So after a long days slog of preparation the evening kicks off at 7pm with Peoples Kitchen serving Lentil Dahl, Rice, Vegetable Curry and Fruit Salad cooked lovingly by Reuben & Rachel from the Punk 4 The Homeless team then:-

Ed Med gave us 30 minutes worth of top notch raw blues with edgy lyrics. Think Seasick Steve meets ‘I've got everything in deed’ era Wild Billy Childish and you will know Ed's in good company. He would hold his own with these guys given half a chance. The guitar work is amazing and the vocals kind of snotty and laid back which bizarrely at times remind me of Tim Armstrong, the  lyrical content was spot on too. With song titles which include ‘Unified’, ‘All Mouth No Trousers’ and ‘Better The Future’ giving you a good idea where the man is coming from.  Ed plays his heart out in front of a handful of people who lap it up whilst the other punters sit outside lapping up the sun and Ed's vibes. Loads of cheering could be heard coming from outside whilst the few others stood awestruck at the young mans’ finger work. Shit hot. YYYYYEEEEEEESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!

Now for something completely different in the form of punk rock as rough as being rogered by an armadillo. Nuke On Route ticked every box for me. Raw but catchy, dirty and raging. They were not taking prisoners tonight. The police, bouncers and sell out punks came under attack. Although the band were loud and forceful the lyrics could be heard and were sing-a -longable. I love singing along. If you haven't seen these guys, do so. If you are a promoter put them on. They come highly recommended by Eagle Spits. But don't let that put you off. Great fucking stuff indeed - bleed you fucker.

We lost Thatchers Love Child a few days before the gig and although I never got to see them loads of people I respect reckon they are a major loss to the scene. Fortunately for us however AFK stood in with their own brand of grunge punk. A polished tight set from a 3 piece full of charm and energy who have a love for Nirvana and NOFX. Which is cool with me. AFK drew people into their joy for what they did then lifted spirits even higher during their final song which was a cover of Britney Spears ‘Toxic’ during which the guitarist didn't miss a note even whilst falling into the amp stack and knocking it flying. Slick indeed and another band to watch out for.

Finally Headjam who have been on the scene for around 30 years (although obviously not all original members) who have everyone rushing in from outside right from the first note of their festival dub anarcho punk vibed set. The small venue danced its skanking socks off. Whilst the lady on vocal duty tells us some truth about stuff which matters. Total DIY ethos and totally in the groove. ‘Psychic Sponge’ and ‘Cash Converters’ are still stuck in my noggin, going, round and round, but not because they were any better as there wasn't a low spot in their set. Headjam were fucking rocking - full stop.

Well a great vibe once again @ The Sumac Punk 4 The Homeless. Loads of fun. Fed some street kids. Much love & respect to all involved in making it happen. You know who you are and I fucking love you for it because ‘stopping cops killing kids is punk rock’- cheers.

review by Eagle Spits (29th June 2015)