What better way to beat the Sunday blues than by basking in some brilliant live music with a bunch of like-minded souls? That’s exactly what Blackstar Promotions put together for us to enjoy last weekend at the legendary Hope & Anchor in Islington.
The afternoon kicked off early with Tricky Susan, a London-based post-punk quintet serving up an original and energetic opener. Solid stuff to set the stage. Next up were Honeybadger, a relatively young Brighton outfit who bore more than a passing resemblance to Nirvana—both in style and sound. Their refreshingly raw rock, paired with some seriously slick guitar work, made them an act to watch. Definitely a band with bite.
The third act, Neovenator—named after a dinosaur, which might or might not be a warning—turned heads with their striking stage attire. Their drummer, clad in a ringmaster’s costume complete with fez, looked like he’d stumbled in from an entirely different show. The rest of the band, channelling 1920s gangster chic, didn’t exactly match, but hey, who needs cohesion when you’ve got charisma? Musically, they dished out some good, clean rock ‘n’ roll.
After a brief intermission—punctuated, as before every set, by Cherry B.’s cheekily risqué poetry readings—the venue started to fill up. Now it was time for the penultimate act: Headsticks from Stoke-on-Trent, setting the stage for the much-anticipated headliners, The Vapors. Active since 2012 and famed for their formidable frontman Andrew, who spits his rapid-fire lyrics like a punk preacher, they wasted no time launching into fan favourites like ‘What Do You Want’ and ‘Cold, Grey, English Skies’. The tightly packed crowd lapped it up, and by the time ‘My Own War’ rolled around, the whole room was in full singalong mode.
When Headsticks finally signed off with ‘Peace and Quiet’, it felt far more like a raucous Friday night than a lazy Sunday afternoon. Proof, if ever it were needed, that a cracking gig can shake even the most stubborn end-of-weekend slump.
With the sold-out venue now full to brimming the heat rose for headline act The Vapors. The intimate venue offers punters the chance to get up close and personal to their heroes and so it was tonight. Showcasing tracks from their latest album ‘Wasp In A Jar’ the four-piece kicked off with the first single from it ‘Hit The Ground Running’ and they did.
Original frontman Dave Fenton's vocals are still on point. Yes, the crisp guitar driven sound is routed in the pop/punk energy circa 79/80 but don’t be fooled into thinking that this album is just a rehash of old material. It’s a well crafted and musically cohesive work which impresses on every level. Founding member Steve Smith still driving forward on bass with Dave Fenton’s striking son taking over on lead guitar. The line-up is completed with Michael Bowes exemplary on drums.
One of my favourites ‘Nothing Can Stop Us’ drops just before the one we have all been waiting for, the classic ‘Turning Japanese’ which rightly thrills the audience. Other notable highlights from the new album are ‘Miss You Girl’, ‘The Human Race’ and ‘Forever and Ever’. ‘Here Comes the Judge’ b-side to ‘Turning Japanese’ brings the days proceedings to a triumphant close.
An afternoon and evening of delightful bands in what must surely be the best venue in London. Brilliant!
Setlist
Honeybadger
• Cold Wind
• Kias
• Gone Cold
• Spell It Out
• Too Slow
• Schmanka
• Maybe I
Neovenator:
• Launch Day
• Big Crown
• Soho Gardens
• Ollie Ollie Oxen Free
• Cats Away
• Beautiful Ship
• Spaceship
• Effing Bohemians
• Setting to the Buds
Headsticks:
• What Do You Want?
• Cold, Grey English Skies
• Dying For A Lie
• Miles And Miles
• Naked
• The God Song
• Cold
• Flatline Town
• Dark Waters
• My Own War
• Apocalypse
• Peace and Quiet
The Vapors:
• Hit the Ground Running
• Live at the Marquee
• Waiting for the Weekend
• Trains
• Decompression
• Jimmie Jones
• Forever and Ever
• Miss You Girl
• Together
• Wonderland
• Daylight Titans
• Nothing Can Stop Us
• Turning Japanese
• Letter From Hiro
• News at Ten
• The Human Race
• Here Comes the Judge
MUSIC PREMIERES
Four years on from the ‘Actual Life’ series lifting him into the mainstream spotlight, Fred Again.. continues to feel unavoidable. The London producer and DJ born Fred Gibson has moved at a relentless pace, bouncing between sold out stadium dates in New York and surprise appearances at Sheffield’s 1,000 capacity Forge, while also making history as the first electronic artist to top the bill at Reading and Leeds in 2024.
Where the ‘Actual Life’ releases and his fourth album, 2024’s ‘Ten Days’, leaned into warmth and joy pulled from ordinary moments, Gibson has also sharpened his instinct for high impact club weapons rooted in garage, dubstep and jungle. That side of his output lives on ‘USB’, an “infinite album” first imagined in 2022 as a home for tracks that exist outside any fixed universe, including defining moments like ‘Rumble’ and ‘Jungle’.
‘USB002’, the second vinyl only chapter of the ‘USB’ project, brings together 16 recent tracks, many of which surfaced gradually on streaming services over a ten week stretch. The music was shaped live, in step with ten unannounced DJ appearances across the world from Dublin to Mexico City. Even with a Glastonbury style registration system in place, The Times reported that 100,000 people tried to secure tickets for the opening night in Glasgow.
Appropriately, ‘USB002’ feels alive and constantly in motion, helped along by contributions from close collaborators such as Floating Points and Sammy Virji. The rigid, techno driven pressure of ‘Ambery’ echoes elements of Floating Points’ 2019 album ‘Crush’, while Gibson’s take on ‘The Floor’ builds like the slow climb of a rollercoaster before dropping back to earth without warning.
The guest list stretches beyond the usual dance circles, with two Australian guitar bands popping up in unexpected ways. ‘You’re A Star’ reworks Amyl and The Sniffers’ ‘Big Dreams’ into a breakbeat driven rush, while ‘Hardstyle 2’ pulls the experimental post punk edge of Shady Nasty into an Underworld adjacent space alongside Kettama. Gibson’s real trick is his ability to connect with anyone. These tracks are not reinterpretations but full takeovers.
The visual world wrapped around the ‘USB002’ rollout reinforces the instinct behind the music. Phones were prohibited at shows staged in vast warehouse spaces under sweeping light rigs, while Gibson’s team shared striking black and white footage and created artwork for each single on site. Bottling that sense of urgency, the project is rooted in the thrill of the present moment, something Gibson seems able to summon simply by turning up.
If the ‘Actual Life’ series and ‘Ten Days’ captured passing snapshots of experience, ‘USB’ is defined by constant movement, a space where boundaries are removed entirely. Sitting somewhere between an album and a playlist, ‘USB002’ underlines why Fred Again.. feels so dominant right now, and suggests that his current run may only be the beginning of something much bigger.
