The Pack may not be the most reputable name in the history of punk music but vocalist Kirk Brandon is something of a cult figure due to his work with Spear of Destiny and Theatre of Hate.

Their set in Manchester was a fairly unconventional show; there was no support and The Pack went on at 10:15 but the atmosphere leading up to their set made up for it. The show was full of old school punks coming together to reminisce over a lifelong devotion to punk music.

The Star and Garter is a warm pub environment complete with a stacked jukebox and affordable prices that made the show feel more comfortable to its ageing clientele. The show was particularly special due to the fact it was Kirk Brandon’s birthday and he made appearances in the pub before the show to greet people keen to wish him a happy birthday.

The show itself was a no nonsense punk show complete with an abrasive sound mix and howled vocals that relied more on creating a hectic and aggressive vibe. This made picking apart individual songs difficult but it still went a long way to creating an environment in which the young at heart in the audience could safely mosh and relive their youth as upstart punks.

The guitar work was as strong as it needed to be but there were still some tasteful leads. Punk has never been a genre that has required amazing musicians but songwriters that had important things to say and while I couldn’t understand much of what Kirk was saying, I’m sure it was important.

While there wasn’t a great deal of live music throughout the night, The Pack are still worth seeing in this kind of environment with all the years of experience and knowledge in one place. There was so much to learn about the history of the most important genre of music to come out of Britain.

The Pack was less of a punk show and more of a gathering of people looking to relive their time being part of a counterculture movement that has since become a global phenomenon. The punks in the audience on stage and in the audience can all take pride in knowing they were there when it started and it will be here after they’re gone