CHALK + YARD – CONCORDE 2, BRIGHTON 8.3.25
I had a very strong inkling prior to this concert that the above headline might actually turn out to state something exactly like that! Having previously witnessed both (headliners) CHALK and (special guests) YARD in action a few times before, I certainly knew what I was letting myself in for and so did a number of “in the know” local gig goers who eagerly secured their at the front positions shortly after the Concorde 2 doors swung open. This evening’s event has been hosted by JOY. promoters and let’s face it, they rarely fail to deliver.
Tonight is date 7 of the 22-date UK and Europe ‘Conditions’ tour. ‘Conditions’ being the titles of CHALK’s trio of EP releases, with the latest one ‘Conditions III’ having dropped on 21st February, with black or white vinyl options being snapped up by punters at this evening’s merch stall. Thus far the bands have entertained crowds in Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, London and Bristol. Tomorrow they play their final UK date (in Liverpool) before heading off to the continent and then concluding the tour with a couple of dates in their home cities, these being Belfast, where CHALK are from, and ending the jaunt in Dublin, home of YARD.
The Irish charm is certainly flowing from the stage tonight and both acts run a very similar ship, whereby none of the songs are introduced and there’s no idle banter present, they simply let their material do all the talking, and talk they certainly do!
First up then are YARD who began the other side of covid as a quartet, and released a couple of singles, ‘Kremlin’ and ‘Baku’ in 2019, followed by their three track ‘Hal-9000’ EP the following year. They re-emerged this side of covid as a slimmed down trio comprising Emmet White (vocals and bass synth), Dan Malone (guitar) and George Ryan (beats and lead synth). Thus far the lads have dropped a half dozen singles: ‘Lawmaker’ and ‘Auto Erotic’ in 2022, ‘ECDYSIS’ with YINGYANG in 2023, and ‘Big Shoes’, ‘Bend’ and ‘Call’ in 2024. To my knowledge, all of their material is only available as downloads with no physical releases as yet…sob sob!
Now then, I have been continually going to gigs since 8th November 1978, this being that infamous Buzzcocks riot gig at Brighton’s Top Rank Suite, and during that period I can only recall seeing one band performing live twice on the same day before, this being Depeche Mode at Jenkinsons in Brighton on 2nd August 1981. That is until Thursday 16th May 2024, when I witnessed YARD performing three separate six tune sets (‘Trevor’, ‘Auto Erotic’, ‘Slumber’, ‘Big Shoes’, ‘Lawmaker’ and ‘Sunlight’), in a matter of hours! These being at The Prince Albert 4:00pm to 4:30pm (The Great Escape), The Black Lion 8:00pm to 8:30pm (Alternative Escape – Smithereen Takeover Brighton 2024) and The Folklore Rooms 10:30pm to 11:00pm (Alternative Escape – Mutations – Next Wave). I concluded my review of their Prince Albert performance by stating: “This has been a truly sensational experience and my whole being craves for more!”. It was inevitable that I would see them again and just a single day later I attended their final ‘The Great Escape’ performance, which took place at the Komedia Studio at 1:15am to 1:45am. My review of that performance stated; “YARD are almost single handedly bridging the gap between techno and noise rock, their music can only be described as an intense and immersive sensory experience. If you are a fan of CHALK (the band), Scaler (fka Scalping), Nine Inch Nails, and Underworld, then YARD are for you!”.
There you have it, the link between YARD and CHALK is sealed. It was with immense pleasure that I learned that YARD were sharing the bill with CHALK on this current tour. Tonight at the Concorde 2, YARD have been allotted a 45 minute set, which is a rather decent time period for fans old and new to get to know the trio. At 7:45pm they take to the stage and there’s a heavy deep bass synth rumble and they were off with ‘Trevor’, which is the track they have opened with on my previous encounters. I immediately get goosebumps and the hairs on my arms are tingling…what a start!
George is to our left (stage right), Emmet is centre stage, and Dan is to our right (stage left). Their 2024 ‘Bend’ single is next and features a slower vocal style, but the track is still powerful and both Nitzer Ebb and Front 242 spring to mind. Emmet does the first of his several Tarzan chest banging during this track and is clearly in the zone. Dan has many guitar pedals on the floor and somehow manages to make his instrument sound quite unlike what guitars normally do, it’s intriguing. Meanwhile George is getting in the zone too and begins jumping and waving his arms in the air rave style. There’s tons of dry ice on the go and the mainly purple then white lighting seriously cuts through this and the atmosphere is set.
The unreleased ‘Appetite’ is their next offering and is followed by their 2022 ‘Auto Erotic’ single and then another yet to be recorded track is performed, this being ‘Slumber’. Their recent ‘Call’ single is delivered next and across these past four tunes we’ve had wonderfully distorted vocals, blippy beats, Numanesque keys, skippy beats and distorted guitarwork. A couple more singles arrive in the form of ‘Big Shoes’ and ‘Lawmaker’ and overall the sound has the power consistent of any Prodigy tune, and even the delivery akin to NItzer Ebb’s ‘Murderous’. It’s rave-like too and the punters are absorbing everything that is being thrown at them. We’ve even had a quiet section which sounds a tad like a submarine sonar. They conclude the performance with the unreleased ‘Sunlight’ and Emmet’s vocals have the sound and intensity of Jaz Coleman from Killing Joke. As a reviewer I had miserably failed to take copious notes as I was far too busy dancing….sorry lads!
It was 8:29pm and that was our lot. You could tell that many CHALK fans had seriously warmed to YARD and at the end of the whole evening, I made a point of asking several folk around me and those nearby, which of this evening’s acts they preferred. I can report back that it was a tie, which just goes to show how well YARD are doing, and well done to CHALK for having them added to the tour.
YARD:
Emmet White – vocals and bass synth
Dan Malone – guitar
George Ryan – beats and lead synth
YARD setlist:
‘Trevor’ (unreleased)
‘Bend’ (a 2024 single)
‘Appetite’ (unreleased)
‘Auto Erotic’ (a 2022 single)
‘Slumber’ (unreleased)
‘Call’ (a 2024 single)
‘Big Shoes’ (a 2024 single)
‘Lawmaker’ (a 2022 single)
‘Sunlight’ (unreleased)
After half an hour we were back to the live music with the arrival of CHALK who are seriously one of the best acts around at the moment. They are a three-piece project of Irish filmmakers and award-winning musicians Ross Cullen, Benedict Goddard, and Luke Niblock. The trio sprung out of the gates live, supporting London’s PVA in Dublin for their first ever show, before selling out shows in Belfast, Dublin, Manchester, London and more. CHALK are certainly shaking up the world of industrial punk and techno-infused rock. They are known for their visceral performances and genre-blurring sound and seamlessly blend the intensity of the Irish guitar band scene with the raw energy of hardcore dance floors. Think IDLES meets Bicep, Death Grips meets Daniel Avery—a perfect fusion of pounding techno, industrial noise, and high-octane guitar punk.
Like YARD, CHALK have previously performed at ‘The Great Escape’, but a year earlier, back in 2023. On 11th May that year they rocked the foundations of the Queens Hotel and the following evening they were doing the same in Pool Valley at their namesake venue, Chalk. Back then I divulged that “I’m going to confess to you all that the artist I was most excited about TGE’23 was CHALK”, oh and for the record, I was most excited to have the opportunity to catch YARD in 2024, just in case you hadn’t realised. CHALK’s Queens Hotel performance seriously blew me away. It took place in a basement area with a low ceiling and our ears were somewhat under pressure via the sheer powerfulness of their set. Tonight, this was exactly the same!
As indicated above, CHALK is made up of Ross Cullen (vocals), Ben Goddard (guitar and synth) and Luke Niblock (drums), and they met as film students back in 2019. Their debut release ‘Them’ dropped in March 2022 and won Steve Lamacq’s 6 Music Roundtable Record of the Week. Now there’s a man that can seriously spot talent! From here CHALK delivered their ‘Velodrome’ single in October 2022, followed by ‘Static’ in February 2023, ‘Asking’ a month later. These were then collected together with ‘Conditions’ and released as a five song ‘Conditions’ EP in May 2023, the time of our ‘Great Escape’ encounters. Since then CHALK have dropped their ‘Gate’ single in November 2023, ‘The Claw’ single in 2024 and these two were added to the ‘Bliss’ single release, and then ‘Kevlar’ was added and these four tunes became the ‘Conditions II’ EP, which dropped last March. They entered 2024 with the release of their ‘Tell Me’ single and this was added to their 2025 ‘Afraid’ single this year. ‘Leipzig 87’ and ‘Pool Scene’ surfaced last month along with ‘Tell Me’ and ‘Afraid’ as the ‘Conditions III’ EP.
Tonight, almost all of these tracks are performed for us as well as a trio of yet-to-be titled new numbers across their 56 minute 16 track set. Now I know that today is Gary Numan’s 67th birthday and I’m sure he had a reasonable day, but if only he had still been living locally, then I would have seriously indicated to him that for the best possible birthday experience, then he should have attended tonight’s gig! His whole sound this millennium has revolved around NIN (Nine Inch Nails) and it’s fair to point out that CHALK (and even YARD to a degree) are very much in the similar mould. That’ll teach him to move away from Ragged Dog Lane in Waldron and go swanning it off in LA. For me however, Christmas has come early, and my joyous night continued as the house lights were extinguished at 9pm and tons more dry ice was flowing across the stage, as the beats started up and drilled their way into my chest, and this is even before the trio take to the stage 4 minutes later.
Two cuts from the new 2025 ‘Conditions III’ EP, kick us off in the form of ‘Leipzig 87’ and ‘Afraid’. The only initial snag, being that Ross has a microphone stand and wire but no actual microphone has been placed on there for him to sing out of, which is quite comical, but the band play on and the Concorde 2’s engineer Tom, comes to the rescue. The energy has filled the room and the banging beats, both via the synth and drums, set the tone. Already they remind me of VLURE and even the vocals of Cal from DITZ (another band name stylized in capitals). The dirty electronic backbeats with true punk energy continue with the arrival of ‘Static’ (from 2023 ‘Conditions’ EP), ‘Tell Me’ (from 2025 ‘Conditions III’ EP) and ‘The Gate’ (from 2024 ‘Conditions II’ EP). There’s slow chugging beats, but there’s a hint of funk too. The lighting throughout the set is very dramatic and added to the overall enjoyment of the set. Although it would prove a challenge to the trio of photographers in the photo pit, who were all endeavouring to fight the dark light interspersed with zaps of blinding lights.
Luke, who is stage left (our right), provides a solid metronic drumming performance throughout, vocalist Ross is as you would expect centre stage, and dutifully obliged by coming to the edge of the stage, for that up-close-and-personal shot for the photographers, and Ben (who is on our left, stage right) busies himself between his fancy blue and white Fender guitar and keys to the rear. ‘Claw’ (from 2024 ‘Conditions II’ EP) is their next selection and this is followed by ‘Bliss’ from the same EP, and then ‘Pool Scene’ (from 2025 ‘Conditions III’ EP) and ‘Kevlar’ (from 2024 ‘Conditions II’ EP), plus a couple of untitled numbers which sit very nicely in with the other tunes. During this section we had faster beats with decent drumming, heavy dance rhythms and electronics, autotune and there’s almost The Cure and ‘Violator’era Depeche Mode vibes in there too. The Roland drumpads get a good seeing to as well. There’s even a ‘Smack My Bitch Up’ Prodigy style drumming beat going down. There’s a vocal sample intro to one of the numbers as well and Ross delivering his vocals in a slow slurred way just like Cal from DITZ.
A couple of cuts from their ‘Conditions’ EP are next, these being ‘Asking’ and ‘Them’ and then it’s the final unreleased tune. There was a long intro in this section with guitar licks like a Spaghetti Western theme. The energy then hits epic proportions and musically it’s sounding not too unlike Killing Joke’s ‘Pssyche’ and it’s electronic punk all the way. They sign off on a serious high with two cuts from the original ‘Conditions’ EP, these being ‘Velodrome’ (quite possibly their best tune of the night) and the screeching guitar drenched and metronomic drumming ‘Conditions’, where Ross’ vocals remind me of early Grian Chatten from Fontaines DC.
So in summing up, I would honestly suggest that the hold trinity of in-yer-face menacingly brooding but banging dark electronic tunes currently can be gained from witnessing both CHALK and YARD along with Scotland’s VLURE. No wonder all three bands stylize their name in capitals. Miss any of these at your peril!
CHALK:
Ross Cullen – vocals
Ben Goddard – guitar and synth
Luke Niblock – drums
CHALK setlist:
‘Leipzig 87’ (from 2025 ‘Conditions III’ EP)
‘Afraid’ (from 2025 ‘Conditions III’ EP)
‘Static’ (from 2023 ‘Conditions’ EP)
‘Tell Me’ (from 2025 ‘Conditions III’ EP)
‘The Gate’ (from 2024 ‘Conditions II’ EP)
‘Claw’ (from 2024 ‘Conditions II’ EP)
‘Bliss’ (from 2024 ‘Conditions II’ EP)
‘Pool Scene’ (from 2025 ‘Conditions III’ EP)
‘Kevlar’ (from 2024 ‘Conditions II’ EP)
‘Untitled’ (unreleased)
‘Untitled 2’ (unreleased)
‘Asking’ (from 2023 ‘Conditions’ EP)
‘Them’ (from 2023 ‘Conditions’ EP)
‘Untitled 3’ (unreleased)
‘Velodrome’ (from 2023 ‘Conditions’ EP)
‘Conditions’ (from 2023 ‘Conditions’ EP)
