In our little team of five here at Rock the Joint Magazine I am the one who will listen to punk. Like many genres of music it is a broad church, I was brought up listening to The Stranglers and Siouxsie and the Banshees who both evolved outside of the purist definitions of punk. Modern punk in the form of the evolving sounds of the melodic punk LA sound from The Bombpops and The Last Gang shows how punk developed over the water. Here in the UK punk is more underground again at the moment, but artists such as Steve White and the Protest Family hold the line in a lineage of the style of Billy Bragg and Ian Dury. That anti-establishment and outsider element of punk remains the essence of the umbrella that those who love it stand under.
released September 5, 2025
Simon Armstrong – bass, guitar, vocals
Andi Bridges – drums, percussion, vocals
Lol Ross – guitar, mandolin, vocals
Steve White – guitar, vocals
Recorded, mixed, mastered, and occasional backing vocals by Ali Gavan
Let’s start with the press information I have on this independent release:
“The nearly fictional country of Put Up Shut Up Britain sets the scene for these songs of our times. In the pub, The New Austerity Inn, the locals bemoan its decline despite the new leadership…If punk is an attitude, then this album is as punk as it gets, staring down the creeping fascism of both Farage in Clacton, and Trump in the USA, while musically moving through the gears from rock to acapella via the sound of cowboy films and Americana, from howling rage to detailed analysis, all delivered with customary Protest Family swagger.
And the message is as upbeat as the subject matter is down: Things might be grim, but better world is possible, we know who is standing in the way, and we’re not going to let them stop us.”
My review:
“Put Up, Shut Up Britain”- delivers a pessimistic picture in a catchy – in your face- manner. “And welcome to Put Up Shut Up Britain, Where the drones get built and the profits hidden…” It is an angst driven punk vibe in Ian Dury style delivery.
“The Jolly Capitalist” – “Oh, I wish I was as happy as Nick, I wouldn’t have to care about the poor and the sick…” I enjoyed this one. It is very pop punk with that dead pan Dury delivery style again. Musically tight, it pulls a bit of rhythm from Ska and its got that slight tongue in cheek too. A good one.
“Oh Noah” presents the Noah story as a metaphor for how some of us look after ourselves and let the rest of the other bastards drown. It has a fast beat to it, a bass tone I liked. It’s a decent album track.
“The New Austerity Inn” – “In the New Austerity Inn, Where the beer tastes of poverty and spin, Rachel plays a tiny violin, (Singing) You can’t have it if you can’t afford it…” This track has more of a folk style melody in the mix. It takes me into an intimate setting and is one of the longer more developed tracks running to over five minutes. The vocals have a raspyness and we could all be sat round that fire with a drink having a listen.
“Dark Clouds over Clacton” – politics and music, music surely can still remain a voice of conscience. We moved to Billy Bragg style here, delivered largely vocals only, sometimes dual style layered, sometimes solo. I will note (briefly) that my teenage son was excited by the last election, feeling the new government would bring change and better times. I am old enough and cynical enough to tell him it could easily get worse, and it has lol. We are fragmenting into smaller, bitter and polarizing groups – maybe we should all be troubled. And this track was different and said what it had to.
“Maria’s Housemate” brings in a quick strumming guitar style and a sing-along style to the delivery. It has that London pub get-together feel, but the metaphorical lyrics keep the target clear to the listener. Punk attitude, but not a punk track; more political folk.
“A Single Tin of Beans” was a bright-ish track with a criticism of the Royals (who I like…but we all have our perspectives and views)- possibly because of how I lean in my opinions I connected with this song less. But, you know, all reviewing is subjective and by the play of averages on any album you will like some songs better than others. The difficulty of writing political tracks is that you always run the risk of alienating some listeners on some tracks!
“Five a Day” has a solid drum beat, bringing the drums to the fore more than elsewhere on the album. I liked the guitar melody that slips under the vocals neatly.
“The Poppy and the Cross” is an anti-war track, well constructed and delivered. By this point the album is in full flow and I can see why the desire is for the listener to follow it through track by track. It’s not a concept album, but the ties between tracks are clear, chronicling the moments.
“Tanks and Guns and Cans of Beer” clearly connects to the previous track. The message is grim, but the chorus is delivered in an upbeat sing along style that I am sure will have them swaying and singing along in the live shows.
“47” is an amusing delivery, attacking Trump and what he stands for. It’s kind of fun, even if the message is grim. We live in troubled times….
“You and Me versus the Billionaires” – “Imagine getting richer while the poor are still poor, Imagine having everything and still wanting more, Imagine all the hurt and still nobody cares.” This sums up the album, A stylish punk attitude blended with some mixed ingredients, and a biting blast at some of the things happening in our world today. We need to channel social protest into music, and whether we agree with all of it or not there is a really important role for protest music under a government that is trying to close free speech down.
“Put Up, Shut Up Britain” is sharp, witty, biting and unashamedly political – a record that challenges, provokes and reminds us that punk, at its core, is still an attitude, a voice for the outsider. Steve White and The Protest Family have delivered an album that carries the spirit of Bragg and Dury into the present, holding a mirror up to our fractured times with both grit and humour.
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You can stream music from the band here
The album is on Bandcamp here
By Benny (the Ball) Benson