Discharge / The Shunkos – The Bunkhouse. Swansea, 28.04.23

Discharge / The Shunkos – The Bunkhouse. Swansea, 28.04.23

Discharge in a 100-capacity living room what a prospect this is. D Beat, Crust punk top table diners Discharge. First up, those reprobates from Port Talbot The Shunkos are currently blowing away audiences in a pool of sweat and ringing ears for their full force no compromise slice of real life along the M4 in one of the most densely populated towns anywhere in Wales they play hard and fast and sing about ‘Meal Deals’ and ‘Uni Mates’ as well as bus rides up the valley.

Deranged Frontman Mal is up for this one slipping in the pit stomping on pedal boards and causing chaos that’s suitably off the hook for their frantic set. If you get the chance to see them they are getting better with every performance tighter and leaner and finding their feet – fine choice of opener for Discharge to be fair The Shunkos entertain and leave people with beaming smiles across their faces knowing they’ve just had a top time with good tunes and plenty of insanity.

There was another band on the bill but unfortunately I missed their set so it was into the small room to find a reasonably comfortable spot to enjoy the ensuing madness that was about to rain down on the heaving masses.

Without further ado Discharge hit the stage and immediately gets on with the job at hand, with their thrash meets punk noise they do a sterling job of grabbing ones attention and holding it for the duration of their time on the stage.

With JJ prowling the bijoux space that is his stage for tonight’s performance the audience en mass takes a sharp intake of breath (Which is at a premium tonight) in the sauna like room. The next hour and some is going to be an ordeal but a good one survival of the fittest and not one for the feint of heart. ‘Ain’t No Feeble Bastard’, ‘State Violence State Control’, ‘Molotov’ and ‘You Deserve Me’, ‘Hatebomb’, and ‘War Is Hell’ leave their mark and hit the spot the music is relentless as it should be and the intensity climbs leaving a crater in the pit that’s getting filled as bodies slip and slide on sweat and beer that’s been spilt in the name of a good time. Bodies literally fly through the air as the unrelenting onslaught hammers out crust punk anthems such as the majestic ‘Protest And Survive’. Discharge are killing it with every rapid D Beat and howl on the guitar solos its pulverising and at time quite beautiful.

To an unsuspecting onlooker, this scene must look insane, utter madness as the volume is ear-splitting and unrelenting, it’s song after song each one getting more intense as they collide into each other with razor-sharp procession from a band tighter than a gnats chuff. Discharge do what they do and if you don’t get it then simply move on people it’s not for everyone but if you do get it – it can be magical and a wonderful experience of extreme musical experiences. It’s like hearing Slayer go punk as fuck as they crisscross genres in pursuit of the ultimate high.

When you’re in the mood for some extreme metal punk then there is only one band that fills that void and tonight Discharge were on fire plain and simple – no-nonsense, loud, abrasive, uncomfortable, raging and devastating just as it should be. Love It!

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Author: Dom Daley

The Shunkos – The Bunkhouse, Swansea – 05.02.22

The Shunkos – The Bunkhouse, Swansea – 05.02.22

A packed out club, sweaty drunk young people awaiting some punk rock hot off the press from Aberavon – it must be Shunko time. Heavily influenced by the lofi punk rock spewing out of the Southern Hemisphere The Shunkos have taken their lad culture and fast food obsession to the next level. ‘Meal Deal’,’Uni Mate’ and songs about bus wankers and late-night kebabs are sung back at the band by an enthusiastic audience of nerdowells intent on having a good time all of the time. It was quickly turned into a sweaty heaving mass of bodies as the band plowed on at 100 miles an hour duly held together by the Ryan boys in the rhythm section.

Frontman Mal should be called (Maladjusted) has taken control of his building site humour and spits out the words like he’s been doing this all his miserable life ‘Beer & Gear’, ‘Chippy Tea’ sounds like a one way trip to A & E but he’ll have a shed (Dermans Shed) full of new lyrics along the way.

It’s clear The Chats, Amyl And The Sniffers, Chubby & The Gang and other such punks are the go-to inspiration for these punks who also inject some surf punk into their sound and bounce around harder and faster as the songs dictate. They need to get out there and play with the likes of Pizzatramp, Slugfest and Wonk Unit it would see them go from Boys to Men and put their punk rock credentials to the test. One thing for sure is the more they play the tighter they sound and the better they get and the new songs are proof of that. Get that CD released and get out there and show the world that South Wales can do hardcore punk with the best of them.

The fact nobody under the age of 25 looked remotely grossed out as Mal took a slug of beer from someone’s sweaty slip-on van told you everything about what to expect on a shunkos night out, ‘Whats In The Box’ and ‘Big Bertha’ sounded like these ‘Little Bastards’ are on the right track to perfecting the new punk scene out of South Wales . Songs about bus rides, meal deals, favourite Currys, young lust, having a good time makes for a top Saturday night out these party animals are all about living in the moment and under such troubled times maybe now is the right time for a party, and the Shunkos are exactly what the doctor ordered for a good time, all the time. Go see em if they turn up in your town and don’t be afraid to throw yourself around just don’t lose your shoe or the singer (cough cough) will use it as his drinking horn ‘punk as fuck’ – ripper!

Author: Dom Daley (oldest in attendance by about 30 years)