Punk It Up V Lineup Changes Announced - Sit Down In Front & X-Features Join The Bill

As Aotearoa's premier celebration of punk rock and ska Punk It Up V looms ever-closer, it's evident our borders will remain tight as a drum as Covid-19 continues to rampage across the globe. With previously announced groups Instigators, The Barbs, Proud Scum, and The Johnnys sporting overseas members and thus unable to perform without considerable time, expense and quarantine, the organisers have risen to the challenge with a newly refreshed lineup of local legends for the two night rager, taking over Tāmaki Makaurau's Galatos in mid-February. Joining the bill are Gisborne teen rabble rousers Sit Down In Front and X-Features (Jed Town, Chris Orange and Christopher King) — the contemporary manifestation of pioneering art-punks The Features, who morphed into Fetus Productions in the early 80s. As No Tag are making their final ever appearance at Punk It Up V, they've generously announced they'll now be playing both nights so no one misses out. Take in the updated details and snag yourself tickets before it's too late...

Punk It Up V

Friday 19th February - Galatos, Auckland 
Featuring... The Plague, No Tag (final shows), X-Features, The Bludgers, Dick Move, Tigers, bankRobbers + DJs, after party, merch and info booths

Saturday 20th February 2021 - Galatos, Auckland  
Featuring... No Tag (last ever show), Sit Down In Front, Contenders, Bombers, Devils Got 9, bankRobbers + DJs, after party, merch and info booths

Double night festival passes plus tickets for each evening available HERE via UTR

Watch the classic clip for the Features' 1980 single 'City Scenes', which appears on their 2016 collection X Features...

Sit Down In Front take aim at "Donald Douche" in the hectic clip for 'Don't Push The Button'...

Here's the full statement explaining the lineup changes for Punk It Up V:

"Punk It Up V lineup change due to current NZ GOVT Covid border restrictions

Punk It Up V has also been hit by the fallout of this global COVID-19 pandemic.

Punk It Up were hoping that by moving the event to the end of February, after already moving it from October of that horrible year 2020, that the Trans-Tasman Bubble would be happening by then, and that would therefore make the restriction for the bands with members in Aussie a non-problem. All signs pointed to that being a very definite probability, but Mother Nature does what she wants, whenever she wants.

So, unfortunately, some of our original lineup's bands, have members that reside in Aussie (and other countries), that are unable to spare the time and expense for the current New Zealand Government Managed Isolation Quarantine rules, in order to get into NZ to rehearse and play with their "still living in NZ" members in their bands for Punk It Up V

Per the expected announcement from the New Zealand Government, that the Trans-Tasman Bubble will not be happening in time for our event, the team at Punk It Up has decided to go on with the event anyway, as it's way overdue for a great weekend of serious punk rock'n'roll fun. However, this does mean that Instigators, The Barbs, Proud Scum, and The Johnnys will be unable to perform.

F**K COVID, Kiwis have beaten it once or twice before, and we can do that again in this case.

Therefore, Punk It Up V are happy to add to the lineup for the 2 night extravaganza at Tāmaki Makaurau's Galatos venue, on Feb 19 and 20, to put into the spots that have opened up, up-and-coming young ones Sit Down In Front, those perennial favorites X-Features, and because No Tag are doing their FINAL GIG EVER, they have graciously suggested that they play both nights, and the Punk It Up team have happily accepted their offer. Such nice lads!

Along with The Plague (with members of Blam Blam Blam, Pop Mechanix and more), Contenders, The Bombers, The Bludgers, Tigers (NZ first ever Māori punk band), Dick Move, and Devils Got 9 (featuring members of Morning Horns), the weekend of punk rock'n'roll looks as solid as ever...

Closing both nights, as is tradition with Punk It Up, will be bankRobbers, the All-Star covers band with XFeatures/ Fetus Productions musical guru Jed Town, No Tag's Andrew Boak, The Bombers' Shamus O'Brien, and their drummer Earl, who has interestingly become bankRobber #5 for Punk It Up V They'll be joined by a star-studded group of guests from the NZ punk scene, including Sonya Waters and Ed Geddes (Instigators), Dean Martelli and Chris Orange (Terrorways/X-Features/Rebel Truce), playing a couple of Terrorways songs, (and a special "Rebel Truce" treat as well), with Dean playing his Burns Flyte guitar, that graced the cover of the essential NZ compilation album "AK79", and many more guests....

Put all that together with a massive lineup of DJs including Dubhead, Miss Dom, Phil A, R.G. Bargy, Wastemaster, Johnny&The Dambusters, and many more, playing everything and anything they want to, both in between the bands, and late into the night at both night's after parties. There's also going to be information booths from some extremely worthy causes, plus the myriad of vendors plying their wares, like band t-shirts and records etc etc, all adding up to a night, or in this case 2 nights, that you'll remember for a very very long time.

Anyway, we've made the decision to not put off this gig for a third time, and even though these are circumstances beyond our control,.......We Wanna Rock......

UP THE PUNX!"