Fiery punk made by the people, for the people. At it’s very best it may celebrate minorities and criticise authorities. With ‘Fluid’, The Red Stains achieve both with incendiary results.
The Manchester band began in 2019, placing feminism at their core like some of punk’s greatest exports – the anarcho-punk of Crass being an obvious reference.
More than just indebted to riot grrrl artists, however, The Red Stains are starkly present, tackling gender fluidity with the aptly titled ‘Fluid’.
It’s upfront too. ‘This body never did feel like home’ they chant, before concluding – ‘it’s just fluid at the end of it all.’
It’s smartly ambiguous. By stating that ‘it’s just fluid’, they are remarking upon both the gender and people in general.
After all, most of the body is fluid, so fluidity is natural. It’s as if The Red Stains are stating that gender is fluid, as is the person. Thus, fluidity is innately who we are, something these lyrics articulate well.
Meanwhile, sweeping guitar glissandi propel this lyrical sharpness like a tightly wound trebuchet while the drums are frenetic and steeped in crazed urgency.
There’s something excitingly anticipatory about The Red Stains. ‘Fluid’ is the musical lighting of the firework. It simmers and sparkles but refrains from all-out chaotic explosion – not that The Red Stains should refrain from musical carnage, they’d probably pull that off too.
Either way, more of the same on the band’s upcoming debut EP will be of interest to fans of punk that’s fuelled by tight playing and a cutting lyrical edge.
FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK// TWITTER// INSTAGRAM