Live Review: PUP/Milk Teeth/Gender Roles at The Fleece, Bristol

Photo by Vanessa Heins

After an unprecedented 37 days without a gig, I broke my dry spell on Tuesday night to go see PUP at the Fleece, touring my album of the year so far, Morbid Stuff. I’d never been to the venue before, and was really impressed by the layout, sound quality, and (because I’m a massive greebo) the lack of a barrier.

I only managed to catch the second half of Gender Roles (7/10), but what I heard was really enjoyable. Their fuzzed-up, indie-rock sound is primarily reminiscent of bands like Fizzy Blood and Otherkin, but it’ll be occasionally interspersed with a twinkly Orchards-esque riff, resulting in a style of music I really am a sucker for. The band approach their set with a laid-back attitude, and make it abundantly clear that they don’t take themselves too seriously. Considering that they face a pretty lukewarm reception from the crowd, Gender Roles do an admirable job in getting the audience on board with their songs whilst simultaneously warming everyone up for the night ahead. I’ll definitely be looking to catch a full set from this band at ArcTanGent in August.

Having seen Milk Teeth (7.5/10) seven times now, it’s hard for me to find new things to say about them, but obviously they put on a good set in this support slot. The fairly new dynamic that they have as a three-piece, I think, suits them even better than their previous incarnations; not only is it musically tighter, but it allows all three members to shine in their own unique way. There’s wisecracking political mouthpiece Em Foster on guitar and backing vocals, lairy-as-fuck whirling dervish Oli Holbrook on drums, and Becky Blomfield, face of the band and master of the massive chorus, on bass and lead vocals. Between them, they make up one of the most consistent live bands around right now, and this support set is the perfect appetiser before the main event. New tracks Stain and Flowers(?) both stand out amidst the onslaught of bangers, as well, which is a promising sign of things to come for Milk Teeth.

I made the bold claim in my album reviews this week that PUP (9/10) might be the best band in the world. Seeing them live on this touring cycle has convinced me to stand behind that argument even more firmly, because from start to finish their live show is exhilarating, musically spot on, and bursting at the seams with personality. It’s punk rock in the most Canadian way possible, with frontman Stefan Babcock apologising after one of the songs, saying that they had “definitely played that one better before”, and repeating throughout the show that “if you came to see a professional rock show, you came to the wrong place”. It’s clear that the crowd wouldn’t have it any other way; drinks and bodies are flying all over the place over the course of the band’s hour-long set, and there’s a real sense of community in the room which culminates in the wonderful finale of If This Tour Doesn’t Kill You… and DVP – two songs which are purpose-made to close a show.

PUP’s setlist leans heavily on the material from Morbid Stuff. Seven out of the thirteen tracks that they rage through are from the new album (including deeper cuts like Closure and Bloody Mary, Kate, and Ashley), and that’s definitely not a bad thing in the slightest. A good chunk of the crowd still sings every word back, and, in the cases of Sibling Rivalry, Scorpion Hill, and Kids especially, the new stuff is the best that they play all night. I would’ve been happy if they played the record in full, quite honestly, but there you go. The only bummer, for me, is that Dark Days and Reservoir are the only two songs that remain in the setlist from the band’s self-titled debut (which is still my favourite of theirs). I can’t help but feel that bangers like Mabu and Back Against The Wall should be forever enshrined as live set staples… but that’s the problem with having a perfect track record of three albums: you can’t play every song you’ve ever done in a single gig. 

If you fancy seeing The Best Band in the World Right Now™, then there’s good news for you: they’ll be touring the UK and Europe once again later this year, playing venues which better accommodate their ever-increasing popularity. Tickets go on sale next Wednesday, the 17^th of April, and dates can be seen below. You won't be disappointed.