The Chats (Los Angeles, 2023)
This Halloween, I had the most excellent luck of seeing a punk rock show at The Novo in Downtown LA. But this wasn’t just any punk show. This was a Halloween punk show. Guests dressed as popes, barbies, NASCAR drivers, and bananas. I decided to be that lame-o and dress as typical me, but I was too excited to see the main event to worry about a costume. The main event was The Chats, an Australian punk band that would be best described as a mix of The Sex Pistols and AC/DC but throw it on the barbie.
I decided on getting pit tickets with a friend from work. We arrived early, already sporting a decent buzz, and walked into a mostly empty Novo. I guess it’s better to be too early than too late (except in bed). Me and my bud made an immediate beeline to the bar, ordering some liquor before trying to find the best place to stand for the band. After about 30 minutes, the first opening band took the stage.
The band, Gym Shorts, is a female fronted four-piece band that played a fun but gritty mix of original punk tunes. The band was impressive and sonically was loud enough to energize any moshing to commence. Unfortunately, the mostly empty crowd was still sober and little moshing was done. But Gym Shorts kept the energy up and was a great way to kick off the Halloween show. Sarah, the lead singer and one of the guitar players, provided the most flair with her off-the-wall antics and low growling breakdowns that kept my toe tapping and head bobbing. After Gym Shorts, Me and my bud got another round before The Schizophonics came on. And they turned up the energy!
A three piece, The Schizophonics came out in mid-70s disco suits that appropriately matched their throwback style of 70s garage rock. The band had the best showmanship of all four bands. The lead singer was OFF it, running and dancing around like a man possessed. And they were LOUD for a three piece. The lead was like Jagger on speed, spinning in circles and howling out their songs as he threw his guitar around. It was wild. The drummer and bassist’s more mellow behavior heightened the focus of the lead singer. By their third song, most of the audience in the venue came to the stage. The only thing was that I could not understand a word of what the singer was saying. Nothing. I’m not sure if that was a sound issue but it didn’t matter in the moment because of the wild performance. The band even brought a bunch of the other openers on stage to perform a cover of the MC5’s “Looking at You”. By the time they finished, and the next break ended, the Novo was packed and the pit was pilled to the brim with dressed up patrons. Me and my bud nudged our way to a prime spot in the middle of the pit, where the moshing will begin. And oh, did it begin.
The last opener was the Cosmic Psychos, an old school Aussie punk band who dates back to the 1980s. The band, a three piece, came out sporting costumes like the munchkin from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Grandpa Munster. I’ll admit, I was skeptical about how the band would perform and sound since they are older, but they packed a serious punch. Once the band started their second song, “Nice Day to Go to the Pub”, the mosh pit became a whirlwind of chaos. It was practically zero to one hundred, at least fifty people were running, punching and jumping around. When the band started their next song, “Fuckwit City”, I jumped into the action. Unfortunately, someone kicked the back of my knee and I fell on my ass, my show flying into the crowd. I spent the remainder of the set moshing without a shoe before trying to find my lost Nike, almost missing the lead singer trying to belly dance with his pumpkin painted beer gut. Once the set ended, my friend told me he was leaving since someone punched him in his ribs. Looks like the Psychos have claimed another victim. I eagerly waited for the set of the night, The Chats.
After much anticipation, The Chats took the stage. Two of the three band members were dressed for the holiday, Eamon (Bass/vocals) dressed as Chucky and Josh Hardy (guitar) as Beetlejuice. The drummer, Matt Boggis, didn’t get the costume memo. The Chats played 24 songs during their set. They started with “Nambored” off their 2017 album before going into “Billy Backwash’s Day”. At this point, the pit was turned to eleven and people were going nuts. The band went through some hits like “Smoko” and “Stuck by Lightning”, deeper cuts like “Nazi March”, and even a cover of Kiss’s, “Rock and Roll All Night”. The whole set was great, the band channeling their punk influences and mashing it with some AC/DC-esque breakdowns. Eamon did a great job with keeping up his energized antics up during the set as he spat and screamed at the crowd. Matt’s drumming was tight and focused. But the main standout was Josh’s guitar playing. I loved the sporadic shredding he did on his Strat, particularly on “Panic Attack”. The audience’s energy matched the band’s the whole set, even a fist fight broke out in the pit. It was quite entertaining to see a brawl while the band played “Ticket Inspector”; It seemed like the punches landing in sync with the beat. The band closed with “Pub Feed” before departing the stage. Everyone left exhausted and sore. I know I’d feel that fall in the morning. I was disappointed that The Chats didn’t perform “I’ve Been Drunk in Every Pub in Brisbane” but that’s another reason to see them again!
If you haven’t seen The Chats live and love punk rock, what are you doing? This is a must-see band that honors the legacy of punk rock while elevating it for a new generation. Australia has been seeing a punk rock boom in recent years and it’s easy to see why with bands like The Chats. Hopefully America can learn a thing or two from the Aussies!
Follow The Chats on Instagram @thechatslovebeer.
Follow the other bands @Cosmicpsychos, @theschizophonics, and @gymshortsmusic.