We first stumbled onto “Life’s a Joke” by Chubby and the Gang on release day, September 20. From the opening riff, it felt like diving headfirst into a sweat-soaked basement show where the amps are cranked all the way up. The guitars snarl, the drums slap you around, and Charlie “Chubby” Manning-Walker’s vocals cut through everything like he’s got something urgent to say.
I love how the band manages to sneak in a sly sense of humor without losing any of that raw, punchy feel. When they drop a line like “Why bother climbing the ladder / When it’s broken at the top?” it’s a total gut punch, but there’s also a sneer that says, “We’re all in on the joke.” It’s a nice reminder that if life wants to be ridiculous, sometimes the best move is to laugh right back at it.
Despite the intensity, there’s an almost reckless joy to the track—it’s loud and fast, but it doesn’t feel gloomy or heavy-handed. Everything about it says, “Let’s have a blast, even if the world’s on fire.” That’s what punk has always meant to me, and “Life’s a Joke” nails that vibe perfectly. It’s the kind of song you play at top volume when you need to let off steam and forget the grind for a few glorious, chaotic minutes.
