To set the scene, it’s a dark and moody Friday night and punters have come straight from work to start their weekend at new venue Kola in Southsea, Portsmouth. Having only opened in April this year, Kola have already put on many a show from local bands to a variety of DJs, viral TikTok star The Window Kid and 70s band The Blockheads.
Tonight’s line up was a host of local talent, with headliners Rats! Rats! Rats! hailing from Gosport. To open the show, singer-songwriter Jasmine Allen Estate took to the stage with nothing but a mic and guitar. Also originating from Gosport though now residing in Middlewich, the solo artist (real name Gareth Williams) delivered a short but sweet set of original songs. Think folk music meets poetry, with songs telling stories of his hometown and experiences of life in general, Jasmine Allen Estate was a lovely opener to the night, though maybe slightly misplaced on a bill full of punk bands.
On the contrary, next band to play were Basingstoke’s very own Beef, who opened their set by asking the crowd how much beer they’d drank tonight and how much they were going to, before launching into a song called Cunt which quite literally begun with all members screaming the word into their microphones. The punk trio delivered a heavy and lively set, with singer George leading on bass in his seemingly staple high-vis polo. All band members were able to showcase their individual talent with hefty riffs and fast drums, making a great addition to the line up.
Third to play and on just before the headliner was Portsmouth based Salvo, a self proclaimed rhythmic punk-rock band, who provided the crowd with sounds that would rival Idles. With similar loud vocals and fast paced, energetic tunes, they could absolutely be your next favourite band and were the perfect set up for the headliners.
Rats! Rats! Rats! have made a name for themselves locally, having supported the likes of Snuff and ex Sex Pistols member Glen Matlock. They always manage to deliver a set that is lively and animated and tonight was no exception. UB40’s ‘Rat In My Kitchen’ played as they walked onto stage with a montage projected behind them, flicking between famous old school clips of films such as Pink Panther and Forrest Gump, as well as more personal touches with the Gosport ferry and drummer Rich’s very own pet dog Storm. Opening with 2024 single Rude, they immediately proved just how much noise 2 blokes on stage are capable of making. There seemed to be an overarching theme of death throughout tonight’s sets, with many songs across the board featuring it though in a more lighthearted way than one would first imagine, and ‘All Your Friends Are Dead’ from the bands first EP really drove that home. Despite the music being burly, an element of humour is brought throughout with songs like ‘Instant BO’ and ‘Support Your Local Dentist’, and vocalist Andy delivers them perfectly. They ended the set with ‘BMX’, a tune off their debut album Bloody Hello, which in true punk fashion is a song about being online and the higher uppers being able to see everything we browse against our will. Rats x3 brought a fun, high energy set to Southsea, one that I think we could all do with getting on board and letting loose with.
Overall, this evening really did prove that punk is in fact not dead, and very much here to stay.
