Rowan Bruce
Storming the stage with their melodic yet ferocious brand of punk London quartet Tripsun delivered a politically vital message while avoiding the preachy pitfalls of other socially aware artists. Leading with the title track from their 2023 debut album Kill The Dream the four piece tore through half an hour’s worth of feverishly energetic punk with frontman Hass Ta-Fa’s throat-tearing, percussive screams and soaring lead guitar taking centre stage.
An undisputed highlight of the set was Kill The Dream opener ‘Sustenance’, transporting Tripsun’s usual lightning fast punk sound into a more deliberately paced, indie inspired context without losing any momentum before flying straight into the anthemic, sing-along emo of ‘Daily’. Whether they’re blasting through a rapid punk banger or bringing the energy down to address the ongoing occupation of Palestine, Tripsun approach every moment of their set with the same unbridled, earnest enthusiasm fueled by genuine political outrage.
Every good musician’s dream should be to be a part of the one weird band at an otherwise straightforward punk show, New York natives Lip Critic are well and truly living this dream. Even before a note is played the sight of the bands dual drummers, intricate noise station and complete lack of guitars should be enough of a tip off that Lip Critic aren’t your average four piece. Led by eccentric frontman Bret Kaser with an eclectic stage persona blending aggressive hip-hop swagger and post-hardcore energy, Lip Critic embody a confusing mish-mash of Death Grips, The Armed and The B-52s for an all out whirlwind of post-punk action.
Kaser not only steals the show from his own band but also makes other vocalists seem woefully inadequate in comparison, never spending a single moment in one spot and feeling just as comfortable with vicious guttural screams as lightning fast rapping against the backdrop of off-kilter percussion and harsh, noisy synths. Where other bands may make a two drummer setup sound redundant Lip Critic fill the vacant left by a lack of guitars with a never-ending barrage of tom hits and snare rolls that would simply be impossible with a single drummer. Don’t give Lip Critic a single second out of your sight, this is one band you absolutely cannot miss.
Having already taken the world of hardcore by storm in their relatively short four years together Californian five piece Militarie Gun are ready to take over Cardiff’s legendary Clwb Ifor Bach. With a sound that blends the raw aggression of hardcore with the accessibility of pop-punk the quintet led by former Regional Justice Centre frontman Ian Shelton, here channelling a persona between the crooning of Damon Albarn and the uplifting hardcore growl of Jeremy Bolm, are the perfect vehicle to bring hardcore back to the masses.
Oscillating between pouring his heart out in front of the mic and flying around the stage in a non-stop hurricane of energy, Shelton leads the band on a crusade of DIY spirit. While Militarie Gun may be lighter on the spine-crushing riffs and spin kicking breakdowns than hardcore elitists are used to don’t write them off as a gimmicky pop-punk band, the non-stop mosh pit full of dedicated fans screaming every word along to their songs more than proves their punk credentials. Earlier tracks like ‘Dislocate Me’, with its driving bass and percussive hardcore vocals backed by chunky guitar chords and the almost spoken word melodic punk of ‘Don’t Pick Up The Phone’ show a rougher side to Militarie Gun, leaning more heavily into their heavy roots whereas the band’s more recent work incorporates more alt-rock tropes. Luckily for fans Militarie Gun played a balanced mix of current hits and older deep cuts.
If you’re familiar with Militarie Gun then you’re almost definitely familiar with Shelton’s trademark “Ooh ooh” vocalisation. The fans at Cardiff’s Clwb Ifor Bach were certainly aware, imitating the noise throughout the set like a pack of apes. Fan favourite track ‘Very High’ elicited the biggest response, the crowd exploding in a sea of caveman-like shouts during the straightforward melodic punk banger.
As the set drew to a close Shelton took time in between songs to promote local DIY shows in the shadow of britpop megastars Oasis announcing their comeback shows joking about coming to club shows being cooler than “waiting with robots trained to buy tickets”. Militarie Gun ended their set on their biggest hit from their debut album Life Under The Gun, ‘Do It Faster’, a roaring melodic hardcore track driven by punchy percussion and Shelton’s spitting vocals. Giving into calls for an encore guitarist Kevin Kiely took the mic with Shelton taking his guitar, repeating ‘Do It Faster’, closing out the night to an even more rabid response from the already rowdy crowd.