On a crisp September evening on the roof terrace of the Craufurd Arms in Wolverton, Milton Keynes, I sat down with Lee Erinmez to chat about the inaugural Hi-Stakes Tour, VFB Tour vans, and the community spirit within the live music industry. Lee, a well-seasoned veteran of the music scene since the early '90s, and has an impressive resume. He is the former bass player in the British Punk Rock band Snuff (1996-2018) and has worked at BBC Radio 1. Lee has just about covered every element of the industry, from performing, managing to teaching. Currently, he manages the crossover punk band Last Hounds and is the co-founder of 2AR Music, a UK-based music business consultancy. As if Lee wasn’t busy enough, along came The Hi-Stakes Tour…

“I just wanted to put a bloody tour on,” Lee mentioned when asked about the tour. Taking and idea and making it reality was inspired by the legendary Fuelling the fireball tours, bringing together a collective of punk bands to put on a hell of a show.

’The concept for the tour is driven by my experience in touring, band management and music business education, which combined with the current state of the live sector in the UK, has driven me to put this tour on.’’ said Lee.

The live music industry was severely impacted by the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020. The abrupt halt of live events affected not only artists but also venues, promoters, and fans. The whole world was at a standstill. Five years on, after the landscape of the industry changed so rapidly, we are now ready for a new wave of innovation and revival.

“I hope that tweaking some of the traditional ways of doing things might highlight ways that bands at this level can improve their chances of a more sustainable way to tour. This isn't about reinventing the wheel, but I would like to play a small part in finding solutions for bands. I hope for this to become an annual event, celebrating the best UK, and a few US bands in punk and alternative music,” Lee continued. “This has been a real labour of love. The industry is tough right now. I just thought, I want to put a tour on, which would be the by-product of four bands, four sets of fans, and four sets of people across the industry coming together.”

Lee was fortunate to collaborate with some remarkable names in the industry to get the Hi-Stakes tour rolling. “I wondered how I could make this work. It would not be up and running without the support of Moor Beer, Enemy Ink, Academy Events, Stamper Discs, Marshall, Liquid Death, and of course, VFB, who are all there to help champion new music. Somewhere in the middle of all of this, I have made a tour that seems to be working. The fans are getting a great show, cheap tickets, and the bands won't go away unhappy. Everything involved in getting these bands together is expensive. When I used to tour, things were so different, and it wasn't even that long ago.”

With the hopes of the Hi-Stakes tour becoming an annual event, on night six of the tour, I was eager to know if Lee would do this again next year. “The idea is to have four different bands. The best thing that has come out of this whole process is that I have met some incredible people who are driven purely by the passion for music and are willing to give without expecting anything in return to make this work. I will do this next year because I know I have a team of people who really want to do it again, people like the brewery, t-shirt printing, graphic designers, VFB. It’s the first time, and it’s worked; there will be tweaks.”

“But yes! I need to forget about it for a week and get some sleep. I never went into this thinking it was going to be perfect. Of course, I had a template and knew it had to be done first, then think about how it would be done differently after. Chris (Last Hounds) and Charlie (Clobber) brought all this great stuff to me. There are great bands out there, more than I first thought. There is this community in the scene and some great stuff going on. Hopefully, this kind of thing could grow, bringing everyone together, just people that give a shit.”

With no support acts and no headliners, just four bands on rotation every night, no two shows are the same. Last Hounds, The Last Gang, Clobber, and Split Dogs (sadly unable to perform due to illness) joined together to represent punk rock music in all its fearless glory. Each band brought their A-game, delivering performances that were as energetic as they were memorable.

Walking into the Craufurd Arms, known for its intimate setting and excellent acoustics, a huge skull kraken mural greets you on one wall, leading around the dimly lit seating area to the left of the bar. Opposite, you find stained glass images of icons like Cobain, Bowie, and Prince. This was the perfect venue to showcase the punk rock ethos of authenticity and defiance.

The venue itself, a room with a stage backlit with red stage lights, set the scene as the room began to fill and the crowd took their places. The Last Hounds, a crossover punk band from the Midlands, were the first band to kick off night six of the tour, taking to the stage with infectious energy that filled the room. From the very first chord, everyone was engaged. The 21st-century American punk rock band from LA, The Last Gang, were next on stage, fuelled by heavy riffs and unapologetic lyrics.

Nothing I could write about the bands could do them the justice they deserve—the pure euphoria of watching the bands pour their heart and soul into every chord, lyric, and beat of a drum. Being there during the very first Hi-Stakes tour felt like witnessing the start of something magical and potentially huge.

After a mid-show raffle presented by Lee, which gave everyone the chance to win a tote bag full of tour goodies, including Hi-Stakes branded beer, Lee called over the youngest, and perhaps the most enthusiastic member of the crowd, to draw the winning ticket. The winner, Jon, who had travelled from Bristol for the show, collected his winnings before it was time for the third and final band, Clobber, a hard-core punk band who were raw and passionate. Halfway through the set, band members from the other bands joined them on stage.

Everyone in that room contributed to the night. It drew in fans of all ages. I chatted with people between each set. James, 11, wearing a denim waistcoat laden with punk patches, has been going to shows with his dad since he was 6 years old. “I took him thinking he would hate it,” his dad said. “I was surprised when he had the best time and asked to go again and again. Now I take him with me whenever I can.”

Stacey, 40, loves to go to shows to find new bands and meet new people. “Gigs like this bring people together; it connects people. Live music is unparalleled to anything else.”

Vic, 70, who has been homeless on and off for years, said, “I go to as many shows as I can. I have a pure love of music. When I have been on the streets, people have asked if they can buy me a sandwich. I ask them instead if they can play me a song. Music is felt, not just heard. This show has been part of the reason I want to keep fighting.”

It didn't matter if you were at the front, head banging, standing at the back with your arms crossed and wearing a confident grin, or to the side, holding a pint and tapping your foot. Every single person in that room was there for one purpose: the celebration of punk rock music, culture, and being part of a community. We were all there not just as an audience, but as part of this collective experience. The Hi-Stakes Tour is not just a music tour; it’s the start of a movement, a community with a point to prove.

Punk is not dead, and neither is the live music industry!