The depressing sight of bloated bore Chris Evans wheeling out Britpop relics for the “I’m still zany” nostalgia embarrassment of TFI Friday sent me in search of something new to blow away the soul-sapping drizzle of Kelly ‘phonics bloke’s latest groaning strumalong. Bandcamp wanders and YouTube holes led to the scorched earth, righteous timebomb of Petrol Girls – “I’ll give you mutha f*ckers restless”. Just the job.

Built on DC Hardcore thrash and riot grrl rebellion, the South London four-piece slam and crash with the best of them; exploding with activism, energy and sheer blind rage. Lead by Ren Aldridge, their violent dynamic shifts and DIY ethos flies in the face of apathetic, naval gazing preening and lights a fuse for a soundtrack to an increasingly mobile and vocal generation of anti-establishment, protest kids.

The careening ballast of ‘Restless’ could bring a coma patient to the mosh pit, such is its furious adrenaline rush and ‘System’ shoots from butter-wouldn’t-melt questioning into throat destroying screams for the downfall of the political elite. A bit like Bikini Kill covering Crass, Petrol Girls’ hard kicking, feminist bombast is another welcome sign that the underground is stirring and there is an alternative and antidote to the return of Evans, Moyles and their like.

Check out more from Petrol Girls at their Bandcamp page. 

Kevin Irwin
@trotterfist