A local music collective made sure that Pride month, which took place in June, ended with a bang.

The Manx Punx held a fund-raising gig in the sweaty underground confines of Compton Vaults, in Castletown last weekend, featuring two local punk groups, Crotch Lice and Half Naked Headline, to mark the end of the month and to help raise awareness of issues that affect the LGBT+ community on the island.

The venue was described as ’rammed to the hilt’ by owner Juan Christian, as the immaculately-turned out crowd of punks moshed and sang their hearts out in warm-hearted night of music, colour and community togetherness.

Originally the collective had planned to invite a ’queer-core’ group over from the UK to play at the event, only for the restrictions to put a halt to all events.

’When it was obvious it wasn’t going to happen, we decided just to have our own night to help celebrate and mark the end of Pride month over here,’ said organiser Jenni Smith, also the singer with Half Naked Headline.

’Ourselves and Crotch Lice, another top Manx punk group, led by Mike Cowley, who also organised the night, thought we would raise funds for the island’s LGBT+ youth club and have a good night as well.

’We had collection buckets everywhere, which people helped to fill and we decorated the place out in colours rainbow posters and flags.

’It was a great night.’

The night, which also featured the group ’Poster Girl’, featuring Alice Dudley and Al Bell, and poet Stephen Goldsmith, raised more than £125.