Late-Night Mayhem in Brighton: PENGSHUi Headline a Stacked Bill
Daltons doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is: a small, sweaty, underground Brighton club where bands earn every bit of crowd energy the old-fashioned way. On Saturday night, that rawness turned into the perfect backdrop for a lineup that swung from crushing heaviness to atmospheric calm and back again, with PENGSHUi wrapping up the night as the perfect headliner.
Doors opened at 7:45, and Skive kicked things off at 8:15 with a fast, no-nonsense set. They’re a three-piece punk/garage band out of Stevenage, a town they describe with a sense of grim pride, and they play like they’re trying to shake the walls off places like Daltons. Filthy, politically snarling, punch-you-in-the-guts energy. No frills and no mercy, just a burst of tight, furious noise that hits before you even blink.
FICCION followed all the way from Spain with a total change of pace. Their softer, moodier sound drifted through the space like a warm patch of calm between storms. They were the clear wildcard on a mostly heavy lineup, but instead of feeling misplaced, they gave the crowd a moment to breathe before the night went feral again.
After that came Chem Sex Party, and the whole place flipped. They only exist for one year as a band, but you wouldn’t know it from the way they commanded the room. The line between crowd and stage dissolved instantly. People surged forward, moshed, sang along and basically became part of the performance. Unfortunately, the band doesn’t have any recordings yet, which feels wrong after a set like that, but they promised they’ll get into the studio soon.
Then Top Left Club jumped in, bringing the neon energy back up with their colourful track suits and wild, sports-inspired dance routines. It felt like punk collided with a 90s fitness tape in the best and weirdest way.
By the time PENGSHUi walked on stage after 11:30, you’d expect the crowd to be thinning. Instead, the room stayed full, buzzing and absolutely ready. PENGSHUi didn’t rely on any production; Daltons isn’t that kind of place anyway. It was just three guys, their gear and pure personality pushing the whole thing forward. And the personality was overflowing. Illaman (vocals) was goofing around, climbing onto the drum kit while the drummer kept playing like nothing was happening and roasting a guy in the front who decided shoes were optional. The whole set felt like a spontaneous house party with a band that just happens to be ridiculously good. The set cruised through fan favourites like ‘Break the Law’, ‘Eat the Rich’ and ‘No Joke’ and their take on The Prodigy’s ‘Omen’ sent the room into full mayhem. Even the fresh tracks from their new album ‘GUTS’ landed with real force, no flashy production needed.
The gig wrapped sometime after midnight, but the vibe never dipped. It was the kind of night that reminds you why small club shows matter: unpredictable, intimate, messy in all the right ways and powered entirely by human energy instead of production tricks.
