By Scott Hays
When Dickie Hammond passed away in 2015, he left behind a body of work that defined a genre—a sound characterized by raw intensity and profound melody. In his honor, Serial Bowl Records established Bowlfest.
The night kicked off with Monkey’s Blood, delivering a pure, uncut shot of noisy punk ‘n’ roll. Fast, loud, and utterly relentless, their set was an uncompromising opening that immediately set the tone for the evening.
Grace Faces followed with a high-paced, fiercely delivered set that earned them massive respect from the crowd. With their regular bassist sidelined by the flu, their vocalist stepped up to handle both bass and vocal duties. Having rehearsed in the hours leading up to the gig, Grave Faces deserve respect for just showing up and putting on a show.
Next up were the seasoned melodic post-hardcore veterans, Dealing with Damage. Their set was a masterclass in dynamic punk, charged and introspective post-punk. It was also likely the first and perhaps only time the “hallowed walls” of the Museum Vaults have hosted a synthesizer that squealed and organically pulsated its way through the set barely contained by the man stood playing it.
Splitbox closed the night with an irresistible dose of high-energy melodic punk. Hailing from York, their driving rhythms and anthemic, shout-along choruses provided a burst of accessible adrenaline, balancing the earlier grit with hook-filled exuberance. Raw and yet surprisingly melodic. A fitting tribute to the late, great Dickie Hammond; his picture sat proudly watching the bands play.
