Words: Megan Wood
Organised by Jamie from Sheffield-based recording studio Stone Deaf, the charity night promised to be ‘the loudest, sweatiest punk/DIY show this side of 1977’, with a nice touch on entry being a chance to vote between three local charities for the profits to go to. It was my first time in the smaller room of Network (formerly Plug), and it was so lovely to be experiencing live music venues again after the past two years; so with a pint of Guinness in tow, we stood in anticipation as the crowd gathered for the first of four amazing bands in the night’s eclectic line-up.
First up was sax punk outlet, General Panic, kicking off with their catchy, high tempo opener ‘Nation of Elation’, their punky vocals and trusty saxophone providing a quirky layer to this manic punk party anthem. A sax solo was later utilised beautifully in the intense opening of ‘Doctor Man’ which quickly descended into yet another punk-fuelled piece to get the crowd going, before an interesting cover of ‘Material Girl’ got us bopping even more.
Their fun and unconventional set provided a riveting mix of styles that transported you straight back to the 70s with Ramones-esque, ‘Let It Burn’, and before we knew it, they were back in the present, feeding us some pure, modern punk vibes. The band addressed the room with something along the lines of ‘who else here agrees Boris is a wanker?’, before smashing out their new tune ‘What’s it all for?’. With an overall sound and essence best described a ‘Johnny Rotten drinking a pina colada’, a highlight included ‘Mumma’s Lil Rude Boi’ which mixed reggae with punk to provide a much needed boogie.
the charity night promised to be ‘the loudest, sweatiest punk/DIY show this side of 1977′
With just about enough time to recover, Leeds four-piece HELLE appeared with their manic drums, storming bass, and a punk-emo grunge aesthetic giving off Lauren Tate/Hands Off Gretel vibes. Their manic set was ablaze with rage and riot grrrl infused feminist anthems, as they owned the stage to serve up a dose of much-needed angry hardcore punk metal. In amidst the chaos of their riotous tracks came a stomping cover of ‘These Boots Are Made For Walkin’, before ‘Scarlett Fever’ conveyed the struggles and frustrations of being in love with a girl who’s not gay.
An unexpected cover of Elton John’s ‘Bennie And The Jets’ was definitely a crowd pleaser and an absolute treat to see them place their stamp on what was originally considered a ‘glam-rock’ track. They passionately conveyed its lyrics adhering to the ‘sci-fi rock goddess’, as the night alluded once again to the 70s. Their unapologetic and forceful track ‘Scream’ was a highlight, its pounding bassline propelling everything forwards with vocals oozing a rage that set a spark within the crowd, as closing track ‘Pornography’ a vehement ode to the sexualisation of femininity, confirmed that these musicians are a force to be reckoned with.
Helle pictured mid-performance. Photo by Cory Holmes
Our third band for the night were local four-piece, Mouthparts; self-described as ‘unhinged garage punks from outta space’; this description emulated by the drummer’s rather fetching tin-foil helmet which immediately showcased the band’s creative, wacky personalities from the moment they began playing. The result was a weird and wonderful stage presence, oozing confidence and energy, paired with a sound reminiscent of Dead Kennedys and Minor Threat as they treated us to some robust, dirty riffs; basically if Pissed Jeans were from Sheffield.
Their set was a beautiful blur of thrashy punk numbers including the short but powerful, equally catchy and angry, ‘Eat Shit and Die’ which demonstrated some spectacular drumming and strong nods towards heavy metal. ‘Cough It Up’ was fierce and demonstrated a band that are simultaneously wildly unhinged but wield such tight punk chord progressions. It was a truly rollicking ride as they barely came up for breath, continuing the night’s cathartic release of anger that everyone needed.
Mouthparts drummer pictured by Cory Holmes
Closing the night was the alt-rock duo Snayx (pronounced ‘Snakes’) from the South East. With their undeniably strong stage presence clear from the off, their first song already saw them shouting into the faces of the front row, and throughout the set it became apparent that no matter where abouts you were stood in the intimate room, no one was safe from lead vocalist, Charlie. Let’s just say the whole room gave itself up to the mosh pit and even right at the back you still needed to be on the lookout for flailing limbs and to help pick up those fallen to the floor in amidst the chaos that Snayx had proudly created.
It was exciting but intense in places, their aggressive energy a surprise for someone who had never seen them play before. There was nowhere to hide, the crowd becoming just as much a part of the show as they themselves. As they reeled out numbers from their well-known singles including ‘Cigarette’ and ‘False Friends’, their sound had strong Bass Drum of Death and Royal Blood vibes paired with a demeanour remincient of Strange Bones and slowthai. They even included a bouncing cover of ‘Doorman’ by the latter which escalated the crowd even higher. As their set eventually closed to a halt, it was an intense and chaotic end to a brilliant night of music. We definitely required a couple of post-gig drinks to calm down after witnessing the punky, sweaty show that we were promised.
Snayx gracing the stage with the last set of the night. Photo by Cory Holmes
It’s so exciting to see more DIY gig nights such as this being put on across the wonderful array of independent venues we have in our city, whilst showcasing local and upcoming artists from further afield. The votes have now been counted and all profits from this gig will be donated to The Archer Project which provides support for Sheffield’s homeless and vulnerable.
Keep your eyes peeled for more gigs and continue to support your local music scene.
Stone Deaf – @stonedeafstudiospromotions
Archer Project – @archerproject
Keep up to date and follow the bands on Instagram for more upcoming gigs –
General Panic – @generalpanicband
HELLE – @hellebandofficial
Mouthparts – @mouthpartsband
Snayx – @snayx_uk
To check out more gig reviews, head here.
