Dave The Punk

Too Many Crooks

Prince Albert, Brighton – 30th December 2025

Lambrini Girls – Who Let The Dogs Out Tour

Kentish Town Forum, London – 19th November 2025

Kentish Town wasn’t exactly inviting tonight, with sub-zero temperatures turning North London into a wind-tunnel icebox. None of it mattered once Lambrini Girls hit the stage. The Brighton trio didn’t so much start their set as detonate it.

Phoebe took immediate command, hurling herself straight into a mosh pit that behaved like it had a personal vendetta against gravity. One minute she was in the crowd, the next she was being carried overhead in a tangle of limbs and grins. Later she was back onstage, only to reappear singing from the balcony like some punk-rock poltergeist who’d broken free of the venue’s health-and-safety handbook.

It was chaos, community and catharsis, all served at full volume. Exactly what a Lambrini Girls show should be.

CLT DRP (yes, that really is short for Clit Drip) opened the night with a glitchy, industrial punch that rattled the doors. Belfast’s Enola Gay followed with a set that was sharp, loud, and ferocious enough to thaw even the sub-zero toes waiting outside.

999

Daltons, Brighton – 16th November 2025

999 at Dalton’s in Brighton was everything a proper punk gig should be. Nearly fifty years in and they’re still hammering through their set with the sort of raw energy that feels downright illegal at their vintage.

Dalton’s was packed, sweaty and gloriously rowdy. The beer started flying because it isn’t a real punk show unless you get drenched at least once. That’s punk health and safety for you.

No barriers, no distance, no pretence. Just a room full of people and a legendary band playing like they were still twenty and hungry. I ended up right at the front, close enough to catch every grin, every shout, every spark of mischief.

Nick Cash even let me loose on a couple of tracks — Emergency and Nasty Nasty. I doubt I improved things, but it was the sort of thrill teenage me would never have believed. Pure adrenaline. Pure joy.

Brighton turned out for them. 999 delivered. And with their fiftieth anniversary on the horizon, it feels like the perfect warm-up for a celebration that’s been five decades in the making.

Support from Menace and Penny Blood.

Amyl and the Sniffers

Alexandra Palace, London – 25th October 2025

Melbourne’s finest punks tore through Ally Pally like a tornado in denim shorts and Doc Martens. Amy Taylor stalked the stage like she owned every inch of it – snarling, grinning, sprinting, preaching pure feral joy. The band was tight, fast, and gloriously reckless, serving up twenty-four rapid-fire blasts of pub-punk adrenaline.

As Amy herself summed it up: “So you sniff it, it lasts for 30 seconds and then you have a headache – and that’s what we’re like!”

And she wasn’t kidding. Every song hit like a headrush – short, sharp, and gone before you knew it – leaving the crowd sweaty, euphoric, and desperate for another hit.

New Model Army

Chalk, Brighton – 14th October 2025

The last of my three gigs in twelve days at Chalk, and a fitting finale. This was the delayed leg of the Unbroken tour, opening with three acoustic numbers — a slow burn that built tension before the room erupted with Christian Militia.

With a back catalogue of 250 songs spanning five decades, they delivered a 21-track masterclass in power, passion and longevity. 51st State was the standout moment — still every bit as relevant after all these years. This band never disappoint.

Panic Shack

Chalk, Brighton – 10th October 2025

I caught Panic Shack earlier this year at Patterns, when they were already tearing the place apart. But since releasing their debut album (which hit the UK charts), they’ve levelled up in every way. Louder, tighter, and bursting with confidence, they owned that stage from the first note.

They kicked off with “Gok Wan”, setting the tone perfectly — all attitude and grins. We got the magic mushroom back story to “Personal Best”, proving their between-song banter is every bit as sharp as their riffs, and later they treated us to Sabbath’s “War Pigs”, complete with a crowd that knew every word.

Support came from Disgusting Sisters, who were a perfect fit: bratty, bold, and gloriously chaotic. The kind of band that makes you think the UK punk scene’s in very good hands.

From the sweat, the singalongs, and the sheer volume of it all, this was Panic Shack at their strongest yet.

Theatre of Hate

Chalk, Brighton – 2nd October 2025

I nipped down to Brighton (again) to catch Theatre of Hate on their 45th anniversary tour, and they did not disappoint. Rather than just running through Westworld in order, they shook things up — mixing the album tracks with A- and B-sides, giving the set a fresh edge while still honouring the original spirit.

“Do You Believe in the West World” has never sounded so good… well, not since the 80s anyway. Every track hit like it was written yesterday, full of fire and relevance. Kirk Brandon’s voice still carries that mix of fury and passion, and the band sounded razor sharp.

I was just 17 and still a student when Westworld first came out. Now I’m retired, but those songs still light the same fire in me as they did back then. That’s the power of music — it sticks with you for life.

Skeletal Family opened with a storm of dark energy, setting the scene perfectly for what was to come.

Forty-five years on, Theatre of Hate are still raw, still vital, still loud — proof that punk’s spirit doesn’t fade, it just grows louder with time.

Yur Mum

Prince Albert, Brighton – 28th September 2025

Afternoon chaos at The Albert with Yur Mum tearing it up. Perfect timing with my spoons running on empty. Support came in loud and filthy from: Dumfun (grunge-soaked and Nirvana-esque) and Phat Problem (full-on glow in the dark).

Brighton delivered… ears still buzzing.

Peter and the Test Tube Babies

Mid Sussex Music Hall, Hassocks – 21st September 2025

It’s a rare thing for Mid Sussex to get a proper punk battering. Esprit de Corpse tore it up in the 80s, Dead Men Walking stomped through in the 00s, and now Peter and the Test Tube Babies turned up in Hassocks for a second time. It was everything you’d want — fast, loud, sweary, chaotic, and dripping with the kind of filthy humour that’s kept them cult heroes for decades. No pretence, no polish, just pure punk energy shaking the walls of a quiet Sussex town.

Support from The Hotknives, Electric Cowboy Club and Vegan Meat Raffle.

Sex Pistols ft. Frank Carter

Dreamland, Margate – 23rd August 2025

Back to the seaside for another fix of punk rock – clearly turning into a theme. Blackpool gave me sticks of rock, Margate gave me beer showers. Either way, the sugar’s laced with safety pins.

The Buzzcocks rattled my head with Harmony, The Stranglers slithered in Nice ’n’ Sleazy – when legends are just the support acts, you know the main event is pure anarchy.

About 6,000 crammed in, all desperate to be down the front. I got drenched in lager during Holidays in the Sun – my hair stayed spiked, my make-up melted, and it all felt gloriously right.

The crush was fierce – even dragging my phone out was a mosh-pit mission – but being squeezed has never sounded so good.

The Pistols roared, Frank Carter sneered, and the whole thing felt like a candyfloss machine spitting out barbed wire. Punk on the prom, 50 years on – and it still tastes sharp.

Rebellion Festival

Winter Gardens, Blackpool – 7th-10th August 2025

Four days. Ninety-two bands. Countless bruises, beers, and grins. Rebellion 2025 was a full-throttle punk-athon — from barrier-hugging chaos at The Exploited to sweaty singalongs with PIL, The Damned, UK Subs, and a tidal wave of up-and-coming noise-makers. Every corner of the Winter Gardens shook with music, attitude, and the kind of camaraderie you only find in punk’s extended family. Here’s my day-by-day photo diary of the mayhem. 

Day 1

Chub, The Drowns, Pussy Liquor, Splodgenessabounds, Evil Blizzard, HI Fi Spitfires, Buster Shuffle, The Zips, Del Strangefish, MC16, The Insane, The Baboon Show, UK Subs, Elvana, Drongos for Europe, Resistance 77, Circle Jerks, John McKay’s Rector, TV Smith & The Bored Teenagers, Ruts DC and Millencolin.

Day 2

Knuckleheadz, Molly Vulpine Band, Perrybois, Popes of Chillitown, Desperate Measures, Rivalry, The Deckchairs, Brigade Loco, Random Hand, Yur Mum, Sumwat, In Evil Hour, The Outcasts, Instigators, Alternative, The Meffs, Swell Maps C21, Aoife Destruction & The Nilz, Anti-Nowhere League, Riot City Radio, Monkey, Ferocious Dog, The Undertones and The Damned.

Safe Gigs for Women

Day 3

Vicious Circle, Gypsy Pistoleros, Split Dogs, Twist Off!, Svetlanas, Los Fastidios, Paranoid Visions, Zounds, 999, Ramonas Tea Party, Bar Stool Preachers, Pet Needs, Minimum Rage, The Mob, The Chisel, Sidekick, Subhumans, Skeletal Family, Conflict, The Defects, Snake Eyes, Lady Rage, Peter Hook & The Light and Public Image Ltd.

Day 4

50 Foot Woman, Clobber, Choked, Load, Guitar Gangsters, Fatal Blow, Cowz, Headsticks, The Derellas, Rat Hole, Anarchistwood, 8 Kalacas, Spunk Volcano & The Eruptions, Chelsea, Voodoo Radio, Wench, Grade 2, D.O.A., Bex, Millie Manders & The Shutup, The Wall, Helle and The Exploited.

Of all the bands I caught, 70 were first-time experiences — and 32 of those hadn’t even been on my radar before the weekend. Only one act left me wishing I could un-hear (and un-see) them… but that’s a pretty good hit rate for a 92-band punk-athon.

AKU – Evil Twin Release Show

The Prince Albert, Brighton – 31st July 2025

AKU tore through their Evil Twin EP release show with the same no-time-to-waste ferocity that defines the record — five tracks, nine minutes, and a live set that didn’t hang about either.

Upstairs, the pit was a blur of flying limbs as Flesh Prison, Wiseguy and Landmine brought relentless support; meanwhile, downstairs in the bar, the legendary Kirk Brandon — of post-punk and gothic rock fame — was holding court, worlds apart in sound but sharing the same four walls.

Clash ‘N’ Sleazy

The Brunswick, Hove – 26th July 2025

Clash ’N’ Sleazy tore it up with a 33-song onslaught across two riotous sets, paying raw, reverent homage to The Clash and The Stranglers. From the brooding pulse of Nice ‘N’ Sleazy to the sprawling psychedelia of Walk on By, the set was soaked in sweat, swagger, and sheer punk soul. Armagideon Time skanked its way into the crowd’s bones, and London Calling brought the roof down. They say there are No More Heroes — but that’s not true. They’re right here, loud, proud, and snarling through the chords.

Sham 69

Chalk, Brighton – 12th July 2025

Jimmy Pursey — now 70 and still tearing it up like a teenager — led the original Sham 69 line-up through a blistering set that had the crowd pogoing like it was ’78. If you came for nostalgia, you got it… but if you came for raw punk energy, you got that too — in spades.

Ulster Boy hit hard, Borstal Breakout blew the roof off, and Hurry Up Harry turned into the inevitable, beer-soaked singalong we all wanted.

This wasn’t just a band going through the motions — it was a reminder that punk still has a pulse. And judging by the grins and sweat, we all left with ours racing.

Support from Menance and Tear Up.

Gang of Four – The Long Goodbye Tour

Kentish Town Forum, London – 24th June 2025

A second helping of The Heartworms in a single month? Yes please. This rising force are fast becoming unmissable — all eerie intensity, pulsing rhythms, and that magnetic stage presence that makes you forget to blink. Haunting yet fierce, they’re the kind of band that grabs you by the spine and doesn’t let go.

Then came Gang of Four. The post-punk icons delivered two full sets: first up, a blistering run through their seminal debut Entertainment! in its entirety. Every track hit with raw, angular precision, but the closer Anthrax was a standout — featuring some truly savage guitar shredding that reminded us why this record still punches holes through time.

After a brief breather, the second set showcased the best of everything else: razor-sharp grooves, agit-pop riffs, and frontman Jon King going full performance-art madman, wielding a baseball bat and microwave like it was 1979 all over again.

Unforgettable stuff — part séance, part sonic riot.

Not Without Punishment, AKU, Flesh Prison & Blood Hex

The Brunswick, Hove – 18th June 2025

A proper family day out… if your family’s into blast beats and basement screams. We headed over to The Brunswick in Hove for a night of hardcore mayhem, to catch my son tearing it up twice: on vocals for Flesh Prison and guitar with Blood Hex.

We arrived too late to see Strain, but I did manage to snag a photo of their setlist for posterity. What followed was a ferocious four-band onslaught: Blood Hex, Flesh Prison, AKU and Not Without Punishment — each act bringing their own flavour of chaos to the Brunswick basement.

Sweaty, noisy, and strangely wholesome — just the way I like it.

Heartworms

The Forum, Tunbridge Wells – 11th June 2025

Heartworms delivered a post-punk spectacle that was as sharp visually as it was sonically. Jojo Orme commanded the stage with twitchy, gothic intensity — part Ian Curtis séance, part Siouxsie swagger. Guitars snarled, synths shimmered, and the whole thing pulsed with cold war paranoia and art school cool. Not just a gig — more like stylish, shadow-drenched theatre with a killer backbeat.

Support from Dogviolet.

Panic Shack – Don’t Give Up Your Day Job Tour

Cardiff’s finest chaos merchants tore through Patterns with a sold-out show. Razor-sharp lyrics, DIY punk energy, and an unapologetically fierce stage presence — Panic Shack don’t just play shows, they detonate them. Support from The Pill.

Scotland Calling Punk Festival

O2 Academy, Glasgow – 26th April 2025

Scotland called, I answered — a full day of punk chaos, sweat, and shout-alongs in Glasgow. Long journey, sore feet, zero regrets.

From the Crowd

Up Close in Glasgow

Spreadsheets and Safety Pins

No Future Punk Festival

The Fleece, Bristol – 1st & 2nd February 2025

No Future hit like a sledgehammer back in February — and I just about held it together through the noise. My CFS was flaring hard that weekend, but punk waits for no one.

From the Crowd

Up Close in Bristol