After a fabulous first year, Punk and Disorderly had been eagerly awaited.  A great range of bands coming from far and wide, a perfect venue, and friendly staff, what else is there to say?  The weekend started on Friday afternoon, the bar was open and the punters were arriving, the atmosphere was relaxed and expectant.

The first band of the weekend was Post Mortem, this is my band so bit awkward to be reviewing us, so all I will say is: it was our first gig after reforming the band, and it was bloody brilliant, well for us anyway lol.  We had a good crowd and got a great reception and had a few up dancing.  Apart from when Fletch, broke a string and had to disappear for a few minutes, leaving me telling some awful jokes to pass the time, lol.

Next up, was Rise Up, who sounded great; though to be honest I was in the process of having a few swift ones, after the stress of doing my first gig in a very long time.

I was back in the game for the amazing Face-UP, who played an exuberantly energetic set, with their singer, who was using a remote microphone, jumping down off the stage to perform on the dancefloor. This band was formed in 2016 and comes from the West Midlands.  Releasing their debut album in 2019, called The World Is Ours, with songs like: Rise Now, and Stand Together, they had the crowd baying for more.

The long-standing, Guitar Gangsters, who originally formed 35 years ago, headlined the Friday night.  This band has released 11 albums and plays an infectious combination of melodic punk anthems.  Pete on vocals and guitar, gave a punchy performance, leaving The Courthouse crowd wanting more.

Though we would all have to wait for the following day, it was time to stumble back to my little hotel room, I use the term hotel very loosely. 

Saturday started for me, with a bit of a hangover, and a walk on the beach in the sun, treating myself to a coffee and an ice cream.  Later on, I moved from the bleak little room I had been housed in, to my friend’s place, much nearer the venue, so a bonus.

Under the Cosh, from Grantham started off the proceedings on the Saturday and I was on the rum, so good all around.  Under the Cosh is a 5 piece punk/oi band that got together in 2011 and then reformed in 2019.  The singer Ben, who is a recent addition to the band, has a powerful guttural voice and prowls the stage like a caged beast, brilliant band, go and see them if you get the chance, they are nice people too, which helps.

I met with friends old and new, chatting, drinking and generally having a good time.  Next up for me was the 5 piece, West Yorkshire-based Skip Rat, who play a brilliant combination of hardcore punk mixed with ska and reggae; they have been on the scene for 15 years. This band has an excellent drummer, who was blasting out an amazing super fast offbeat on their punk tracks.  Good one.

After last year’s all-male lineup up it was good to see some women taking the stage, including myself….  And with that in mind let’s talk about the North East based band Slalom D…

Slalom D, who had traveled down from Sunderland. in their van, turned up about an hour before they were to take to the stage.  Fronted by Fiona the blond powerhouse, who takes no prisoners and sings from the heart. They are one of my favorite bands and the highlight of the weekend for me and the other members of Post Mortem.  

Slalom D, who formed in 2018, is named after a very strong lager that now no longer exists.  Their songs are a combination of raw power, with melodies, and their keyboard filling out the sound.  Many if not all of their lyrics are motivated by contemporary social and political issues.   Medusa, The Final Girl, and Jerusalem are perhaps some of their most well-known tracks, all played with passion and power.  They filled the Arena stage at Rebellion this year, and are always gigging.

These guys are all so down to earth and friendly, sticking around to have a few drinks with the crowd, before they went back to the flat they had rented for the night, just up the road.

Can’t wait to see them again.

Later in the evening after more rounds of drinks had been acquired, it was time to hear the Leicester-based punk/oi band, The Glory, playing a roaring set with some of their best-known songs, “We Are What We Are” particularly standing out.  Their old-school sound had everyone cheering and wanting more.  

The night’s entertainment was rounded off by the formidable Dirt Box Disco, formed in 2010 in Nottingham.  After releasing 8 albums, this lot is prolific when it comes to bringing out new material and touring; supporting bands such as the Misfits and the Wildhearts.  They played The Great Alternative Music Weekend at Butlins, which is now sadly canceled forever.  They have played Rebellion festival every year since 2012, which in itself is no mean feat.

They don’t take themselves seriously for one minute, their tracks are energetic and catchy and they always dress up in gimp masks and costumes, its cabaret punk style. The room was moving with everyone up and dancing, singing along.

So it’s been another resounding success of a weekend for the Punk and Disorderly organizers, the crowd all left smiling, only wishing it could have been a 3-day event… Maybe next year?

It certainly puts Skegness on the map, as far as punk events go, keep on supporting small venues and lesser-known bands, let’s all keep the faith.