LIVE FROM THE PIT: Puppy, Uzumaki and Skinship

The New Cross Inn is one of those quintessentially British venues, Puppy chose this to be the home of their latest London headline show. Puppy has been going for eleven years now, with the tenth anniversary of their first EP on the horizon, there's no better way to celebrate than on their own terms.

The alt metal trio were born and raised in London and in their time in the industry have played countless shows, festivals like Reading, Leeds and Download, have received mainstream radio play and have supported the likes of Milk teeth and Creeper. Needless to say the band have a lot of experience under their belts, which lead to a killer night at the New Cross Inn.

First to the stage was the modern rock duo Skinship, these guys have been described in the past as George Michael meets Nine Inch Nails and are inclined to agree. Their unique mix of genres and lead vocalist's infectious energy was the perfect way to warm up the room.

The band were receiving cheers just for their sound check, so when it came to their set, the room was giving their full attention. More and more fans entered throughout their set, immediately drawn to the music and joining the rest of the crowd in watching. From front to back, every person was foot tapping, head banging and grooving to the band's tunes.

The duo sported a uniform blonde spiked hair style with vest tops to finish the look. The drummer and vocalist treated the stage as their own. The lead was captivating as he took to climbing random objects around the room and even hanging from the ceiling, yes, you did read that right! The set is surely one to stick in your mind after that, these guys know how to make an impression.

Next to the stage was Uzumaki, a 4 piece hailing from East anglia but based in London. The band's set was jam-packed with Grunge Indie Rock tunes as the crowd grew closer to the stage. They took a moment to shout out Skinship and Puppy, with whom it was their last tour date with, the crowd, of course, greatly appreciated this with roaring applause.

The bands music draws lots of influence from 90’s britpop bands, perfectly suiting the Puppy audience who danced and moshed along, despite maybe not knowing songs or even the band beforehand. The lead vocalist, Alex, paraded the stage, bringing vitality as he interacted with different members of the band and the crowd.

At long last Puppy made their way onto the stage, the crowd gave their loudest cheers and moved right up to the front as everyone rose to their feet. The three piece jumped to the grandstand, kicking off with the best mix of pure British rock and alt metal. from the very first song, the energy in the room was sky high.

For the duration of the show, fans from front to back were singing every word, dancing with each other, even if they were strangers before, a welcoming energy filling the venue. Even before they came on, you could hear fans discussing what the band's options were for the setlist and which songs they would like to hear, making friends just through the connection of liking the same band.

As it is the tenth year anniversary of their first EP, of course, they played some old tunes just for the special fans in the building, receiving possibly the loudest cheers of the night. They also made time for lead vocalist Jock Norton to play an acoustic solo version of ‘Here At Home’ from their 2017 EP Vol.II.

Throughout the show, you could see mosh pits building,g which included members from the opening bands as well as fans. The band truly curated a comforting and friendly atmosphere that anyone could join in on, and everyone in the room so visibly enjoying the show and taking in the highest quality live music.

The band moved in tandem on the stage, flawlessly knowing exactly when to move back and forth, giving each member their time to shine and never missing a beat. You truly can't beat watching an experienced band on stage, especially in a venue full of long time fans singing their hearts out.

As they eventually closed out the show they sang one of their biggest hits 'Forever’ followed by an extraordinary cover of ‘Hero’ by Chad Kroeger, a small tradition of theirs which they have performed at previous shows leaving even the bar staff singing along as they prepare to close the venue, a prominent way to finish the show.

They left everyone in the room with the immaculate balance of craving more and being downright satisfied. A Puppy live show is definitely something you don't want to miss when it's in your area, so keep an eye on their socials for any news. Puppy are beyond experienced, but we believe the best is yet to come.

Words and photos: Amy Smyth