One of this year’s ones-to-watch are undoubtedly St Austell-via-London’s The Velvet Hands. Channelling all the energy of The Clash, Cribs and Libertines they already have a royal flush of punk-through-the-ages and enough bolshy, brash, rabble rousing energy to blow the Stockton roof off. 2023’s Sucker Punch album was 10 tracks of shout-along anthems (Telephone Love, Holiday In My Head) and pop swagger (40 Up 40 Down, Devil’s Tail) all set at breakneck speed to ensure a blink-and-you-will-miss-it set of radgie punk polemic. (Steve Spithray)
The Velvet Hands
