Bilk: The Engine Rooms, Southampton

Bilk
The Engine Rooms, Southampton
twenty second February 2025

Bilk have spent the final couple of years energising venues all through the UK with their infectious amalgam of hip-hop, punk and indie rock. Now they’re selling their second album Essex, Medication And Rock And Roll. Simon Reed drops in to search out out what’s making the youngsters soar about.

That is the third time I’ve seen and photographed Bilk. The primary was at Omeara a few years in the past. It actually went off. It’s a venue that oozes environment however there’s no photograph pit. My thighs ended up being moulded into an inverse profile of the entrance of the stage while a conveyor belt of crowd surfers resulted in a couple of bruises and a everlasting dent within the prime of a digital camera. Generally it’s important to endure in your artwork. The second time was at Camden’s Electrical Ballroom a few weeks in the past. It actually went off there too, however there’s a pit and a barrier; a protecting protect from flying limbs, if not half-full pint glasses.

This time I’m in Southampton. The band are selling their second album, Essex, Medication And Rock And Roll, and that is the final night time of the UK leg of a tour that may shortly see them tackle most of mainland Europe. The venue is The Engine Rooms. It’s miles from wherever in an industrial zone down by the docks, sandwiched between a automotive rental outlet and an accident restore centre. All three share the identical spartan development; primarily a metallic lid on a pile of bricks. There are not any neighbours to piss off no less than, which retains the Music Venue Belief joyful, however the place has all of the charisma and environment of an out-of-town department of Halfords.

Charged with the unenviable activity of warming up the group and the venue are The Capsule, a punk three-piece from the Isle of Wight. The Capsule (as in contraceptive) are collectively fronted by Lily Hutchings on guitar and Lottie Massey on bass, whereas tucked stage left behind the drums sits Rufus Reader. The Capsule are in reality the right heat up for Bilk since they share the identical schtick of taking a topic and placing a humorous, quirky spin on it.

So, we hear songs about getting caught bare within the bathtub by a good-looking scaffolder, dangerous driving, mullet coiffured males who ought to know higher, the dangers of getting groomed on Membership Penguin, and Leonardo DiCaprio’s predilection for girlfriends lower than half his age. Lastly, in Bale Of Hay, a tune that comprises the immortal line: “I’m a blonde bitch: bimbo, butthole, tits”, we be taught that it took Lily 15 years to achieve eyebrows.

One thing else we be taught is that it’s not a good suggestion to aim to hit on the band mid-set. A man on the rail holds up a sheet of paper together with his cellphone quantity on it. “We’ve each obtained boyfriends”, replies Lily. “I’m simply sorry I’m shagging and also you’re not.” The Capsule are loads of enjoyable, make a couple of mates, and ship on their goal of injecting some vitality into the room.

Twenty minutes elapse earlier than Bilk take the stage. Simply sufficient time to go outdoors, smoke a few fags and take within the scenic splendour of the tyre becoming centre throughout the street. As soon as the band seem, it’s secure to say that everyone is prepared for it.

Bilk open up with RnR, first observe from the brand new album. It’s known as RnR as a result of it’s essential that it doesn’t get confused with the tune Rock ‘n’ Roll Star by Oasis. Oh, who’re we kidding? It primarily is Rock ‘n’ Roll Star by Oasis, however recover from yourselves Oasis followers; there’s solely 12 notes to select from, and in any case Undoubtedly Possibly is nearly essentially the most spinoff album ever produced by man. A minimum of in his model of Rock ‘n’ Roll Star, frontman Sol Abrahams bothered to give you totally different lyrics for the second verse.

The folks in right here don’t appear to be having an existential disaster concerning the plagiarising of Manchester’s favorite sons. Inside seconds of the riff rebounding off the tin roof, they’re bouncing off one another from reverse sides of the room. It is a recurrent theme at Bilk gigs, the place there may be zero time given to the notion of warming up gently and the fanbase speed up to 100 instantaneously.

The mosh pit is chaotic, however folks look out for one another. Should you go down, you get picked up, and the entire thing is a hell of loads of enjoyable. I estimate that the overwhelming majority of the folks in listed below are of their teenagers and let’s face it; it’s fairly shit to be that age proper now. Having Abrahams clarify how he navigates his method by way of it appears the right catharsis for the viewers they usually completely love him for it.

Befitting for a person singing about being a rock ‘n’ roll star, Sol begins the present in a cool pair of outsized shades, although shortly dispenses with them in favour of really seeing what he’s doing. Together with his slight body, jacket, free becoming tie and mop of hair, he jogs my memory of a ’90s period Jarvis Cocker.

Stage left is Luke Hare. He’s additionally in specs, and also you’d be forgiven for considering he could be a bit nerdy, had been it not for the tattoos, swagger, and a bass guitar slung so low that it appears implausible his arms might presumably be lengthy sufficient to play it. However play it he does, and it sounds immense on songs like Go, On It and Tommy, the place the basslines lead and the remainder of the band comply with. He’s doing The Tablets a favour by carrying certainly one of their ‘Bimbo, Butthole, Tits’ tees from the merch stand.

Holding the entire thing collectively on the again is drummer Harry Grey. It’s just about a hardcore 4 to the ground exercise from begin to end, save for jangly pop tune Summer time Days and a trio of songs when Abrahams embraces an acoustic guitar. Very Good Life dispenses with a number of the angst and references, properly, a really good life. Beatriz is a candy love tune, and Skidmark, while launched as “A tune about somebody you actually care about” really has extra cunts in it than the final Conservative authorities. The group actually give it the vocal therapy and you may’t blame them. What self-respecting youth doesn’t need to drop a C-bomb at most quantity with no threat of getting a bollocking for it?

I just like the acoustic stuff, however like most right here I think, it’s the excessive BPM tunes with the fast supply vocals that actually gentle my hearth. Abrahams cites John Cooper Clarke as an affect and you may actually hear it in songs like Model New Day, This Room Is Caving In On Me, F Up, and Be Somebody – all of which have the meeting within the Engine Rooms bouncing round like atoms experiencing an acute case of nuclear fission.

The ultimate encore is reserved for Daydreamer, an absolute banger from the debut album. OK, so it primarily is Feels Like Teen Spirit, however recover from yourselves too Nirvana followers – it’s obtained a distinct strumming sample and anyhow imitation actually is the sincerest type of flattery.

After 90 odd minutes we file out. Most individuals are dripping moist, a couple of look a bit battered, however everybody has a smile on their face. The venue could be uninspiring, however you may’t assist however have the spirits raised within the firm of a band like Bilk. Now all now we have to do is navigate our method again into one thing that approximates civilisation.

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Yow will discover Bilk on their web site and on You Tube, Instagram, Fb and X.

All phrases and pictures by Simon Reed. His web site Musical Footage is right here and you may go to his creator profile for Louder Than Warfare right here. He tweets as @musicalpix and is on Instagram