This fest recap takes us to the capital for a lovely time of an all-dayer had at Signature Brew Haggerston!

The second annual Punkasaurus Wreck’d once again brought us a great roster of bands from across the country, ranging from pop punk and melodic hardcore to skate and ska punk. Also, they had a sick, and fitting dinosaur mascot make an appearance.

Ok, enough blabbering, we have twelve bands to cover – let’s gooooo!

Fractures

First up nice and early was Fractures from Brighton, who initially came across to me as veeeery melodic hardcore blended with some skatey vibes. Musically, they’re inspired by the likes of MxPx, Rise Against and The Bouncing Souls.

Keen on sing-a-longs of woahs, for which us early risers were mostly happy to oblige, the quartet blazed through a set of tracks exploring complicated romance and character development in life.

It’s never easy opening a 12-band day, with some peeps still making their way down, but Fractures did a great job getting us in the mood, if we weren’t already.

On Purpose

On Purpose were up next, bringing rapid and punky alt rock to the masses gathered that took leaves from the books of the likes of A Day To Remember and – even more apparent to me – Sum 41. (Side note: that was metaphorical; don’t literally go around taking leaves out of books. The owner of that book might find that leaf to be sentimental. We let book readers keep their leaves around here!)

The vocalist was among the most pumped up out of those who went on stage on this day, and dedicated a bit of the set to a helpful fellow cyclist – fair play indeed.

Other songs, meanwhile, delved into topics including betrayal and otherwise navigation through problem-filled life.

The Melbies

Thirdly came Kentish comedic punk outfit The Melbies, and they love asking people to do backflips. Best I could do is a jump, but never mind.

Usually a three-piece (according to their Bandcamp at least), they let a fourth mate join in for this fest which was nice of them, though I’m sure it was on merit.

The band emphatically delivered a zany set that advocated for the simpler things in life and ridicule at pop culture. Their hero, Harambe, would no doubt be looking down proudly.

Xray Vez

Xray Vez was up next, who if not seen before would already be familiar to fans of Wonk Unit, but equally brings a good, pop-rocking time in her own right.

Along with being as focused on the life of equine creatures as her Wonk brethren, whimsy is scattered across songs about hope and ill-fated romance.

If you enjoy humorous pop sensibilities spliced with DIY shenanigans, Vez is worth a listen.

Shackleford

Shackleford now – not the Surrey village that’s a part of Guildford, but the band. Surrey to disappoint.

These Nuneaton-based lads brought some lovely, harmonic punk rock. Their high energy was productively ploughed into earnest songs about mental health and introspection, with a hint of angst.

Straying slightly towards the emo-y side of the punk spectrum, the band retains some poppier melodies and hooks.

Baldhead

Ok, so Baldhead were the band I was, by far, the most familiar with on the bill. This lot rudely interrupted the punk gig to play relatively heavy ska. Dicks.

During their set, the towering Punkasaurus Wreck’d mascot emerged in an attempt to gain justice, but unfortunately couldn’t get to them in time (either that, or the creature was dancing. I’m no expert in dinosaur behaviours, unfortunately 🤷‍♂️).

Baldhead’s scathing and occasionally humorous repertoire ranges from takes on post-Brexit politics and economic inflation, to dog welfare and weed inhalation.

The Dub Righters

Continuing the offbeat vibes on the day was, like the band before, another New Cross favourite in The Dub Righters.

The band displayed a harmonious mix of dub, ska and roots that I’d highly recommend checking out even if – like me – you wouldn’t usually go for dub music (at least from studio recordings).

Exploring global social inequality and intermittent life struggles, hope and positivity remain in the lyrics, delivered by gravelly but tuneful vocals.

Spoilers

Next up were Canterbury melodic hardcore heads Spoilers, a band that draws inspiration from the likes of Gorilla Biscuits and Snuff (the bands, not the substances – gosh, band names can be confusing and silly when you’re citing them). Also, their lead vocalist Dan plays with Snuff, so that explains things.

Bringing some of the faster drum beats to enter the ears of attendees, clean and catchy vocal deliveries tell of societal division and conflicts closer to home.

There’s something about three guitarists all joining in on vocals that brings joy – probably that it sounds great, which it does here, very reminiscent of much of Snuff’s work while thematically presenting itself in its own right.

Making Friends

Now, let’s make friends with Making Friends, of the thriving Brighton skate punk scene. Keeping up the pace and melodies, they certainly got people jumping.

Slightly nihilistic in tone, the band’s set focused a lot on dissatisfaction at life, all delivered with a knowing smile to the audience from their lead singer.

Indeed, while tempos and riffs soared and the on-stage enthusiasm was palpable, the mood in the songs remained realistically and relatably low.

The Crash Mats

Continuing the wonderful streak of bands for me to newly discover was ska-tinged punk act The Crash Mats from Oldham.

The three-piece brought a wonderful sense of humour to proceedings, playing rapid tracks mainly about food, weed and football administrations.

While speeding through songs, there was a little bit of room for the odd guitar solo.

3dBs Down

The penultimate band on the bill were another Kent act in 3dBs Down, who I had already been familiar with for years prior, having seen them at fests like Level Up Fest and Herofest.

Even more influenced by offbeat genres like ska, a tendency for riffy breakdowns underpinned mellow and interchanging vocals (hell yeah). Their songs, on the most part, explore widening chasms in population-wide wealth and political discourse.

The band were on fine form indeed, and it was also lovely to chat with Matt (dude in the middle of that pic above, in case you’re wondering) after their set!

Burnt Tapes

Headlining this all-dayer were London-based melodic punk band Burnt Tapes, who had the crowd singing along, big time.

Taking musical cues from bands like Iron Chic and The Menzingers, emotionally hard-hitting prose was delivered with decent vocal range.

Songs delved into matters including mental health and regret, with backed vocals being comfortably tuneful and intense in equal measure. A great set to round off the day.

Closing Remarks

The second instalment of Punkasaurus Wreck’d in east London did a brilliant job once again of showcasing a varied roster of DIY punk acts. I can confirm those who I hung with throughout the day remained thoroughly satisfied at the live music on offer.

I will always applaud venues and promoters who put these all-dayers on and keep them running smoothly and affordable for us punters. After all, it isn’t easy, and these events are proving less common.

A massive thanks to events manager Jordan and the rest of the Siggy Brew team, who smashed it as usual on all fronts, and to you for reading! Up the Posh, and up the Punx 🤘