Three bands at the intersection of melody and sonic warfare!
All hail the Fender Jaguar and Jazzmaster! All three of this evening’s bands feature one of these guitars, which have long been the instrument of choice for noise warriors around the world, and are a sure indication that we’re not in for an evening of thrash metal or – god forbid – cock rock. The crowd is small, but devoted, and there’s a fun, friendly atmosphere – no doubt helped by the fact that the Red Sun Moon has a distinct living-room vibe to it.
Openers Sinews ply a fine trade in abrasive post-hardcore, and prove quite the treat for the early birds. We especially like that serrated guitar line that runs through the urgent blast of punk rock that is ‘Dust’ and the Pixies-esque stop-start riff that powers much of the penultimate ‘I Disappear’. This is music made by and for restless people, and we’re fully on board with it. An excellent start.
You could forgive Dealing With Damage for letting their nerves get the better of them, considering this is their first gig with new members Morgan on guitar and Paul on bass, but the London quintet certainly don’t seem fazed as they launch into a propulsive ‘Hate Can Set You Free’. Sprinkling some choice covers (including a souped-up renditions of The Cure’s ‘M’ and Joy Division’s ‘Shadowplay’) among some highlights of this year’s superb psychedelia-infused ‘The London Particular’ album, you get the impression that they relish the challenge, and it’s thrilling to witness. There’s a new song in their set called ‘It’s OK To Fail’; indeed it is, but tonight, Dealing With Damage do precisely the opposite. Bravo, chaps!
Headliners SAVAK have come all the way from New York, and although they’ve long been overdue a visit to these shores, they prove well worth the wait. They balance taut grooves, all manner of guitar wizardry (there’s the Jaguar again!), and earworm tunes, to great effect on the likes of ‘Natural Light’ and ‘Dead Dick’. They crack on in fine style, with not much in the way of crowd interaction, but we bopping along down at the front certainly aren’t complaining. By the time they close the encore with a raucous ‘No Blues No Jazz’, they have us all eating out of their hands, and here’s hoping we won’t have to wait long for their return. A great end to an evening of bands who have all done themselves proud.
Main Photo Credit: CLARE DOWSE
Follow the bands on their Socials:
Need more Punk In Your Life?
Sheer Terror/The Drowns, London New Cross Inn, 2nd Nov 2026
There’s a lot to be said for not giving people exactly what they want. When this gig was first announced, a few eyebrows were raised
Live review: Twenty Flight Rockers at The 100 Club, London, 30/10/2026
Formed in London in 1983, combining the leather jacket look and defiance of the classic British rocker movement with the intensity of punk, Twenty Flight
Lol Tolhurst plays intimate warm-up show bringing the songs of The Cure to Brighton’s seafront
Wednesday 28th October was Lol Tolhurst – a founding member of The Cure’s – warm-up show before the band’s sold-out performance at Whitby’s legendary Tomorrow’s
EP review: BLDSUGR! – ‘The Fields’
Released just in time for Halloween, ‘The Fields’ finds Birmingham trio BLDSUGR! doing their best to make October considerably less comfortable. The band call their
Transvision Vamp, London Shepherds Bush Empire, 22nd Oct 2026
Of all the reunions to have taken place of late, Transvision Vamp’s was surely among the most unexpected. It’s been a whopping 34 years since
Desperate Measures, London Hope & Anchor, 24th Oct 2026
Happy 45th birthday, Desperate Measures! The London-via-New-Zealand punks may have emerged in more innocent times, but the songs have aged well, and remain – sometimes
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!
