Upcoming events

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.

This event has been rescheduled to Friday 15th April 2022. All tickets remain valid.

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.

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

Since their inception, the band have released music at irregular intervals in their own inimitably uncompromising way, with a series of singles in 2018 launching them into public consciousness. Gigging regularly in their hometown of Brighton and across Europe, they’ve been sharpening their skills and growing together as a unit under the radar until now, touring the likes of France, Germany and the Netherlands alongside the likes of Heavy Lungs and Surfbort.

DITZ are best known by their steadily-growing following for delivering accomplished shows full of substance and organic excitement. Influenced by the hardcore punk and noise rock of the 80s and 90s, the band are set sharply apart from their peers in the UK post-punk scene. As a result, their music is taut and erratic, melodic and urgent, but always with an acute sense of dynamics. Vast arrays of guitar effects infuse their punk sound with a more experimental approach, which reaches its freeform apex at the end of the band’s thrilling live sets.

On their new material, DITZ further explore their signature sound by mixing stark minimalism with explosive bursts of noise. “This song touches on the general public’s reaction to LGBTQ+ individuals on a day to day basis, both positive and negative,” comment the band on the single’s lyrical content.

SCREAMING DEAD

Screaming Dead are a horror punk rock band from Cheltenham formed in 1980. They released several singles and EPs with indie chart success, before splitting up in 1985. They reformed in 1997; disbanded again in 1999; and reformed in 2014.

Screaming Dead have been an inspiration to many bands in the Horror/Punk/Goth genre. Simply put, they are unique, genuine and full of energy, there really is nothing Dead about the Dead….

https://www.facebook.com/officialscreamingdead/

https://screamingdead.bandcamp.com/

Night Creatures https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb00M4I5nxU

SENEX IV

From the ashes of bands from the 80’s onwards, comes the new dark sounds of SENEX IV. A four piece band from Suffolk whose music crosses the shadowy recesses of early 80’s post-punk and goth’s embroyonic stages. Where the lines between the two are immensely blurred.

SENEX IV have released two albums. The second album called Gods & Taboos is in partnership with the renowned Batcave Productions Label

SENEX IV are Dave Middle, Rob Shaul, Mark Tingey and Antony Hitchcock (drums).

https://www.facebook.com/SENEXIV/

https://senexiv.bandcamp.com/

Trouble https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE5KGSY58Vs

CHAOS BLEAK

Nottingham’s finest, again with histoy. Chaos Bleak take inspiration from the early post-punk sound, before The Sisters became the template. What would Play Dead sound like if they formed in 2019?

https://www.facebook.com/chaosbleakband

https://chaosbleak.bandcamp.com/

Funeral in Berlin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeuWGhTBU4c

Aaahh!!! Real Records presents – GAZ BROOKFIELD with Jake Martin and B-Sydes.

Following a two year hiatus from live touring, Gaz Brookfield returns to the road with is biggest tour to date, in celebration of the release of his 8th studio album, “Idiomatic”.

Joined by the other two thirds of The Original Trilogy, B-Sydes and Jake Martin, the three busketeers will be taking their brand of acoustic folk, punk-drunk, daftness to as many parts of the UK as possible.

If the last two years have taught us anything it’s that we should not take live music, or indeed anything for granted. So, get yourself a ticket, get your friends, get a drink, and we’ll see you at the bar!