Hung Like Hanratty / UME 18th September 2023 Bannerman’s, Edinburgh

Sunday turned into a cold, driech Edinburgh night. The streets were empty and it looked like the city was well and truly enveloped in its post Festival hangover. I’d had a big weekend and could easily have settled down in front of the TV rather than leave the house. But, I had a ticket to see Hung Like Hanratty at Bannerman’s and I didn’t want to miss it.

I arrived just in time to see the support for the night – Uganda’s Moonshine Epidemic, suffering technical difficulties, solved when Bannermans loaned the guitarist a guitar. I heard their last three songs and enjoyed it. They awarded themselves 5 out of 10 at the end of the gig, I thought they were better than that, I’ll go and see them again.

After I grabbed a beer from the busy bar I returned to the gig room – it was deserted. I felt right sorry for the band. Tonight, was the final night of a three-day mini tour of Scotland for Hung Like Hanratty. It seems Glasgow on Friday and Dundee on Saturday were well supported. I was sorry that only 22 people from Edinburgh had come out to see them. I was also a bit surprised. I first saw HLH on the “introducing” stage at the now, sadly, defunct British Alternative Festival at Butlins, Skegness. On that afternoon the joint was jumping and, by Butlins reckoning, it was the busiest introducing stage audience they had ever had, at any of their Skeggy festivals.

Despite the small audience, HLH held nothing back. The blasted into “Clampit Town” then “Marching On” before, one of the highlights of the night, “Pistorious”, their song about the Blade Runner and how he murdered his girlfriend. Yeah, they run head long at whatever subject they want to cover; and they have a wide range of interest! If your use a mobility scooter just because you are too lazy to walk or if you fail to clean up after your dog, HLH have songs all about you. Police constables and the inland revenue also have numbers dedicated to them too.

Whilst their lyrics are absolutely straight to the point and not wrapped in any kind of nuance, they are also delivered very much with a tongue lodged firmly in the cheek. If Benny Hill had done punk, this is the sort of punk he would have done. It is fun, irreverent and does not take itself seriously at all. Don’t be fooled though, this is not a band of thrashy amateurs. The musicianship is pretty good. If we hadn’t been told the drummer was a last minute stand in with only four practices, then we’d never have known. Two guitars and banging bass lines give a great support to the witty lines being delivered by Al Sation, who has more head gear and props than I have ever seen at a punk gig.

And they should be good, it can be easy to forget that HLH are not a new band. Al had a stint with Dirt Box Disco but otherwise has been driving the HLH bus for very nearly 30 years.

Back to the gig, the energy from the band is fantastic and the crowd love it too. “Dinners in the Dog” and “Duggie the Druggie” keep the momentum and the laughs coming. The only serious bit of the night is when Al makes the point that nobody should tell punks what they should or shouldn’t say before banging into “What You See”.

He is right. This is a place many comedians start from. It's also fair to say, many people would be offended by some of the HLH catalogue in the same way they might by listening to many well-known comedians. HLH would not care in the slightest, they just like doing what they do.

They finish the set with “Ed” a song all about that pain of a neighbour who gets up early on a Sunday morning to work on his car when the rest of the street want a lie in.

After the shortest of breaks, they give us “Danny is a Tranny” and “Quick Song” to finish. It’s taken me longer to type “Quick Song” than it takes HLH to play it!

As the crowd leave, it's still a dreich night outside but, for me, it's been cheered up by Hung Like Hanratty. Their humour, energy and attitude have all made me smile. I could have stayed in the house, but I’m very glad I didn’t. For the sake of hardworking bands and struggling venues I just wish a few more than 22 of us decided it was worth getting along to Bannermans.