Denver, St.Louis bands to grace the Porn Hall

Cam Bonelli + Jack Hammett

 Staff Reporters

Life Like / Courtesy Photo

The Porn Hall will host another show featuring music from local and out-of-state punkers.

On Feb. 4, a five-band lineup will fill Keith’s living room. The expected bands are Life Like of Saint Louis, Blank Bodies of Denver, Table Manners of Jackson and Hattiesburg natives Baghead and Dumspell.

Porn Hall resident and owner Hampton Martin said on the event Facebook page that Life Like is “hardcore” and “the real deal.”

“The first time I saw this band, it was a generator show under a bridge in New Orleans next

Life Like / Courtesy Photo

to some railroad tracks,” Martin said. “The cops came and broke it up, and everyone moshed extra hard.”

According to Life Like vocalist Joe Sulier, the band has been playing for three or four years and released a 7-inch with Deranged Records, a couple of tapes with Lumpy Records and an EP with Kreep Treet Records. The band has done four U.S. tours, and their upcoming tour is with Blank Bodies, who will also perform at the Porn Hall.

“Our sound is pretty straightforward hardcore,” Sulier said. “Someone described us as a mix between Born Against and ‘80s New York hardcore.”

According to Sulier, Life Like’s next tour will start Jan. 31 in Kentucky and end Feb. 9 in Oklahoma City.

The show will start 7 p.m. at the Porn Hall with a $4 to $7 donation at the door for the touring bands.

Life Like / Courtesy Photo

This article was corrected: The headline suggested that Life Like is from Chicago. They are from St. Louis.Denver, St. Louis bands to grace the Porn Hall

Big Bleach welcomes diversity in punk scene

Big Bleach performing a set at Spice World on Jan. 21.
Photo: Cam Bonelli

Cam Bonelli, Staff Reporter

A funky purple and black border and four familiar faces adorn the front of Big Bleach’s latest tape, “Under the Bleacherz.” The cassette was available at the band’s homecoming performance at Spice World, the latest addition to the do-it-yourself punk scene. It is evident from the heightened intensity of the crowd why Big Bleach commands the scene.

The band members not only engage the audience while performing, but will call crowd members by name and give them a “thanks, man” after the show. It is their unmitigated hospitality in Hattiesburg and on tour that continues to expand the local music scene beyond local performances.

Big Bleach’s successful performance at Spice World on Jan. 21 resulted from their recent 10-day tour spanning across nine states. During the set, the band received praise that reciprocated their performance’s intensity.

The tour influenced more than their amplified performance ability. According to the band, punks from all over are talking about Hattiesburg. Some out-of-state bands want to deliver their own unique punk brand to the Hub City.

Big Bleach guitarist and Baghead singer Hampton Martin shared his personal thoughts on how the tour has positively impacted the punk scene in Hattiesburg and at large.

Hampton Martin on guitar during the Jan. 21 show.
Photo: Cam Bonelli

“More punk bands wanting to play in Hattiesburg can only be a positive thing,” Martin said. “The entirety of the punk DIY subculture revolves around live music [and] always has. Without the music and these bands, [the scene] could never evolve into something greater. More bands mean more shows, and more shows can mean a lot of things.”

It is more than the music. The scene’s expansion allows for a wider array of diversification. The welcoming environment of both the Porn Hall and Spice World cater to the band’s mentality to inspire everyone around them to join. Martin commented on the idea of expanding the punk scene not only in terms of sound but the people involved.

“There’s been a huge push in the punk scene for a greater representation of the non-white male,” Martin said. “Seeing a band that does have [a member who is] black, trans, female or whatever — it can be super important to someone and give them that push to want to join the greater punk scene.”

Big Bleach’s determination has not gone unnoticed by frequent venue participants. Hattiesburg resident punk head Jordy Boof said the Porn Hall, its residents and the people who frequent it are the new generation of local freethinkers who have an ability to impact their surroundings for the better.

“I can honestly say they’re some of the most motivated, determined group of young adults I’ve had the pleasure of knowing,” Boof said. “With all of the incarnations of all of their bands, they’ve certainly done a lot for the local scene. They’re the last vestige of DIY in this godforsaken town.”

The impression Big Bleach has made on people around the country engage them to talk about Hattiesburg’s music scene. Their success as a sub-culture gives people hope and that is why it is imperative to expand the scene.

Big Bleach bassist Harley White said there was an almost overwhelming sense of hospitality in every city they visited.

“It has done a lot for our scene in Hattiesburg because we have met so many people that had no idea that Hattiesburg was the rock and roll capital of the Southeast,” White said.

Evidence suggests that Big Bleach’s warmth has a residual effect on everyone who participates in its shows or shows hosted at its venues. The value of the punk subculture in Hattiesburg has extended to the national scene.

By this merit, local artists’ significance will only grow.

This story was originally published in The Student Printz.

Local, out-of-state bands throw down at Spice World

Dumspell blasting the first set.
Photo: Cam Bonelli

Jack Hammett, Staff Reporter

On Thursday, a crowd of 40 confirmed patrons huffed it through a lightning storm to take cover beneath the roof of Spice World, the punk scene’s latest underground venue. Bands slated to play were locals Dumspell and Big Bleach and out-of-state rock favorites Gland (New Orleans) and Plastic (Chicago). The weather, surprisingly, had no effect on the turnout.


Spice World carries the Porn Hall’s same mystique, a house venue with a slightly smaller show space than that of the latter. Though this was only the spot’s second show, Spice World has climbed the rung to be a legitimate and celebrated place of nighttime mayhem. It would seem having a sister venue to the Porn Hall has impacted the scene positively, as there are new faces who come crawling to the door, ready to groove and otherwise slam, with each new show. This relatively new spot is a triumph—another way weird strangers can come together and form meaningful connections.

The music started at approximately 7:40 p.m., with Dumspell playing the opening set. The band played during my first Porn Hall stint and have since advanced in terms of tightness and power. Vocalist Mary Spooner had us by the collar at the second number, and the band took its fullest swing by the third. Since I last reviewed this group, I’ve listened to their self-titled demo countless times. I can safely say the quintet succeeds itself when performing live. The rhythm section—Bradly Presson on drums and PJ Ladner on bass—resonated like a jackhammer. Having been so invested in their tape, the live experience was heightened. As a side note, they executed a Dumspell-branded cover of Gloria Jones’ “Tainted Love”—after which someone called out, “Yeah! Marilyn Manson!”—and gave the evening a killer start.

The second set saw the return of none other than local punk darlings Big Bleach, the venerable Porn Hall residents and owners. The group only just got home from a tour across the country, and they truly showed their teeth as a result. I was lucky enough to stand near guitarist Hampton Martin and observe his and drummer Zach Burton’s technique. Martin slides through his bar chords like jazz, and Burton complements by playing tight as an eel’s ass. Big Bleach’s return to Hattiesburg was nothing less than overpowering. I can’t commend this group enough for the sheer depth and tightness of their live work—from the seamless tempo changes to the smooth song transitions. Big Bleach has quickly ascended to being one of my all-time favorite bands, hands down. And props to bass player Harley White for ripping on his respective instrument and for consistently being a cornerstone of the crowd’s ceaseless dance. It wouldn’t be a proper show without seeing his face and hearing his trademark “Hey, man!”

Big Bleach during the second set.
From left: Sarah Krock, Harley White, Hampton Martin, Zach Burton
Photo: Cam Bonelli

Gland’s set is where things got complicated. This group brought something a little different to Spice World, a sound that had the crowd grooving and listening closely for the first three or so numbers, which were quieter than previous sets but gave reason to dance. (Nobody ever said louder is necessarily better.) The quick tempos started up before long, and audience members thrashed at the first opportunity. The set was a lengthy and slow burn. Their style can only be summarized as wild, weird and cool. And I can’t help but feel the need to shine a light on their bravery as a band: they were all women, one of whom being a person of color. Punk scenes, like anything else, severely need representation, whether it be racial, sexual or otherwise. Bands like Gland are important because it’s truly in the spirit of punk for marginalized persons to play out and express themselves fiercely.

Gland during the third set.
Photo: Cam Bonelli

Plastic of Chicago is an interesting case in that they were initially described as synth punk. When it comes to bands from out of town, I usually stay away from hitting groups’ music profiles. (I like to stay surprised. It keeps me on my toes.) My first impressions were somewhat off-putting, if not pleasantly so. The music at first seemed a little disjointed from itself, synthesizers rolling out over strong punk instrumentation. I quickly found myself adapting and appreciating the deconstruction of what’s acceptably punk. That’s part of punk’s beauty—that you can tear it down, rebuild it and still know it’s punk.

For more information on these bands, or for a good listen, you can hit their respective Bandcamp profiles. More information on the Porn Hall and on Spice World can be found nowhere. Locations and dates are given on a need-to-know basis.

All photos taken by Cam Bonelli.

This story was originally published in The Student Printz.