Heavy Lungs | Coal Mob | Mince
The Attic, Leeds
15th October 2025

Andy Brown finds Bristol-based punk’s Heavy Lungs on fighting form. He reviews their gig at The Attic in Leeds for Louder Than War.

This time of year, I always feel pretty exhausted and am all but ready to turn off my phone, curl up into a ball and hibernate until spring. I need something to snap me out of my haze and luckily for me, Heavy Lungs are out on tour. Tonight, the Bristol-based band arrives at The Attic in Leeds and I leave the safety of my sofa to soak up some of their high energy punk. The cure to the seasonal blues? We’ll just have to wait and see.

Walking through the door we’re immediately greeted by Leeds-based 5-piece, Mince. Their sound dabbles in scrappy post-punk via grotty garage and scuzzy indie rock. In some ways, it’s the sound of a band still finding their feet but having a damn good time in the process. With their regular drummer on merch duties due to a broken wrist and their guitarist battling the flu, the band still manage to deliver a fun and suitably noisy performance.

There’s a nice contrast between the driving post-punk of songs like Sad Old Jumper and the ragged indie earworms like My Friend, Allison. Roadworks on the B6369 is short, pissed-off and partly sung in French while All I Ever Wanted, Was To Be – with its rather brilliant bass line – may very well be the pick of the bunch. As a bonus, the latter finds the singer on the floor, frantically yelling into a red telephone. I’ll be interested to hear what this lot sound like in a year’s time.

Next up, we’re introduced to fellow Leeds-based band Coal Mob. The red phone makes a reappearance as the 5-piece dive into a set of slinky, danceable post-punk. Recent single Cutting Corners reveals a band that knows their way around a propulsive, whip-smart banger. An absolute tune. I don’t know how it’s managed to pass under my radar.

It’s a solid set but the band really comes alive with their last song, the irrepressibly energetic Bounce. A great, noisy post-punk pop song that finds the singer pacing around the front of the stage as the bassist – accompanied by the bassist from Mince – screams along. Now, that’s how you end a show. Also, it might be my imagination but I swear there’s a little unexpected nod to Oasis hidden in there too.

Walking on to the strains of Aerosmith, Heavy Lungs take to the stage like post-punk prize fighters. Drummer George Garratt is dressed in Thai boxing shorts and ready for a sonic scuffle. Revelling in tracks from this year’s brilliant new LP – Caviar – as well as some old favourites, the band come in at full-tilt. Garratt screams and barks his way through Cushion The Blow as singer Danny Nedelko dances like a man possessed. “All gas, no breaks!” he sings as they put the pedal to the metal. Dear Lord, the energy levels are absolutely off the scale.

Nedelko is an agent of chaos as he zips and skips around the room. Whether he’s in the crowd, stood on the bar behind us or literally climbing up the wall; you can guarantee that he’s giving it his all. 2 Hot 2 Ride finds him jogging on the spot like David Byrne in Stop Making Sense. In fact, the whole band is going hell- for-leather with a kind of rabid glee. Bassist James Minchall is soaked in sweat while Garratt – with his eyes bulging and his tongue sticking out – is clearly a man who enjoys his work.

What’s more, the band have got the tunes to match their admirably energetic approach. Abstract Thoughts comes on like a particularly disgruntled Pissed Jeans while some of the newer tracks tip their hat to bands like Devo and Leeds’ legends Cowtown. Guitarist Oliver Southgate knows how to create a heavy and satisfying punk rock racket. Caviar has a chorus that’s drenched in dark, brutal low-end riffs while Life’s A Buffet is sinister and utterly primal.

“We know where we stand in Leeds,” says Southgate in a rare moment of calm, “People who hate racists, homophobes, transphobes…” A statement that feels even more important with the rather troubling times we’ve found ourselves in. If you’re in a slump or despairing of the current political landscape, you really need to get yourself along to see these guys play. I started the night on a fairly low ebb, but this kind of energy is pretty contagious.

Myself and Mr. Mumby chat with Nedelko at the merch stall after the gig and I’m shocked to discover that he’s unwell. Ever the consummate punk rock professional, the singer was never going to give us any less than 100%. Honestly, he puts us all to shame. Rest assured, punk is in safe hands with Heavy Lungs.

Find Heavy Lungs on their website as well as Facebook, Instagram and Bandcamp.

Mince can be found on Instagram, Facebook and Bandcamp.

Coal Mob are on Instagram, Facebook and Bandcamp.

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All photos by Jim Mumby | You can find him on Facebook and Instagram.

All words by Andy Brown. You can visit his author profile and read more of his reviews for Louder Than War HERE.