2012 Punk Rock Bowling Preview – in Downtown Las Vegas – May 25-28, 2012

Punk Rock Bowling should be well on everyone's minds and for very good reason! Not only is the yearly festival the best Punk rock party in the history of the world, but it also champions the best new and old school bands we love. If you thought last years lineup was one for the ages, stand back as this years lineup is slated to be the hugest of them all.

This year the multi-day festival (May 25-28) will be headlined by a grip of your favorite bands and many first time appearances in years!

Aside from having the largest headlining bands ever in the history of PRB, the bowling tournament will now take over two bowling venues within the city making it the largest bowling tournament any Punk has ever witnessed. There will be more teams then ever before with a tournament that is bound to get intense as the weekend comes to an end.

Not only are the headlining bands worth the price of admission, but this years main support bands are of equal stature; especially with UK heroes The Adicts, 7 Seconds, Hepcat, The English Beat, G.B.H. and a reunited Sham 69 on the 2012 bill. It will also feature NYC hardcore legends Youth of Today, Hot Water Music and new school heroes the Street Dogs.

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A bit on the headliners:
Rancid who have just celebrated their 20th year as a band a few months back will play their first show in the Las Vegas area of the year. The band who have become quite synonymous with LA Punk over the years are currently in the studio recording their as of yet untitled 8th full length album. Chances are fans will get a taste of new material played live at Punk Rock Bowling 2012.

Rancid, fronted by Tim Armstrong and Lars Frederiksen are without a doubt a top band to see as their back catalog of 90’s singles helped put modern Punk rock back on the map. One should expect to hear mid 90s anthems; Salvation, Nihilism, Maxwell Murder, Roots Radicals, Ruby Soho, Time bomb and a number of other new tracks that have made this band legend.

NOFX are of equal importance to the Punk scene as their brand of Punk rock has kept them a mainstay for well over 20 years. Fronted by Punk fixture Fat Mike, NOFX have become a very well known and controversial band. They’ve have had their share of success as their albums have gone on to sell upwards of 6 million copies since 1991. Having headlined festivals like The Vans Warped Tour many times over, NOFX are no strangers to playing outdoor music festivals to the Punk rock masses.

Their set at Punk Rock Bowling will feature plenty of fan favorite cuts where one can expect to hear; Don’t Call me White, Stickin In My Eye, Liza and Louise, Franco Un American, Linoleum and The Brews. NOFX are the perfect party band for Punk Rock Bowling and we too can’t wait to catch their highly energetic set.

South bay legends Pennywise will also headline the fest with their first appearance at Punk Rock Bowling with new lead vocalist Zoli Teglas. This will be the bands first show after the release of their upcoming 10th studio album titled All or Nothing which is due out in a few short months. Fans of Pennywise know what to expect from the band; and that is what they will get, a set full of energy that’s second to none. The 90s skate punk legend grows into the new decade with a set that is guaranteed to deliver the goods. Fans should expect to hear a ton of classic cuts like; Fuck Authority, Perfect People, Society, Alien, Straight Ahead, Pennywise and of course Bro Hymn (which will likely bring the weekends largest circle pit).


If that’s not enough, The Adicts will also be playing making this years Punk rock bowling a more colorful and festive time than ever before. We all know The Adicts put on a show like no one else and with that we couldn’t be more excited to see our favorite jokers in the pack’ playing before a huge Las Vegas audience. We’ll be there singing along to our favorite cuts; Steamroller, Viva La Revolution, Numbers, Sensitive, Easy Way Out, and of course Smart Alex. So put on your best Clockwork Orange gear and get things moving for The Adicts.

Cockney Rejects were added last minute to replace Sham 69 due to a family emergency that came up with the singer, Jimmy Pursey's family.

The Street Dogs will also be featured on this year’s already very spectacular bill. Lead by ex Dropkick Murphy’s front man Mike McColgan, The Street Dogs are one of Americas top new school Punk bands carrying the flag well into the next generation. Their 2010 self titled record is perhaps the bands biggest release to date out on Hellcat records. Fans should expect a full set of new school anthems belted out one after another in the same tradition as Sham 69. The Street Dogs will play the proper stage this year as their appearance last year was at a small intimate club show.

New York City Straight Edge hardcore legends Youth Of Today will also be on the bill. Sin City will get a taste of one of the scenes pioneering youth crew bands who’ve put out classics albums dating back to the mid 80’s. Their breakneck speed performance is sure to get the pit going. We caught them last year on their reunion tour in Pomona at The Glasshouse, it was a blast! We expect to see more of the same greatness from Youth of Today come late May at Punk Rock Bowling.

To top things off, a final surprise guest was announced earlier this week, here’s a hint, the band hail from England and came to prominence with the UK 82 crowd. If you’ve guessed G.B.H. you’re fucking correct! Fans will get charged up with one of the genres finest who plan to give the crowd an onslaught of Punk classics. The tracks Timebomb, Sick Boy, Wardogs, plus others will drive fans wild. Put on your favorite leather jacket and charge up your hair for this one, it’ll be a gnarly show that can only come from such a legendary band.

This annual event is one that you will not forget, so make your plans now to attend!

If you need proof of how bitchen this event is, go here and check out all the coverage from last year's
2011 Punk Rock Bowling event coverage or the 2010 coverage HERE as a couple examples.

* * * Thank you for your support, the Big Wheel crew will be there to fully document this event with the most photos of the bowling teams, bowling action, the bands, the club shows as well as daily reports, video, etc. Our sole mission in being there to fully document every aspect of the event, sure the Big Wheel folks that are there want to have a good time, yet that is only 15% of the equation, our group is there to work the majority of the time and the proof is in the volume of content we create.


For more info on getting tickets visit: www.punkrockbowling.com

Saturday May 26
NOFX - The Adicts - The English Beat - The Briefs - Real Mckenzies - Far From Finished - Holding Onto Sound - The Dips

Sunday May 27
Rancid - Cockney Rejects - Hepcat - Street Dogs - Old Man Markley - The Beltones - American Heist - American Werewolves

Monday May 28
Pennywise - GBH - Hot Water Music - 7 Seconds - Youth Of Today - Dead Ending - Toys That Kill - Union Hearts - The Bots

   * * * PLUS * * * Nightly club shows

-Louie Bones-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter

 

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