Swingin' Utters

Swingin’ Utters formed in the late ‘80s during the years when a new wave of punk bands were coming up in California who were highly inspired by the sounds of Circle Jerks, Black Flag, and Dead Kennedys. Swingin’ Utters took the classic hardcore punk sound that Black Flag pioneered and added their own take on it. Instead of short one minute fast paced punk songs, Swingin’ Utters incorporated a more melodic take into their music, which consisted of blues inspired rock and guitar solos.
The lead singer, Johnny “Peebucks” Bonnel, is a driving force behind the band with his raw, raspy vocals giving the grittiness that should be expected from any serious punk band. The band also takes the style of country and folk music and implements it into their music. The band has noted that they were influenced by the sound of Celtic music, which explains how some of the folk elements in their music seeped into their style. Their melodic songwriting often draws comparison to such bands as The Clash and The Sex Pistols, who also used rockabilly elements in their music.
Although their band is not necessarily a large band, it is a somewhat large band compared to most punk bands. Swingin’ Utters consists of two guitar players, a bass player, a drummer, and a vocalist. Most punk bands don’t have multiple guitar players in their band, and the incorporation of two guitar players in Swingin’ Utters really allows the band to broaden their sound. The two guitarists are able to play off of each other in a juxtaposing way in order to create more intricate melodies and rockabilly riffs.
The crowds at Swingin’ Utters show are usually sporting big Mohawks Dyed in interesting colors, and joining in mosh pits to the sound of the powerful punk songs the band is cranking out. Swingin’ Utters is a very prolific band, producing albums every year or two, which also means their setlist is bound to always change each time you see them. Swingin’ Utters is still delivering their music with the same intensity they did back in the day and their live performances are a great testament to their musical abilities.

Although the genre of punk originated in the UK, it reached American shores in the 80s and resonated in California in a big way. A product of this underground appreciation is the band Swingin' Utters who make a really down to earth, tongue in cheek style of punk that has gone down well with fans for over two decades.

Despite taking a hiatus for the majority of the 00s, the group seem to be re-energised for their music since the reformation and have fully invested into the three newest albums, with the 2014 LP 'Fistful of Hollow' sounding particularly good onstage. There are the expected cheers for older tracks from the album 'A Juvenile Product of the Working Class' yet the skill tonight seems to be the ability to place their work back to back and showcase the discography as a whole. Both the vocals and instrumentals are on point and the atmosphere is charged throughout and accumulates in the finale of 'The Next in Line' as the audience rush towards the front of the stage to get up close and personal with the aggressive frontman Johnny Bonnel.

Swingin’ Utters make working man’s punk anthems. Their blue collar hits that have been described as ‘Street Punk’ take influence from early British punk acts like The Sex Pistols and Stiff Little Fingers and still manage to get crowds fired up today. The group have steered themselves through the decades to get to where they are, and their sound is sharper, tighter and better as a result.

Nothing can match the energy of a good punk show and Swingin’ Utters bring it in bundles. Members of the band stumble round stage, colliding like atoms and releasing an infectious vibe. The tight rhythm section never drops a beat and propels the songs on with a relentless pace, matched by the fiery guitar work that gives the songs its meat. Singer Johnny "Peebucks" Bonnel leads the proceedings with his gruff voice and more than a hint of John Lydon’s snarling demeanor about him. Taking their influence from the greats, Swingin’ Utters can help but have a cracking up-tempo live show that will never fail to get crowds fired up.

Awesome show. Glad to see the Utters still kickin and swingin like the good ol days. Loud, fast, and on with the show! Cant wait for the next one to come around the east.