DON’T choke at the name The Pukes. They are a punk ukulele band – punk, ukulele, put the two together – from London with a penchant for fast and furious songs by The Exploited, Dead Kennedys, The Clash and X-Ray Spex.

The nearly all-female line-up varies in number from eight to 20 whenever they take to the stage, so who knows how many will be at the Fulford Arms in York on May 18 on their spring tour. But you can be certain their punk covers will “sound like you’ve never heard’em before” in a set that will be topped up with their own original tunes.

Chris Jones, of gig promoters TV’s Over, says: “The Pukes’ massive stage presence and raucous live show has landed them appearances at festivals, punk picnics in London and beyond and support slots with many of the bands who inspired them, such as Sham 69, UK Subs, Vice Squad, Bad Manners, Chelsea, Menace, Subhumans and Splodge.

“Around half the band were complete beginners when they started playing together in their local Hackney pub, the Royal Sovereign, in January 2011; others are – or have been – in bands like the UK Subs, Lost Cherrees, Infa Riot, PMT, Noise Agents, Rabies Babies and The Ramonas. “ The Pukes, who play a variety of electric and acoustic ukuleles as well as drums and bass, released their debut EP on Damaged Goods last year and have just recorded an album with the punk parody title of Too Drunk To Pluck, due out in August.

Last year they received Arts Council England funding to run ukulele workshops for beginners on the summer festival circuit and to produce a fanzine.

Tickets for their May 18 York debut cost £5 on the door from 7pm. Their Go Nuts In May tour of the North and the Midlands also visits the New Adelphi, Hull, on May 16.