I previously caught the Bar Stool Preachers at North West Calling earlier on this year, when they played with mighty bands such as Millie Manders and the Shutup, Sham 69, and The Anti-Nowhere League and they had a lot to keep up with but did so flawlessly. For those who’ve not heard them before, they sound like an edgier cross between The Interrupters and Less Than Jake. The prospect of catching them playing a headline set was definitely enthusiastically seized!
First up were the punk heavy Ultrabomb, a super-group formed of Greg Norton (Hüsker Dü), Finny McConnell (The Mahones), and Jamie Oliver (U.K Subs) combining some of the best of British, American, and Canadian punk to form a loud, aggressive and fun band. Their music is filled with harmonies, hefty drumbeats and exciting basslines. Ultrabomb did not fail to set off at a swift sprint and only further picked up the pace getting all of the audiences attention, encouraging moshing, dancing and raucous behaviour. They played up to the cameras present and were all around a lot of fun for those watching – all while clearly having a lot of fun doing it. They are definitely a band that don’t take themselves too seriously, even dedicating an entire song to their dogs. I’d very much recommend Ultrabomb to fans of old school punk and for anyone who just want to have a good time at a gig.
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After that brilliant warm-up from Ultrabomb, and with the atmosphere absolutely buzzing, along came The Bar Stool Preachers. They arrived on stage to a very melancholic acoustic version of “Call Me on The Way Home” before tearing into the full incredibly upbeat version, then blasted through joyous track after joyous track, including many ska-influenced numbers like “Choose My Friends” (minus The Interrupters), and darker edgier sounding tracks like “Doorstep”. Rarely do you come across a band with such an interesting and diverse catalogue as The Bar Stool Preachers, who also clearly have an incredibly dedicated fan base. They danced, sang and interacted closely with the band throughout their set providing plenty of entertainment on an incredibly miserable and drizzly Thursday evening.
Closing the set with their incredibly solemn “Lighthouse keeper”, “Bar Stool Preacher” and the soaring “Flatlined” left everyone feeling optimistic and ready for the upcoming Christmas holidays.
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Pics by Charlotte Emily
