Coming to the end of a gruelling 30-date European tour, South Korean Punk trio Rumkicks landed in Nottingham. We dropped in to The Sal to catch the action...
With the world-famous Rebellion Punk music festival just around the corner, this is the time of year when UK punk fans get the chance to see foreign bands who schedule a few UK gigs as they head up to Blackpool. And so it was that Nottingham got to experience a great night of punk featuring Rumkicks from South Korea and Deaf Devils from Spain, who are both performing at Rebellion this year.
The event was organised by Lee Stevens Dowling of Nottingham band Dale, and was held at the Ye Olde Salutation Inn. Lee had booked two Nottingham bands to complete the bill.
First up were Interplanetary Trash Talk and they got the night off to a lively start with a set that was full of energy. The band haven’t performed for a while, but you wouldn’t have known it as they went through a tight set featuring both old and new songs, including crowd favourites Tragic Roundabout and Death by a Thousand Cuts. The band share vocals between Mike and Emma and the contrast of the male and female voices is used to great effect. They are currently working on new recordings to follow on from their existing albums Introduction to a Riot and Green Unpleasant Land.
With the briefest of pauses for a swift change over and soundcheck we were off again with the next local band, Shadowvale, and another female vocalist taking the lead. As a sludge-core metal band, Shadowvale don’t exactly meet the "punk" definition of the other bands on the bill; however, If you want to nerd out on subgenres of music, there is no doubt that US punk legends Black Flag have an influence on sludge metal.
If tonight is about energy, then Shadowvale delivered it in bucket loads. The sound that they produce is amazingly powerful and, combined with the growled, guttural vocals of Lara Kelly, is a true force of nature. Some of their songs include short sections of ‘normal’ singing, and when combined and contrasted with the guttural style that sludge/doom is known for is very effective and went down well with the crowd.
The venue started to fill up some more as the third band of the night made their way to the stage: it's time for Spanish punk band Deaf Devils. Yet again the women are flying the flag for punk with lead vocalist Lucyfer taking centre stage. There was a real sense that something special was about to happen, just by the way they took to the stage. All dressed in white, with a strong Clockwork Orange vibe, they look great, and have a brash, arrogant attitude.
It is 100% energy from the very start as they leap into action. When I say leap, I mean literally leap. The band are all over the stage: no one is standing still. They are jumping off monitors, running into the crowd, throwing around mic stands. It is just a crazy performance; they really are putting on a show. The music is fast paced and bursting with energy. How the band manage to keep things so tight and yet are so active on stage is a testament to their musical talent.
“We are Deaf Devils from Spain – we recently taught you how to play football, now were going to teach you how to rock n roll!"
Lucyfer does a rapid costume change mid-set and returns in an all-black outfit with dark satanic themes, and the mayhem continues.
Members of the band are running into the crowd and then back on stage, and then without any warning they move the drum kit off the stage and into the crowd as the guitarists and singer keep the pace going. Within seconds the entire drum kit is in the crowd and there is no-one on the stage at all. Lucyfer is on the shoulders of some random bloke in the crowd, the lead guitarist "Pipe Dead" is setting fire to the set list as the band perform a blistering and pitch perfect cover of Dead Kennedys' Holiday in Cambodia ... and then it’s all over.
As the dust settles on the Deaf Devils there is a pause in proceedings. The Rumkicks' bass player Koda has collapsed and an ambulance called. 30 days of consecutive tour dates over eight countries has taken its toll. It's not clear if the gig is over, but 20 minutes later Rumkicks take to the stage. Koda looks kind of wobbly, but once they start, she's smashing it, and appears to be feeding off the energy the band create.
They open with Drinking Every Day. Lead vocalist Yeawon says she’s never been to Nottingham before but really likes it, before complaining about “how f***ing expensive cigarettes are in the UK”. The band then go straight into crowd favourite F*** You!
The band are tight and, despite Koda not being 100% (the band apologise for "not being at their best"), it’s a great show. Their version of punk is fast but fun and goes down very well with the crowd. As they finish the set to great applause poor Koda staggers off backstage to find some well-needed rest.
All in all, a great night was had by all. Brilliant support act performances from our two homegrown Nottingham bands and a chance to see two foreign bands who don’t make it the UK that often. Perhaps we didn’t see Rumkicks at their very best, but it was still a solid performance.
There can be no doubt that Deaf Devils stole the show, and expect to see them headlining shows in the future: definitely a band to look out for.
Deaf Devils performed at Ye Olde Salutation Inn on 31st July 2024.
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