PET NEEDS bring fast-paced, energetic punk-rock to Coventry’s HMV Empire

HMV Empire Coventry, October 7 2022

After seeing PET NEEDS live, your neck will hurt because you will have spent the entire concert not knowing where to look. As lead singer Johnny furiously jumps up and down and runs the length of the stage, his brother George plays the guitar almost impossibly fast, moving his upper body up and down in time with the music. On the left of the stage is Rich, whose bass serves to unify the individual elements of each song. And finally, on the drums is Jack, clad in PET NEEDS’ own merchandise: a black t-shirt that says: “Punk isn’t dead; it’s just up for sale”, a slogan that evoked a few chuckles in the audience when Johnny announced fans could pick up a t-shirt of their own after the gig. It is likely that for at least the first few songs of their show you will stand in utter shock, delight, and confusion, not knowing what just hit the stage. 

Having formed in Colchester, the punk-rock band left their full-time jobs to dedicate their lives to music. And the risk paid off. Having released their acclaimed debut album Fractured Party Music in 2019, the band have now released Primetime Entertainment, their exciting second album. They played five songs including ‘Ibiza in Winter’, about self-improvement, ‘Fear for the Whole Damn World’, about fearing the whole damn world (as the title suggests), and ‘Get on the Roof’, which is a reflection on the speaker’s life. 

PET NEEDS are fun, lively, and energetic

One of the best things about PET NEEDS, and something that shines in their live performances, is that they don’t take themselves too seriously. While the entire band wore almost exclusively plain black clothes, lead singer Johnny sported Toy Story underwear. They peeked cheekily above the waist of his black, almost-skin-tight jeans, and while only the first few rows could see them, they were still there, a reminder that even though their newer songs from Primetime Entertainment deal with more mature and serious themes than their debut, the band retain the same element of fun and playfulness. 

It is, of course, impossible not to laugh when the band introduce their song ‘As the Spin Cycle Span’ about washing machines, a song they choose to sing the ‘fast version’ of. This was even more amusing when combined with Johnny’s jumping up and down in a circle, imitating the washing machine featured in the song.

What more do you want from a live music show?

Similarly, ‘Tracey Emin’s Bed’ draws a comparison between the speaker’s brain and the renowned Turner Prize exhibition: “It’s like Tracey Emin’s Bed in my head / Kind of creative but mainly just a mess”. It is witty and packs a punch. 

PET NEEDS are fun, lively, and energetic, and the truth is, what more do you want from a live music show? The band are set to continue touring the UK with Frank Turner, after which they will embark on a headline tour including a Birmingham date on the 6th of December. 

OCTOBER 

01 Norwich UEA *

02 Leeds O2 Academy *

04 Glasgow SWG3 *

05 Edinburgh Liquid Room * SOLD OUT

07 Coventry HMV Empire *

08 Liverpool O2 Academy * SOLD OUT

09 Aberdeen Lemon Tree * SOLD OUT

11 Manchester Academy *

12 Cardiff Tramshed *

13 Bristol O2 Academy * SOLD OUT

14 Southampton O2 Guildhall * SOLD OUT

DECEMBER – HEADLINE DATES

6 BIRMINGHAM Dead Wax

7 CARDIFF Clwb Ifor Bach

8 BRISTOL Exchange

9 LONDON The Grace

12 SOUTHAMPTON The Joiners

13 LEEDS Hyde Park Book Club

14 MANCHESTER Gullivers

15 NOTTINGHAM Bodega

16 COLCHESTER Arts Centre – SOLD OUT

* w/ FRANK TURNER