Dead Pioneers | Petrol Girls
Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
13th July 2026
Label mates Dead Pioneers and Petrol Girls have teamed up for a short run of shows around this summer’s festival appearances, and we headed to Nottingham to catch their appearance at the Rescue Rooms in Nottingham.
Petrol Girls have been raging since 2012, when they first formed for an International Women’s Day house show. This tour sees something of a reunion, with Ren (vocals) welcoming back Liepa on bass and Zock on drums after seven and twelve years respectively, with Joe (guitar) being a long‑term fixture. Together, they renowned for their fiercely feminist songs and activism. It is no surprise to see Ren inviting female, trans, and non‑binary members of the audience to the front early in the set. An early declaration that this is a safe space for all is greeted with a warm round of applause.
Petrol Girls’ songs address issues close to the band’s heart, and Ren gives context between each song. This is encapsulated best by the introduction to Sick & Tired. Ren informs the crowd that the song is basically a list of things that make her feel like the title. Hints of a second version on a future album are given as injustices such as trans oppression and anti‑terrorism legislation suppressing protest still need adding.
The songs themselves are delivered with enough energy to force the points home. Ren is a dynamo, a blur of flying hair and mid‑air theatrics as she unleashes screamed vocals. At points she is calmer, standing with one foot on the monitors delivering her spoken‑word style lyrics. What is consistent throughout is the clarity of the messages. They are sharp, to the point, and driven into the hearts and minds of those watching by pulsating punk accompaniment.
This was a great set, from the staccato delivery of opener Preachers to the closing high‑energy anthem Slug. The crowd’s connection throughout is evidenced during the collective scream led by Ren before Touch Me Again, a song which leaves no doubt about what would result. This was a sharply delivered set of political punk at its very best.
Dead Pioneers are a prolific five‑piece from Denver. They are visiting the UK on the back of the release of their third studio album Wagon Burner, which arrived hot on the heels of last year’s highly rated Po$t American, which Louder Than War had at the very top of its Album of the Year list. The roots of the band lie in Gregg Deal’s spoken‑word performance project Punk Pan‑Indian Romantic Comedy, which focused on American culture through an Indigenous Native American lens. The project grew into a band, and the songs now hit with the full force and anger of a nation who know about genocide.
Dead Pioneers’ songs are tightly crafted short bursts, and this set squeezes in twenty‑four songs over an hour and a quarter. The tribal chants of A.I.M accompany the band’s arrival on stage and the single line “Sometimes they have to kill us because they can’t break our spirit.” Many in the audience may have expected the familiar opening riff of Po$t American to follow, but tonight it is Circle Jerk the Wagons from the new album. This pit‑friendly song has end‑of‑set energy in abundance, but tonight sets the early pace.
Tracks from the new album follow, with Nazi Teeth and No Kings taking aim at the current political environment in America. This is punk protest delivered with the urgency and directness the current state of the world desperately needs. The two most recent albums feature heavily, and in equal measure, with a sprinkling of tracks from the self-titled first album making up the balance. Throughout, Deal grips the mic tight‑fisted as he delivers his truths. The band are a tightly woven knot of booming drums, driven bass, and duelling angular guitars.
Poetic spoken‑word delivery sits atop, weaving images through the songs. Occasional breaks in pace see Deal picking up his notebook of poems. Dead Presidents is no less powerful for the stripped‑back delivery. Seeing Red builds and builds until spoken word blossoms into controlled rage as the band crank up the tension.
Wagon Burner features more collaborations then previous albums, and three of those songs appear in the set. Never Alone is a song about alternative community and features Aimee of The Interrupters on the recorded version. Deal introduces The Worst Among Us with the message that Jason Williamson of Sleaford Mods fame cannot be with them for family reasons, which puts to bed one of the big pre‑gig questions. Abe Brennan (guitar) picks up the guest vocal parts for both songs.
Love Language is much easier to arrange with Petrol Girls co‑headlining. Ren reappears once Deal’s part of the song is sung. She delivers her lines, questioning and demanding answers from the crowd. It is a highlight of the night as the bands join together to rage against male violence towards women. Record labels don’t get many mentions in live reviews, but this show left me curious about who else is in the Hassle Records stable, but that is for another day.
Overall, the two bands deliver a masterclass in political punk and the Rescue Rooms crowd clearly appreciate both sets. A huge round of applause for both follows Dead Pioneers’ seamless encore of Bad Indian and their self‑titled closing track. Dead Pioneers demonstrate tonight that their highly regarded recorded output translates into a fearsome live show.
Find Out More about Dead Pioneers Website, Facebook, Instagram
Find Out More about Petrol Girls Website, Website, Facebook, Instagram
Neil Chapman is a photographer and occasional writer based in Leeds. His assorted works canbe found at hisUnholy Racket site as well as Instagram, and Facebook
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