Upcoming events

Bands TBC

Yard Act formed in Leeds in September 2019 when Ryan Needham found himself temporarily living in James Smith’s spare bedroom. The two had been pub associates for years, but their new living circumstances served as a catalyst for their friendship and creative partnership which saw them fuse James’ interest in spoken word with Ryan’s primitive proto-punk demos using an ancient drum machine and borrowed bass guitar. They released their first material in March 2020, coinciding with you-know-what, and with just three singles (The Trapper’s Pelts, Fixer Upper and Peanuts) and three gigs to date, Yard Act have staked out a territory all their own. Setting up their own imprint Zen F.C. they released their debut 7” which can now only be found for exorbitant sums on Discogs, they’ve scored two 6music playlists, and they’ve won a growing fanbase with their coruscating, narrative driven, spoken word dance-punk. Now girding their loins for a 2021 filled with new music, new recordings, debut novels, and (fingers crossed) plenty of live shows, Yard Act have most definitely marked our cards as one of UK’s most exciting prospects.

Shonen Knife – from Osaka, Japan – formed in 1981 by sisters Naoko & Atsuko long before terms like ‘riot girrrl’ entered the lexicon, the all-female trio were happily snapping guitar strings to the sound of imported Ramones covers. Like fellow cult Japanese girl group The 5,6,7,8s, Shonen Knife have weathered decades of musical change by adhering to what they know best: belting out their own infectious brand of feelgood pop-punk.

Over the last 40 years they might not have packed out out stadiums but have been credited as a huge influence on alt rock acts from Sonic Youth to Nirvana. Despite years on the road, their enthusiasm for live
performances remains a joy to see as they delve into an extensive back catalogue ranging from solid thrash rock through to hit parade melodies.

This event has been rescheduled to Tuesday 16th March 2021. All tickets remain valid.

https://www.facebook.com/egyptianblueinc/

Egyptian Blue make music that is uncompromising yet uplifting. They channel modern anxieties and nervous energy into razor sharp guitar lines and post-punk grooves. Crafted originally above a jeweller’s shop in Colchester, the band then decamped to Brighton (UK) to develop their sound. Egyptian Blue are signed to Yala! Records.

POZI come steeped in the lineage of the very best weirdo British indie pop. The trio of drummer/vocalist Burroughs, violinist/vocalist Rosa Brook and bassist/vocalist Tom Jones have a skittish, restless energy.

Despite drawing on influences such as Devo, Wire and Television, there are no guitars in POZI and the space afforded by the lack of this potentially domineering component is refreshing. Instead, there’s Brook’s violin that by turn swells and stresses, either buoying proceedings along or collapsing them into discord. Jones’ rough, scruffy basslines hold each song tightly together as all great bassists should do. Then there’s Burroughs’ sparsely-filled but frantically driven rhythmic repetition and his capital city yelp, words tumbling out as though desperately trying to get out of the way of the ones behind.

West London five-piece Chubby and the Gang are balanced by two energies – a casual “f*** it” on one side, an active “f*** off” on the other. For every moment of punk imperfection, there’s an intricate flurry of detail.

Made up of musicians from across the consistently thriving and criminally overlooked UK hardcore scene (ft. The Chisel, Big Cheese and more), Chubby and the Gang marinate its characteristic speed and sick-of-it-all energy in a mixture of 50s pop sounds. The result is a prickly take on the older, more melodic genres that punk derives from, chewing them up and spitting them out into something mangled but revitalised.

Through sheer force of strength, their debut album Speed Kills pummelled its way out of the local hardcore scene and across the Atlantic, where it was met with a landslide of critical acclaim from the likes of Pitchfork and Rolling Stone.

https://www.facebook.com/Chubbyandthegang/

#ChubbyAndTheGang

TBC

Acts TBA

This event has been rescheduled from Thursday 22nd April 2021. All tickets remain valid.

“New wave structure meets punk blatancy and 21st-century gender fluency” – New York Times

“[Dream Wife] combine sticky pop flourishes and bruising sounds with brazen self-assurance….extending the continuum of uncompromising feminist musical statements with refreshing directness.” – NPR Music

“Part It’s Blitz!-era Yeah Yeah Yeahs, part long-lost Cardigans B-side, their second track of the year is a strawberry-sweet, hazy ode to times gone by” – The Guardian on ‘Hasta La Vista’

“Punk rock trio Dream Wife make music that flips a middle finger to convention.” – The Fader

“The art-school project that’s evolved into one of indie-rock’s most politically dynamic emerging acts” – Entertainment Weekly

“Dream Wife just want to dismantle the patriarchy. The U.K. art punks make music that’s roiling with feminist rage and Spice Girls attitude” – Rolling Stone

“The girl gang proving there’s force in femininity. Dream Wife create pop anthems for the Instagram generation” – Dazed

Indie/punk night. Bands to be confirmed.