The Australian garage rockers triumph in London!
Ah, excellent, it wasn’t just us, then. Here at Punktuation, we like to believe we don’t care what anyone else thinks, but it is nice to back a winning horse, and clearly there are plenty of other folks out there who enjoyed Australian quartet Mini Skirt’s excellent sophomore album ‘All That We Know’ as much as we did. Tonight, the Shacklewell Arms is sold out, and quite rightly so.
Openers Industry Standard are self described as ‘Wonky Tonk Swamp Pop’, and hey, why not? They certainly refuse to fit in any tidy little musical box; there are some seriously arresting grooves, combined with scratchy punk rock guitar riffs, and topped off in fine style by their vocalist, who has stage presence and charisma to burn. We particularly love the song about the puppy, which at times is reminiscent of the Pixies at their most eccentric. Great stuff.
By now, the Shacklewell is packed almost to capacity, and there’s a sense that everyone is seriously ready for Mini Skirt. Indeed, it only takes a couple of songs before the Stooges-esque ‘Been A While’ ignites a pit, which bounces, seethes, writhes and generally goes nuts throughout the rest of the band’s set.
Things are no calmer onstage; vocalist Jacob coming across almost like a shadow boxer, tangling himself in microphone cable as guitarist Cam coaxes serious noise from his instrument on the likes of ‘Mud’ and ‘Smart Enough’. You get the feeling that if bassist Jesse and drummer Jacob weren’t there to keep the others grounded, the whole thing would spill over into alll-out sonic warfare, and that goes a long way to explaining Mini Skirt’s appeal. This is punked-up garage rock as a weapon – i.e. as it should be.
By the time ‘Squeeze Down’ and a cover of The Mekons’ classic ‘Where Were You?’ brings things to a close, Jacob is long since shirtless, and we depart in a smiling, sweaty daze. Mark our words – if Mini Skirt can keep up performances like these, then it surely won’t be long before they leave small venues like these in their wake, so go see them as soon as is humanly possible.
All Photos: ALEX GOOSE
Follow Mini Skirt on Their Socials:
Need more Punk In Your Life?
Live review: Buzzcocks still rocking the boat and making waves!
Marking their 50th anniversary with a Punk cruise on the Dixie Queen, Buzzcocks sailed down the River Thames in London on 5/6/2026, making this one
Live Review: UK punk pioneer Michelle Brigandage’s first concert in the Netherlands in 43 years
On 28 May 2026, London punk legends Brigandage, joined by Dutch punk veterans Rubber Gun, put on a great show in Arnhem, The Netherlands!
<div
Live review: Die Toten Hosen Start Their Summer of Concerts in Prague & Milan
New songs, surprise setlist changes, rare classics and unforgettable moments marked the opening shows of Die Toten Hosen’s 2026 tour in Prague and Milan! Florian
Album review: La Famiglia – ‘Alphabet Mafia’
Punk and hardcore, at their best, have always been outsiders’ music; by and for people who never quite fit in with the rest. Melbourne-based hardcore
Peace Of Mind/Overpower, London Blue Monk, 5th June 2026
Tonight’s bill features four great metallic hardcore bands, so it’s a shame that the turnout could be better. That said, such is the passion on
Interview: Molly Tie, author of ‘Rebel Grrrls: The Real Story of Women and Punk’
Ruth sits down to chat with author Molly Tie about her new publication ‘Rebel Grrrls: The Real Story of Women and Punk’, a genuinely fascinating
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!
