All right thinking lovers of riotous and glamorous punk rock need to be at the Hope and Ruin on Wednesday the 27th of January for what could actually be the best line up Hidden Heard have ever pulled together. It is certainly an essential night for anyone who, like us, ranks the Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster as among the best live acts we are fortunate enough to have ever witnessed
Opening the bill are youngsters Blitzer who have been described as ‘Baby Faced Assasins’ and whom we first noticed looking super cool but not passing the age related ID check as they tried to get into a Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds show. They have now played a few shows about town and while Team Source is yet to catch them they are firmly on our radar having been excitedly sent videos of them playing via Whats App.
They are followed by Sounds Mint, who are a new name to us, but, their biog suggests they have supported both Gorillas and Blur. While we might not like every bit of music that Mr Albarn has released, it is unquestionable that he is a considered artist and a musicologist of some repute, so a stamp of approval from him is something worth checking out. A quick bit of research suggests a vital punk sound.
It is the second half of the bill that draws from the Matchbox though. First to ignite is Not Richard & Her Majesty. We first caught them at the Pipeline during the 2026 Homegrown, and it is safe to say their debauched drag glam transsexual sleaze tore the roof off the place as credit cards rained down upon us from the pockets of the crowd surfers overhead. They are led by Rich Fownes, a seasoned musician with an impressive CV who left the Eighties Matchbox to join Nine Inch Nails, before becoming part of the Duke Spirit.
If the sprinklers have not already gone off and forced an evacuation of the building, then we are to be treated to a headline performance from none other than Guy McKnight and his current band The DSM IV who’s mix of synth pop and jagged guitar provides a perfect drop for a man who is unquestionably one of rock n roll’s most charismatic and engaging front men.
It is a night not to be missed.
Hidden Herd Presents: The DSM IV
The Hope and Ruin – Wednesday January 27th 2027
Tickets available: Here
