Bruise Control play fast, yobbish punk rock. They have some meaty riffs and catchy choruses which bring Randy to mind. 'No More' is blistering anthemic punk which has a pretty simplistic climax reminiscent of Minor Threat's cover of 'Steppin' Stone'. I find myself reminded of modern acts like Chubby & The Gang quite often. They have plenty of energy, particularly the singer, who is absolutely everywhere. They definitely have more melody than you'd think. I was also thinking that they had a Black Sabbath influence in places (which I suppose also puts them in Black Flag territory) when they bust out a chaotic yet great version of 'Paranoid'. A band I'd definitely check out again.
Spiritual Cramp blast right out of the gate with a powerful 'Blowback'. It breaks down in the middle as the guitarist initially refuses to play the guitar solo. The singer Michael Bingham asks the crowd 'you love that shit, right?' before Jacob relents and plays a brief, blazing solo. It's obviously pre-planned but it is fun and gives them a bit of character. They are from a hardcore background but play music which is a hybrid of punk, college rock, new wave and post-punk. Like similarly placed bands such as High Vis or Angel Du$t, they are much more punk live. 'Talking On The Internet' is super catchy yet has some balls too. 'Herberts On Holiday' is college rock yet it still has an indefinable something that still marks it out as punk. 'Slick Rick' is as catchy as it is on record but it just exudes energy and has a much rougher edge. 'City On Fire' has a throbbing, insistent bassline and a early Cure influence. 'I Feel Bad Bein' Me' sounds like a souped up version of 'London's Calling' fronted by David Byrne. The band lean into The Clash influence by playing 'London's Calling' as an intro. 'Better Off This Way' sums them up perfectly with its seamless blending of all their influences. Everything they play seems much more vibrant and has much more energy than the studio recordings. A great show.
Spiritual Cramp ****
Bruise Control ****
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