Slaves
-ACADEMY, MANCHESTER-
A boxing ring full of black belts with the overpowering aroma of cigarettes and alcohol, it’s Saturday night and the anticipation of Slaves coming out on stage begins to spill over despite the ironic pre-gig soundtrack playing cheesy 90s pop hits.
Laurie and Isaac stomp onto the stage with the intentions of making tonight one hell of a show and kicking off with a cover of ‘Shut Down’ by Skepta was a spectacular way of doing so.
The current in the crowd sways from side to side as fans fall like bowling pins, soon being prodded back on their feet before throwing themselves back into the chaotic choir of Slaves fans.
The merciless setlist sees the punk rock duo fire through hits such as ‘Sockets’ and ‘Live Like an Animal’ but still peppering newly loved tracks such as ‘Bugs’ and ‘Magnolia’.
It’s fair to say that album three was a learning curve for Slaves but a test which they passed with flying colours. Finding a formula which keeps the authentic sound of their natural product but combining it with new and exciting influences.
A rare moment to catch a breath occurs while Isaac declares, “D’ya wanna know why there’s only two of us in this band? Because no one else would fucking join!” The somewhat heart-warming section is ended with a brotherly loving kiss before relighting the fuse of the continuously explosive show.
“Who really really knows the dance?” was the question raised before performing ‘Cut and Run’ which sees two members of the crowd participate in what could only be described as a dance battle on stage, followed by the band’s personal request for all phones to be put away when performing ‘Photo Opportunity’, as the night takes a slightly more mellow and appreciative turn.
‘Feed The Mantaray’ makes an appearance despite not making the cut for any of the three albums, introduced with the ludicrous story of “we used to have a guy who would come on stage dressed as a Mantaray, but we crowd surfed him to the back of a crowd in China and never saw him again.”
With an untraditional choice to erase the encore, the momentum from the set continues into the final three songs ‘Sugar Coated Bitter Truth’, ‘Beauty Quest’ and the band’s biblical banger ‘The Hunter’.
The topless, sweat drenched duo make the night feel somewhat of a showcase of success, the flag mounting moment and a reflection on how far these two punks from Kent have come. With the adrenaline pumped team showing no signs of slowing down, it would be an understatement to say that this is an exciting time for the momentous band and the revived genre.
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