In the last few years we’ve drunk ourselves under the table on post-punk’s heady moonshine. Like warm cans of cider in a festival field, we’ve continued to knock back more despite this lingering feeling we’ve had enough and aren’t quite getting that same buzz.
“All I want, is a fucking pint, and a decent, fucking, kick!” screams test plan vocalist, Max Mason, halfway through their debut single “Bored at Your Squat Rave”. His snarl careering into your psyche atop frenzied guitars and high-octane dance beats.
In many ways, test plan have created the anthem to the post punk hangover. Their furious disillusionment smashed together with an inherently energetic track creates a heady mix of apathy and a primal need to feel something. To throw yourself around, to scream, to dance. to not give a flying fuck.
Moreover, the song’s narrative metaphor of being an outsider at a squat rave, as the hours ironically and inexplicably tick by; “I can’t believe its half past 6, I can’t believe its half past 7 …” fits this shift in the musical landscape. It’s time to take a step outside, deal with the daylight on your exhausted eyes and start a new day.
Following in the footsteps of trailblazers Fat Dog, test plan are crafting music we can get excited about again. It’s a sound you need to see live. For it to be complete it needs you in front of the stage feeling it. “Get your gurned out face out my way”.
Photo by Euan McGinty
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