THE HIP PRIESTS + ROUGH GUTTS – THE HOPE & RUIN (DOWNSTAIRS BAR), BRIGHTON 7.10.23
Late in the day we decided to switch gigs, meaning that we were now heading off to The Hope & Ruin’s Downstairs Bar located on Queens Road, instead of venturing to a venue located near Brighton Pier. On the bill this evening at ‘The Hope’ was the latest instalment of Brighton’s long running legendary ‘Stay Sick’ club night.
On the bill tonight were Nottingham based The Hip Priests and local outfit Rough Gutts. This is the centre date of three nights together for the bands, having conquered the fans at the Black Heart in Camden last night and tomorrow they will set off to Lady Luck in Canterbury, with The Hip Priests stopping off on the way to perform an instore afternoon set at Tough Love records in St. Leonards-on-Sea.
The night kicked off at 9pm with promoter Neil ‘Sick’ Smith and chums spinning the vinyl, which was an eclectic mix of tunes from spy theme soundtracks to the Ramones and beyond.
After half an hour it was the turn of Rough Gutts to grace us with their presence. The quintet consists of Brother Beachy on lead vocals, Addy Hazzard on Fender guitar and backing vocals, plus a trio of lads from Young Francis Hi Fi, these being Danny Handsome on drums, Jimi Dymond on Fender Precision bass and backing vocals, and Liam McIntosh on Gordon Smith guitar. Both Jimi and Liam (aka Mac Daddy) can also be found as half of the excellent Brighton Top Left Club quartet.
At 9:31pm their set commenced with ‘Intro’ (which does what it says on the tin) and this got the attention of the punters gathered inside the street level location. Looking around the many faces, it’s evident that they as well as Rough Gutts are a tattoo parlour owner’s dream! It’s evident that people have specifically come along to the ‘Stay Sick’ event rather than just happening to be passing!
‘Intro’ immediately segues into ‘Spit’ which is the first of a couple of choices from their debut release ‘Rough Guts EP Part 1’ from back in 2021. The next selection briefly follows in the form of a track titled ‘Calculated’, which as far as I can tell is the first of at least half a dozen unreleased tunes. For this number, lead vocalist Brother Beachy made the first of several forays into the crowd in order to add to the atmosphere.
No sooner had ‘Calculated’ finished, then the lads were off again with ‘See The Light’, which was the first of a trio of tracks from last year’s ‘Rough Guts EP Part 2’. I must say that this was my favourite tune thus far and had the vibe of very early Damned, mixed with a sputtering of the Ramones and the very best of Status Quo, but Quo at 100mph of course!
You see the lads set lasted for 31 minutes and in that time they rattled off no less than a dozen numbers. This in fact mirrors their combined EP’s, which when played together will come in at a speedy fifteen and a half minutes, and that’s for eight tracks! Whilst I’m mentioning them, you might as well head on over to their Bandcamp page and have a listen whilst reading the rest of the revue – click HERE.
‘War’ from their debut release was the next selection and this was very much back to basics stuff, like all their material, it’s dirty gritty rock’n’roll delivered in a style that straddles the border of punk and rock with the likes of Motörhead sitting nicely in the mix. Yes, it’s loud in here tonight and there’s enough energy pumping out speakers to fill Queens Road all the way up to Brighton Railway Station.
‘Keep On Running’ was up next and was another unreleased track. Who knows, it might even turn up on EP3? I was slightly thrown when the quintet began ‘Don’t Listen’ as it had slow strumming and was rather melodic. I need not have worried as just before the 30 second mark they exploded into action and hit warp factor ten and sounded like IDLES or the UK Subs do when they burst into action.
A couple of unreleased ditties followed in the form of ‘Kill The Dog’ and ‘Mothers Love’, with the latter initially straying into heavy metal territory before being rescued and being delivered in the distinctive Rough Gutts style. ‘Crack The Cranium’ from last year’s ‘Rough Guts EP Part 2’ is already clearly a crowd favourite on the account of it’s hard’n’fast action accompanied by a singalong chant.
For the final two numbers, the lads invite The Hip Priests bassist Lee Love to come and join them and to add some vocals to proceedings for ‘Treader’ and Motörhead cover ‘Iron Fist’. It’s 10:02pm and that was our lot!
Rough Gutts:
Brother Beachy – lead vocals
Addy Hazzard – Fender guitar/backing vocals
Jimi Dymond – Fender Precision bass/backing vocals (from Young Francis Hi Fi & Top Left Club)
Liam McIntosh – Gordon Smith guitar (from Young Francis Hi Fi & Top Left Club)
Danny Handsome – drums (from Young Francis Hi Fi)
Rough Gutts setlist:
‘Intro’ (unreleased)
‘Spit’ (from 2021 ‘Rough Guts EP Part 1’)
‘Calculated’ (unreleased)
‘See The Light’ (from 2022 ‘Rough Guts EP Part 2’)
‘War’ (from 2021 ‘Rough Guts EP Part 1’)
‘Keep On Running’ (unreleased)
‘Don’t Listen’ (from 2022 ‘Rough Guts EP Part 2’)
‘Kill The Dog’ (unreleased)
‘Mothers Love’ (unreleased)
‘Crack The Cranium’ (from 2022 ‘Rough Guts EP Part 2’)
‘Treader’ (unreleased)
‘Iron Fist’ (Motörhead cover)
The buzzing chatter during the break hints at the palpable anticipation in the air. A 20-minute respite provides just the right amount of time for gig-goers to make a quick dash to the bar, step outside for a breath of fresh air, or make a beeline to the restroom. Admittedly, as age catches up with me, the latter becomes my first pit stop. Refreshed and drink in hand, I manoeuvre my way back to the frontline, eager to get a good position in the ever-expanding crowd.
Host Neil’s voice echoes through the venue, welcoming the band. The humming of amps and the crescendo of cheers announce the arrival of The Hip Priests, a name synonymous with raw energy and passion. Hailing from Nottingham, these garage punks boast a top line up with the fiery frontman Von Cruz dressed in his usual skeleton bones top and panda black eyes, guitar maestros Ben and Austin, and the rhythmic genius of Lee and Dez on bass and drums respectively.
Over their illustrious 16-year career, The Hip Priests have released a prolific array of albums and singles, much to the delight of vinyl aficionados. Their unique ‘Spasm Gang’ releases, often on limited coloured vinyl and accompanied by quirky memorabilia, have become coveted collectables. These rare gems fetch impressive prices in resale markets, making them a treasure trove for long-time fans and a challenging acquisition for newer devotees.
And as the first chords rip through the atmosphere, it’s pretty damn evident why they have such a cult following. The Priests have an unapologetic style – a blistering 100mph that grabs your attention from the get go. Opening with ‘The Best Revenge’ from their latest offering ‘Roden House Blues’, the infectious chorus immediately ensnares the crowd.
The indestructible Von Cruz, ever the showman, immerses himself in the crowd, while Ben and Austin, brandishing their Les Pauls, showcase their guitar prowess. The nostalgia trip of ‘Juiced Up ‘n’ Loose’ takes us back to their inception, encapsulating the garage punk spirit of their roots.
Seamlessly transitioning through their extensive repertoire, each song is a testament to their evolution as a band but never straying far from the hallowed punk n roll path. From the punchy beats of ‘Tiger In My Tank’ to the anthemic vibes of ‘Instant Delinquent’, their set is a roller coaster of rock ‘n’ roll goodness.
My favourite recent album is catered for quite nicely with two in a row with the title track ‘Stand For Nothing’, a superb slab of rock ‘n’ roll followed by the Von Cruz anthem ‘Cheers To Me’. ‘Shakin’ Ain’t Fakin’’ and ‘Join Us’ keep the energy up and get the sweat dripping, and ‘Pissed On Power’ and ‘Can’t Abide With Me’ show just how good the latest album sounds live.
The mesmerising dual guitar action, especially during the final setlist number ‘Sonic Reproducer’, with both Ben and Austin passionately sliding to their knees in an electrifying guitar showdown. When you think the climax has been reached, they surprise the eager crowd with the superior ‘Jesus Died So We Can Ride’, from ‘Black Denim Blitz’ to finish the set with a crowd-favourite punk rocking banger.
Check The Hip Priests out on Bandcamp HERE.
The Hip Priests:
Nathan Von Cruz – lead vocals
Austin Rocket – guitar/vocals
Lee Love – bass/vocals
Gentle Ben – guitar/vocals
D.P. Bomber – drums
The Hip Priests setlist:
‘The Best Revenge’ (from 2023 ‘Roden House Blues’ album)
‘Juiced Up ‘n’ Loose’ (from 2007 ‘Tight ‘n’ Exciting’ album)
‘Tiger In My Tank’ (from 2023 ‘Roden House Blues’ album)
‘Stand For Nothing’ (from 2019 ‘Stand For Nothing’ album)
‘Cheers To Me’ (from 2019 ‘Stand For Nothing’ album)
‘Instant Delinquent’ (from 2014 ‘Black Denim Blitz’ album)
‘Shakin’ Ain’t Fakin’’ (from 2023 ‘Roden House Blues’ album)
‘Join Us’ (unreleased)
‘Pissed On Power’ (from 2023 ‘Roden House Blues’ album)
‘Just To Get By’ (from 2023 ‘Roden House Blues’ album)
‘Can’t Abide With Me’ (from 2023 ‘Roden House Blues’ album)
‘Sonic Reproducer’ (from 2012 ‘Full Tilt Bullshit’ album)
‘Jesus Died So We Can Ride’ (from 2014 ‘Black Denim Blitz’ album)
