By DJ Astrocreep
Following the previous week’s efforts with The Ruts DC, it was back across to Manchester for another night at the Academy, with one of the finest latest pub punk upstarts The Chats, ably supported by two more acts. I get in just after opening, grab a good spot on the viewing balcony and settle down for a night of good old-fashioned punk rock…
Guantanamo Baywatch may actually hail from Portland, Oregon, but it doesn’t stop them from laying some pretty excellent surf and rockabilly. The room is about half full as they take to the stage with no fanfare and kick straight into an instrumental surf number, immediately getting straight into their groove. It’s really likeable stuff that you can help but, at minimum, start tapping your foot or nodding your head to and people across the room react well to it. Their sound is heavily rooted in the 60s rock n roll era and suits them well. While not as in your face as The Chats, they’re still an excellent act and very worthy of their place on the bill.
London’s The Chisel take to the stage and immediately set about ripping the packed Academy 1 a new hole. Mosh pits kick off the second the band start up their rowdy hardcore punk and the energy continues right through their set. The band themselves are absolutely on point. Trying to get in everyone’s face, making sure everyone gets in everyone else’s face, the set absolutely flies by. The sheer energy, passion and spirit shown picks up the crowd and propels us all onwards.
The Chisel are clearly here to take absolutely no prisoners, as is shown by a tight, excellent performance. While quite different to the previous support, they are more than worthy of their spot on the bill, as they smash the place up.
So, it’s Chats time and they are in absolutely no mood to fuck about at all. They go through their set at a blistering, breakneck speed and in a manner more approaching old-school hardcore punk than their usual style. While the crowd interaction isn’t quite as vociferous for all of the tunes slammed out towards us, the energy is there right through as their (at times) relatable pub punk is just as catchy with their newer tracks as with their better-known ones. It’s quite pleasing to say that The Chats are still absolute balls-out old-school punk rock, both live and otherwise, with their power chord strumming, lyric spitting ways.
It doesn’t take long to start hitting the fan favourites as we get their ‘6L GTR’ with fans shouting along in the same manner as old favourite and encore closer ‘Pub Feed’. Whether they are harping on about the ‘Southport Superman’, having a ‘Panic Attack’ or discussing ‘The Price Of Smokes’, the audience, almost as a whole is down for everything the likeable Aussies scream at us. The fact that they absolutely launch themselves through 24 songs in the space of just under an hour is of credit to the constant sonic attack they provide at such a speed. With the last three of those as the encores, we have time for a punk ‘n’ roll cover of KISS’ ‘Rock and Roll All Nite’ before the obligatory finish of ‘Smoko’ and ‘Pub Feed’, topping off what is a superb night of punk.
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