It’s a sleepy Wednesday night, but Oldham punk band The Big I Am are determined to kick the night off with a bang. Despite the small early crowd they excitedly bound through their old -school punk rock. To me they're reminiscent of Janus Stark, with some gruff singing and mix of surf-rock style vocal lines and twangy overdriven guitars. The 3-piece have some enjoyable segments, with interesting punky guitar solos and fret-walking basslines. They’re a thoroughly pleasant way to start the gig and the crowd seem to be happy enough nodding their heads along.

Tour support are hardcore punk stalwarts Assert. Established in the mid-nineties and hailing from the West Midlands, I really enjoy their fast in-your-face hardcore. They make me think of Pennywise but with more abrasive harsh singing, or even the structures and power of a non-electronic Ministry. Thrashy hardcore but with devilishly punk guitar a tones and unrelenting force. Definitely fans of Biohazard should already know the extensive work of these guys. The crowd has grown massively during their set, and a slamming moshpit has formed, with people revelling in a midweek chance to unleash to some delightful hardcore.

Discharge take to the stage and the crowd is already in a frenzy. Everyone is hungry and eager to take in this seminal yet still vibrant band. They were there at the start of English Hardcore Punk back in 1977 and, despite a foray into more traditional metal for a while, have influenced many more bands than you would ever imagine – Metallica, Anthrax, Machine Head, Prong…the list goes on. Not bad for a band from Stoke-on-Trent! The heavily distorted and grinding guitars afford intense drone-like rhythms with visceral, bellowed vocals delivering political lyrics on anarchist and pacifist themes. Numerous sub-genres have been shaped by Discharge too, including thrash and grindcore. It’s easy to see how, with the churning guitars and railroad heavy beat drums. The guitar tone reminds me of Geordie’s from Killing Joke, with swelling phasing chorus effects and biting distortion. The whole sound is like Killing Joke sped-up and with the hardcore knob twisted to eleven. The venue is full now and the crowd are going crazy to every guitar slash and snare hit. Jeff ‘JJ’ Janiak spends a lot of time on his knees at crowd level, connecting with the crowd and living every intense second with them. He’s dynamic and engaging, as are the whole band – they are masters of their stage craft and the set never lets up. Let’s hope there’s plenty of gas left in the tank for Discharge as they’re still as impressive and important as ever.