Broken Jaw at The Tap ‘n’ Tumbler Nottingham
Broken Jaw at The Tap ‘n’ Tumbler Nottingham
Friday 18th April 2025
Live Review by Mare Grills
The Tap & Tumbler is a great pub just around the corner (and another one, and along a tiny bit) from the famous venue, Rock City in Nottingham. It’s Metal, it has lovely customers and offers a great opportunity to hear up-and-coming artists, as well as more established bands – often with free entry, and with very reasonably priced beer (I live in the South, so all things are relative).
I’d travelled up as it was an opportunity to see Broken Jaw two days running, their support for the night, Saur (as in Dinosaur) and the opening band, Wolves in Alcatraz.
As it was Good Friday, there was a section of the clientele that had been enjoying the day from much earlier than they might normally have done, so even the sound checks were hugely entertaining. A big shout-out to the guy in the bunny ears who was pogo-ing like fury to the Saur soundcheck, and if he reads this, he will understand why his calves were killing him the next morning
WOLVES IN ALCATRAZ
A high-energy three-piece band from Stoke opened the evening. They gave us solid, fast and good Heavy Metal, some really tasty guitar interludes and Punky vocals, along with great interaction with the audience. Their timing was tight, they worked really well together, and the banter between the members, as well as the audience, made them entertaining and musically enjoyable.
The set list included titles such as ‘Red Topoganda’, ‘Eton Education’, ‘Satellites’, and ‘ASMR (Aggravated, Suffocated, Medicated, Regurgitated)’.
The band has been going for seven years and evolved from Blues Rock to what we hear now, through changes in line-up, but with Ben Leese (Guitar and Vocals) being the constant. With Dave Owen on Bass and Luke Morgan, known as ‘Stan’ on drums, I really enjoyed their set. They’re heading into the Studio in November to record their second album, and I’m looking forward to hearing what they produce.
SAUR
Our Editor, Beth Morait, dubbed Adam Robinson, founder and frontman of Saur ‘The Redcoat of Metal’. Saur has evolved over the years, Josh Newsome (aka Luke, but only by me, sorry for the last 5 years), drummer, joined way back, and with the addition of bassist Russ Burns and then the recruitment of a lead guitarist Leigh Harrison the band became the four piece we now see.
The band does humour and they does it very well, the lyrics are quite often a bit rude, and as Adam’s mum was in the audience, we were made to practice shouting ‘Fuck You’ to make sure we were up to joining in the chorus of ‘Never Ever’.
They launched into their set with ‘Wholesome’, which just goes to show that they are anything but! A great introduction to the band and setting the scene for the rest of the set. Fast, furious Punk at warp speed with some cracking musicianship. Great audience interaction and participation – Adam gives no quarter in getting everyone to join in, and we did enthusiastically although some seemed a little bemused to be shouting ‘A Cup of Tea’ in a pub.
They are a tight, energetic, fun band to see and listen to. They are serious about the music they produce, but don’t take themselves too seriously, which is endearing and gives them a freshness no matter how many times I see them. With songs like ‘Resting Bitchface’, ‘Sick’ and ‘Adult Today’ as well as a great cover of ‘Hallelujah’ given the Saur treatment, it’s never going to be nice, gentle gig (especially when, just as you thought it was safe, you get to roar like a Terradactyl – I thinks it’s a cross between a Dinosaur and a Pterodactyl, but I probably misunderstood). While I was a bit disappointed that they didn’t get a chance to play ‘Skipping’, we did get ‘Unsolicited Dick Pics’ to finish off a great set.
The band was having a blast and so was I.
Broken Jaw
Hailing from Gloucestershire (mostly), this five-piece Punk Metal band is a force of nature and I always enjoy their gigs. They are completely bonkers! For chunks of the set, it’s ‘try to track the musicial/lead singer’ as they don’t wait for the audience to come to them, they come to us (and there’s Nutzie, in the window at the front of the pub, while the band is at the back). From the very start, the set was energetic, good-humoured, and fun. And I love a double kick-bass …. the drummer Sean ‘Garth’ Watkins is amazing, energetic, and a wizard behind the prettiest drum kit I think I’ve ever seen (just look at the drum kit and the skins are bright pink and everything ).
Add to this two 7-string Guitars (John Virgo and Sam Aston) with Josh Hughes (5-string Bass) fronted by Nutzie who is basically a lovable lunatic, you just know you’re in for a treat.
It was a battering, exuberant onslaught of great tunes, Punky fast and heavy – a mosh pit to decide whether Pineapple is acceptable on a Pizza, another song called ‘Chicken Nugs’ and some more pits!!
They opened with ‘No-OnE cArEs’, the title track of their latest album, and gave us a selection of great songs from both this and previous recordings, including tracks from ‘Purge Yourself’, released in 2022. My personal favourite? ‘Jake and Elwood’ – but the truth is, it’s hard to pick a favourite when everything they do is presented with so much passion, fun, and aggressive beats and riffs.
What’s not to love?
Yet again, I’ve left with my ears ringing (despite ear protection for most of the gig) and a huge smile on my face.
Mare Grills
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