{"id":8807,"date":"2023-03-14T19:39:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-14T19:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=8807"},"modified":"2023-03-15T19:41:10","modified_gmt":"2023-03-15T19:41:10","slug":"grade-2-show-why-theyre-one-of-the-uk-punk-scenes-best-up-and-coming-bands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=8807","title":{"rendered":"Grade 2 show why they’re one of the UK punk scene’s best up and coming bands"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

GIG REVIEW: Grade 2 + Clobber + Rats Nest @ The Lubber Fiend, Newcastle, Sunday 12 March 2023<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Isle of Wight street-punk band Grade 2<\/strong> are, to my mind, one of the brightest up and coming acts in the UK’s punk scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Formed 10 years ago, when all the members were still at school, they’ve just released their self-titled fourth album (reviewed here<\/a><\/strong>), and it’s an early contender for IPA Music’s album of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sid Ryan (bass & vocals), Jack Chatfield (guitar & vocals) and Jacob Hull (drums) are a super-tight outfit, and they have a growing arsenal of songs to die for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They’ve only played in Newcastle once before, supporting The Interrupters back in 2018, which is when I discovered them. I had hoped to catch them again at Rebellion in Blackpool last year, but missed out due to one of those unfortunate clashes so often thrown up by a festival of its size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, however, let’s give a mention to the two bands who paved the way for Grade 2 tonight. Opening the show were Rats Nest<\/strong>, a three-piece from Margate in Kent, who were formed in 2017 as a four-piece, but shed a member somewhere along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"rats
Rats Nest opened for Grade 2 at The Lubber Fiend in Newcastle. Pic: Gary Welford.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I’ve seen them a couple of times before, supporting Maid Of Ace and The Bar Stool Preachers (though I didn’t immediately recognise them, as they’ve grown their hair out a lot since I last saw them three years ago).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They have one full-length album, State Of Suspicion<\/em>, and a handful of EPs and singles under their belt, and their fast-paced set of post-hardcore-tinged punk went down a treat with the early arrivals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Year of the Rat<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Standouts from their set were new single A Family Portrait In Black And Gray<\/em>, and previous singles Year Of The Rat<\/em> and The Kids<\/em>, all hopefully a taste of what to expect from album number two? You can find Rats Nest on Spotify and other streaming services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next up were London hardcore crew Clobber<\/strong>, who are about to release their second EP, Yesterday’s Heroes, Tomorrow’s Snide<\/em>. You can check them out on Bandcamp HERE<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"clobber\"
London hardcore band Clobber were the main support for Grade 2 at The Lubber Fiend in Newcastle. Pic: Gary Welford.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

They’ve cut their teeth on the toilet pub circuit in their hometown, and could go far if their performance here is anything to go by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They’re fast, loud, aggressive, fiercely working class and anti-Tory. Their skinhead singer Charlie is a right mouthy sort who you can’t help but warm to, and the band kick out one hell of a racket. I liked them from the word go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Highlights included Bully Boys<\/em> from the forthcoming EP, and Tottenham Court Road<\/em> and debut single Karens, Gammons, Hippies and Conspiracies<\/em> from the first one. They remind me of The Chisel and Chubby & The Gang and I can’t wait to hear the new EP in full (bassist Alex tells me there’s a vinyl release in the pipeline for later in the year which combines the first two EPs).<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"clobber\"
Clobber singer Charlie in action at The Lubber Fiend in Newcastle. Pic: Gary Welford.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Onto the main course, then. Grade 2<\/strong> have been taken under the wing of Rancid’s Tim Armstrong, who’s produced their last two records, and they’re obviously quick learners, as they’ve grown enormously in stature since I first saw them. They exude confidence without being cocky, and, in their own way, are redefining what to expect from a modern streetpunk band.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There’s anger and energy, of course, and it goes without saying that they have a social conscience and are rightly pissed off about the state of the country. But these boys can play, and there’s a lot of melody amid the maelstrom. Three-pieces can be a tad dull to watch, but Sid and Jack constantly change places front of stage while Jacob hammers out powerful but precise beats at the back.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"grade
Grade 2 drummer Jacob Hull at The Lubber Fiend in Newcastle. Pic: Gary Welford.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

They kick off with Judgement Day<\/em>, the blistering opening track from the new album, about half of which gets an airing, including the singles Midnight Ferry<\/em>, Brassic <\/em>and the excellent Under The Streetlight<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rowdy love song Celine<\/em>, my favourite track on the record, is an early highlight just four songs in, but I’m disappointed that two other personal faves, Don’t Stand Alone<\/em> and Parasite<\/em>, don’t make the cut. It’s only afterwards when I sit down to write this review that I realise they haven’t played them, and you realise this band is heading places when they can afford to leave songs of that calibre out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crowd pleasers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Grade 2 have so many good songs to choose from; the excellent download-only single Only Ones I Trust<\/em> is tossed in to get the crowd going just two songs in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Murder Town<\/em>, one of the highlights of last album Graveyard Island<\/em> (reviewed here<\/a><\/strong>) is another crowd-pleaser played early in a well-paced set, with Tired Of It<\/em> following once we’re into the home straight. The old stuff isn’t forgotten either; we get a couple of songs from debut album Mainstream View<\/em> and three from follow-up Break The Routine<\/em>, including fan favourite Pubwatch<\/em>, which closes the main set.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"grade
Grade 2 performing at The Lubber Fiend in Newcastle. Pic: Gary Welford.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Amid loud cheers from the small but enthusiastic audience the boys leave the stage briefly before returning for an unlisted encore, a breakneck version of The Misfits classic Where Eagles Dare<\/em>. It’s a stunning finish to a great night, where the band have played as fervently to maybe 50 people as they would to a festival main stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If old-school punks are looking for a band to hang their hats on as the old guard retire and fade away, they could certainly do worse than these boys, who are still only in their mid-20s. Grade 2 are a band who will be constrained only by people’s tired preconceptions of oi! music and what it’s all about.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

GIG REVIEW: Grade 2 + Clobber + Rats Nest @ The Lubber Fiend, Newcastle, Sunday 12 March 2023<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8818,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2,7,363],"tags":[2483,503,950],"class_list":["post-8807","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gig-review","category-punk","category-streetpunk-oi","tag-clobber","tag-grade-2","tag-rats-nest"],"yoast_head":"\nGrade 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