Live Review: Bar Stool Preachers at The Fighting Cocks, Kingston

The Fighting Cocks provides the perfect setting for some red bull fuelled Friday night independent Punk Rock. Local  THE LAGAN mesh Folk, Punk and Guinness drenched Rock ‘N’ Roll. An emotive ‘A song For Jim’ and the full-on ‘Same Shite Different Night’ dropkicks the departed into a hungover state. THE BAR STOOL PREACHERS continue their upward trajectory with a, come one come all, sweat-soaked sold-out barnstormer of a gig. ‘Trickle Down’, ‘Get A Job’ and the infectious ‘One Fool Down’ all get the “moist” crowd pogo-skanking from the off. The politically-charged set is spat out with an engulfing, heartfelt and powerful belief as ‘State Of Emergency’, ‘Grazie Governo’ and the Ska heavy ‘Eye For An Eye’ leave the walls literally dripping. ‘Start New’ and the pain of blind faith and drunken love is covered on the superlative ‘Broken Hearts’. The final duo of “old” live favourites ‘Service Stop’ and band anthem ‘Bar Stool Preacher’ are bellowed out and then back to the perspiration drenched but beaming band. 2019 has been another huge year for the BSP and whether they’re playing to three thousand or three hundred they always leave it all out there and that bodes well for a group who deserve every and any success that comes their way. 2020 could and should be their biggest year yet.