Playing under the flag of the Black Country, both literally and figuratively, GANS are a band that exemplify the hard-working ethos of their home region.
Take this tour, for example. Not for them is the usual five or six dates through the usual large cities of the UK. Instead, the punk two-piece have chosen to rattle up an impressive seventeen towns for their debut national run, taking in such conurbations as North Shields, Nantwich, and tonight, sleepy ol’ Frome in Somerset.
Not even a bout of the dreaded laryngitis for guitarist Thomas Rhodes could slow them down. Cancel shows? HELL NO. Instead, drummer Euan Woodman, who normally shares the vocal duties with Rhodes, has taken on the full load for the last few nights.
The pair, who have been friends since childhood, came together to form GANS in late 2023, and combining intelligent songwriting with a raw, upbeat guitar sound, they are already making quite the impact. Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins recently dedicated an entire episode of his popular podcast, Justin Hawkins Rides Again, to the band, entitled ‘GANS and the Death of A&R’. Ironically, the episode had garnered more views that any of the band’s music videos within 12 hours of being uploaded, rather validating the episode’s main point. Well played, Mr Hawkins.
Tonight’s show is the penultimate date of the seventeen, and having already enjoyed a brilliant welcome at this fabulously friendly venue, not to mention being issued with a (gasp!) real-life paper ticket, the next pleasant surprise comes in the form of Lucky Number Seven. Billed as an unlikely mix of post-punk and nu-metal, the Trowbridge pair produce an impressive and varied set, from the dark industrial of ‘SexSick’ to the raw punk of ‘Silver Rocket’ and the overdriven explosion of ‘Chemical Hug’. Particular credit to drummer Alex, who you would never had guessed was a stand-in for tonight’s show, giving a flawless performance on the skins.
GANS waste no time picking up the energy further. Opener ‘What You Mean’ is reminiscent of Death From Above 1979 at their finest, with a fabulously brutal deep bassline and alarmed vocals. For second track ‘Talk Too Much’, Woodman ventures into the audience to lead the crowd in some gospel-style ‘hallelujahs’. Everyone is a part of the show here.
It’s easy to see why this band has grown so quickly. Woodman’s drumming is key, laying down a really bouncy groove that just makes you want to dance. Equally, though, the pair exude a chirpy demeanour that just draw you in immediately.
There is some real meaning in their songs, though. Recent single ‘I Think I Like You’, for example, has a jaunty exterior, but has a deeper underlying theme around body dysmorphia and its effect on relationships. Like IDLES and SNAYX, this band takes the punk sound and uses it to express positive and important messages.
There are moments where the band bring in synthesised sound to go alongside their bass guitar riffage, notably on ‘In Time’. It provides nice variety, but wisely, the band do not over-index on it, preferring to keep to a raw, earthy sound for the most part. ‘Dirty Cowboy’, in particular, is a real Eagles of Death Metal-style stomper, and tonight’s version of ‘Harry’s Tune’, containing an interlude of Motorhead‘s ‘Ace of Spades’, is an absolute corker too.
Maybe the best song of the night, though, is unreleased set-closer ‘The King’s Head’, and with a more elaborate guitar riff, this points to the continuing development of the band.
To give a clear indication of how much GANS have connected with the good folks of Frome tonight, pretty much the entire audience lines up at the merch stand once their 45-minute set is over. Hardly anyone leaves. The band, for their part, are more than happy to chat (or mainly smile and nod, in Rhodes’ case), and bless them for it.
With another nationwide tour planned for later in the year, make sure you get out and see GANS. They are terrific entertainment, and everything that is good about punk rock in 2025.
