Trench Dogs, Healthy Junkies, Swampstomper, Hope and Anchor 2026

Swampstomper opened up with their garage punky tunes. It’s Landan Town Rock n Roll, sometimes a bit like The Babysetters, sometimes a bit like The Damned.

It’s the singer’s birthday and he confessed “I’m Pissed”, but they’ve clearly tread the boards before and I couldn’t tell!

Healthy Junkies are main support bringing their angst ridden post punky alternative rock.

Singer Nina knows how to put on a show and literally throws herself into her art form, prostrating herself on the floor, twirling arms, legs akimbo on the drum kit and launching herself into the crowd she ends up on the floor and managed to graze her knee from which the blood flows freely down her leg, for real.

Wild eyes, fast solos from Phil and a new track with the chorus ‘Ooh La La’ (Nina is French) keep the crowd engaged to the end.

To the refrain ‘She is loud’ Nina takes the guitar for a suitably L7 noisy car-crash ending.

Trench Dogs are wonderful Glam Trash Rock ‘n’ Roll that we hardly see these days in the UK and never from young bands.

 

They began with my favourite song ‘A Little Overdressed’ landing with a bang to start. Like most good frontmen Andy Hekkandi is a little eccentric. Being from Australia gives him a good command of the English language ripe for repartee.

Apart from the old fan favourite ‘Gin Beat’ it’s mainly songs from the latest album, but we get a couple of new ones ‘Fighting Words’ fast Rock ‘n’ Roll and ‘Churchbells’ as a road test during which Martin slams the drums unbelievably hard from which I infer he’s enjoying himself rather a lot! Andy says “If you hate it don’t hurt my feelings”.. he needn’t have worried.

We like the totally cool rock n roll, but we love the way this band are having so much fun as a gang on the road. Who knew there would be a running gag about pickled eggs which seems to be Andy’s new obsession trumping Greggs (if you know you know).

Underneath all the messiness there’s fine songwriting and even some sophisticated harmonised vocals on ‘Rattlin’ Bones’.

There’s also the one liners when one of the band asks Andy “Please stop Speaking” there’s a rumour there may be some hangover going on after twelve beers at the airport.

Before ‘Homesick Parade’ one of the band breaks to Andy “We don’t have any hits Andy”. True or not they were a hit tonight at The Hope and Anchor. They’re on the Nottingham version of Mayhem later this year, making that the one to be at!

Dawn Osborne