They may be opening a three band bill specialising in forwards, upfront and dare-say obnoxious modern punk, but with the mullet and vest donned James Porter fronting, it’s clear from the very get-go that Monakis can hold their own tonight. Marring the fuzzed out eye-rolling bliss of classic grunge with the imitate snarl of contemporary punk bands in the vein of tonight’s respective headliners, the Brighton quartet sound is as much of an instant hit as vocalist’s timeless look. Select barrages from the bands debut such as ‘Ride’, ‘White Rabbit and a most cheeky cover of The Smashing Pumpkins’ ‘Zero’ present this wonderfully, but it’s the new single of ‘Say What You Want’ that invites the first bout of carnage this evening. They may be relative newcomers, but judging from the bands brilliantly snaring live presence and it’s respective reception, it’s clear that the South Coast is still a hot bed for brilliant and reactionary punk.
Compared to their snarling predecessors, transatlantic electro-post-punk duo Shelf Lives struggle to bare their teeth. Featuring a prominent backing track and led by scratchy riffs as itchy as a Parisian bedbug bite, the two piece’s sound is one of contrast, with the their raw live elements contrasting greatly with their polished pre-recorded parts. The end result is a sound and presence, that compared to their contemporariness tonight, feels somewhat complaisant.
Thankfully, the pair’s playful and energetic demeanour does at least keep the attention of The Exchange rapt, and with sprightly more aggressive cuts, the room does ultimately begin to thaw and appreciate the stylings of Shelf Lives as time goes on. The polarisation between the those gathered valuing more traditional punk styling and those more post punk included is evident as set reaches its zenith, but thankfully for Shelf Lives, this is a set that will be discussed long come it’s end.
Opening their set in the only way a band with this namesake can, with a Snakes On A Plane quote of course, Brighton’s Snayx sink their collective fangs into the populace of Bristol without hesitation. Swinging from a bottle of Bucky as he hammers home the intensity of the likes of ‘Boys In Blue’, ‘Deranged’, and a particularly venomous rendition of ‘H.A.N.G’ lovingly dedicated to Rishi Sunak, vocalist Charlie Herridge is the living embodiment of the blistering rage and incendiary progressivism of this band. As he bellows and leads forth the bands approach to contemporary punk that mirrors the anarchic rage of the original movement, The Exchange is reared into an utter frenzy that defies the typical mundane nature of a Tuesday evening.
Of course, Ollie Horner and Lainey Loops – drums and bass respectively – stand as codependents of this chaos before them, their groove delivered with a sense of blunt impact. However, as the set progresses, one of the core elements of Snayx becomes evident tonight; their championship of community. Warmly thanking members of The Belly Crawlers Social Club, their official fan club, by offering them a bespoke and seemingly spontaneously song, Snayx are a band that champaign and call for inclusivity tonight. In an age of strife both within our scene and within sociocultural society, taking such time to not only acknowledge but champion the devoted in attendance is fantastic to bare witness to, But still, such open community love only amplifies the fact energy in the pit and on the stage before it.
As ‘Better Days, ‘Concrete’ and ‘Work’ herald bedlam in every corner of this room, there’s nothing but love within this packed venue, even if the latter track is sardonically dedicated to a self-confessed banker in the room. Ending on ‘Fayx and a cover of The Prodigy’s ‘Breathe’, Snayx aren’t just a welcome presence in the increasing hostile national punk scene, they’re an entity seemingly set to soon conquer it. Much like their evident inspirations Soft Play and local titans Idles, Snayx are a band that return to the roots of punk to reenergise for the modern day, and if tonight is anything to go by, they will soon be standing tall as ambassadors for the national scene as well as the sound they present wonderfully tonight.