SPAN are back (albeit just briefly) after a nearly 20-year hiatus, and it was so unexpected!
In a fairer world, SPAN would have packed out venues like the Brixton Academy in their heyday – for sure, they had the tunes, but somehow were criminally overlooked. As it is, for this one-off (and final!) London gig, they’ve attracted a relatively small but highly devoted crowd, who apparently know every single one of their songs inside out.
LiVES, like all the best bands, are fuelled by plenty of righteous vitriol – be it directed towards politicians (‘Let Them Eat Cake’), social media mob mentality (‘Cancelled’) or their old record label (‘Fuck Your Money’). Bassist Daniel and drummer Alex hold down tight grooves whilst main vocalist/guitarist Peter unleashes furious screams and barbed-wire riffs. There are echoes of Queens Of The Stone Age, and of Biffy Clyro before they sandpapered all their jagged edges off.
As fans of punk, we here at Punktuation like to think we can recognise good outsider music when we hear it, and LiVES are a prime example.

JW PARIS are disciples of the quiet/loud dynamic that served the likes of the Pixies and Nirvana so well, and they also give a nod to 90s Britpop. They mash up those influences on the likes of ‘Who Are You’ and ‘Geeks & Freaks’ – the latter coming across like the musical love child of the Stone Roses and Weezer (trust us, that’s a good thing!). The trio all give 100%, but ultimately, it’s drummer Gemma who proves the star of their set, as she gleefully smashes away at her kit. Great stuff.

The headliners ease us in gently, with ‘Peaceful’ building gradually from a plaintive strum until that Rage Against The Machine-esque riff comes crashing in. Sensing blood, they follow it up with a turbocharged ‘Stay As You Are’ and a swaggering ‘Entitled’, leaving us gasping for breath. Take that, that and that. They’ve reformed as a quintet for a triple-guitar attack, and unsurprisingly sound absolutely massive.
SPAN’s best songs are often reminiscent of prime-era (i.e. 90s) Foo Fighters or Placebo, and the quality and energy levels rarely dip throughout their set, with a storming ‘Wildflower’ as evidence that the faster and harder they go, the better the results. Folks, it’s a triumph. We find ourselves wondering why they’re playing evergreen classic ‘Don’t Think The Way They Do’ so early, and then realise that, actually, an hour has already flown by, and they’re at the start of a glorious home stretch.
A final, strut-tastic rendition of ‘Papa’ is no less enjoyable for being predictable, and we can’t help but smile as the crowd almost drown out singer/guitarist Jarle on the line “you don’t look like a man to me”. After all, SPAN are truly the men of the hour, and tonight, they’ve given us a welcome reminder of why they inspired such devotion among those in the know. So goodbye, gentlemen – it was our pleasure.

Main Photo Credit / All Photos: ALEX GOOSE
Need more Punk In Your Life?


Griff and Michele are back with a Ska classic!
Follow-up single to their December hit ‘Christmas Smile’, Griff & Michele with one ‘L’ return with a cover of the 1968 Ska/Rocksteady/Reggae classic ‘54-46’, by


Crymwav to hit London on Friday!
West coast US rockers Crymwav (pronounced ‘Crimewave’) are crossing the pond to play a show at the famous Iron Maiden pub the Cart & Horses


Scarborough Punk Souvenir – are YOU in this fantastic photobook, by Phil Thorns?
Scarborough Punk Festival 2024 was an amazing event – top photographer Phil Thorns presents the best of the action! Published in a fabulous 72 page


Syama de Jong, ‘first lady’ of Dutch punk, passes away
Rest in Punk, Rest in Power, Saskia aka Sacha aka Syama de Jong! We shall never forget you. Herman de Tollenaere recounts her extraordinary legacy.


Peesh goes ‘Under the Radar’ in his new seasonal project!
Northumbrian punk singer-songwriter Peesh has just released a great new single, ‘Under the Radar’, to celebrate the first day of Spring – and to launch


Album review: Satanic Rites of The Wildhearts
March 2025 sees The Wildhearts return with their 11th studio album; ‘Satanic Rites of The Wildhearts’. Featuring their new line-up, coming out on a new
I spend my days teaching English to foreign students, and my evenings attending as many gigs as possible. Raised mainly on a diet of 90s third-wave punk, my tastes have grown to include just about anything from trad ska to thrash metal. The Ramones are my musical gods.