Disorder, Healthy Junkies, and local punks Tape It Shut and Skinhawk brought the generations together!
The iconic Conflict were supposed to being playing tonight, but Colin Jerwood’s sad passing earlier this year saw the gig cancelled. However, rather than letting the date go to waste, the promotors Complete Control Events and Future Transmissions persuaded fellow anarcho-punks, Disorder, to make their first ever trip to Reading. Having formed way back in 1980, the Bristolian band’s appearance at the Facebar was greatly anticipated.
Local punk stalwarts Tape It Shut have been on the scene for nearly a decade with their politically charged skate punk. They’re certainly the most energetic of tonight’s line up, with singer/guitarist Dan Tape leaping all over the stage, whilst bassist Kane Preston gives a masterclass in rock posturing and drummer Andrew Owens smashes out the beats. Songs such as ‘See Yourself in Five’ and ‘$cam’ are riff laden shots of angst-ridden social commentary that have the younger elements of the audience bouncing around whilst the less agile of us nodded in appreciation. All promising stuff for the imminent album.
Skinhawk are up next, standing in for Lady Rage who had to cancel earlier in the month. Another young Reading band, Skinhawk up the ante with even more blistering shouty punk rock. Singer Nikki’s ferocious delivery keeps us on our toes, as do his frequent forays into the mosh pit. Drummer Archie (with easily the best ‘tache in the venue) and bassist Jez provide a solid rhythm section whilst Lauren brandishes Kim Deal-like coolness on guitar. With songs that mix political comment (the apathetic populace-baiting chants of ‘Not My Problem’), killing zombies (‘Blazcowicz’) and killer robots (erm, the fuzzed-up guitar stomp of ‘Killer Robots’), it’s an enticing concoction.
I’ve seen Healthy Junkies many times over the past five years and have never been disappointed. Over the course of six ever-adventurous albums, Phil Honey-Jones and Nina Courson have put together a wealth of fantastic songs that need to be heard. Latest album ‘Listen to the Mad’ is a punked up psychedelic journey that gets better on every listen. Opening with ‘No Control’, Nina channels her rag doll persona with each jerking movement as Phil piles on layers of guitar riffs like a steely eyed Roy Batty. At the back Dave Gaut proves to be a most expressive drummer with every gesticulation whilst Joe Gaskell has that reliably stoic bass player attitude that keeps it all together. From the impassioned cries of ‘This is not a Suicide’ to the wonderfully ska tinged ‘Son and a Daughter’, they are a joy to watch.
Since forming, Disorder have gone through numerous lineup changes, but bassist Taf has kept the band going since their debut album ‘Under the Scalpel Blade’ was released in 1984. Now singing and playing bass, Taf has brought the band back as a trio with Alex Upchuck on guitar and Sully on drums. From the outset, it is a piledriving assault of a set. The thrash drums and breakneck speed guitar is matched by Taf’s pounding bass and guttural shouts, occasionally augmented by Alex’s growling yelps.
The likes of ‘Driller Killer’ and ‘Rampton’ are relentless aural onslaughts that pummel you into submission. ‘Out of Order’ marginally slows the pace before the pneumatic frenzy of ‘Today’s World’ continues the musical battering. By the time we reach ‘You Gotta to Be Someone’ the audience has been well and truly beaten by the sonic blitz. Rebellion Festival favourite Rat Boy’s Magic Show joins the band for the encore, adding a touch of surrealism to the set, but it’s been an impressive display of non-stop thrash punk that many younger bands would struggle to keep up with.
Disorder are still angry and all the better for it.
Main Photo Credit / All Photos: IAN LADLOW
All videos: WILL SEWELL
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My first gig was The Damned at Hull City Hall a few days after my 16th birthday way back in the mid-eighties. 800 gigs and 1,700 bands later, my love of live music remains undiminished – the thrill of discovering a new band is still one of life’s greatest experiences. My musical tastes cover a wide spectrum, but punk and goth still dominate my listening habits.
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