Two tremendous local bands plus northern English and Dutch guests rip our ears wide open!
How about a quiet Sunday afternoon in the English town of Reading? Nah!! Top local promoters Shadow Promotions DIY are putting on four punk bands for our entertainment at The Butler – and it’s gonna be LOUD.
Headliners Drunktank are over from The Netherlands on their ‘Devastatour’, and on its final date today they’re joined by local punks Launch Control and Tape It Shut, with Reason To Leave visiting us from NW England.
Local political punks Launch Control open the afternoon with their usual aural assault, featuring several numbers from their recent first full length album ‘The Omnipotent Wage’. Vocalist Lee Switzer-Woolf never stands still, his constant motion on and off the stage matching the urgent flow of his words. Guitarist and vocalist Alex Steer is equally lively, punctuating his shredding with high jumps throughout the set. At the back Seb Olward drives the beat at a punishing pace from the drum kit. Finishing their set with popular sing-along ‘Attention Economy‘, Lee is back in the circle pit, encouraging as much crowd participation as he can!
Fast hardcore/skatepunk band Reason To Leave have travelled down from Southport to be here, and we’re stoked they made the trip! Mike‘s vocals tend more towards Oi than the average skatepunk band, but he makes serious points with songs such as ‘Bloody Hands‘, plus ‘Do Or Die‘ and ‘What Is True?‘ from their most recent EP. Guitarist Tom whacks out intense, spiky yet melodic riffs and chords. The rhythm section of Hawky on bass and Prav on drums doesn’t let up either, and their creativity is impressive! All three also get involved in the backing vocals which gives their songs added depth. A couple of new songs get an airing, including this one, ‘In My Head‘ as the crowd goes wild to their efforts:
Reading band Tape It Shut are riding high on the wave of their recent album release ‘Suspicious Package’, and it’s no surprise that we hear several choice cuts from the record this afternoon! Vocalist & guitarist Dan may be tired from playing the previous night in Brighton, and helping set up today’s show, but on stage they’re all fire and frantic melodic delivery. Stage left bassist Kane is throwing shapes and pushing the boundaries of their bass, adding occasional yells as backing vocalist. Behind the kit, Andrew is giving it 100% + and is gleaming with sweat. A new song is unleashed, much to our joy, and here it is – ‘Play Stupid Games, Win Stupid Prizes‘. It’s awesome to hear the Tape It Shut songwriting juggernaut thundering onwards:
Our headliners Drunktank come highly recommened – “damaging ears since 2003”, this Dutch (plus one German!) five-piece hit the stage with both confidence and volume! Lead vocalist Sarah Ockhuysen instantly engages us, her strident voice easily a match for the instruments around her. Incorporating high kicks to punctuate the beat, both she and bassist Jouke Rispens are alive with the music! Guitarist Johannes Fröẞler doesn’t stop grinning while his fingers fly across the frets at crazy speeds, matching Jouke’s intensity.
At the back, Ray Drenth has all the chops and more – what a bloomin’ fantastic drummer! The other drummers from today’s bands are watching him with awe and admiration. Stage right, guitarist Jasper Siebum looks like he’s been parachuted in from a Hard Rock band, but he rips out plenty of punky searing solos while matching the pace set by his bandmates. Drunktank‘s metal infused skatepunk is equally adventurous and infectious – if they’re playing near you, I’d most certainly encourage you to go catch this superb band live!
Main Photo Credit / All Photos & Videos: RUTH RAE
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Usually found jumping around down the front at gigs, I also relish taking photos and videos, singing, speaking with fellow music fans, and asking musicians the questions nobody else does. Writing about my favourite bands and connecting with people who love music too keeps me more-or-less sane! I’ve worked for over 25 years at a video production company, mainly filming live music events, therefore I have an additional backstage perspective on the scene.
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