2023 – Dave The Punk

Riot Rhythms and Reckonings

2023

2023 brought noise, nostalgia, and a few emotional uppercuts. Rancid stormed Wembley like they owned the postcode, The Exploited lit up the chaos circuit, and Anti-Flag bowed out with one last, clenched roar. Tribute nights got sleazy, the crowd got sweaty, and politics — as ever — came with a power chord. It was a year of salutes and send-offs, fists in the air, and amps still bleeding rebellion. Punk didn’t just live — it rallied.

The Exploited – Disorder Tour

The Arch, Brighton – 24th March 2023

After a 20-year absence, The Exploited returned to Brighton, tearing up The Arch with a ferocious 24-song set. Wattie and the crew delivered a relentless barrage of punk anthems, proving that time hasn’t dulled their edge. Bit of a wet one too — but hey, it’s not punk rock unless you get covered in beer. The Barmy Army was out in full force, the energy was electric, and the chaos glorious — a triumphant return from true legends of the scene.

The Exploited - The Arch, Brighton - 24 March 2023

Setlist from The Arch

The Exploited

Let’s Start a War (Said Maggie One Day)
Fight Back
Dogs of War
The Massacre
UK 82
Chaos Is My Life
Dead Cities
Alternative
Noize Annoys
Troops of Tomorrow
Never Sell Out
I Believe in Anarchy
Holiday in the Sun
Disorder
Rival Leaders
Beat the Bastards
Cop Cars
Fuck the System
Porno Slut
Army Life
USA
Punks Not Dead
Sex & Violence
Was It Me

Gravel and Grit

Sandwiched between The Exploited and Anti-Flag, I swapped the pit for pedals and hit Spain for a six-day Gravel Tour in the Sierra Nevada. Off-road, off-grid, and occasionally off-my-nut for signing up, we rode 321 miles and climbed nearly 10,000 metres — because apparently “holiday” now means Type 2 fun.

A different hotel every night, legs burning, bikes crunching through dust, gravel, and the occasional existential crisis. The Spanish weather threw the whole menu at us: sun, wind, rain, and yes — actual snow in May. Spain, being Spain, said “¡qué divertido!” and gave us a hailstorm for dessert.

It was brutal. It was beautiful. It was everything I needed. Punk gigs may feed the soul, but this ride fed something deeper — that old hunger to keep pushing, keep climbing, even when everything’s telling you to stop.

And besides, what’s more punk than getting caught up a snowy mountain in the middle of nowhere, dressed only in a thin layer of lycra and fingerless gloves?

full story on Sportive.com
Dave The Punk

Anti-Flag – European Summer Tour

Patterns, Brighton – 30th May 2023

Well that was mental. I was dead on my feet after riding 100 miles the day before, but it’s amazing what a cocktail of lager, energy gels and a full-throttle punk show can do for you. Up close and personal with my favourites from Pittsburgh — Anti-Flag delivered the kind of chaos that makes you forget you’re knackered.

Anti-Flag - Patterns, Brighton - 30 May 2023

Dream Nails - Patterns, Brighton - 30 May 2023

Setlist from Patterns

Anti-Flag

Sold Everything
Laugh. Cry. Smile. Die.
The Press Corpse
This Is the End (For You My Friend)
The Disease
Hate Conquers All
The Criminals
Broken Bones
1 Trillion Dollar$
Christian Nationalist
The Fight Of Our Lives
Die for the Government
American Attraction
30 Years of Anti-Flag Medley
Victory Or Death (We Gave ‘Em Hell)
Brandenburg Gate

My Thoughts on Anti-Flag

A couple of months after I saw them live, the band disbanded following deeply disturbing allegations against Justin Sane. I was devastated. Like many, I was astonished that someone so publicly aligned with progressive, socialist values could be capable of such behaviour.

I fully support the remaining band members’ decision to end Anti-Flag. It was the right call — swift, principled, and in keeping with everything they always stood for.

This doesn’t erase the band’s history or the impact they had. Their music, their activism, and their message meant a lot to me — and still do. I’ll always align with the values they championed: anti-fascism, anti-racism, and justice for all. Those ideas are bigger than any one person.
Dave The Punk

Rancid – Tomorrow Never Comes Tour

Wembley Arena, London – 20th June 2023

Relocation from the then-closed Brixton Academy meant a longer journey but meant a bigger venue and an even bigger crowd. The energy was off the charts from the first chord, with thousands of voices roaring back, “When I got the music, I got a place to go…” Punk unity on a grand scale, and proof that Rancid can make even the biggest stage feel like a sweaty club show.

Support from The Skints, The Bronx and Grade 2.

Rancid - Wembley Arena, London - 20 June 2023

The Skints - Wembley Arena, London - 20 June 2023

The Bronx - Wembley Arena, London - 20 June 2023

Grade 2 - Wembley Arena, London - 20 June 2023

Setlist from Wembley

Rancid

Tomorrow Never Comes
Roots Radicals
Radio
Maxwell Murder
The 11th Hour
Journey to the End of the East Bay
Dead Bodies
Black & Blue
East Bay Night
Side Kick
Salvation
Bloodclot
Ghost of a Chance
Gunshot
Listed M.I.A.
Hoover Street
I Wanna Riot
Old Friend
The Wars End
Something in the World Today
Rejected
St. Mary
Olympia WA
Fall Back Down
Tenderloin
Time Bomb
Ruby Soho

Chasing The Sun

One minute I was screaming “Roots Radicals” with a pint in hand, the next I was chasing the sunrise on a bike, swapping one kind of chaos for another.

The day started on Minster-on-Sea promenade at 4:48am, surrounded by 754 other riders with more ambition than sense. The plan? Chase the sun coast-to-coast — Isle of Sheppey to Weston-Super-Mare — and beat it to the other side before it disappeared. Like some kind of Lycra-clad vampire race.

205 miles later, with nearly 10,000 feet of climbing in my legs and most of Kent, Wiltshire, and Somerset behind me, I rolled onto the Grand Pier in Weston-Super-Mare with over an hour to spare. My longest ever ride. My proudest? Quite possibly. My most painful? Let’s just say there were moments my saddle and I needed relationship counselling.

Out of 755 who started, 519 beat the sun. I was one of them.

Was it ever in doubt?
Dave The Punk

Clash ‘N’ Sleazy

The Brunswick, Hove – 12th August 2023

Spent the night with the brilliant Clash’N’Sleazy, tearing through the best of The Clash and The Stranglers with style and swagger. Highlight? Walk On By — a covers band covering a cover, and absolutely nailing it. Not the real thing, but loud enough to make you not care.

Clash 'N' Sleazy - The Brunswick, Hove - 12 August 2023

Setlist from The Brunswick

First Set

Janie Jones
London’s Burning
(Get a) Grip (On Yourself)
Career Opportunites
London Lady
Hate and War
Sometimes
Police & Thieves
Nice n Sleazy
Clash City Rockers
Goodbye Toulouse
English Civil War
Straighten Out
Tommy Gun
Tank
The Guns of Brixton
Who Wants the World?
Safe European Home
Go Buddy Go

Second Set

The European Female
Golden Brown
The Magnificent Seven
Train in Vain
Walk On By
Rudi Can’t Fail
Duchess
Armagideon Time
Stay Free
5 Minutes
Complete Control
Hanging Around
Bankrobber
Peaches
(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais
Something Better Change
No More Heroes
London Calling

Public Image Ltd – End of The World Tour

Chalk, Brighton – 26th September 2023

Public Image Ltd on their End of the World tour — Lydon raw, defiant, and utterly compelling. Anger is an energy, and he’s still crackling with it. Love him or hate him, he’ll always be my idol. A night of noise, nuance, and unapologetic presence from a true original.

Public Image Ltd - Chalk, Brighton - 26 September 2023

Setlist from Chalk

Public Image Ltd

Penge
Albatross
Being Stupid Again
This Is Not a Love Song
Poptones
Death Disco
The Room I Am In
Flowers of Romance
Memories
Car Chase
The Body
Warrior
Shoom
Public Image
Open Up
Rise

PIL Before the Plague

Some people have a knack for picking the winning lottery numbers. I, apparently, have a knack for scheduling Covid.

Both times I’ve had it, the build-up followed the same bizarre pattern. It started with a Public Image Ltd gig on a Tuesday — because nothing says ‘health hazard’ like John Lydon sweating into a mic. By Friday, I’d be collecting my bike from the mechanic, completely oblivious to the viral doom sneaking up behind me. Saturday? Full-throttle party mode. And then, like clockwork, I’d wake up Monday morning feeling like I’d swallowed sandpaper and tested positive.

In 2022, it was PiL, a freshly tuned bike, and The Exploited. In 2023, same opening act — PiL, bike — then Polly’s 60th. Both ended with me flat on my back, coughing up the memory of a great weekend.

It’s like my immune system thinks Lydon is the Horseman of the Apocalypse.

So yeah — if you ever see me heading to a PiL gig with a freshly serviced bike, maybe keep your distance.
Dave The Punk

The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight

The Brighton Centre, Brighton – 14th October 2023

A bit different from my usual outings — classical musicians breathing beautifully dark energy into legendary rock and metal tracks. The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight delivered power and atmosphere in equal measure, reimagining the heavy with elegance and fire. Chop Suey!, Killing in the Name, and Du Hast hit with orchestral fury, lit by candlelight and soaked in drama.

The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight - Brighton Centre, Brighton - 14 October 2023

Setlist from Brighton

The Rock Orchestra

Thunderstruck (AC/DC)
Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes)
Paranoid (Black Sabbath)
White Wedding (Billy Idol)
Sweet Child o’ Mine (Guns N’ Roses)
No One Knows (Queens of the Stone Age)
Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin)
Uprising (Muse)
Zombie (The Cranberries)
Bring Me to Life (Evanescence)
Nothing Else Matters (Metallica)
Tainted Love (Gloria Jones)
Ace of Spades (Motörhead)
Chop Suey! (System of a Down)
The Pretender (Foo Fighters)
Killing in the Name (Rage Against the Machine)
Du Hast (Rammstein)
Enter Sandman (Metallica)

Discharge

Con Club, Lewes – 29th October 2023

An hour of absolute mayhem at the Con Club with the mighty Discharge — relentless, furious, and loud enough to rattle your bones. Hell On Earth… Hell On Earth… The perfect de-stresser before the working week, delivered with apocalyptic force.

Discharge - Con Club, Lewes - 29 October 2023

Setlist from The Con Club

Discharge

Doomsday
Fight Back
Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing
The Nightmare Continues
A Look at Tomorrow
Drunk With Power
A Hell on Earth
Cries of Help
Ain’t No Feeble Bastard
Protest and Survive
Hype Overload
New World Order
Corpse of Decadence
Hatebomb
Never Again
State Violence/State Control
Realities of War
Accessories by Molotov
War Is Hell
You Deserve Me
The Possibility of Life’s Destruction
Decontrol
The Blood Runs Red

Millie Manders & The Shutup

The Hope & Ruin, Brighton – 16th November 2023

Even with their bassist out sick, Millie Manders and The Shutup still delivered a high-energy set packed with grit and bounce. Romana’s Tea Party opened with a delightfully chaotic support slot — all charm, colour, and punky flair. A night that proved the show really does go on.

Millie Manders & The Shutup - The Hope & Ruin, Brighton - 16 November 2023

Setlist from The Hope & Ruin

Millie Manders and The Shutup

Shut Your Mouth
Panic
Here We Go Again (Black Dog)
Bacchus
One That Got Away
Poor Mans Show
Right To Life
Broken Record
Burnout
Silent Screams
Obsession Transgression
Rebound
Bitter
Your Story
Glitter Mix
Not Okay

GBH – City Baby’s Revenge 40th Anniversary Tour

Con Club, Lewes – 16th December 2023

Caught GBH in blistering form, opening their set with the snarling anthem Diplomatic Immunity and closing with the feral chaos of City Baby Attacked by Rats and City Baby’s Revenge, played back to back in a riotous nod to the album’s 40th anniversary. Proper punk carnage from start to finish.