Gig review: Bilk at Rescue Rooms

A jangly eighties sound to their guitars is what welcomes Paradise Circus onto the stage and into future playlists. The band are a tight unit – particular kudos to their drummer’s ridiculously good fills, he’s their best kept secret! – and amplifies their sound with a range of technicality. Pinning down this band into just one genre is uncalled for. Heavier tracks seem to garner the most head bobbin’, yet their professionalism and proclivity for switching styles brings them further into the stratosphere of reyt good music.

Local talent Paste pack a punch with their deceptively hardcore grunge rock. A last minute addition to the lineup, they certainly raise the expectations of what it means to deliver a ‘show’ by joking with the crowd and kicking balloons into the pit. The heaviest breakdowns compliment frontman Dan Dibbs screaming his lungs out at in a way that would make Kurt Cobain proud, and with their debut just round the corner, I’m keen to be anointed a fan at their prospective headliner. Watch this space.

A suave screech of the guitar ricochets around the already sweat-slickened walls of Rescue Rooms. Beginning with the riff-raff rockabilly chords of RNR, Bilk are straight into it, and the mosh pit follows instantly. With a flail of limbs and an audience of all ages, it’s striking just how connective these two-minute tracks are in their hook-inspired rhythms and relatable lyrical content. 

Leaving just enough time to inhale breath, lead vocalist Sol Abrahams addresses the crowd promptly: “Nottingham! How the f**k are you?! We’ll have a party tonight, yeah? This one’s called Slag for all you dirty f*****s!” 

Perhaps a promiscuity for the pounding of drums, if the size of the pit is anything to go by. No, really. The mosh-pit continues to become wider and ever more violent with each passing song. Continuing to thunder at pace through the catchy numbers with the most pronounced under-foot tremors I’ve ever felt at a gig, it doesn’t necessarily matter that we don’t know the lyrics to the newer material yet – if Bilk tell you to move, you bloody well groove.

Cautioning on the side of arrogance, it’s instantly noticeable that Bilk are a very well-rehearsed band and have no problems feeling comfortably confident on stage. Even as they segway into Go, another punk-inspired and rapid-fire rap number off the latest release Essex, Drugs and Rock and Roll, the crowd respond with the appropriate vigour.

The energy is kept high with ska-influenced number Be Someone, and with chants of the band’s name reverberating around the venue, Abrahams addresses the boisterous crowd with more of his pep talk: “This song’s about not giving a f**k about what people think. Why should you?! This song’s called Fashion!”

It’s clear Bilk have no intentions of calming things down; the fan favourite is reminiscent of The Libertines in their prime. Their punk attitude and Ramones-esque speed with which they power out these tunes is somewhat of a forgotten art nowadays – perhaps most aptly noted with the song Skid Mark delivering a few laughs along the way. Charmed by the repeated relatability of lyricism, needless to say the crowd gladly join in and affectionately throw the line “You’re a c**t!” right back at the lads on stage.

Bilk came, saw, and conquered Rescue Rooms. Whether that be the articulated noise of feedback (which arguably overpowered their vocals the entire set, yet their laissez faire swagger has been proven tonight) or the image of Abrahams basking in the warmth of the barrier and shredding his guitar in the face of his fans, rock and roll ain’t quite dead yet. Throw in a few lyrics of debauchery and you’ve got the bluesy distortion of hilarity and the staple sound of Bilk.

Bilk performed at Rescue Rooms on 19th February 2025, with support from Paradise Circus and Paste.