We arrived to the shouty punk of Cop Out, a brass and comical punk band from Sheffield. Obviously drunk and loving it, the drummer Bryan was the most amusing with comments like "Hello Chesterfield!" and "Get ready for the Professionals!" Shame I missed them, as 'Nails as Nails' and 'Durkheim and Drugs' take me back to the old Fat Wreck compilations (where I first discovered Propagandhi).
Random Hand have chosen to follow a more heavy route with tonight's show, and only play a couple of ska tunes that they are so good at. The passion and musicianship are evident and many of the crowd are taking in the Keighley lads.
Now for Propagandhi. Upon arrival at the venue the whole place seemed a little quiet, and I started to wonder if the venue could be filled. No worries there though; after selling out the smaller room next door the protest punks are too large to play the 2-300 capacity venues that many fans fondly remember. The intimacy of these sweaty shows is somehow missing here, but the venue is still small enough to attract a cosy feeling.
Clive Jones from Leicester's satanic rock band Black Widow is here to rally the crowd, dressed in black cape and tights and brandishing a flute. They only reason I have for this different introduction is that Propagandhi play a cover of their song 'Come to the Sabbat', and that we must be getting to hear it later on.
The band have only just kicked into 'Supporting Caste' and the pit is going mental. Focusing mainly on the tracks from the new heavier release 'Supporting Caste' at first, it's the oldies like 'Back to the Motor League' that people are waiting for. Myself and many others around me jump up to 'And We Thought Nation States Were a Bad Idea' from 'Less Talk, More Rock' as well as the title track. Todd Kowalski is bounding all over the stage whilst kicking out some deep bass lines, while David Guillas adds another layer to the sound after joining the group on guitar before their last trip to the UK. Jord Samolesky on drums is hidden at the back but not forgotten, whilst Chris Hannah stings you with his hard hitting lyrics on animal cruelty and all that is wrong with the world. The gig is going well...
That is until the band are told to stop playing, just into the first verse of 'Back to the Motor League'. I have seen this before; RATM at Leeds Festival 2008 as people were getting crushed, for example, but tonight we have the other thing... fire! Smoke can be seen from the side of the stage as the dimmer rack is alight and shooting out flames, scaring the life out of the tech guy. As with all cases of fire the fire services are automatically called, so we have to evacuate. Many do not take the news well. As we all clamber outside of the front door, there is little information, so we do not know if we are to get in or not. As time drags on (it is 9.50pm, the show finishes at 10.15pm because of club night held at the Academy, so it doesn't look likely) the police arrive and it gets a little hairy.
Keeping a load of drunk punks outside a venue can lead to no end of bother. Many are well behaved, there are some lame chants like "Your police hat is crap" and one such cap goes flying, leading to one arrest. Time drags on, and we wander further away from the trouble. Chatting to the band, who had left the building and were waiting by the tour bus, they tell us that the firemen had said we could return inside, as had the venue manager, but one member of the police had said no, and a member of security staff took it upon himself to back him up.
In usual cases the fire services have the last word on the state of a fire and re-entry, but not tonight. One copper also said that we could get refunds without having this information, but as the band had played 60 percent of the show then I doubt this is possible (people's tickets were taken at the door, so many have little proof). Looking at the set list it would have been great, with 'Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes' and the Black Widow cover, but all we can do now is dream, as this was the only northern show. At least it was a little exciting, and Propagandhi were on fire before the place was!
Supporting Caste
Tertium Non Datur
The Banger's Embrace
And We Thought Nation States Were a Bad Idea
Bringer Of Greater Things
Dear Coach's Corner
Less Talk, More Rock
Rio De San Atlanta, Manitoba
Haillie Sellasse, Up Your Ass
Back to the Motor League
Propagandhi would have played
(Human(e) Meat (The Flensing of Sandor Katz)
Refusing To Be a Man
Mate Ka Moris Ukun Rasik An
Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes
Anti-Manifesto
Come to the Sabbat
Purina Hall of Fame)
article by: Danielle Millea
photos by: Danielle Millea
published: 22/04/2009 08:03
FUTURE GIGS
sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.