Pup are a four piece Punk band from Canada currently on tour for their latest album The Dream Is Over (May 2016) released through Royal Mountain Records. On the 2nd September they played at The Joiners along with supports Shit Present and Solids. During the show, vocalist Stefan Babcock told the crowd the The Joiners in Southampton is the venue they have played most out of any venue, and that they were always so pleased with the turn outs, and the dedication of the fan base.
First on were female-fronted Shit Present, an Exeter-based four piece Punk band, self-described as “period doom” on their Facebook page. They were pleasantly surprising, and very talented for a relatively new, and first-on-stage support band. They fitted the general atmosphere and sound of the show, warming up the crowd very well. It will be interesting to keep a track of them to see where they end up in the Punk scene, as it is likely they will go far after supporting a band with as much support as Pup. Their sound could be likened to that of Creeper, with the jarring yet melodic guitar riffs and softer vocals. Overall their performance was very pleasing.
Solids played before Pup, a modern punk band from Montreal. The position of this band in the line-up was surprising, whilst they are bigger and far more known than Shit Present, their sound didn’t really fit in with the general atmosphere of the gig. That isn’t to say their sound wasn’t good, as they played incredibly well with tangible passion for their music. However, they were not what much of the crowd was expecting for the second band, with most of them retreating to the bar during the set.
When Pup started playing, what startled me was how much they sound exactly the same live as they do on the studio produced albums. They were great fun on stage, playing both their older and newer tracks. The crowd, despite being tightly packed into a small space, were going absolutely wild for them and it was very clear just how much love they were giving to the guys playing on stage.
It is unsurprising that the show sold out entirely. It’s so clear, once they’re up on stage, that they’re having the absolute best time of their lives. Passion for performing gigs clearly runs through their blood, and when they play, the passion comes out and touches the crowd. They began their set with “If This Tour Doesn’t Kill You, I Will”, a song they wrote about each other, when it becomes tiring to be in confined spaces for long periods of time with each other. What is brilliant about this, and the next song in the set, “DVP”, is that all the band members have microphones at them so they can add to the vocals and background shouts. It really ups the atmosphere of the performance.
Pup are continuing their world tour through the next few months. Tickets are available via their website.
