Pennywise

All ages gigs generally have few issues. The crowd get fragmented because of the split between bar and under 18 areas, there’s generally a poser feel as fifteen year olds try to act as rock as possible, and the band doesn’t always give their all. Pennywise’s gig was the exception. In fact, it was possibly the best gig I’ve been to all year in some ways.

Locals Bagster opened proceedings, getting a mini mosh started, and generally firing up the crowd well. Look out for their gigs with ska specialists Mr Coffee coming to town in coming months. The main support, Goons of Doom, were a little less well received. More on 80s garage punk side of things, the majority of the crowd were not impressed with the combination of obnoxious attitude and lack of enthusiasm. They would’ve been better suited to supporting the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, because for a Pennywise support, there’s an expectation of pure punk, not individualism. Kudos though, to the tenacity of band, getting off on the jeers as much as the cheers.

The chant alternated between “Pen-ee-wise” and “Bro-o-o-oh”, as the anticipation built. Now I’ve been to a few gigs in my time, and seen festival crowds of up to 100,000 people. But never have I seen and entire room erupt like the Roundhouse did on that first chord. There was no mosh ‘pit’, it was a mosh ‘floor’. Multiple circlepits and endless crowd surfing showed that the punk veterans still had magic to spare.

The set list was a combination of old and new. A smattering from all of their last 9 or so albums across the night. The band were honest enough to give the crowd what they wanted, and for the newer tracks only asked that “if you don’t know it, just pretend like you do”. The newbies slotted in with the classics without a hint of resentment from the frenetic crowd. There were a couple of fan moments that deserve mentioning, including the pom who fought his was on stage, stole the mike, and told everyone to really listen to Pennywise lyrics (thanks for the tip idiot), the other a fantastic run from side of stage to dive into the middle of the pit during Same Old Story. The usual stage invasion during the closer Bro Hymn was a legitimate one this time round, with security trying frantically to pull people off stage and stop an outright stampede. I’d say it was a crowd vs security tie.

With 40 odd year old members, and over 15 years as a band, there was a definite feel of it being a farewell tour within the crowd. Add to this the rumours of a split after their postponement of the Oz tour, its understandable. However, if their performance, energy, and reception on Friday night are anything to go by, here’s hoping the old timers can make at least one more album and one more tour. And then hopefully another.

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