With a blistering set, stage presence beyond their years and even some fancy footwork, the Knights of Molino made their 924 Gilman Street debut on Friday night to a packed house.
The iconic Berkeley venue is best known for being the birthplace of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Green Day, who originally performed at the club under the name Sweet Children in 1987. Berkeley-based Rancid and Operation Ivy have also played the underage club, often known as the CBGB’s of the West.
“Gilman has always been a dream for us,” drummer and vocalist Tommy Birmingham said. “Knowing about the history of Gilman and all the bands that have played there made it a really special night.”
Knights of Molino drummer Tommy Birmingham, 12, performs with his older brother guitarist Erik Birmingham, 14, during their debut show at 924 Gilman in Berkeley, Calif., on Friday, August 21, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
The Marin-based punk power trio consists of Tommy, 12, brother Erik Birmingham, 14, on vocals and guitar, and bassist Rowan Campbell, 12. They’ve independently released six singles, and their first studio record titled “First Album,” is scheduled for release on November 4th with a big Bay Area show to follow.
The band formed in 2023 when Erik and Tommy met Rowan at the local middle school and got its name after Molino Avenue in their hometown of Mill Valley, a musical enclave where Bonnie Raitt, Carlos Santana and Sammy Hagar have lived. The town is also the home of the legendary Sweetwater Music Hall, where the band has played.
The boys play a raw, fast-paced classic punk-rock style, and are influenced by iconic bands like the Ramones, The Clash, the Dead Kennedys and the Buzzcocks, to whom they also pay homage by playing some of their covers. They also adeptly cover some Metallica and Led Zeppelin tunes among others.
Knights of Molino guitarist Erik Birmingham, 14, and bassist Rowan Campbell, 12, perform during their debut show at 924 Gilman in Berkeley, Calif., on Friday, August 21, 2026.(Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Their dad Gavin Birmingham, of Manchester, England, is their manager, social media guy and roadie. He exposed the lads to a lot of punk rock records early on and they began playing their instruments at the ages of 6 and 8.
According to Birmingham, Tommy writes all the lyrics and Erik writes the riffs and melodies, and once they figure out a song structure with guitar and drums, they give Rowan the chords to work his magic with the bass.
Many might think of the Knights of Molino as a “kid band,” but their songwriting, musicianship and demeanor are well beyond their years. Drummer Tommy wrote a tune called “Here Comes the Heartbreak” after he was turned down by a girl he was fond of.
“I asked my crush out twice in the same day and both times she said no,” Tommy reminisced while introducing the song at a show last year. Tommy is already a natural punk with his grimaces, British vocal inflections and wide-eyed expressions behind the drum kit.
Along with their schoolwork, the Knights rehearse three times weekly to prepare for a slew of upcoming shows including the Homestead Valley Music Festival, the Haight Ashbury Street Fair, the Hotel Utah and their first show in Los Angeles at The Woodbridge on November 22.
“I have no idea where they get it from because I can’t play a musical instrument or sing to save my life,” Birmingham said. “They’ve worked really hard to get to this point, no one really sees the behind the scenes.”
Their single “Take Back Control,” went viral on social media for their strong anti-AI stance in music and art with the repetitive chorus “Artificial intelligence can’t know the human experience.”
Another culturally-relevant tune, “Mr. America” speaks of a divided nation: “Mr. America, we’re split in two, Mr. America, one half for me, one half for you.”
In true punk fashion, most of the songs are as fast and furious as a freight train and no more than two and a half minutes long, some coming in under two. Tommy’s songwriting is fun and quirky, like the catchy chorus of “Cool as Me.”
“Then you came into my life and now I finally see, I never thought I’d meet someone as cool as me.”
The band is self publishing on their own label, Sky Meets the Sea Records, and recorded the album at 2200 Studios in Sausalito, formerly the famous Record Plant, where artists such as Prince, Stevie Wonder, Sly & the Family Stone, Fleetwood Mac and Huey Lewis and the News recorded, among others.
“They hooked us up with a good deal since we were a kid band and they want to support youth in arts,” dad Gavin said.
Knights of Molino bassist Rowan Campbell, 12, ad guitarist Erik Birmingham, 14, perform during their debut show at 924 Gilman in Berkeley, Calif., on Friday, August 21, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Singer-songwriter Bart Davenport, former front man of Oakland’s The Loved Ones, a 1960s-inspired R&B and garage rock band, produced the record and multi-instrumentalist Matt McDavid engineered it.
Back on the dimly-lit Gilman stage, Erik rips a powerful guitar solo on “Take Back Control” as the crowd goes wild. Operation Ivy and Green Day, along with the Dead Kennedys and British 70’s punk, are a massive influence on him, and are the reason he formed a punk band.
“I watch the clips from Gilman in the 90s regularly and have always dreamed of playing there, so playing in front of a great crowd was literally a dream come true,” Erik said.
“I feel this is just the start and we have so much more to offer. The Bay Area is our home and we want to represent.”
Knights of Molino guitarist Erik Birmingham, 14, drummer and younger brother Tommy Birmingham, 12, and bassist Rowan Campbell, 12, perform during their debut show at 924 Gilman in Berkeley, Calif., on Friday, August 21, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Knights of Molino drummer Tommy Birmingham, 12, performs during their debut show at 924 Gilman in Berkeley, Calif., on Friday, August 21, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Knights of Molino guitarist Erik Birmingham, 14, drummer and younger brother Tommy Birmingham, 12, and bassist Rowan Campbell, 12, perform during their debut show at 924 Gilman in Berkeley, Calif., on Friday, August 21, 2026.(Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Knights of Molino bassist Rowan Campbell, 12, performs during their debut show at 924 Gilman in Berkeley, Calif., on Friday, August 21, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Knights of Molino guitarist Erik Birmingham, 14, drummer and younger brother Tommy Birmingham, 12, and bassist Rowan Campbell, 12, perform during their debut show at 924 Gilman in Berkeley, Calif., on Friday, August 21, 2026.(Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Knights of Molino guitarist Erik Birmingham, 14, performs during their debut show at 924 Gilman in Berkeley, Calif., on Friday, August 21, 2026.(Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Knights of Molino bassist Rowan Campbell, 12, guitarist Erik Birmingham, 14, and drummer and younger brother Tommy Birmingham, 12, perform during their debut show at 924 Gilman in Berkeley, Calif., on Friday, August 21, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Knights of Molino guitarist Erik Birmingham, 14, performs during their debut show at 924 Gilman in Berkeley, Calif., on Friday, August 21, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Knights of Molino bassist Rowan Campbell, 12, guitarist Erik Birmingham, 14, and drummer and younger brother Tommy Birmingham, 12, and perform during their debut show at 924 Gilman in Berkeley, Calif., on Friday, August 21, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Knights of Molino guitarist Erik Birmingham, 14, drummer and younger brother Tommy Birmingham, 12, and bassist Rowan Campbell, 12, perform during their debut show at 924 Gilman in Berkeley, Calif., on Friday, August 21, 2026.(Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Knights of Molino guitarist Erik Birmingham, 14, drummer and younger brother Tommy Birmingham, 12, and bassist Rowan Campbell, 12, take a bow on stage after performing their debut show at 924 Gilman in Berkeley, Calif., on Friday, August 21, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
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Knights of Molino guitarist Erik Birmingham, 14, drummer and younger brother Tommy Birmingham, 12, and bassist Rowan Campbell, 12, perform during their debut show at 924 Gilman in Berkeley, Calif., on Friday, August 21, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)