It was a night of local punk and hardcore at the Smokehouse with all the bands playing their own brand of music and each stamping their mark on the evening with a different musical style from acoustic guitars to outlandish vocals that I will be surprised if anybody quite caught a word of.
Con-Party
Up first were Con-Party, a hardcore punk band local to Ipswich. Straight from the get go they kicked the night off screaming with their hardcore punk sounds that would get anyone’s attention. It was a confident display and although they had someone else filling in on drums, it didn’t stop them from bringing the night to a raucous start.
Paper Champ
Sadly, although this gig is the last for the band as Paper Champs, and not to say there was a bad set on display though, for me, they put on the set of the nigh. The most melodic of the punk bands, they were extremely likeable bringing on a fine display. Regardless of the odd false start to a couple of songs, it was handled well even with the crowd not being shy to voice their opinions.
Shark Party
With inflatable sharks on display it was time for Shark Party, punk rockers from Kent. It wasn’t quite the Shark Party everyone had come to expect, with acoustic guitars in hand, they displayed a different side to themselves, treating everyone to the sound of acoustic guitars and honest vocals that worked very well together, and was a nice change of pace for the evening.
Smart Alex
Last but by no means least was Smart Alex, a combination of some of East Anglia’s most pure punk rockers to come together and bring forward their old school punk vibes that would make any punk fan smile. The passion and energy from the band was evident in their music, putting on a display of classic punk rock that is so rarely heard in 2018!
