Saturday night in Bangor's The Skerries was exactly what a local gig should be: packed, loud, and full of glorious uncertainty. As the person handling the booking (a role I don't embrace often, thanks to the sheer terror of "what if no one shows up?"), my anxiety levels were already pegged. Add to that the fact I was also playing with Spam Javelin, and you have a recipe for jitters.
Fortunately, the venue’s backroom was overflowing with freshers—new grant money in hand and hungry for something that wasn't chart pop—ready to dive headfirst into the local scene.
Just to complicate my night, our main drummer, Llion, was off earning some cold, hard cash playing covers like a true drum whore—probably polluting some poor bar with 'Sex On Fire' or other crowd-pleasing nonsense.
Enter our short-notice saviour: Gwyn from Emissaries Of Syn (or "Emissaries Of Gwyn," as he's known around these parts). Gwyn, who even toured with a surrogate SJ lineup years ago, stepped up and absolutely smashed it. We resurrected some old-school Spam Javelin tunes for his benefit and blasted through an energetic 30-minute set. Jitters gone; everyone was ready.
Next up were Thumbsucker, the two-piece power-violence ensemble who had travelled down from Leicester. And when I say they played, I mean they ripped Bangor a new proverbial arsehole. One of the members, who I remember playing the same night as Spam Javelin’s debut over ten years ago, delivered a relentless, ear-muff-testing set.
In 25 minutes, they were over before they started, barely pausing for air. The result? A room full of people left shellshocked, exhilarated, and maybe a little confused—in the best way possible. Ace.
Finally, it was time for the headliners, Prey (although there's none of that 'headlining' nonsense in our punk rock world). They are usually a highly uncompromising outfit, but tonight, they were elevated by the presence of Laura, whose uncompromising vocal style added another layer of intensity to their already immense sound.
Their set was also short, sharp, and totally shocking in all the right ways, ensuring the energy level never dropped. It was great to see, especially since the crowd was engaged and sticking around.
The night wasn't just about the music. I was glad to see the merch table busy, moving not just Prey and Thumbsucker gear, but even shifting two of our Spam Javelin vinyls!
The experience continued back at "Hotel Bastardos" (my place), where the quest for maximum consumption was completed with the opening of a vintage (2023) bottle of Penderyn Whisky. We finally crashed around 2 AM.
Both bands must have been on a mission because when I woke up, they were gone! Thumbsucker had a matinee gig back in Leicester, and apparently (I'm told), they looked "a bit delicate" after their little Bangor adventure. Worth it. All's well that ends well—a great gig, great people, and a night where nothing went wrong (unless you were watching a covers-band a few miles away).
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