Gig Review: Gimp Fist, On the HUH, Zero Tolerance and Afflicted - The Star and Garter Manchester - Sunday 09 November 2025

Words and Photos: RBY

The Star and Garter, a no frill gig venue legend in Manchester sited just off to the hinterlands next to piccadilly Station and a fervent bastion of live music. You want heating, comfy seating or any semblance of not about music then look elsewhere, you want great music, boss sound and an environment full of music lovers, oh and great bands, come here.

The Afflicted open to an already getting crowded venue on this afternoon/evening gig (got to be able to get a Sunday bus or train home so great idea). Like the venue its straight ahead stripped down music, hard and fast punk with an ear for a quick melodic turn and chunky guitar that keeps it all heavy and dark. They really caught my ear, something in their direct style and a some great songs kept me interested and watching. The gnarly vocals delivered by a constantly mobile singer took it up a level.

Zero Tolerance come from a similar stock as Afflicted but their take on it was more measured, a slightly slower pace generally with some great chant along choruses and full of street punk confidence. There’s some nifty guitar work adding ear catching tunefulness before roaring into full on punk. The singer has the ear of the crowd who are by now starting to bounce around in front of the stage. Extremely tight and well put together with a bass lines that move along at a fair old pace – none of your roots notes here but a genuine rock n roll bounce.

By the time On the Huh hit the stage the dark gig room is packed to the back. Whilst the name defied me until it was explained that it means wonky or askew. They continue to fuel the old school punk atmosphere and the dancing has become more volatile with good natured moshing and plenty of singing along and hands raised in appreciation. Again effective use of melodic guitar riffs break up a straight ahead solid punky thrash. They drop out instruments and keep drums and vocals charging ahead until explosively guitars and bass rejoin to elevate their sound to a full join us in singing along fervour.

Gimp Fist are stars, everything that the other bands have done is repeated here but with an additional flair for melody and then delivered with a solid rock n roll momentum. They sound great, they play tighter than tight. The songs are flawlessly delivered and there’s a charged atmosphere.The crowd, in between bouncing off the walls (and the floor), are joining in on choruses. Great guitar work is kept grounded by flawless, frantic bass playing and wild but controlled drums. There’s passion, humour, politics, a real warmth from the audience and song after ace song of fantastic tunes with almost thrown in casually tuneful lead guitar playing. It doesn’t stop, just when you think ‘top that’ they do. Guests are dragged up onto the stage for vocal duties and youngsters are added as a dancing backdrop as the band head up for the absolutely powerful ‘Here I Stand’, followed by a long encore called in by the crowd. And in full cliched reviewer speak, the crowd did indeed go wild.