Do you like your punk rock loud, fast and feral? Then step this way!
Ah, The Grace. It’s been a while, but it’s always a pleasure to return to you and your ceiling full of twinkling disco balls. Sashaying around Studio 54-style is absolutely not part of the plan for this evening, though, because things are about to get very loud indeed.
“It’s Thursday evening, shouldn’t you all be in bed?” That’s Lily Rae, the singer/guitarist of Fightmilk, who joined the bill at late notice, and are very happy to be here. Thank goodness we didn’t choose a quiet night in, because this quartet have evidently imbibed the best of 90s alt-rock, and soon prove that seriously catchy tunes and quiet-loud dynamics remain the best of bedfellows. Recent single ‘Sounds Like A You Problem’ makes us want to BOUNCE (but damn my sore back), and your listening homework is 2024’s excellent ‘No Souvenirs’ LP, which they quite rightly lean on heavily tonight.
Thank you, Bratakus, for saying so much of what – unfortunately – still needs to be said, and it’s heartening that the crowd (well, most of us, anyway) listen closely to Scottish sibling duo Brèagha and Onnagh Cuinn when they take on topics like toxic masculinity (‘Real Men Eat Meat’) and poor gig etiquette, both of which are still depressingly familiar in today’s world.
They are proudly political too; a Palestinian flag is displayed on the stage behind them, and Onnagh‘s bass guitar sports the Gaelic inscription “Saorsa don Phalaistain” (Freedom for Palestine). Guitarist Brèagha speaks confidently and knowledgeably in between numbers about the events which inspired their songs.
Sonically there are echoes of their former tour buddies (and Punktuation faves) Maid Of Ace in their sound, but we’re most impressed by the way they take the hallmarks of classic riot grrl and grunge, and play them with almost hardcore intensity. Even the (slightly) slower ‘Drowning’ oozes righteous venom, and like all the best punk bands, they make playing raw, full-throttle punk rock seem like the easiest and most damn fun thing in the world. Never exactly slackers in the live setting, they’re clearly feeling revitalised by the recent release of their superb ‘Hagridden’ album, and they get bonus points for having a drum machine that sounds pretty much indistinguishable from an actual drummer.
Seriously, in an ideal world, there’d be a packed crowd going absolutely apeshit, and if Bratakus can keep up performances like these, then maybe those days aren’t as far away as they might think. Go see them – you can thank us (and, more importantly, them) later.
All Photos/Videos: RUTH RAE
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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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