With the sold-out sign on the door, expectations were building and something special was in the air. Bottlekids, Riskee & The Ridicule, and Bar Stool Preachers is an excellent three-band lineup by anyone’s standard.

The last band I was lucky enough to see pre-pandemic was in Rough Trade Bristol and just happened to be tonight’s headliners. To be fair they were building up a good head of steam ahead of the release of their third album. With the world at their feet, big things were anticipated and expected. Then you know what happened, time virtually stood still as we all retreated to behind our doors. I did a zoom call with Bungle Preacher and that seems such a long time ago now so tonight was a line in the sand hopefully and the start of something new to build on. Lets have it!

To be fair, the creative types might have benefitted from forced isolation and having time to create new music but without human contact, none of us knew what was going to pan out once we were released. Sure as night follows day those Bar Stool Preachers did the only thing they know, and that was to get in the van, throw caution to the wind and get out there and play some live Punk Rock shows to some lovely people (and some not so, probably). Tonight was the turn of South Wales and the awesome venue that is Le Pub. Drawing in openers Bottlekids with their spikey melodic punk-rock driven by a huge bass sound they did a sterling job of setting the mood. I wasn’t familiar with their songs but I have heard them before and I was pleasantly surprised with the songs and with the really good live mix they had it has to be said. With a new album already done and set for a 2022 release, they punched through and it was an impressive set from a band I will definitely be hearing more of.

Riskee & The Ridicule were up next, playing to a full house the band delivered an impressive set featuring some cracking songs. ‘Blue Jacket’, ‘Molotov Cocktail’ and ‘Kaboom!’ went down really well as did their excellent interpretation Of the Lana Del Rey song ‘Young And Beautiful’. The band sounded up for it and were winning new friends with their anthemic and down-to-earth songs, delivered with passion and conviction. Newport has always been a great litmus test for bands from TJ’s to Le Pub they can sniff out an honest band and will payback with mutual respect and love and tonight RATR were feeling the love.

If the Bar Stool Preachers ever needed a band to give them a kick up the arse and a follow that message then tonight the Brighton Boys were going to have to bring their A-game with Bells and whistles.

As the band took the stage in front of a sweaty Le Pub to open up the intro for ‘One Fool Down’ which was the perfect opener to let people know it was showtime and to get ready for the next hour and some to go in full tilt and as Tom took the stage the crowd was already all in.

The band was the last band I saw before the original lockdown (as I said earlier) but the months slipped away and what seemed like years ago disappeared as I put my lockdown fitness routine to the test and got me Adidas Munich working out my legs as I moved to the monster sounds of a tight and up for it band. ‘8.6 Days’, ‘Choose My Friends’, ‘Trickle Down’ and ‘State Of Emergency’ all flew by as the band got a sweat on, constantly moving and living life in the moment and a glance around it seemed as if it was the tonic everyone needed. The band created a massive positive energy that the audience was feeding off and in turn, the band fed off that back. The sound was top-notch and for a sweaty club showed just how good the songs are with a clarity you don’t always get.

The banter was good but kept to a minimum as the band let the music do the talking. We were even treated to some new songs and the lockdown single ‘When The World Ends’ was very apt. The energy and joy emanating from the stage was infectious as we moved towards an encore. What encore? The encore was binned to save the pretense and to carry on the energy that has been building throughout the evening. As we reached the final shot of the anthemic knees-up that is ‘Bar Stool Preacher’ we all had a sing-song and the world was put to rights.

We left the venue having been treated to a proper punk rock show that celebrated community and all that is good about live music. The Bar Stool Preachers didn’t muck about when restrictions were lifted and got straight back on it giving their all every night one would suspect and apart from Tom falling into the drum kit in the first song after reaching blast off levels of energy and then spilling a beer on his pedal it was a most excellent night of punk rock (not that I ever doubted it anyway).

If you’re looking for a night out with top music then put these boys on the top of your wish list, get out there, and support them because they’re not just diamond geezers, they’re packing some of the best tunes out there. Treasure these moments, because it won’t be long before playing small venues will be a thing of the past for The Bar Stool Preachers and we’ll all remember saying we were there. Three excellent bands for the price of a few pints in a sweaty club is just what the Doc ordered. Brilliant!

Author: Dom Daley