Dead Kennedys, Catholic Action, Vile Assembly: Hangar 34, Liverpool

Dead Kennedys

Dead Kennedys brought a high-octane night of punk anthems to Liverpool, Getintothis’ Max Richardson could be found skittishly avoiding the mosh pits.

Very few of the big, legendary bands of the punk scene are still alive and kicking in 2019.

To be able to see Dead Kennedys in the intimate confines of Liverpool’s Hangar 34 promised to be a memorable night, and certainly did not disappoint.

First up, Liverpudlian Vile Assembly delivered politically charged contemporary punk at its best, albeit to an unfortunately sparse crowd.

Delivered through the impeccable sound system of Hangar 34, Vile Assembly kicked off proceedings with a bang, with an energetic set mixing clearly Tom Morello influenced guitar solos, John Lydon-esque sneers, and sharp punchy drum beats.

A real highlight of Vile Assembly’s set was the upcoming single Propaganda, which sounds like an absolute treat of a track.

Towards the end of their set, Vile Assembly were kind enough to plug their upcoming appearance in Getintothis’ own Deep Cuts this Thursday, which is undoubtedly not to be missed. (Doing our jobs for us, thanks guys!)

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Next up, the Glasgow-based Catholic Action kicked the night into second gear, wowing the growing crowd with an impeccably tight set of catchy explorative punk.

The group seemingly fused influences from multiple genres, including shoegaze, indie, and of course punk, to produce a really unique style which is very easy on the ears.

The effortlessly smooth quartet had superb chemistry, which shone through in the vibrancy of their set.

Finally, of course – the big one; Dead Kennedys.

Now mathematically speaking, three quarters of the ‘real’ Dead Kennedys were on stage in Liverpool.

In actuality of course, this number is substantially lower when we consider the absence of legendary vocalist and figurehead of the group Jello Biafra, whose absence leaves a suspiciously Jello Biafra shaped hole in the lineup of the group.

Despite this absence, Dead Kennedys set remained ferocious, and received a solid reception from the crowd.

’New’ vocalist Ron ‘Skip’ Greer suitably swaggered around the stage throughout the Kennedys’ set, gleefully singing the music of his predecessor, and seemingly gladly adopting the role of pantomime villain given to him by the fans.

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Dead Kennedys set was of a blistering intensity, with track after track playing like a greatest hits compilation of the group.

Too Drunk to Fuck, Nazi Punks Fuck Off, and California Uber Allies were delivered with a passion as if they were written yesterday, and saw Greer forced to share vocal duties with the lively crowd – who evidently knew every single word of the treasured records of the band.

Jibes about ‘soccer’ and Boris Johnson accompanied the backdrop of these punk anthems, which egged the energetic crowd on to enhance the atmosphere.

Following two generous encores including Holiday in Cambodia, Viva Las Vegas and Chemical Warfare, the group dispersed backstage, and the crowd left into the cold streets of Liverpool, reeling, and trying to understand what they had just been hit by.

Images by Getintothis’ Warren Millar