Californian Punk Rock band Destroy Boys was back to Belgium in support of their 4th album Funeral Soundtrack #4! The female-fronted band rocked out Botanique’s Orangerie on the 7th of February together with the Brighton-based trio Gaffa Tape Sandy, filled with the new generation of punk youth.
It is indeed pretty handy! — Gaffa Tape Sandy
The UK rockers Gaffa Tape Sandy opened the night with a truly DIY show—fiddling with their gear between songs, pulling influences from all across the rock spectrum, and trading vocals between their guitarist and bassist. They embody the true spirit of garage rock! It really feels like three kids who got together to make some cool-sounding music, and it caught on—leading them to open for one of the most prevalent names in this new generation of punk: Destroy Boys!
They mostly composed their setlist of songs from their 2024 release, Hold My Hand, God Damn It, quickly chaining together a nine-song set with no bullshit in between. After the set, Kim stated that they prefer letting the headliner do the talking—they’re just there to rock out and give early birds something to enjoy!
And enjoy we did, because we got to witness how much energy seeped through this trio on stage. Their show kicked off with ‘Body in the Water’, the first track from their latest release, followed by other highlights such as ‘Meat Head’, ‘Scrapbook’, ‘Dead to Me’, and ‘Split’ to close out!
Following their set, we had the chance to have a quick chat with Kim Jarvis, guitarist and singer! We talked about what it’s like to run a band with minimal resources, being part of the new punk youth movement, inclusivity at shows, and much more! Keep your eyes open for that coming soon!
Setlist: Body in the Water – Meat Head – Evil, Evil, Evil – Scrapbook – Desperate House – Dead to Me – Energy – Beehive – Split
Punk’s Not Dead, It just got Better! — Destroy Boys
After an intervention by COMAC, the youth movement of the Belgian Labour Party (PTB/PVDA) promoting the ongoing worker strikes in Brussels on the 13th of every month, Destroy Boys hit the stage with ‘Shadow (I’m Breaking Down)’, quickly followed by ‘Crybaby’! Putting one of their biggest hits second in the setlist shows that the band isn’t here to mess around—they’re here to give everyone an amazing time with no brakes allowed!
After playing ‘Drink’, Alexia set the record straight, telling everyone that the show was a complete safe space. If anyone messes with you, you should tell the people around you, security, or the band themselves, and they’d take care of it. She also reminded the crowd to drink water and take care of each other.
Despite Destroy Boys blowing up through TikTok, drawing in a much younger audience, the fans weren’t just there to sit on their phones as some oldheads might paint them—they were fully engaged, rocking out, and living in the moment. As Kim Jarvis of Gaffa Tape Sandy pointed out during our interview, even if these fans are young, they listen to the messages behind the music and pay attention when bands speak about politics between songs. It feels like a tolerant and inclusive generation, upholding the true values of punk music and socialism as well as being politically engaged.
We were also treated to Alexia and Violet trading places for two songs—‘Should’ve Been Me’ and ‘Muzzle’—getting the crowd familiarized with what mosh pits look like. This was followed by ‘Amor Divino’, with Alexia back on lead vocals, a track from their latest album, Funeral Soundtrack #4. They then played ‘Boyfeel,’ dedicated to every gender non-conforming or gender-questioning fan out there, really driving it home that anyone and everyone is welcome at their show, unless you’re an intolerant fascist pig.
After playing ‘You Hear Yes’, the band left the stage before returning for an encore featuring ‘Piedmont’, performed solo by Alexia, and the highly anticipated ‘I Threw Glass at My Friend’s Eyes and Now I’m on Probation’—the song that started it all for the band!
Setlist: Shadow (I’m Breaking Down) – Crybaby – Drink – Plucked – K Street Walker – Vixen – Bad Guy – Should’ve Been Me – Muzzle – Amor Divino – Boyfeel – Fences – You Hear Yes
Encore: Piedmont (Alexia Solo) – I Threw Glass at My Friend’s Eyes and Now I’m on Probation
Overall, this show just proves that punk’s not dead, it just got better! The new generation is as politically engaged and vocal as their predecessors, proning inclusiveness and tolerance, fighting fascists and proving that people have the power!