I was very surprised to learn that tonight’s gig at Clwb Ifor Bach was to take place in the small confines of the downstairs bar, but punk rock is best served in small venues and Clowns will certainly take advantage of every inch of space they are allowed. The Australian band have been ripping up venues across the UK and tonight Cardiff is the target.
But before that there’s the little matter of South Wales skatepunks Pizzatramp to deal with and there really is no better band at warming a punk audience up. Perma-drunk frontman Jimbob’s between-song anecdotes show off his natural comedic abilities, but when they jump into songs like Millions Of Dead Goths and I Got Work In The Morning that’s where the real power of Pizzatramp lies. No matter who they are supporting, they are always going to give them a run for their money.
Bounding out next, looking like they’ve come straight off Bondi Beach in 1985, Clowns launch into a set of raucous punk rock. With singer Stevie Williams contorting himself across the floor and engaging with the crowd at any opportunity and backing vocals handled by Hanny Tilbrook, the band have a killer vocal combination as they smash into Formaldehyde, Euthanise Me and latest single Bisexual Awakening. They are flanked by the bemulleted guitar twosome of Jarrod Goon and Cameron Rust, whose playing off each other give the Melbourne punks something of a classic rock’n’roll swagger. They blaze through Prey For Us and I Shaved My Legs For You while ensuring that crowd participation is kept at a peak.
As they prance around the stage in the smallest of short shorts, it would be easy to write Clowns off as a novelty act, but songs like Bland Is The New Black and Not Coping make them as vital as anything else in punk right now – and as they bring the set to a crushing end, thereafter to spend some time mixing with the punters, more than a few people whisper “the best thing to come out of Australia since AC/DC…” Only time will tell on that front, but in Cardiff tonight, Clowns were certainly no joke.
Clowns + Pizzatramp, Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, Wed 19 July
words CHRIS ANDREWS