Hindsights and Milk Teeth at The Hatchet Inn in Bristol

Posted on: 2014-05-11

Our rating:

The clear chemistry between these small-time punk bands was nothing short of inspiring. Although the quality of the sound mix varied from band to band, it felt sufficiently intimate and personal ? in my opinion, The Hatchet Inn is a perfect venue.


 

Saturday 10th May, the majority of Europe curls up against the early spring weather and watches as their country’s worst musicians invariably do better than ours in the Eurovision Song Contest. However a few of us, rather than view the imminent demise of our national musical credibility, got ourselves down to the Bristol's Hatchet Inn for a back-to-basics punk rock experience.

Withdraw Records was started early this year by music students James Dyer and James Luxton with the vision of “releasing music by lovely people and putting on shows around Bristol”. As their first venture into organising a full event, this gig was thankfully executed brilliantly - with all the bands providing a showcase of dedicated local talent.

First on were Weston-based noise-rock band Mammoth, a three piece group that reliably provide enough noise to shake the sturdiest of buildings. An appreciative audience were treated to the wonderfully heavy new song Phillipa Burial, many evidently relieved to see the band come out of a disappointingly long live-show hiatus.

Shortly after, Pembleton took to the stage. An almost painfully young band, my apprehensions were raised but sufficiently shot down after just one song. Despite their age they possess a rare gift for compiling effective setlists, something that escapes even the best of musicians at times, and are positively brimming with energy and cocky punk spirit. Sounding like a young mix of Pennywise and NOFX, they did an excellent job and may have garnered a new fan or two.

Lastly, the third support band Pretend Happy blasted onto the stage with their pleasingly laid back way of playing some seriously good punk rock. Providing arguably the best vocals of the night, their set was possibly a little too short, but incredibly enjoyable. By this point the headbanging had begun in earnest.

Hindsights and Milk Teeth’s dual tour began on Friday with a gig in Southampton and will continue for 6 more dates. The two bands seem to fit the bill perfectly, each complimenting the others musical style in such a way that the night flows with effortless ease.

Milk Teeth were first to play with their noisy, powerful vocals involving a female singer among other things, an interesting choice which really defines them as a band. They gave us a taste of their new single, and promoted a chilled atmosphere despite the heavy sound. Second only to the music, one of the most interesting occurrences of the night was the drummer’s baffling ability to maintain his hat positioning whilst headbanging defiantly.

The final band of the night was headliners Hindsights, prompting singalongs from well-earned fans and appreciative nodding from the newly converted. Blessed with a vibe of extreme coolness, their offhand yet emotional playing style gave way to some incredibly rousing songs to a room of people who loved everything they heard. The ever-winning mix of ambient guitar riffs and raw punk breakdowns – Hindsights are definitely worth checking out, along with all the other bands, through their respective Bandcamp pages.

The clear chemistry between these small-time punk bands was nothing short of inspiring. The venue itself, Bristol’s oldest pub, served them well and really added to the old-school ethic of such music that can so often be lost in the periphery. A small loft above the bar, with chairs hurriedly piled toward the back for the event of the gig and the only light available coming from strings of fairy lights, had a quirky, peeling-wallpaper charm to it. Although the quality of the sound mix varied from band to band, it felt sufficiently intimate and personal – in my opinion, a perfect venue. Well worth both the tinnitus and £4 entry fee.

Withdraw Records will be putting on more and more gigs of a similar nature in Bristol, Hey Joni and Healing Powers’ dual tour on the 29th June at the Hatchet Inn being the next one.

4/5

Miri Teixeira with the drummers from Mammoth and Pembleton at The Hatchet InnReviewed by Miri Teixeira for 365Bristol

Miri pictured (centre) with drummers from Mammoth and Pembleton at The Hatchet Inn.



Article by:

James Anderson

Born and raised in the suburbs of Swansea, Jimmy moved to Bristol back in 2004 to attend university. Passionate about live music, sport, science and nature, he can usually be found walking his cocker spaniel Baxter at any number of green spots around the city. Call James on 078 9999 3534 or email Editor@365Bristol.com.