Punk Rock Factory and Wolves of Glendale on a Friday night? We grabbed a pint, our converse and got our voices ready for a night of catchy covers and riffs that shouldn’t work, but they do!
Sadly we didn’t get the chance to catch Beach Front as we were having a chat with Wolves Of Glendale – but from the drums we could hear under the stage and the tail end of their set, they seemed like a great start to the night. Especially as the 5 piece band are Birmingham locals, it’s great to see large touring names giving these opportunities to local up and comers!
As the night moves on, three jumpsuit clad men take to the stage sporting a guitar, drum pad and keyboard. For those of you unaware of who they are – they are the Wolves Of Glendale (For even more information – check out our interview with them!). A similar drum beat and guitar starts, hyping up a cover of Jet’s “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”. But those aren’t the lyrics – this is literally a count”up” – 1, 2, 3, 4…
It instantly sets the tone for their set of laughs. They do a slightly slower version of “Vapin’ in Vegas” which gives clarity and space for the chortles from the crowd and soon they have the crowd completely with them. Spotting a horse mask donned during their horse-based song “Ricky” and also taking audience shout-out to create song hybrids (which spawned an amazing creation of Chop Suey/Baby Shark) are highlights from an outstanding support slot.
But soon the house lights dim once more to a comical voice over introduction as the 4 piece sensation otherwise known as Punk Rock Factory burst onto the stage. Kicking their set off with “How Far I’ll Go” and “Friend Like Me”, the Disney heads in the crowd are already being served a treat. But that isn’t the only weapon in their repatoire, as we’re soon treated to covers of Abba, B*Witched and covers of classic cartoons.
But it’s not all flawless covers of much loved songs in store tonight. During “You’re Welcome” Peej scanned the crowd for two people who claimed to know the rapped bridge for a “Rap Off”. Soon two audience members were pulled up and donned boxing attire gowns and the band launched into the bridge. While one member arguably didn’t particularly know the words, the other (Zack) absolutely crushed the moment in the spot light, with the crowd screaming after he nailed each and every word.
The set cruises on with sing-a-long after sing-a-long, with a personal favourite being a blistering guitar cover of “Go Go Power Rangers”, until the night ended with a run of “Let It Go” (which showed off the impressive pipes of the lead singer Peej) and a great rendition of "Wish Upon a Star”. The room was sweaty, the throats were sore and every member of the audience left with a massive grin. It’s obvious why Punk Rock Factory are playing so many venues on this tour – because so many people want to see them.
An amazing night of music, comedy and feel good laughs. Catch this duo of bands on the “Stick To The Covers” tour if you can – You’ll be Welcome.
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