Straight outta Blaina.....The Motherfuckin' Guns....Is there simply any other way to introduce this thang?

The much hyped, acclaimed, caustic, humerous, musically wonderous and the highly uber-approved The Guns.

But firstly let's not blow too many solo trumpets; here comes We Ride Tigers, a kinda punk slung outfit that offer all that's expected and essential from an opening band - intensity, vision, screamadelic backing vox. It's never too early to scrounge some feedback from your audience - "Make some noise for fuck's sake" scream The Tigers. Well assembled and thought out tracks and singer/bassist Peter Edwards gets the thumbs up from moi for simply having a Rickenbacker slung around his torso, although a tad high for my liking, but the geezer certainly has some lungs that are fully operational this fine Friday evening. A kinda jeans and t-shirt affair image-wise but this is all about the tunage and the occasional biting comments fired at the punters sat aimlessly at the back; "How you doing, havin' a whale of a time back there?" No nonsense allowed in their allotted space of stage time and, talking of stage time, drummer Jack Evans is a busy young man tonight as he'll be returning to the spotlight later during the headline set as stand-in stoolsman.

Normally offering a five way full band hardcore punk inspired live set, tonight things are going down slightly alternatively as, due to various incidents, Hot Damn are performing as an acoustic duo. Not exactly moving down the normal acoustic avenue they give an updated slant on it completed by screaming vocals and banging, heavy strumming that's not usually associated with this acoustic genre, as dry ice fills the stage sending forth an intimate coffee house moody affair.

...and here's where it gets really interesting. Taking to the stage next is hip hop/dubstep trio Astroid Boys who, in all honesty, really have something musically to say with gallons of youthful attitude and talent. The crowd have taken them in with open arms with their "Louder Louder Bounce Bounce" approach and these guys probably deserve their fifteen minutes in the sun. Fusing hard-edged old school material to clued-in modern mash-ups that appear essential to the young crowd that appears suddenly swollen into action, these guys spin a positive not negative slant on life with their anthemic "Fuck You" mantra and, with the venue absolutely bumping, close with a full-on old school stage dive. Impressive.

So we arrive at the heavily anticipated headline appearance, our collective ears greeted by a typically welcoming entrance from frontman Alex Wiltshire - "Fuckin' listen cause you're gonna die tomorrow, you fuckers" - these upstarts have got it. The twin barrel assault of 'Colder' and the modern classic 'It's On Like Donkey Kong' imediately tell everyone in attendance that The Guns definitely are shooting to kill tonight with their brutal honesty and pizzazz, the elementary punk attitude and swagger.

"Hippy, gay or a nurse: whatever your art, it's rad" - the lines keep flowing in between tunes, worth the entrance fee alone, closely followed by 'You Can Eff Right Off'. New tune 'The Missing Girls' is so good that, having heard it secretly at The Guns HQ in Blaina earlier in the day, I have to say, assures me that this mother is gonna fly high when the boys' second album, 'Fuck The Demon Outta Me', is unleashed on Halloween.

Back to tonight and, bringing proceedings to an almighty climax, the guys are joined by the singer from Hot Damn for the stunning 'Gordons And Lemonade'. I leave the final words to Wiltshire as they depart -  "Ladies and Gentlemen, we're the Motherfuckin' Guns"......

http://www.tmfg.co.uk/

[Photos by Ashlea Matthews]

Ashlea Bea Photography