Chalk Venue, Brighton 24/10/25 – words and pictures by Sara-Louise Bowrey

Gogol Bordello + Puzzled Panther + Split Dogs

Live at Chalk, Brighton — Friday Night Anarchy

Brighton’s Chalk felt less like a music venue and more like a pressure cooker set to “high energy” on Friday night, playing host to a triple-shot of glorious anarchy. This wasn’t just a gig; it was a manifesto delivered in three acts: from new-wave punk chic to breakneck fury, culminating in a world-spanning, quarter-century-strong riot.

Puzzled Panther

First on the slab were Puzzled Panther, whose core duo — New Yorkers Victoria Espioza (vocals) and Kay von Tempo (guitar) — are a blast of fresh air injected directly into the rock bloodstream. Victoria is the magnetic frontwoman distilled to perfection: sharp moves, razor attitude, and a voice that demands attention.

Fast-paced, catchy, and utterly infectious, their set proved a perfect sonic appetizer for the evening’s main event. The peak moment arrived when Eugene Hutz himself joined them for “Fits of Serenity,” trading frontman duties for a guitar while the two women took joint lead vocals — a clear declaration that they belong among the chaotic elite.

They sealed the deal with a killer cover of Sonic Youth’s “Dirty Boots.”
A definite name to scribble down — you heard it here first.

Split Dogs

The transition to Split Dogs was less a shift and more a collision.

This was punk rock delivered as a pure, unfiltered force of nature. Harry’s lead vocals are the sonic equivalent of a rusty chainsaw — the perfect gritty punk instrument. The delivery was fast, furious, and relentless, leaving no time for breath, let alone a scroll through Instagram.

Even if the crowd didn’t arrive knowing their material, the sheer enthusiasm and velocity of the performance created its own momentum. Sweat-soaked and smiling, the room was soon full of new converts.

Gogol Bordello

By the time Gogol Bordello took the stage, Chalk was bursting at the seams — the air thick with anticipation and beautiful disorder.

Opening with “Sacred Darling”, they set a raucous, whirling pace that never dipped below full-throttle. What followed was less a concert than a masterclass in movement:

Reggae-punk pulses in “Immigrant Punk”
Massive swirling violin breaks
Every inch of stage occupied in a frenzy of human energy

For a band with more than 25 years behind them, they remain shockingly fresh — a living celebration of global unity and resistance. Their message hits just as hard and just as necessary today as it ever did.

The circle of chaos sealed itself when Kay and Victoria from Puzzled Panther returned to the stage for several tracks, including a rabble-rousing cover of their own “From Boyarka to Boyaca.” The crowd moved as a single organism — yelling, jumping, clapping — refusing to stand still for even a second.