Bristol rock’n’rollers Split Dogs return with ‘Be Somebody’, a rollicking rock’n’roll banger that sounds like the soundtrack to the best night out you’ve had in years.
Taken from forthcoming album Nice N’ Rough, due 25 September via Venn Records, the track barrels along on crunching riffs, gang energy and singer Harri’s brilliantly gritty distinctive vocals. Underneath all the chaos and swagger though, there’s something darker bubbling away too. Lyrics about burnout, disappointment and “wasting time putting the world to rights” give the song a restless edge, while the repeated demand to “be somebody tonight” lands somewhere between a battle cry and an existential crisis. Which feels very punk.
The accompanying video is an absolute joy. Set in a working men’s club packed with punks who look like they’re halfway to Rebellion Festival already, it’s part community knees-up, part surreal fever dream. There’s an Elvis impersonator, sausage rolls, dancing, shouting and general glorious mayhem everywhere you look. Singer Harri says:
“I have always loved the space and something about the workies just remind me of home. I wanted to shoot a music video there and invite our mates. We put on a decent spread of sausage rolls and cheese and pineapple on sticks, hired Elvis to perform a set and had a good old knees up. The vibe was Martin Parr meets David Lynch. The music video is a love letter to our community. Loud, brash, sweaty and unapologetically alive! Up the Punx!”
They absolutely nailed it.
We spotted punk royalty Charlie Harper popping up at the end having a wee at a urinal, which is not a sentence I expected to write today, and eagle-eyed LOUD WOMEN readers might also spot footage filmed by Team LOUD WOMEN’s own Jeanie Jean in there too. There are definitely a few other familiar faces hidden away in the chaos as well – let us know who you spot …
Most importantly though, ‘Be Somebody’ absolutely slaps. Split Dogs continue to sound like a band having the time of their lives, and thankfully dragging the rest of us along with them.