The South London Scum folks have come up with the goods again!
Near the beginning of their headline set, The Restarts vocalist Kieran highlights the number of women on this evening’s bill, and he makes a good point. Punk is still a male-dominated scene, and although women are increasingly (and very much deservedly) making themselves heard, there’s still a long way to go in terms of progress. Still, it’s heartening to see the New Cross Inn respectably full for a show of this calibre.
Carrie And The Coaxers are last minute additions to the bill, and they’re clearly very happy that so many folks have shown up early. With good reason, too; the band’s melodic and rootsy ska/reggae-infused punk is addictive stuff indeed, and as indefatigable vocalist Carrie leads us through a sing-along to ‘Not The Only Ones’, the sense of community in the New Cross Inn is already almost tangible. A great start to the evening.
From then on, things start to get seriously LOUD. Australian quartet R.U.B smash together hulking Sabbath-esque riffs, a touch of hardcore and a whole lotta grunge, and they sound absolutely massive. As they launch into the righteous takedown of toxic masculinity that is ‘Good Bloke’, a furious pit kicks off, and continues to go crazy throughout their set. Quite rightly; this is a perfect example of musical brawn matched with lyrical brains, and as they close with ‘Ultimate Violations’ (dedicated to an indigenous Australian victim of male domestic violence), it’s clear they’ve laid down a serious challenge for the following bands.
We needn’t have worried, though. We’ve been itching to see Swedish crew Śmierć since we reviewed their excellent ‘Opor’ album just over a year ago, and this evening they don’t let us down. Taking the baton from R.U.B and running with it, they spark instant mayhem in the pit with the powerhouse d-beat of ‘Das Unheimliche’, and with all due respect to the band as a whole, livewire vocalist Nina is undeniably the stage-stalking star of the show. Frenzied new track ‘Sen’ bodes well for the future, and by the time they recruit members of R.U.B and The Restarts for backing vocals on the closing ‘Uffe’, we’re all fully converted to their cause. Worth waiting for – and then some.
The Restarts are true veterans, having originally formed back in 1995, but the blistering intensity of their set is proof enough that retirement isn’t on the cards just yet. They keep things enjoyably raw, be it on the ska-flavoured ‘XQ28’ or the full-throttle punk rock rage of ‘Independentzia’, and by now the New Cross Inn is a glorious mess of sweat, bodies, mohawks and leather jackets. Kieran, as ever, has plenty worthwhile to say between songs, and at the risk of sounding evangelical, you can’t help but hope he’s inspiring folks (especially the young ‘uns) in the audience to go out and help make a positive difference in this broken world.
Cheers to South London Scum for putting it all together! Keep an eye out for future gigs via the link.
All Photos: ALEX GOOSE
Follow The Restarts on Their Socials:
Need more Punk In Your Life?
Album Review: Fake Names unleash ‘Punk Ruins’ upon the masses!
U.S. Punk supergroup Fake Names release their third album on Epitaph Records – merging D.C. post-hardcore with modern power-pop. ‘Punk Ruins’ dissects the political manipulation
Bar Stool Preachers launch ‘Party Eternal’ at The Garage with Bite Me Bambi & Desperate Measures!
An album launch gig is always a reason for a damned good party, and Ska-Punk-Rockers Bar Stool Preachers have clearly put a lot of thought
Album review: The Family Business LTD release their self-titled debut!
The Family Business LTD joins Jordan Cardy (RAT BOY), Preston (The Ordinary Boys), and Antonee First Class (The English Beat), with Operation Ivy’s Tim Armstrong
EP Review: Ancient Lights follow up debut album with ‘Man Of The People’ 10-inch
South Coast Anarcho-punks Ancient Lights keep things interesting with new EP release ‘Man Of The People’ on Grow Your Own Records! It follows on admirably
Live review: Oh Bondage? Up Yours! God Save The Queens celebrate 50 years of She-Punk!
If you’ve ever thought that ‘little girls should be seen and not heard’, well you’re in the wrong place tonight! Nearly fifty years after Poly
Album review: Meryl Streek – ‘Stories They Don’t Teach You At School’
We’re relative newcomers to the music of Dublin native Meryl Streek, so it was pretty handy that we discovered him just in time for the
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!
