Paint By Numbers 2026 @ The Bodega, Nottingham, July 5, 2026

Lemonsuckr

Coach Party, LEMONSUCKR, Kez, Cucamaras, The Youth Play

Paint By Numbers 2026 @ The Bodega, Nottingham, July 5, 2026,

Jul 08, 2026 By Jimi Arundell Photography by Luke Brennan Web Exclusive

There’s something to be said about a good, solid day festival packed full of scrappy underdogs ready to break out and take over. Not only do you get to grab a drink in a short time at a reasonable price, but you also earn the smug satisfaction of saying you got to see that amazing new act everyone’s talking about up close and personal before anyone else has even heard of them.

Paint By Numbers is amongst the latest of the essential dates added to the truly alternative festival calendar, returning for its second instalment. No camping bollocks, no wankers in morph suits and no dross. Just a single day of all-killer, no-filler acts, first hitting Bristol Thekla before returning to The Bodega in Nottingham, topped on both occasions by rising indie rockers Coach Party.

Cucamaras

The best early arrivals at The Bodega included dream pop band Night Swimming. As dark and enthralling as the name suggests, their swirling, hypnotic sound merges trip hop with the gloomier end of shoegaze. True, a couple of up-tempo tracks could be added to mix it up a bit, but Meg Jones’ angelic voice and Torin Moore’s impeccable drumming are more than enough to conjure a dark, majestic spell that captivates the audience.

Downstairs, The Youth Play somehow squeezed the entire festival into the main bar. Sounding like a sombre, more muscled version of Bloc Party, their angular guitars build to epic walls of sound. Singer Diego Bracho scales stools and tables, leaning into the faces of onlookers as he pours every ounce of passion into the mic, soliciting an excited clap-along. But their emphasis on power often becomes too sludgy and plodding. If they tighten up the songs and sharpen the riffs, there’ll be no stopping them.

There was a considerable display of local East Midlands talent, first courtesy of provocative pack Kez. The Derby loudmouths are no strangers to the ‘Dega, already infamous for their collision of Oi!, brash disco punk and belligerent sprechgesang. With his shaved head, sunglasses and macho swagger, the comparisons between Jamie Thrasivoulou and Shaun Ryder are immediately obvious. His goading, non-stop barrage of bloke-on-the-street musings sounds like a pissed-up Phil Daniels, and the urge to shout “Parklife!” every time he pauses for breath is enormous. Their new number “Divinations” steps out of the shadow of Warmduscher and Sleaford Mods to show they’ve got an incredible radio-friendly single in ‘em. And then they tear us a new arsehole with “Millionaire Bootlickers”.

Kez

Later, Cucamaras explode onto the stage, showing Gen Z what a true punk rock riot looks like. Drawing on such greats as The Clash, The Jam and Gang of Four, each song sounds like an instant classic as they smash every cymbal, thrash every chord and scream every line like it might be the last time they do it. The Notts lads clearly understand all the ingredients required to thrill as they rattle through their set at what feels like an impossible amphetamine-fuelled speed. Close your eyes, and you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d been transported to Brixton Academy back in ’77, and yet the overwhelming sense of urgency destroys any sense of retro.

So, it’s surprising to discover the boys were a little nervous beforehand. They’ve taken time out to focus on a new EP scheduled for release later this year, and the absence has allowed a few fears to creep in. Speaking to bassist Fin Heighton-Jupp, he explains how the jitters quickly dissipated as soon as they were on: “Was great to be back at Bodega again, as well as having a first show at Thekla the day prior. Amazing to see lots of friendly faces and show people what we’ve been working on whilst we’ve been away!” Ladies and gentlemen, grot n’ roll is most DEFINITELY back on the menu.

Striding on stage to “Vindaloo” and looking every inch like champions, Coach Party already have a lot to celebrate. Last year saw the release of their acclaimed second album Caramel, which we described as “raw and in your face”, plus I covered their “wonderfully rowdy appearance” at Rockaway Beach earlier this year. It’s no surprise that they’re today’s headliners, as they’ve got all the anthems and attitude to break out of the alternative circles and become a major player in the mainstream.

Coach Party

Commencing with the face-melting “Nurse Depression”, it’s clear that they’re not fucking around and this is a band ready to kick arse. Familiar tracks “All I Wanna Do Is Hate” and “Micro Aggression” are as volatile as ever, whilst “I Really Like You” proves they’ve got the versatility to produce the feel-good, saccharine-sweet songs to capture the heart. And their new offering “Over”, with its grungy guitars and soaring chorus, leaves the audience stunned. Ending with the blistering single “Girls!”, there’s little doubt the party is just getting started.

But the day most definitely belonged to Lemonsuckr. The Brighton-based four-piece emerged little over a year ago, and in that short time, they have quickly become one of THE most talked-about bands waiting in the wings. It takes just 45 minutes of sheer savage energy to reveal that the future most definitely lies in the return of electroclash and slutty little hoop earrings.

Dressed in the sort of kitsch, cheap-looking office clothes associated with Ian Curtis, which saw a massive resurgence in the indie sleaze era, they certainly look every inch the part. And with the building pulse of “Sedated” bursting into a flurry of Arabic rhythms, then the relentless hedonistic rampage of “Instant Kinks” comes the instant realisation: they’ve got the sound nailed too.

Frontman Guy Ferris leaps from the stage to stalk the dance floor, his predatory dance matching their feral noise as the hungry audience feeds off their visceral performance. At one point, I’m handed a cowbell and a drumstick, and almost immediately the metal instrument caves in and then snaps in half from the intensity of my beatings. I don’t normally have this strength; I have become a conduit of their might, a physical expression of their zeal. Have no doubt, this was one of the greatest gigs of 2026. And you should stop reading this, buy all their music and get a Lemonsuckr tattoo RIGHT NOW!

Big shout-out to everyone behind the scenes, because Paint By Numbers is a non-stop joyride of post punk, shoegaze, indie rock and everything alternative. If you want to discover the hottest bands on the scene, you’ve come to the right place. Early bird tickets for Bristol (5.12.26) and Nottingham (6.12.26) are now available HERE.