The Yorkshire quartet return to the legendary London punk venue after 41 years!
Ah, the 100 Club, it’s been quite some time! The legendary punk venue must feel a bit lonely at times, what with the demise of several nearby central London live music hotspots over the years, but it hasn’t lost its charm. Plus, with three quality bands on offer this evening, we’re more than happy to get reacquainted with its red walls and great acoustics.
Hmm, this is the third time we’re seeing (and reviewing) Quick Romance in less than a month, so what more can we say about them? Having watched them completely own the stages of Harrow’s Triinity Bar and London’s Water Rats, we’re delighted to see them look equally at ease on the 100 Club’s bigger stage.
Most of the cameras are on vocalist Matilda and guitarist Haydn, so let’s give some love to drummer Oliver and bassist Gabe – the engine room of the band, and without whom Quick Romance couldn’t dazzle as much as they do today. The Bath quartet seem to get louder and more confident with every gig, and trust us when we say that you need them in your life. Superb.
We haven’t seen Fantazmaz in a while, so we’re relieved to find out that they still go straight in for the kill and don’t let up throughout their frenzied half-hour set. It’s impossible to take your eyes off frontwoman Thami as she criss-crosses the stage, leaning in towards the crowd as if she wants to jump down and rip us all to shreds.
The likes of ‘Does God Know Misery’ and ‘Pobreze É Violencia’ are blasted out with almost hardcore-level fury, and a rip-snorting cover of Zeke’s ‘Telepath Boy’ is a welcome bonus. Tonight, the Britzilian (British/Brazilian, in case you were wondering) quartet reclaim the street-level punk rock crown for themselves, not that they ever let it slip in the first place. A triumph.
As ever, headliners Instigators are an unfussy bunch, announcing their arrival onstage with little more than a loud power chord, before tearing into the first of a whopping twenty-one songs. Compared with their set at Signature Brew Blackhorse Road earlier this year, vocalist Andy moves about more on the larger stage, and the band as a whole seem a bit more energised and fired-up (and they weren’t exactly slouches in the first place).
Andy has long since perfected the 1000-yard stare, and when paired with his sometimes Jaz Coleman-esque delivery, it’s as if he’s warning us about something really bad that’s been going to happen. Indeed, the scratchy post-punk of ‘Computerage’ was eerily prophetic for its time, and this evening the breakneck-speed ‘Dine Upon The Dead’ and the spidery riffing of ‘Tricked & Abused’ are also highly impressive.
In true Instigators style, there’s no encore – just scorching renditions of ‘Ignorance Is Bliss’ and ‘The Fix’ to ensure tha the band’s long-overdue return to the 100 Club will be remembered fondly. Thanks to Vive Le Rock for having us along for the ride, and for putting such a great bill together in the first place! Keep up with them via the link.
All Photos: ALEX GOOSE
Follow Instigators on Their Socials:
Need more Punk In Your Life?
Hot Flushes/High Voltage: Older women in punk & Menopause awareness gig in a week’s time!
Moon Punx are to put on an All Day Punk Music Event for The Menopause Charity to raise awareness and funds! Hot Flushes/High Voltage –
Album review: The Cramps ‘Gravest Gravy’
The never-before-released, Alex Chilton-produced 1977 album by The Cramps, ‘Gravest Gravy’, mixed & mastered by Henry Rollins & Ian MacKaye is the first release on
Album review: Daily Thompson bond over release of a brand-new record ‘Glue’
This band is a new one to me, but they’ve obviously been around for a while, as ‘Glue’ is Daily Thompson’s 7th album release. Musically
Real Rebellion Starts Here: Highlights from the Rebellion 2026 Introducing Stage!
Don’t let the name fool you. Rebellion Introducing Stage doesn’t just mean young, it means new to Rebellion and the Rebellion crowd, and as usual,
EP review: Barriers – ‘Time Crisis’
It was just over eight months ago that we last saw Brighton quartet Barriers, at a superb gig at London’s Deptford Endeavour, and so we’re
Jimmy Eat World, London Crystal Palace Bowl, 16th August 2026
Damn, we feel old. A visit to the UK from Jimmy Eat World is always a cause for celebration, but this time it comes with
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.
Did you know that we are 100% DIY? We run our own game. No one dictates to us, and no one drives what we can or cannot put on our pages – and this is how we plan to continue!
