LIVE REVIEW: The Dirty Nil @ The Flapper, Birmingham

Summer is fast becoming a distant memory as September nears an end. Thankfully, Canadian alt-rock noisemakers THE DIRTY NIL have rolled into town with one simple mission – to light up Birmingham’s darkening skies and to prove to everyone gathered in the draughty bowels of much loved venue The Flapper that rock ‘n’ roll ain’t dead. And that it’s best served at ear-splitting volumes.

Chris Jones and Paul Brooks aka Birmingham’s SICK OF THE RIOT have spent the past two years since their 2015 inception hitting up any and every underground venue across the UK. They’ve secured slots supporting STIFF LITTLE FINGERS as well as punk stalwart CJ Ramone and hit The Flapper stage determined to expand their fanbase – it’s just unfortunate that the viewing numbers don’t match the sonic verve emanating from the duo. Upbeat melodies sit alongside dynamic riffs with the majority of material coming from the band’s self-titled EP; shifting from the alt-rock sensibilities of ROYAL BLOOD to the commercial heft of modern pop-punk contemporaries like GREEN DAY. The biggest noise is reserved for earworm Catastrophe which, as vocalist Chris divulges, was penned to “help us through the bad times” and it sends hands skywards and him straight into the audience. It’s an encouraging performance indicative of a band with a point still to prove.

Rating: 7/10

VINCENT AND THE ONEPOTTS’ DIY ethos is undeniable with their thirty-minute set sounding akin to a garage jam session round your mate’s gaff. That’s not to say that the four-piece’s fifty shades of WILDHEARTS-meets-SOCIAL DISTORTION rock ‘n’ roll eccentricities aren’t enjoyable; raw-throated vocals and hook-centric guitars turned up to eleven draw your attention initially. The problem is it doesn’t last, that passionate delivery loses its impact as deja-vu creeps in and the tracks begin to merge, ultimately plunging the performance into generic territory. Perhaps in front of a different or larger crowd, the punk-fuelled mayhem which these Midlanders are synonymous with on record would incite the kind of reaction that is sadly absent from this evening.

Rating: 6/10

Imagine the plaintive angst of THE SMITHS straddling THE MENZINGERS’ bouncing punk with just a smattering of THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM chucked in for good measure and you’ve got MIXTAPE SAINTS. Impassioned lead vocals lend that soulful edge that is often referred to when it comes to this trio’s particular brand of punk rock, and the Brummies run the sonic gamut with songs that flip between the emotional and the energetic. There’s plenty of mid-set banter as we learn beloved drummer George Bussel (fondly introduced as actor Neil Patrick Harris) is playing his final show as he’s off to Vietnam, so his post is officially open. The witty repartee quickly gives way to catchier than malaria Bright Lights/Burned Out, fan favourites Heavy Water and Heartbreak, Radio, Cars and Rain; it’s all very earnest and heartfelt but if you prefer your punk with a lip-curling snarl attached, this isn’t the band for you.

Rating: 7/10

As the strains of once loved noughties club bangers (anyone remember Sandstorm by DARUDE?) reverberate around the room, it’s reassuring to see the virtually empty venue fill-out as Ontario trio THE DIRTY NIL take the stage. Smashing straight into a beguiling salvo of brooding That’s What Heaven Feels Like, Bathed in Light and Pain Of Infinity from latest and third full-length Master Volume, sumptuous melodies, thumping riffs and anthemic grooves collide to kickstart a set that’s more akin to a nihilistic rampage. Flanked by the wrecking crew of drummer Kyle Fisher and bassist Ross Miller, gravel-throated Luke Bentham is the quintessential frontman slash guitarist – all high voltage smiles as he windmills around every inch of available space shifting between raw howls and the spoken word on I Don’t Want That Phone Call before his best Billie-Jo Armstrong impression emerges during vitriolic stomper Smoking is Magic. Hardcore shouts permeate classic cut Fucking Up Young whilst the down-tuned, alt-rock crawl of Wrestle Yü to Hüsker Dü (from 2014 EP Smite) encourages the masses to lend their voices – enthusiastic cries of “I don’t care about your boyfriend, he don’t like me anyway” echo from the front to the back of The Flapper. Exiting on a wave of feedback and distortion, this is rock best heard live and cranked up to eleven. Long live THE DIRTY NIL.

Rating: 7/10   

Check out our photo gallery from the night’s action in Birmingham from Serena Hill Photography here: