CHUB + PUSSYLIQUOR + ELECTRIC COWBOY CLUB + MOTH – DROP IN THE OCEAN, EASTBOURNE PIER 6.2.26
Eastbourne: the spiritual home of the blue rinse, the aggressive seagull, and the quiet pint. Or at least, it was. On a Friday night where the weather is doing its best to keep people at home, ‘Drop In The Ocean’ isn’t just hosting a gig – it’s staging a mutiny, courtesy of Stone Dead Promotions. It’s certainly a case of chaos reigns, as punk lays siege to Eastbourne Pier.
While the winds battered the promenade, the real violence was happening inside. This wasn’t a polite showcase of local talent—it was a sweaty, claustrophobic reminder that the South Coast underground is feral, snarling, and ready to bite.
Brighton quartet Moth are a handful of singles and a four track EP into their career. The EP’s title gives an indication of where they are at, this being ‘Blood Boils (When The Tension Rises)’.
Tonight they didn’t so much warm up the crowd as bludgeon them into submission. There’s no easing in here. They deal in a strain of grunge that feels thick enough to chew on—a dense, sludgy wall of noise that pays tithes to the church of Cobain but drives with the rhythmic thump of AC/DC. It was heavy, it was tight, and it had the shivering punters shedding coats and throwing shapes before the first pint was even drained. A statement of intent? Absolutely!
Moth:
Ciaran Brennan – bass, vocals
Zain Khan – lead guitar
Jack Ayling – rhythm guitar
Jamie Pocklington – drums
Moth setlist:
‘When She Cums’
‘Blood Boils’
‘Show Me The Money’
‘Bomb Song’
‘Eat It Up’
‘Tiny Bicicleta’
‘Ricochet’
‘Cat Herpes’
‘Evolution Of Scum’
Then came the pivot to total psychosis. Electric Cowboy Club don’t play songs as much as they perform ritualistic stage exorcisms. With Hannah Lewis Piper (pulling a double shift tonight, the absolute machine) battering the kit, vocalist Brandon channelled a young, shirtless Iggy Pop on the brink of a nervous breakdown.
It’s rare to see a frontman who looks genuinely dangerous, but as Brandon scaled the speaker stack and writhed on the floorboards, the line between performance and possession blurred. Musically, it’s a trash-can cocktail of The Cramps’ psychobilly swagger and filth-encrusted rock’n’roll. It was breathless, unhinged, and possibly the best set I’ve seen them play!
E.C.C (Electric Cowboy Club):
Brandon Parker – vocals
James Lissimore – guitar
Jacob Lenadd O’Shea – bass
Victoria Lewis Piper – drums
Following that level of carnage is a fool’s errand for most, but Pussyliquor thrive on the edge. Ari Black remains one of the most magnetic frontwomen in the game—visceral, commanding, and radiating pure Riot Grrrl fury. But tonight, the chaos felt wonderfully human.
When guitarist Hannah Villanueva took a spill mid-crowd-invasion, the barrier dissolved. Ari was off stage in a heartbeat, finishing the track on the floor with her bandmate in a tangle of limbs and grins. It’s that blend of vitriol and genuine sisterhood that makes them untouchable. They tackle the political with a sneer, but end with a hug. The set wrapped with a surreal moment of sweetness—a birthday cake for Ari amidst the feedback—before the band devoured it like they’d just devoured the stage. A sugar-rush well earned!
Pussyliquor:
Ari Black – vocals
Hannah Villanueva – guitar
Tallulah Turner-Fray – bass
Victoria Lewis Piper – drums
Oshen Dee – rhythm guitar
By the time local heroes Chub took the stage, the room was a pressure cooker. Self-described as ‘party punk metal’, they bring the speed of Motörhead and the IQ of a frat party in the best possible way. This is music for drinking tinnies and laughing with your mates.
The floor descended into a square-pit frenzy, punctuated by a ceremonial beer bong that felt less like a gimmick and more like a sacrament. The sound was colossal, wrecking the small pavilion bar and leaving the crowd dripping with sweat, ringing ears, and the distinct euphoria of having survived a natural disaster.
The Verdict: Eastbourne might be soggy on the outside, but inside ‘Drop In The Ocean’, the fire is raging. Four bands, zero filler, and a night that proved punk isn’t dead—it’s just moved to the seaside to wreck the pier.
Chub:
Ben Hart – lead vocals
Greg Rushton – guitar, vocals
Kyle Storer – drums
Zakk Smith – bass, vocals
Chub setlist:
‘Quit’
‘Company Time’
‘CHUB’
‘Beer Bong Song’
‘Grade A Bullsh*t’
‘Section 21’
‘Gelatinous Cube’
‘Carolina Reaper’
‘Second Class’
‘Microwave Dave’
‘All Brakes, No Gas’
