DIY Punk heroes Wonk Unit headline the last ever Punk Rock Bowling Trophy Disaster – awards night thingy.
The name Bottlekids has been cropping up a lot lately, so we did a quick internet search using a famous search engine and watched a few videos on a famous internet video site. We like them. So we got into the gig early to see them. We still like them.
Another product of Chepstow, The Bottlekids play a high octane brand of punk rock and roll. Rumour has it one of the band also plays in the Graveyard Johnny’s, who have also have another gig somewhere else tonight. But we don’t care, cos they are here now and they are putting in a tight shift with sharp preciseness and justify their name appearing all over social media.
Manchester’s Aerial Salad are another name that is vaguely familiar from social media, but to be honest I did not have time to look them up before the gig. To be honest, I didn’t find the band name particularly inspiring. And when they step on stage they look too young to know what rock and roll is. I have things in my fridge older than them.
And then they plug in and let rip. That will teach me to judge a band by their name. They blast out a blinding set of high energy rock and roll that sounds accomplished way beyond their years.
After the Salad, but before we get to the main course, we have the after dinner speakers and presentation of the trophies for the Punk Rock Bowling, which has apparently been taking place for eleven years now. There are awards for best looking team, most pins knocked down and most punk rock team – or something like that. They are all awarded rather cool looking punk rock trophies.
By the time that is finished we are already for a good old Wonk.
Now we have a band we have seen before so should know what to expect.
When the name Wonk Unit comes to mind, I tend to think of a punk band that do a good line in between song banter. This image is enhanced by the fact that many of their videos are mini sitcoms. Taking themselves seriously is not something they really bother with.
As soon as they hit the stage there is self-depreciating humour and banter with the crowd. They play a number, then more banter, then play another number.
But a few songs in, we can’t help notice something we had not really thought about before. These guys can actually play and knock out a seriously decent twenty first century brand of punk rock.
In the last ten years they have knocked out seven albums and the set plucks tunes out from the back catalogue. Well, we assume it does because we have not heard all of the albums, we are just trying to be clever.
At one point they have the audience doing a plastering mime, something front man Daddy Wonk does to earn a proper living.
Needless to say, now that I have sussed that Clwb Ifor gigs finish at ten, meaning I can have a pint and get the last train home – the bastards go on till half past, meaning I have to leave before the end. This time the joke is on me. But hey, I go home happy and pissed, not yet bored of Wonk Unit. I’ll be back for more next time they are in the hood.