PET NEEDS Fractured Party IV
Multiple Venues, London - 3rd & 4th of May 2025
Fractured Party IV
Artists may adopt names for their fanbases for a multitude of reasons, although more often than not, these can become labels with not much depth behind them. Tools used for marketing reasons, or even to give the illusion of closeness to an artist. However, when it comes to PET NEEDS and their Fractured Party People, such a label could not be more important. This is not just a cheap fan label, this is a community in its truest form. A group of like-minded individuals from all walks of life, brought together by their love and support for one of the truly greatest bands this country has ever seen (but it is definitely not a cult... I promise!).
Nothing shows the importance and authenticity of the Fractured Party People quite like the near-annual Fractured Party shows. In December 2021, 2023, and 2023, PET NEEDS took over a different Colchester Music Venue (Three Wise Monkeys, Colchester Arts Centre and Sub Zero respectively), putting on a full day of live music to showcase some of their favourite artists, before closing the night with a huge headline set. After taking a break from Fractured Parties last year, the event came back this weekend just gone, bigger and better than ever.
This year marked Fractured Party IV, the first of the Fractured Party events to take place outside of Colchester, instead PET NEEDS would take over London for a whole weekend of punk-rock brilliance. After putting on a number of events across multiple venues, the weekend would then culminate with the group's largest ever London headline show at The Garage.
Day 1 - Kind of Acoustic
Although the main event of the weekend would be the aforementioned Sunday night headline show, there was still an extraordinary amount of fun to be had across the entire weekend before we got to that point, including a pair of acoustic shows and an aftershow PET NEEDS DJ set at Camden's Underworld. The two acoustic shows would take place at "London’s only Elizabethan church...in the world", The Old Church in Stoke Newington. Audiences would pack into the picturesque building for a matinee and evening acoustic show, both of which would be headlined by PET NEEDS, with support from the beloved Generation Feral.
Generation Feral:
I was in attendance for the first of the two acoustic performances, being sure to head down early to catch the musical genius that is Generation Feral. She possesses a lyrical prowess that feels like a blend between the great poets and novelists of yesteryear, perfectly summing up all aspects of the human experience in ways very few could.
Opening with a new unreleased track, all in attendance were immediately captivated by the vocal excellence that Generation Feral possesses. Her style of music blends aspects of spoken word into a soft-punk styling, a perfect opener for such a weekend, an honour not lost upon Generation Feral. She poured her heart into this set, a feat that would gain her even more adoration from the already supportive audience.
A firm favourite 'i'm a horizontal girl in a vertical world' would follow the set opener, another unreleased track that was still sung back in fine voice, such is the dedication of the Fractured Party People to make support acts feel just as loved. This track further epitomised the lyrical and vocal greatness of Generation Feral, but their musical excellence does not stop there.
For the opening two tracks, Generation Feral would move from a keyboard to an electric ukulele, filling The Old Church with the most ethereal soundscape. However, this was taken to a whole new level during the performance of 'braincloud', which, through the use of loop pedals, would allow Generation Feral to play both instruments during the same performance. A truly mesmerising experience to watch.
The spellbinding set was eventually brought to and by a duo of more protest-themed songs sandwiching the song that Generation Feral said is "the closest she's ever written to a happy song". The first of these tracks was 'hide your knees', an almost tongue-in-cheek song about the sexualisation of the female body, and the ludicrous nature of having to hide one's knees. This was then followed by 'newborn adult', one of three tracks played on the night that had previously featured in my Songs of the Week, and yet sounded even better live. 'political climate' would then close the set, a song rooted in angst and anger around the increasingly declining state of society around us. This was the most punk-driven song of the set, featuring some of the heaviest electric ukelele playing you will ever see. A perfect ending to a supporting set that possessed all the quality of a bona fide headliner.
PET NEEDS Acoustic
With an already excited crowd now well and truly warmed up, it was time for the stars of the show to take centre stage. I struggle to imagine how many punk gigs have taken place underneath the stained-glass window that fills the back wall of the Old Church, but the acoustic nature of this show certainly led to this feeling like the most perfect venue. A string of fairy lights hung above the nave of the church, with delicate stage lighting illuminating the four-piece, who seemed genuinely taken aback by the reception they received whilst taking to the stage.
A show this special deserved a setlist to match, and that is exactly what it got. Some of PET NEEDS' biggest and best songs were intertwined amongst older favourites and deep cuts in a career-spanning celebration of the punk outfit's journey so far.
'Outline' was the first song played, a trick which not only opened the band's debut album, but also their most recent acoustic album 'Kind of Acoustic'. It was actually this album which formed the basis of the early part of the night, as PET NEEDS worked there was through all 12 songs featured in a near-perfect album order. The way each track was acoustically reimagined on this album was already mind-blowing enough, but to see them played live breathed a whole new life into them.
With such a setting, and being billed as an acoustic gig, you would be easily mistaken to assume this would've been a much slower and more chilled showing... but not when you have a punk band on stage. As lead singer Johnny guided the crowd in to the night's second song, 'Scratch Card', it was clear that euphoric bedlam was about to occur. A church packed full of music lovers was practically shaking in its foundations as the crowd bounced in unison. Even with acoustic guitars in hands, PET NEEDS could get movement out of any crowd.
The limbs flying around the church would continue throughout the next few songs, with the performance of 'The Burning Building' most notably firing the crowd up. However, this is not to suggest that these songs are carbon copies of their electric counterparts. In fact, some of the songs were delivered in entirely new stylings, including the emotional piano-backed performance of 'Fear for the Whole Damn World'.
One thing for certain is, no matter if a song is slowed down, sped up, or played in the same style it has been hundreds of times over, the Fractured Party People will sing it back as if their lives depended on it. The audience seemed to get louder with every singalong moment that passed, leading to Johnny pausing before their rendition of 'Punk Isn't Dead; It's Just Up For Sale' to show his appreciation to all those who have supported the band over the years. He proudly declared that he believes they are the "smallest band in the world who get to do this full-time", and none of that would be possible without this community of invented supporters around them.
Rousing renditions of 'Overcompensating' and 'Get on the Roof' brought to an end the 'Kind of Acoustic' section, at which point George (guitar), Jules (Drums) and Ryan (Bass) left the stage, leaving Johnny standing alone with an acoustic guitar in hand. He would use this time to reflect on a tumultuous time in his childhood before talking about the support he received from loved ones to get to this point. This led into a poignant version of 'Dear Abi', a song which has only been played live a handful of times before. What made this moment even more special was looking to my right and seeing George and Ryan had made their way to the side of the venue to take in the full emotion of this performance from alongside the crowd.
As the full lineup returned to the stage, Johnny would begin playing one of the band's most epic songs, 'Primetime Entertainment'. This is one of PET NEEDS' most uniquely brilliant songs, using the journey of a quiz show contestant to mirror the superficial preformative nature of modern culture, but I am not sure if it has ever hit quite so emotionally for me as it did in this stripped-back manner. As a lyricist, there are few better than Johnny Marriott, and this stripped-back setting really provided the perfect platform for them to be appreciated deeper.
A trio of 'Sleep When I'm Dead', 'Tracey Emin's Bed' and 'Toothpaste' brought the matinee set to an end in the most electrifying way possible. They provided a multitude of opportunities for the Nave to be filled with mosh pits (how many times has that sentence been said?), many of which were started by the afternoon's support Generation Feral. Whether acoustic or not, this was still punk rock at its very best, with every song that passed feeling like a genuine "I was there" moment.
Day 2 - Full on Electric
The acoustic brilliance of Saturday was going to take some beating, but with another full day of live music scheduled, and that huge closing headline set from PET NEEDS, Sunday had all the ingredients to be an even bigger and better day. The music would start off at The Grace, the upstairs bar of The Garage where PET NEEDS played their first sold out London show. The curated line-up for The Grace highlighted a number of sensational upcoming talents, with showings from Jake Martin, Olivia Rose, Blake Cateris and Jack Kendrick. This would then be followed by a street performance outside Highbury and Islington Underground station by viral group The Whops. PET NEEDS would even make their way over to the station to join The Whops in a performance of The Ramones' classic 'Blitzkrieg Bop'. The day of live music would then finish back inside The Garage as the final support sets took place before the highly anticipated PET NEEDS headline set. Northern Rockers Pageant Mum took to The Garage stage first, delivering a riotous set of post-hardcore brilliance. They were then followed by Colchester superstars SHED, who impressively took to the stage with a number of fans already in the audience, and undoubtedly left with a whole lot more. It was then one of PET NEEDS' favourite bands Sonic Booms Six who would round out the live support line-up, with a blistering set of genre-defying excellence. However, before the nights headliners took to the stage, there was still time for one more exceptional mash-up from DJ Pressplay who had been keeping the crowd's energy high between each support act.
By the time the lights finally went down for the night's headliners, the atmosphere was electric, as a sold-out Garage let its voice be heard to show eagerness and excitement for what was to come. However, before PET NEEDS took to the stage there was one more special treat, which again reinforced the deep-rooted sense of community within the Fractured Party People. An extended walk on track would begin, with some of the most dramatic music you've ever heard being combined with voice-overs from members of the audience saying "My Name is ..., and I have travelled from ... to be in this room today". Although this walk-on was expected given social media posts in the band's Facebook group, it was still a truly poignant moment listening to how far people had travelled to share this moment, and I can only begin to imagine how hearing that must've felt to those discovering PET NEEDS for the first time that night. Later in the gig, Johnny would joke that the intro track made them realise this gig had a "carbon footprint bigger than Katy Perry's trip to space", and he may not have been far off, such is the commitment of the Fractured Party People.
The night's opening track was the anthemic 'Sleep When I'm Dead', taken from the band's most recent album 'Intermittent Fast Living'. All the energy that had built up leading into this moment had been let loose, descending The Garage into a room of carnage in the best way possible. Mosh pits opened up immediately, whilst the rest of the room began jumping and dancing like it was their last chance to do so. With an opening this big, it would take some work to keep the levels this high all night, but luckily for us in the crowd, we were witnessing one of the country's best live bands who effortlessly extracted more and more from the crowd as the night went on.
PET NEEDS would then transition from one of their newest songs to one of their oldest, as 'Punk Isn't Dead; It's Just Up for Sale' began to ring out through the venue's speakers. This song has developed into an almost battle cry for the Fractured Party People over the last 8 years, being screamed back by the 600+ strong in attendance, many of whom were wearing one of PET NEEDS' signature tops that has the song's title emblazoned across the chest.
Much like the acoustic shows from Saturday, this set would also continue in a career-spanning manner, blending newer songs like 'Overcompensating' with older favourites like 'Tired and Failed' and 'Pavlovian'. However, for a show this big focused on the community that exists around PET NEEDS' music, it was only right to throw in a few rarities and suprises amongst the big hitters. The first of these rarities was 'Roses', a song taken from the band's debut album 'Fractured Party Music'. Despite this song only being played a handful of times over the last couple of years, the audience reaction to it was still meteoric, moshing in unison to one of the group's heavier songs. Not too long later we would be treated to an even bigger surprise, the debut performance of a brand-new unreleased song, 'Tour Waorn', which even more excitingly, will be the title track of PET NEEDS' new album coming out next year.
In case the new album announcement wasn't enough of an exclusive, the performance of 'Tour Worn' would be followed by a second announcement; PET NEEDS are embarking on a huge UK tour in November and December this year, being supported by exciting upcomers CARSICK and Semantics. Despite this being revealed on Sunday night, all in attendance were asked to keep it secret until the official announcement yesterday. However, now that announcement has taken place, I cannot urge you enough to go and get tickets to one of the shows. You will not regret it!
With the excitement of what's to come in the future still buzzing around the venue, PET NEEDS would take a giant leap back in time to perform one of the first songs they ever wrote. George would take a more leading role on vocals as himself and Johnny guided the band and audience through what surely must have been one of their most moving renditions of the song to date. This was a song written nearly 10 years ago when George moved into Johnny's flat to sleep on his sofa. Now fast-forward to this moment, and they have a sold-out crowd in one of their biggest ever shows, screaming every word back to them, and it could not be more deserved.
After a string of big singalongs and special treats, it was time to get back down to the standard practice of a PET NEEDS gig, starting off with their timeless hit 'Kayak'. This is always a highlight of their shows, as more often than not a 'kayak pit' will open in the centre of the room, although I am not sure if I have seen one quite as big as Sunday night. A mass of audience members instinctively took to the floor, rowing in unison to the infectious track. The chaos continued with a string of high-octane numbers, including 'Self-Restraint' and 2024's SBTM Song of the Year 'Fingernails', before we landed at easily one of the most memorable songs of the night, 'Separation Anxiety'.
An audience member named Stefan had agreed with Johnny in advance of the show that if they sold out the venue he would crowd-surf for the first time ever. Throughout the night there had been a number of other audience members crowdsurfing, but what made this instance so unique is that Stefan is a wheelchair user. After Stefan strapped himself in and Johnny instructed the crowd on how to help the crowd-surfing happen safely, PET NEEDS would kick into a rip-roaring rendition of 'Separation Anxiety' as Stefan floated throughout the venue.
A deafening singalong to 'Lost Again' followed, before a stand-out performance of Tracey Emin's Bed was succeeded by band introductions. Each member of PET NEEDS had their moment in the spotlight, taking in the rapturous applause, before Johnny would turn the thanks to all those in attendance and to all the staff in the venue that helped make the night possible. This rather humorously then led to a brief instrumental performance being played, which was accompanied by a celebratory 'light solo' from The Garages' light tech.
'Trip' would then provide one more chance to mosh before 'Get on the Roof' brought an end to the main set in the most momentous of ways. At this point we had already been treated to twenty songs and some of the best live performances you could ever see, but PET NEEDS were far from over. The four piece re-emerged for their encore ready to soing the night out in the way it deserved.
The slow build-up of 'Nobody Ever Warned Us' opened the encore, giving the audience a chance to regain some energy for the last few songs, whilst still providing another opportunity to flex their vocal cords... not that they ever needed much persuasion for that on the night. 'Scratch Card' came next, sending bodies flying around the room as each and every crowd member gave their all to make the most of the last few moments this special night had left in store. The night's final song was one of PET NEEDS' very best, 'Toothpaste'. However, much like the weekend as a whole, this performance became about so much more than just the weekend's headliners. The full supporting line-up of musicians that had played across the weekend would join PET NEEDS on stage, creating the most incredible sight as a sea of musicians moved across the stage singing the audience participation part of 'Toothpaste' in unison with the adoring capacity crowd. There truly could not have been a more perfect end to a weekend that, even to the very last note, kept the community of The Fractured Party People at its very heart.
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