Images: Street Dogs, The Old Firm Casuals, Death March, Bricktop, Rule of Thumb December 7, 2013 at Las Vegas Country Saloon

Boston’s Street Dogs returned to Las Vegas December 7 for their Wreck the Halls  holiday tour, and I was really excited to finally see them.  I’ve always had bad luck trying to catch them live. The last two Vegas shows of theirs were Punk Rock Bowling 2012 (I was stuck in a never-ending security line, and missed their performance) and a canceled show with Pennywise last October. Shortly thereafter the band announced an indefinite hiatus, which more often than not is synonymous with breaking up. So by that point I was resigned to the sad fact that I would never get to pump my fists to their working class anthems live.

The smoke filled bar had filled up quite nicely by the time Street Dogs frontman Michael McColgan and company took the stage. Quickly after the start, McColgan decided it would be more fun to join the fans down in the pit and sing with the various punks that alternated between circle pitting and singing their hearts out. “Up the Union,” “Punk Rock and Roll,” and “Fighter” garnered some of the biggest crowd reactions of the night, but the audience really lost it when the band played “Get Up” and “Never Alone,” both of which McColgan  originally sang on Dropkick Murphys’ debut Do or Die, his one album fronting the Celtic punk band.

Opening the show were San Francisco’s The Old Firm Casuals, an oi band fronted by none other than Rancid’s Lars Frederiksen. I’m pretty much the biggest Rancid fan that I know, but I’m ashamed to admit that I had no idea that Frederiksen was moonlighting with another group. So I was beyond excited when I saw the “skunx” tattooed singer take the stage. While I didn’t find the band as immediately catchy as Rancid or even previous sideproject Lars Frederiksen & the Bastards, I did find myself tapping my toes to the familiar Frederiksen rambunctious style.

The Tim Armstrong connection was also there with Death March, which featured Rob Ashton, aka Skinhead Rob, of The Transplants. Those who only know Rob from his work with The Transplants would be taken aback by the abrasive d-beat style hardcore of Death March and I was surprised to see the massive pit these guys commanded.

Of course for a show like this we definitely need aggressive bands up front who can get people moving, while also stacking up with the seasoned musicians on the bill. Arizona-based hardcore band Bricktop and our very own Rule of Thumb did just that, both vying for band most likely to tear open our eardrums.

-Aaron Mattern | https://www.flickr.com/photos/akmofoto/