PUP Ends World Tour with a SOLD OUT Show In the Hammer
Photo credit: Winnifred Murphy
The first time I saw PUP live was back in 2019, when my college boyfriend took me to one of their shows that was at Peter Clark Hall in Guelph. It was during their Morbid Stuff tour with Nobro and Charly Bliss accompanying, and their energy has only intensified over the last six years.
PUP currently finds themself ending their world "Who Will Look After the Dogs?" tour close to home at the iconic venue "Bridgeworks" in Hamilton, Ontario, with a sold-out show. It felt less of a standard tour stop and more of a rowdy family reunion.
PUP may seem like another punk band, but what makes PUP stand apart is how they reflect their values and how they are the epitome of the Canadian Punk scene. To many, punk is angry, mean, and dark, but PUP is a perfect example of how a band unifies a fanbase and community with its love, tolerance, and acceptance towards others. There was a vast diversity among fans in the crowd, and no one felt out of place. (Shout out to the girl who even gave me a "Who Will Look After the Dogs?" themed friendship bracelet!) When you're at a PUP crowd, and you fall, people will grab you before you hit the floor.
Photo credit: Winnifred Murphy
The Bridgeworks hit their 500-person capacity and were bursting with PUP fans. The show opened with Snotty Nose Rez Kids, a First Nations hip hop duo out of British Columbia made of Young D and Yung Trybez. One may wonder how hip-hop pairs with punk music. The answer? It pairs exceptionally well. The environment that SNRK and PUP create is the ideal setting for those looking to thrash around and listen to music with their heart.
SNRK pumps the place up right before PUP comes out and sets the tone for the rest of this electrifying, unifying, and moshing night. PUP's show started with a classic from their repertoire, "Gulit Trip" from their debut self-titled album, setting the tone for an electrifying, unifying, and moshing night. Lead vocals and guitarist Stefan Babcock's voice lights the room like a powder keg. They continued with songs from the early days of PUP, feeding the longtime fans before amping up the crowd to play their newest works.
Photo credit: Winnifred Murphy
And I can't lie: when they began playing the title track from Morbid Stuff, it was a highlight for me hearing those familiar chords, especially the intense bassline from Nestor Chumak in Full Blown Meltdown. For a brief moment, I was back in 2019, watching them in the basement at Guelph University, discovering the feeling a part of the punk movement for the first time. When I was leaving the Bridgeworks, sweat-drenched and repping my new friendship bracelet, I thought about the name of the tour: Who Will Look After the Dogs? After watching a room full of strangers pick each other up in the mosh pit and scream lyrics in unison for two hours, the answer felt obvious. In this scene, under the noise and the chaos, we look after each other. And honestly? I wouldn't have it any other way.
Photo credit: Winnifred Murphy