The Isle Of Wight's finest play a blinder in London!
Urrggghhhh, the curse of the Gig Clash strikes again. Over in Camden, Split Dogs are playing at the Underworld, and it’s safe to say that there’s a fair overlap between fans of the Bristol crew and those of Grade 2. Still, the Islington Academy 2 is sold out tonight, and apparently the Underworld is pretty packed too, so overall, a win for young bands breathing new life into classic punk rock sounds.
Openers Clobber are on typically rabid form. It’s easy to laugh at how far frontman Charlie will go to get a pit started, including climbing on top of the bar for a vitriolic ‘Tottenham Court Road’, but his heartfelt speech about mental health prior to ‘Be Someone’ marks both him and his band out as folks to be taken seriously. We’ve compared them to Rancid before, and that still rings true; like Tim Armstrong’s crew, they may not be pushing the envelope musically, but the songs and spirit are definitely there. A closing ‘Council Estate Of Mind’ sounds even more anthemic than ever, and they depart having seriously raised the bar for the headliners.
We needn’t have worried, though. If you’re new to Grade 2, you’ve picked a great time to say hello; the Isle Of Wight trio have today just released their best album to date in ‘Talk About It’, and it gets an airing tonight. The band are clearly stoked to be here as they rip into the opening ‘Standing In The Downpour’ and ‘Pubwatch’, and things rapidly start to get very sweaty both onstage and in the crowd. Beneath their brand new backdrop, drummer Jacob is smashing out a storm, sticks flying at lightning speed.
At times, we wince at how close bassist Sid and guitarist Jack come to crashing into each other as they criss-cross the stage, but these guys have been playing together for over a decade, and seem to have an almost telepathic musical connection. Be it the unflinchingly honest street-punk of ‘Better Today’ and ‘Talk About It’, or an unexpected (but welcome) Ramones-style cover of ‘Do You Wanna Dance’ (why yes, sir, we do!), they simply can’t fail tonight – not least in front of such a devoted crowd.
That sent a shiver down my spine!” declares Sid as the crowd join in loudly during a late brace of the evergreen ‘Only Ones I Trust’ and ace newie ‘Hanging Onto You’. We’re inclined to agree, and it occurs to us that although Grade 2 are a hard-touring bunch, they always manage to bring a sense of occasion to their gigs – and tonight is no exception. Do yourself a favour and check out that new album, if you haven’t already – it’s the sound of a band to believe in.
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Grade 2, London Islington Academy 2, 3rd April 2026
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I spend my days teaching English to foreign students, and my evenings attending as many gigs as possible. Raised mainly on a diet of 90s third-wave punk, my tastes have grown to include just about anything from trad ska to thrash metal. The Ramones are my musical gods.
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