Vegas is not the kind of place I’d usually go for a holiday. While I probably sit on the hedonistic end of the spectrum, my hedonism doesn’t extend to consumption for consumption’s sake and that, to me, is Vegas in a nutshell. The streets are full of people, not actually doing anything. Just kind of parading, booze in hand, watching the spectacle. But at the same time, they are the spectacle. They’re watching themselves do nothing. I just don’t get it.
So when I travelled to the USA for a wedding recently and started searching for festivals that might add some culture to the trip, I was in two minds about Punk Rock Bowling, in Downtown Las Vegas.
But it turns out that punk was exactly what Vegas was missing all the other times I visited. As soon as we joined the really really long queue to check in to our hotel, surrounded by mohawks, docs and tartan, I felt like I’d found my people. There was no agro, there was no queue jumping, there were just chilled punks doing their thing, together, with minimal fuss.
And that laid-back vibe and comradery were a highlight of the festival itself – alongside the stellar lineup of course. Over three days, in blistering heat (it’s a dry heat though, lol) we witnessed a veritable who’s who of punk rock superstars wow the passionate crowd.
Bad Religion headlined opening day with Rancid closing proceedings on day two (a broken barrier meant their set was significantly delayed) and Dropkick Murphys wrapping up day three. Other acts including Fishbone, The Interrupters, Suicidal Tendencies, L7, The Damned, Fear, Anti-Heroes, Sloppy Seconds and Surfbort were also on the lineup. Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, who opened the first ever Punk Rock Bowling some 24 years ago when it was just a bowling tournament, also made an appearance.
Suicidal’s high-energy set was matched by the energy of the crowd chanting their signature ‘ST! ST!’ as they wowed fans with tracks from their 1984 self-titled album. Frontman ‘Cyco Miko’ Mike Muir might be 60 this year and I thought he was showing his age but only because the other bands are fronted by people not even born when the Suicidals released that album. They’ve still got it. Unequivocally.
L7, who are just about to embark on a tour of Australia also showed why they’ve been stalwarts of the Los Angeles punk scene for 50 years. Ever since they announced a reunion in 2014 after a 13-year break, this energetic four-piece have been touring the globe and releasing both remastered recordings and new material. They are in fine form and still worthy of your attention.
We didn’t get to any bowling (200 teams competed) or late night club shows (100 acts performed) or even the famed pool parties, because three big days of punk in the desert heat was enough but the festival itself is just one of the offerings available to those brave enough to head to Vegas every May. Punk Rock Bowling has grown over a quarter of a century to be one of the biggest gatherings of punk rock “tribes” in the world.
“We work hard every year to bring you the best in old-school punk rock while scouring the globe to present interesting new and up and coming punk artists,” organisers say. “We want to welcome everyone to the best punk rock party of the year!”
The festival itself was held in a bitumen carpark with two stages and no overlap of set times. There was very minimal shade but bars seemed to pop-up all over the property – which also meant queues for booze snaked their way around the most unusual locations. Toilets were plentiful and the pours were generous but the exchange rate on the Aussie dollar made for very expensive rounds. Cannabis is legal in Vegas but smoking in public is not. Still, with the availability of various edible products on the market, getting high in relative peace is no problem.
The crowd itself was chilled AF with all energy reserved for circle pits. And we saw some of the most impressive pits ever at this event with Suzi Moon, GBH and Exploited crowds all worthy of a special mention here. The Rancid crowd was so fervent the barrier between the audience and stage collapsed yet punters waited patiently for a very long time while everything was set right before the show continued.
Punk Rock Bowling adds huge depth to an otherwise lacklustre city. Walking through Fremont Street and witnessing the spectacle of advertising masquerading as a light show while surrounded by droves of chilled punks is actually pretty special.
Punk Rock Bowling has managed to stay true to its roots while expanding in size and in its offering. I think that’s pretty rare for any major event in the music industry. Its programming is on point, it’s great value for money and its punks are the most punk punks you’d find anywhere in the world.
Viva La Punk Rock Bowling.
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Punk Rock Bowling is an annual festival which takes place in Downtown Las Vegas in May. Visit punkrockbowling.com for more information.