Live Review: The Chats / Bad Dreems / Crocodylus – The Ritz, Manchester, UK, 10th December 2019

After braving the predictably rain soaked streets of Manchester as the UK catches the edge of storm Brendan, and the traffic that’s at least partially the result of the council’s criminally insane road system and endless gentrification, something that has seen many beloved venues close their doors for good, we finally arrive at one of Manchester’s oldest and best loved live venues. The Ritz has been a go to for clubbing and concerts for as long as I’ve been heading into town for nights out, which is now a worryingly long time, and tonight it hosts the Australian invasion of Crocodylus, Bad Dreems and The Chats.

It’s rare that you see a crowd quite this diverse at what is ostensibly a punk show, everything from indie kids to a few old school punks along with a smattering of hippies and metal heads, the majority of which are in their teens or early twenties, are present for the visit of Australia’s The Chats to the rainy city that indicates there is a definite buzz around their energised beer fuelled tunes, it also indicates that the band have an enviable cross genre appeal. But first up is Crocodylus, a band, and not the last on tonight’s bill, that were an unknown quantity to us.

Despite the heavy metal indicators of the moniker Sydney’s Crocodylus are scuzzy intense garage punk. Depending on who has taken the lead vocals they hit the reference points of the likes of everyone from The Ghost Wolves to the original purveyors of garage, all of which is delivered with an amphetamine intensity, a snotty sneering attitude, adrenalised energy levels and, like their fellow Aussie headliners, a love of beer. There is nothing I love more than discovering a new band at a gig and it’s mission accomplished before they’ve hit the half way point of their set, and it appears I’m not alone as a chaotic and enthusiastic teenage moshpit is formed and maintained throughout their set.

After a swift changeover, that is accompanied by a run through of The Clash’s greatest hits, most of which are now more than twice the age of most of those attending tonight, we get the second of the Aussie trio on tonight’s bill, the oddly named Bad//Dreems. The quintet also have their roots in the garage scene but deliver it with a more straight up rock ‘n roll approach, something that makes them the natural heirs to The Lime Spiders crown. The self styled outsider rock outfit embrace everything from The Saints through to Culture Abuse and antipodean contemporaries West Thebarton. The end result is that I’m struck by the fact that it seems much of Australia’s current underground has bypassed me, something tonight’s line up is starting to put right.

Outside in the smoking area a chorus of The Chats best know song ‘Smoko’ breaks out and it’s a battle through the intoxicated crowd to get back to somewhere near the stage for The Chats headline appearance whilst The Clash’s greatest hits continue to ring out of the PA. As the time for The Chats to take the stage approaches the noise levels, intoxication and the rising expectations can be felt as people surge towards the stage. The roar that greets The Chats first appearance in Manchester is deafening, as is their walk on music, Queen’s ‘We Are The Champions’, before their raw punk inspired soundtrack takes hold and sees the crowd turn into heaving mass that occupies the entire dancefloor.

For the unitiated The Chats take their cue from vintage punk rock and hedonistic excess, it’s raw and primitive and there is no subtlety, this is short fast fuck you punk rock – the next generation, and it’s a perfect jolt to remind you that punk is still evolving and bands like this will hopefully act as a wake up call to some of the elder statesmen that haunt the festival circuit. In twenty or thirty, or even forty, years time  The Chats may find themselves in this circuit but that’s not what matters, what matters is right now and right now there are few bands that can match The Chats for energy and living in the moment. For the encore every member of all three bands takes to the stage in a frantic finale to end a perfect night before they deliver their final number having played every song they know.

The Chats songs cover Australian culture, sexual diseases, wanking, drinking and smoking to name but a few of the songs subjects, subtle they ain’t, but as far as live shows go this is up there amongst the best I’ve experienced this year. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a crowd this enthusiastic, they knew every word and signalled every new song with deafening noise, raised fists and flying pints. As the house lights come up we crowd out of The Ritz through a lake of broken plastic glasses with our feet sticking to the floor, accompanied by the crowd’s aroma of sweat, jagermeister, beer and cheap skunk until we eventually spill back out onto the damp streets.

If they visit your town then catch The Chats to remind exactly why you fell in love with punk rock in the first place. Tonight was very different from many of the shows we’ve covered this year, not musically as the roots of all the bands sounds are recognisable, but in the age, excitement and enthusiasm of the crowd. There are no, well not many, jaded elder statesmen and women of the live scene present and the hedonism and positive energy of the crowd is positively refreshing. The punk scene has changed a lot over the years but if you took tonight as a snapshot of where it’s headed then tonight was an indication that the future is bright, it also seems to be Australian.

Live photography is by Scott Bradley, his Phukin Photos website is located here and you can click on any of Scott’s photos to view a slide show of the images