By DJ Astrocreep
Poster for Petrol Girls at Deaf Institute, Manchester, 18 January 2020In a time of growing social consciousness, it’s still rare to find a gig where the emphasis is on actual female empowerment and promoting both that and unity amongst people in general. Tonight is an evening dedicated to just that, as a pro-feminist q+a session prior to our first act shines as a clear example of the the Petrol Girls’ fundamental beliefs and attitude to things thay harm society and those in need. The q+a over, it’s time for the music.
Mollusca Vita kick us off musically, as a one person singer/songwriter with a punk twist! The highly excitable lady starts off with a mention of having wanted to play the venue for a while, before kicking into her first song and it’s made in a similar style lyrically – a recurring theme through her set – to the other bands on the bill with the political and societal awareness levels set to max. Songs like ‘My Man’s Hand’ show a slightly different side to her songwriting, being dedicated to her boyfriend, while the lyrical ability, both in writing and the agility to perform it live, show a great deal of talent and thought. Vocally, it’s like a gritty blues voice, full ofnsoul and passion and certainly not what someome would expect at first glance, the perfect demonstration of don’t judge a book by the cover! It’s a well performed set from a very talented act.
Main support are Glove, a northern duo who have picked up some quite interesting reviews in the past. I’m not quite sure what to make of them during the first track, though this changes quite quickly as they work their way through the set, as they demonstrate a lo-fi approach to Punk that brings in influences from across the board, with funk, post-punk and  being quite obvious at different points of the set. Their approach, whilst unconventional to say the least, is a mix of the theatrical, some true ability and more than a dash of showmanship, as the pair takes turns between drum, guitar and bass, using the stage as a rough guide of where to play, though they both seem as happy to take their leave and just go where they want, showing quite how adept they both are with each instrument and using minimal backing. While this means they have quite an eclectic sound, the deadpan humour and sheer ability from each creates a web that you can’t help but drawn into. It’s a very enjoyable set which rightfully draws a good response throughout from the busy crowd.
Petrol Girls take to the stage with a brief introduction from vocalist Ren about creating an area for more marginalised people to feel safe, which people straight away adhere to. They are easily the heaviest band of the night but the spirit and ethos remains the same as with our previous acts, inclusion and support of those in need, all tied up in a rather neat post-hardcore box. Ren’s vocals, despite her sore throat slightly bogging her down, remain strong throughout the set, while her bandmates – including the very impressive Becky from Milk Teeth standing in on bass – are tight and wholly on the ball, made even better by the fact that Becky has learned the basslines so well, almost like having written them herself. Unsurprisingly, given the multinational members of the band, the emphasis lyrically is on social inclusion of all, regardless of gender/status/religion or anything of the ilk, an admirable ground to take.
Eleven songs take up the best part of an hour, along with Ren’s ramblings between tracks as retuning and a quick break happens for the rest. The likes of ‘Big Mouth’, ‘No Love For A Nation’ and ‘Survivor’ are a clear testament to their core beliefs and played impeccably, with the vocal delivery adding that bit more spit to the message. A brief message from someone currently being repressed in Kurdistan by the Turkish government is played through the PA, continuing the message, while there are frequent mentions of stallholders in the lower hall of the venue and of the work they do to help those most in need, further continuing the theme both of the night and of the ethos of the Petrol Girls in general. We get a single encore in ‘Restless’, after ‘Naive’ closes the main set and the evening is done, apart from a DJ set at the afterparty. An enthralling evening of entertainment all around.
  • Petrol Girls play McHugh’s in Belfast tonight (Tuesday 21 January), Whelan’s in Dublin tomorrow (Wednesday 22) and Dolan’s in Limerick on Thursday (23).
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