GIG REVIEW: Hi-Fi Spitfires, Slalom D & All Out Attack,
Independent, Sunderland, Friday, 25 February 2022
This gig was originally meant to see Hi-Fi Spitfires and Slalom D supporting the Anti-Nowhere League at Sunderland venue Independent.
When the headliners had to pull out, the two Sunderland-based bands decided to play anyway, and invited North East pals All Out Attack to join their DIY punk rock party.
And they were rewarded with a good Friday night turn out to see three bands who were right on top of their game, all boasting new(ish) members.
All Out Attack, a streetpunk band with a hardcore edge, who have been going since 2011, were playing their first gig since September, but sounded tight as a gnat’s chuff, with frontman Adz in great voice.
They’ve got a new bass player, James (from Teesside punks Alien8), since I last saw them, and he’s bedded in nicely, gelling nicely with Dan’s scattergun drumming. Throw in some huge riffs from guitarist Daz, and I think this is the best I’ve ever heard them sound.
Highlights of their set included Tale Of Three Rivers and Holiday In Beijing, and they closed with a cover of Motorhead’s Over the Top. The good news is they’ve been in the studio recently recording five new songs, with a view to putting out a couple of singles. In the meantime, check out their stuff on their Bandcamp page HERE.
They’ve also got a bunch of gigs coming up, with the next one at Snow Moon in Tynemouth on April 15 with Slalom D, followed by others in Newton Aycliffe, Middlesbrough and Newcastle. Check their full list of upcoming dates HERE.
Talking of Slalom D, they’re next up, and now expanded to a five-piece with the addition of new boy Goober on keyboards, who adds an extra dimension to their already-powerful sound.
Formed in Sunderland five years ago, their debut album Happy Skies (reviewed here) was my album of the year last year (see the full top 40 here), but they’re not content to stand still.
After traditional opener No Pasaran they pulled out a new song, Red, performed here for the first time, and it went down well with the hometown crowd.
Most of their all-too-short set consisted of songs from Happy Skies, including Altar, G.L.A.M. and Final Girl, though events in the Ukraine probably mean that sadly we won’t be hearing its powerful opener 588 for a while.
They couldn’t resist a League cover, but it wasn’t an ANWL song, it was Sound Of The Crowd by The Human League, and they nailed it. There was a nod to the band’s past too, with storming versions of old favourites Pressure and Jerusalem, and I could have listened to a far longer set, as Fe and the lads sounded absolutely tremendous.
Time for the headliners then, and time for a confession from me: though they’ve been going since 2008, I’d somehow managed never to see Hi-Fi Spitfires (you can’t catch ’em all, can you?), but I was assured by friends that I’d like them.
They weren’t wrong, as their upbeat, in-yer-face, tuneful, punk, inspired by the likes of The Clash and Stiff Little Fingers, slipped down a treat.
They’re fronted by Sunderland punk rock lifer Steve Straughan, whose impressive CV of previous bands includes Holy Racket, The Pits, Red London, The Lurkers and Angelic Upstarts.
Currently, he’s in three bands, playing guitar for UK Subs and bass for Loaded 44 (the latter fronted by his missus Beki). As the only remaining original member, Hi-Fi Spitfires is very much his band, and he takes lead vocals as well as playing some mean punk rock guitar.
He’s joined in the current line-up by Tony Taylor on bass and backing vocals, and new drummer Dean, both of whom travelled from the Midlands for this gig. That’s commitment, and they clearly left a week of life’s troubles on the motorway by totally smashing this gig.
Hi-Fi Spitfires have a mini-album, a couple of full-lengths, a split CD and an EP to their name, and recently contributed a song, New Suit, to a split 7in issued by Safety Pin magazine.
Here, they fire straight into their set with Write It On The Rooftops, one of the highlights of their 2010 album England Screaming, and my friends were right: I’m hooked from the off.
Standouts included 37 Hours from their first album, Suzy Is A Sniper from the second, and Berlin and Don’t Take My Heart from their most recent release, the Doors To the USA EP.
There’s not a duff tune in the 15-song set. This is punk as it should be: loud, angry, played with power and passion, and no mean musicianship. Steve and Tony work intuitively off each other, and the new boy at the back doesn’t miss a beat.
When they bring the night to a close with Cover Up, from the first album, it’s to warm applause, and the only shame is there’s no encore due to the club night starting downstairs.
A quick trip to the merch table to catch up on the releases I’ve missed and I leave comforted by the knowledge that the DIY punk scene in the North East is in very good shape indeed.
