With barely four months left until the Hipsville Horror-A-Go!Go! weekender lays waste to Bisley & the surrounding area the fiendish folks behind the event have unleashed their full line-up upon an unsuspecting & unprepared public.

Make no mistake - this is a terrifyingly good and original gathering together of international garage punk & other Sixties madness which will set your bones a jangling (whether there's any flesh on them or not). Be afraid, very afraid.

Doing their level best to either give you a good time or scare you into an early grave will be the culprits listed below:-

Main Stage

GIUDA (italy)

“Stompin’ glam punk‘n’roll”  video/info

THE NEUMANS (usa)

“The hottest youngest authentic US garage punk act on the scene”  video/info

 KINOCO HOTEL (japan)

“All girl 1960s ‘group-sounds’ inspired, garage rock 4-piece”   video/info

 THE ANOMALYS (netherlands)

“Psychotic, unpredictable and primitive rock’n’roll trio”   video/info

 THE AUTORAMAS (brazil)

“An explosive mix of 80’s power pop and 60’s surf delivered with heavy fuzzed out bass”  video/info

 SPECIAL GUESTS? (france)

“Fearsome French 60’s R’n’B crazy assed wild men”

 THE SCREAMING LORD SUTCH tribute (monsterville)

“The monstrous sound of rock’n’horror rises from the grave! ” video/info

 THE NINE TON PEANUT SMUGGLERS (uk)

“Sir Baldy’s all-star combo playing authentic, swinging, ska and shufflin’ rhythm’n’blues”  video

Tikiville Tiki Bar Stage

THE ERROR TEAM (belgium)

“Instrumental film exotica music with a jazzy twist”   info

THE DEADLY STABS!

“HIPSVILLE’s favourite band returns, even we don’t know what they have in store for us this year!”

THEE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MEN (belgium)

“Fifty Foot Combo side project playing Las Vegas grind style monstrous rock’n’roll”

THEE JEZEBELS (uk)

“Three ladies making fuzzed-up, freaked-out, wild rock’n’roll!”   info

THE SEX ORGANS (uranus)

“The Sex Organs from outer space! Intergalactic sex’n’roll!”  video/info

OH! GUNQUIT (uk)

“Trashy, rumble, surf, bop, blitz”  video/info

THE TiKi HEADS (who knows?)

“The world’s foremost enigmatic and exotic surf group extraordinaire”  video/info

Ticket information, directions, accommodation options etc. can all be found on the event site here.  

Kicking off their set with signature tune 'Long Way To Nowhere' The Parkinsons barely pause for breath tonight as they power through a set lifted from their four albums to date. 'Body & Soul', 'Bad Girl' and 'Too Many Shut Ups' provided high points in a performance marked out particularly for Alfonso's unfailing energy and near-constant movement (working up a sweat being clearly the best way to throw off the lurgy). Victor was a close second in the covering the stage stakes, clearly relishing the live environment and the opportunity to thrash out. 

Pedro's bass was oddly lacking in the overall sound for the bulk of the set but the general cacophony from the drums, guitar & vocals more than made up for that. Whether the weather was to blame or not is obviously unclear but the crowd was disappointingly sparse for a show from one of the most important bands of their generation. Still, being a punk show with available alcohol, there was an altercation in the dancing element of the crowd resulting in the delivery of one of the best right hooks I've seen in person. Maybe not the riotous reaction the band have inspired in the past then but an indication of the tensions that love for them can unleash and the did enjoy a minor stage invasion for the final number of the night. On this form whatever they do in the studio next should see headline-grabbing once more be their byword when they take it on the road again.

Support tonight came initially from local act Little Love & The Friendly Vibes, who're not as the name might have you believe tree huggers. Melodic pop-punk with overtones of Wire is the quartet's forte (along with a dose of ADHD where there scampering singer/guitarist's concerned - this venue can't have ever held such energetic use of a cordless guitar before). Tackling the great number of First World problems we all currently face (social media blocking, late buses etc.) as well as the interference of authority in songs such as 'Parental Guidance' and 'Heads Down, Thumbs Up' theirs was a throughly entertaining opening half hour that for at least one member of the crowd was the best element of the night.

Sandwiched between Little Love and The Parkinsons were Glasgow's The Jackhammers, one of the most aptly named bands I've seen this year. Pounding away at their instruments in the fine style of The Ramones, Action Swingers etc. the trio they gave the impression of being able to go on all night, delivering their short, sharp bursts of punk fury. What were the songs called? No idea. Other than a dedication to the "Edinburgh dogging community" communication from the stage wasn't that clear between the songs but then we weren't there for oratory and musically they were extremely satisfying.