Bonkers
Melodic punk three piece Avondale 45 get a mid afternoon slot on the second stage here at Guilfest and get a middling size crowd for their efforts. Their set today is littered with cover versions, some of which work quite well, others not. They wear their roots firmly on their sleeves, clearly taking their lead from old school punk bands and paying tribute early on with a cover of Stiff Little Finger’s ‘Suspect Device’.
Their own songs (such as ‘Viva La Revolution’ and ‘Leigh Park With a Letter Bomb’) are as you’d expect, three chord punk anthems fairly simple in construction and upbeat. The stage banter is quite amusing and the delivery is not bad but the sound is too tinny and doesn’t carry well from the stage, so those nearer the back of the crowd probably get a different impression than those near the front.
Their cover of Dylan’s ‘Blowing In The Wind’ is typical and their similar treatment of Dizzee Rascal’s ‘Bonkers’ is predictable. Anyone remember Snuff? They were doing this twenty years ago …and doing it better. That said it kind of works here because the punters like a bit of retro at Guilfest and they go down well. Overall they are a bit like a poor man’s Green Day, all rather unoriginal but less covers and a few better songs of their own could turn it all around.