I have a, somewhat vague, recollection that punk was about something other than loud music and I am also pretty sure that Milton Keynes also has never been the epicentre of any known populist revolution. So, with a gabba gabba hey and a jingle of morris dancing bells, it was something of a surprise to find a punk band from that very town attempting escape velocity with their EP called “English Pigs”. That band goes by the name of Lågërshøp.
I wasn’t expecting subtlety and none of these four songs were in any way subtle but even a hack like me has to appreciate the sheer energy that Lågërshøp bring to their very own party. They aren’t clones of the Clash, the Exploited or Crass either with the political message of their predecessors – with perhaps the exception of the title song - neatly suppressed and replaced with the kind of (almost) good natured, maximum volume, beer and banter singalongs that makes a night on the town pass so much more easily. It’s almost as if a 2 litre bottle of cider with anger management issues had taken to the stage and let rip.
So, “English Pigs” isn’t aiming at pushing the boundaries of your brain but, with a manic humour and a certain degree of bad taste providing their motive power, Lågërshøp stomp all over the temptation to listen to EDM on a Friday night. It must therefore be a holy thing that they do.