Live Review: Strummercamp Festival (Friday), 25th May 2018, Oldham Rugby Union Club, Manchester, UK

Phinky posted 9th June 2018
Reviews

Strummercamp Festival (Friday)

Oldham Rugby Union Club, Manchester, UK - 25th May 2018

Strummercamp was set up as an independent not for profit grass roots event 12 years ago as a fitting tribute to the late Joe Strummer, this year sees the event relocated in its new home of Oldham Rugby Union Club in the North of Greater Manchester. The festival promises a mix of punk, reggae, ska, rock ‘n roll, folk, comedy and poetry across its main stage, the TNS Records stage and the Shangrila cabaret stage as well as additional attractions such as the Strummercamp art show. In a first for me I find myself volunteering and getting truly involved in the DIY spirit that has earned the festival a reputation for being the friendliest festival in the UK. The first night acts as a warm up for the festival and offers an indoor gig, which is just as well as the Manchester weather has not surprised anyone by deteriorating for the bank holiday weekend and the festivals that are occurring across the North West of the UK this weekend.

The indoor venue, that is providing much needed shelter from the weather, has an impressive sound system pumping out dub and reggae pre show and the bar is becoming increasingly busy ahead of Verbal Warning taking the honour of kicking Strummercamp 2018 off. They open with Alphabet City, a hyperactive blast of Ramones influenced punk rock, their set continues to mine a crowd pleasing vein of old school punk rock that has a scattergun approach to its targets, where everything from current politics and social division to Piers Morgan and Simon Cowell are attacked with equal venom. Uniquely amongst the bands I’ve seen this year Verbal Warning were pelted with a hail of plastic ducks by the crowd mid set, something I’ll be keen to see when they play the Great British Alternative Weekend later this year. Verbal Warning‘s set that has made a fine start to Strummercamp’s 12th year and they leave a stage that is littered with the debris of the duck attack.

Time For Action are the next to take to the stage at Strummercamp, they bring a touch of home town style to the opening night of the festival with a driven set that draws influences from across the board, but has a central core of old school punk that’s mixed with indie cool and the distorted fuzz of the alternative scene. The end result is that the self styled ‘punk casuals’ create a unique sound and carry an attitude that couldn’t have been conceived in any other city than Manchester. During their set the venue has become completely rammed and the bar is doing brisk businesses as bands, crew and fans mix both in and outside of the venue, the next band up are Run Out The Guns who bring a mix of roots folk and folk punk into the mix. The sextet swap out the majority of their instruments from electric to traditional instruments for a soundtrack that comes at the punk roots of this weekend’s festival from a different angle, but it’s one that is no less defiant.

By now, as is expected at the majority of festivals, everything is overrunning but no one seems overly concerned and Strummercamp seems to be well and truly getting into its stride ahead of the arrival of F.I.L.F, who bring their punk covers to Strummercamp ahead of the return of the bands notorious alter ego, The Macc Lads, this summer. Macclesfield’s F.I.L.F take to the stage, their popularity has been a contributory factor in the rebirth of The Macc Lads and the two bands contains the same members and have the same attitude with only the majority of set list separating the two. Their appearance sees the dance floor packed out by a set that comprises punk classics by the likes of Sex Pistols, Ramones, The Clash, Magazine, The Damned, The Only Ones and Eddie And The Hot Rods. Their set is interspersed with put downs of band members, swearing and old jokes… very old jokes. Calls for them to play songs from their infamous alter ego are met with a less than polite suggestions from their vocalist Bammy to go and see The Macc Lads reunion tour later this year.

Finally we get to TV Smith, the man is practically a fixture at punk festivals, and Strummercamp is no exception, as ever he delivers a heartfelt acoustic set that is culled from his lengthy solo career and his tenure with The Adverts, a soundtrack that is always a welcome addition to any festival line up that’s celebrating the punk scene. The overrunning schedule of the opening night means that sadly I’m unable to catch the after show with Tony Auton, Northern Embezzlers and Los Pistups, the three acts that bring the opening night to a close, which is the only downside to the eve of Strummercamp. This has been my first experience of this grass roots festival with its friendly and inclusive atmosphere, something that I already know will carry through into tomorrow when Strummercamp kicks into gear on its first full day.