Punk
Radio Generation + The Rift (UK) + Who Killed Nancy Johnson?
In alphabetical order:
Radio Generation
New Wave, Punk and Post Punk Classics played with energy, verve and chutzpah, Radio Generation have been headliners at Towersey Fringe Festival, Witt Fest in Long Wittenham, Yeah Baby in Abingdon and D fest in Drayton. Expect to hear songs by : THE KNACK, DR FEELGOOD, ELVIS COSTELLO, THE DAMNED, THE RAMONES, XTC, THE BUZZCOCKS, SHAM 69, KRAFTWERK, JOE JACKSON, EDDIE AND THE HOT RODS, IGGY POP, GAZZA NUMAN , JOHNNY CASH, SQUEEZE, THE DEAD BOYS, TOM PETTY, DAVID BOWIE, THE RUTS, MAGAZINE, LOU REED, THE UNDERTONES, VELVET UNDERGROUND, THE ONLY ONES, THE CURE, GENERATION X, THE ALARM, SEX PISTOLS and JOHN DENVER, yes, JOHN DENVER! 'Thanks to the Bug Bear chaps for bringing Radio Generation to the old The Dublin Castle on Friday it put an enormous grin on my face - like your favourite Peel Festive 50 made flesh, get thee and see them at the first opportunity!' 'High energy Punk in a Sauna' ' Old new wave. Fast and furious late 1970's nostalgia.'
The Rift
The Rift are a dynamic band from West Berkshire playing energetic melodic pop-punk in the spirit of 1976. Formed in 2015 they play with the speed of The Ramones, the energy of The Clash, and the melody of Stiff Little Fingers. Live shows are played with enthusiasm and vitality; the band never stop moving and play to the point of exhaustion. The lineup includes Chris on bass and lead vocals, Chas on guitar and Des on drums. The band released a debut album in 2018 titled Ready to Go which is available for download from the usual distributors and is available on CD at all Rift concerts. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ready-Go-
Who Killed Nancy Johnson?
WKNJ are a punk band, sometimes leaning into post-punk, sometimes hardcore, sometimes post-hardcore. They have made a name for themselves as one of the best live bands in the UK with an exhilarating barrier-smashing live show that has taken them all round the country and into Europe. "Think Wire, Dead Kennedys, Killing Joke and you’ll be somewhere in the ballpark of where WKNJ's roots lie. Ball plants himself firmly in the centre of the room commanding attention from the strays still at the bar and we’re straight into opener ‘Rothmans’... but it’s with ‘Who Killed Nancy Johnson’ that they really catch fire. ‘Pretending To Like People‘ and the rousing ‘Blood in the Soil’ finish off an amazing set. Their punk roots may be firmly in the past, but WKNJ are a bright hope for the future."
£3 entry
Line Up
Radio Generation
The Rift (UK)
WHO KILLED NANCY JOHNSON? are a Reading-based high-energy punk/post-punk band with a growing reputation as an incendiary live act.
"It's really worth getting to see these guys" - Punkarolla
Influences include The Ruts, Wire, Magazine, Black Flag, Fugazi, Killing Joke.
"Powerful yet melodic... this lot would be well received up Blackpool on the Rebellion line up" - Lights Go Out
The songs - apart from one cover that pops up in the live set from time to time - are original.
"A brilliant band... full of energy... a really cool post-punk feel" - New Music Saturday
Formed in Reading (UK) in 2015 from the embers of punk/pop band Nancy Johnson, the change of name mirrored a development from the frat-boy approach of Nancy Johnson to a more edgy and aggressive sound.
"A style that is quite unique... pour out a huge amount of energy... if you get the chance, go see ’em" - Plasma Music TV
Since 2016 the band has gigged at multiple venues in Reading, Basingstoke, Oxford, Guildford, High Wycombe, Kingston, London, Brighton, Chatham, Southampton, St Albans, Colchester and Cirencester, releasing their first EP, Cops and Robbers, in January 2017.
"Spiked with amphetamines... a band that embraces punk's origins as well as influences from the last four decades" - thePUNKsite
In late 2017 WKNJ made their first visit outside the UK with a couple of dates in Milan, and played a set for BBC Introducing LIVE.
"Quality stuff" - IssuePunkZine
In 2018 they toured France, released their second EP, Flat Earth Theory, followed by an eponymous full-length CD-only album that collects all their recorded work so far, including remixes and material not released elsewhere.
"Well worth checking out" - 4.52am
Most recently (September 2018) they released a single, They Reap, for Musicians Against Homelessness, followed by the They Reap Sessions EP in February 2019. A vinyl release via Sounds of the Suburbs is incoming later in the year.
"Jaw-droppingly good... more hooks than a deep sea fishing line" - Scene Sussex
Who Killed Nancy Johnson are Stefan BALL - vocals ; Dawid BYCHOWSKI - bass; Pete MOULTON - guitar; Mark WREN - drums. The question mark is optional.
"Bloody good... shades of Killing Joke" - RG New Music
