Getdown Services and Hang Linton Live

A couple of nights ago (21st Nov 2025) I saw Getdown Services and Hang Linton live at The Trades Club in Hebden Bridge. It was a bitterly cold November night but that didn't stop fellow devoted music fans attending. Especially devoted because the headliners had posted earlier in the day that one of the lads had lost his hearing at the gig the night before in Sunderland. They reassured fans that all was well health-wise but as a safety precaution they would be playing an acoustic set of Newton Faulkner covers. This turned out to be a hilarious and cruel ruse but anyone who decided not to go sealed their own fate.

Hang Linton

The room had filled nicely by the time support act Hang Linton made his way to the modest stage. I know very little about some of the genres from which Mr. Linton draws his influence but I’ll give my ill-informed opinion nonetheless. 

Linton made an aggressively powerful start to his set with a full throated grime-sounding record that would set the tone for the rest of his performance. I genuinely think the audience were caught off guard by the instant eruption of energy that is Linton’s upfront sound. I know I was. His use and seemingly symbiotic connection to his array of electronic hardware was captivating to say the least; he was one with the music he was creating and this served to elevate the performance.

Following the first song we were led through an eclectic mash-up of sounds and genres; punky and electronic with crunchy, distorted guitar and even a harmonica, backed mostly by heavy, chest-pounding breakbeats. Linton’s passion and presence driving him to make full use of the space provided the overall effect was that of authenticity and intensity.

Linton also employed the use of harsh, repetitive sounds as outros to some songs which I found interesting as they would be juxtaposed, literally seconds later between songs with messages of genuine appreciation and encouragement to the audience which was a thoroughly pleasant experience.

I was lucky enough to speak, briefly, with Mr. Linton after the gig and he was the nicest guy. I was a bit nervous about approaching him but I'm so glad I did. We talked briefly about his music and the gigs that he had been playing with Getdown Services and he was genuinely interested in talking to me. It was a pleasure to meet Mr. Linton and it would be lovely to meet him again one day and if you like stuff like Idles I can't recommend him enough.

Getdown Services

The lads made an energetic entrance to a classic Status Quo belter and the atmosphere was ablaze. It honestly felt like two stand-up comedians had walked on and they were straight into the crowd work. It was effortless, like they were talking with their 200-strong group of mates. It felt like they were a couple of Butlins entertainers and we were the children just absolutely up for it.

I’d watched a few Youtube videos in the run up to the gig and one thing they didn’t prepare me for was the amount of shouting. It was phenomenal and also masterfully handled by the sound techs. Not a single clip out of the roughly 2000 shouts, a nice representation of the lads’ limitless but also thoughtfully exercised enthusiasm. 

Another nice example is the guarantee that both lads will be shirtless before the end of the set. A nice demonstration of their willingness to be vulnerable in front of their fans, forging a closer bond with their audience, and also their eagerness to embrace silliness and use it to their advantage, incorporating bucket loads of humour in their performance as well as their songs.

The whole set felt like a tornado swept through the room, we were arm waving by the second song and we were finger pointing soon after. It really was a masterclass in crowd interaction and inclusion; frequent checks on the enjoyment levels, the usual location based bits and many mentions of the group from Wigan.

There was a moment of relative calm for Josh’s heartfelt rendition of ‘I Wish It Didn’t Bother Me’ for which Ben stood at the back of the stage and watched on as a proud friend. It was really nice to have that amongst the maelstrom. 

Speaking of maelstroms, the last couple of songs were truly chaotic. I could feel a solid three inches of flexing in the old wooden floor of The Trades Club, from all the incited hopping action. It’s the first time I've been in a pit and it was exactly what I expected, just not the gig I expected it to be at. 

They ended the set with the breakout hit, and indeed the first song of theirs I heard, way back: ‘Dog Dribble’. The crowd were already going wild beforehand so when they pushed it a tad further someone ended up knocking a piece of equipment and the backing track cut out. Not the end of the world. Predictably the lads took the situation in their stride and after a bit of gentle-parenting the ‘particularly blokey’ crowd to be a bit less pushy and once the technical issue was resolved, they played the track from the beginning.

I get the impression that even when they were playing to almost empty pubs way back when they first started the lads would have acted exactly the same as they did last night. They are two naturally funny and charismatic men. They might wear fleeces and short shorts but they are the coolest cucumbers in the industry today. Their lack of giving a shit about other people's perceptions, has empowered them to forge a path based on their true selves, both in person, but also in their records, this is why they’re such a breath of fresh air.

All in all it was a brilliant night. I was introduced to Hang Linton and I was able to experience Getdown Services at a venue much smaller than they will be playing in the future. 

Also apparently I need to get large T-shirts now. 

Hang Linton's website: hanglinton.my.canva.site

Getdown Services website: getdownservices.co.uk