If you have a hankering for meaty, lusty rock dripping in more swagger than any one person can handle than, the Workman’s Club Dublin was the place to be last Saturday night. Dublin duo New Valley Wolves were launching their new EP ‘GOSPEL’ with support from Sub Motion and Scally.

Scally & The Dirty Rats set the night in motion with a little less on-stage antics compared to when we saw them last year. Scally is still suave on stage- jumping about as we watch him explode with an insane amount of energy while belting out tracks brimming with sock-it-to-me passion. They whack out ballsy, raw rock and roll with a relentless stamina that is one to be admired. Scally’s band – The Dirty Rats bring something magnificent to the table. Ben Mulligan on guitar continually hits the mark with slithery licks, thrilling spine-chilling shrills and such finesse that allows the nimble Eddie Reynolds on bass to bounce and rebound some funky groove filled rhythms off. “This next song is about laying around on a f**king Sunday morning and you f**king don’t know whether to ring a f**king takeaway or pull the f**king balls off yourself” Scally colourfully introduces the infectious, snappy ‘Filthy Animal’. With an attitude that screams egoistic rock and roll swagger Scally definitely grabs attention for sure, and the tunes back his persona up. They are catchy as hell and capture the beauty, brawn and panache that is punk rock in all its glory. The as of yet not quite named ‘Help’ “Well it was called help last night I can’t decide on the name” and new single ‘Get Ready For War’ demonstrate this perfectly with intricate licks, flicks and sing along ready chorus’. Scally raps and belts with enough chest-thumping pride and fiery attitude to keep you pumped and ready to join him in his Kiedis- esque dancing and limb flailing. They deal with technical difficulties like pros, and in true Kiedis manner the shirt comes off for the brazen ‘Lets Fuck’. It’s a fiery kinetic set with the blistering lead guitar leaving scorching burn marks through infectious bass grooves while Colin O’Brien literally breaks the drums with his pounding elastic beats, and to bring it all together is a charismatic, fearless frontman. The definition of swagger.

Sub Motion follow with an empowering set of catchy tunes and a sublime boisterous wall of sound. The punchy rhythm creates an easy foundation to get those body’s dancing and grooving while scuzzy guitars resonate through Rebecca Geary’s powerful vocals.  Geary is larger that life and takes on her front-woman role with a fierceness that is masterful. In fact, it was a stage brimming with charm and charisma as each member exuded their own brand of swagger. Though each track is riotous there is no shortage of fun on stage. These guys enjoy what they are doing, and boy does it show. The band are on top form all smiles and cheery. Banter is at a minimal as they waste no time whacking out their infectious tunes ‘Gun In Your Pocket’ in particular is one catchy song- you will have to prise that one out of your brain. It’s rumbling strident bassline runs along building in intensity before the track explodes with shrilling crashing guitars and mighty drums. When these guys are sleek and sultry it’s sublime ‘Headlights’ in particular comes across magnificently live. There is not doubt these guys are ones not to be missed live.

    

New Valley Wolves walk onstage and launch into a killer introduction to ‘Eyes on Me’. There is an air of professionalism with this duo that leaves you in awe. Singer/ guitarist Jonny Lucey’s gut-level riffs, and drummer Baz Joyce’s thunder-struck beats are incredible. Their bluesy tinged tunes are ball crushing and powerful and have the crowd moshing and dancing in no time. ‘Shake your bones’, ‘Silver Tongue’ and ‘Fire In The Blood’ are all well received as they keep the energy travelling at neck snapping speeds blasting out the monstrous tracks in their repertoire. There is no messing around, the tunes are heavy, crisp and robust. The lights go out between tracks – at times dimmed leaving just the duo’s silhouettes visible creating suspense for what’s to come. Their rip-roaring new single ‘Cut-Throat’ keeps up the constant barrage of top-quality riffs and with that sing along chorus has the crowd chanting along mindlessly. Lucy is fierce. He fist pumps the air with a stare that would curdle milk while savagely shredding through his gritty guitar riffs. Joyce pummels and batters the drums with bloodthirsty stamina which pounds through your entire body. Each track layers on another thick dollop of cool gritty intensity building the rooms energy to frenzied levels. The two spend most of their set going hell for leather and the rugged steamroller ‘Animal’ follows this vigorous trend, as members of the crowd howl and whoop. The never played live before  ‘Aloe Vera’ avalanches through with a shivering chorus while Joyce pelts out a mesmerising display of pulverizing perfection before the lean mean roar of ‘Trouble’ closes their set.

On Saturday night New Valley Wolves sounded brawny, focused and all powerful. Their raw grandeur filled with death ray fuzz and might leaves you reeling and craving for more. There is no stopping these guys. There are only two of them, but boy they sound like an army.