Photo Gallery: Skemata / Drugcharge / FLQ / Diva Cup / Killakee Kat at Awful House

Bennett Weaver of Killakee Kat

Punks from four different cities collided on Monday in the West Bottoms for a late night gig rife with gritty rock-n-roll and over-the-top shenanigans. Two of Raleigh's hardest bands, Skemata and Drugcharge, performed blistering sets that featured different takes on d-beat. Skemata's style took a more traditional route, but the band played like a well-oiled machine and dished out tempo changes that evoked aggression from even the most bashful rockers in the room.

Three-fourths of Drugcharge performed in masks and the vocalist armed himself with a leather whip and stripped down to nothing but a leather belt and leather high-heels. The band simultaneously churned out pogo-infused raw punk and catered to the wet dreams of leather daddies far and wide. This prompted a few attendees to smash their beer bottles on the warehouse floor, creating a makeshift skating rink for those hoping to dance.

Toronto punks FLQ offered the snottiest set of hardcore punk to hit the city in months. Formed from the ashes of the cult favorite School Jerks, this group features the same vocalist and pick up where its predecessor left off. Kansas Citians broke out their signature strut for this 15 minute set of nasty punk rock that mixed the dirty Midwestern hardcore riffs of the '80s with the attitude of '70s Los Angeles.

Diva Cup, a Cleveland trio consisting of a singer, bassist, and drummer, opened the show with a quick, punchy set. The band drew on the sound of several early Touch And Go records and Cleveland bands of the recent past. It was both intriguing and invigorating to hear this style performed sans a guitar.

The evening was closed out by Killakee Kat. It was 1 A.M. and freezing cold in the warehouse, so many patrons fled back to midtown, but those who stuck around witnessed some grade-A rock-n-roll chaos. The band was celebrating vocalist/guitarist Bennett Weaver's 21st birthday, so following a "Happy Birthday" sing-along led by McKayla Edmonds, friends of the band went nuts. As the boys burned through their usual 15 minute setlist, punks threw confetti, smashed more bottles, and emptied a garbage can onto the dancefloor. The band didn't miss a note and concluded its set with a surprise, one-song reunion of its recently-finished sister band The Drippies.

Full photo gallery here.