The Alma Inn is the go to venue in Bolton for smaller bands wanting to do intimate shows and creating a sense of community as they win over new fans. The legendary venue has been the home away from home for many bands but its importance cannot be understated when it comes to the underground punk scene.

For the price of one drink, Banana Jazz got to see four incredible bands up close, enjoy thought provoking music, chat utter nonsense and scream Creed at the top of our lungs. A thoroughly successful night was had by all.

The first band of the night was Half Naked Headline, a DIY queercore punk band. Half Naked Headline were less interested in creating easily digestible songs for mass appeal and more interested in creating a dialogue using abrasive punk rock sensibilities, as if to say “why the f*** isn’t this better?”. Punk as a genre is predicated on the idea that music is an optimal method for inspiring change as they ripped through a set dealing with issues like trans healthcare, corporate waste, pollution, patriarchy and holding your demographic to a higher standard.

While all this sounds incredibly serious (and it is), Half Naked Headline still managed to come off as fun and down to earth people who genuinely care about the subjects they talk about without coming off as preachy or condescending. The message is important but It’s also important to take into consideration how you spread that message to the masses and Half Naked Headline have done that in a passionate and engaging manner.

Next up was Luvdump, they still had the same punk rock ethos but with more of an emphasis on melody and palatable songwriting. It’s a less direct approach than Half Naked Headline but it’s still an effective method of getting your point across. There’s almost a pop punk feeling to their music with the emphasis being more on being easily digestible and sonically appealing while still dealing with heavy subjects like the banks that ostensibly control the world.

Next up was Harijan, the first band to feature a trumpet player and lean into the ska sound. Harijan were the first band of the night to truly get some engagement from the outside outside of a lone two stepper or a rowdy barfly on their 4th pint of the night. Halfway through the set, I had to reposition from the front of the stage and make room for the ever widening ska pit that was beginning to take over the paradoxically small yet sufficiently spacious cellar area.

Shows of this size in a venue like The Alma are particularly fun because your chances of running into the band after the set is almost guaranteed. The bands are always selling their merch, hanging around the venue, having a drink and enjoying the show. Chris and I ran into the drummer of Harijan and we had an impromptu karaoke session of Creed songs, objectively the best band ever. These smaller shows are highly unpredictable at times and that’s what makes them so good.

The last band of the night was Public Serpents, the band was slightly delayed due to technical issues but frontman Skwert still put on his entertainer hat. Another amazing aspect of these small shows is the back and forth you can have between the audience and the band. There’s no barrier between audience and stage and in between songs, it’s possible for the band to hear you chatting utter nonsense and more often than not, they’ll join in. It’s important to read the room first though, some people aren’t into it and you need to be mindful of what’s going on though.

Public Serpents were on later on in the night and the majority of the audience had plenty to drink at this point, including the overconfident journalist who says stupid things like “yeah, I’ll take a shot. I can still write my notes after a few”. The bombastic ska punk elements mixed in with a rowdy drunken crowd in a dimly lit bar made this comfortable environment that simultaneously felt safe but unpredictable as the band went through an abrasive set elevated by an insanely animated packed venue.

Once the show ended, the night began for many people as the show acted as a pre-drinks situation for a great deal of people. They could have stayed home and saved £5 by drinking whatever is in the cabinet and listening to the classic iconic 1973 Steely Dan album; Countdown to Ecstasy but they opted to support live music and discover incredible new punk music with their friends. A night at The Alma is for sure an unpredictable night but you can always be assured that it’s a safe place to enjoy amazing music of many different genres.