Grade 2/Clobber/Fatal Blow/Split Dogs – Newport, The Cab – 4th March 2023

Grade 2/Clobber/Fatal Blow/Split Dogs – Newport, The Cab – 4<sup>th</sup> March 2023

Situated just a stone’s throw from the city’s railway station, The Cab is Newport’s newest live music venue. Started as a community project it provides a whole lot more for the locals other than live music though, for example, the venue also acts as a warm hub/drop in providing hot meals for those needing them, something I loudly applaud them for doing. Tonight though it’s all about the second night of Grade 2’s tour in support of their recently released ‘Self Titled’ album, and what’s more it’s a sold-out show too.

Playing their second gig of the day it’s Bristol punks Split Dogs who I walk in on mid set (apologies, as I once again struggled to find a nearby parking space so ended up half way across town) and on finding a decent vantage spot in the already steaming hot venue it’s like I’m immediately transported back in time to when TJs was the go-to place in the local area. The atmosphere is friendly, the bar prices are sensible, and perhaps most importantly of all the bands are not about to be fleeced 25% of their merch money at the end of the night. Anyway, I digress (slightly) because Split Dogs are the kind of band that live off their takings on the merch table, and tonight whilst their shirts will set you back just £10, sadly there’s no music to physically buy as what I experience tonight would most certainly have had me parting with my hard earned for a CD or maybe even a piece of vinyl. The mix of gritty female vocals over hard edged old school punk rock reminding me at times of our old US buddies Chesty Malone & The Slice ‘Em Ups and in ‘Tear Down The House’ they have a mighty fine anthem in the making. A terrific start to the night.

Next up tonight are local oi!/streetpunks Fatal Blow, and the established name that they are on the local punk scene they immediately get the crowd moving en masse (in fact I suspect there’s quite a few in here tonight who’ve come to see Fatal Blow first and foremost). Proudly anti-fascist and working class, the likes of ‘Spirit of 69’ and ‘Tent City Reality’ are always going to resonate with anyone with a moral backbone and when they are delivered with the gusto of a Welsh Cock Sparrer what’s not to love? Fatal Blow are proudly old school and bloody brilliant at what they do, full stop.

If Fatal Blow are the keepers of the punk rock flame of old, then London combo (and Grade 2 tour support) Clobber are the punk rock inferno of the future. Singer Chris and his bandmates delivering short, sharp, blasts of hardcore punk that immediately see the younger members of the audience busting out their finest dancefloor moves. With The Cab all about community, Clobber are the venue’s natural house band as their songs deal head-on with subjects like toxic masculinity, capitalism, and the importance of society in the modern day, and you really aren’t going to argue with the ‘Hardcore Hive Mind’ when they are in full flow. Very much for fans of bands like The Chisel or indeed the old-school original lineup of Gallows. I’ll be looking out for what Clobber do next following this run of 17 shows as hopefully they’ll then get to capitalise on the upcoming release of their debut EP via their freshly inked deal with Venn Records (and there I was mentioning early Gallows).  Come ‘n’ ‘ave a go if you think you’re hard enough.

2023 marks the tenth anniversary of Grade 2 as a band, with the trio celebrating their special birthday by touring the arse off their recently released ‘Self Titled’ album (you can read the RPM review HERE), a record that will surely feature highly on everyone’s Albums of the Year lists come the year’s end. Sid, Jacob and Jack are not about to rest of their major label laurels though with headline club shows scheduled right across the UK and Ireland, and tonight is their very first time playing in Wales. It’s also the first time I’ve seen Grade 2 play a headline set, so the mix of old and new tunes is an instant recipe for me (along with around another hundred people) to instantly look to lose our voices singing along to the likes of ‘Brassic’ and ‘Under The Streelight’ from their awesome new record seamlessly blending with the likes of ‘Hearts Of Gold’, ‘Graveyard Island’ and ‘Bowling Green Lane’ to provide the perfect soundtrack to any discerning punk rocker’s night out.  I’ll admit that this time around in this extended headline format the band do remind me more than just a little of ‘…And Out Come The Wolves’ era Rancid than they have when I’ve seen them previously, and their feet are still well and truly planted on the ground. As evidenced when bassist/singer Sid Ryan mentions towards the end of the night that two dates into their six-week tour he’s already “feeling it”, he’s immediately put in his place with local scene legend and Drunken Marksman frontman Pig telling him to “quit moaning and get on with it”, Sid quick as a flash, joking in reply, that the job as his tour motivational coach is now Pig’s. Priceless stuff indeed.

As their first live date in Wales, I’m sure their night in The Cab will long be etched into the Grade 2 memory banks, and for all the right reasons too. That’s because Grade 2 are not only a great live band but also a great bunch of lads too, if you get the chance to see them on this tour or their upcoming UK summer shows with Rancid and The Bronx, do not hesitate to snap up the ticket.

Clobber and Split Dogs pics by Johnny Hayward

Thanks to Kevin “Scottie” Hunt for the use of his Fatal Blow and Grade 2 pics. You can catch Scottie’s excellent ‘This Ain’t No Disco Radio Show’ every Tuesday from 8 pm to 10 pm on Wolfman Radio by scanning the QR code below or going to http://www.wolfmanradio.co.uk/

Author: Johnny Hayward

Bar Stool Preachers – Rough Trade Bristol 06 March 2020

Bar Stool Preachers – Rough Trade Bristol 06 March 2020

Rough Trade one of the finest independent record stores in the Western World situated in the fine city of Bristol – home to many a good venue and champion of the arts be it paintings or music Bristol has always had a good grounding and been the stop of many a great band.  Tonight it played host to Brightons finest those cheeky chaps who make up Bar Stool Preachers.  The venue is a clean purpose-built a big storeroom.  Sure it has air conditioning (not switched on obviously) no windows, Painted black, no bar for people to congregate around and chatter its just four walls with a stage at one end with a pretty decent PA and tonight upon its boards treads the 12 legged groovers who are on a mission and six-man mission to spread the word of unity and Rock and Roll and whilst they go about their work they do it with a ten-mile wide smile and a helping hand.  You see the Bar Stool Preachers aren’t just a ska-punk band who dabble in several genres of punk rock but are busy making friends across the globe as they make sure there is a pretty impressive BSP carbon footprint left for all to see. If they’re not stateside or in Europe, they are zig-zagging across the UK playing to larger and larger venues packed with jumping bodies who are believing and getting on board this runaway train of a band.

They are about to release album number three as they finalise details and tracklist for it whilst making sure the songs are also road-tested as they seamlessly weave the new songs in with the old favourites.  Tonight got sweaty very very quickly as the enthusiastic audience didn’t need any coercing from Tom to get with the programme they were up for it from the start.

A bold move from the band starting with the awesome ‘One Fool Down’ that’s a statement of intent right there. The old old songs from that first record get things up to speed as ‘Trickle Down’ and ‘Looking Lost’ reintroduce everyone with what a good night out sounds like. Next up we get introduced to some of the new material and what an impressive couple of tunes they are with ‘Late Night Transmission’ and ‘Don’t Die Today’ showing that the band are on the right path with even better material and just watching them look like they are having the time of their lives all the time just like a great band should.  It’s not playing to a packed main stage at Rebellion or Punk Rock Bowling nor is it 20 thousand diggin the tunes in some aircraft hanger in Germany but you do get the same level of performance and once you lock into Gibbs metronomic tic from side to side you’re involved, oh don’t try running on the spot like Bungle he’s a professional.

Tonights set was perfect and went by in a flash as old mixed with the new and everything in-between as ‘8.6 Days’ ‘Raced Through Berlin’ kissed ‘Start New’ and ‘Ballad Of The M1’ off the first album and then they were gone, wow that was glorious stuff an exhilarating performance for an exceptional band who are right on the money at the moment and as they re-emerge soaking with perspiration there is time for a couple more and its a tight as two Rizzlas romp through ‘Choose My Friends’ before the inevitable knees-up of ‘Bar Stool Preachers’ and they were done.

These boys deserve every adventure they are being presented with because they have the X-Factor and more importantly they have some exceptional tunes no change that not some they have many exceptional songs – they are grounded and they are hungry and appreciative.  Get behind one of the brightest hopes we have on Shit Island now when can we do this all over again?