Punking For Apples - Westport, Dundee, 31st Oct 2002

Review by Cal Archibald

Hippies, monsters, playboy bunnies, chickens, superhero’s, and nurses galore … you name it , they were at the westport on a fucking cold Halloween night in Dundee!

After checking out everyone costumes and buying a drink all attention turned to the stage, and first up were TODAYS LESSON from Arbroath. A band I had heard a lot about but hadn’t previously seen. Apart from there lack of stage presence they played a good set of tunes although they weren’t as tight as I’d been lead to believe they would be and they seemed a little nervous for some reason , maybe the fact it was Halloween and the Arbroath zombie vampire would be out? Who knows? But all the same their tunes were good, fast and melodic 6/10

Next up were hardcore merchants 13 BROKEN FINGERS, another band previously unseen by myself but I have to say I was fairly impressed! They attempted to get the usual stuck to the same spot Dundee drinkers moving but I think it was still a bit too early in the night for that kind of caper! Not enough drink consumed!! But still they got a good reaction from the crowd and played a nice set of hardcore songs laced with grungey undertones . 7/10

Aye Aye! Whats this? A reinactment of a scene from casualty?? No it’s PEN 15 with new guitarist the doctor playing his first gig. And a very good show it was too! And I have to say Dav did look pretty damn hot in his nurses outfit! As did eggy! Anyway costumes aside they kicked of by playing the start of the decline by NOFX before whipping into a set of great songs, a couple of neat covers including still by rufio and a slick shoes one were thrown in for good measure. The onstage banter was funny as hell and they are one of the better up and coming bands at the moment! 8/10

A few drinks later and the boys from SEGABOY took to the stage, a band I was really looking forward to seeing and they didn’t dissapoint! Kicking off with a mock up of an intro today’s lesson did earlier but interacting it with sum funny as fuck disco beats!! They rapidly shot through a set of old fav’s like adrenaline, foaming at the mouth and that one that goes “ run run run run running”,(Davey: Thatll be "Running" then callum?you nimrod) that I like but don’t know the name. Fast, fast drumming under some really nice harmonised guitar and hard edged vocals took the attention away from the image of bass player Dale’s boxers under his tights! (see photos) also the crowd must’ve been drunk by now too as they started the first pit I’ve seen in the westie before! But it was good to see people enjoying themselves for a change!! 10/10

Well the night was getting on and there was only a couple of bands left to play and next up were A CLOSE LAST all the way from the land that is Glasgow. After seeing them in Glasgow a few weeks ago and being too drunk to remember their set I was looking forward to seeing these guys a little more sober than the last time!. They played some really good songs and once again had the crowd going! A big shout goes out to the bass player as he was fucking amazing although it didn’t take the shine off the rest of the band, they all had good stage presence and rounded their set off by each taking a bottle through a beer bong with the drummer doing a big bottle of some sort of weird alcoholic substance! 9/10

Onto the last band of the night the one, the only …no its not Ronnie Corbett its TEARJERK! Blasting onstage with melodic hardcore energy! These guys know how to put on a show! Frontman Baz doing his very best to drain every last bit of energy from his body by leaping about the place like a showjumper’s horse on drugs! A good tight set considering the amount of stage invasions they had to suffer from various members of the crowd *ahem* Dunc dressed as a woman also provided a barrel of laughs with his outfit! It suited him too! (joke) they rounded off the night by getting segaboy drummer G to join them in there rendition of NOFX’s linoleum complete with drunken hardcore backing vocals from many of the ‘stage invaders’ 10/10

Well I think a good night and many a drink was had by all, well done to all the bands as they were all amazing in there own way be it their music or their costumes! Iam off to scavenge some paracetamol and a comfortable floor to sleep on and all I have left to say is roll on SANTA’S LITTLE PUNKERS!!

Cal