BIG SPECIAL, GANS, GOOD HEALTH GOOD WEALTH

Words: Tom Gensler

Isaac Watson

Big Special are one of Birmingham’s biggest and noisiest up-and-coming alternative

music exports, boasting a raw and emotional, and socially conscious, post-punk sound.

There’s a big energy to their sound, but also a careful nuance. They’re an unstoppable

force; a duo who craft moving, powerful music, and they aren’t slowing down anytime

soon. In 2025, they made two major releases, the deluxe edition of their critically acclaimed debut album, POSTINDUSTRIAL HOMETOWN BLUES, and then their sophomore album, National Average, as well as a further two singles after that. They’re an act to be reckoned with, a duo who are very in touch with both each other, their audience, and the unravelling chaos around them. We caught them at their stop at Nottingham’s legendary Rescue Rooms, and here’s where it gets really interesting,where they were joined by GANS and GOOD HEALTH GOOD WEALTH. Now, I don’t think I’ve seen a grassroots venue UK tour with a line-up of artists who are all big up-and-coming acts, with a very similar energy and

ideologies behind them, but all who push their minds out into the world in very different

ways. This is a truly stellar line-up, a who’s-who of the UK’s post-punk scene. Going into

the gig, I didn’t know this was the line-up, I like to be surprised by the supports so where I

can, I avoid looking at them too much, but in all honesty, this is an absolutely insane line-

up.

London’s grit-pop, post-punk duo take to the stage with a charming confidence, however,

there’s a visual cue of something begin off: frontman Bruce has his arm in a cast. Now,

knowing the band’s live sets from social media, they move around a lot, and so I was very

nervous to see what this newfound and temporary version would entail, but I wasn’t

disappointed at all. In fact, I was positively shocked. There’s a unique sort of restriction to

Bruce’s movement, but he pushes it to the limits, as always. This arm-in-a-cast situation reflects the band’s musical grievances, the things they don’t like, and in a way, it's a visually poetic thing. In terms of the music, it's brilliant as always, they bring a dance-y, vibe-y element to post-punk, accompanied by low, mono-tonal, yet biting and sharp, vocals.

There’s a perfect balance of everything in the mix too, so it really works. This is a stellar

sound for a stellar band. The stand-out song is the groovy You Don’t Know Me, which

evolves into a massive, expansive guitar-centric instrumental part towards the end. It's

simply brilliant. This was a really enjoyable set from a very promising band.

Gans bring the chaotic post-punk elements, with an instrumentally intriguing set up.

There’s a bass and guitar player, a drummer, and then miscellaneous instruments and

synth player, who goes between instruments all in one song, a true mark of skill and

musicianship. The actual band sound is nothing short of genius, with every member of the

trio pouring absolutely everything into the brutal, and at times, harrowing wall-of-sound

they build. There’s a positively apocalyptic vibe to their sound at times, due to the usage of

things like flute and sax, when combined with the dark synths, pounding drums and dark

guitar parts. These guys are next level at what they do, and have they big things in the

store for themselves, and if I were you, I’d catch onto them.

After two titans of post-punk, we close out the loud trifecta with the big dogs of the

evening. The duo, Joe and Callum, have a charming awe to their faces as they enter the

sold out (and oversold) venue’s stage. Everyone looks at them. They can feel it, but it

drives them, it pushes their music to its sonic limit. Their vibe is sweaty and beautifully ugly and grooving and moving. It's just built for the stage. Joe and Callum are built for the stage. Their expressions are both earnest and confident, and whilst they're performing, they move with this raw, vigorous intensity that’s hard not to move along to. They really know how to tap into the sounds within themselves to deliver top-tier performances. There’s an honesty and brutality to their playing and presence.

They perform with a vast and expansive sonic ferocity, but with a lyrical nuance; a

smart and clever sneer, creating a raw social commentary that underpins it all. Also, props

to the sound crew at Rescue Rooms, as they manage to perfectly balance the energy

and sounds of all three performances perfectly. Every note, every vocal and every beat is secure and beautiful, bouncing off the walls of the floaty looking venue.

The set is extremely well-paced, however, towards the end is where things get really incredible. The highlight of the set is the beautiful Dragged Up A Hill. This song marks a vast left-turn sonic change for the band, opting for a more stripped back, guitar and vocal feel. Joe sounds like Sam Fender here, with his guitar ringing out beautifully as he croons. The song was released at the back end of 2025, and might be the start of a new release, but it's a perfect stand-alone track, and a very important one for the band’s future. It shows a willing to mould themselves into something new, and an ability to change and develop that’ll very much secure them as legends later on down the line.

Another highlight is their penultimate song, YESBOSS, where they fake an encounter

with their real-life manager on stage for comedic effect, before dissolving into a pulsing,

grooving and socially conscious song about subservience. It's a joy to see.

They close out the main portion of the set with their flagship tune SHITHOUSE. The

fury and power in this song really makes them who they are, proving them as post-punk

powerhouses, as an act.

They then make a prompt return for a brutal round of three encores, which is a monster

segment; the best way to enjoy this stunningly abrasive set.

Overall, this was a brilliant night of three incredible post-punk acts, who all have great

things on the way for them in the UK music scene. This is the exact kind of music thats

driving creativity and discourse, and so the more of it out there, the better. These three

acts would be my case study for the positivity and genius of modern UK post-punk.