Bad Sam/The Nanaz/No Murder No Moustache – The Pit @ McCann’s, Newport – 22nd November 2025

Bad Sam/The Nanaz/No Murder No Moustache – The Pit @ McCann’s, Newport – 22nd November 2025

Saturday night in Newport is never that appetising a proposition for yours truly, but when it’s a three-course feast of DIY punk rock on offer, headlined by those scamps Bad Sam launching their third album ‘Trauma’, (you can read the review HERE on RPM), then I’ll certainly be more than happy to tuck in.

For starters, tonight we have Celtic folk punker No Murder No Moustache, followed by local community music project The Nanaz. Both acts are wildly different in what they do; however, both appear to immediately tap into the pulse of what the good people of Newport are looking for on a Saturday night out. The former has the room bouncing to his very own brand of serious yet humorous folk punk, and the latter provides 40 minutes of almost Velvet Underground-like experimental proto-punk, which has The Pit’s dancefloor the fullest I’ve ever seen it. In fact, the Nanaz are probably the most punk thing I’ve seen in quite some time.

“Turn it up cunts.” Dean Beddis and Richard Glover are in da house, people, and suddenly, with drum loops blasting at maximum volume, I could very easily be at some foam party in Ibiza, but of course I’m not, I’m in a basement bar in Newport, and I’m about to get officially traumatised by Bad Sam.

Having successfully teamed up with electro wizard Luke Vibert to remix their recent ‘Popcorn & Blood’ single, and in turn making themselves minor internet sensations, it’s no surprise that the duo choose to open with an extended version of said tune, and almost immediately any memories I might have had of the Bad Sam of old are out the fire exit. Beddis is still barefoot, contorting his body into shapes many frontmen half his age would find unimaginable, barking out his lyrics straight into the faces of the front row, goading and laughing whilst always making you think, meanwhile Glover, now the master of all things wires and valves (as in programming) and not just guitar, opens up his magic box of sounds and together the duo unleash music that would be much more at home on Wax Trax! than Fat Wreck.

Here in the UK it’s Property of The Lost who have in enough belief in Bad Sam to make ‘Trauma’ a reality (in more ways than one) and tonight is all about this record, the band’s long awaited third, with the likes of ‘The Van’, ‘Pedigree Poor’ and ‘Perpetual Consumption’ all following with unyielding intensity.  

The patter between Beddis and Glover and Beddis and the audience helps provide the yin to the musical yang, so to speak, as subjects as diverse as Chinese death vans and getting spunk on your shoes are tackled as only these guys know how.

After a pulsating (I think) yet to be officially titled new track, based on the duo’s council estate roots, we are straight back into ‘Trauma’ for a rip ride through ‘Salute The Media’, and ‘Tupperware Death Party’ before ‘Emotional Hostage’ brings things to a chaotic conclusion.

After four gigs in five days, I’ve seen everything from post-punk and NWOBHM legends to Australian punk rock royalty, yet tonight was the absolute icing on the gig cake for me. Of course, I do wonder if I’ll ever get to hear the likes of ‘American Fat Fucks’ and/or ‘I Love The Port’ live ever again, but right now Bad Sam are all about the ‘Trauma’ of surviving in 2025….and I fucking loves it. 

Buy Bad Sam Here

Author: Johnny Hayward

Wonk Unit/The Pleasures/System Reset – Le Pub, Newport – 5th November 2023

Wonk Unit/The Pleasures/System Reset – Le Pub, Newport – 5<sup>th</sup> November 2023

It might be Bonfire night but the only fireworks I’m interested in seeing tonight are those being generated by this stellar three band bill. It’s a line-up that has more than a hint of Slugfest about it too seeing as all the bands have shared the floor/stages at the (now thankfully, once again) annual event. There’s also more than a whiff of the UK’s number one free festival within the crowd tonight too with the X15 bus seemingly standing room only to ensure that Blaenau Gwent is very well represented early doors. And who can blame them for picking up a rover ticket?

Fresh from recent support slots with the likes of Discharge, Raw Brigade and a whole host of other bands, System Reset have certainly come a long way in there still relatively short time together (as a five piece) with their back catalogue of songs maturing with them. Songs like ‘Anxiety’, ‘Fail Safe’ (my fave song by the band) and ‘Big Business’ all sound huge played through Le Pub’s impressive sound system, and there’s an immediate smile on my face when they kick in with the “woah oh” gang backing vocals and an even bigger one when there’s a nod to James Williamson’s time with The Stooges creeping into the riffage at one point too. System Reset’s soon to be released new single ‘Gas Light’ is a cracker, which alongside a handful of additional live shows brings to a close a very impressive 2023 for the melodic punk rockers. A slot at Rebellion 2024 awaits methinks.

The Pleasures are not as you might first expect, being an avid reader of RPM, the German glam rockers of the same name. Nah, this four piece are from the Gwent valleys and are a world away from anything even remotely glamourous. These four lads hail from one of the most deprived areas in south Wales and as you might expect have the anger and attitude by the bucketload that comes with such a dubious claim to fame. There’s also something that I cannot quite put my finger on about this gang, something that I last felt when I witnessed IDLES open a three band bill in Bristol’s Exchange just a few years back and before that when The Guns first broke on the south Wales scene. Not that they necessarily sound anything like either of the bands you understand, it’s just they have that special ingredient some band’s simply don’t have… charisma.

Singer Caethan Tucker is literally all over Le Pub’s stage and dance floor, he’s also shirtless and dripping sweat after just one song, such is the intensity of the band’s performance, and then when it comes to songs, popping up mid-set they have this monster of a tune called ‘Grandfather’s Bones’ complete with a mantra of ‘Don’t bite the hand that feeds’ that literally sounds like it’s ready made for when the boys get their chance to wow a Glastonbury/Reading type of crowd. They have the same kind of breakthrough potential that I witnessed in HotWax when they played just a few yards up the road in McCanns cellar bar and are now touring enormodomes in the US with Royal Blood.

Go give the band’s single ‘Lies’ a listen on YouTube (with coincidently the video being directed by Alex from the aforementioned Guns) and turn the fucker up loud. Oh, and before I forget, any band that can cover the mighty LCD Soundsystem and make the song (‘Daft Punk Is Playing At My House’ in case you are wondering) sound like their own tune, really does deserve your attention.  “Woo!”

Croydon’s Wonk Unit have always had a reputation for having great support bands on the bill with them, it’s almost like their singer Alex welcomes the challenge this poses his band, but when it comes to the current six piece band he has carefully assembled he’s more than capable of batting off any young shavers looking to steal the band’s crown as undisputed champions of the UK DIY punk rock scene.

I’ve seriously never heard Wonk Unit sounding as essential as they do here tonight, be it the classics like ‘Guts’, ‘Go Easy’ or ‘Lewisham’ that first introduced me to the band, or the tunes that immediately followed these like ‘Je M’appelle Alex’, ‘Awful Jeans’ and ‘Day Job Wanker’, tonight’s set has more bangers than the rain-soaked pyrotechnic display just over the river at Rodney Parade.

I also get to hear my first Christmas song of the year tonight, but when it comes all wrapped up in the shape of ‘Christmas In A Crackhouse’ you certainly won’t hear any complaints from myself or anyone else packed in down the front.

As always with a Wonk Unit their show is as much about Alex’s between song chats and tonight he’s on tip top form, sharing the hilarious back stories regarding tunes such as ‘She Cut Her Finger’ and ‘Horses’ whilst also displaying his more sensitive and private side ahead of new tune ‘Overwhelming’ (the first of two played) a song that keyboardist Vezzy insists could even have chart potential.

Of course, Wonk Unit live are anything but sensitive and the chaos that ensures once (Johnny) ‘Rambo’ enters Le Pub for the band’s finale is all you’ll ever need in your camouflage jacket pocket if you ever had to give evidence of this fact in a court of law.

I’ve said it many times before, but I’ll say it again, Wonk Unit really are something special, there’s no one else quite like them out there, and in fact they fast becoming something of a national treasure when it comes to DIY punk rock bands. They are no heritage band though, the new songs really sounded great tonight, and the current, settled, line up of Alex and bassist Pwoison, alongside Vezzy, drummer Max and guitarists AJ and Ryan really look like they are relishing every second of being in a band together.

Don’t forget to honk if you Wonk.

HONK!

Author: Johnny Hayward