Panic Shack @ Band On The Wall | May 16th
- Connie Cowell
- Apr 17
- 2 min read
Cardiff’s very own punk-powered powerhouse Panic Shack are back and storming their way across the UK on their biggest headline run to date — and yes, Manchester, they’re coming for you. Catch the five-piece tear up Band on the Wall on May 16th, and bring earplugs, attitude, and an open mind. You're gonna need all three.
The Don’t Quit Your Day Job tour lands hot off the release of new single ‘Gok Wan’ — a sharp, satirical slice of early-2000s TV trauma, body politics, and razor-edged riffs. Premiered by Huw Stephens on BBC 6 Music and now firmly locked into the B-list, it’s Panic Shack doing what they do best: calling bullshit, full volume.
Their return is far from quiet. Since their Baby Shack EP dropped in 2022 (and sold out instantly), the band have been everywhere — from Glastonbury (MOJO calling them “an early candidate for band of the festival”) to Reading & Leeds, SXSW, Green Man, and about a hundred chaotic club shows in between. They’ve shared bills with Bob Dylan, Soft Play, and Lambrini Girls, leaving a trail of sweaty dance floors and stunned punters in their wake.
Live, Panic Shack are a controlled riot — think snarl-heavy punk energy fused with punchy Go-Go’s choreography and the stage presence of a band who could burn it all down and laugh doing it. NME called them "The wildest – and funniest – live band you’ll see all year”. They're not wrong.
‘Gok Wan’, produced by Ali Chant (PJ Harvey, Yard Act, Perfume Genius), is a big moment — and not just sonically. It digs deep into the '00s culture of makeover shows and trash mags, skewering the toxic messaging fed to literal kids. It’s funny, yes, but also vital. As the band put it, “It shaped our little teenager minds into this grown up hellscape of constantly focusing on how we look rather than what we do". Truth bombs with a backbeat.
See what all the beautifully feral fuss is about. It's choreography meets chaos, and yeah, it slaps.
If you’ve ever screamed into a void about patriarchy, wished you could scream louder, or just want to dance like no one’s watching to a band that’s actually saying something — Panic Shack’s your ticket.
Catch them at Band on the Wall, Manchester – May 16th. And if you’re smart, get tickets now. They won’t hang about.
Tour Dates & Tickets: linktr.ee/panicshack
As always, see you at the front. And bring your best punk face.
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