We were in our element on this Sunday afternoon of quality punk and hardcore!
Not that we don’t love reviewing the likes of Rebellion Festival for Punktuation, but small gigs are definitely where we feel most at home. This Sunday matinee is a case in point; this is my first time at the Trades Hall, and there’s a fun, friendly atmosphere, decent sound, and a bartender wearing rainbow-coloured Doc Martens. What’s not to like?
Nottingham bruisers King Of Pigs play fast, furious & filthy. Their name makes me think of Poison Idea, and indeed the likes of ‘War Hyms’ & ‘Satanic Death Rattle’ give me the same jolt of adrenaline that I felt when first heard the Portland legends’ ‘Death Of An Idiot Blues’. Throw in a few amusing quips about Phil Collins – and their own absolute beast of a drummer – and we’re totally sold. Check out last year’s ’After Victory Comes Defeat’ album, it’s awesome.
If the drummer is the star of King Of Pigs, then we like how Hearing Tests’ bassist plays Lemmy-style chords. Unsurprisingly, there’s a huge seismic rumble to their sound, along with some brilliantly discordant Jesus Lizard-esque blasts of noise rock. Their vocalist could double as a doomsday street preacher, stalking the small space constantly, and ending up on his knees in the crowd as his band bring things to a close with ‘Bully’. Superb.
What can we say about Dealing With Damage that we haven’t already said before? Today’s there a playful edge to the punk/post-hardcore/loads-of-other-stuff crew’s set, with singer/guitarist Ed attempting a spot of dancing during the closing ‘Rinse Repeat Rinse’. We thought punk was supposed to be rough and ramshackle, but this lot sound like they practise every single day, the bloody sellouts. Seriously, though – the music remains as edgy, restless and compelling as ever, with the couple of new tracks boding well for the band’s forthcoming third album. Can’t wait to see what they get up to in 2026.
The Restarts sound like they’re about to explode with righteous anger. Sometimes the veteran trio go hard and fast on straight-up belters like ‘Outsider’ and ‘The One Percent’, sometimes they add a twist of ska-punk to proceedings, as on ‘XQ28’, but they keep it raw and utterly relentless at all times. Vocalist/bassist Kieran has plenty worthwhile to say, and it’s heartening that people listen closely and applaud as he rails against all manner of evils in this sick sad world. Long may they rage.
Cheers to Al (belated happy birthday, mate!), Aidan, and everyone else involved in putting on such a good reason to get out of the house on a cold Sunday afternoon! Check out details of future Capital Salvage shindigs on the links below.
All Photos: ALEX GOOSE
Follow Capital Salvage on Their Socials:
Need more Punk In Your Life?
Live review: Chelsea / Desperate Measures / Rage DC at Facebar, Reading 28/08/26
Tonight, the indomitable Mannie of Shake Some Acton heads west to bring together local, national and international Punk bands to entertain us; Rage DC, Desperate
Shake Some Acton gig #172, London Hope & Anchor, 2nd Sept 2026
Putting on small-scale gigs mid-week can be a somewhat daunting task, but Shake Some Acton seem to have it down to a fine art. Ok,
Album review: Slaughter and the Dogs are on ‘White Heat’ in this long-awaited return!
Guitarist Mick Rossi and his cohort of punk rock veterans have a new album coming out, ‘White Heat’, the first under the Slaughter and the
EP review: BE N!CE reveal ‘It’s Getting Harder’
London four-piece BE N!CE return with ‘It’s Getting Harder’, a six-track, fan-funded and independently released second EP. BE N!CE sound like a band finding strength
Album review: Southpaw (UK) map out their ‘Longitude’
Norwich DIY Punks Southpaw are back with their seventh album, ‘Longitude’. Sharper and more direct, the new songs mark a small but significant gearshift yet
Bad Wolves honour Dolly Parton with their version of ‘Jolene’
Joining millions of fans around the world mourning the sudden passing of the Queen of Nashville, this is the perfect rock tribute from Bad Wolves
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!
