BACK WITH A BANG: ALT-INDIE KINGS THE HUNNA TAKE GRIMSBY

LIVE REVIEW | THE HUNNA | GRIMSBY YARDBIRDS ROCK CLUB 4th May 2025 by Isobel O’Mahony

The Hunna’s 2016 record 100, is in my books one of the best if you want true indie rock. Tracks “Bonfire” and “She’s Casual” are absolute indie staples and the band’s discography speaks for itself. Three years after releasing their self-titled most recent record in 2022, The Hunna, now running themselves independently, are on the road with Music Venue Trust supporting local venues around the UK and last Sunday they were in Grimsby at the iconic Yardbirds Rock Club.

Yardbirds are a major part of the Lincolnshire indie scene, as well as a huge platform for tribute acts. It’s a rock club with a major biker bar taste and promises to be an excellent feral venue as soon as you go up the steps. Dimly lit, posters on every wall, sticky floors from many a spilled pint (and despite all that incredible clean loos)- it’s literally perfect. According to the Music Venue Trust the UK is losing grassroot music venues every fortnight and our culture, as gig-goers and the music mad, cannot afford to lose any more like Yardbirds. So support your artists, support your venues and of course, support your local mosh pits.

As for the gig, and after some incredibly picked indie classics like Kasabian’s “Fire” to warm up the crowd, support band Kidda took the stage. Despite being from Lincoln (sorry guys) and despite the electrics going randomly off in the last song, they were brilliant. They were ideal indie – excellent mellow/synthesised rock music about ridiculous topics like “being stuck in a traffic jam on the way to Blythe”. The band were brilliant with the crowd and have an interesting sound, almost transcendent when compared to the punk rigor of The Hunna.

The main act ran on, in front of an iconic flames backdrop to an already rowdy pit. The crowd was revved up and raring to go as the band toured them through not only their latest self-titled record, but also celebrated the beauties that are the Dare, 100 and I’d Rather Die Than Let You In albums. Highlights, aside from Jack Metclafe (drums) and a shirtless Ryan Potter (lead) crowd surfing at the end of the night, had to be “We Could Be”, “Apologies” and “I Wanna Know”. Their music is just ridiculously kinetic and could easily shift a large festival crowd as much as they did Yardbirds floor.

The crowd simply mirrored the energy that vibrated off the band itself, with the boys jumping like energizer bunnies around the shop for the whole set. Of course, and as predicted, penultimately played hits “She’s Casual” and “Bonfire” set the crowd alight and the pit, whilst fun, became rather unforgiving. The atmosphere was unmatched, and stayed on a high till after the last song “Trash”, that is nothing if not a raging crowd pleaser.

With a strong support and a brilliantly curated set, The Hunna are on track to be back and rock the house. Their stunts in Grimsby at Yardbirds were amazing, but you get the feeling they have so much more to give us. They definitely did not hold back and gave an incredible show, but on a larger stage they’d dominate. However, this is their point – please support your small venues as they matter just as much if not more. If you don’t give the boys their flowers for their work with MVT, then give it for their vibrantly stunning shows and an energy that promises even greater things to come.