Bristol Punk Rock ‘n Rollers Split Dogs return with new single ‘Monster Truck’ out now via Venn Records
New album ‘Here To Destroy’ set for release on February 28th 2025 – pre-order HERE:
Rock’n’roll revivalists Split Dogs are not here to make 15 second viral videos, they’re not here to sell you a lifestyle, they’re here to destroy. Born from the frustration of seeing music become commodified and soulless, vocalist Harry Atkins and guitarist Mil Martinez had the idea to form a band as far back as 2015, with the name ‘Split Dogs’ pulled from the classic zombie film ‘Return of the Living Dead’.
In South London, a young Martinez would hear Status Quo, Bachman Turner Overdrive and Dire Straits on the car radio while his father drove him to school. At home he would invade his older brothers’ record collection which leaned towards the harder sounds of punk and heavy metal. Meanwhile in the Black Country, Harry’s mother instilled a love of Northern Soul, Slade and rock’n’roll, with stories of nights out at Club Lafayette and family singalongs at home. According to Martinez, “Our sound is a culmination of all those early influences and, to be honest, it really shows.”
It wasn’t until 2022 that Split Dogs officially arrived on the scene with bass player Suez Boyle joining the band in 2023. Already a prominent figure in the queer punk scene, Suez played the first ever Rebellion Festival at the tender age of 16 with her band The Walking Abortions. Up until that point, drummer Chris Hugall, an old friend of Martinez and former member of ska punks Mouthwash (signed to Rancid’s label Hellcat back in the day), was only on hand to help design artwork. It wasn’t until 2024 Hugall joined the band full time cementing the current line-up.
The raucous live shows and infectious lyrics saw the four-piece make a name for themselves among the punks of Bristol, a scene that has always welcomed LGBTQ+ and marginalised people. As word spread, so did the gigging, and soon enough Split Dogs were playing to sold out rooms in mainland Europe, eventually grabbing the attention of UK label Venn Records (Gallows, Bob Vylan, High Vis).
‘Here to Destroy’ was recorded over three days at Middle Farm Studios by producer Peter Miles. All tracks were laid straight to a 16-track reel-to-reel tape machine, no autotune, no effects pedals, no computers. To add to the music’s authenticity, the album was recorded live, with Harry singing along in a vocal booth. No cutting and pasting, just nailing takes. According to Martinez, “It was a blast! We fully immersed ourselves, sleeping in a small apartment below the studio, cooking meals and listening to Pete’s extensive record collection”.
Back in May of this year, Split Dogs fired out the first sample of these sessions with the ‘And What?’ single that rolled in like a freight train loaded with gravel, and now the band are back with another sucker punch in new single ‘Monster Truck’.
“Monster Truck Is about lessons learnt, seeing it coming but you keep on trucking,” says guitarist Mil Martinez. “Focus on yourself and the good stuff around you. Be strong, lead with an open heart. Don’t take kindness for weakness…. You better not tread on me!”
For the video, it was clear that Split Dogs needed some seriously big trucks to do justice to the song’s giant riffs, so they called on Big Pete Ltd, the UK’s most successful Monster Truck Team, and Big Pete did not let them down.
‘When we wrote our new single ‘Monster Truck’ it was a no brainier that we had to find the best Monster Truck team in the UK to join us for the video so on the hottest day of the year, we hit the road! Big riggs, big riffs and big moves, it’s time to grab your gear stick and get your mind out of the dirt!”
Known for their signature gut-punching, fast-paced sound, Bristol punk rock ‘n rollers Split Dogs have hit the scene hard since the release of their debut album in 2023. Cultivating a loyal and growing fanbase with their raucous stage performances, hard-hitting hooks and infectious lyrics, the band are smashing back into action with their first single for Venn Records, the stomping, high voltage ‘And What?’
“It’s a total embrace of working-class British seaside culture, I grew up in south London and in 2016 relocated to a small coastal town in the southwest,” explains guitarist Mil Martinez. “The song highlights the frustration of living and working in a seasonal holiday resort all summer with no holiday whilst the world around you has theirs. I’m also poking fun at myself for being grumpy and using some of the outdated British phrases my dad used to say to me as a kid. On your bike son!”
The band wanted the video for ‘And What?’ to have the same optimistic British candour of classic sitcoms like Only Fools And Horses and Benidorm with big nods to documentary photographer Martin Parr.
The bands drummer and video director Chris says, “we wanted the video for ‘And What?’ to be Split Dogs on a proper British summer holiday; fish and chips, ice creams and tattoos! Without blowing our own trumpet we think we hit the nail on the head. Big up the locals and the seagulls.”
The track starts with a swinging guitar hook and from there on in it doesn’t take its foot off the gas, with a chorus you’ll be singing in your sleep, Split Dogs take you on a 2-minute rock ‘n roll journey to rival the likes of Motörhead or AC/DC.
Vocalist Harry howls and growls as they drag you in more and more with every word. Harry says “the new single and the rest of our upcoming album has all been recorded on 16 track tape with no computer in sight, it gives the album a sound that can’t be replicated with a modern recording system. You feel like you’re in the room with us, like your part of the song, the first time you hear it, it already feels familiar.”
The band have just finished work on their new studio album with more info and a release date coming soon. Watch this space.
Catch Split Dogs live at the following dates:
17/05 – Rough Trade, Bristol 19/05 – Hope and Anchor, Islington 24/05 – The Fleece, Bristol w/UK Subs 26/05 – Bearded Theory Festival, Derbyshire 15/06 – Red Lion, Leytonstone w/ Shooting Daggers, the Oppressed, Clobber, Rifle 11/07 – Blondies, London 20/07 – Shacklewell Arms, London 02/08 – Rebellion Festival, Blackpool 09/08 – Daltons, Brighton
A sold-out Cab in Newport on a Good Friday Bank Holiday seemed like the only place to be as the South Wales punk rock community welcomed Port Talbot neerdowells to the stage for their Newport baptism on this most holy of days as they proceeded to entertain the gathered congregation to the ways of the steel towns finest exponents of what has been best described as pub punk. For the next thirty-plus minutes the band stormed through their repertoire of zero fucks punks rock at an impressive speed. The mostly uninitiated seemed to very much appreciate the music being doled out by these young guns who’ve just recorded their debut album of working-class punk anthems. Ending the set with their party anthem ‘Beer & Gear’ most definitely made everything alright. The Shunkos don’t take themselves too seriously but their music is honest and they do it very well indeed and are a ray of sunshine on any bill. Sadly several of the bands pulled out of the originally advertised show meaning next up were South West punks Split Dogs.
Split Dogs made the short hop across the border to perform their uncompromising street punk and they wasted no time in delivering their blunt yet really enjoyable set kicking off with the stylish ‘Why Does It Hurt’. Split Dogs are the go-to band along this stretch of the M4 and it’s easy to see why. They get on with the job and play uncompromising punk rock – it’s no-nonsense but they do it with a cheeky smile whilst chomping at the bit and snarling like a rabid dog. Songs like ‘Prison Bitch and ‘Lafayette’ land solidly on your jaw and in Harry they have the frontwoman to captivate as she covers every inch of the stage like a fireball, leading the band through their brutal set. Is it hot in here or am I having some sort of episode? Such is the intensity of Split Dogs performance tonight the place is a sweaty den of noise. The band finishing off with an intimidating ‘Tears of a Clown’ which seemed on point and there was no way they could top that – Job done. Another day another really enjoyable set from the impressive Split Dogs.
Headlines Riskee & The Ridicule take no time at all hitting the tight stage of The Cab and get on with the job of following two worthy support bands as they rise to the challenge and pump out the title track of their latest album of Grime meets Street punk ‘Platinum Statue’ and with a half decent sound things get messy as frontman Scott oozes passion and a love for his job of leading the band through what amounts to four albums worth of honest impressive punk rock. Scott engages with the appreciative audience as the pit gets off right from the opening title track of that fourth album. I reviewed Body Bag many moons ago it would seem and have caught sets from the band when they went out with The Bar Stool Preachers as well as sets at Rebellion Festival. After warming up (not that the venue needed warming up) the band hit their stride when they blitzed out ‘Molotov Cocktail’ the excellent ‘Kaboom’ and a splendid rendition of Lana Del Rays ‘Young And Beautiful’ before closing with a fantastic ‘Our Time’.
No bullshit, No encore, No fucking about it was turn up get on with business, do it to the best of your ability and get the fuck out of dodge and tonight Riskee And The Ridicule certainly delivered another excellent set. Top night of punk rock from three quite different bands all doing their music proud and all with new records either just out or on the way, Proving punk rock is alive and well and in safe hands. Also cool venues like The Cab being the perfect venue for nights like this. I love nights like this and I love punk rock – long live the underground! The only complaint would be no ‘Blue Jacket’ not being in the set but hey ho you can’t have everything. Next time yeah?
After giving this years Rebellion a miss we decided that the opportunity to see T.S.O.L. and M.D.C. in the confines of Bristols Sweat box otherwise known as The Exchange was an opportunity we simply couldn’t turn down so across the border we headed. Let Johnny take you through The Split Dogs set –
In the five months since I first caught Split Dogs live, they’ve been making something of a name for themselves bombing up, down, and side to side along the South West’s motorway destroying pretty much everything in their path. They’s also gone and released a stonking ten track debut CD in conjunction with local promotors Death or Glory, so as you might expect, the (kind of hometown) crowd that greets the four-piece tonight is very handsome indeed, and I’m talking numbers here, not the fact that myself, and Nev are in attendance. Dom being his usually fashionably late self.
I’d been very impressed with Split Dogs when I’d seen them supporting Grade 2 back in March, even though it was me who was late that night, arriving just in time to catch around half of their set. Tonight, I made sure I was in early doors to guarantee I experience the full punch-drunk effect of Split Dogs live, as the song by the same name immediately lands a couple of knockout blows to my ears and brain and I’m down in round one.
Elsewhere its songs like ‘Big Fred’, ‘Feeder’, ‘Prison Bitch’ and set closer ‘Tear Down The House’ that I still clearly remember from that debut live encounter and that’s got to be a measure of just how good these tunes are, right? It’s also impossible to take your eyes off a band like Split Dogs when they have a singer as engaging as Harry delivering their missives. She’s equal parts Texas Terri, Wendy O Williams, and Hazel O’Connor and I’ll be fucked if I’d argue with her.
I wouldn’t ever want to upset man mountain bassist Jono either, however for all his tough appearance he’s just about to step away from the band to look after some serious family health matters, a decision that the rest of the Dogs have not only respected but also donated all the profits from their merch sales to, to help support their comrade in his time of need.
Look, if Amyl and the Sniffers can get to where they are today, then with a new bass player on board Split Dogs have every chance of following that path to success, because they are twice the band make no mistake. I predict a very busy 2024 for Split Dogs.
M.D.C. amble on stage and Dave Dictor takes the mic as the band continue to set up around him. Now for the uninitiated M.D.C stands for Millions Of Dead Cops and they play hardcore punk with a left wing message and have spent their entire career rallying against the far right nutjobs and easy targets with their message of love and respect for all others oh and cop bating mustn’t forget they do like to dis Governments and cops seeing as there is sooooo much material to dig into on the wrong doings of the American Governments since they formed back in 81.
Dave has fronted the band and they’ve often headed over the pond to play with the good and the greats from this side of the Atlantic but tongiht they are warming us up for T.S.O.L. and they waste no time at all in getting down to business with the track ‘Millions Of Dead Cops’ and straight from the get go this band are a tight unit. Without skipping a beat or fudging a note the band are right on the money thrashing about and attacking the music like it was the first time they’d played any of it. As tight as the snare skin that is getting a proper work out to be fair.
Now with some funny banter from Dave Erica and Barry work really well together weaving the notes around the likes of the fantastic (Born To Die) / ‘No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA’ the pit that has erupted is really going for it as Dave is working them hard as M.D.C. contort their way through a brutal 40 minute set with songs old and new. We were treated to the ‘Chicken Squawk’ as the band offered up some Cow Punk at 100 miles per hour and we got the most excellent harcore of ‘Multi Death Corporation’, ‘Patriot Asshole’, ‘Greedy And Pathetic’ and a new song I didn’t catch the name of that Dave said (if I’m correct) is part of their new record set for release later this year.
Of course, as the set drew to a close ‘John Wayne Is A Nazi’ gave the now salivating pit exactly what they wanted, the temperature of The Exchange had reached boiling point almost to the point of it being advertised as the South West largest sauna. In their short but oh-so-sweet set M.D.C. had crammed in a mightily impressive set, executed with aplomb by a band who are showing no sign of slowing down nor capable of phoning in a performance, absolutely, most excellent my friends.
Onto T.S.O.L. and I have to admit are one of my all-time favourite American punk bands who’ve always delivered captivating performances and released albums that have been some of my favourite records and managed to carry and marry the sound of early Damned and Lords Of The New Church with your faster more hardcore American punk whilst totally mesmerising me. Frontman Jack Grisham is a formidable performer and has a sharp wit as he prowls the stage like a bear ready to cut loose and devour whatever is in his way tonight as he moves across the compact stage he’s beaming and playfully engaging with the audience with some great introductions and stories. Anyway, I’m getting ahead of myself here. No keyboards, no Ron no… wait a minute, this is Jack and a bunch of press-ganged individuals? Well no I guess that is the short answer as he explained about the band’s injury room list and backs deeming unable to fly to Europe to stay in a van and try not to kill each other as well as Ron’s shoulder needing surgery for their friendship and sanity it was best they didn’t travel so Jack not wanting to cancel recruited his youthful relative Brandon in to play Bass and at short notice his performance was flawless it has to be said and supplying the barbed guitar work was the most excellent Trevor Lucca who delivered the tone you’d associate with Ron and the likes of Brian James as he cut the chops on the likes of ‘Terrible People’ and ‘WWIII’ with consummate ease.
So where were we? Ah yes, T.S.O.L. in The Exchange. Opening the set with a Joykillers song is cool with me and the set was smattered with a few Joykillers songs that fitted in with the best of T.S.O.L. that spewed forth from the dripping Exchange PA. Jack did mention they’d been in Greece and Italy before crossing onto Shit Island for a few shows and nowhere on the planet was currently hotter than the Exchange. ‘Terrible People’, ‘Superficial Love’, and ‘Sound Of Laughter’ is a devastating trios by anyone’s standard and the pickup band sounded like they’d been playing these tunes since the band’s inception back in the early 80s! Something that wasn’t lost on Jack.
It seemed like only yesterday the band released ‘The Trigger Complex’ and it was fantastic to hear a couple had made it into the set especially when ‘I Wanted To See You’ was one of them. We needed a breather of sorts but it was only brief I can assure you. With the newer songs dispatched it go tme thinking how underrated ‘The Trigger Complex’ album is, an absolute beast of a record no argument needed it’s right up there.
‘The Triangle’, the truly epic ‘Fuck You Tough Guy’, it was during a rapid ‘Wash Away’ I caught myself daydreaming a moment where I pondered how I wish I’d been able to have seen them around the point of the debut and ‘Beneath The Shadows’ when they were fresh faced punks turning in some legendry performances but alas it wasn’t to be but I have had the pleasure of half a dozen or so performances and they’ve never failed to deliver the goods and tonight was no exception, even after my initial disappointment of no Ron Emery and his tone and style I was won over when D.I.s stand in hit the strings and Jack, well, what can you say that hasn’t already been said hes a legend and rightly so and I hope this isn’t the last time we get to see him on a stage in the UK which he alluded to. It was time to try and savour the final knockings as the band destroyed an epic ‘Dance With Me’ before slaying all with the brilliant ‘Code Blue’ and we were done. 45 minutes of brilliance in my humble opinion and it would be a shame to call time when you still have the chops and an armoury of superb tunes.
Value for money during some shocking times for both sides of the pond. Maybe give us at least one more opportunity to say goodbye properly, I’d even bake a cake and bring balloons but don’t leave us like this Jack. T.S.O.L. still rule I saw it and we all know it. Thank you.
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