The ska-punk stalwarts return to London for some skankin' fun!
Spunge and Signature Brew seems to be a winning combination! Last year the Tewkesbury ska-punks took the venue’s Haggerston branch by storm for a sold-out show, and now they’ve returned – this time to the larger Blackhorse Road venue – for a show co-promoted by the good folks at P-Rock TV. There’s a fun, friendly vibe, and as we enter the venue, there’s some classic Millencolin playing on the PA. Folks, we are officially home from home!
Openers Cannon Fodder’s singer/guitarist Luke notes wryly how two decades or so have passed since he and his bandmates started out as teenagers, but – perhaps with the exception of a few grey hairs – they still look remarkably youthful. This kind of music keeps you young, my friends! The bold, brassy likes of ‘Stopped Clocks’ and ‘Frontline’ have plenty of musical bite, partly thanks to Luke’s guitar tone resembling that of a swarm of angry bees, and remind us that despite its smaller following, British ska-punk has always held its own against the more popular American bands. Great stuff.
Tape It Shut describe themselves as a pop-punk band, but don’t fear – they have nothing in common with the saccharine bands who dragged the genre’s name through the mud in the early 00s (Simple Plan, we speak of thee). Yes, the catchy tunes are there, but frequently they’re played at nearly hardcore pace, and with plenty of lyrical vitriol too. Quite rightly taking aim at racists (‘Logical Sense’) and annoying bosses (‘Patronising Pep Talk’), they work up quite a sweat, and manage to also whip up a decent-sized circle pit in the process. By the time they close with a scorching ‘$cam’, it’s fair to say they’ve got us eating out of their hands. Check out last year’s ‘Suspicious Package’ album, it’s ace.
“Anyone seen us before? Anyone’s first time? Everyone’s last?” That’s Spunge vocalist Alex, who, for a man with a self-confessed huge ego, certainly has a great line in self-deprecating humour. He’s always had a keen sense of mischief, but this evening, it’s bassist Jarvis who’s up to no good; inviting a crazy/brave punter onstage for the ‘Chilli Chip Challenge’, which involves said punter eating a lethally spicy tortilla chip (and handling it well, to be fair). Surprised? You shouldn’t be – this is a band who’ve long had a fondness for madcap antics.
Oh, and they play some great songs, too. An opening brace of ‘Ego’ and ‘Skanking Song’, which boast the kind of hooks a one-armed pirate would kill for, remind us just how they managed to sell out the much-missed Astoria back in the day, whilst newer efforts like ‘Problem/Solution’ measure up just fine to those old favourites. More circle pit action ensues for ‘Whitehouse’; ‘Jump On Demand’ gets everyone bouncing like crazy, and only the truly churlish could fail to raise a smile as everyone sings the brass line of an all-conquering ‘Kicking Pigeons’.
The heyday of ska-punk may be a long time ago, but as long as bands and bills like these exist, the genre will never die. Cheers to everyone involved!
All Photos: ALEX GOOSE
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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.
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