Wet Nuns, The Harley

There's a long-standing joke that if you search for Wet Nuns online, the results are a very niche collection of websites, shall we say. However, over the past year these purveyors of bad taste have been gaining a lot more attention, meaning the search results are now less about the shock factor and more about their growing list of achievements.

After being tipped as ones to watch on the BBC Introducing Stage at Reading and Leeds, and winning Artrocker's Video of the Year Award for 'Why You So Cold?', the duo have recently announced plans for a forthcoming EP entitled 'Broken Teeth', accompanied by a headline UK tour, starting in February. Just when their schedules couldn't get any busier, Wet Nuns will also be curating 'Detestival', in association with Kraken Rum, their very own weekend festival at Sheffield’s Queen’s Social Club in March. What better way for the lads to top off a great year with a Christmas homecoming gig at The Harley in Sheffield, supported by fellow Yorkshiremen ...And The Hangnails and local boys Dry Heaves. Although with a string of severed feet adorning the ceiling in place of tinsel and fairy lights, it feels more like Halloween than Christmas...

York-based band ...And The Hangnails took to the stage first, as The Harley was already beginning to fill up with an eager crowd; a curious mix of ageing rockers and tattooed scenesters. The two-piece band playing no-frills rock'n'roll (much like Wet Nuns themselves) hammered out a selection of their blues-inspired rock at a lightning pace. Their riffs are tight, confident and loud but their sound perhaps lacks something unique to set them apart from other acts producing equally solid rock belters. While their musical talent is apparent, lyrically and vocally they somewhat fail to make an impact, as reflected in the lethargy of the unmoving crowd. However, with two albums under their belt (their debut 'No Time For Naysayers' was allegedly written in just 4 days) and a third in the pipeline just a couple of months after their sophomore release, its clear that this hardworking band is already building up an impressive collection of material. Maybe a shift from quantity to quality is in order, although for a band which started off as an experimental side-project, they aren't doing half bad. A couple more stand-out tracks and they might develop a cult following of their own.

Next up were Sheffield-based punk outfit 'Dry Heaves', providing an interlude of American hardcore between two blues-rock duos. (Apparently bands with names that produce risky Google search results were a theme of the evening). By this time the venue was beginning to fill, and the crowd were ready to get moving. Their skinhead frontman chose to decline standing on the stage in favour of running around The Harley's dancefloor instead, flanked by the four long-haired, beanie-wearing skate punks behind him. Describing their influences as D.I. (a band formed in the early 1980s by the former Social Distortion drummer) and Circle Jerks (featuring Black Flag's original singer), these guys know their hardcore. With their other influences described as 'beer, pizza and weed', it's clear these guys are as straightforward as they sound. With a no-nonsense set of two-minute wonders which wouldn't be amiss on any West-coast punk record, Dry Heaves don't mess around. Again, I feel they lack something different but the now-buoyant crowd lap it up, and I'm sure they made some new fans tonight.

After much anticipation, Alexis and Rob of Wet Nuns finally take to the stage. The Sheffield stalwarts chat to  friends and fans for several minutes, before ambling into a long drawn-out intro into their first track. Comparisons have been drawn to The Black Keys and other US country/rockabilly acts, but their penchant for all things macabre set them apart from their upbeat counterparts. Their main influences of ‘women, death, beards, skulls and whiskey' and vocals so gravelly they're almost painful to listen to are a combination like no other. Their sleazy lyrics and bad puns are entertaining without being gimmicky-this band have substance as well as a dark sense of humour. With so much praise being heaped on them recently you would think they'd be eager to please, but that's not their style. Wet Nuns aren't out to prove anything, and continue their set in a laid-back and languid fashion, yet aren't self-indulgent. The band seem a little withdrawn, but with tracks from their 'Broken Teeth' EP (including one which they've never played live before) and hits from singles 'Why You So Cold?', 'Throttle' and 'Heavens Below', their loyal fans (some might say 'cult') aren't left disappointed. The chants for an encore come loud and fast, and they return (albeit reluctantly) for a rip-roaring rollercoaster of a song, complete with stage-diving, crowd surfing and a moshpit on The Harley's modest dancefloor. 

The floor is littered with cups and clothing, and the sweaty fans head towards the bar to continue the festivities. It was a great end to a fantastic year for the band, here's hoping 2013 brings more of the same, with even more beards, whiskey and severed limbs for good measure.