The date for your hardcore punk diaries is Saturday 25th May as that’s when punk band Varukers will be performing at the Hope & Ruin on Queens Road, Brighton. There will be no less than three support bands.
I might have been blinkered on this one but I honestly think that it’s a very long time since the Varukers have played a gig in Brighton. Amazingly I have yet to see them and so I’m wondering if the Varukers 2019 will be as good as when I initially discovered them back in 1981, when they unleashed their ‘Protest And Survive’ EP – God I hope so! Judging by their latest 15 track album ‘Damned & Defiant’ (2017) which comes in at just over 29 minutes in total, I’m not going to be disappointed one iota.
Back then, the initial wave of punk had disappeared or moved over into becoming New Wave, which opened up the floodgates at the beginning over the 1980’s for a harder, faster more aggressive style of punk. I can recall many punk purists, not getting on with the ‘new’ punk at the time, but I embraced it. There suddenly were all these new speed merchants popping up out of the woodwork and buzzing through their sets in records time. The new, harder-edged style also tended to use much darker, more nihilistic, and more violent lyrics, and vocals were often shouted rather than sung. There was Discharge, GBH, Chaos UK and the Varukers at the forefront of this. Then to me it suddenly went across into metal territory, which I wasn’t a fan of, I too had moved on.
Here we are 40 years later, with many band members through the doors and out again and I’m honestly stunned that the Varukers are back on the case. According to their Facebook page, the current personnel is Anthony ‘Rat’ Martin (vocals), Ian ‘Biff’ Smith (guitar), Les (bass) and Kev (drums).
Listen to the Varukers HERE and find out more information HERE.
I’m really forward to this gig, especially as Brighton’s very own Skurvi, Combat Shock and Gutter Knife will be the three support acts!
I have seen Skurvi and Combat Shock before but as yet not had the pleasure of Gutter Knife. This is seriously shaping up to be the gig of the month!
Last year Skurvi celebrated their tenth anniversary with an awesome night at the Prince Albert. The Brighton & Hove News music team were there to lap up the celebrations and a fab time was had by all. Read the review HERE.
Many of you will be aware of lead singer Jimmy Skurvi’s voice from the awesome Del Strangefish show on Brighton’s very own Radio Reverb. Del of Peter And The Test Tube Babies and Skurvi’s Jimmy exchange friendly banter on the shows and the are shows are essential listening if punk is your bag!
Listen to Skurvi HERE and find out more information HERE.
Brighton’s noise merchants Combat Shock are also on the Varukers bill. If you haven’t witnessed the delights of Mel, Sonny, Simon, Malcolm and Dave in action, then you are in for a real treat.
I was lucky to catch the quintet in action at last years Glastonwick festival and they were for me on of the outstanding acts across the whole three day event. Incidentally it’s on again this year. Read our story HERE.
Listen to Combat Shock HERE and find out more information HERE.
Opening the Varukers evening will be Brighton’s very own hardcore punks Gutter Knife who are Luke Austin (vocals), Ethan Stahl (guitar), Luca Selvaggio (guitar), Sam Rack (bass) and Ted Foster (drums). These lads certainly go for it judging by the two releases on the Bandcamp page. Listening to them it’s 1982 all over again! They will certainly be starting things off with a bang!
Listen to Gutter Knife HERE and find out more info on them and their counterparts HERE.
Grab your Varukers Hope & Ruin gig tickets HERE before they all sell out!
