‘member Pokemon? ‘member Power Rangers? ‘member when everyone sung that song from Frozen? Tonight promises to be a huge bag of nostalgic warm fuzzies for the pop punk millennials filling the Academy tonight.
This is a show born on the internet. Punk Rock Factory known for their TikTok and YouTube versions of Disney songs and the themes of cartoons that we would watch on Saturday mornings.
The main support – Adam and the Metalhawks – known best for ex-American Idol contestant Adam Ezegelian who looks and sounds so much like Jack Black that the band hassled him with his own music until he stared in a Tiktok duet with them. The modern beginnings of tonight is reflected in the audience. We have the millennials that are the bulk of the target here… but they’ve brought the kids. A good ten percent of this audience are pre teen and it’s actually pretty heart warming to see.
It’s already shaping up to be a family night out and a safe environment for babys first punk gig. Mine was Green Day… and they hold as much punk rock credentials nowadays as Punk Rock Factory so no one here can criticise or play the “real” punk card. The crowd here fall into the categories where you’re not ashamed to dance… too young to care, and too old to care.
As I arrive ten minutes before the advertised doors time, the show was already in full swing. The line had been dealt with and the opener was already on stage doing his thing. The opener in question is a DJ by the name of Matt Stocks who used to do the evening show on Kerrang!. There’s not a whole lot to write about this. He’s dressed as Wayne Campbell and playing classic rock tracks. We have Hendrix, The Stones, T Rex, AC/DC, Bon Jovi… at one point he’s down in the pit at the barrier talking to the small number of fans who have amassed and barely makes it back for the track ending. It’s a little wedding disco although it does get bodies moving. A big bit of me wishes there was a buffet too though… that might be because I’m fat though. I’ve seen a lot of live bands that have struggled to warm a crowd as much as DJ Matt has tonight, so cynicism aside – he’s done a pretty good job.
Adam and the Metalhawks come onto the stage after a false start courtesy of DJ Matt and launch into a blistering cover of ‘The Time Warp’. I swear I used the wedding analogy before they came on and they’ve proven me right. The charisma is dripping off the lead singer and the other members aren’t far off. Bassist Ryan Daversa bounds across the stage like a golden retriever and hits every note along the way. The guitarist isn’t as showy as the four-stringer… but by God he can play. There’s original songs and covers in this set. You can’t tell them apart and that’s to say the covers could have been originally written by this band because they’re played so well.
Another sign of the times is the band pausing to get the crowd in on their next viral TikTok or whatever. That next TikTok does happen to be a cover of Queen’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ which is very well-received. It’s not quite Freddie… but no one is. I don’t think Brian May ever played the solo on top of Freddie’s shoulders, though… so The Metalhawks have that on them. I’ve not been timing this set but it seems to be approaching headline length and has already hit headline atmosphere. There is a hint of novelty about this band…… but the musicianship is world class and there’s no escaping that.
One Adam and the Metalhawks finish, DJ Matt comes back on to entertain us as Punk Rock Factory’s stage gets set up. The music changes from the classic rock that fit in perfectly with our supports, to the early pop punk anthems that are a lot more akin to the headliners. By the time the technicians are line checking the instruments I’d become converted to this MC between bands thing. It keeps the crowd hotter for longer and let’s you forget that you’re standing about just waiting on something. Even more so when he finishes with a sing-along of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.
Punk Rock Factory come on stage following a tape of a phone call explaining why frontman Peej is late along with a comical light show. The roar comes when he runs on stage to ‘I Just Can’t Wait To Be King’. He pretty much instantly jumps into the pit and sings while falling over the barrier to grappling fans. You know every song here is going to be a hit… they’re a cover band. The theme tune to the world’s best cartoon… ‘Bluey’ was a welcome surprise.
As the band work through the set, phones rise and fall from the crowd as they record their favourites. Nothing quite gets the sing-along going as the SpongeBob SquarePants theme but that doesn’t mean the crowd aren’t eating out of this band’s hand. The short nature of the songs (theme songs are short enough… but punk versions make them half as long). There’s a bit of clever pitch shifting when it comes to singing Alvin and the Chipmunks and the classic Pikachu joke before his theme (you poke ‘im on…).
Adam from Adam and the Metalhawks jumps back on the stage for the second verse of ‘Pokémon’ and I’d say that was when the show really turned into a party. Something about all that charisma on stage ignited the audience into a proper pop punk show. This show makes you want to share. No matter what song is being played you instantly think of someone who you wish could be there seeing it. That’s why the phones were in full flow, capturing each song for absent friends.
You’ll be hard pushed to find a show that’s created such a safe, youthful and warm atmosphere. Those who brought the kids won’t be regretting it as they know they’ve just created core memories for those little ones and set them on a path of pop-punkness forever. And as all the parents here will tell you… it’s not a phase.
Punk Rock Factory are back in Glasgow on November 18th celebrating The Cathouse’s 33rd birthday. Buy tickets here.
Photos by Catching Light Photography