous and melodic punk. There’s plenty of banter in between all delivered in Emmerdale accents and descriptions of what each song is about such as learning from life mistakes or past relationships.
Unlike a lot of punk bands there’s some real guitar virtuosity on display with lead breaks and a moment were they cover Thin Lizzy ‘Whiskey in the Jar’ confirming their musical skill. an enjoyable set from an enjoyable band.
Hearing the Dry Retch is like listening to some far off war, all artillery firing, that suddenly swoops close to home and ravages the local musical landscape. The bastard sons of the Stooges (as the Retch surely are) are on fire today. Later I hear there were no monitors onstage so they couldn’t hear each other so its doubly impressive that their war machine is so tight today.
And tight it is, the fantastic 10,538 (Editor: 12,000) miles from you (an ode to a distant brewery in Australia) is a jagged and complex beast of a song and here like in the rest of the set there are no fluffed notes. Whilst the sound on stage may be difficult for the band, the sound projected to the audience is spot on and the full intensity of the Retch rumbles and explodes on stage in one of the best performances I’ve seen of them.
At this point the tag team review starts as RBY leaves the building and DLW wipes the sweat from his brow having just roasted on stage for the Dry Retch and picks up his pen in time for the Hellfire Devilles set.
A quick t-shirt change (was terribly hot and sweaty on stage) I head outside to the smoking area, manage to nab one of the hard-working staff to grab a shandy, chill out for 10 minutes and chat to a few punters. I hear the next band, Hellfire Devilles start their set. I grab a pew and take in the rock 'n' roll/rockabilly experience that is Hellfire Devilles.
Wayne plays with a stand up bass and he hammers it with aplomb as he plucks and weaves his magic on it. It must be 12 years ago when I first chatted to Wayne about him wanting to get a project like this off the ground, and he has succeeded most admirably. A far cry from his Vice Squad duties but equally brilliant.
The guitarist plays a gorgeous black Gretsch guitar and he has a look of Seasick Steve as he twiddles, twangs and picks out the notes on the fretboard. The drummer has a minimalistic kit, no rack toms but he makes it sound so much bigger. The sound... this is rock 'n' roll of the highest calibre. A mix of slow/quick tracks. Some songs more traditional other having that punk element to it. Wayne introduces each song but I miss what he says, partially because of where I'm sat and his strong Welsh accent (sorry pal) but one song about a cadaver was the stand out track for me. If you like local stalwarts Elektra 56, then you'll love these guys. Overall a very enjoyable set and a band I would watch again.
With no-one left at the gig from Last Stop Sounds, guest writer(s) were sought out to review the remaining two bands. Taking on the duty of reviewing Biteback is local guitarist with The Replicants, Paul Franklin.
Local Stalwarts Biteback didn't disappoint, they never do with storming set and a mystery masked guitarist. Further investigation reveals that the second guitar turned out to be their regular drummer John! Spike from The Grenades took on the hitting duties, delivering a fine performance on drums. A band with a hell of a lot of musical/songwriting talent and experience.
Liam Trotsky from The Outta Limits Radio show (that he puts on every Tuesday on NBR), takes up the biro - It was late in the evening, the scorching heat had abated a tad but it was about to be re-ignited, as the band entered the stage, to red hot, appreciative applause. PotVics blazed into their blistering set like a searing wildfire, pounding out a few newbies, plus of course, all the classics from their debut album, such as 'Revolution' and 'Punk Rock Police' - always well received in these parts.
After powering through their pulsating set, faster than Branson's space ride, it all ended too soon from our point of view, and a now near combusting crowd, clapped them off with a thunder, comparable to the drummer's double bass pedal. The heat may have cooled, but the memory will take far longer to recede.
Words: Nearly everyone who was there but mainly RBY/DLW/PF/LT Photos: Johnny/Adrian Wharton/RBY
The High Rip:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehighrip
9x9Records: https://www.facebook.com/9x9records/
Hospital Food:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hospital.food.uk
The Dry Retch:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDryRetch
Bandcamp: https://thedryretch.bandcamp.com/
Hellfire Devilles:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HELLFIREDEVILLES
Bandcamp: https://hellfiredevilles.bandcamp.com/
Biteback:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BITE-BACK-1569109506696866
Bandcamp: https://bitebackpunk.bandcamp.com/releases
Potential Victims:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/potentialvictimsuk
The Outa Limits Radio Show: https://www.facebook.com/outta.limit.90
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