THE VARUKERS + SKURVI + COMBAT SHOCK + GUTTER KNIFE – HOPE & RUIN, BRIGHTON 25.05.19
All these bands on ‘Anniversary’ tours are really starting to make me feel my age and tonight’s show is no exception – this is 40 years of The Varukers.
The Varukers were part of the UK82 second gen punk movement along with the likes of Chaos UK, The Anti Nowhere League and Discharge – the nastier, shoutier and damn right harder side of punk!
I have been to only a handful of shows at the Hope and Ruin and the first time I was so shocked the upstairs even existed. A well laid out space with a good size stage and some decent lighting, it’s really another #1 venue for Brighton and a great option for bands needing a little more space than The Prince Albert or Green Door Store can offer.
Back to the night’s entertainment and 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), started the proceedings.
They are loud, fast hardcore punk. The songs are short stabbing and ferocious, mostly clocking in under the 2-minute mark. Unfortunately, Luke Austin’s vocals were a bit low in the mix which made it tough to make out what he was singing. Highlights were ‘Abuse Of Power’, ‘No Justice’ and 2019 album title track ‘Boots On The Ground’. Will definitely be checking them out again.
Listen to Gutter Knife HERE and find out more info on them and their counterparts HERE.
Combat Shock are anti-fascist anarcho-punk rockers led by Brighton based vocalist Mel and drummer Sonny with Simon, Malcolm and Dave on board.
Tonight they played an energy filled set as usual, but strangely they were struggling with the guitar sound for some reason, which was not quite up to their usual standards. Standout tracks for me were ‘Eat A Nazi’, ‘Hardcore Is Dead’ and ‘Tw*t.’
Listen to Combat Shock HERE and find out more information HERE.
Next up is Brighton’s own punk/oi stalwarts Skurvi who are Jimmy Skurvi (lead vocals), Perry (guitar/bv’s), Liam (bass/bv’s) and Craig (drums).
I’ve seen these guys a few times now and they always put on a top show and tonight is no exception. It’s hard not to get caught up in the fun and sing along to all those so damn catchy tunes. Vocalist Jimmy is on top form and wearing a ‘Peter And The Test Tube Babies’ t-shirt with the added slogan ‘Are C***s’.
As for the songs we had ‘Geezer’, ‘Till We Die’, ‘Drunken Nights’, ‘Skum Rises’ actually most of the ‘Get Em In’ Album including my favourites ‘Her’ and of course ‘Skinhead’. Do check them out if you’ve not seen them live they really are a top nights entertainment!
Listen to Skurvi HERE and find out more information HERE.
It was finally time for headliners The Varukers who according to their Facebook page are Anthony ‘Rat’ Martin (vocals), Ian ‘Biff’ Smith (guitar), Les (bass) and Kev (drums).
These guys certainly have no issue with guitar sound tonight and Ian ‘Biff’ Smiths Gibson SG sounds like a buzzsaw! For a band celebrating 40 years, they sure don’t act like it, as they burn through around 23 songs in 40+ minutes and just don’t stop except for the occasional sip of beer.
Before coming to the gig tonight I wasn’t too sure I was going to enjoy the headliners as I’ve always been more into the glam poppier side of punk but 4 songs in and I was loving it, to me they have more in common with Motorhead and thrash metal than they do with the early punk scene. Every track is a blistering slam inducing sonic nugget.
Vocalist Rat makes use of the stage space shooting from one end to the other, sweat pouring off him his mohican is wilting from the heat. Whilst the backbeat of drums and bass is a constant frenzy and Biff blasts out riff after blistering riff. With a setlist full of crowd favourites including ‘All Systems Fail’, ‘Die For Your Government’, ‘Led To The Slaughter’ and ‘Massacred Millions’ plus 2017’s title track ‘Damned And Defiant’, showing they’ve not slowed down in these forty years and are never likely too and I think the crowd here tonight would be damn pleased with that!
‘Soldier Boy’ goes down extremely well and so does the blazing ‘How Do You Sleep’ and not forgetting the final set closer ‘Genocide’. The Varukers are a band that needs to be experienced live and despite my previously mentioned doubts, I have loved every minute. My ears are going to ring for days after tonight’s gig but hell it’ll be worth it!
Listen to the Varukers HERE and find out more information HERE.
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