Pizzatramp – Live In Stockton-On-Tees

After a 2 week holiday in sunny Kefalonia (Greece), what would be the best way to kick off my time back in the UK, heading out to Stockton-On-Tees to see four Punk bands in the small local venue of The Green Room of course. This was a gig that had been put together by NECC (North East Cosmonaut Circus), promotors who are committed to supporting local music and up coming bands and artists.  So myself being there for the The Punk Site was pretty much a no brainer, and what better way to blow away this post holiday blues.

I won’t bore you with all the usual niceties of travelling to the gig, how many pints of alcohol I’d drunk, or even those mid band chats with gig goers that I normally fill with, instead lets just get straight into the music and the three support bands that made their way to the bowls of Stockton.  All Out Attack were first up, the final gig for there long time Bass player James, and led by one of the main men from NECC, Adz. This is a band that I’ve seen many times in the past, but they alway just get better and better, songs that strike of politics and social injustices that affect the underclasses and the down trodden. This band never ever forget their roots and then North East of England features heavily in what they play, songs like ‘(A Tale Of) Three River’, ‘A Holiday In Bejing’ and ‘Step Up’ give us all some pause for thought, but also ring around the room with solid intentions, Punk Rock with a need to rebel and help write futures you’d hope. 

Second up this night were a new band to me, Back Teeth from the Midlands, this was just as the first band, a very well attended set. The Green Room isn’t the biggest of places, in fact if you’re not careful you could easily step on the toes of the person at the back whilst kicking the edge of the stage whilst enjoying the bands. Anyway, this was a slightly shortened set due to travel issues, but non the less, this was raw and loud. This is a band that have been described as “Gruff Punk Fest band” god knows what that actually is, but from the performance they gave to a willing crowd, I’d say it’s loud yet controlled Punk, with the emphasis on Rock, with energy that filled this venue with songs that had melody and no end of sweaty angst.

Skipping all those in-between bits again, and off we go for round three. Now its time for Her Heads On Fire, a New York/Chicago band that have toured these shores before, but one I’ve not crossed paths with. What is also impressive, is that this band is what can only be described as a relative super group, with ex members coming from bands like Saves The Day, The Bomb, Small Brown Bike, and Garrison.  Hitting the small but perfectly formed stage at this venue, you’re immediately struck by just how finely tuned this band is, they have a presence that only comes with knowing just how good you and your songs are. This is early New Wave reimagined, its post-hardcore with a modern twist of indie, a wall of sound that’s punctuated by a vocal that stabs at your heart and head. If you’re looking for a band to open some new corridors of music for you, then this could be just the thing, and boy did they go down well in Stockton.

Yep, you got it, round four, and this is the headline that takes no introducing, the Welsh band from Newport (yes the place that actually has a working Transporter Bridge, not like Teesside). Pizzatramp play fast and loud, and this gig was as expected, no different. The best thing about a Pizzatramp gig, is that if you don’t like what they are about, as frontman Jimmy says “you can, if you want, just fuck off”.  This was a set full of one or two chord wonders, so many that naming any of them would be just stupid of me, and most probably I’d get the wrong ones anyway. What you don’t get with Pizzatramp is bullshit (well not much anyway). Apart from the humour delivered from Jimmy, that is always a verbal assault on the ears, especially when the locals have plied with almost enough alcohol to down an elephant. This is also a band that speaks volumes in words and sound, this gig was no less brilliant for both reasons, hardcore punk done with simplicity.

Time for home, a few new albums in hand, and a head full of great music memories and stories to last a very long time.