  
Finally, the time had come to start the punk fest of the year! And, fuck, I really enjoyed it! Let’s see what a week in Tolmin looks like!
WARM-UP SHOW
The warm up show is not just a good way to start one of the best punk festivals in Europe, it is a gathering of all the punks who will attend PRH and enjoy the party! You start to meet all the good people you met the years before, you start to enjoy the valley and of course, you can’t wait to hear to some good punk songs. That’s what the Warm up show is for me.
The first band which hit the stage were Trash Boat, just, you know, to get the first beers and start to feel the party atmosphere.
The Kenneths were the second band on stage, a great punk band form London, with fast songs good humor: amazing trio. Oh, guys, you took the same flight Ryanair flight I took! Check ‘em out, they are really cool.
Third band, Clowns, from Australia, even faster and harder punk rock! Well done, guys!
And then comes… Jaya the Cat, the ska punk reggae seminal band based in Amsterdam, which, of course, made everyone jump and dance. It was the first time that I saw them live, and they are awesome, a lot of fun and just a wonderful way to start dancing.
Pigs Parlament are part of the festival as much as beers and the river. They have a great attitude, a bunch of amazing punk and ska songs, and a charismatic singer. I saw them from the first edition of the festival and they’ve always rocked out!
The headliners of the warm up show were The Offspring, on their first appearance at the Punk Rock Holiday. Well, there’s not so much to say about them, everyone knows who they are. Just two points: Noodles wasn’t there and they required the barriers between the stage and the public. Apart from that, it was a great show. They started with ‘You Gonna Go Far Kid’ and ended with ‘Self Esteem’ passing through all their classics such as ‘Pretty Fly’ and ‘The Kids Aren’t Alright’. Yeah, great band, despite age and success, their show is still impressive with a pogo from the first to the last minute.
Last drink and ready for the first day!
DAY 1
The official start of the Punk Rock Holiday 1.7 with people still recovering from the previous day party. It all started at the Beach Stage at 12 with Wasei Hey! Go! From Italy, which they just played simple punk songs to bring back the head on earth from the hangovers.
They were followed by Fast Response, Altitude, Adversity and Bitter Grounds, which I really appreciate and it’s worth to check ‘em out! Especially Adversity from France and Bitter Grounds with their mix of punk and ska (and a song, which reminds me of Rancid).
After those four bands, I needed a shower, and why not, also a beautiful interview with The Real McKenzies, or at least half of them: you can read it here.
First band on the main stage, Jesus Piece, (substituting Frank Carter…) for fans of really fast hardcore. Well, I prefer some fries and a drink.
But then, The Generators, from California, cheered me up with their classic street punk rock. Just what the festival need to start the pogo!
They were followed by The Real McKenzies, which there’s no need to say, they really rocked out! The only true Celtic punk band really ruled that night! And also the public was awesome when all started to sit down and row!
After them, Ignite spoke out from the heart of their souls with their melodic hardcore songs, straight to the kids. Classic songs such as Bleeding and Know Your History, but also some new songs and a beautiful speech by Zoli, the singer, when he talked about Chris Cornell (who was his friend) and Chester Bennington and the need to fight depression.
The best moment came with Pennywise, the seminal punk band from Hermosa Beach. They were funny, cheerful and I think really happy to be there. They enjoyed the show and the warm welcoming of Punk Rock people. They played also some covers and of course all their classic songs, fuck Authority, Same Old Story, Society. Unforgettable moments of the night: when Tina of Pigs Parlament joined Jim to sing Stand By Me and Fletcher flying with his guitar above the public on stage during Bro Hymn, which lasted at least 15 minutes! The best Bro Hymn ever! A great closure for a great night!
DAY 2
Ok, I’m still tired and at the same time excited from the last night. I just want to go to the beach and enjoy the sun and the super cold water of the river. And maybe listen to some good music. I really appreciate Acid Snot with their funny ska punk. Let’s wait now for Not On Tour…
And they deserve all this talking about them and the waiting! A great show with an amazing voice and probably next year their will hit some main stage!
Talking about the main stage, back there is time for No Trigger, but first I went to speak with Trever, Face to Face singer. No Trigger were followed by Slapshot but I was still talking with Trever, so just google them, and read the interview here!
And then came the time of the U.S. band invasion: Face to Face, Anti-Flag and Good Riddance. Well, I confess, I was really excited about this day, and even if it wasn’t the first time I saw all the three bands on a live set I really enjoyed every minute of the show.
Face to Face are one of the truest bands in the punk rock scene and they know how to flame up the audience.
Anti-Flag are one of my favourite bands with their great songs, and, of course, the powerful speeches. Being under Chris #2 while he played Drink Drunk Punk standing on the bass drum is something I will remember forever.
Good Riddance closed the second day of the Punk Rock Holiday with their power and attitude (and a giant pizza slice on stage). Ah, and the singer from Not On Tour joined Russ for a duet on stage. They finished a little bit earlier but the awesome pogo confirmed how much they are appreciated. Let’s party at the beach now with the DJs and XL cocktails!
DAY 3
After the rain, it was time to another day of punk rock. As usual, it started at the Beach Stage with some bands which really deserve a try, as Barrier Reef The Great and Get Dead.
There’s also time for acoustic shows at American Socks Stage with Get Dead and Not on tour… Well, actually, only Get Dead played because then came the storm. Despite the bad weather, everything started again at 7pm with Pears, an awesome band which you really have to go to see live! Talking about them, read the interview here with Zach and Brian. Zach is a real star, a new Iggy Pop, he is impressive!
After the, Teenage Bottlerocket hit the stage with their funny and fast songs. A very intense moment happened when the singer, Ray, remembers his brother Brandon, who died in 2015. The last time they played at PRH they were still together. Useless to say that I was almost moved to tears. Funny moment: a little girl from the public joined the band on stage and did some acrobatic show while Ray played the guitar. Yeah, there were many little kids doing stage diving and dancing, that’s amazing! Maybe some of these kids were born just because of Punk Rock… who knows, but it’s amazing to see the new generation of punks growing up!
The evening continued with Madball, true hardcore from New York City. I’m not a big fan of hardcore but when it’s well played I really enjoy it! As Sick of It All and Agnostic Front, Madball are a great hardcore band which know how to rock out!
There’s no PRH without a great ska band! And Less Than Jake is exactly the band you want to see on stage to dance and have fun.
The Toy Dolls were closing the third night, probably one of the best party punk bands ever! Well, the songs are cool, they are even cooler, what else is missing? Nothing, Thursday was one of the best evening ever!
DAY 4
After the rain, which obliged PRH organizers to move again the South American band of 69 Enfermos, everything started again at the beach stage. The sun was shining again so a jump into the river and some good music from La Armada.
Even if, during all festival, there were plenty of Corbillard stickers around, I was able to miss ‘em (sorry guys!). And unfortunately I missed also Straightline gig to interview 88 Fingers Louie (read it here), which of course was extremely amazing.
Just back on time to see Darko set and then go back to the pressroom to a chat with Snuff. You don’t know Darko? Bad! You have to check them out for their incredible energy and power.
While waiting for Snuff mates, I listen to Undeclinable Ambuscade, back together after many years… and they still know how to do a punk rock show.
The next set was by Chixdiggit: who said that Canadians are boring? They are really great with an amazing sense of humour! Great job guys!
88 Fingers Louie are a punk band from Chicago, which, after some ups and downs, are finally back on board of the punk rock caravan!
Then, well, I knew what to expect from Snuff but I didn’t expect a show like that: memorable! Also my knee will confirm that for the next weeks… a great British band that is still rocking after 30 years!
Ending the 2017 edition of the PRH, another Canadian band: Propagandhi. Well, I’ve seen them in Tolmin 3 or 4 years ago, and I’m not a fan of them, but this year they put all their energy and passion in this set. I hope to see them again to confirm this impression and meanwhile I will listen back to their albums.
And of course, there’s no Punk Rock Holiday without the karaoke by Pigs Parlament! Three hours, more or less, of pure fun and amusement! Great classic punk songs (and even some metal), a great band and many beers: the perfect mix to have fun and close as stars this festival!
After few hours of sleep, I woke up on Saturday thinking that this is the best holiday for a punk. Meeting old and new friends, staying a week among a beautiful valley, listening to good music, enjoying the sun and even the rain, laughing and drinking, crazy people, unicorns and giant pizzas… there’s nothing better in life! Going at the Punk Rock Holiday is a wonderful experience, something that will remain with you.
Hoping that next year Rancid will join this amazing party (yeah, I know, I’m a little obsessed) I would like to thank everyone I met there and, of course, see you next year in Tolmi
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