GIG REVIEW – Crapsons @ Crapfest, Liverpool – 22.07.23

I recall six years ago, two fresh faced wannabe Scousers touting their one and only track You Don’t Know When You’re Gonna Die to all and sundry. A stand up drummer (not the comedy type) in the form of Andy Gilbert and a screeching bassist that is Mike Markey. What they lacked in depth, they made up with stage presence and a determination to get in your faces.

Fast forward to the present day, and the duo that is Crapsons is now (more often than not) a trio, with a guitarist added to the line up. Pete Williamson and his Half Man Half Biscuit-esq style fills that depth, cementing the sound. In your faces is what they’re good at, playing countless gigs and also earning support slots with heavyweights like The Undertones and Pulled Apart By Horses.

They are all things crap – Crapsons, Crap Records and, of course Crapfest – now in its fifth year and building on a solid foundation of diversity. From folk to punk to indie to ska to a Crapfamily and everything in-between.
Rather than headline their own festival, Crapsons open it…

It’s 2.30pm in the basement of EBGB’s on Seel Street in Liverpool (one of three venues hosting this event), this one-day festival is a sell out and the place is buzzing with old friends and others making new friends. Crapsons open with one of their earliest (and best) and still unrecorded classics Checking In To A&E – y’know the types; they’ll ‘check-in’ to A&E on Facebook but not say what’s wrong, then await all the ‘concerned’ comments to flood in. The lyrics are sharp, the song is dead catchy, it’s a winning formula. The hits keep coming, Clotheslined By A Nun, Kings Of The Council Estate (with unsavoury guest vocals) and plenty more.

In spring last year they released a sixteen track, eleven minute album called ‘Songs To Make A Brew To.’ Tonight, they performed it in its entirety, start to finish. Both bold and hilarious, as they had only rehearsed it once. Highlight for myself was the new song Fuck Off Again – an absolute gem with crap-affirming lyrics on our society and those who live in it – can’t wait to hear this in recorded form.

Crapfest is a celebration. We all celebrated great sets from the likes of Rum Lad, The Glitchers, Crash Mats, OORYA, Problem Patterns, Smoking Gives You Big Tits, Random Hand, Reason To Leave and many many more. Make sure you join us next year – it’ll be at The Future Yard in Birkenhead.

Crapfest 2023 on YouTube courtesy of Graham Jones