Harrow probably didn't quite know what hit it when Deaf Devils came to town!
Resistance is futile, folks, because tonight’s headliners Deaf Devils are coming for you, whether you like it or not. We’ve already witnessed the Spanish quartet dazzle at venues all over central London, and now it’s the turn of the sleepy suburb of Harrow-on-the-Hill to be Deafened. Shake Some Acton have done it again, with a line-up for which we’d happily have travelled all the way to the end of the Metropolitan Line (but thank you, Mannie, for not making us schlep that far!).
Shit Stirrers have a guitar tone reminiscent of a cloud of very angry bees, plus a vocalist who spends most of his time in the crowd, and both are just fine with us. Their guitarist has a D.R.I. sticker on her instrument, and having witnessed the Texan crossover legends earlier this month, we’re pleased to discover that Shit Stirrers are in a similar musical vein; with nimble fingered riffing a-plenty on relentless cuts like ‘Cut Off My Nose’ and ‘In Our Blood’. There’s a sense that, on a night of few fucks given, these folks give the fewest fucks of all as to whether we actually like them, and that’s partly what makes them so enjoyable. A great start.
We first saw Quick Romance last summer at Clerkenwell Festival, and they’ve only grown in confidence since then. They’re the sum of their parts, with drummer Oliver gleefully smashing the shit out of his kit, bassist Gabe holding down the low end in fine style, guitarist Hayden unleashing some serious Angus Young-esque histrionics amid the buzzsaw attack, and of course vocalist Matilda at her charismatic, hair-swishing best. X-Ray Spex and The Rezillos are perhaps lazy comparisons at this stage, but the Bath quartet have the songs and stage presence that would make both of the aforementioned bands proud. Go see Quick Romance now, and you may have serious bragging rights in the future.
Australian quintet Kombi Killers sound absolutely massive with their double guitar attack. Their street-punk anthems yield little in the way of surprises, but there’s no arguing with shout-along choruses like those of ‘Don’t Start’ and ‘Rats In Disguise’, and everything is delivered with plenty of rock n’ roll swagger and the good humour of a band who know they’re among friends tonight. Their set time is tight, but they pack in as much as humanly possible, and by the time they close with a furious cover of The Exploited’s ‘UK82’, we’re all converted to their cause.
A superb evening so far, so what can Deaf Devils do to top what’s come before, other than go even crazier than usual? Quite simply, to see them live these days is to witness a band at the height of their powers; you get the sense that they’d stop at nothing to make this the ultimate punk n’ roll party. Glasses get smashed, setlists get torched, and they seem to spend half their set in the crowd – even before their customary drum-kit reconstruction in the middle of the dancefloor. Folks, this is not just a gig; this is a SHOW, in the truest sense of the word.
Not that any of this would count for much if they didn’t have the songs, but if you can imagine the likes of The Hives, Turbonegro and The Hellacopters chucked into a blender and spat out with awesome hardcore punk ferocity, then you’ll have an idea of where they’re coming from. Oh, and they absolutely ooze star quality; in particular, you wonder just how much longer the wider world can ignore frontwoman Lucyfer, whose non-stop, hyperactive presence makes her a live music photographer’s nightmare. Once again, Deaf Devils steal the show, and make it look all too easy. On tonight’s form, Rebellion Festival should be theirs for the taking.
Cheers to Shake Some Acton for putting it all together, and having us along for the ride! Check out details of future SSA gigs on the links below.
All Photos: ALEX GOOSE
Follow Shake Some Acton 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!
