Bristol Rough Trade 10th June
Disaster Clinic
The Bristol music scene proves once again to be a wellspring of exciting new talent, and Disaster Clinic is the latest act to emerge from its fertile ground. This five-piece band took the stage at Rough Trade Bristol for the Punka extravaganza, opening the night with a performance that belied their short history. With only four gigs under their belt and still in the process of creating their social media pages, Disaster Clinic showed a spooky, goth, alt-rock swagger that could easily match some of the more established acts in the scene.
The band’s vocalist, Charli Grover, was a standout performer, delivering a dynamite performance that raised eyebrows and impressed the packed venue. Her delivery was full of sass and brooding attitude, reminiscent of Alanis Morissette blended with Wednesday Addams. The rest of the band, including Sarah Lockard on lead guitar, Ellie Harrison on rhythm guitar, and Handina Dutiro on bass and backing vocals, defied expectations with their youthful appearance, laying down performances that put some of their older peers to shame.
Despite having little music currently available, Disaster Clinic presented six strong songs, with standouts being “Where R U Now” and “Wasted.” The slow-burn, low-key vocals that give way to explosions of heavy riffs, pounding drums, and rockstar wailing are far beyond what one might expect from such a young band. They finished off their set with “Rottweiler,” a track that has the potential to be a setlist closer for the band for quite some time, full of middle finger-raising, crowd-screaming participation, and angst.
We will certainly be following Disaster Clinic’s progress with enthusiasm, as something wicked this way comes from this rising band. The Bristol music scene has once again delivered a promising new act, and Disaster Clinic is poised to make their mark in the world of alt-rock.
The Bristol Nomad/ @bristolnomad_gigphotography
The Pink Suits
Naughty and Nice, Sassy with Spice. Pink Suits are the epitome of punk, raging against the machine, but not afraid to be introspective and self-deprecating.
Margate is more famous for being a traditional Tory seaside town than an anti-establishment punk hotbed, but it’s precisely these sorts of places where the new wave of punk rock and rage is bubbling up, as the marginalized of society start to fight back against a corrupt regime.
Adorning the stage with their all-pink outfits, because (as the song goes) Pink Suits Everyone, guitarist Lennie and drummer Ray cut colorful shapes set against the all-black backdrop as their set begins.
We are instantly hairdryer-blown by a wall of sound that, while being raw and simplistic (as punk should be), has an undeniable gravitas lyrically.
The politics of 2023 are laid bare by a duo that is so obviously fed up with the general public’s apathy towards major societal challenges, such as bigotry, poverty, and the suffering of the vulnerable. There are also candid, heart-on-sleeve references to the duo’s battles with mental health. All of this is delivered with dueling lead vocals as both Lennie and Ray take turns on the mic. It’s a combination that works well as both have very different delivery styles.
We chop from the spit-in-your-face approach of Lennie to the TV static screeching of Ray. We thrash our way through a ten-song set that features tracks from 2021’s album “Political Child,” such as the needle-sharp “Fake Great Britain” and “We Can Shout,” to the equally brilliant “Volcano” and “Therapist.” The band brings a wry, dry, and satirical wit to much of their writing, exemplified by our close-out track, “Are You Guy Yet?”
All in all, it’s a thoroughly entertaining set that has you raising a middle finger and smiling at the same time.
@bristolnomad_gigphotography / The Bristol Nomad
The Menstrual Cramps
Do you hate bigots? Do you feel a deep desire to punch a Nazi? Do you believe people have the right to choose wtf they do with their own bodies? Well, let us prescribe you a touch of The Menstrual Cramps.
Let’s get this out of the way early… TMC is one of our favorite hometown bands. Every single time we’ve seen them perform, they have delivered. If their name is on the bill, you are guaranteed a great time… unless, of course, you’re a Tory.
Emilia (vocals), AJ (drums), Abi (bass), and Zam (guitar) are everything I want in a modern punk band: loud, brash, unapologetic, and uber political.
Over the course of 45 minutes, Emilia transforms into a one-person protest machine. Intoxicatedly rabid in delivery, but all with a smile and a cheeky wink. Spitting barbed lyrics that don’t care how deep they cut, safe in the knowledge that if they offend… well, maybe you are precisely who they are aimed at.
A more stable lineup (excluding founding member AJ) of sickeningly talented musicians has now congealed around her to become a cohesive punk powerhouse. One that is uber-tight and beyond comfortable performing together.
With a six-plus-year genealogy, the set is jam-packed with social injustice classics such as “Frack Off,” “No Means No,” and “Boycott The Lot,” but it’s when perennial favorite “Cull The Tories” is unleashed that the crowd goes from white-hot to positively feral.
Band and crowd are now effectively one, with Emilia making several forays into the massed throng and becoming one of the punters as all sing along to “Neo Nazi” together. By the time the close-out favorite “Idols” is unleashed, Rough Trade has simply become a sea of sweaty bodies bouncing in unison.
TMC is one of the best live punk acts on the circuit at the moment. Respected by their fans and peers both in Bristol and increasingly beyond the city boundaries.
New material is in the offing (let’s face it, the state of the country right now provides a food bank full of subject matter), and we’ll be first in the queue to get our hands on it.
@bristolnomad_gigphotography / @thebristolnomad
@thebristolnomad / @bristolnomad_gigphotography
Role: Photographer / Reviewer / Interviewer
Chief, the one that bugs the team for team for their reviews and images. Creator and founder of The Bristol Gig Guide. Can usually be found swamped in admin or getting cramp kneeling at the front of a gig.
Available for: Gig Shoots, Gig Reviews, Photo Shoots, Album and Single cover shoots, Videography work, Interviews and Touring
First attended gig: Republica, circa 1996.
First gig shot: Hands Off Gretel, at The Louisiana!
Dream gig: Huge metalhead and my ultimate dream gig would be shooting my heroes Slipknot at a huge stadium gig, or as festival headliners. And to experience shooting a headline tour outside the UK
