Punitive Damage / Taurine / Generation / Snakes Among Us

PUNITIVE DAMAGE

Snakes Among Us / Generation / Taurine

Retro Bar, Manchester

Wednesday 12th April, 2023


With the hangover from Manchester Punk Festival still lingering for many across the scene, catching Vancouver’s hottest ticket at Retro on a sodden Wednesday evening in mid-spring is a glorious hair of the dog. 



Snakes Among Us start the party with a loud, brash and intense set of old-school hardcore punk. Veering towards the riff-fuelled style of East-Coast persuasion (with a dose of West Coast weirdness for good measure), guitars bounce, bass booms and drums nail the juxtaposing tendencies of manic thrash and swaggering groove. It’s a strong mix that’s amped up further by the imposing presence and cutting shriek of their frontman. There’s a nice ebb and flow to the set, with 45-second grinds, two-step stompers, and D-beats aplenty. Finishing off with a mournful dirge that stretches out past the four-minute mark, the Manchester debut from Snakes Among Us is a quite brilliant way to kick things off.



Next to take the stage are local punk & rollers Generation who deliver the power and energy of late-90s US punk, but with a very British sense of melody. It’s a whirlwind sound as dual guitars weave in and out of each other atop upbeat rhythms and snappy tempos. There’s an interesting combination of styles blasting through the air; one moment I hear the intricate arpeggios of jangle-pop, the next a driving hardcore riff, and following that an atmospheric classic indie vibe. There’s elements of shoegaze drifting throughout the set too, with the band’s euphoric noise building across their stage-time ahead of a crescendo of celebratory feeling during the final song. Generation somehow take this variety of musical styles and make it a natural fit, crafting a sound that is more than the sum of its parts.



Taurine slip into their performance with dramatic flair on a gothic slow-burn number; icy vocals and FX-drenched guitars induce anxiety before a crushing, fuzzed-out bass brings the nightmare-vision to reality. It’s a bold opener, setting the scene with intent and style ahead of a varied set that embraces post-grunge, nu-metal, and hardcore. There’s great energy to the performance with frequent switching of instruments mirroring the change-up of styles. Some of these cuts are quite dramatic, almost sounding like a different band on each song. Funk grooves, tectonic bass tones, 8-bit guitar noise, and massive two-note riffs are all part of Taurine’s repertoire, but everything is pinned together and hinges on the captivating vocals which span the chasm from lonesome croon to claustrophobic scream. The band themselves throw everything into their performance and walk off drenched in sweat to appreciative applause.



With the undercard complete, Punitive Damage come out swinging with a ferocious opening flurry that showcases their particular brand of bruising, yet limber, hardcore punk. There’s crushing metallic overtones and atonal noise aplenty, but also some classic rock & roll riffs and twisting lead guitar squeals amidst the hammering volume. The band play like they have something to prove, perhaps having heard that Manchester can often be an aloof crowd, and they deliver by getting heads banging and opening up a few pits along the way. Whilst the style and charisma of vocalist Jerkova is an obvious focal point, it’s the rhythm section who hold down the boogie and get the audience shifting. Drawing material from LP This Is The Blackout and their assorted single releases, the Puni D are unrelenting in their delivery, cramming every song with an intensity that defines the base essence of the best hardcore punk bands. The band seemingly finish too early, but they go the distance - getting lost in music and forgetting the constraints of time is the sign of a knock-out set. 


Big thanks to Garlic Bread Club, Anarchistic Undertones and Moving North for making this happen… and of course to Retro for hosting this midweek hardcore smash and grab.


ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE TALENTED RAE GARVEY www.rgarveys.com


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