Hauling in from Yorkshire, Snakerattlers are this weird super villain duo from “THE NORTH”. Think Pinky & The Brain in a band. Armed with a guitar and stand up drums and their only goal is to destroy the audience with their gritty and dynamic performances. Somewhere between The Cramps, The Stooges and White Stripes, they belong to no scene – and therefore have been seen performing alongside punk, rockabilly or psychobilly acts. And they are officially endorsed by Yorkshire Tea!
Formed by married couple Dan and Naomi, the Snakerattlers have been around since 2016. What started as a side-project quickly became a sensation. They took over stages all around the UK and Europe, and as a result, were signed to Dirty Water Records to release their second album All Heads Will Roll. The album launch celebrations were hosted at their local venue The Fulford Arms in York and at The Finsbury in North London. Which is good, because I don’t know any Londoners willing to go up north to save their lives.
As expected on a Saturday night, The Finsbury was packed and everyone was impatient to start the festivities. To kick off the night, we were introduced to Fryd Chikin. Fryd Chikin is one-mand band with a drum machine, reminiscent of the old-school French punk bands as Bérurier Noir or Métal Urbain. But he has this Hasil Adkins thing about him. Hasil Adkins on acid to be precise. He shreds his guitar, all while wearing a homemade foil suit and a KFC paper bag on his head. Just what we needed!
The second act is the high-octane garage rock quator The Spacewasters, one of my favourite local acts. Turn the amps up to 11, they aren’t here to mess about. They’ll revisit their classic rock’n’roll and punk influences and add some jalapeno sauce on top of it. If they aren’t psychobilly enough, The Spacewasters are definitely red hot and by that time, the whole crowd is warmed up and ready for the main act.
And as the cherry on the cake, we can finally discover the new Snakerattlers record live. Faithful to themselves, they deliver a top-notch show. What I really like about The Snakerattlers, is the complete absence of cover songs. It can be a clever technique to lure new fans, but clearly, they have other plans, and when asked, Dan says he’d rather play their own songs and this “it’s what we do and it’s what you’ll get” mentality is exactly what rock’n’roll is all about.
So instead of expecting songs you already know, you get to hear new tunes that will creep up your brains like a nasty earworm like Wild, Rattle Rock Stomp, She’s Strange (introduced by a love declaration from Dan to his wife and an eyeroll to space and back from Naomi) and my personal favourite I’ll Destroy Your Soul – because who doesn’t like such a determined piece of writing?
To get your hands on the new Snakerattlers album, you can either go see them live and purchase directly from them, or head get it online on www.snakerattlers.bandcamp.com
Live Review & Photography by Pauline Di Silvestro of Snakerattlers at The Finsbury, North London on Saturday 9th February 2019.